3628/=Mid-term meeting

=Mid-term meeting
Date of Scene:	30 September 2020
Location:	Washington Square Park
Synopsis:	Falafel sauce and conversation.
Cast of Characters:	Alexander Aaron, Dawn Granger

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Alexander Aaron has posed:
    There's a certain vacant stare that is only seen in the eyes of a college student. That emptiness when their gaze just distances and their irises fail to find purchase on whatever is before them. It can be seen in that glazed look usually connected to something that just torments the mind of youth, such as economics or the lineages of various old and almost forgotten kings. At least that is the hypothesis that the young man known as Alexander Aaron is considering even as he shakes his head and frowns.
    "What's wrong, Man?" Tanner pipes up, leaning against the tree there in the quad out front of the library.
    "Hm? Oh, just thinking."
    "You look bored as hell."
    A small smile twists Alex's features as he looks thoughtful and to the side as he murmurs, "Boredom is pull ups for the mind." He says, oh so cleverly. "Helps you be able to focus and lets you key yourself in when you need to."
    "Uh huh," Tanner says, clearly dubious. "Well you didn't seem to be focusing on anything."
    "Yah, you're probably right." That said he finally closes the textbook that was in his lap, then he leans back and grabs his backpack, and stuffs the text in there then grabs the helmet that was sitting beside it.
    "Why do you have a motorcycle helmet when you don't have a motorcyle?"
    "I dunno, I think it's neat."
    "Yeah, why?"
    "Just... has cool features."
    "Whatever, man."

Dawn Granger has posed:
Indian summer. Now that has a long rich history. Dawn is under one of the maples that has begun to turn color, along with the dogwoods that are common to the east coast of the United States. It is still novel enough for her to reflect on as she walks along looking for a place to sun herself.

She slows, the turn of a young man's shoulder familiar enough for her to take a second look before she veers from the sidewalk, wondering if she'll regret this. Quietly, she calls out, stopping short of the two collegians, "Hi, Alex. How's it going?"

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Looking up from his seated place just under the old oak in that park, Alexander meets Dawn's eyes and smiles a little, though there's a hint of some wariness there... barely there. One would have to look deep into those hazel irises to see it.
    But Tanner blinks and looks up, "Hey," He says, lifting a hand toward Dawn.
    "Dawn, this is Tanner, he's in two of my classes." The youth pulls his backpack over and sets it in his lap as well as the motorcycle helmet on top of it. His head tilts to the side curiously, "It's going good. How are you?"
    But Tanner grins, "He's got it wrong, Alex is in two of /my/ classes. He just special guest stars." Which has the Olympian youth sort of rolling his eyes but then shrugging a bit as he smiles back at Dove.

Dawn Granger has posed:
It doesn't take super powers to catch Alex's lack of enthusiasm. Dawn takes a half step backward as though considering turning around and heading off. She laughs with surprise at Tanner's disarming 'guest star' quip, "I think he guest stars in a lot of places. I've been super busy."

The super that slipped into the sentence makes her mouth quirk slightly to one side. "Classes, dancing...you know." Of course, the you know is working and training with the Titans but that is something she is not even sure that Alex is aware of, despite his Olympian nature.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "We are all stars of our own little shows I imagine." Alexander says as he glances sidelong at Tanner and casually picks up the guy's textbook and tosses it in the other man's lap, the silent message there clearly something along the lines of 'shut up and study.' Though it's unspoken.
    He pushes himself to his feet and checks the underside of the helmet, even as Tanner starts putting together his own backpack and textbook, the mortal youth piping up, "You going to that Tau Kappa Epsilon thing?"
    "Is that tonight? Alex asks as he slings his pack over his shoulder, tucking the helmet under his arm.
    "Yeah, though the TKEs kinda suck, they let anyone in."
    "Oh hell, then sure they suck." Alexander replies with only a small amount of incredulity, his true feelings likely not able to be discerned with that youth's easy poker-face. "Catch you later."
    And as he says that he turns to walk and then asks of Dawn, "You going this way?"

Dawn Granger has posed:
It is so Alex. She amends that to, it is so how she feels around Alex, off-balance, unable to read him.

"Ah, bye, Tanner. Nice meeting you." Her eyebrows knit as she looks at Alex sideways and shrugs, joining him. "Yes, yeah. I was going to get something to drink and then maybe sit outside and read for while. Where are you off to?"

The two of them together could turn heads: her platinum hair reflects the light with the sheen of youth, her blue eyes, large and luminous, and flawless skin that radiates health, next to Alex's darker blonde aquiline handsomeness. They are both unusually handsome and reinforce each other's good looks.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "I," Alex says with a small smile, "Was going to get something to eat and then fiddle with my helmet more, which is super important to me." That helmet for whatever reason. Then again he's got that deadpan tone, easy to think him serious when really he might just be making a joke at himself just as easily.
    Once he's a bit further away he continues to stroll, stuffing his hands in his pockets and making his stride match hers. Indeed they are two of a kind, curious beauty in a campus where such stands out. His lip curls as he looks across the quad while they walk and he looks sidelong at her.
    "You know if we hang out too often people are gonna start calling us Lannisters. Just FYI." His head bobs as he smiles a little, distantly and distracted, but sincere.

Dawn Granger has posed:
"Lannisters?" A pause, then Dawn shakes her head in disbelief. "Right, right. That caught on big time in England, too, though we were behind the US by one season, I think." A mischievous smile flickers as she adds, "To think, I'm a lot younger than Cersei. I left Drogon at home."

There is real pleasure in walking with someone who can keep pace, she lets her stride widen, "What were you going to eat?" Her stomach growls punctuating the question. "And, ah," she eyes the helmet, "do you have a motorcycle now?"

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "I do not." He tells her levelly as he smiles and tosses the helmet to her, perhaps expecting her to catch it. "I was thinking to myself, and stressing a bit about asking some of the SHIELD people if I could maybe have a piece of equipment that would help me keep like, situational awareness while doing things."
    He strolls along and steps around behind an empty bench, hopping up onto the raised stone fence that separates the sidewalk from a large series of planters. But he walks on that edge almost perfectly, like a trapeze artist though not quite as skilled obviously. "And I was like, 'I want a helmet that'll help me recognize who is saying what on the comms, and that might help me have no blind spots. And so I googled neato helmets and lo and behold."
    He then gestures to that helmet she now holds.

Dawn Granger has posed:
The catch is not perfect but she does catch it. The more she transforms into Dove the more integrated she has become with her super powers. It doesn't keep her mouth from opening at Alex's casual reference to SHIELD, she looks down at it and then back up at him.

At the next break between benches, she hops up on the fence behind, still holding his helmet, a little self-consciously but with no less grace than his agile balance. "It's called a HUD, I think. Heads-Up Display. You'd think that they would give you one." Information that your average college girl normally doesn't possess but she has yet to tell him about her new side gig.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Yah," Over his shoulder he says as he holds his arms out for balance then casually leeeeans to the side and falls off to drop down onto the sidewalk again with a light thap-thap of footsteps. Then his hands stuff back into his pockets as he continues walking. "As for foooood."
    He gestures with a toss of his chin down the way toward the Falafel truck down at the end of the street which is apparently his destination. "That is where I'm going. It is the yums." He offers as he walks, then turns around to walk backwards as he looks to her.
    "But I don't like work work for them, I sort of help out some of my friends sometimes. Since they did me a solid last year."

Dawn Granger has posed:
Dawn jumps down with a flourished toe pointed kick and throws the helmet at Alex like a basketball. Back at his side, she asks, "What kind of solid did they do for you? I've met some SHIELD agents with the Titans, you know." She shoots him a look, wondering what he'll do with the information.

The truck's siren call of grease and lamb wafts down the sidewalk towards them. "Yes! God, I'm hungry."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Her question goes unanswered for a time as he sort of stares straight ahead, gaze distancing as they walk along with his hands deep in his pockets. He just takes a deep breath as his brow knits for a bit, then his lips part as he moves on. But he doesn't voice any words with that breath. Not at first, instead he exhlaes sloooowly and shakes his head.
    "There was an argument between two of my uncles. I was asked to judge it. It had a lot to do with some horrible things they were doing with some people. I intervened and it caused some serious problems. SHIELD came into the situation to help take care of the aftermath."
    Which is a fair way of describing it, but far from the whole story.

Dawn Granger has posed:
If ever there was a telling pause, Dawn just witnessed it. Eyes downcast in thought, she walks a few steps in silence, before glancing at him again. Careful to neither look shocked or too intrusive, she observes, "That's crazy for you to be called in to judge what your uncles were doing. How are they, ah, feeling about you having done that?"

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "There's..." Alexander walks along, then draws up short before the Fantastic Falafel Van, adjusting the hang of his backpack with a shift of one shoulder and his weight to the other foot. Hazel eyes meet her gaze as he murmurs calmly, "There are... a lot of aspects of protocol between the gods, how they're allowed to interact with each other. Because I'm a new comer I'm sort of in a strange place and so sort of neutral. So having me adjudicate in some ways is an avenue they can take without soliciting grandpa."
    He starts to ease away again, walking over the last few feet to the food truck and leans an arm upon the red shelf that juts out the side of the vehicle. "But could have been just them fucking with me." Which it may well have been.
    "Hey kid, what'll ya have?" The older balding man in the truck leans out on that counter-top and looks between the two of the. "Two of the day's special please, and two sodas. Thanks."

Dawn Granger has posed:
Wide eyed, Dawn considers what being a member of a family that has formal adjudication rules for dealing with one another must be like. On an inward breath, she shakes her head, gaze abstracted, as she reassesses some of the stresses Alex must deal with on a regular basis.

"Grandpa being a very last case kind of scenario. I mean, you seem to avoid calling on him," she tenders before putting a hand on the counter and squinting at the menu. "That sounds great. I'd like a coke, please."

Letting her backpack slide off to one shoulder, she pulls it in front of her to fish out her wallet. "Here, Alex," she says, passing him enough cash to cover her meal.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "What?" Alexander looks at her, and at the money, then says. "Pfft, you're paying for mine too." And as he says that he grins a little, subdued still, but there as he leans to the side while the guy behind the counter start to put together their falafels in sleeves of aluminum foil to keep them warm.
    But then he looks aside and to the way, and that damn poker face, maybe he's serious that she's paying for his. Probably no since he smirked and grinned, but still. Hard to tell with that jerk.
    "It's not that big of a deal, it's more just...rare. And I try to steer clear of family to be fair." The cans of soda are set down on the counter and he snags one, popping the top with a pull on the tab.

Dawn Granger has posed:
Right. With a barely perceptible shrug, a smile tugging at one corner of her mouth, Dawn doubles the money and slides it to the bald man behind the counter. "Extra sauce, please," she adds, with an upbeat lilt to her voice.

"I think, I might do the same. I mean avoid heavy relatives." Shrugging back her backpack, she leans against the counter while waiting for the food. "I consider myself pretty lucky. My mother and I get along pretty well, I can rely on her."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Wow, rude." Alexander says as he leans there against the truck, eyes drifting away as he lets his gaze wander and his thoughts drift off in another direction apparently. But he reveals what he means as he glances back sidelong at her and says, "Just because someone in your family is overweight you shun them, that's heartless, Dawn. I thought better of you."
    And the way he says those words, so steady, so deadpan, he's got to be joking though. Right?
    But his twisted smile keys her in most likely after a few moments of suspense, his shoulders pressing back against the food truck and his legs crossing at the ankles. "It's good to have decent parental units."
    His lip twitches a little, "Though a fair number of people have tried to tell me how horrible my dad was to me and I'm like... whatever, man."

Dawn Granger has posed:
Rolling her eyes at the rude comment, she shakes her head ruefully at his quip. "Right, right. She's not heavy, she's my mother." Head to one side, lips pressed together, she watches Alex a moment before fixing her eyes on the menu again then nods to herself.

"Yeah. Good on you for ignoring them. You're the one to know what your father is to you. Now, I'm going to have to read up on my Greek...ah, history. How reliable are the mythologies we read in school, Alex?"

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Depends really," The youth says as he looks at her, "The gist is there and true for the most part. But there are parts that are just metaphor and allegory." He shifts his footing, uncrossing then recrossing his ankles though reversed as he looks across the park they had just wandered out of, watching the people strolling along nearby as their falafels then come up to the counter. The man accepts the cash and they're given goods and services in return, and Alex scoops up his soda and wrapped food into his hands, then he starts to walk away from the truck, but lingering long enough or her to follow if she wants.
    "Like, Hercules' labors happened, but there's something strange about Aeolus... or Aeole depending on which translation you read. He won't answer too easily though." A shrug is given.

Dawn Granger has posed:
Alex's wary friendliness seems exaggerated to her, she takes her food off the counter with a murmured thanks to the man serving them and follows Alex. "So, take it with a grain of salt and some careful reading," she says, pitching her voice for him to hear as she catches up with him. She smiles without explanation to Alex. Though a superhero herself, she likes the idea of the mythes of her childhood being personified and brought closer to home over a shared falafel.

"I'm lucky I remember that Aeolus was the divine keeper of winds. What about him?"

Nodding at a nearby bench, "Want to sit there?"

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Not sure," Alexander moves in the direction she motions, sitting down on the edge of the bench and leaning forward enough to let the backpack thump off his shoulder and to the ground. Then he sets the soda on the bench between them as he digs into the food.
    "Not sure if it's the same Aeolus, some things people said, makes me think there's a story there and it's embarrassing for Hercules. Or, I don't know. Nobody tells me anything, and half the time when they do tell me things it's wrong just to mess with me." Which causes a small sour expression to show up on his features.

Dawn Granger has posed:
Dawn settles next to him with enough room to put her back back between them and lay her drink can down, further distancing them. "What they get off on pulling pranks on you? That sounds just plain mean," she says around a bite of food, a quick finger catching a squirt of the extra sauce she asked for.

"Mmmmm,mmmm, this is good." After time to chew, she asks, "What do you do with SHIELD? Can you talk about it?"