4597/Chillin in the Woods with our m-- ... mates

Chillin in the Woods with our m-- ... mates
Date of Scene:	04 January 2021
Location:	North Woods
Synopsis:	Pyro, Drake and Rave discover that under a bridge is a fantastic places for meeting new friends. Not just trolls.
Cast of Characters:	Simon Lasker, Drake Riley, Naria Shepard

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Simon Lasker has posed:
The woods of central park are quiet this time of year. With the cold, most people are inside and even the less scheduled activities common to the park are moved indoors. There is currently no snow on the ground on account of the week of slightly less chilly weather. This also makes it perfect for people who value opportunities to be left alone. Just down the path, about 10 mins walk away is the edge of the park with some food stands and the roar of the city.

Simon has come down into town to get some space. He has spent all week slumming it with the students and he is THIS close to getting second hand homework. He has invited his fellow non-student resident Drake Riley down to a place he found under a bridge over a stream. He is expecting to be seen by strangers, so it is jeans and his /formal/ black-leather-jacket. He is flicking out tongues of flame every now and then when he thinks the humans aren't looking, and enjoying the warmth off his foodcart burger and fries.

Drake Riley has posed:
It's kind of nice, getting away from the mansion. It's a thought Drake never thought he'd have. But feeling not quite in the same bubble as the others creates a sort of alienating experience, so it's nice to get away with someone who seems to be in the same boat as him. And from what he's seen, a fellow elemantalist. So that's kind'a cool.

Armed with his own burger and fries, while kept warm with a nice, fashionable parka, Drake nods towards the other mutant. "So, how long've you been with the group? S'been like.. couple months for me. I think." He lifts a fry with a thoughtful twist of his lips. "It's been a little hard keeping track of time, t'be honest." And the fry winds up in his mouth.

Naria Shepard has posed:
It wasn't abnormal for Rave to turn up in Central park, as her social media could testify. The 'outed' Metahuman artist with the neon-blue glowing locks usually passed through there several times a day...but that tended to be at high speeds on her way to acts, crime-thwarting or the occasional photo from atop one of the skyscrapers that rested at the edge of the park.

At the moment however? There was no blistering comet of blue light weaving through the paths and trees, the young woman was taking it easy! Of course, the warm mug of hot cocoa in her hands might be the reason for the glowing girl's restraint as she made her own path in figure-hugging thermal athletic pants and a rather standard zip-up black hoodie.

No rush, the bluenette was quite happy having no particular place to go at the moment.

Simon Lasker has posed:
"Five years. Its been five years." He takes a breath and looks at Drake. "It doesn't feel like that long, but Its even been a few months seens I quit my job and came back. Jeez, time just flies. I was going to try to go heroing, but damn if it isn't hard. I Swear like the second time out I almost got stepped on by a 300ft tall woman, and she was one of the friendlies." He sits down and puts his back against the bridge. "What've you been up to lately?"

Drake Riley has posed:
Drake Riley is occupying himself with the fries as Simon talks, and nearly chokes at the frank discussion. Heroing!? His eyes widen at him, briefly mystified. "Seriously?" How did he not know that little detail? But five years, that's crazy. There might be something to what Rogue was saying after all. "Do you got, like... a codename? Costume'n stuff?," he marvels.

An individual wandering the wooded path - that is, Rave - is noticed at this point. Blue hair, glowing; that's certainly different. A sidelong glance is cast to Simon, then back to the girl. "Yo," as her path would likely carry her near.

Naria Shepard has posed:
The conversation was frank, not quite quiet enough that Rave couldn't hear it but not loud enough that she could pick up each and every word. Still, there were plenty in there to have her curious and looking over, to be almost staring when Drake catches sight of her, making the bluenette give a little embarassed blink and raise her hand. "Hey. Sorry...codenames and costumes?"

Eavesdropping, Rave wasn't above it!

Simon Lasker has posed:
"Yeah, I got all of that-- Pyro by the way--, but it was all designed for civilian stuff. I was a firefighter for a while. It was one hell of a summer job. Then they decided that a fireman with mutant fire powers had to be responsible for every act of arson in the state, and now I am here."

Simon wasn't going to lie. He was a little startled, but a course of action was forming in his mind. "Yeah, but first I gotta know. Is that just the latest trendy dye job or what? Wouldn't want anyone assuming you're a mutant or something right?"

Drake Riley has posed:
The fun of talking about superheroics and costumes is belayed a bit by the appearance of another - and one who seemed to overhear what they were saying. Drake opens his mouth to protest, but Simon's beaten him to it. So he falls silent to let the questions be posed. So he simply goes from watching Simon to studying Rave intently.

Naria Shepard has posed:
Well, Pyro had sort of outed himself a little, but Rave simply sips her own drink and doesn't blink. It's only the question of her hair that earns a laugh, a lazy draw of her finger through the air leaving a glowing laser light trail in its wake.

"Why not? What's wrong with mutants?"

A smirk, there's a tilt of her head. "Not big local music fans, huh?"

Simon Lasker has posed:
"Good answer. Can never be too careful, you know? You wanna use code names or what? We were talking about heroing and stuff. You seem like the type that might get up to that sort of thing. What have you been up to?" He lets out a sigh of relief. No crisis today.

Simon can also do a thing with lights on his finger. He makes a flame run from red to blue and back like a siren. "Honestly I don't know that many good places to listen to it. If you got a mix tape, I can look you up. What genre are you? I am mostly a rock guy, but I dance every now and then."

Drake Riley has posed:
"Mm," quietly seconds Drake. Though he, himself, does not have a codename. He's engaged in heroics before, but under subterfuge. So he can't really match them on any kind of secrecy. Up until very recently, he was a miscreant streetrat. Nothing more.

"I've been in town only for a while. Less than a year. And didn't exactly have a lott'a leisure-time," he explains. "Sorry. You a famous person, bright-eyes?"

Naria Shepard has posed:
"I'm Rave," the young woman offers, a little laugh given in appreciation at the fire trick. Shared and shown, it seems the girl had a 'codename' of her own, or at least one she preferred to the one she was born with.

"It's alright, a lot of underground dance, a bit of rock and more...should come and see for yourself sometime!"

Self-promotion given, Rave shrugs her shoulders. "But yeah, I'm on social media and stuff, photos and show times, a few clips..." Another sip of her drink and her glossed lips pull into a grin. "And my own 'Hero stuff'. Can't really hide what I am so...why not have fun with it?"

Simon Lasker has posed:
"I am Pyro." he replies. He is tempted to say something about being a member of the x-men and being big time and fighting along side the Human Torch and so on, but today he will be reserved. "I will have to look you up, although I have to warn you, I can't get into most clubs, so if its somewhere that serves alcohol, I can't come." He pauses to think about it. "I kind of wish I had something more obvious. Less confusion you know? I was thinking a tatoo or something."

Drake Riley has posed:
"That's so cool," sighs Drake, unabashedly fanboying at the codenames and evident prowess. On top of it, Rave seems to just... own it. It's a brazen level of confidence that eschews the pressure to blend in and dares someone to do something about it. But at the same time, blending in has its advantages. Nevertheless, meeting superhero-types has yet to lose its impact on him.

There's a soft exhale of a sigh, and Drake glances to Simon again. They were just talking about his costuming. An obvious question is to follow as his gaze shoots back to the bluenette. "You got a costume, too?"

Nevermind the club and music talk. This is so much more exciting.

Naria Shepard has posed:
"Kinda," Rave answers Drake, giving a little laugh. "Nothing like the catsuits and capes some people have. I just tend to wear my club gear most of the time. And uh...no mask, obviously."

Pyro's comment earns a nod, a little laugh and a shrug. "If they looked hard enough? Neither could I. Some perks for being 'in the show', huh?"

"I sort of...y'know, 'came out' in a public way, nearly got hit by a car and sort of...whoosh. Then there were people with phones and all that. No hiding it even if I wanted to."

Simon Lasker has posed:
"I am sure some people are very disappointed by your choices about your costume. Costume twitter is such a pretentious pit." He definately doesn't spend far too much time debating costumes with anonymous strangers. He kind of laughs and then pauses.

"Hah. Thats nothing. I wound up in jail when my powers manifested. People wound up in the hospital." It is sort of pitch black humor. The kind of thing he very clearly didn't think was funny at some point relatively recently on the scale of his life as a mutant.

Drake Riley has posed:
"Yikes."

"Uh."

"Let's maybe change the subject."

Consequences of things happening with the advent of powers is not a topic Drake likes to dwell on. After all, he has them beat. Something truly horrific happened when his decided to show up; something that's likely going to haunt him forever. Perhaps ironically, the thing that spurred him to be extremely serious about learning self-control.

"Anyway...," Drake attempts to divert, lifting his food basket towards the new arrival, "...fry? They're gettin' kind'a cold, and we can call this me contributing to, uh, supporting local heroes?" The proposition is delivered with a weak half-smile. "Name's Drake. No fancy codename for me."

Naria Shepard has posed:
"Hell yeah,"

Who wouldn't pick fries over rough memories? Not Rave!

Still, Drake's introduction earns a shrug, a tilt of her head. "Well, it's a cool name anyway?" she offers before giving Pyro a little laugh. "I mean, I wear a skirt, mesh shirt and bikini top half the time...and running clothes the rest of the time. So yeah, I get my fair share of comments I'd rather not get."

Simon Lasker has posed:
Simon thinks that is a great idea and digs into his burger. "If falafel is more your speed, there is a cart at the near entry." *munch munch*. "Honestly it doesn't bother me that much" Simon continues oblivious to the possibility that Drake might be trying to avoid talking about his own history.

"I wasn't thinking that you were wearing too much clothing, I was thinking that it isn't a superhero costume. I'm not judging, just how are they supposed to put an iconic bit of your costume on a t-shirt if you don't have a costume?" He is not a costume nerd. How dare you imply that. "But people who catcall people on the street can go screw themselves." He gives her his social media stuff so they can keep in touch in the future.

Drake Riley has posed:
Drake Riley gives the girl a sidelong, lingering glance with a smile at the compliment to his name. It was a nice thing to say. But he feels prompted to respond somehow. And the first thing that comes to mind is: "It means duck." Beat. "A-and also dragon sort'a."

He silences himself with a fry of his own, letting the two talk. But as Rave explains her attire, she gets another look, vibrant green gaze skimming over her present wardrobe and likely picturing what she describes. But something Simon says gets his attention.

"Mmh! S'true!" Drake swallows. "Gotta have that marketability. But I think your name in those bright blue colors would probably be pretty recognizable..."

Naria Shepard has posed:
"Duck? Huh. That's a new one...maybe not a what I'd base a codename on though."

A shrug, Rave takes another sip of her drink. "I mean, marketability in being memorable. I'm eye-catching, awesome and...the whole living laser gun thing."

Tossing her cup upwards with a grin, the girl makes the classic 'finger-gun' shape and a bolt of bright blue energy zips through the air to disintergrate the paper cup.

It might get an odd look from any passer's by, but the girl with the glowing locks just grins. "Pew."

Shifting to step back and now minus her beverage, Rave stretches her arms over her head, nodding to the pair. "Anyway, look me up sometime! Catch you two around. Later Pyro, Duck-man."

Another wink...then she was gone, a streak of glowing light flashing away across the city.

Simon Lasker has posed:
Simon finishes up. "Kinda buried the lead a little bit. Next time lead with the dragon bit. everybody loves dragons."

After much joking and finishing their greasy food they finish up. Learning the valuable lesson that you don't just meet trolls under bridges. They are also social hotspots for the sort of people too cool for bars.