6474/Pizza That's Out Of This World

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Pizza That's Out Of This World
Date of Scene: 06 June 2021
Location: Giorgio's Pizzeria - St. Martin's Island
Synopsis: What are the odds of landing two exclusive interviews when you're a cub reporter? Quite high, if you happen to go where they have the best pizza in town!
Cast of Characters: Terry O'Neil, J'onn J'onzz, Arthur Curry




Terry O'Neil has posed:
Giorgio's is one of Vorpal's favorite places. It's close to the tower, it has a killer atmosphere--- and the Titans get instant discounts because of the sheer amount of pizza that they consume on a weekly basis. He comes here so often that he has such a thing that one might call 'his booth'- close to the entrance, with a good view of the door, and a plug for his laptop.

Currently the Cheshire cat is in his feline shape, typing away at the loaner laptop from the Planet, as he works to make his next deadline. While he has, roughly, a month's worth of backup material, he's saving it for a special occasion.

He pauses for a second. "... is that the correct use of 'infer'?" he mutters, and focuses on his phone in order to pull up his portable dictionary. There's no wi-fi here, one of the few flaws of the place. That's the reason why, for the next few seconds, his eyes will be on the phone and not the door.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn slips in quietly, not that he can truly go quietly anywhere. Although he is wearing normal clothing, not his 'uniform', is in fact very green. In recent months he has been trying more and more to be himself, to be seen, and hopefully accepted, but it's been a long road that lead him to this place in his life. Teaching at the school had been one of the thing that helped, and more recently the knowledge of how many mutants and other super natural types out there received praise rather than animosity.

Once inside, sporting a button front shirt in white, and a pair of black slacks, he makes his way to the counter. Arthur had raved about this placed, always brought pizza to the tower from it, so it was time to find out for himself what was so amazing about it.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
The danger of going into the internet for reference material is the fact that you can easily fall into a Rabbit Hole. Since this is the Cheshire Cat we're talking about, that is pretty much a given for him. One link click leads to another, leads to yet another, and even one more, and suddenly he's reading an article about how using forks was considered sacrilegous in Tuscany during the 11th century, since it was considered 'using artificial hands' and therefore an insult to god's creation, and ergo banned for a time.

"Wow," the cat says, staring at his phone screen, "I bet some finger-food selling cabal must have been behind that one."

He comes up for figurative air and looks around, sensing that someone must have come in while he was lost in text. When he glances at the counter, he freezes for a second.

There are a lot of things Vorpal expects to see at Giorgio's. The Flash family, for starters. Beast Boy. Starfire and the Titans. And although the person at the counter is definitely green, he's not Gar- the build is all wrong. And the face-

Well. That looks ir ather unmistakable. "No... can't be," he mutters to himself. It's like running into Superman at the grocery store. It just doesn't happen.

He doesn't realize he's staring, but he certainly is. Because he's not entirely /sure/. Yes, it looks like /him/, but /is/ it?

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
Over the years J'onn has become used to being looked at when he's green, the few times here and there that he has, so he just steps up to the counter and orders a cheese pizza with bacon and tomatoes, nothing fancy really. Even the kid behind the counter stares, wide eyed for a moment before jotting the order down.

"Yes," J'onn says plainly, out of no where to the kid, then slowly turns to look around the room. "The answer is yes." Perhaps it was to the overwhelming number of minds that all thought 'is that him?!' at the same time.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Other people must have certainly been thinking that. But the collective Q&A does give him an opening, and he sits bolt upright and then slides out of his booth. Being approached by an anthropomorphic cat in a red-and-blue spandex suit is probably an everyday thing for J'onn anyways, right?

"Mister Manhunter?" Vorpal says, and immediately almost kicks himself. 'Dear god,' he thinks, 'I sound like I'm addressing someone over a Tinder profile. Mister Manhunter, really?' "Er. Hello. I'm Vorpal... from the Titans. Also from the Daily Planet." He offers him one of his dazzling grins (it is, after all, one of the things he is famous for), but there is an edge of nervousness to it.

"Would you do me the honor of joining me while you wait for your pizza?" he gestures towards the booth.

Because Lois would have his skin if she knew he passed up this opportunity.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
As the stares and din dies down, J'onn collects the iced tea he ordered and that is when the young man speaks up and draws his eyes. So polite, even if he abuses himself a little afterwards which immediately causes J'onn to focus harder to block out the room. He knew how much people hated having their thoughts read.

Moving with a certain grace, he steps toward Vorpal at the invitation, wondering to himself if this will be an interview or not. "Vorpal... from the Titans," he repeats with a nod. "Thank you for the invitation, I think I will. You are allowed give questions, none of them personal."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Looking relieved, the feline smiles and leads them to the booth, "It doesn't need to start off that way. I usually don't start an interview unless the subject is comfortable with me- I though we could just sit and..." he slides into the booth, "Just talk. For a bit. You know... total rookie to..." he waves his hands in J'onn's direction, "I mean, you're one of the founders of the league!" he lets out a little nervous laugh, and he looks away momentarily, the inside of his feline ears turning red momentarily. He conveniently finds a distraction in his drink, and takes several sips.

"If an interview happens, it happens. But someone of your caliber would probably feel my boss, Lois, is more in your league as far interviews go."

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn follows quietly, watching the nervous young man with a hint of a smile playing on his lips, that is unless Vorpal actually looks at him, then the smile isn't there. He slides into the booth across from him, setting his tea on the table, then resting his hands in his lap.

"Relax Vorpal," he comments softly. "Breath. I may be one of the founding members, but I am still just me. So you like to get a little closer, to let the interviewee know you a bit before you start asking questions. This is acceptable."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Get a little closer. That phrasing makes Vorpal almost choke on his soda, and it is then that he takes the advice to heart and breathes in order to get the liquid down. He quickly takes another tack, when he is done with the coughing. "Just you? You tackled Amazo and kept it from destroying Queensland park. And that's just one of the many awesome things--" there may be some images of Terry, a young human child, collecting clippings. In 2013, an eleven year old collecting clippings of the League's reported doings. Each article carefully filed in a scrapbook titled 'JL', with sections dedicated to specific members. There's also the memory of other scrapbooks: 'Titans,' 'Doom Patrol.' These memories are rather vivid to him, when he thinks about what others before him have done.

"I know you guys get stuff like this all the time, but you were my heroes growing up." He pauses for a moment, and then smiles a little. "Still are."

For a moment he briefly wonders if Diana ever told anyone in the League about the time that she gave him her cloak, and he fainted.

Oh god. Please let her not have mentioned it.

"I just wanted to tell you that. Even if we don't do an interview, I felt I had to say that. Any time I see you guys from the League, it's usually during some sort of emergency and I'm doing my thing and you guys are doing your thing, and then when it's all done and cleanup's done, you go up to the space station and we go to the Tower. I've never had a chance to really see any of you in a ... non End Of The World Scenario. Except for Diana. On account of the time I had to sleep at the Embassy because my Doppelganger had stolen my powers and was out to kill me and oh my god I'm rambling."

He reaches for his soda again, in order to stop the verbal river.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn listens, sipping his iced tea and letting Vorpal ramble as long as he wants. The images are harder to block when they are rooted so strongly, when they are a part of someone so deeply. He does his best not to invade, not to indicate any knowledge of what he sees, it is one of the many thing he has mastered to 'fit in' on earth.

"You say that we are your heroes, and were when you were growing up," he begins smoothly, calmly. "and yet here you are, a hero yourself. Part of the Titans, doing your part. Do you realize this makes use equals?"

No, Diana had never said anything about it, but he knew about it now... poor kid was projecting himself all over the place. Even a novice telepath could likely pick up on his thoughts right now. To keep that from happening, some novice picking up on the thoughts, a simple mental shield around them both.

"We do what needs to be done because we are the ones who can do it, no other reason. I appreciate your words however, and I am grateful that I could be a part of your childhood in that way."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
The Cheshire lets out a quiet chuckle. "I... don't think I'd consider myself an equal. I've made a lot of mistakes. A lot of stupid ones. Gods know Troia was close to throwing me through the window at one point. I bet you would have never let your Doppelganger steal your powers by making out with yo-" he trails off, clears his throat. "It was... a very stupid mistake."

The thing about Vorpal's mind is that it isn't a mind that can be read easily. Some of the world's strongest telepaths would experience the acid trip of a lifetime from touching a Wonderland mind. And yet, there were moments when defenses relax and things are exposed, such as when you run into someone whom you hold in the highest regard. Then, a lot more things escape the protective cocoon that otherwise would be unheard.

"It's a little strange seeing you in civilian clothes. Like the first time I saw Diana in a dress. It's kind of strange, because I don't think about myself that way. But I actually transform into an entirely different shape..." he leans forward, warming up to the topic, "So maybe I think of /that/ as my costume. Although I couldn't certainly call one part or the other my 'true' self over the other..." he glances at J'onn's face. It's a handsome, if alien face. Easily recognizable. "What we do is sort of strange that way, isn't it? Even those of us who don't wear actual masks sort of wear figurative ones..."

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
A soft, surprised hmmm passes J'onn's lips. "Interesting. There are very few who actually understand that about those of us who change who we are so utterly, regularly. There are hundreds of masks I have worn, if not thousands, but only recently have chosen to wear no mask as well."

At this moment his pizza is delivered in all the cheesy goodness. Two plates and forks are set on the table as well, then the kid scurries away with the forever memory that he served the Martian Manhunter food.

"I feel strange in these clothes with this face, but it is something I must accustom myself to."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Yes, you usually wear very different clothes. I wore a suit for the Themysciran ball and I felt incredibly overdressed as Vorpal. I guess that being covered in fur doesn't help- thank goodness it was the fall," he says, chuckling a little. He briefl thinks about J'onn's usual costume. He pauses, and then refocuses.

"What made you decide to be open?" he says, as he sets himself up with a piece of pizza. To refuse would be impolite, but he's not going to devour it as is his ken with his team-mates. "Not an interview question. I'm curious because I decided to do it myself. Outed my secret identity, I mean."

In the scope of hero news, it wasn't a /big/ news item because Vorpal was a new member of the Titans, and thus it wasn't as impactful as if Nightwing had outed his secret identity, but in the world of news and media it was definitely big news. The first superhero who outed his secret identity /and/ was working in the public eye at the Planet. For the sake of transparency and integrity, he had said. He was aware that it was something of a significant event, even if it didn't have the impact that a big-name hero would have given it. "I debated on whether to do it or not for... months."

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn considers the question, there was a personal aspect to the answer, but he could answer the less personal part. "Look at the world around us," he begins, taking a slice of the pizza to put on his plate. "So much has happened in the last ten years, twenty years. Superman, Batman, you, mutants, all the people of different nations and now even planets, out there in the open. Some cannot conceal who they are, they are forced daily to accept the stares and whispers."

He pauses there to take a sip of his tea, the pizza needing to cool a little. "It felt like it was time to stop concealing away who I am, what I am, from the world. I used to do so for the comfort of humans, because seeing me reminded them that they are not alone in the universe, but now... there are so many, I am not alone, and should not have to conceal who I am."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"You should not, I agree. Visibility has done a lot to increase tolerance for metas, aliens and mutants- although there's still a contingent of bigotry... as there always is." He sighs, and takes a bite out of his slice, "The hardest part is not getting discouraged by the jerks. But I'm sure you've experienced this yourself."

Smiling, the cat adds, "You always have such a measured, regal bearing," it's like he's gushing. Okay, it is exactly that. "It's very reassuring. I get the feeling I make people... nervous. They're not used to - well. The part of me that comes from Wonderland. And all that it entails."

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
Using the fork to cut off the end of the slice, J'onn stabs it with the fork and pops it in his mouth. Arthur raved, so now he chewed attempting not to judge the pizza too harshly for Arthur's sake... but low and behold, it was amazing pizza!

"We have all had to deal with the 'jerks'," he comments, only after he has swallowed and taking a sip of his tea. "And for as long as we live, we ill have to continue to deal with them. It is their right to be jerks, even if we do not agree with them. When they step from jerk to abuser however, that is when we step in and correct the behavior."

He may be a Martian, but he can still read body language and watching Vorpal mixed with the compliments, most would become uncomfortable at being gushed and fawned over. J'onn just rolls with it, politely.

"Batman calls me the voice of calm reason, I suppose it is just who I am. Calm."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Robin would call me the voice of lunacy." Vorpal knows the pizza is amazing. In many ways, he has gotten used to the taste of quality pizza, and so at times he goes to a little hole-in-the-wall in Gotham whose specialty is amazing sub sandwiches, but which also has pizzas on the side. Those pizzas are, arguably, the worst pizzas in the nearest three states. After a few slices from there, his appreciation for Giorgio's amazing pizzas was renewed. "We don't get along at all, I'm afraid. And that's not really good because we're part of the same team."

Have you ever had to deal with a team-mate who couldn't stand you? That's the kind of question that is normally asked. But that's kind of prying- not to mention that it could be misconstrued as an attempt to dig up dirt about the league. "Funny, come to think of it, I've never actually seen Batman. But I'm friends with Harley Quinn..." his role in the rehabilitation of the Clown Princess of Crime may or may not be known to the members of the league.

The stoic Martian had his mystery. He spoke with measure and a deliberate pace, and Vorpal noticed that he never spoke or asked first. The sign of a reserved man.

Vorpal's feline curiosity is piqued. It is a well-known fact that a cat's attention is immediately drawn to those who don't make a fuss over them- Puss may step into a room and have six people making 'ooooh' and 'eeeee!' noises, hands outstretched to pet him, but he will beeline for the quiet, reserved person in the corner who is actively not paying attention to him.

Nine times out of ten, that person also happens to be allergic. Because that is one of the universal constants.

So, Vorpal decides to do a little experiment and, full of mischief, he decides to turn his attention towards eating his pizza slice, so that he doesn't have a chance to ask questions or say things- and see how long it might be, before the Manhunter speaks or asks him a question.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
A moment of silence

J'onn takes this time to cut another piece off the pizza and eat it, enjoying the flavor, savoring it really. Arthur was right, it was worth the trip to get pizza here and now he was wondering what other flavors might be good with this dough and cheese. He doesn't mind the silence, in fact he welcome it, most of the time he was inundated with unwelcomed voices floating through his head, those powerful emotional responses that people get to things were harder to block unless he was very specifically trying. He wasn't one to pry, or invade people willingly, if they wanted to keep things to themselves he tried very hard to let them. He was in fact, the sort of person to try and blend into the background when he could.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Cats are patient. Cats are hunters. Cats are pouncers. They will wait for a long time until their prey stirs and is prime for the pouncing.

But even their patience has its limits. In the contest of Who Blinks First, for the first time in history it is the cat who is the loser. "You know, you're the first Martian I've ever met." He pauses. "That I know of, at least. I am afraid I don't know much about Martians. Or the cosmos in general- I've never really been to outer spa..." he pauses.

"That's not true. If you count the time I was lost in a singularity with some of the other Titans. But I don't count that as 'being' out there. I certainly had no sight-seeing and traveling involved, unlike Lois when she went off with Superman and Supergirl and the others... and she didn't even get me a souvenir. Not a space rock or an invasive species, nothing!"

He glances up sheepishly, "Sorry. I have a temdency to carry on, which I have been told can be annoying."

Arthur Curry has posed:
A large figure makes his way in the door, raising a hand to the guy behind the counter, "Heya Bryan. Gimme the usual." Looking around, he spots J'onn sitting at a table with Vorpal and heads over that way, cutting a path through the crowd easily. He's in his normal clothes, jeans, boots and a leather vest over a tee shirt. His hair and beard are about as unkempt as normal, giving him his normal piratic appearance.

When he gets to the table, he leads off with "Heya Greenie, I see you're trying the place out. What do you think?" He gives a wave of the hand in Vorpal's direction, "Heya, don't mean to interrupt, but it's a little unusual to see this guy out somewhere."

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn was enjoying his pizza in slow bites, chosen carefully, cut away with precision. Sips of iced tea are taken in between.

"You are always welcome to carry on Vorpal," he offers with a smile. "There is a great deal about Martian's that most do not know."

This is when the pause comes as Arthur steps and is himself, always himself. "At your suggestion, yes, I am trying this place out." He looks between the Arthur and Vorpal, noting they already know each other, then slides over in the booth so that Arthur can sit down. "I do not believe Vorpal will mind if you join us."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Two leaguers sitting at his table. That never happens. "Not in the least, no!" he says, feeling somewhat like the kid who is being allowed to sit at the grownup table for the first time. Aquaman had done a fair share to help when the Titans were looking for Beast Boy in the bottom of the ocean after the Doppelganger attack. Even though he couldn't be there, Arthur had sent Garth for the final sortie, which had been successful.

He also knows that Arthur owes Harley a hamburger- or at least that's what she claimed.

"The pizza here is magnificent. We get stuff for the tower every Wednesdays and Fridays." Pause. "Saturdays. Sometimes Sunday- between Kori, Caitlin, Gar and the speedsters, we go through a lot of pizza."

He glances over at J'onn, and gives him a smile. "You are the first person to tell me I can carry on. I'll mark that on my calendar."

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur nods and sits down, "Thanks." He nods to Vorpal, "Yeah, I agree, it's the best pizza place I know of, and I've been to a lot of places in a lot of cities. This is the stuff I take up to the Watchtower when I'm on monitor duty."

Looking between the cat and J'onn, he changes subjects a little with, "So you two know each other or something? Not the pair I would expect to see sitting together in here, I've got to admit."

Waving to a waiter, he orders a root beer to go with whatever it is he ordered on coming in, then settles comfortably into his seat.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
The waiter is already used to seeing the 'water dude' in here, but he still offers a smile as he takes the order.

J'onn shakes his head, another sip of iced tea taken. "I just met this charming young man tonight," he explains to Arthur. "He called me over to join him, after the initial shock of who I am wore off." No, it never wore off.

He looks back to Vorpal now. "I believe you have every right to ramble on as you wish, Vorpal. About any topic you would like to go on about. People should always take the time to listen, to acknowledge, to remember what you say. So always feel free to talk, or ramble as you say."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
There is a blush that shows up on the inside of the feline's ears when he is called charming., and he focuses on eating his pizza for the next few seconds before he adds, "That people should remember what I say might actually be a threat, under the right circumstances," he quips.

"I saw him come in and... well. I've never actually had a chance to talk. Every time I ever see any of you leaguers, it's mostly saving the world stuff and then no social time. I saw my chance and I pounced."

He takes a sip of his soda, and then adds, "But don't mention this meeting to anyone who might know Lois. If she found out I had you two within my grasp and /didn't/ pester you for interviews, she'll have me coverig dog shows for the rest of the season."

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur Curry laughs, "That's right, you're a reporter as well as a hero, aren't you? Geez, must be making all your interviewing senses twitch." He accepts his soda from the waiter and takes a sip, then with a devilish twinkle in his eye adds, "And I can make it worse, too. Namor just named me the official Ambassador, gonna be setting up an embassy in New York soon."

He looks to J'onn again and says, "Always so proper, that's what I like about you." He shoots a glance to Vorpal, saying "He should be British, shouldn't he? I always thought he'd make a perfect Englishman. Manners, reserve, calm, could drop him next to the Queen and he'd fit right in." That grin spreads again and he adds, "Well, except for the harness and green skin, but I don't hold that against him, that's just J'onn."

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
One brow lifts slightly as J'onn looks over at Arthur being... Arthur. "My green would clash horribly with her Majesties jewels," he says with a perfect British accent, then his eyes go back to Vorpal.

"You may have an interview if you would like one Vorpal, though I am certain there are some questions I will refuse to answer. I have nothing against such things, have merely never been asked before."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Another sip of soda. Don't think about the shirtlessness, the harness, the outfit. The green skin- damn it, I said don't think about it.

"I think he's very charming, yes," he says, using the same word J'onn had used earlier, but it's also a trick to steer his mind onto other topics. "Although the Queen might be a bit overrated. Sure, she can coordinate her hats, but can she slay a Manticore?"

Vorpal did hear about what the girls gt up to in Themyscira. To his eternal envy.

Green eyes flit to Arthur and he groans, "Don't do this to me. Besides, that's big news, Lois would probably want /that/ morsel for her plate. An Embassy is big news, and I'm sure she'll want to dig her mittens in all of the political significance, historical precedent, cultural exchange repercussions and... well. You know Lois' work."

This isn't said derisively, but rather with a degree of admiration. Pulitzer doesn't just give out prizes for pretty prose, after all.

He smiles at J'onn's suggestion, "Well, we could set up a time for an interview so we don't have to mix business with pleasure. That way you can come by in your usual getup and I can take a few pictures against a suitable backdrop, that sort of thing." He waves a hand to encompass the place, "I'd rather not write about how I ran into you here. Patrons here like to keep the open secret that you guys and the Titans stop by. If I write it on the Planet, this will be swarmed by gawkers and it'd be impossible to have a nice sit-down."

He grins at Arthur, "I may be a news hound, but one of my rules is to know to weight the possible consequences of a story. The public will definitely want to hear more about J'onn, but they don't /need/ to know where he gets his pizza."

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur Curry grins, "I like you kid. A lot of reporters would just plow right ahead without thinking about that kind of thing. Cause yeah, it would suck to have this place wall to wall autograph seekers all the time."

He shakes his head, "I very much doubt she can, she's what, like a hundred? Manticores are younger people's business." Another drink of his soda, and the waiter is coming over with another pizza. It's the biggest size they make, piled high with toppings. Arthur grins and snags a slice, folding it over and taking perhaps a third of it in one mouthful, chewing and swallowing before he continues.

"You do that too well J'onn, but given the whole shapeshifting mimic thing, I'm not surprised." He looks back to Vorpal and says, "I have yet to find an accent he can't manage, it's a little annoying."

He tilts his head, considering the young man for a moment, then says, "You know what? Lois has her career made already. You're in kid. Exclusive interview when the embassy opens." He winks, "I may not be an interview with the newly revealed Superman, but I think the opening of official relations with Atlantis might make for a pretty good feather in your cap."

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn is still trying very, very hard not to pick up on things from Vorpal. Some however, they just seem to slap in inside his little... big Martian head. He is not asking questions regarding /anything/ that makes it way there, either in bits and pieces or entire images. Who wants to know why someone is thinking about your uniform?

"If Lois attempts to steal your interview, then I will merely cancel as she is not the one who arranged it." He takes a moment to reach into his shirt pocket and pulls a business card. It's for his work with Happy Harbor, but it has his number on it. "Get the interview no other reporter could, from the both of us it seems."

He looks to Arthur and says with a perfect French accent, "Of course you cannot, I have been here for a very long time."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Vorpal looks overwhelmed, so that for quite a few seconds he seems to be at a loss for words. Anyone who knows him knows that this is an occation to be remarked, because he hardly ever is at a loss for words, as Raven is often quick to lament. The proferred card snaps him out of his reverie and he quickly accepts it. For a moment there is a second of confusion as he tries to slide it into a pocket that doesn't exist, since his uniform follows the standard classic superhero aesthetic and is, therefore, bereft of pockets. But he solves the dilemma by opening a small Rabbit Hole and carefully depositing the business card on a night stand that presumably must be his. It certainly must be, who else would own an imitation Tiffany lamp in the shape of the Caterpillar and his Hookah?

"Wow... I... thank you. Both of you. I don't know what to say. " In cases such as these, his impulse is to hug, but who wants cat fur all over them? For a moment he considers picking up the tab for the pizza, but his ethics independent study textbook jumps into his mind and screams at him that that might be considered unethical- 'Don't pay for interviews. Don't give sources gifts of any kind. Don't try to exchange something of value in return for getting a source's comments or information or access to them!' were the words of Andy Schotz, immortalized in the textbook in bold print admonishing against the ethical pitfalls of anything that might be seen as 'checkbook journalism.'

Of course, there was nothing that said he couldn't do something nice for these two in the future. Especially since they were bound to get into some sort of danger together the next time a would-be conqueror tried to take over the world. They were mighty in their own right, probably magnitudes above what his own powers were capable of, but one never knew when a properly-placed Rabbit Hole could save the day.

"And relations with Atlantis is big, don't put it down when compared to Superman..." he pauses, and chuckles. "You know, for thousands of years people have read legends and stories about Atlantis. Plato's dialogues- I remember some ancient Greek even wrote that Atlantis and Themyscira went to war at some point. I don't know the truth of that--" he pauses "I've never asked Diana. But here I am, eating a pizza with the representative of Atlantis. It's sobering to think that it's an opportunity people would have killed for, all of these centuries."

He glances voer at J'onn, "And a man from Mars. I can't imagine what it must have been like, staying among us hidden, and watching all of the silly stuff we imagined about your people. From the... well, cartoons, to Edgar Rice Burrough's books abou-"

He pauses. "I got carried off again. What were we talking about?"

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur Curry snorts, observing the search for pockets, offering a simple, "See, that's why I usually wear normal clothes. And you're welcome. Heck, everyone needs a chance sometime, right? Besides, you're a friend of Diana's, so that says something for you too. I trust her judgement, usually more than my own, to be honest."

He thinks for a moment, then says, "I'll get an invitation to you at the tower, Kori can probably just bring it over once I get it printed up." He smiles when mentioning Vorpal's firey-haired teammate, then blinks back to the here and now.

He shrugs, "Yeah, well, ninety percent of what was written is just plain wrong, which is no big surprise. We can cover some of that stuff in the interview if you like. Let's steer away from war questions, what say? Not the best topic when opening diplomatic relations. As for the pizza, I'm here a lot, and you should pop up to the Watchtower sometime when I'm on duty. That is, if you're into sports at all. I usually put a game up on one of the big screens, grab pizza and beer and split my time between cheering for my team and making sure no alien armadas are showing up."

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
It is a soft sound, the light chuckle that is offered in response to Vorpal's recounting of human's and their depictions of Martian's through out the many years. J'onn had read many of the books, watched the movies, and to him they were all great comedy but also so very creative in their level of imagination.

"I believe the one aspect to all those books and movies is the belief that Martian's, and I use that term lightly here as many of the aliens in these books, movies and cartoons are not even /from/ Mars, but how they are always out to take over Earth." He finishes off his piece of pizza, and takes another sip of his iced tea. "The sheer hubris of humankind to believe that they have something all aliens want, and will always try to take it by force first."

He glances now to Arthur as the invitation for pizza and sports is offered... now that... that was new. One brow lifts very slightly, some would almost call it a Vulcan brow, but it returns to normal. It would seem that Miss Koriand'r and Diana's constant nagging have paid off, he was being sociable. "I myself do not mind a good game of cricket," again the British accent, only a bit more Cockney to it. "Though really, I do like soccer and basketball sometimes."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"No war questions, agreed! I think having a What Plato Got Wrong sidebar should be very satisfying for the history buffs. And the Aristotle stans who like it when Plato is wrong." He grins, "I guess you could say I'm a friend of Diana's. She punched me right across the face. In my defense, I had turned into a homicidal creature of chaos magic and was about to cleave a Doppelganger in half using the Vorpal Blade, so it was a good call on her part. But my jaw felt like mush for days afterwards."

J'onn's comments on the usual plotlines makes him smile. "Well observed. You have to remember that, until we knew there were aliens around us, all we had were... us to draw a template from. And our history has been a constant retread of 'You Have Thing. I Have Gun. I Want Now'- countless cultures experienced that at the hands of more technologically-advanced cultures who had the upper hand. So, of course, when contemplating Outer Space, we fell back on those old patterns and told the old stories with a coat of silver spray paint and outrageous costumes."

He looks at the Martian's features for a few seconds, and adds "The oe point that I will give them is the phrase 'little green men.' I mean..." he takes in J'onn's stature and build, and smirks "They didn't get the 'little', but at least they got the green. Which is incidentally my favorite color." He blinks a few times. It's a pure point of vanity, because his eyes are very obviously green, so he is being feline or he's trying to be funny.

At Arthur's suggestion, he widens his eyes. "I've never actually been to the Watchtower. That would be awesome- I'm always amenable to sports. I was part of the swimming team at school! And gymnastics. I turned out to be a total failure at team sports!"

He pauses, and then he chuckles, "Nobody tell Troia or she'll /really/ rethink my membership."

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur Curry finishes off another slice of pizza while Terry and J'onn are talking, then his phone goes off. Pulling it out, he looks at the screen, grins and fires off a text.

Addressing Vorpal first, he nods, "See? Thinking like a pro already. You're gonna do just fine with this interview thing. As for the Watchtower, lemme text ya so you have my number and we can keep in touch." Assuming Vorpal shares his phone number, Arthur does just that, a simple text that literally is his name and number.

Nodding to the commentary on both Earth history and it's application to space stories he adds, "Yeah, people seem to be unable to contemplate that folks out there might have different mindsets than the ones here do. Of course, given the invasions we've had, they're unfortunately pretty correct. Conquest seems to be galaxy wide, even among a lot of the more advanced guys. Look at the Warzoon thing, and the Frost giants, hell, Kori's people are still enslaved under the people who conquered them." He shakes his head, "Sad to think that this stupid greed and hatred is everywhere, not just here."

Pulling out his wallet he tosses some cash on the table to pay for his food and drink and gets a box from the waiter for the rest of his pizza, "On that happy thought, I have a very lovely someone waiting for me, so I have to take off. J'onn, be good. And I told you the pizza here rocked. Vorpal, I'll see you soon." He stands, collects his pizza and heads for the door with a wave. (Of his hand, not flooding the place, he likes it here.)

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn smiles as Arthur heads for the door, idly commenting, "There goes a happy man." Before offering a wave to the departing Atlantean. He looks back to Vorpal. "I have enjoyed our conversation Vorpal, and I look forward to this interview and what questions you may come up with. I am afraid that I must also depart."

From his pocket he pulls out a few more bills to add to the one's Arthur put down, already too much but oh well. "You have my number, feel free to call if you need assistance or when you are ready for the interview. Yes, I will wear my uniform for those pictures you want, though I am not entirely certain why."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Vorpal's eyes widen at J'onn's final comment and the inside of his ears turn a bright red. If there ever was a tell, that is definitely it. "Oh right yes thank you I will definitely call as soon as I the interview is ready and the photographer is lined up thank you for talking to me!"

That was said without a breath. He had waved at Arthur as well. Now, he wanted to hide under the table, but mercifully J'onn was already on his way out.