7753/Scene in the Kitchen to be changed in name

Scene in the Kitchen to be changed in name
Date of Scene:	08 September 2021
Location:	Hell's Kitchen
Synopsis:	Phoebe and Angelo Tampambulos catch up as she waits for someone to unlock the Laughing Magician -- probably the bar would not appreciate its lock getting picked
Cast of Characters:	Phoebe Beacon, Achilles

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Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    After having to narrowly avoid getting a ticket, Phoebe had decided to not take the bike to her Other Work today, and instead had ridden the bus from the stupid mall with the stupid retail job and was currently perched on the bench outside the Laughing Magician. Ordinarily, you wouldn't want to just hang out in Hell's Kitchen, but she had a reason to be here.

    That reason being she forgot her keyring and was waiting for John or Chas to arrive, but was contemplating just picking the mundane lock to get in.

    So Phoebe, her braids waving back and forth as she nods her head to some music on a pair of earbuds was surving the internet on her chipped and cracked phone, perched on the back of the bench with her sneakers on the ground, back to the world as she checked messages. She was wearing a T-shirt promoting a widely available drink brand and a clean pair of jeans.

Achilles has posed:
    Yeah. So in the past... Angelo travelled out of his way to help out. He was in Gotham at first, and then all over. This time it's his back yard, so to speak.

    He lives in Brooklyn, but gets around all of New York from time to time. What with his own business, and his duties with SHIELD. And helping out the NYPD. Man, he barely has time to sleep. But... there is this little bagel shop in Hell's Kitchen that is owned by the great great granddaughter of a late friend of his, so he makes a point to stop in and spend some money there at least every other week.

    Stella's Stellar Bagels is the name of the shop. Today, he strides out with a bag full of bagels and cream cheese. Various flavors of both. His plan? To donate a dozen or so to the local police precinct and maybe keep two or three for himself. He just likes to support the business really.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    The young woman on the bench pauses, and glances over to the side. She draws her eyebrows up, and then brings her fingers to her lips and gives a sharp whistle, the likes that would summon cabs.

    "Agent Tampambulos!" she calls out, pulling her earbuds out so she can hear if he replies as she gives a smile. Definitely out of place, being in NYC.

Achilles has posed:
    The voice rings a bell. And the whistle gets his attention. SHIELD was persona non-grata until recently. So his reflex when the word AGENT is tossed about is to cringe and try to play it off. But SHIELD recovered, and his kneejerk reflex passes.

    And so he turns, and lifts a hand with a smile. In that hand is the bag of bagels. The other hand holds a carry case with four coffees.

    But he waits a moment, and then crosses the street at a jog to avoid any cars. Though he gets a honk or two. Come on, it -is- New York. But he reaches the bench and holds out his arms to set down his burden. Then he turns and opens his arms to Phoebe as if silently demanding a hug.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Silently demand a hug? Who does this guy think he is?

    Phoebe raises her eyebrows, and shaking her head she does give a hug to Angelo, a light, quick one. He'd be able to notice as he got nearer that the teen was lacking that aura that usually surrounded her. When she touched him, there was no tingle of her uncontrolled powers.

    "It's been a time!" she states with a smile as she releases one of the kind souls who rescued her, dark eyes looking up as she turns around and sets her feet on the seat of the bench.

    "How's it hanging? Grabbing snacks for the local precinct?" she asks, motioning to the bagels."

Achilles has posed:
    Angelo wasn't demanding a crazy powerful hug. Just one of greeting. I mean he semi adopted Phoebe as a little sis, or niece or whatnot. "Yep. Want one?" he asks as he gestures to the bagel bag.

    "Also, coffee maybe?" he adds. "And.. how's mom?" he asks as he settles in to sit on the bench, and picks up one cup of coffee for himself.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Already with the hurting questions. Phoebe gives a slight smile, and holds up her hand "Nah, I'm good. Waiting for either of my friends to show up and open the bar. I forgot my keys upstairs." she states as if it was the most natural explaination of 'why are you sitting outside of a magical dive bar in Hell's Kitchen'.

    And her face falters. "Ah... I don't know. Last I heard she was getting some extra physical therapy. She wasn't able to handle the dog anymore so he's living his golden years out with some friends of mine and getting loved on like he deserves." she frowns.

    "... there were two more attacks. And I've been..." she trails off a moment, going quiet. Her expression drops.

    "... busy."

Achilles has posed:
    Inclining his head, Angelo narrows his eyes. "Okay. So what is it you are leaving out?" he asks. Yes, he tends to be direct and to the point.

    "So grab a bagel, a coffee... and talk to me. Maybe we can go inside?" he asks.

    "I have an auto lockpick release gun in my car." he adds with a smirk.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "I'm not sure if the bar will let us pick the locks." Phoebe states in a quiet huff, and she breathes out "Ah, the owner or the bartender should be along soon, I'd be able to get in from the inside." Phoebe states, waving it off a moment.

    Not sure if the bar will let us pick the locks. Not a phrase she thought she'd ever have to use.

    "I emancipated myself from my mom. So that... y'know. No one could show up and try to short-sell me back into custody and end up with me elsewhere. My mom kind of took offense to it. We text! So I know she's OK, but she's kinda hurt that I apparently went as high as the Gotham DA. Legit, if Harvey Dent runs for mayor? I will /vote/ for him. The man does not like waiting for bereaucracy." Phoebe states, drawing one leg up. She balances neatly.

Achilles has posed:
    Nodding slowly, Angelo sighs, "I know what it is like to walk away from people you love in order to protect them." he states.

    "I've done it more often than I can count. Literally. Ripping off the band-aid now may hurt them in the short run.. but in the long run it is better for all involved."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Yeah, well." Phoebe states quietly, and she rubs a white tattoo on her wrist.

    "I've had to walk away from a lot of people in the past couple of weeks." she comments quietly, and she folds her hands a moment.

    "So! How about you? What's going good? Still in charge of all the ants?" she questions, her eyebrows rising up as she looks to Angelo.

Achilles has posed:
    "I've had to walk away from thousands of people Phoebe." offers Angelo in commiseration. He gives a wan smile and then holds out a hand like a formal handshake.

    "If what I suspect is true, you and I have another thing in common. As such, I will eternally be around if you need me. Whether for backup, or just to have someone to talk to. I think that I have a unique viewpoint on things."

    "And life is life. It continues regardless of the attempts of others to put a stop to it. I am only in charge of my company. On the agent side, I am still the low man on the totem pole."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "So, just how old are you that you've had to walk away from thousands? Unless it was at once, in which case -- deposed prince? Minor noble from an Aegean-adjacent country?" she asks, Phoebe turning her attention directly to Angelo as she brings her eyebrows up, not really expecting an answer.

    She gives a soft 'hm' sound, and she leans back a moment, hooking her foot under the bench itself to anchor as she considers.

    "Well. I mean. I summon magic and have a necromancer who's siccing partially dead dogs and spider-horse creatures fueled by ancient ghosts after me and recently saw two Egyptian gods fight in the sea."

Achilles has posed:
    Looking around, down and up the street, Angelo chuckles, "Right. Sorry. I forgot that I know a lot more about you and than you know about me. I haven't shared my truth with you, and you deserve better."

    His voice lowers, and he takes a sip of his coffee. "Allow me to give you my true introduction. My name is Achilles, son of Peleus, the king of Pithia. I was born in the year one thousand, two hundred and fifty two before Christ.... as the church measures time at least. I faked my death because I was sick and tired of being nothing but a killer. But the last laugh is on me. What my mother did to me as I was a baby, made me not just hart to hurt, but I can't die.."

    He lifts a coffee cup casually and holds it out, "Need a cup?" he asks.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe Stares.

    She just outright stares, and she knows she shouldn't be surprised because she literally knows several daughters of Zeus and has met the queen of the Amazons and E-mails a not-a-minotaur for vegan recipies.

    "Uh. Yeah, after that, I might need one." she states, and she accepts the coffee cup, holding it a moment.

    "I'm really glad you gave me this /after/ you introduced yourself."

    The young lady holds the cup a moment, and she purses her lips as she looks down at it.

    She takes a breath, and breathes out, puffing her cheeks slightly. "That's... that is heavy." she admits, looking to Angelo -- Achilles with pursed lips.

    "Well, you probably know that a girl who gets rescued by a bunch of superheroes is probably not a normal girl. I heal people. And summon light. I'm learning more, now, partially because I need to control things..." she holds the cup in her left hand, her right hand scratching at the white magic ring around her wrist. "The guy who's helping me at the moment owns the bar."

Achilles has posed:
    "Right, I was thinking that your powers of healing might keep -you- alive and youthful for a lot longer than a normal human. Which is why I said that I might understand the situation you are in a bit better than you expect."

    "The bar. Not sure what that is. But if -it- decides who gets in there's more to it than booze and beer."

    He sips his coffee once more and adds, "Please call me Angelo regardless. It's the name I've been using the last twenty years. As for giving you the coffee afterwards, this is obviously not my first rodeo, as you Americans say."

    He grins and leans back on the bench. "So, since I don't feel that weird tingle of power, I assume the wristband suppresses your power or at least helps you to not ooze it outward at all times?" he asks.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Well I'm not going to just start yelling 'Yo, Achilles', one, gauche. Two? I know the importance of needing a good cover story. I have like, four now." she gives a laugh, and she pauses, and her nose wrinkles a moment.

    "Oh, oh no. I don't like that thought. Outliving everyone I love? That..." she pauses, her expression softening as she looks over to Angelo.

    "Must get very lonely after a couple of centuries." she finishes, her voice softer.

Achilles has posed:
    Nodding his head, Angelo takes another sip of his coffee. "Greatest joke ever.. or the worst." he says, "My mother wanted to make sure that I would be safe. I had no say in the matter. I was a babe in arms."

    He lowers the coffee and adds, "And to think, I thought that if people never forgot my great deeds in battle.." he snorts, "As if any of them were -worth- remembering as anything other than a lesson of how not to be a good person."

    He gulps at his coffee once more, a thousand yard state in evidence. "I really was a prick. I killed the first woman I ever loved.. right as I was falling in love with her. The only person who fought me and held their own for hours... Cousin of Diana actually." he adds. "She has since forgiven me for her death, but... by the gods I was a terrible example of humanity."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "... well, I mean, in accordance to modern mores most ancient Greek heroes were horrible mysogynist people, but that's being filtered through like, Bullfinch and some probably horrible mysogynist people in the late 1800's..." Phoebe trails off awkwardly, and she breathes out, looking to Angelo.

    "... but more importantly, given time and the chance? You changed. I mean, you basically ran into battle to save some kid you didn't know. You took care of my mom when Gotham would have let her die, and I couldn't do anything to help her." Phoebe points out.

    And she gives a small smile, rubbing the back of her head. "And you're right. This tattoo is blocking my aura. My... friend John figured out I was being tracked. Proximity to me makes those dog creatures become corpreal now, so... unless I concentrate on using it, it's hidden."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    At that moment, there's the CLICK of a door unlocking, and Phoebe tilts her head back.

    "-- looks like I'm in now -- wanna come inside? I"m sure they'll appreciate the bagels." she jokes."

Achilles has posed:
    Finishing his coffee, Angelo grins, "Don't mind if I do." he says as he stands up and hefts the bag of warm bagels.