829/To Hack Or Not To Hack

To Hack Or Not To Hack
Date of Scene:	28 March 2020
Location:	A New York street and brownstone
Synopsis:	Kitty stalks Alexander, who saves her from a runaway piano.
Cast of Characters:	Alexander Aaron, Kitty Pryde

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Alexander Aaron has posed:
    There was a mystery to Alexander. It wasn't supremely clear, however. There were no little tell-tale signs really as to his origins or background. He seemed to take steps to fit in with the general feeling for what one might consider an average functioning teenager. The clothes were the first key to that. The oversized aspect of them, combined with the rough haircut and the bangs. Sort of made him seem to fit the current trend in some ways, sort of behind it in others. But the way he handled the situation, and the way he interacted with Kitty... as well as the few words she was able to gain from him gave some insight into there being something more there.
    At first all she had was that memory, a first name, and the incident they both took part in. Extrapolating from that it was able to grab the camera feeds from the area, to cut through the security of a few of the systems around the area. The package store across from the alleyway gave her a good feed. The youth walking from wherever he was coming from, his reaction to the noise, his moving into the alleyway.
    But the best prize from it was his features, a good enough profile and direct shot to run some facial recognition hits. More data, always good.
    Then a few more cameras were pulled, detailing his path, the stroll that led him to where he was. While that was collating a match on the facial recognition came up.
    Alexander Julius Aaron. A social security number was grabbed as well and then...
    Alarms? A worm ran back trying to notify a government dropspot on the net as to the inquiries. But it was able to be cut off before it could report. Who was it reporting to? DoD most likely. Or SHIELD? Which brought up the possibility of going for their databases. But why would they have inquiries about a teenager flagged?
    Then the compilation of data was complete from the various cameras in the area. She got a starting point. Empire State University and the path takes him to. Ah, a building on his likely path of travel owned by a John Aaron, father to an Alexander Aaron.
    A lot of data, a lot of starting points.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty sits back in her chair, looking at the results. "What do you think, Lockheed?" she asks him. "We already have enough going on in our lives without possibly kicking over a new hornet's nest?" she asks the small dragon who is curled up in her lap.

Kitty glances over towards a few other computers. They are also doing facial recognition searches, but don't have any results back yet, and on a totally different data set than what she pulled from the New York area. Kitty finishes off her coffee and then gets up to go and fill it from the fresh pot she made a little bit ago.

Back in her chair she considers for a little while. Then she begins setting up additional counter-measures and security. Not that she's not buried layers deep already, but forewarned is forearmed after the previous measures she was just able to counter.

"Alright, let's get some family history here," she says as she begins some searches on the father, going one by one and only after she's ready to clamp down any kind of response that might get sent out. "Then after that, let's find out more about this building."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Down that trail she digitally wends, following the information and the tidbits. Her precautions well and truly implemented as she digs into the data. A cross search for the John Aaron information grabs a few base level search results. John Aaron, a few images, neither John nor Alex have a social media presence. But she gets some shots from a local construction worker's association and has an image of a dour grim looking man as 'John Aaron, Elected Headman.'
    Before that shows his social security employment data as being a straight line of construction worker for the last... 19 years. No current spouse, widower, information about the spouse and Alexander's other is absent. Though whens he digs further on that another worm fires off.
    Then she's able to pull on the building data. An apartment building in the city near ESU. Owned for the last 7 years. No tenant disputes. The list of tenants are direct and uninteresting though one of the top floor apartments is listed as a residence for John Aaron.
    At that moment another search comes back with data further on Alexander. Happy Harbor High? Prom photos on the local webpage. Hah. Standing there in a tuxedo with a tall blond woman who is... taller than him. And if she's familiar with the garb, Asgardian? Data from ESU shows he's enrolled next year.
    But then there's a /ping/ as a podcast comes up from an April O'Neil emergency broadcast with him... talking politely with a bank robber. Crazy.
    And through all of this she's able to get a strong grip on his life. Enough to find his schedule, to figure out where he'd be at almost any time of the day. Impressive.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty leans back in chair again. It's three cups of coffee later. Maybe the caffeine has something to do with her decision. "What the heck," she tells Lockheed, rubbing his head and then picking him up to relocate him to her shoulder. "If he's SHIELD or something else, I guess we'll find out," she says.

She departs the room in the X-men base, phasing through the door rather than unlocking it. The 'Restricted' sign is still there on it. She doubts anyone will peek inside. From there she phases on up to her room rather than take the elevator.

Hours later, Kitty is sitting on a bench outside of a building where Alexander's schedule indicates he should be coming out of and passing her way. She's wearing jeans and a black mock turtleneck. She sits with one leg crossed over the other, while Lockheed is up in a tree with his image inducer on.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    It's a perfect set up, that choice of setting. A building unrelated to him, unconnected to the locales he spends his time, along the path he often takes on his way back home from the subway station. And with her on a bench conveniently in the path in a way he can't miss her and that distinct profile of hers. If he knew about the prep that went into the moment of feigned coincidence he'd probably be impressed.
    But for now she might likely see him. First likely in a reflection of a glass display nearby, advertising AXE Body Spray for whatever reason, but chosen for the line of sight it gives her to his likely approach.
    In the daylight she can see him better. The casual stroll, the easy-going gait with his hands in the pockets of his jeans. White sneakers are the order of the day, and a loose black t-shirt with a AVENGERS: The Musical logo plastered on the front of it. A grey hoodie completes his look, and that ever-present ESU backpack dangling off one shoulder.
    His expression is distant as he strolls along, gaze lost on something that clearly has his mind off in a haze, though he has enough wherewithal as he strides to keep out of peoples' ways. Yet when he makes that turn around the corner she's right there, as his eyes flit to the side, then to her, then a doubletake.
    His lips twist up a little as he approaches and he'll stop to lightly boot at the bench she's seated on to make a small scuffing sound as he asks, "Pardon me, miss. Is this seat taken?"

Kitty Pryde has posed:
After seeing his reflection in the display Kitty returned her attention to her tablet. Angry Birds. She makes the poor little piggies suffer. Apparently intent enough on it that she doesn't look up when the voice asks if she's willing to share her bench.

"Nope, go ahead," she says, launching a bird crashing through the little piggy's house. She grins and then finally looks up. Kitty's eyebrows go up, feigning surprise. The expression quickly fades and she glances around. "If I get hit in the head with another brick I'm going to start to suspect there's a connection," she says over to him, face still showing that bit of apparent surprise to see him there.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Well, you know." Alexander takes a seat and lets his backpack fwumpf down onto the ground, the contents shifting a bit and the outline seeming to be a lot of rectangular objects, probably books as it were. He leans forward and looks around, as if trying to find some errant brick snipers that might be hiding in the cover.
    One eyebrow cocks as he chews his lower lip thoughtfully and then looks back. "For a time I did try that, meet a young woman, throw a brick. Sort of a variant on the caveman club and drag back to the cave technique."
    He nods a few times slowly, drawing breath through his teeth as if burnt a little, "Did not work out in my favor."
    But then he leans back a little as his eyebrows beetle, as if looking for that injury she had and then meets her eyes with his own. "How are you holding up?"

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty pauses her game and turns off her screen, attention focused over on Alexander fully now. "Yeah? And how did that work out for you? A lot of 911 calls and some guys with badges intervening, I'm guessing?" she says with a soft grin.

Kitty nods about it not working out in his favor. "I'm doing ok," she nods. "A few stitches in back," she says. "And some bruises. No broken ribs, thankfully. Doesn't hurt, much, to laugh now," she tells him.

She glances around. "This a coincidence or... if you tell me you're my guardian angel trying to get your wings, I'm going to have to start listening for bells," she says. He may or may not get the It's a Wonderful Life reference. "But whatever, glad to get the chance to say thank you, again."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "A few, a few, but I can run away pretty fast." Alexander offers as he replies to their casual back and forth about his dating habits. Though when she turns off the tablet he turns to face her more directly on the bench, one arm resting on the back of it and his left leg on the seat between them.
    As she tells him about her injuries he nods a little, the corner of his mouth lifting up not quite in a smile but more in that small concerned one has when they hear bad news. "It was a dangerous situation. But glad you're doing better." He again nibbles at his lower lip a little as he looks away, then back, "I was thinking of sticking around to make sure you left okay and everything. But I thought that might've been a bit stalkerly of me."
    He straightens up a little and uncurls a hand in her direction, "But yeah, coincidence I figure. I walk this way home. I live..." He lifts a hand and gestures, "Around that corner, the third Brownstone on the right." Which, is truthful.
    "So, happenstance." A beat as he then adds quickly, "Though hey, a nice one."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty glances off the way Alexander points. "Well, I'm not going that way," she says, and pulls out her phone to glance at the time. "But I have time to walk around the corner if you want some company walking home," she offers. "Otherwise I'm going to just keep murdering some pigs. And maybe birds too. You never really find out what happens to the Angry Birds, you know? I figure it can't be too easy, getting send crashing through buildings. They are probably in worse shape than me by the end of a game. Now that I think about it, this game is kind of cruel," she says with a small grin, and stowing her tablet in her purse.

She doesn't rise yet though, turning towards Alexander more. "So you were pretty handy. Didn't see what you did, but that guy looked like he was probably in worse shape than me, come morning," she says.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Which guy?" Alexander says as he smiles a little and pushes himself to his feet, taking up his backpack with one hand and tossing it over his shoulder. "And sure, walk with me." That said he'll step to the side and she might likely see him lean back when she might be rising to perhaps try and see how that injury might look, but then when she looks back to him he plays it off with nonchalance.
    "The one that I knocked out?" He means as he considers the fight they were in, replaying it mentally as his eyes distance a little. Though she might well mean the one that he caused to crumple into unconsciousness when faced with an abrupt demonic vision. "I just knelt on his carotid while restraining him, jiu-jitsu, I train at the gym somewhat." Which, isn't a lie. Really.
    "You seemed pretty good yourself, no stranger to a dojo."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty rises, but her wound is hidden by her hair, which is pulled back in a ponytail at present. "The fourth one, just saw he was down and kind of sobbing or something," she says, apparently meaning the first one that Alexander took care of.

She slides her handbag over her shoulder and says, "Yeah, have had a few older brother types who made sure I could take care of myself," she tells him. "Not that they'd have wanted me there that night. But still, comes in handy."

She moves to fall into place beside Alexander, walking at a leisurely enough pace. "So... being it was in Bushwick and all? Are you one of the few, the proud, the feared and hated?" she asks in a wry, ironic tone of voice.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    She can likely read the reluctance in him when she asks of that one, not so much about what he did or mentioning it, but at possibly lying to her. So he tells her, "Ah. Him. I think I just sorta scared him when I showed up. Freaked him out. Maybe he was tripping." Which, again, all possible, all not lies per se. But not the entire truth.
    But then he nods as she mentions her brother type friends and he heaves a small breath that would be a laugh if he gave it more strength. Instead he just nods and strolls along, hands deep in the pockets of his jeans.
    "Bushwick?" He tilts his head to the side toward her, eyebrow lifting in momentary confusion and he says, "Oh you mean a mutant." He shakes his head, "No. I mean. No." Again with a headshake after that brief hesitation. "My weirdness is all my own suppose." A relatively innocuous statement.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty gives a slow nod, not asking any more questions about what happened during the fight. "Ah, I see," she says with a nod as he indicates he isn't a mutant. She slips her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "Probably will have a bit easier of a life if you're not," she says, eyes dropping down to the sidewalk ahead of them.

She walks quietly for a bit then, not glancing up as the large raven leaves the tree behind them and flies on up ahead to perch on a building. "So are you in school? Not really sure how old you are," she comments to him as they walk along. She doesn't show much of a limp, just a tiny bit perhaps, but not nearly what she did that night trying to leave the alley.

Up ahead a couple of guys are trying to move an upright piano into a house. Getting it up the stairs onto the porch is proving a challenge for them from the looks of it.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Well," The blond youth starts to say, his stride even and steady, with her likely picking upon that hesitance. "Maybe a bit." He offers that admission then, giving a slow nod as his life hasn't been entirely horrible of late, but also not near as horrible as the plight of mutants of late.
    Still with hands jammed into his pockets, he answers her easily, "I'm eighteen, finishing this last semester over at Happy Harbor. Then it's off to ESU where I'm to be suitably crafted to take a proper place in society as something or other. I haven't decided what."
    He steps to the side, a little to the left for some reason. Perhaps to interpose himself between her and the piano just in case, or perhaps avoiding the trees in the sidewalk ahead.
    "Though if it counts any I'm told I have an old soul." Which, for some reason, makes him smirk.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde walks alongside Alexander, not really paying attention to the piano. "ESU. Good school," she says. "I'm sure you'll be able to find something there that'll interest you. What kind of stuff are you considering? Anything special that you like doing that might make a good career?" Kitty asks.

One of the men is really putting his shoulder into it but the piano is kind of stuck on the lip and doesn't seem to budge.

Kitty glances over across the street. "I was over in the UK for awhile. Only been back a couple of weeks. Reminds me, I really need to get over to Katz's. They have my favorite sandwich, haven't had one in so long," she says.

The man pushing from the bottom of the piano slips and falls. The piano starts to tumble down, he just manages to roll out of the way of it it as it bounces down the stairs right towards the pair walking on the sidewalk!

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Yeah," Alexander says as he walks along and then he seems inspired to confess to her, "I just chose it because I like the logo." And with that damning information he sort of grins sidelong at her. And that just happens to be the instant when there's that loud /CLANG!/ as the chords are struck from the impact, the keys tinkling then as the piano hits the sidewalk...
    And then rolls straight at them.
    Which is when instinct takes over as Kitty is likely /shoved/ out of the way while Alex turns in a clean movement to brace his shoulder and /slam/ it hard into the piano causing the wooden frame to fracture and crack and crash, keys and wood splinters shatter around him tearing at his clothes even as he seems to carry through with the movement and he pushes the runaway musical instrument to the side where it's impaled upon the wrought-iron fence of one of those Brownstones.
    It all happens in a rush, just a blur of action and suddenly those guys up ahead are down on piano... and Alex's Avengers Musical t-shirt is torn and likely ruined.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty hears the sound of the piano bouncing down the steps, turning just in time to see it hit the sidewalk and lurch towards them, the hammers swinging about inside and striking strings randomly like a trio of children were pounding on the keys at once.

Kitty starts to reach for Alexander but then he's shoving her, sending her stumbling away out of the path of the piano. "Alexander!" she says worriedly, looking back as he slams his shoulder into the piano.

Kitty's eyes widen as he smashes it not like Piotr or Hank might have. "Oh my god," she says, righting herself after the hard shove. "Are you ok?" she asks, hurrying back to him, seeing the wood splinters making holes in his clothing and looking for signs of him bleeding there.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    There is blood. Not a lot of it. A single jagged splinter sticking out of his chest the size of a carpenter's nail some six inches in length, perhaps several inches below into his sternum, having torn through that t-shirt and giving a rather grim bit of evidence as to the fact that the piano hit him.
    "Fuck," He says succinctly, lifting a hand to lightly touch at the large splinter and sort of nudge it, wincing a little.
    The two men run down the small decline quick as they can, one leading and shouting, "Oh shit man, are you... oh shit dude wait here!" As one of them turns and runs back towards the apartment, likely to call 911 and get some people out there.
    "No hey, it's cool." Alex tries but fails to stop the flight of the man while the other stands there with eyes wide and then looks on to the piano and murmurs, "Fuck that's messed up."
    But Alexander starts to walk, "Seriously, I'm like... I'll be fine, I've got a first aid kit back in my house." And he nods off in the direction of the place that his father owns, cutting across the street already to head in that direction.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty winces at the wound. "Don't pull it out, it might make the bleeding worse," she says. "We should get you more than a first aid kit," she says, and then realizes Alexander is walking away.

She hurries to catch up with him, crossing the street. A taxi driver in a hurry hits his breaks and honks his horn at her. Kitty just hurries on, the car zooming off the moment she's out of the way as if using its revving engine to insult the girl who got in the way.

"Really, you should sit down and not move until we can get a paramedic here," Kitty says, chasing after Alexander. His house is just there, the brownstone he mentioned. Overhead a raven flies across the street to land on the aforementioned building.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Up that quintet of steps, footfalls light as he climbs and digs into his pocket for his keys. There's a moment when he looks a little frustrated with not being able to find them only to pull them free from a rear pocket, causing them to jangle as he puts them in, turns, and the buzzer sounds.
    Then it's into the stairwell with him climbing up it quickly, rising up those steps as he calls down to her, "Seriously, Kitty. It's alright." But he only pauses once he's two flights up, close to one of the doors there that if she were to recall the number of his own it would be that one. The keys jangle as he opens that one and as he walks in he lightly taps the splinter and winces. "Ow."
    But he leaves the door open for her to follow if she wishes even as he sets his backpack down there in the foyer and grimaces.
    "I... really liked this shirt." He says even as he pulls it off and there she'll see the scratches, the sharp splinter, a few smaller ones imbedded in his chest. Though curiously not as many as she might have expected.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde does follow Alexander inside, still trying to get him to sit down and stop moving around with that big shard of wood in his chest. Her protests start to trail off though as he removes his shredded shirt and she sees the results of the piano's impact.

The young woman slowly steps forward nearer to him, watching as some of the smaller scratches are starting to heal before her eyes. "Not a mutant?" she repeats from earlier in the conversation, her tone questioning.

She reaches out and unless he stops her, gently touches one of the scratches, feeling the flesh slowly knitting beneath her touch. Kitty looks over at the bigger, jagged bit of wood. "Will you heal that one too? I can remove it very gently, if so," she tells him.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    A deep breath is taken, his eyes lowered and to the side at the splinter, "Yeah, I've had worse and the worse it is the faster it heals." Which might be interesting in other circumstances. Though right now he winces a little as he lightly taps at it. "Should just tear it out."
    It's what his father would do. But then again he's not his father.
    "But no." The blond youth with the hazel eyes looks at her and gestures a little with his chin, as if giving her the signal to do with it as she wants while he stands there, a small rivulet of blood wending its way down the muscles of his chest and darkening the waist of his jeans.
    "My family sort of has this... thing going on. Where we each have a sort of theme. But yeah, healing helps us out." And that's as far as he goes when he gives her a more firm nod, signaling he's ready.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde reaches out and rests one hand on Alexander's chest, palm and fingers flat, while the other hand reaches for the bit of wood. She takes hold of it very gently to not hurt him worse. And with her other hand on him like that, he might decide he needs to brace himself for her to pull it out somehow.

Instead, Kitty Pryde looks into his eyes and gives him a little nod. And then the sensation of the wood in his chest just suddenly is gone. He can see it there as Kitty pulls it out, but there's no sensation at all, just the open wound bleeding.

Kitty sets the huge splinter aside and grabs his shirt, moving it to hold over the bleeding wound, applying direct pressure like she would to anyone else. "There, not so bad, right?" she says. "So... ah... how long... and do you want to sit down? Or, I could get you some water..." she says, not quite sure what else to do to help. "Family thing, you say? So. hereditary?"

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    To be fair he had been making ready to feel that burst of pain, and when it's just... gone, he looks surprised at her. But then he gives her a side-eye glance as some aspects of that fight fall into place. "Well, sorta." He offers, providing no answers at all even as he uses the last bit of his t-shirt to stop the bleeding, one hand over it and pressing the fabric into the wound.
    "Might be a little bit, but, I umm." There's always the hesitation here, not knowing if it's a good thing to mention or a bad thing. Not knowing if it'll come back and bite him in the bum or if it's a smart move to show honesty and trust. After all she already knows a fair amount.
    "I come from an old family that sort of people consider anthropomorphic representations of the cultural zeitgeist, perhaps manifested by latent psychic talent in the communal mind."
    That said he nods once solemnly as he pulls the t-shirt away and indeed... the bleeding's stopped and there's a smaller hole there that is visibly shrinking.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty lets him have hold of the shirt then that is stopping the bleeding. Her head tilts as she observes his hesitance. So very like what so many mutants show when they are having to explain to someone about themselves.

"Anthropomorphic representations of the cultural zeitgiest?" Kitty repeats. "Oh, that old one again?" she asks with a comedic look like Alexander is trying to pull some well known gag or story.

"I like to think of myself as modestly learned, but I don't think I followed. So we all believe your family exists so it does?" Kitty takes a stab at, seeming to have focused on the communal mind part.

She reaches out a hand, touching his skin near to the small hole, but not touching the wound itself. "Wow. That's pretty impressive," she says. It might even come close to rivaling someone else she knows who heals. Kitty looks from his chest, back up to his eyes.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    A deep breath is taken, causing his gymnast's physique to grow and draw taut, that wound slowly closing further... and further. He exhales that breath and then nods again. His smile reappears and he smiles as he looks in her eyes. "Gods."
    He confesses then with that small smile still, resting his hand on hers for a moment and then turning himself to the side to try and catch a look in the mirror, making sure the wounds are closed. He squeezes her hand and then steps away, footsteps quiet as he moves into that austere apartment with its bare minimum of decor. "My father is known as Ares, I'm his son. Phobos. Though... I've only recently come into the title. As it were."
    That said he disappears into the living room, grabbing a t-shirt from a fresh basket of laundry, holding it up and sniffing it for a moment, then pulling it over his chest.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
This is probably the point where most people gape, look incredulous, or are outright disbelieving. Kitty just has an eyebrow go up. "Huh," she says softly. Her hand goes to scratch at her head, which results in a soft yelp as she scratches where the stitches are. She pulls her hand back quickly.

Kitty refocuses on Alexander. "So... ah... like Greek gods then? Is it kind of like with Asgard where Olympus is some other dimension or planet or something like that?" she asks. She follows Alexander over a few steps as he goes to get himself a shirt.

She looks away after a moment. "I kind of know Thor. A little. So it's not exactly something I can't find it in myself to believe. Just, I didn't realize you all were around, if so," she says, looking back.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Not quite," Alexander adjusts the hang of that t-shirt, slithering one arm into a sleeve, realizing he has it on backwards, then pulling his arms back in and turning it around. This particular shirt has a TEAM BANZAI logo on the front that he sweeps down with one hand until it lays right. Then he takes a breath.
    "The Asgardians are of their own realm in a way. My family, we're... connected to the world and the people. I think we're a product of early beliefs and everything. The Asgardians were around before everything. At least that's the story as far as I know it."
    He steps closer and then pulls the small stool seat that's at the breakfast nook area of the apartment, sitting on it as he looks across the way at her, "There's a lot to it. We can talk about it, but I need something to eat. And drink. Are you hungry?"

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty crosses her arms as she listens, her interest evident on her face. "Wow. The world becomes a more interesting place everyday, it seems," she tells him as she wanders over slowly closer to him. "So, even with that, you're what... thousands of years old?" she asks. "And... going to Happy Harbor? How does that work? Most people want to get out of high school as quickly as they can," she cracks with a soft smile.

Kitty nods her head and looks about at the kitchen. "I'd offer to make you something. And, will, so long as it's a bowl of cereal. Anything more complicated and you'd probably better order takeout if you want it to not be burned or otherwise inedible. My mother's cooking genes did not get passed down."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Nope, I was normal." He offers returning that wry smile to her with such casual aplomb. "Eighteen actual years only. But... apparently the old Phobos died, there was..." He lifts a hand to rub at the back of his neck, then Alexander looks to the side, "He had taken my father's place as the God of War when my father left Olympus. Which that's a whole story in and of itself. He can't stand the extended family."
    A breath is taken, "But then they fought and there was a war and... I was kidnapped." She can likely key onto the micro-tells on his features, the small way his eyes distance, nostrils flaring slightly. "Back when I was ten. Long story short, when I got back I was considered worthy to ascend to the role of Phobos when the previous one died."
    He uncurls a hand toward her, "And so that's how you get an 18 year old God of Fear going to Happy Harbor."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty spots another stool and pulls it out to take a seat near Alexander. "So it's sort of a mantle that seeks out someone new to fill it, not so much a... biological relationship then?" she asks.

She rests an elbow on the counter, head on her hand as she studies Alexander. "So, God of Fear. How does that work with... well, say, girl on the street. Or in an alley. I mean, are you... driven to cause fear in people around you? Or more like... well just something you're good at and have control over?" she asks him curiously.

She muses for a moment. "Kind of a tough thing to turn into a career too, isn't it? Is that why you're undecided. I suppose there's a few jobs where that might come in handy. Could be a super hero. Or, are you supposed to keep a low profile. Worried about like, SHIELD finding out and stuff?" she asks.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Wow," Alexander just sort of laughs a little as he leaaans back against the counter and reaches across it, grabbing a handful of menus off the counter and then depositing them in front of Kitty, all of them delivery places within a few blocks radius.
    Turning back to her he says, "You don't ask the easy questions. But ok here goes."
    A deep breath is taken as he considers and he murmurs, "The biological relationship needs to be there. Without the blood nothing works. So if I was my father's adopted son I could never be Phobos. But since the other Phobos betrayed his role, and the family, and my father slew him... and there was another who could fit the role, being myself, it was able to pass on to me."
    He opens a hand in her direction, "How it works for me, as far as I know so far. I can sense fear. I can feel it. If I..." Alexander turns to the side and draws his foot up on a higher rung so he can rest his hands on his knee. "If I relax I can sort of hear the background of the world's fear, like... an ambient sound. Like tinnitus in some ways. And when things get worse it gets louder. I can sense another person's fear, make it grow, or extinguish it. And if there's a lot of people afraid around me it affects me."
    That said he snorts at the mention of SHIELD, "SHIELD already knows they send agents to follow me around sometimes, warn me about things. Always some weirdness going on. They mainly don't want my dad or me contributing to the craziness."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty sits there with her head resting on her hand, listening. She kind of wishes at the moment she had Jean's power. She doesn't spend a lot of time in such thoughts. Power envy. Some at the school engage in it a lot, and there are some who just imagine Kitty does because they don't think her power amounts to much compared to some of the others that have come through the school.

But Kitty is pretty comfortable in her skin, and if being able to tell Alexander's thoughts would be nice right now, she trusts her instincts with him. "Wow. Well, I know that can't be easy to open up about to someone," she says.

She muses for a moment, lips pursing and moving through a couple of different expressions of indecision before she says, "So, ah, it wasn't a coincidence. Me being on the bench. I tracked you down. Not for anything bad. I was curious. And I... have a particular set of skills you could say. SHIELD is definitely keeping an eye. I kind of triggered a few of their measures tracking you down, though I think I shut them down before they got wind."

She looks over into his eyes. "I figure, you're square with me, I should be square with you. And like I said, I don't mean any harm. You just... intrigued me."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    There is a curious openness to him and he replies with a casual comment. "The seductiveness of anonymity or unfamiliarity. Sometimes it's easier to be open with people you've only known a little bit as opposed to those you've been around for a long time."
    As she mentions the idea of opening up to her he smiles a little and looks away, "Well, to be fair I probably wouldn't have said anything if circumstances didn't..." But then she confesses to tracking him down and his brow knits a little. She can see a subtle shadow flicker over his features. A cloud darkening his brow as something occurs to him. Then he lifts a hand to the back of his neck and he murmurs quietly.
    "You set up the meet." He swallows a little and then asks, "Did you set it up with those guys to hit me with that piano?"

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty's eyes widen. "Oh no. No no no. Alexander, no. I had nothing to do with that. I just tracked you down and sat waiting for you." She even reaches over, trying to rest her hand on his leg. "Really. I... well I don't know how to make you believe me. I just wanted to know more about you. I thought you might be a mutant... not that it's a problem you aren't. And... oh God. No, I'd never do that," she tells him.

Her reaction that he thought she did that to him is either great acting, or genuine. "No, I was going to protect you from it but you shoved me away and I couldn't reach you to touch you," she says. She gets a worried expression, seeing that darkness that flit across his features.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    One hand lifts to hold her off and wave off her worry or concern, "No hey, it's ok. Sorry." His smile is a little rough there for a moment as he shakes his head, "It's ok. I don't think you did." Now, considering her reaction... and that flicker of fear that had raced through her when she thought he doubted her sincerity.
    He straightens up a little and rests his hand on hers, fingers squeezing a touch. "Sorry, I sometimes have to worry about things like that. Though, to be fair, not often."
    The hazel-eyed youth shifts his gaze back to her and then gives a small nod, "Figure out what you want to eat, I'll order. I think we have some beers too if you want." He nods toward the fridge and then slides off his seat to head into the kitchen.