8474/You were expecting something else

You were expecting something else
Date of Scene:	29 October 2021
Location:	The Narrows - Miagani Island
Synopsis:	June and Austin go on a date. Wait. What do you mean it's not a date?
Cast of Characters:	Austin Reese, June Connor

---

Austin Reese has posed:
Everybody who lives in a major urban city has a favorite bodega. Usually it's the one closest to their home, because of the convience. Otherwise it may be one that only stocks one particular thing that nowhere else does.

In this case it's definitely the former, as on the corner of Falcon Street and Wren Ave is a place called Jack's Deli. It sure looks like a pretty standard one from the outside, and stepping inside is no different. One part is all kinds of groceries and day to day needs, one part is a deli counter with a gruff looking guy in his 50s behind the counter, but who's actually a total sweetheart once you get to know him.

At the moment Austin is sitting on the counter, chatting with Jack and petting the orange cat that's stretched across his lap. Seems like this is definitely somewhere that he feels comfortable being himself, instead of having to put on that tough guy attitude that he will often show when out on the street.

June Connor has posed:
    June gives a blow of her hair as she stands before the deli, looking up at the sign. Her fire engine red hair puffs up out of her eyes, her hands in the pockets of her black denim jacket as she stands with a straight shoulder width stance for a moment, raising an eyebrow. "Like I just went back in time seventy years," she comments to herself before stepping up to the door, pulling it open and stepping in. She glances around, an instinctive trap checking reflex whenever she enters any place. Exits, hiding places, and looks up at the ceiling, checking the law of 45, nobody ever looks up.

Austin Reese has posed:
As the door opens of course Austin turns his head to look that way, spotting June entering and giving the place a good once over, "No ninjas in the ceiling here, I promise you." He says, as he pets the cat a few more times, "I'd come greet you but as you can see I can't get up. How's it been? Glad you could make it down here."

Jack, for his part, goes back to cleaning something a bit away, to leave the two kids to chat.

June Connor has posed:
    A diner with a cat?" June asks, mildly surprised to see an animal in such a place. "Is that even allowed?" As if she has any reason to be concerned with anyone following the rules. She peels off her jacket, a red spaghetti strap top underneath, which reveals a red handprint tattoo on her shoulder, and tosses it on the bar. "I mean, I almost got my ass arrested by SHIELD yesterday, so pretty good, since I didn't." She gives a shrug. "Those fuckers are hard core." Apparently she has no qualms about revealing such things, even with a stranger on the other side of the counter. "What about you? Saving your town from shitheads?"

Austin Reese has posed:
"Trust me missy, you'd rather have the cat than what'll come around if we don't." Jack says with a faint grunt, as he continues working on what he is. Austin laughs a little bit, "SHIELD huh? Sounds exciting. What'd you do to piss them off?"

When she asks about him saving his town, he considers, "I did tell the Joker to fuck off to his face and beat up one of his goons and I'm not dead, so I mean I got that going for me."

June Connor has posed:
    June doesn't argue the point about the cat from Jack, just giving a head tilt to one side to concede. "Ah, just some stupid artifact someone wanted. Turned out a few people were making a play for it, and SHIELD was one of them. Brought their whole team on site. Some days you're the bug, y'know?"
    "Bullshit," June immediately accuses the story of being a fabrication regarding Joker. "You're gonna have to get me way more drunk to buy that. Like the super crazy clown guy that's always doing some fucked up moral dilemma to make people kill each other or turn crazy or some shit? That Joker?" As if there might be another.

Austin Reese has posed:
"100% true." Austin replies, though the cat then hops off his lap and runs off, apparently having spotted something it wants. Austin takes this opporitunity to hop off the counter, "He and some goons were hitting some weird superhero museum. Like stuff from the 1930s and 40s. Red Hood and some guy with like an energy bow were there. Trust me it was NOT part of the plan to face off against the Joker."

He wanders over towards one of the coolers, "You got a particular one you like or you want me to just grab whatever?"

June Connor has posed:
    "Damn," June says, rotating on her barstool to face Austin as he walks to the coolers. She leans back with her elbows on the bar, not the most ladylike of poses. "Here I thought I made the worst decisions. I sure as hell wouldn't wanna be in that lunatic's crosshairs. So what, he comin' after you, trying to recruit you?" she asks. "They got any Angry Orchard?"

Austin Reese has posed:
"Honestly? I just saw this van crash into the building and figured I'd check it out if anyone was hurt. Turns out it was a bunch of clown painted goons and one clown painted madman." Austin replies, as he grabs one of those for her, and then a Corona for himself.

He hands the drink over and then moves to take a seat nearby, "One thing lead to another and I was basically telling him that people like me were sick of his shit. He retorted about how even if it wasn't him there was always some other super criminal planning something."

June Connor has posed:
    "I mean, he's not wrong," June admits as she takes the bottle. Showing little regard for the countertop, she hooks the bottle on the edge and gives it a slap of her palm to free the bottlecap before taking a drink. "So why do all that? I mean, one day, you end up not gettin' away with it. One day they just give you two and one," she says, a gun finger pointing at his chest and then forehead. "For what? What do you get out of it anyway? You aren't rich like Batman with a fuck ton of gadgets and armor. And hell, he's already doing stuff in your town. Why you? Why not just keep your head down?" It seems a genuine question, the rationale escapes her.

Austin Reese has posed:
"I guess that's a fair question." Austin replies, as he grabs a lime from the deli counter and puts it into the bottle, before taking a drink, "To be honest? I don't know. You're right, I'm no Batman. I'm not even Robin. I guess because maybe I think that if the average person in Gotham has the balls to actually stand up to these folks who are constantly threatening the city, maybe something will change."

He takes another drink, "I've lived in this town my whole life. Even though No Man's Land when the country as a whole was ready to throw us to the wolves. My parents died during that. Been pretty much on my own ever since." He takes a moment to think about them. He feel like he barely remembers them at this point, "Because yeah, Joker is right. If it wasn't him it'd be a guy with a bird gimmick or a guy with a question mark gimmick or who knows what else, and any time they threaten people, somebody should be willing to stand up to them and tell them we're sick of their shit."

June Connor has posed:
    "A real boy scout," June says with a smirk, an appraising once over glance given. "I'd say you should run for office, but I hate politicians almost as much as judges." She spins back around, putting her elbows on the counter again as she faces it, tilting the bottle up with her wrist. "So," she says. "You chased drugs to New York so you could fuck some of them in the ass for doin' deals in your town. You're outnumbered...what, a thousand to one, probably get your ass canned if you ever tried to work /with/ the cops," she offhandedly comments. "I like it. You sound like an actual not-shithead. Don't meet many of your kind." She shrugs. "So why you wanna really buy me a drink? I'm not nearly as noble as you, just in case there was doubt."

Austin Reese has posed:
"Dunno." Austin replies, as he grins, "I am underage buying someone else who I'm pretty sure is also underage alcohol. So I suppose I think some laws are stupid. My policy's always been to do what makes you happy as long as it ain't hurting other people."

There is a pause for a moment, "Unless those other people are already hurting somebody." He takes another sip of his beer, "You're right though. Cops wouldn't exactly want to hire somebody who's a street punk even if his dad used to be GCPD. Besides, if I became a cop I'd have to go where they told me and do what they told me to do. This way at least I can help folks who actually need it rather than standing guard for the mayor or some rich assholes who need extra security."

June Connor has posed:
    "Well," June says, "I won't rat us out if you don't. Hell, I been drinkin' since I was thirteen. I don't even give a shit what the law thinks about it. People like us? Laws usually end up hurting us more than helping. I always end up on the wrong end no matter what I do, so I say fuck it. Do what makes you happy, right?" she agrees with the sentiment, offering her bottle in a mild toast.

Austin Reese has posed:
Austin returns the toast, and then downs the rest of his beer, tossing the bottle into a trashcan nearby, "So what's your story anyway?" He asks, "I mean if you wanna tell it. I basically told you my life's story, but you know I'm not gonna pry if you don't wanna tell." He does get up to go grab another drink from the cooler though.

June Connor has posed:
    June takes another swig after the toast, though still has half her bottle left. "Me? Fuck, how depressed you wanna feel?" she laughs, looking away and up at the decor behind the bar, a grin around the neck of the bottle. "Can't say I ever done anything to redeem myself much. I masterminded my own bullshit to start, now I'm just stuck with it. Asshole mom fucked over my dad. He tried to get out from her thumb. Got fucked by the court because-" she shrugs, "That's what justice looks like." She takes another swig. "Got killed for his pocket lint."

    She frowns, and lowers the bottle, tapping the base on the counter a few times with a clink of the glass. "Two fucking days after the hearing so I could live with him." She frowns, and lets the bottle sit. Clearly not something she likes talking about. "So I said fuck it. Ran away, and fucked myself as hard as I could." She spreads her arms, as if showing herself on display. "And now I'm the fine specimen of a cautionary tale that you see before you."

Austin Reese has posed:
"Alright." Austin replies, "For what it's worth I am sorry that happened to you." Austin does sound sincere when he says it, "For what it's worth I don't think it's ever too late to actually change things. Well unless you're dead. Then maybe it's too late." He pauses though, thinking about all the stories he's heard about ghosts and vampires, "Even then maybe not.."

June Connor has posed:
    June shrugs. "Yeah, whatever," she says. "I'm not lookin for pity, already happened, is what is," she says, not committing to any idea of changing. "Figure I'll just do what I can while I can, party it up, I'll probably die before I'm thirty anyway, so take what I can get in the meantime." She picks the bottle back up, and tilts it back, chugging the last few swigs. Clank. It hits the counter top with authority.

Austin Reese has posed:
It's not really the response he was expecting but at least he can respect it, "I do get it." He says, "I'm guessing that one of those bad decisions was getting tangled up with those Hand guys though, huh? Anything I need to know about them?" Changing the subject? Yeah, but it might be for the best at the moment.

June Connor has posed:
    June looks at the ceiling with the question. "Fuck, that's your follow up?" she asks with a roll of her eyes. She gives Austin a green-eyed glare that says 'you're kidding me'. "You just invite me all the way out here to play twenty questions all night?" she asks. She glances back at Jack, as if to communicate to him a look of disbelief, surely the older guy knows what's supposed to happen here.

Austin Reese has posed:
"What?" Austin seems a bit taken back by the response, "Just wanted to try to get to know you, that's all." He replies, "I'll be honest I don't run into people who are parkouring across rooftops being chased by ninjas every day."

Jack just shrugs a little bit in response to the look that she gives him. He's known Austin for a long time, he expects the kid to be kind of oblivious.

June Connor has posed:
    June laughs, she's not laughing with Austin, it's definitely at him. "How the hell did you grow up in the narrows, and be this..." she motions to him as a person with both hands. "Whatever you are," she shakes her head. "I mean, this guy gets it," she says, tossing a thumb at Jack. She doesn't seem to even care that her presumed intentions on the meeting are obvious to a stranger.

    "Look, you're cute, and the Robin Hood thing is kinda hot, I gotta give you that, but I'm not lookin' for someone to talk about my screwed up childhood or discuss my ex-employer with." She gives a waggle of her head side to side.

Austin Reese has posed:
That actually gets Jack to laugh, as Austin frowns a little bit, "Alright you win. So enough talk about the past. What do you wanna do right now?" He asks, as he puts his hand down on the counter, "I mean you really didn't come all this way just for a couple of free beers, right?" He asks, "You obviously had something you wanted to do too."

June Connor has posed:
    "Came to have fun, forget about all the shit in my life for a few hours. Get wasted, make some terrible decisions," June answers. "But I guess you aren't the guy for that," she says, offering a shrug. She gets up from the stool. "You're the boy scout," she comments again. Maybe it's not as complimenting as it was the first time.

Austin Reese has posed:
It seems that Austin finally gets it, eyes widening a bit, "Oh, shit." He must have been giving off the wrong signals and not even thinking about it.

Wouldn't be the first time

At this point Jack is laughing his ass off, and he disappears into the back, "I'm really sorry, now I feel like I've been stringing you along and that was NOT at all what I wanted to do." He says, as he moves to get out of her way if she does want to leave, he'll totally get it, "I just thought, you know, two folks in a similar situation, maybe we could chat. Be friends, you know? I'm gay, I guess I don't exactly tick all the sterotype boxes though." Plus he's never really been the instant hookup kind of guy anyway, even if she was his type.

"For what it's worth we can still get wasted and make some bad decisions though. Just probably the kind of bad decisions that still keep pants on?"

June Connor has posed:
    June looks a little dumbfounded. "Are... are you shitting me?" she asks. "You're fuckin' gay?" She spins in a frustrated circle. "Fuckin...fuck!" And then? She just starts laughing. "Oh damn, that's just too funny," She wanders back and forth in the open area as if she were truly drunk, though she's only had the one.

Austin Reese has posed:
"Yeah." He replies, "Sorry to disappoint?" He says, half question and half real appology. He does go over and grab another drink for her, popping the cap off and offering it to her, "Personally I think you're dodging a bullet."

June Connor has posed:
    June takes the bottle, and gives a wry smile. "Maybe. I know you definitely did," she confesses. "Still," she pulls back the bottle. "If you ever wanna try..." she gives a wink. "And to answer your question," she says, going back to the Hand question. "Just look out for anyone with a symbol like this," she says, pointing across to the tattoo on her shoulder. "They are assholes and will probably kill you if it suits their ends."

Austin Reese has posed:
"I'll keep an eye out." Austin replies, as he takes a quick look over the tattoo. He grabs the rest of the six pack of Angry Orchard from the cooler and puts it on the counter, "Consider it a gift for me totally misreading things. I hope at the very least I can give you a call if I wanna rip off some bikers again though."

June Connor has posed:
    June reaches out, taking the pack, and gives a mock salute. "Hey, I'll take that. Yeah next time you wanna steal some shit, just let me know."