9536/Leaning Pizza At The Tower

Leaning Pizza At The Tower
Date of Scene:	08 January 2022
Location:	Lobby - Titan's Tower
Synopsis:	Roy is brought into the tower for food and a welcome into the ranks of the Titans as a prospective.
Cast of Characters:	Terry O'Neil, Roy Harper, Kaida Connolly, Gar Logan

---

Terry O'Neil has posed:
The harried Titans made good time back to the tower- by virtue of Vorpal's rabbit holes. Dinner at Little Italy had been canceled and Chinese take-out had been arranged, and after a good amount of eating, Terry and Roy were left in the lobby to finish their meals as Donna, Vic and Sarah had to excuse themselves for various reasons. Most of them dealing with angels.

The Cheshire cat leans back on the couch, patting his stomach. "Let me tell you, the Pearl Dragon has the /best/ take-out in Metropolis..." he glances at Arsenal with a grin, "I may be biased, though. Mom used to take me there every weekend when she worked on cases there."

To the take-out, there is also a set of pizzas that have been delivered, courtesy of Beast Boy, who was currently not able to join them- he was visiting kids at the hospital again for one of the charity programs. Terry had promptly let Kaida know that the pizzas had arrived, knowing that while /he/ may be too stuffed to eat them, a certain mouse would not be.

"So..." he says, retaking the conversation that had been suspended when the food arrived, "That was some amazing shooting you did back there, Arsenal. You saved my tail."

Roy Harper has posed:
Let's just that Arsenal ate...a lot. A lot of food. Not a speedster-lot, but a lot. He either hasn't eaten in a minute or he just has a big appetite. Hard to tell where he puts it with that lean frame of his. Like one who is somewhere unknown for the first time, he keeps his things -- a backpack and, of course, his bow -- near his feet on the floor. He's not uneasy or untrusting exactly, but one can tell he's lived a life that requires a great deal of caution.

"Thanks. It was nothing," he says, quickly deflecting the conversation away from himself. More cautious survival exercise or just shy? "I screwed the pooch big time and fell off of a building. So there's that. I'd be in a hospital or a morgue if you hadn't caught me." He shrugs shrugs and looks down at his boots. Boots are interesting. "Thanks for that."

Kaida Connolly has posed:
And then there was less food. Why? Cause an entire slice of pepperoni has been taken and is being consumed at an alarming rate off of a plate by none other than a mouse. Said mouse is working on the crust when she looks at Arsenal carefully and shakes her head as she does.

"You really shouldn't fall off of things unless you're tough or able to fly or something." She nods her head, "It's just not good for your health." She then downs the rest of the crust and idly looks over at Terry, "So, who's the new guy?"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
The Cheshire cat reaches over to put a hand on Roy's shoulder. "The first thing I learned when I joined the Titans, Arsenal, is that nobody is perfect and nobody really can do everything by themselves. I have screwed up- so has everybody else- but there's people you can count on. Like me!" he brightens up, "I caught you. But you also saved me. Tit for tat. that's what it's all about!"

And then Kaida's voice pipes through, and the cat gestures, "Arsenal, this is the most fearsome sword that mousedom ever wielded- Kaida. Kaida, this is Arsenal, he works with Green Arrow and is a fantastic archer. He saved my bacon yesterday... we got attacked by ... magically animated Christmas decorations in Little Italy."

Because, yes, that happens.

Roy Harper has posed:
Arsenal doesn't flinch or pull back when cat boi reaches out to touch his shoulder. But he...turns his head toward the hand (paw?) and notes it in this calculated way like he's figuring out, juuuuust in case this is all a ruse, what he has to do to disable Terry. Again...life hard lived.

"Yeah, I get it man. No 'i' in team and all that stuff," Arsenal says to the cat. "You guys handled yourselves like a pros out there. It was...it was cool to fight beside you guys. I learned a lot."

His gaze then scans to the mouse. I mean, why not a mouse? He fell up to the sky through magic portals in the arms of a muscled cat boi. He was attacked by paper witches. Oh and there were huge animated marionettes. A mouse eating pizza is easy to process by comparison. "Hi, Kaida. Cool t'meet ya," he says. I bet people sometimes get the urge to talk baby-talk to a mouse when they meet one. Roy just addresses Kaida like he was talking to one of the fellas.

Kaida Connolly has posed:
A nod and a nod at the response to who or what an Arsenal is and Kaida finishes off her crust before nodding to him directly. She walks over to hold out a tiny mouse fist for him to bump if he so chooses and she nods to him.

"Good to meet ya." She takes another piece of pizza with ease, lifting it over her head and walking it back over to her plate and eating it a bit slower than the first, "I do love a good pizza. Preferable over street pizza."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
The aforementioned muscled cat boy chuckles, "Wrong, there's a whole bunch of 'I's in team, you need them or else there's no team, but the thing is to make sure that no 'I' is more important than another. That's why we keep... our eyes out for our friends."

There is an actual honest-to-goodness rimshot. Even though there is no visible drum set anywhere. Such is life with the Cheshire Cat.

"Kaida has been a member of our team for a while, and she's a fierce fighter. There is no opponent large enough that she won't cut to size... she was with us in Tartarus, fighting an army of undead centaurs that wanted to invade Themyscira. The Amazons forged her a sword in thank you..." he glances at the mouse, "Isn't that right, K?"

Roy Harper has posed:
The archer does, indeed, fist bump the pizza-loving mouse. "Tartarus? Wow, you guys get around. Hey, next time you go can you bring me back some Tartarus sauce?" A dad joke from a 19-year-old? Cut the dude some slack. He's feeling nervous and out-of-place. This is Titans frickin' Tower. He didn't expect to end up here eating dinner.

"Someone somewhere is prolly going to kick my ass for doing this, but whatever." He tugs back hood and pulls off his mask, revealing a surprisingly youthful face that wouldn't look out of place in a middle school or high school. "Gods, I hate wearing that shit," he murmurs, running his hand back through sweaty red hair. "Roy," he says. "I'm...I'm Roy." Then he just kind of sits there with this expression one might expect to find on someone's face who just walked out onto a stage naked.

Kaida Connolly has posed:
"And a shield, Terry!" She reaches back and taps the top of the shield before shrugging and looking over at Roy when he speaks. She blinks as he pushes back his hood and takes off his mask before she gasps and stands up. She points at him.

"It's Roy!" She looks to Terry, "Roy!" She nods her head before sitting down and then grabbing a peperoni, "And I have no idea who that is." She laughs a little and shrugs before taking a bite of pepperoni and swallowing it down, "I mean, I appreciate that you are showing us who you are but I have no idea who ya are. Of course, I'm not really up on my 'people of the Tri-Cities' account so I maybe I should know you?"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Roy," Vorpal repeats, giving the red-head a grin. "A fellow redhead. Represent! I'm... well, everybody who knows I exist knows my name, but I'm Terry O'Neil. No secret identity." He snaps his fingers, and for a moment an illusion of his human form is superimposed over him, letting Roy put a face to the name before it vanishes. "I appreciate your show of trust and guarantee you it won't leave these walls. We keep a lot of secret identities."

"Tartarus sauce... I have to remember that one so I can tell it to Donna," he mutters. He loves to torture Donna. He leans back against the couch, arms behind his head, "So tell us what you were doing over here in Metro? You usually patrol Gotham, right? Are you here on a mission or just expanding your horizons?"

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy shakes his head in response to the mouse. "Nah, I'm nobody."

Then to Terry, "I don't get to Metropolis very often, to be honest. I'm usually in Gotham or Starling City. But lately I been helping with the evacuations. That's how I ended up here today. Then it go too late to go back home but I didn't have any money on me so I was trying to figure out a place to crash for the night." One corner of his mouth quirks up a bit. "That's about the time that witches and toys and puppets starts spinning out of control."

Kaida Connolly has posed:
"Never can trust those witches, toys, and puppets." Kaida shakes her head as she eats more of the pizza. Honestly, where is it all going? It's always an unclear thing how a six inch tall mouse can put away multiple pieces of pizza but she can. She just casually eats a little more while watching before slowly standing up and stretching.

"Also, I'm Kaida, no secret identity. I don't like return to normal size or have a human form or anything like that." She shakes her head, "What ya see is what ya get." She nods her head.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Just remember that it was Nobody who poked the cyclop's eye out!" the Cheshire observes- once a Greek Myth nerd, always a Greek Myth nerd. "And Emily Dickinson wrote an ode to being 'nobody', so just because you're 'nobody', it doesn't mean you're any less important. After all, you saved me from getting kidnapped by a flying witch before I had a chance to transform. I'd say that was pretty significant," he grins.

He glances at Kaida. He is always puzzled about how she can eat so much. But he assumes that, like Gar, all of the food goes towards powering her abilities without shriveling her up in their expenditure.

"You need a place to crash? I can help get you fixed up with something. Say..." he scratches his chin, "You are great with a bow and arrow, and I know Hawkeye would love to have more disciples of the bow in the team. You could consider joining our kooky crew. We may get attacked by random animated things, but we have a large food fund and a nice place to stay."

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy, likewise, is quite impressed with how much food that mouse can pack away. "So you're not like cat boi over here?" he asks Kaida. "No human form?"

He draws in a deep breath and looks around the place. "I mean, that /could/ be something that is a thing. Gotham has been hard on me, I guess. I been staying away from there a lot lately."

He blinks as something occurs to him. "Do you...do you use a giant litt..." Then he just shakes his head. "Naw, never mind."

Kaida Connolly has posed:
A look over at Roy and then she looks at Terry before she considers him a moment and then snickers, "He was gonna say litter box." She then shakes her head and laughs, "Gross!" She then consumes the rest of her pizza at an alarming rate before saying, "Anyway!" She zips off the table and over to a nearby chair top to settle in, laying on her side casually as she does and considers Roy before looking over at Terry. She shifts slightly and nods.

"I'm fine with him but it's not really up to me alone. I think we could always use another person but then I think we could use an army given what we go up against. I mean, when it comes to armies, you lot can use all the help you can get." She nods her head, "I can only take half-an-army after all."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Vorpal laughs, "We always need all the help we can get. We've helped save the world four times over, we've taken on alien armies... and I still don't know how we've managed to survive this far, but ... Titans Together."

He reaches out and pokes Roy's shoulder, "I'll message Troia and ask that you be considered a Prospect. That means you can stay in the dorms-" he gestures with a thumb upwards, "We've got a bunch of empty ones, so choose the one you like the best. Just not the one across from Raven- scary noises come out of that at night," he grins.

"As Kaida says, it's not up to her or me alone- as a Prospect, you'll try us out and we try you out. If we feel it's a good fit, then you become a permanent member of the team. It's usually a fairly smooth process..."

"And Gotham is rough on /everybody/, I don't know how people manage to live there at all. Let me tell you, since Harley moved to New York, broke with the Joker and turned her life around to being a bounty hunter on the right side of the law, life has really turned around for her. Taking time away from Gotham will do wonders for you, too, I bet!"

He glances over at Kaida, "What happened last night... I am pretty sure it was one of those Wonderland events. They're starting to get... more spread out." He glances at Roy, and adds, "Oh... I may have forgotten to add. I'm the Cheshire Cat. You know. Alice in Wonderland Cheshire Cat." An aside to Kaida "... our lives are just plain weird, aren't they?"

Roy Harper has posed:
Some of Roy's natural defensive mechanisms -- mental constructs that helped him survive some brutal foster homes and losing pretty much, psh, everyone -- are being triggered. He stands up and starts to pace off some nervous energy. "This is all going really fast. I mean, I could be some kind of terrorist infiltrator or something." He runs his hand back through his hair. "I mean, haven't you ever heard of foreplay?"

He moves over to the drink dispenser and peers at it. He grabs a cup and fills it halfway up with fruit punch and the other half with Sprite. He turns back around, leaning back against a counter, watching the two Titans carefully. He blinks once or twice. "Cheshire Cat? I thought Lewis stole the idea of the Cheshire Cat when he wrote Wonderland? And are you saying it's based on a true story?"

Kaida Connolly has posed:
"Maybe." Kaida says and stands up with ease and shrugs her shoulders, "You might be an infiltrator or whatever but I mean, if ya screw up, ya have to deal with me!" She nods her head and grins as she looks at the man and points a thumb at her chest. She then points at him.

"That's not something you want to do or take lightly." She shakes her head as she lays casually back down on top of the chair before looking over to Terry and then back at Roy before lauhing, "Terry is a stolen idea!"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry laughs, "I'm not! See... Wonderland is real. And a little girl /did/ fall down a hole between worlds-- which we call a 'rabbit hole.' That little girl was Alice Liddell- now dead some 88 years, and when she made it back she told her adventures to a friend of the family, one Charles Dodgson. He decided it all sounded absolutely nuts and therefore perfectly suitable for children's literature and published the whole tale under the name of Lewis Carroll."

He sticks his tongue out at Kaida, "So as you see, I am not a stolen idea! But it is unfortunately too late to sue him for unlicensed use of likeness, otherwise I'd be rolling in dough now!"

He stands up to get his own drink and stands beside Roy. "Well, several things are in your favor: your performance at Little Italy, but also the fact that you are one of Arrow's people. We can reach out to him and verify you're you. Does that set you more at ease?" he grins.

Roy Harper has posed:
After taking a big drink of his fruit punch/Sprite mixture, Roy peers at Kaida for several long moments. "So how does that work anyway?" he asks her. "I mean, no off...no offense, but you're small. How do you sword fight? Do you have super strength? Telekinetic powers?"

He glances over at the cat, who followed him to the drink machine. This place is a wonderland for anthropomorphic types, apparently. "Just...please don't tell him I told you my name. He'll fucking kill me." He peers imploringly at Terry.

Kaida Connolly has posed:
A look over at Terry and she considers him, "I don't know, we'll see if it is true. You could very well still be an idea someone snatched from someone else. You do fall in and out of reality!" She points out and nods her head before glancing over to Roy and blinking at him.

"Mainly physics but also super sharp sword." She nods her head, "If you ever care to try your luck, you're more than welcome but I warn you!" She pulls her sword and brandishes it at him, "I am well practiced fighting foes many times my own size and any feelings of inadequacy aftr the fact are not my fault!"

Gar Logan has posed:
Gar Logan comes in from the outside, having returned from a few things. The life of a celebrity, even if he isn't an A-Lister, can still mean one's ledger is often filled up. With a sniff, he makes a beeline in the direction of the food. "Ahh, you guys haven't finished the pizza yet," he says, licking his lips.

There is of course a wave toward the feline he knows so well, then the mouse he's still been trying to figure out. Last, a tilt of the head in Roy's direction. "Oh, hey...Arsenal, right? What brings you by?"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Vorpal laughs, "Kaida is a /very/ good exercise when sparring, Roy. She is small but has courage and speed. I am sure Green Arrow has told you, but having your foes underestimate you is one of the greatest gifts you can get, because then you can hit them twice as hard. Thinking that Kaida can't be much of a threat because of her size is her advantage. It's always good to think of how one can exploit such things-- for example, you and Hawkeye do not have powers, but your training makes both of you positively lethal with arrows and hand-to-hand. That's something you can always use to slam some cocky bastard across the wall."

His grin widens and he puts an arm around Roy's shoulders, "Roy, you've probably seen Gar around. Our very own Beast Boy. Hey!" He walks over towards Gar and puts his arms around him, go peck at his cheek, "Gar, Roy helped us out. We got ambushed by animated Christmas decorations in Little Italy, so we brought him over here for food. I'm putting his name forth to be considered a prospect!"

Roy Harper has posed:
The unmasked Arsenal is leaning back against the counter holding a glass that contains a 50-50 mix of fruit punch and Sprite. He takes a sip. "I wasn't trying to belittle your abilities, Kaida. Obviously you're very capable or you wouldn't be a member of a team like the Titans. I was just curious how it all works, like if you have super strength. Anyway, let me get my foot and leg out of my mouth and shut up while I still can."

His eyes follows Gar as he enters the room. He seems to be dissecting the newcomer with his gaze, analyzing, like he does. He briefly nods his head in Gar's direction. "Beast Boy," he says. He knows who this one is, as so many people in the public do. "Yeah, Arsenal. You can call me Roy if you want to. I was wandering around Metropolis trying to figure out how to not be homeless for the night and then some paper witches decided to start some shit." He notes the physical affection between Terry and Gar. His expression does not reveal anything about his opinion on that. You might not...might not want to play poker with this guy.

Kaida Connolly has posed:
Sliding away her sword, Kaida shifts in her spot and nods her head before shaking her head, "Skill and speed, Arsenal." She nods her head, "Skill and speed. That and sea turtles." She then turns her gaze over to Terry and then nods to Gar, "Hey, Gar!" She waves a tiny hand before she considers, "I think it is time for me to go get some sleep. I have some things to do early in the morning and being sleepy would be bad!" She nods her head as she leaps casually down to the ground. Then she gives a tiny wave to everyone and casually walks toward the elevator shaft that acts as an movement path for flyers.

Gar Logan has posed:
In casualwear, Gar has no costume to be seen. There are a few he's had, suggesting an indecisiveness in sticking with one, or perhaps a willingness to mix it up. Kaida gets more of a hello and goodbye from him in a shorter period of time, waving as he watches her off. "Yeah, it's easy to underestimate someone like her, but take it from me. I know a few things about smaller things that can surprise you."

He adds, after stealing a quick rubbing of a Vorpal ear, "Trust me, this guy here knows all about sticking his foot in his mouth. And..animated Christmas decorations and paper witches? Why am I not surprised by that?" After moving to secure himself a slice of pizza, he points out, "A new prospect? Before long you'll have your own jacket and colors. Well, if we were a motorcycle club. But we're not, so..yeah."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Gar I do /not/ stick my foot in my mouth!" the Cheshire remonstrates, giving the green teen a look, "That's called YOGA. But... having themed jackets would kind of be cool. I already have a leather jacket with my logo across the back, for the winter!" That's all he really needs, considering he's covered in fur. "We could have themed jackets. You could have a green paw on your back, and you could have an archer's target and..."

He shakes his head, bringing himself back to the present topic. "In any case, don't worry about us telling Green Arrow- your secret is safe with us. Outside of the tower we'll call you Arsenal. And in the presence of strangers, too. Hey, Gar..." he grins, "He's a redhead too. We'll take over the Titans yet, you'll see." He goes back to refill his drink, and glances at the archer. "But in order to address the 'foreplay' bit- do you have any questions about the team? About us? About the food? There's a simple rule about that one: make sure you get some before Gar or the Speedsters get to it."

Roy Harper has posed:
"I don't want...I don't want to wear a jacket with a target on the back, my dude," Roy says, peering curiously at Terry.

He quirks a brief smile to show he's not at all offended. "I don't really have questions. I mean, the Titans speak for themselves. It's an honor just to be standing in this room. And I do know what you mean about the speedsters. Impulse hangs out at the Roost too, and he eats Red Robin out of house and home." He seems cautious to use code names even though people in the Titans surely know the real names of Red Robin and Impulse.

Gar Logan has posed:
Gar Logan makes a sign with his hand, waving it near his neck. "Yyyyeah, let's not put a target on someone's back, or front, or anywhere else. But I'd totally rock a jacket with a paw print on it. His could just be something like an arrowhead. As for redheads, nah. That'll never happen. And Arsenal it is. I don't have a secret identity. Kinda hard the way I look. But I totally get keeping secrets if it's needed. Like, I'd never tell anybody that the spot that really gets Vorpal purring is riiiiight..."

His fingers curl, like he's about to start kneading, and he goes for /both/ ears this time. Aggressively. In doing so, he adds, "An honor? C'mon, dude. We're just trying to do what we can to help people and have fun. That's pretty normal, right? Just stick around a bit and you'll see. We don't take ourselves too seriously. Usually."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
The Cheshire cat's eyes roll up, his back arches slightly and a mighty purr erupts from his throat.

Then, completely mortified, the inside of his ears turning bright pink, he gasps, "Garfield Logan how dare you!" he reaches for one of the pillows on the couch to lob at the green teen, "Arsenal, I take it all back, he is the absolute worst. Do not trust anything he says. He is a little goblin interested only in picking on people!"

Roy Harper has posed:
The PDA leads to Roy looking away like people do in the presence of such things. Not really thirsty still, nonetheless he turns around to refill his glass -- half fruit punch, half Sprite -- from the drink dispenser. He pauses a moment, studying the dispenser. He reaches out and touches one of the chrome edges. Good, sturdy design. Quality workmanship. Are they finished yet? He decides to chance it and turn back around.

"Well, anyway, having fun isn't all you guys do. The Titan's record speaks for itself."

Gar Logan has posed:
Gar Logan stage-whispers, as Vorpal reacts the way he does, "Methinks we're making our visitor uncomfortable!" The pillow is ducked, only for it to knock over a plastic cup of soda. "Oops! I'll get that. And I take offense at the last thing you said! I am absolutely not a little goblin!"

Fetching a few paper towels, he helps himself to some cola while he's at it, going about wiping the mess up. "We, ah, don't always succeed, though. A few years ago, we pretty much stopped existing as a team because of what happened with Doomsday. Sometimes I still have nightmares about it. But we got back on the bike after a while and, you know, it's been going all right."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Alright, alright. Punishment later, Gar. " the Cheshire says, airily, and smirks. "Roy, I apologize. I tend to be shameless and I sometimes I forget some people aren't comfortable. I hope I haven't made you too uncomfortable."

"I know! I can make it up to you, we can go get dessert, the three of us. I know this great little place that serves Gelato, it's out in Little Ital..."

He trails off, and purses his lips. "Maybe we can order in."

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy shakes his head. "No, it's cool. This is your place. You do you."

He can't help but smile. "Okay first of all, no Little Italy for me. Second of all, what the heck is gelato?"

Gar Logan has posed:
"I think you staying in is the right idea," Gar tells Vorpal, rolling his eyes at the 'shameless' part. True. "And you go ahead and tell him," he adds to the question Roy asks.

Finishing with the spilled soda, he tosses the paper towels into a bin for recycling. "There. That's all taken care of. And..yeah. Our place or not, sometimes we can forget, you know.." He waves a hand. "Norms."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
The cat grins, "Oh... oh... what is Gelato? My boy, Roy, you are going to be in for a /treat/!" he says, putting an arm around Roy's shoulders and guiding him towards the elevator, "Let's all go up to the main room and set up the bowls, I'll get some ordered in from Di Firenze. Gelato is an experience that's... hmm. Especially with the- ooh, mango, yes, mango."

He looks over his shoulder, "Gar! Get the pizzas, we're going up to the main room. Impulse and Kid Flash will probably drop by later and we'll need the pizzas to keep them from going into a berzerker rage of hunger."

As the elevator opens, he adds, "We usually have training every day with Troia, and Hawkeye programs some cool training missions in the danger room... you ever wanted to play Legolas at the Battle of Helm's Deep? You got it. There's only one rule everybody follows."

He pushes the button for the main room.

"Don't drink Raven's coffee."

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy glances nervously across the room at his backpack and bow lying on the floor near where he was sitting earlier. Terry might notice a slight moment of physical resistance from the archer as he does. "I better...I better grab my stuff so nobody trips over it." He breaks free from Terry's arm and trots across the room to pick up his things. When you're raised in foster homes, you don't let important stuff out of your sight.

He heads toward the elevator again. "Well, I'll try anything once, I guess. Twice if it offends me."

Gar Logan has posed:
Gar Logan levels a serious look Vorpal's way. "I'm..gonna have to get some more pizzas delivered if they're gonna be here." Remember what the cat said about food and Gar and Speedsters? The Speedsters aren't here, but Gar is.

"Oh, yeah. You don't want to forget your stuff. One of Cyborg's Roomba Army might decide it needs to be cleaned," he adds, doing finger quotes around the last word, "which sometimes means never seeing the thing again. "Anyway, you guys go make yourselves comfortable. I'll catch up in a few after I make another call." He's already dual-wielding pizza slices.