9977/Good to be home

Good to be home
Date of Scene:	04 February 2022
Location:	Level 4 - Kitchen and Dining - The Roost
Synopsis:	Conner catches Hope in the kitchen, raiding the fridge. They agree to pick up what they started a year ago.
Cast of Characters:	Conner Kent, Hope Summers

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Conner Kent has posed:
It is Friday. At last. Conner has been busy with college and didn't drop by the Roost in all the week. He is looking forward for the weekend. Apparently Rose (uh oh) is around again, but he has not seen her yet.

So yes, looking forward for some action. Or maybe an evening of watching movies on Tim's theatre screen and training in the morning. It is not he doesn't enjoy his college courses, but being 'Conner Kent, just a student', all the time is a bit tedious. With the Outsiders he doesn't need to hide who he is. And some of them are his oldest friends.

He arrived through his room's window, and now he is heading to the kitchen. Which tends to be the most visited place of the Roost.

Hope Summers has posed:
Someone left the fridge open. The door is wide open, and the clanking, jostling sounds is a good indicator that it's being rifled through. A small 'bang' leads to muffled cursing and a symphony of bottles, jars, and containers jostling about. And a butt appears! A familiar butt! A moment more and the legs and torso and the rest follow, scooting back from the fridge until Hope can straighten up. Her arms are full of stuff for making a sandwich, a fried chicken leg stuffed in her mouth.

She hip-bumps the fridge shut and starts to set her bounty on the counter.

A moment later she's whirling about and pointing a rather large pistol at Conner, grim-faced, steely-eyed... and with the chicken still hanging out of her mouth. Blinking, her expression changes and she grins, waving the gun at him.

"Mmph unnnnnnnnn rowlf!" She pauses, taking a bite from the leg and pulling it away from her mouth to try again, "Hey! I'm back!"

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner identified Hope by the muttered curses before even seeing the butt. He stops, folds arms and watches amused her struggles with the fridge. Hope had this love-hate relationship with modern kitchen appliances and he can see it has not changed much.

"Woah," he raises his hands with a grin, seeing the gun. "No guns needed in the Roost. Unless Batman shows up again. Then you can shoot him. And I will take pictures this time."

Because, yes, she will always be famous for doing that. "Good to see you back, too!"

Hope Summers has posed:
"Guns are -always- needed. Everywhere. -Especially- when you think you don't need them." Hope wags the chicken leg at him and tucks it back into her mouth while she makes the big handgun disappear... somewhere. How DOES she do that?! It's a gift. She start slathering things together until there's a sandwich that she will need a miracle to fit into her mouth perches precariously on her plate. There may be a minor disaster on the counter around it.

Turning back around, she walks right up to him, throws her arms around his neck (chicken leg still in hand), and gives a bold smile, "Give me a kiss and maybe I'll share it with you." Winking, she pulls back, taking another bite from the chicken leg, then moves back towards her plate. "So.. how's that... college thing going?"

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner shakes his head about the guns, but he is still smiling when Hope hugs him, which takes him by surprise. "Hey... oh, well, if I have to," he hugs back, kissing her cheek. And maybe lingering there for an extra second.

"College goes well," he adds, releasing her. "Just starting third year, I have a few advanced courses. Cool stuff. Needs a little more work, but everyone said I went to too many college parties anyway." He probably still does, but the novelty of the college wild life is fading, and he really needs to study more to keep his good grades.

"What have you been up to?" He asks back, "fun times as mutant freedom fighter?"

Hope Summers has posed:
"Oh you know... taking on Sentinels, freeing mutants from terrible experimentation and exploitation... the usual." Hope lifts a shrug and grabs up one of the kitchen knives, twirling it around before slicing the sandwich in half. Another plate is obtained and half the sandwich is set on it. Offering the plate out to Conner, she grins, "Sounds.. weird, but you seem like you're enjoying it, so that's good." Pausing, she adopts an overly nonchalant air and examines her nails, "Make any new friends?" It's bad, she's terrible at this. She keeps glancing at him, there's too much interest in her eyes. And she's just not good at being 'subtle'.

Hefting up the huge sandwich, she squishes it down a bit and cracks her jaw open to take a bite of the monstrous thing, chewing on it idly as she watches him. Once it's swallowed down, she offers, "I'm gonna try the college thing. Bart's been helping me study up for.. it's the SAT's? I think? I dunno. But I plan to be around for awhile. If you're interested."

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner nods, not smiling as much as she talks about fighting robots and rescuing mutants. He would like to help with that, but Hope has other friends for that kind of fighting. And the Outsiders are a clandestine team, they don't often invite strangers to their operations.

"New friends. Oh... if you come to the ESU I can hook you up with all the interesting people," he offers with a grin. "If you mean here, we have a couple new guys, yeah. Tin invited an old guy, the Archivist, who has magical powers. He seems okay. And there is Pixie... but I think you know her."

Interested? Interested in what? No, nevermind. He is interested. Silly question, Hope.

Hope Summers has posed:
"ESU?" Hope sends him a quizzical glance as she chews on that oversized sandwich. There's a nod for the new people in the Roost, "Sounds okay. I'll keep an eye on that magic guy though. Just in case. Magic is... tricky. Most people don't know how to actually use it and then it blows up and people are hurt, or dying, and there's the screaming and the fighting... easier to just stop it before it starts." She gives a nod, then approaches Conner again, stopping just in front of him and looking up. "So. Are we dating again? I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. We could pick up where we left off."

She stares up at him for a long moment, then smiles, "I'm trying, Conner. To have, y'know, a life? A... non-killing, no-running, SOME-fighting kind of life. Maybe put down some roots? Maybe I don't have to just wait for Cable to come find me and take me away."

Conner Kent has posed:
"Empire State University," replies Conner, picking up the sandwich half, and nodding at the comments on magic. Well, he is leery of magic because his powers don't work well around magic. It is a Kryptonian thing. Not that he is biased or anything.

And then Hope does what Hope does. Asking directly a loaded question. Conner almost drops the sandwich. He hesitates, because he wants to say YES. But Hope is... right, drop anything if her dad/duty asks her. Like a good soldier.

But then he remembers life can be very short. They can lose everything tomorrow, and he would be an idiot to miss a chance to spend time with a girl he really likes. And smiles again. "Yeah? Want to go dancing or catch a movie?"

Hope Summers has posed:
"Oh, right. School name. Sorry. I'm still adjusting." Hope grimaces briefly, clearly frustrated with herself in that moment. She shakes it off and looks back to him, "Do you want to show me around? The campus, I mean. I was looking at college stuff. I might try to go for Columbia, if I can get in. But I'd like to see where you go. And maybe try to meet some of your friends." She's struggling, this doesn't come easily or naturally to her, but she is trying. In her own too-forward, rush ahead way.

There's a smile his answer and she nods, "Sounds good. I'll even take off the uniform. I'm getting some help with clothes. Or, you know, with what to wear to different places. Maybe dinner and dancing? I've gotten better. I don't shovel food into my mouth anymore." Yes she does. "And I don't talk with food in my mouth!" That part tracks.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner grins again. "Columbia? Man, that one is expensive," for those who don't have high school with amazing scores. Conner went to high school like a month, then said school was blown up by aliens. True story.

Getting help with clothes? That almost makes him laugh. Hopefully it is not from Laura. "Hey, we can talk with food in our mouth all we want," proof? Sandwich in mouth. Nomnoms. Clearly a deficient virtual reality education.

"Dinner and dancing? We can do that tomorrow evening, hmm? I want to see who is coming this weekend to the Roost," he offers. Besides, if Robin has a mission, that takes preference. "And no, I am not seeing anyone right now."

Hope Summers has posed:
"Yeah, but I got accepted into a grant program run by Warren Worthington. Covers tuition, some living expenses. Comes with housing too. So, you know, if we want to have just like, a quiet night in. We can do that. Movie, popcorn, a couch, and us?" Hope grins at him, then takes another bite of the monster-wich, jaw working as she chews on it.

There's a laugh as he demonstrates how they can talk with their mouths full, shaking her head and speaking from the corner of her mouth, "Hey, I'm trying to be better!" Emphasis on trying. She did still greet him with a gun. But progress has been made!

"Sure, that sounds good. I'll... see if I can borrow something until I can get some stuff of my own. Maybe Megan can help... or I guess I could ask around at the Mansion... I'll come up with something!" God help them both. She's going to get fashion advice. And borrow clothes. Depending on who she asks, Conner could be in for a treat, or a disaster.

THe last response has her smiling. A real smile, genuine. "Me either. Unless you count. If you want to count."

Conner Kent has posed:
Well she could ask... maybe Carrie? No, the Outsider women are a fearsome group of ninja/soldier/badass women. Not great for fashion advice. Not that the guys are much better, except maybe Tim.

"You are good," decides Conner. "Even with the gun and all. Seriously, be whatever you want to be. And I have an apartment in Greenwich Village. Close to college, so we have options." It is probably better than a college room. Marginally, because rent in Manhattan is criminal and Conner is not wealthy.

Hope Summers has posed:
Everyone she knows is a fearsome ninja/soldier/badass, male or female. Hope isn't known for her circle of normal friends. "Is Rose still around? She could lend me something..." Hope shrugs and looks to Conner. "I'm trying to be more. More than what I am. If I'm going to stay here, in this time and place, then I need to... fit in. As much as I can."

Chuckling, she gives a nod, "Good. Greenwich sounds fun. Mine is... 808 West End Ave... Bloomingdales. Because it's close to the college, makes getting back and forth easier." She is not wealthy, but Warren Worthington is LOADED, so yay for free upgrade!

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner actually concentrates a moment, trying to hear... "I don't think Rose is around right now, but she was here a few days ago. I hope she gets back for real, I get worried about her mind state when she is away," and also afraid she might be killing someone. Rose stopped doing mercenary stuff when she was dating Tim, but she might be back. He sighs. Old worries.

But then he grins at Hope again. "Yeah, that is just what I did. I was pretty much Superboy all the time. I had no idea what I was missing. And I found just living as part of the people is great, too. I mean, part time. I don't think I could do it all the time. The world needs help, and I like being in this team."

Hope Summers has posed:
Nodding, Hope lets out a sigh, "Alright. I'll bite and go talk to the people at Xavier's. I'm sure one of them has something I can borrow for one night." Mention of worry for Rose's mental state has her quirking a half-smile and reaching out to nudge at Conner, "You can't fix that. She's got to work through it on her own. Like me." If anyone would know about the kill-to-survive mentality, it would be Hope, after all.

Setting her sandwich aside, Hope steps up to Conner and smiles, "That's what I like about you. Well, part of what I like. You know what it's like. And how hard it can be to break out of it." Going up to her toes, she kisses him flush on the mouth, holding it for a few seconds before backing away. "I'm glad you're still," single, "here."

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner shakes his head. Hope is not full of rage like Rose, not poisoned by her father. Cable was a good father, Conner can see it, and Hope has a solid moral compass. He feels he failed Rose to find one.

But that is another story, and they can't do anything about it now. "I just found out..." he starts, but then the girl kisses him, and he forgets what he was going to say, instead wrapping an arm around her waist. "I am glad too..." to be here. Or something. "Hey, want to see how else is around?"

Hope Summers has posed:
Grinning after the kiss, Hope looks up at him, "Still got it." She gives a nod and slips an arm around his waist in return, "Sounds like a plan. Bart said I should talk to Tim anyways. Get like... ID and stuff set up." She gives him a squeeze and goes to get her sandwich, glancing back at him with a smile, "It's good to be home."