Owner	Pose
Marie-Ange Colbert	It's early evening in the city. The weather's a little chilly -- it's New York City in April, so that's not a huge surprise -- but people are still going to do the things and go to the places that they will, so Big Belly Burger is still seeing a decent amount of business tonight as the dinner rush is starting to fade. One of the people who decided to stop for dinner, still in t he city thanks to it being Spring Break Week, is none other than one Marie-Ange Colbert. The redhead's seated at one of the stools at the counter with a basket of food and a shake in front of her -- likely strawberry, judging by the color. She's currently wearing a pale pink jacket over a plain black blouse, with a black, knee-length skirt to match it. Her hair's pulled back into a ponytail and secured with a pink scrunchie -- and at the moment? She's just happily devouring french fries.
Freddy Freeman	A one Frederick Freeman is out and about on this brisk Spring evening, moving in his natural, mortal form for Freddy does not believe in invoking the powers of the Immortal Elders lightly or for trivial purposes. His own garb is the product of an extended foster family and the Hand-Me-Down Mechanism: loosely fitting, faded, threadbare blue jeans, a black sweatshirt with a Batman, Flash, Superman, and Green Lantern logo on the front, and battered, old black and pink skate shoes. His left hand is engaged with the silver metal crutch, which is affixed to his left elbow. But his right is sporting a Big Belly Burgers gift card! With the single-minded look of a young man with a mission to fill his belly with the best burgers in town, Freddy thunk-step-thunk-step-thunk-steps his way through the front door. His glittering eyes and smiling face are already affixed on the menu boards before he's even five steps into the place. But by chance, his gaze shifts to where Marie-Ange is sitting. He blinks once, then twice, then furrows his brow. He approaches the table where she sits alone. "Hey, um, hi! This is SO not a pick-up line, I SWEAR TO THE GODS! But do I know you? You look really familiar."
Marie-Ange Colbert	Having strange boys come up to her at random isn't /entirely/ unusual for Marie. Having them come up with pick-up lines isn't, either, though most of them tend to go over the French girl's head -- language barrier doesn't always translate properly! Marie, however, is nothing if not polite. Turning her attention to the approaching Freddy, there's an instant spark of... something. That moment of 'do I know you?' where the 'where' is just out of reach. Marie purses her lips for a moment, considering. "You are fine, Monsieur." she assures him with an accent that's as thick as if she'd never left her home country. Focusing green eyes on his face for a few moments before continuing. "I... do not think we have met, no..." she trails for a moment, "...but your name would not happen to be Freddy Vasquez, would it?" 0 for 2, Marie. But good try!
Freddy Freeman	"Wait, wait, wait," Freddy blurts out so fast it sounds more like 'wai-wai-wait.' Cleary he is a high-energy young man despite the crutch. "See, I knew it! My name is Freddy Freeman, but my foster parents are Vasquezes!" He shoves the Big Belly Burger gift card into his pants pocket, his hunger momentarily forgotten. "Imma solve this mystery, like Scooby Doo!" the seemingly good-natured Freddy exclaims. Screwing up his face in thought, he turns around in a complete circle. Then, with his free hand, he snaps his fingers suddenly as his wide smile returns. "You know my sister, Mary, don't you? I seen you in some of her pictures," he adds, though 'pictures' comes out sounding more like 'pitchers.'
Marie-Ange Colbert	Marie grins fondly as Freddy confirms her thought -- those family photos had recently gone through her mind, which definitely made the recognition a little easier. Then when he declares that he's going to figure out who /she/ is, she takes the shake with both hands and sips, letting him make his deductions. After all, if he wants to solve the mystery, she's not going to spoil his fun... ...and when he makes his guess, she grins wider. "You win the prize, Monsieur Freddy! I /do/ in fact know Mary." she confirms, releasing one hand from her shake cup and extending it towards him in the French fashion, palm facing down. "My name is Marie-Ange Colbert. You may simply call me Marie, if you wish."
Freddy Freeman	Now, nobody has ever presented anything whatsoever to Freddy in the French fashion, so this kindly but awkward guy doesn't really know what to do about it. He is, socially speaking, in way over his head in that moment. "Am I...supposed to kiss your..." He reaches for the offered hand. "...are you like royalty or something..." He grasps Marie's hand gently, then quickly retracts his touch. "Oh that's cold," he exclaims. From the milkshake, of course. Freddy's ears redden a bit as he realizes he has, yet again, made a fool of himself. It's no big deal. He's used to it by now. "I mean, that's healthy right?" Freddy over corrects, making his face more red. "Or is that a cold nose? I don't...I don't know which..." Some stranger is on his way out of the restaurant, passing by the table, looking at Freddy act the fool. "Hi!" Freddy says to the man, who picks up his pace to leave the building more quickly. "I was raised by wolves in the forest!" the young man adds in the direction of the rapidly departing stranger.
Marie-Ange Colbert	Marie can't help herself as Freddy doesn't quite get it. "Oh, pauvre garcon." she offers, succumbing to a fit of giggling that she can't quite manage to hide. At least it's the entertained kind, and not the malicious kind! "...and I /believe/ that is actually the effects of the milkshake, which I am told is very much /un/healthy... but so are all of the tastiest things, oui?" she asks, offering a conspirational wink. ...of course, then he's talking to the stranger and this time, rather than laugh the redhead's eyes go wide. "...is that where Monsieur Victor and Madame Rosa found you, then? In the forest? What happened to your wolf-family?" she asks -- her /tone/ sounds completely serious, even if the words might not. ...at least to those who don't actually know, say, Rahne or Sharon. Especially Sharon. Of course, she /does/ realize that she has food and he does not... so she decides that the best way to make up for offending him with her chilly hand is to dip it into her pocket, feeling around for a moment and fishing out a twenty-dollar bill. "Actually... you should get yourself some food, too. You must have been hungry if you came here, non?" she asks, offering the twenty in his direction.
Freddy Freeman	Quickly turning back to his conversation with Marie once the departing stranger has all but outright fled the building, Freddy chimes in, "Oh we keep them in the wolf den in the cellar." Then he gives Marie a look that is at least a cousin of total disbelief. "Why? Where do you keep your wolves?" he asks incredulously. In addition to a dearth of people offering him things in the French fashion, Freddy's life also lacks people offering him twenty dollar bills right in the middle of Big Belly Burgers WHILE he is very hungry. To be fair, he is pretty much always very hungry. While some teenagers might have too much dignity to accept a handout, Freddy is dirt poor, so he yoinks that twenty out of Marie's hand with no hesitation. "Thanks!" he blurts out excitedly. "Are all my big sister's friends this cool?" Then with a playful wink, he starts maneuvering himself through the crowd to the counter to order some feed. He's three quarters of the way there when he realizes he is unintentionally being rude, so he calls back loudly over his shoulder, "Be right back!" A social bull in a china shop?
Marie-Ange Colbert	"I do not have wolves..." Marie replies, almost sounding embarassed by her lack of feral canines. Is this something that most Americans have!? Though, she does perk up after a moment. "I do have a leopard, though! Does that count?" she asks, sounding hopeful. Again, she's not kidding on that topic. She /does./ Spot wasn't in any of the pictures, though. Freddy's excitement is met with a giggle and a blush. "Well, the ones whom I have met certainly are." ....because Mary /does/ have some really cool friends. Though she would count herself as pretty normal. You know. Just a girl who can see the future, bring images to life, and has twenties to hand out thanks to working at the Hellfire Club but getting free room and board at her college. So, perfectly normal. While she waits for Freddy's return, she resumes munching on her own meal... though she does keep an eye on him, just in case he ends up needing a hand.
Freddy Freeman	Watching Freddy maneuver on his crutch is quite a sight. There does not appear to be any part of him that feels sorry for himself or bitter about his disability. He 'drives' that crutch around like a worker might drive a Zamboni across the ice: with casual wonder and complete abandon. So when he returns from the counter holding a plastic tray in one hand upon which are two triple bacon burgers and a large cream soda, there is an actual mischievous grin on his face. "'Scuse me, sorry, coming through, three legs, one arm, and a tray full of food...ooops, sorry, that was my bad..." Finally he emerges from the crowd at Marie's table. He sets the tray down and slides onto an empty chair. He tugs his left hand out of the crutch and leans it against the table. It starts to slide, he quickly grabs it, and resets it. "You stay!" he commands, pointing at the crutch. It obstinately slides and falls on the floor under the table. "Fine, be that way." Freddy starts unwrapping one of the triple bacon burgers. "You guys go to college together or something?" Freddy inquires conversationally just before he takes such a big bite out of the burger that is should be against some sort of public health code.
Marie-Ange Colbert	Marie's admittedly impressed as she watches Freddy go. Before this, the only mobility-impaired person she had known was the Professor... and while she's seen /him/ fence from a wheelchair, those movements are careful and precise. This is more footloose and fancy free. The falling crutch prompts an attempt by Marie to catch it, too, but while she's quick enough, she's not quite /close/ enough to keep it from faling. An apologetic look is offered in turn, and she reaches a leg to slide it a little further under the table so that people passing by don't trip on -- or step on -- it. The question? Well. It doesn't get answered immediately... not verbally at least. There's /one/ sign as the pale girl's cheeks turn pink pretty quickly. But, she decideds to be a little vague, instead of coming right out and saying it. Billy didn't know. Freddy might not either, and while she won't /lie/... "Oh, non." she replies, shaking her head a little. "We actually met at a writing group a couple years ago... then I did a tarot reading for her, and, well, we became good friends soon after." ...and, when they both broke up with their respective partners, became more than that. This is the part that she leaves unsaid!
Freddy Freeman	It's not pretty. Not at all. Freddy eating, that is. He tears into that burger like it's the first thing he's ever eaten. There are big bites. Ketchup or mustard going in various directions. That sort of thing. But he stays focused on the Mary/Marie origin story, occasionally interjecting an "m'kay" or "okay okay" or doing some nodding. Then out of nowhere he suddenly starts coughing as a look of surprise blooms over his face. He quickly sucks down some cream soda to get everything under control, though there is some residual ruddiness to his cheeks. "Wait...wait...WAIT...did you say you have a *leopard*???"
Marie-Ange Colbert	To be fair? ...Marie can tear into a burger in a similar fashion. When she first came to America, the girl was severely underweight. Not from lack of desire for food, but lack of availability to get it. Then she was presented with the seemingly limitless refridgerator at Xavier's. ...she's still slender, but she, too, knows how to eat! The surprised coughing brings a look of concern, that stops her mid-bite of a fry.... though she quickly finishes it once it's clear that he's going to be alright. Watching in a deer-in-hehadlights fashion to try and decipher what spooked him until... "Oh! Oui!" she declares, pulling out her phone, unlocking it, swiping a few times... and then showing off a picture of herself crouched next to a snow leopard, which is wearing a collar with a leash, the handle to which is in one of Marie's hands. "His name is Spot. A friend gave him to me for my birthday and...-" This time it's her eyes that go wide. "...speaking of which! I am running late for a meeting with a large cat house! I apologize, Monsieur Freddy, but I must be going. We will speak again soon, oui? Your sister has my number!" With that said, she pushes her chair out, leans down to collect Freddy's crutch and lean it against her own, now-emptied chair. Well. More like wedge it in, really, so that it doesn't fall too easily. Then, she's collecting her burger and very quickly making her way in the direction of the door.