10092/Malls Are Still Relevant in 2027

Malls Are Still Relevant in 2027
Date of Scene:	18 November 2019
Location:	Queens Center Mall, Jackson Heights
Synopsis:	Rogue and Drake Riley meet each other in a Mall in Queens and chat!
Cast of Characters:	Rogue, Volt

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Rogue has posed:
Rogue had come to Queens for a specific reason, she'd needed to meet with a friend who worked at the mall in Jackson Heights. He was a manager at the local Boot Barn store, and he had some information for her and an order to pick up... she's a country girl she wanted a new pair of boots and hey... he gives her a discount.

The young 20-year old mutant, former Avenger, current X-Men and college student working on her Teaching Degree, walks through the mall with a Boot Barn bag at her side. Wearing a dark charcoal colored Navy peacoat, a wool knit hat of a dark maroon hue pulled down over her hair which is wild... laying around her shoulders in two-tones of dark brown and pure snow white locks that frame her face. A dark red shirt is worn beneath the coat, jeans and a pair of black leather boots that go up to her knees complete her outfit - though she has some gloves on her hands too.

With a light and casual step to her walking, she glances down at her phone in her hand, then looks up to avoid bumping into other people in the mall... Rogue is one to try to avoid bumping into folks after all. She gives a grin to a guy who smiles at her, but otherwise keeps on walking... just another mall customer, who kinda stands out thought for a number of reasons.

Volt has posed:
It's so weird. Beyond weird, even. It's been like a year since Drake Riley has been known or even really seen as Drake Riley. It's been a long time since he's even worn regular clothing; threads that didn't make him look like a street punk. And what he's found is that his old clothing fits just a /smidge/ differently on him. He's been much more physically active over the last year. He hadn't even noticed the change. But it does highlight something significant: he needs new clothes.

The teen is making his way through the mall counter to Rogue, hands stuffed into his pockets and carrying the residual weight of someone ducking scrutiny on his shoulders. Head ducked a little, elbows tucked, a minimized presence. He has no bags hanging off his person at this time. He hasn't gotten that far into his ventures yet. But he is distracted by a clothing outlet up ahead.

He manages to glance over just in time to catch Rogue smiling at a guy, and he skirts to avoid bumping. "Sorry," he offers immediately, despite no collision. And then: "Nice boots."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue is stopping not far from where Drake is to look inside the window of a store and just do a bit of gawking at the items within said store when she hears his compliment to her boots and it makes her look over to him, then quickly down for a second or so before she looks back up at Drake's face and she offers him a big grin. "Thanks." She says back at him. Her green eyed gaze goes over his attire quickly before she holds her grin and nods once toward him.

"You look very... anti-social?" She asks, and he might pick up on her deep southern accent already on her uniquely husky-toned voice. "You're goin' for that rebel without a cause look, huh?" She asks, still grinning with amusement, as she just seems to be in a good mood all around.

"I dig it. Though ya probably got Mall Security eyeballin' ya on all the cameras now." Her green eyes glance upward for a moment as if to indicate the 'eyes in the sky' of the Mall Cops.

Volt has posed:
"I.. do?," asks a genuinely perplexed Drake. He looks back down over himself. Tanktop - unseasonal, for sure, but to Hell with that hoodie he'd been wearing. White button-up shirt worn open. Black slacks. Sneakers. The confusion hasn't dissipated when he looks back up to her face. He thought he was dressed pretty nice. Sure, it might be a little more of a '90s nod, but...

"Hopefully not," frowns the teen. That's the last thing he needs. "But I guess it's a good thing that I came here to find clothes. Am I just really, really behind on fashion?"

Rogue has posed:
Rogue has turned back to the store window in front of her so she could lean forward and aim her phone at the window to snap a picture of a little shiny statue of a purple dragon coiled around a tinier castle on a rocky mountain base. She snaps the picture and then straightens up again as she listens to Drake's response, while she grins and sends the pic off to Kitty.

Rogue's gaze goes back over to Drake then and she holds a slight smile toward him. "Nah, its not bad, its just kinda niche, ya know? Like... you look like a guitarist for an underground grunge band thats still tryin' t'make it in the New York scene." She's teasing the stranger, just cause she's got a sassy personality like that and teases pretty much everyone.

"Its not bad, but, yeah... ya doin' some shoppin' t'day, Mystery Man?" She asks him then.

Volt has posed:
Drake Riley has no idea she's giving him the business. He's not worn normal-people clothes in so long! He looks back down at himself, attempting to reconcile this information with his own sensibilities. Grunge? Struggling guitarist? Holy crap. Maybe he should stick to the hoody.

Looking back up to her, exasperated, he says, "I don't think I have much choice!" A hand lifts to run through his hair, ruffling those bangs. "The name's-"

He actually pauses. He almost said Volt. He blinks, retracks his brain, and tries again: "-Drake."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue has to softly laugh as she hears his name, she can't stop herself. As she looks at him she has to shake her head too, her white bangs flowing in waves around either sides of her face. "Sorry. I know a Drake... two of them actually, though one in particular is a giant goofus, so it just... it just struck a chord." She then grins at him again.

"You don't look bad, don't mistake what I'm sayin'. I'm just messin' with ya a bit. I'm told its a 'defense mechanism' or a way for me t'keep people 'at a distance' but those that are way smarter than I am." She then lightly shakes her head side to side and laughs softly again. "I think they're full'a shit though. I just like havin' fun."

With a light exhale then, Rogue glances down at her phone then back up at him. "I'm Marie, by the way. Though most folks call me Rogue... weird, I know, but it is what it is. We live in a weird world, Mistah Drake."

Volt has posed:
Drake Riley tilts his head slightly to the side. "Too darn many Drakes," he laments. His frame sags, then reaches out to lightly swat-nudge at her shoulder. Whether or not that connects is a question for her reflexes! "Punk!," he accuses, though humored. "You had me really thinking my fashion sense is completely backwards! Pft. 'Rogue'. Obviously that'd be what people call you."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue has her navy peacoat on still so she's easily given a light backhand to her ahoulder, in fact no skin on her showing at all right now save for her face and neck, both of which have her wealth of brown and white hair to conceal that up pretty good too, and her wool knit cap is still on her head holding her hair down and in place. She might look a little overly bundled up in fact, if it weren't winter and quite cold outside.

"Yeah... yeah." She says with a slight smile. "If a name suits a girl, then it suits her after all." She says in a sassy southern sort've way. "And I think mine suits me like a glove." She lifts her right hand up and wiggles her fingers lightly within it, playfully no less.

"So you shoppin' for the same style then, Mistah Drake? Or you gonna try somethin' new?" She nods over his left shoulder toward a men's suit store with windows of male mannequins in fancy suits beneath spot lighting.

Volt has posed:
"And maybe a little geeky and D'n'D," Drake teases. "Or, alternatively? Piratey. Like that pirate chick from Shantae." Does anyone know what Shantae is anymore? Is he even remembering it right?

Whatever!

Drake turns at the shoulders, more relaxed now that he knows he /doesn't/ look like a hooligan. But the store she's indicating is one of class, sophistication, and lawyers. He looks back to Rogue with a sheepish smile. "Maybe something a little more casual. That back there might be a /smidge/ over my price margins right now." He then perks an eyebrow at her with a coyly playful smile, thumbs hooking his pockets. "Why? Think I'd look good in a suit?"

Rogue has posed:
Rogue's eyes drop down to her phone when she gets a text message, but she just puts her phone away so as not to be rude... which is tough for young adults her age who've grown up with these things basically attached to their hands now. But, she has manners when she wants to, like a good southern belle should.

A smirk is shown to Drake then. "Maybe." She answers his last question there firstly. "My mother always said that every man needs at least one suit in his wardrobe before he can actually be considered a 'man' at all." This gets another grin from said Belle as she says that with just a hint of tease. "Course, my father always just laughed that off and said he preferred flip flops'n tye-dye tshirts... How they ever where a couple t'begin with is beyond me."

She shakes her head then and sighs just a little dramatically. "So you're lookin' for dungeons and dragons casual... gamer stuff? I think they got a store for that on the first floor down below us." She pauses and adds then. "Shiq is Geek, is the name, I think. Which is horribly wonderful as far as names go."

Volt has posed:
Sometimes not actually having a cellphone is a benefit. It's not often. But it's keeping him from falling into the typical young adult trope. As to her musings on her parents? "Opposites, and all that," Drake offers airily. But her interpretation of his earlier jab gets a nosecrinkle. "Yeah, no. That's not what I'm looking for. I was saying you going by Rogue has that-.." He trails. Explaining a joke kills it even more dead than the joke simply missing. He shakes his head quickly. "Nevermind."

His right hand raises in a middling shrug, "I'm just on the market for normal clothes. Expand the wardrobe, y'know?"

Rogue has posed:
Rogue catches up to his meaning on her name, it gets a light laugh from her. "Oh, right... I get it. 'Rogues do it from behind'." She laughs a little more. "I don't ever play that kinda stuff, but I live'n work at a school, so I'm around a lotta kids who do. I'm actually gonna be a teacher someday, so I gotta stay up on whats hip'n'cool so they respect me as much as possible when I'm handin' out homework assignments'n such. I don't know, maybe they'll hate me no matter what. Either way, I'll have my fun one way or anothe'ah."

Rogue's hands dip into her coat's pockets then and she nods once at him. "Plenty'a normal clothin' stores around here." She glances down at the back still hooked around her wrist. "I got me some new cowgirl boots, gonna wearin' t'a thing this weekend." She looks back up at hi then. "You goin' t'school around here, I take it?"

Volt has posed:
"I didn't even think of /that/ one," Drake mentions, eyes widened a little. All he was doing is calling her a nerd in a roundabout way! But he rolls right along, snickering when she mentions her life plans. "Yeah, no, may as well lean into it. They're gonna hate the homework either way. But you'll probably have more'n a few students crushing on ya. Good luck with that."

His hand raises again, this time to run through his hair. "Nah. I'm finished with school. Right now, I'm just trying to figure out what I'm doing with myself. It's been a blurr, so... a little time to slow down and figure it all out is gonna be good." Of course, he isn't actually talking about academics. He has way too much on his plate already with trying to figure out this new angle with the Titans - of it it'll even continue to be a thing. "What's the thing you're going to? Is there a Cotton-Eyed Joe's around here or something?"

Rogue has posed:
Rogue just grins at his initial response to her before she shakes her head at the crushing part. "That, I'm used to." She states a bit arrogantly, but all in good fun. "Breakin' hearts left'n right is my thing, ya know?" She lets her bravado down a little though there-after, just offering a little soft smile before she nods once again at his store question.

"They got one'a those, yeah. Its just around the corner there, down the hall where they're settin' up for the Mall Santa's little workshop stuff for Black Friday."

Her eyes glance then to the side where a group of people pass them by, she lingers her gaze on them for a second before looking back to Drake. "Just make sure ya figure it out pretty quick. The Professah... well... the man who runs the school I live at, he says that if ya lollygag in the present, then you'll miss out on your future. Or somethin' like that... He says a lotta stuff."

Rogue grins again, just a bit before she glances back at the store with the purple dragon statue. "Well, don't let me keep ya from your shoppin'. I'm thinkin' I might be buyin' this ridiculous nerdy statue for a friend'a mine." She looks back at him then. "And not because I'm a secret DnD superfan with a nerdy name. I swears it."

Volt has posed:
The professor? At the school she lives and studies in? Boy, if that doesn't sound /very/ familiar. His gaze zeroes in on that white bit of hair she's rocking, then slowly lowers back to her face; 'Rogue'. "I might actually know who you're talking about," he mentions. His tone is on the guarded side, but it quickly alleviates into wry perk. "And the lady doth protest too much," he teases, insinuating she is indeed a total nerd.

He relents! Drake takes a step back from her and nods. "I wouldn't wanna distract too much from your obviously not geeky and not for-yourself statue purchase! Heartbreakers have a reputation to keep and all!"

Rogue has posed:
The chiding of her just gets a grin from her as she reaches her right hand up to pull her wool cap off of her head, which makes her brown and white locks frizz up a bit before she stuffs the cap into her jacket, then raises her hand up to run it over her hair, smoothing it out some, its a very unusual style and if he looks that deeply he'll see its natural at her roots, and not dyed.

"I got a friend back at the school... she's... she's really inta dragons. Purple ones, specifically." She motions to the ornate statue, its probably really expensive based on its size and detail though.

She then tilts her head at Drake. "Yeah?" She asks. "Professah Xavier?" She states his name. "Outta Westchester up north'a here?"

Volt has posed:
"Suuure, suuure," drawls Drake. He has no reason to doubt her. Just a cloying, teasing, and disingenuous distrust.

The more interesting thing is that she just comes right out and asks about the Professor. Drake is hesitant for a moment, then nods. "Yeah. That's the one. Used to live there, too," he mentions. "Little over a year ago, I guess. Hard to say for sure," after feeling run out and left to live on the street. "Seemed like a busy place. Lots going on." His hands stuff into his pockets a little more firmly.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue now gets a whole new picture of Drake before her, he's a mutant then, and used to go to Xavier's. This makes her turn then to face him fully again now, leaving the store with the fancy dragon statue on her left side now. "Ah, you were at Xavier's?" She affirms. "I wasn't there a year ago... I was livin' at the Avengers place in Manhattan an' goin' t'school at NYU. I'd graduated Highschool at Xavier's, but I moved on shortly there-after... but, I dunno, guess I got homesick for the place so I decided t'go back. They also started doin' college courses, so that helped motivate me t'go back there. Such a beautiful place, t'me anyway."

There's a slight grin then.

"You with family now then?" She asks him, apparently full of questions, this one is.

Volt has posed:
The relaxed and jokey demeanor has taken a bit of a hit with this topic. Drake's expression has sobered up, leaving his smile more faint; defensive. "Yeah. Glad you did fine there," he says. The Avengers, huh? Really? So then...," he trails as he squints at her, studying her more closely. He doesn't recognize her. He doesn't know every superhero, either. The fact that she's not in anything like a costume probably isn't helping. "..huh." It's a simple conclusion, but one that isn't trying to out her or anything. Just an acceptance of what's been stated.

"No. My family's in California. After kicking me out, I came out here to find people I could belong with." She's given a knowing look. "Turns out, they weren't it."

Rogue has posed:
"I'm not with the Avengers anymore." Rogue says back to him then, to clarify since it seemed like he was confused by it. "They pay great, but I didn't lime the limelight that comes with it. Its a little too much exposure, too much celebrity stuff. Public events'n such. Felt overwhelmin' for me. Especially considerin' my mutation." Whatever that vagueness means.

Rogue then tips her chin up some as she stares at him with her pale green gaze. "I thought I heard Cali in your accent." She states then with a light hearted grin again. "I spent some time out there awhile back..." Back around the time she sucked the life force out of Carol Danvers and tossed her off of the Golden Gate Bridge...

"There's a lotta good folks at Xavier's, but its kind've a strict place, I imagine that alone might not be for everyone. Sorry it wasn't for you though, Mistah Drake, would nice t'have some more cool people around there. Rather than all us dragon lovin' nerds." She grins again and glances to the statue inside the store once more.

Volt has posed:
"And not a single beach in all New York that measures up," Drake asserts. It's an attempt at a joke, but the topic of the Xavier Institute just saps his spirit. Perhaps even a little moreso with what she says after.

"That wasn't it. Rules can suck, but that wasn't the issue. The issue was more the faculty. And the way they were treating students." He pauses, then shakes his head. "I'm not trying to cause issues. You graduated there. I'll shut up about it. I'll just say I saw things I /really/ disagreed with, and I hope things've changed over the past year from how they were."

He ducks his head slightly and glances to either side. "Not really something to be talking about out in the open, though, maybe. So, uh... you wanna hang sometime? We can do that. Just, I don't wanna be a downer."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue shows a light grin to him about the beaches. "Yeah, they don't stack up here, thats a fact for sure. Though we still have our fun in the summer months..." Her grin lingers a bit longer before he shifts back to the subject of the school and she gently nods her head to him. Her left hand comes up to stroke her white bangs out of her face on the left side then she drops her hand back down to her side.

"I get it, not everythin' is for everyone." More people saunter past... it is the Christmas shopping season after all and Rogue looks back to him to smile softly. "You're right, its probably not. Here-"

She raises her phone up then and prepares to send him her number, assuming he has a phone of his own... "I'll shoot you a text so you'll have my number. Maybe we could even talk t'Jean Grey sometime, hash out your issues with the place if you'd still be interested? She's the Principal, even if Xavier is the owner'n all."

Volt has posed:
Drake Riley spots the phone, and a self-conscious frown appears on his face. "Ah.. I don't.. have one of those anymore. It's on my to-do list." For another day. When he has a little more money. Going from homeless to a tentative dwelling amidst other supers is good, but not lucrative. It'll take some time to get things straightened out, and it's not like he's been given an allowance. What he has on him is it.

"I feel like she'd probably get mad at me with some of the things I'd have to say about the way things were being done. Or I'd get blamed for'em. I dunno, it was so...," extremely bizarre it defied his logic, "...weird."

Rogue has posed:
When he says he doesn't have a phone, Rogue realizes he might be worse off than she'd thought and it reminds her of where she was before she arrived at Xavier's... living on the streets.

"Ah, cool, no problem." As he goes on to talk a bit more she's reaching into her pocket to replace her phone with some papers she had on her, an envelope in fact that she'd taken from home but didn't end up needing. "Here." She writes her number down with a lipstick tube and then grins at him as she hands it over to him. "Not the first time I've done that, probably won't be the last." She slips the lipstick back into her coat pocket and then just nods a single time to him.

"There's a wide variety'a mutants at that school." She glances around them, there's a lull in the foot traffic right now. "Place can get pretty weird, totally so, I mean sometimes I wonder why _I_ am even livin' there still... but, hey, its the good ones that keep me around. Gotta help'em out, with my certain brand'a skills."

Rogue then nods to the envelope with her number on. "Call me up sometime, we can meet for some coffee or somethin', chat about it. Maybe I'll appraise your new duds too." She states with a light smile again.

Volt has posed:
Drake Riley watches the application of lipstick with some bemused wonder. "Oh, and here I was about to feel special," he chides. But he takes it from her and folds it as delicately as he can manage before pocketing it. If it gets all smudgy, it's basically useless. "Ohhh, I know. I was there for a bit. Saw my fair share."

He takes a second to just inhale, then exhale the negativity. There's plenty of it to go around on that topic.

"Anyhoo, I'll ring you up when I can. Not sure I trust ya on the clothes appraising, though." He glances back down at himself indicatively, then back to her with a suspicious squint. "I'm dressed like the most conservative guy from any '90s movie, and ya called me grunge." He squints a little more. "...Maybe I'll have a mohawk next time and see what way you take it."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue leans over on the frame of the door into the store with the purple dragon statuge and she just grins softly at the slightly younger one before her. "Hey, the 90s were like six hundred years ago... all I know about it is what I learned from Netflix re-runs and... ya know, other means." People she absorbed.

A nod is given to him then and Rogue moves once more to step toward the store. "All right, MIstah." She says. "Well good luck on your shoppin' trip an' I look forward t'hearin' more about the tale'a Drake. This New Drake. -The- New Drake." She grins again before heading inside the store to buy that dragon for Kitty. "There's so many of you out there, its hard t'keep up!"

Volt has posed:
"Good fashion's timeless!," Drake chirps.

He starts to turn, only to smirk impishly back at her. "The /best/ Drake," he insists before continuing on his way. He has no idea how expensive new clothes will even be, or if he can afford it. This trip could really just boil down to trying to be normal again in public. If it is, that's alright too.