11007/Post Lesson Pick Me Up

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Post Lesson Pick Me Up
Date of Scene: 06 February 2020
Location: The Coffee Bean - Manhattan
Synopsis: Kara and Nick will probably regret this motivational speech
Cast of Characters: Phantasm (Drago), Ragdoll, Supergirl, Danger




Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
There are some very important lessons every college student learns in their exposure to living on their own. What restaurants don't frown upon you taking extra condiment packets, napkins, and straws; Where you can get the most amount of food with your money; And, if you can help it, avoid scheduling Friday classes.

Nick is not a college student. He may be working with a vocal coach and he maaaay have sort of promised to work with another class for some upcoming concert, but he's not a college student. But he's learned the first two of those lessons from growing up poor. That last one. Well-

He's learning that one NOW. He was expecting a nice leisurely drink after his latest coaching session but no The Coffee Bean is PACKED with college students who are not worried about classes in the morning and they are taking their time.

He almost got his beverage to go but from the view in the peripheral vision, he saw a cluster of students get up and leave, allowing access to a sofa near the window. The knit capped musician, sporting a smallish grouping of stubble gives a sigh of thanks to whichever deity is responsible for that change as he picks up his drink from the counter. THANK YOU.
Cup in hand, he moves straight that way.

Ragdoll has posed:
Ragdoll isn't entirely sure where he is. He had a rather vicious encounter with a masked sort, one of those do-goodey types who takes an exception to seeing someone choked out on the street. Even if said person asked for it by making a nasty comment under their breath about Ragdoll's unique appearance. No appreciation for aesthetic.

He's laying a little more low today, with no mask or tatterdemalion, just a grey hooded sweatshirt and track pants, the hood pulled up and the strings pulled to leave only a glimpse of his face, pale and hairless and a bit scarred, his eyes bulging slightly. Odd, yes, but not quite as horrifying as he might normally seem, even with his spider-like skinny arms and legs folded in the booth.

He doesn't make eye contact with the waitress, his voice soft as he speaks, "Coffee, please, and a pastry. Yes, a pastry, something with fruit. Strawberries or apples. No rhubarb. I despise rhubarb. It is a cruel and insouciant flavor."

Supergirl has posed:
It's been a busy time for Kara. She was on her way home from a day spent in Metropolis trying to fill some very large red boots. She had promised to stop in to see a friend in NYC and thus her presence in the city. Leaving their place, she started to head for a dark alley to take off skyward when the neon signs in the diner windows beckoned her with dark promises of chocolate silk pie.

Thus the young woman with glasses and brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, a warm jacket over a simple black sweater, jeans, heavy boots covering her feet to help against the chill winter New York weather, entered the diner and balked at the sheer amount of people.

Until she saw the sign and that decadent dessert that needed her to order it. She managed to find a chair not far from the couch where Nick landed, slipping in quietly and glancing around at all the humanity.

Danger has posed:
A hand goes up to brush hair back along her right ear, her eyes going over the people here before she walks up to the counter to order her usual drink. She hasn't had it in a long time. The drink she hasn't had in a long time by the standards of the people around her but for her, it was like mere moments ago she last tasted it. Yet, she wants to taste it again. She awaits her turna nd requests a raspberry mint latte and awaits the drink at the end of the counter. She isn't sure if she'll stay.

She looks back briefly to the crowd, looking over those here and her eyes land upon Ragdoll a moment. Her gaze scanning over him and in more ways than one it is scanning. She had stopped on him mainly because her mind told her something was wrong. And in a way it was and yet there was nothing truly wrong either. Strange.

Then she moves to look to Nick next and finally Supergirl. She tilts her head to the side and hten blinks and remembers her manners...and is also told her drink is ready so she takes it and walks over to the couch that Nick is at, "Excuse me. Do you mind if I join you? I have decided to stay and your couch is the only spot left to sit."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Oh sofa sweet sofa. Rear touching upon cushion, Nick enjoys the sprawled out feel of sitting on the sofa for a few moments before he adjusts his posture to only take up one of the cushions. Three cushions, three seats. No need to be greedy.

He took the armrest closest to where Kara sits. Ok. Maybe a little greedy. He lifts up the hot beverage to his lips, sipping his tea as he glances around.

His head turns, blue eyes focusing upon the woman speaking to him to request a share of the sofa area. He gives a smile, gesturing a free hand towards the empty cushions. "Go ahead. Plenty of room."

Ragdoll has posed:
Ragdoll gets his pastry and coffee, throwing down a few crumpled bills. His booth is relatively near the couch, cattycornered really. When Danger looks at him, he returns the gaze with a matching intensity, although he isn't scanning or doing any diagnostics. Just staring back. He scarfs a piece of pastry into his mouth, his too long fingers a little disconcerting, especially when one of them bends the wrong way at the corner of his mouth before he absent-mindedly corrects it.

"Did you see me?" he stage-whispers across at Danger. "When you looked at me? I felt it. I felt like you did," he says, although what exactly that means is hard to say, eyes darting over to Kara and Nick as well. "Are these your friends? Friends are nice. I had friends, but they weren't real friends. Just pretend."

Supergirl has posed:
"For about three more seconds," Kara comments on the plenty-of-room observation. Who knew it was party night at the Coffee Bean? Obviously she had missed her invite. And now she was scared to give up her seat to go order pie.

Thankfully the server from Ragdoll's table saw her and stopped in long enough to take her order before rushing off again.

At the question from the nearby table, she glances over to Ragdoll. No scrutiny outside of glancing. Then she looks over to Danger and Nick.

Danger has posed:
A smile is given to Nick and she takes the seat before looking over at Ragdoll, "Traditionally one does see someone when they look at them." SHe nods her head, "It is how eyes work." The way she says it is without any hint of malice or mocking. It's like she were simply stating a truth to someone who might not know it. She then looks over at Kara a momen and again to Nick before looking to Ragdoll, "I do not know either of these people on such a level as to call them friends. At best aquaintences and only extremely recent ones."

She then smiles to all three in turn, "I am Danger." She states simply enough.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Still room for one more." Nick points out to Kara in reply to the comment before taking the time to sip at his tea.

Hearing the not so quiet whisper directed at his sofa neighbor, Nick's head turns, looking over to Ragdoll, curiously. "Interesting description. But I wouldn't knock the origin of the friends if they helped at the time."

Hearing Danger's introduction, the musician glances over to the blonde. "Well, Danger, I am Nick." He offers up to the trio before glancing back to Danger, "Is Danger a stage name?"

Ragdoll has posed:
Ragdoll isn't sure how to give his name. Part of him says to say Peter, but is he really Peter anymore? Didn't he cut Peter up into itty bitty pieces and have him stitched together to become someone else. But if he says Ragdoll, some people know Ragdoll is bad, especially if they remember his father, and they might be frightened of him. That could be dangerous. But it could also be exciting. He liked fear when it wasn't his.

"I am Ragdoll," he says in that sibilant husk of his. "Danger is a good name. And Nick. Nick is a cut. I cut myself sometimes not anymore but I used to its okay I don't need any help," he says, punctuating the last with a smile that stretches the limits of his humanity, pulling at the stitches underneath the skin of his cheeks painfully so that he blushes hot through his jester's grin.

Supergirl has posed:
"I'm good here," Kara says to the offer, since her chair is right next to their couch. And caddy to the booth occupied by the fourth in their grouping. She looks to each as they make introductions. Then glances to Ragdoll. His hurried explanation he was alright now was perhaps a bit unusual but she could see why he would want people to know that was his past, not his present.

Then he smiled. That...is different. She's seen a lot in her time. She had just spent a few months in space dealing with a War involving Lanterns of the various spectrums. And still that odd was enough to make her blink in surprise. She reached up a hand to adjust her glasses.

Saved by the server! Her pie and hot chocolate were delivered and she set the cup on the small table for that purpose then balanced the pie on the arm of her chair as she offered her own name. "I'm Kara. Nice to meet you all."

Danger has posed:
"It is good to meet all of you." If the name Ragdoll bothers her she doesn't show it. She does note it in her mind though. Her mind already flipping through articles and information about a Ragdoll. She considers if this man before her is the same. Would be an odd name to take if it were not that one. Either way. She then looks to Nick and hmms, "Stage name." For jsut a brief moment she considers that and then shakes her head, "No." She states simply, "Danger is my name."

She then sips her coffee and lets out a slow breath of ease as she has seen many others do, "Very good."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick looks at Ragdoll quietly. Considering the words. Things heard before, seen before. The gaze lingers on the smile for a few moments, sipping his tea thoughtfully.

"Well. Congrats on your journey to recovery then. Sometimes life can be difficult."

He tilts his cup ever so slightly in a mock toast to the three. "Nice to meet you, Danger, Ragdoll, and Kara. This is an interesting assortment of names."

Ragdoll has posed:
There is, maybe, a little part of Ragdoll that is sad nobody's afraid of him. Fear really is just delectable. But acceptance is something he gets very rarely and so he squashes down the nasty nasty hatefulness in him, just for the moment, and that smile slips into something a little more...real.

"All names seem strange when you are strangers, but now we are not," he says. He takes a sip of his black coffee, still burning hot, but it doesn't seem to bother him as he slurps noisily. At Nick's comments, his eyes close for a moment, lashes so very long, artful, like a doll's lashes, "Thank you. I am doing ever so much better."

Supergirl has posed:
"All very interesting names." Kara has enjoyed a couple of bites of that pie which had summoned her to the diner in the first place and was now ready to talk a bit more.

"Danger makes me think of spy movies. I love movies. All kinds, not just spy ones. Ragdoll? No offense meant because it really is a good thing. That name reminds me of a toy I had a long time ago. So it brings back happy memories for me. Nick is just one of those great names anyway. Is it short for Nicholas or just Nick?" Oh dear. She's babbling. "Uhm. Yeah." She quickly picks up her cup of hot chocolate and sips, forgetting for a moment she should be more cautious with the hot liquid. "Oh ow, ow. Stupid. Slow sips." To herself, not them of course.

Danger has posed:
A blink and Danger looks to Kara, staring for a moment and then frowning and stopping herself. She really shouldn't just...scan people. It's not right. She just looks over at Nick and then to Ragdoll before she shrugs and doesn't fully grasp all of that. Must be a human thing. She sips her latte before looking to Ragdoll again and stating, "Well, I would love to stay and chat longer but I am now realizing it is nearly 7pm and I must be going." She stands up and nods, "I have enjoyed meeting each of you and look forward to perhaps seeing you again in the future. I am not sure if it will happen given the size of this city but often those who meet once do so again and again due to the eyes locking on more quickly to the familiar than the unknown." She then gives a small wave.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The cup lowers, arm resting upon his lap as Nick offers a small smile towards Ragdoll. His lashes, while full are not so long that they obscure the pale irises nor do they hide the everlasting look of tired.

The musician turns to look to Kara as she asks the question regarding his nickname. "Yes, Nicholas is my middle name."

His head turns to the blonde, giving her a nod. "Well, Danger it was interesting meeting you as well. Don't get into your name anytime soon."

Ragdoll has posed:
Ragdoll looks at Danger almost plaintively, "I am sorry that you are leaving, but I won't cry over it. I want to, but I shouldn't. The doctor said I can't spare the moisture right now. And it hurts sometimes when I do."

"I like your name, Danger and I will say hello if I see you again. Sometimes I wear a mask but I will recognize you even if you don't recognize me," he says. His legs have crossed as he hugs them, a slight creak from the tendons as he squeezes spindly legs against his hollow chest.

Supergirl has posed:
"Middle name huh? Now I'm curious what the first name is," Kara muses just as Danger gets up and makes her observation about people meeting again.

"Is that how that works? I always wondered. Nice meeting you, Danger." Kara gives her a smile then adds. "Thank you." Which may seem out of place but is a moment of appreciation since she has met Danger in the past. Only, as her blonde alter ego instead of Kara. Knowing sort of what Danger is able to do, she knows that the other woman has kept her secret.

She glances over as Ragdoll pulls his legs up to his chest, managing to not wince at the creak which is like a peal of thunder to someone with her hearing. "Are you alright? You said you are much better so I'm hoping the instructions from the doctor aren't for something serious?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
His glance shifts back over to Kara, giving a shake of the head. "It's Michael." Nick answers.

The mask comment does cause for Nick to glance back towards Rag Doll for a moment before considering the stitchwork and mention of a doctor. The creak is not the most pleasant of sounds, that's for sure. Some type of brittle bone or joint disease perhaps?

Hearing Kara's statement of concern, he gives a nod in agreement to her expression. He had assumed something else for the 'much better' comment, but there's no denying the physical inconsistencies. Yep. What she said.

Ragdoll has posed:
Ragdoll realizes he's being awkward but isn't sure what to do about it since it is what he is and so he just shrugs, "I am good for me. Others would not like to be what I am, but I am happy with what I am. Well. Happy is a strong word. I am right this way, where I was not right the way I used to be. Sometimes it hurts, but I don't mind hurting. Sometimes I like it too much," he admits, hiding his face against his knees so only his eyes show.

"But I am very healthy, by my standards. I don't even get sick. And I haven't had an infection since I had my knees done."

Supergirl has posed:
Ever had one of those moments of regretting a question? Kara just had that moment. Not because he opened up. It was more the liking pain that has her inwardly wincing at the idea. It just is a foreign concept to her, like many people. Perhaps even moreso since it takes so much to hurt her.

She thinks she does understand some of that. Sort of. "As long as you feel you have made the right choices, that's what matters. We should all be who we feel we are on the inside."

Now that gave her a moment of pause. She caught her bottom lip in her teeth for a half second then quickly went back to her pie. Because that kept her from self analysis which she did not need right now.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"There's a guy I work with from time to time who has a way with words." Nick muses, "That way being quick and to the point. One thing he says just popped in my mind which I think applies."

He leans back in his seat. "You, Be You. Not someone else. Just you."

Ragdoll has posed:
Ragdoll bites his bottom lip, chewing it a little bit. Not quite bloody. Sometimes he does that and it runs down his chin and he forgets to wipe it and he ends up with this pink stain on his pale wax paper skin and people think he's a vampire. Sometimes he likes that, too.

But these people are nice and he doesn't even want to scare them.

"I'm me. Most of the time. I used to want to be my father. I wanted to be him so much because he wanted me to be him so much. And a lot of me is like him, an awful lot, the most awful parts, but we are not the same. I'm sure he still hates me, if he's not dead. He might be. I couldn't be sure," he sighs.

He finishes off his coffee with a long, hard gulp. It's cool now. "I should have had sugar."

Supergirl has posed:
At Nick's words, Kara has to nod. She waves her hand a little his direction as if to say that was exactly what she meant. "Your friend has a much better way with words," she says to be sure the hand flapping was understood.

Finishing off the pie, she sets the plate down and picks up her cup, sipping her much better hot chocolate since it isn't the heat level of molten lava.

"I think on some level a lot of us have tried to be someone we aren't. Be it a parent. A sibling." She sets her cup down, focused on it. "A cousin." She lifts her gaze again, focusing on each of them in turn. "We can only do as much as we can. Our best. Now as for your father and the awful parts? I can't answer that, of course. I didn't know him and obviously we've just met. Just know that just because someone related to you was bad doesn't mean you are. Focus on your positive traits. On the good. That will guide you through even the roughest times."

If she weren't Kryptonian, she probably would be a good candidate for a blue ring of Hope from the Lanterns. Always the positive side, always a silver lining to any clouds. Perhaps a tad naive in today's world.

"I probably should get going. It's getting late and don't want my parents worrying. It was very nice meeting you both."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick looks between Kara and Ragdoll as they talk of trying to be like relatives. But the part about the father hating Ragdoll just sticks with him. He shakes his head in disagreement as Kara mentions not being able to judge. "Based from what you supplied, your father sounds like an asshole if all he's wanting from his son is some clone of himself."

Nick's phone starts to ring. A custom ringtone which would be pretty nice but it's an older custom ringtone. The musician sighs, "Speaking of assholes...I got to take this."

Getting up from the sofa and shifting the cup over to the other hand, Nick shakes his head as he fishes out an extremely old Nokia with a smushed screen. He glances down, pressing down on the plasticy answer call button before bringing it to his ear, shuffling away from the sofa.

"Hey Wade-"