11920/Old Acquaintances

Old Acquaintances
Date of Scene:	05 August 2020
Location:	Greenwich Village, Manhattan
Synopsis:	Tyler runs into Andrea for the first time in years. Then he gets to meet her beau!
Cast of Characters:	Twitch, Rage, Icarus

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Twitch has posed:
It's a bright, sunny day. Perfect for taking a walk through the Village. There are numerous folks out and about living their lives. Some are dropping into cafes or eateries, others heading to their homes or places of employment. Some may even just be out for a stroll.

It's the latter that brings Tyler out. Just exploring a neighborhood he rarely enters for the purposes of better understanding the environment should he have to navigate it in a hurry. He's dressed casually, wearing a plain black t-shirt, jeans and black boots. Nothing to stand out of the ordinary. His head twitches slightly as he looks over his surroundings, enough that anyone looking at him would note the reflexive action, but not so much as to draw a lot of attention. As he passes a news stand he slows down to take a look at the papers and magazines for sale, perhaps catching up on the happenings in the world today.

Rage has posed:
After heading out of the lobby of her home, Andrea is making her way down the sidewalk towards the storefronts. At times someone will call out her name and wave, in which she will return the gesture, or pause for a selfie. With her third album having launched her into super stardom, she is a familiar face and is feeling the love. Even if she -is- a mutant popstar. Dressed in a swishy sundress which hits at the knees and a black purse over her shoulder, she wears a pair of new shades upon her head.

As she pauses by one of the stores, she looks through the window to see the mannequins set up with new outfits that have been put out for the summer. She sways back and forth a bit to the music in her hears from a pair of AirPods, listening to some current pop music.

Twitch has posed:
Turning away from the display of publications, Tyler resumes his stroll down the street. When he hears someone call out Andrea's name his head twitches in that direction, then he searches for where the person yelling out is looking. When he spots his old friend he slows down for a few steps, pressing his lips tightly together thoughtfully.

His thumbs hook in his pockets and he looks to see what Andrea's checking out. The clothing store is briefly scanned, but ultimately ignored in favor of looking over the person he used to know. Not realizing it, he's stopped moving down the sidewalk, until someone nearly walks into him. Tyler jerks slightly at the near impact and steps away smoothly before stepping out of the way of foot traffic.

Rage has posed:
After a few moments of admiring the clothes, Andrea turns and starts back down the sidewalk. She pulls her shades down over her eyes, swaying a bit from left to right as she walks. She dodges people easily on the sidewalk as she goes. As she passes Tyler, she doesn't even glance his way. She's in the zone so to speak and it's been nearly three years. Does she even remember him? He'll catch the scent of her body wash, an expensive strawberry and vanilla blend that she has always fancied.

As she pauses at the corner of an intersection, she reaches and taps the button for the light, waiting as she bobs a bit in time with the music. Her lips move along with the lyrics, one hand swaying in the air in front of her.

Twitch has posed:
Did she not notice him? Tyler asks himself as Andrea passes him by. Entirely possible, he is a ninja now, after all.

Still, his curiosity is piqued by the close encounter and he decides to see if she'll recognize him if given another opportunity. He moves towards the same intersection as her so that he can stand next to her, just a bit away so as not to loom.

Rage has posed:
As she sways side to side, Andrea is immersed in whatever it is that she is listening to. Perhaps a keen ear can pierce through the sounds of the city to catch what appears to be one of Mason's older songs. She always was his number one fan. Perhaps an earlier phone call to him triggered her desire to listen to some of his music again. Either way, she still knows every word to every song.

As she waits for the light to change, she feels the presence of someone stepping up next to her on the sidewalk. She gives a casual glance over, then tilts her head a bit as she studies him. She pushes up her glasses with her finger. ".. Tyler?"

Twitch has posed:
"Hey Andrea," Tyler replies, a smile pulling up on the corner of his mouth before his head twitches a little bit. His thumbs unhook from his pockets and his hands rest down at his sides casually. "Long time, no see."

With a lift of his chin he goes on, "I didn't think I'd ever see you again after I took off from home, but it's surprisingly nice to run into you again."

Rage has posed:
Pushing her sunglasses up to the top of her head, Andrea stares at him with something between a frown and a concern. "Yeah, it's been awhile. What the hell, man? Why did you leave for? Are you okay?" She asks as she rubs the side of her head, revealing the scar just below her ear. A memory flickers.

"We were worried about you and we couldn't find you. It scared the heck out of us. No one even heard from you." She gives a small 'sniff' at the air as she steps in closer to him, then reaches out to jab him hard in the chest. "Are you real or are you in my head?"

Twitch has posed:
"I had some safety concerns, I guess you could say," Tyler offers a half assed explanation and gives a shrug. "I didn't want people getting hurt if I was around so I decided to just disappear one day and hope everything worked out for them. I'm fine now, got everything under control."

He lets out a deep sigh and twitches again ever so slightly, "It was hard to just go away, but I'm okay now." As he's struck in the chest he moves with it slightly, but doesn't react much to the strike. "I'm here and I'm real. I apologize for making you worry, but I wanted to protect my family and friends."

Rage has posed:
"Oh. Okay. I'm sorry to hear that. You should have said something to me. I had friends that probably could have helped. You know I got a security team as well. If someone was trying to hurt you or your family, Mason and I would have done anything to keep you safe." Andrea assures him. "I talked to him earlier today. He's doing okay. We're both in college now. I'm at NYU and he's at Julliard. We don't really speak much these days but I try to keep in touch." She does. Not him.

"So, what happened? Why did you just ghost me for?"

Twitch has posed:
"I just didn't want anyone else getting involved. I was worried about everybody's safety and figured it was best if I just disappeared for a while," Tyler replies thoughtfully. "I just kinda started living on the street with a bunch of other kids. It wasn't that bad, ate pretty regularly, practiced free running a lot. Just kind of avoided any entanglements with the law or anything like that." He shrugs. "It's good you're still talking to Mason and that he's doing alright. He's a good good guy."

Rage has posed:
"Eh. He's .. okay." Andrea says in regards to Mason, her shoulders lifting upwards. "We broke up awhile ago. Maybe a year now. I'm dating someone else. We just moved in together. So, it's been pretty chill. We go to college together. Graduated from high school together."

Giving a look about the street, the light changes and she starts across. "So, you are okay now, right? Where are you living at? If you're on the streets, I'm getting you off it. I can contact my charity through Starlight and we can get you a place. We'll set you up with a job also. Mutants look after each other, or we should, you know? We're family."

Twitch has posed:
"I'm glad to hear that you're happy and that you're in school still," Tyler says with a smile and the slightest of twitches. "I heard that you've got a new album, too. I heard the big single the other day, it's really good."

Walking next to her he nods his head a few times, "I'm fine. Staying with some friends now, so I've got a safe place to crash." A little chuckle escapes, "I've kinda got a job, too. Got enough money to live off of and have a little extra for fun stuff."

Rage has posed:
"You're staying with some friends? Like, in a house, or on the curb?" Andrea asks as she gives a glance over to him as she pulls her shades down upon her nose once they reach the street. She pauses at another store to look inside the window. "You heard my song, huh? I'm glad you like it. The rest of my album is really moody and dark, so I wanted my first single to be a real club popper. Something to get the body moving and think of joy."

Twitch has posed:
"I'm not out on the street," laughs Tyler. "Got a bed and everything." As she looks into the store he does, too, checking out what's for sale. As likely as not he couldn't afford it even if he was interested. "It's good to see you again, though. It's been years since I've seen anybody I knew back when I still lived with my folks."

Rage has posed:
"Got a bed and everything, huh? Like, at a homeless shelter or .. an apartment? Because that is totally different and not even close to being the same." Andrea says as she glances over at him once she peels away from the store, moving down the sidewalk to the next. "Do you need anything by the way while we're out shopping? Do you even have a job?"

Twitch has posed:
"Almost like a co-op," explains Tyler. "We all help provide for each other. It's pretty cool." The young man grows thoughtful for a while after her later questions, "I'm good for stuff. I don't need a lot to get by any more." Then he nods, "I make money when I need to."

Rage has posed:
"Yeah? How do you make money?" Andrea asks point blank as she turns to face him. She gives another sniff of the air, letting her arms wobble a bit back and forth in front of her in an easy sway. Seems like she is ton of questions. There is definitely an air about her. More 'Alpha' than the last time they met.

Twitch has posed:
"Stealing, a lot of the time," Tyler confesses with a wince and a twitch. He doesn't seem afraid or intimidated, though, more embarrassed. "Odd jobs I find on Craigslist and stuff like that. Stuff you don't need a social security number for."

Rage has posed:
"So .. why don't you just get a job? I can hire you. I /tried/ to hire you an assistant once. I can get you an internship at my label. Can do sound check stuff, snag coffee. But it would be legit. What's the issue with your social?" Andrea asks as her brows raise upwards some, sliding her arms over her chest. "If you get caught by the cops, I think that's a bigger worry than you filling out applications. What did you get involved in?"

Twitch has posed:
"I don't know if I want a normal job," Tyler explains. "I might take you up on that if I change my mind, though. I like being independent of all that stuff, being able to do what I want to when I want to without having to meet a schedule." His shoulders shrug as he twitches a bit, "I'm just... I just got in with the wrong crowd. I didn't think there was any way to get me and my folks out without us having to leave the country or for me to disappear for a while. So I disappeared. Things seem like they're all better now so I can go back to being a regular guy when I want to. I just don't want to any more,I guess."

Rage has posed:
"A normal job will keep you out of normal jail." Andrea says with a furrow of her brow. She lets out a low sigh as she thinks for a moment, then gives a shake of her head. "But, if you're fine, I guess you're fine. What else have you been up to by the way? Besides being obviously homeless and stealing from people and hiding from some unknown situation you won't tell me about." She huffs out wolfishly in an annoyed tone.

Twitch has posed:
Andrea's way of speaking gets a chuckle out of Tyler who shrugs his shoulders, "Getting super good at free running. Started playing basketball for money sometimes, but I don't want to hustle people too often. I kept up my martial arts practice with some folks I met. Thinking about going back to beating up muggers and stuff."

Rage has posed:
"You, be a superhero? I dunno. Think you can even take /me/ in a fight?" Andrea says with a flutter of her eyes at him, giving him a bit of a teasing grin. "If you can't take a popstar in a fight, you'd probably have a hard time with petty thieves who snatch purses or steal baseball cards from the dollar store." She pauses before another store front, taking a look inside, then reaches for the door. "Come on, help me pick out a new dress for a summer barbeque."

Twitch has posed:
"You are quite fearsome," Tyler tells Andrea with a wink. "I think it'd be good for me to get back out there, though, put some good back into the world." As she grabs the door to pull it open he reaches to hold it so they can get through. "I'll help you find something nice. Don't know how stylish I am, but I think we'll be able to put something together."

Rage has posed:
"You only know how fierce I am on the stage." Andrea calls over her shoulder to him with an amused grin. She starts picking through the racks of clothing, fishing through one dress after the other. Most of them have bright colors. "So, what kinda dress are you thinking?" She asks as she plucks out a blue dress with white swirls, then lobs it over her arm, then starts to root through another.

Twitch has posed:
"For you or for me?" Tyler replies when asked about what kind of dress. He laughs lightly at his little joke. "Because I'd look good in black, I bet." He'll point out an orange dress with white flowers on it, "That one looks nice. I think the orange will look good with your hair." Definitely not an expert on fashion, but at least he's trying hard. Then he spots another one, "Green might be good, too. And its got parrots on it! Or, maybe not the parrot one."

Rage has posed:
"For you, obviously. You got the legs for it." Andrea says as she plucks out another dress, this one that's white with a floral pattern upon it, as well as a price tag that is most people's mortgage payments. As he points out the orange dress, she stares at it for a moment, then gives him a 'look'. "Okay, nevermind, you'll just carry them instead. You're off picking out duty." She hands him the two dresses, then goes back down the aisle again. "Are you doing drugs by the way?" That's out of no where. "Real question by the way. I wasn't being sarcastic."

Twitch has posed:
Taking the dresses Andrea hands him, Tyler laughs a little bit, "Hey, I do work out all the time. My legs are toned and shapely." He doesn't seem to mind acting in the capacity of clothing mule. "No drugs for me. For real, I'm still too much of an athlete to even smoke pot." He's quiet for a second, "Plus, they cost money I'd rather spend on eating and keeping a roof over my head."

Icarus has posed:
<Did you still want to meet up? I finished up at the club.> Not working. This wasn't his brother's club either. Jay had been working on getting a gig at a new place.

He was currently leaning against the wall outside the club he'd been at. It was only a about a block past where they were shopping.

Rage has posed:
"You said you were stealing from people. You can steal drugs if you can't afford them." Andrea picks out another dress and flops it over his arms, then moves on down the line again. There is no way she is grabbing a dress with parrots on it. "So, you live in a co-op situation, stealing from people so that you can afford food and you want to go fight bad guys." She says as she looks over her shoulder at him, brow raising. As her phone dings, she takes it out of her purse, then taps along it in return.

<< At Stephanie's Boutique with a friend. Come join us. >> Thus, she is down the street from their home.

Twitch has posed:
"I suppose I just don't want to get involved with drugs in any way," Tyler says thoughtfully as he uses his spare arm to make sure that the dresses don't slide off of his limb. "Except maybe by turning dealers into the cops, I guess." At the raised brow he nods his head, "Yeah. I got kind of a complicated life, I guess. Somewhat hypocritical, but I mostly want to focus on stopping people that would hurt others to get what they want. Not just rip off stores when they're closed or whatever."

Icarus has posed:
<On the way.> And with that Jay tucks his phone back in his pocket. He'd have to pass the Boutique to get home anyway. Two birds, one stone.

He was humming softly to himself as he worked his way there. It was one of Andrea's tracks from her newest album.

Rage has posed:
"Weed is kinda legal by the way in every state, I'm sure. You don't got the coke user vibe about you." Andrea says as she glances over her shoulder at him. "So, you claim you're trying to lay low to protect your friends and family, buuuut... you want to go fight bad guys which would kinda put you in the spotlight. That's sorta weird. You got more holes in your story than swiss cheese."

She pauses to glane down at her phone, then tucks it into her purse again as she starts for the dressing rooms. She gives him a wry grin. "I have been incredibly worried about you for the last two years. I'm worrying even more now."

Twitch has posed:
"Weed's still a drug," Tyler says with a nod. "So is alcohol. I don't mess with either." Bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet he says, "Got to stay fit and healthy, after all." Then he takes a deep, thoughtful breath, frowning, "That's what costumes are for. If people don't know who Spider-Man is and he's been doing his thing for years then I'm not particularly worried about getting found out. Plus, I don't worry about my new friends like I do my family. I don't have any legal connection to them or anything so even if I get caught by the cops they're not going to get found out, chances are." The frown stays in place, "I'm sorry to worry you, though."

Icarus has posed:
There is a little tone that announces the door to the shop being opened. It allows the workers to greet incoming customers--and make sure they watch them so they don't steal things. Not that this is usually a problem here. Yet, it was still a measure used.

Jay was not wearing something that came from this shop. Jeans and a tank top. He did have an image inducer in use for the moment, to keep his wings hidden from view. He paused just inside, letting his eyes adjust to the change in light. Then he spotted Andrea just as a worker approached him. "No, Ma'am. I'm good. Just meeting her." He motions toward where Andrea and Tyler are then heads over to join them. Andrea is greeted with a brief hug and kiss then he glances to Tyler with a smile.

Rage has posed:
"You didn't have any legal connections to Mason and I either." Andrea points out. "And we're crazy rich and can afford the best of protection. So, what kind of trouble did you get into? I'm still curious as to why you're keeping me in the dark about that." Flagging down a worker, she lets her know she will use the dressing room. That is until she spies Jay.

Her smile brightens. "There is my boyfriend." She says to Tyler as she steps in to wrap her arms about Jay, giving him a kiss in return before she leans back. "Jay, this is Tyler. He is a friend of mine and Mason's."

Twitch has posed:
The newcomer gets a lifted chin from Tyler, "Hey Jay. Nice to meet you." Then he returns to what he was saying to Andrea, "The kind where I don't think your kind of protection would make much of a difference. I'm safe from them now, but bringing them up might put a lot of people in danger again." His shoulders shrug and he looks back at Jay apologetically, "Sorry about that. Andrea and I were buds until I kind of disappeared to lay low for a couple of years."

Icarus has posed:
"Nice to meet you, Tyler," Jay says, offering a handshake because that was how he was raised. Then he glances to the armload of dresses that the worker is taking to hang in the dressing room she is prepping for Andrea to use. That gets a little grin from Jay.

Hearing the word danger has him all in the conversation as his smile fades a little.

Rage has posed:
"Oh, if you only knew how well I could protect myself." Andrea says as she boops Tyler on the nose with a finger. "And protect those around me." She gives an assuring smile to Jay as she reaches out to squeeze his hand, then heads for the dressing room.

"No peeking." She calls over her shoulder to them once the employee has her room ready. Being that this is an upscale boutique, every thing is definitely on the edge of white glove and VIP treatment. "You two get to know each other! Give me a few minutes to change and show off."

Twitch has posed:
Tyler's ready with a handshake with it's offered, grip firm and polite. As Andrea heads off to get changed Tyler tells her, "Okay. I'm sure we'll get along."

Lifting his chin at the other fellow, Tyler asks, "What is it you do, Jay? Got any cool hobbies or anything?" With a tap and his own chest he says, "I'm sort of a professional bum at the moment, but I enjoy the freedom."

Icarus has posed:
"I'm a musician," Jay answers comfortably as he looks for a nice seat. There are some well padded chairs for just that purpose. "Trust me. You'll want to sit. This could take a while."

He motions to the other chair in invitation. "I mean not on the scale of Andrea, obviously. Just have a band, do some small gigs." He shrugs again, a loose boneless sort of movement. "Professional bum sounds liberating yet challenging."

Twitch has posed:
When offered a seat Tyler takes it, leaning back in the comfortable chair and enjoying the chance to rest. Then he nods his head, "Musician? That's pretty cool. What do you play? I can barely play the radio, myself, so I really admire people with actual musical talent."

A chuckle comes from Tyler's gut, "It's definitely both. I find myself doing a lot of odd jobs, hustling people on the basketball courts, stuff like that."

Icarus has posed:
"Well, Club Evo is always looking for people. Not anything glamorous but it puts honest money in your pockets. I still bus tables there a lot, between gigs. Not really as much for the money now as my brother owns the place so feel like I should help out where I can," he admits.

"As for what I play, guitar, piano, fiddle. Sing. Write. Andrea wants me to talk to her people. Haven't taken that leap yet."

Twitch has posed:
"Sounds too much like a real job with real hours for me," Tyler replies with a chuckle. "I wouldn't mind bussing from time to time if you're hard up and don't mind paying under the table. I try to live off the grid, just in case." Then he'll nod a couple of times, "Damn. That's a lot of instruments. How come you haven't started looking for representation?"

Rage has posed:
The sound of humming is heard from behind the door as Andrea is changing. She tries on one dress, takes a look in the mirror, then peels it off to try another. At least she puts them bakc on hangers instead of throwing them on the ground. She treats each dress as if it was her grandma. With respect.

Icarus has posed:
"Didn't really plan to try to go big time, if that makes sense." Jay glances so the door as he hears the sound, grinning a little. Always music. "I just want to write my music and share it. Clubs work for me. Just small crowds. But Andrea feels I should do more. She's my biggest fan. Even bigger than my Ma and that's saying something!"

He glances over at Tyler. "I could ask my brother about under the table if you want. I don't think it would be an issue as long as you aren't stealing from the club or anyone there. No causing trouble. You know, the usual with a job."

Twitch has posed:
"I respect that," Tyler tells Jay with a nod. "You gotta do what's right for you, though. If you want to keep your engagements more intimate then that's probably the right thing to do."

His shoulders shrug, "It would be cool to make a little extra cash mostly legally. I wouldn't steal from anybody or hurt anyone who wasn't trying to hurt someone else."

Rage has posed:
The doors open to reveal Andrea, wearing one of the dresses which is a black number that's short enough to be eye-catching, but long enough to be 'barely' appropriate. There is a swirl of silver on the left side near her hip. She gives a few twirls about in front of a mirror, then looks over towards the two. "Okay, on a scale of one to ten, what is this?"

Icarus has posed:
"Seventy-two," Jay says immediately with a smirk. Then he blinks, putting on an expression that looks confused. "Oh wait. You mean the dress itself! Uhm. I have no idea. It looks great on you though so I'll give it a nine. Not sure that's the dress though or just because it's on you."

He gives another shrug them glances at Tyler, letting the other guy have his chance to prove he probably knows more about fashion than Jay.

Twitch has posed:
"Nine point four," Tyler tells Andrea after a moment of thought. "Though I may have thought the orange dress looked good, so don't trust my opinion too much." A glance is given to Jay, "I tried to get her to try an orange dress earlier. Apparently they are bad."