14307/Lunch Date

Lunch Date
Date of Scene:	13 April 2022
Location:	Cafe - Greenwich Village
Synopsis:	Conner and Rachel grab lunch, learn more about each other, and establish a ground rule or two.
Cast of Characters:	Raven, Superboy

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Raven has posed:
Rachel didn't venture out to crowded areas too often. It was easier to shut out everyone's emotions when there were less people. However, she had discovered this cafe a couple months back and thought it would be a good place for she and Conner to get lunch today. She is casually clad in a pair of dark jeans and her ever present over-sized hoodie with a black t-shirt peeking out underneath.

As they enter into the cafe, Rachel takes a brief look around before looking up at Conner. "Booth or table?" Nodding towards the booth-lined wall options and the upholstered bench table options. "They have really good sandwiches."

Superboy has posed:
Conner tried to get out of Titans Tower fairly consistently. Of course, it didn't help that he had his moments of being extroverted and introverted, perhaps a little more extreme than others due to his particular genetics. He wears blue fatigue pants and black boots, a black longsleeve shirt that's rolled up to the elbows. Strangely, there's no graphic design on the front of it.

Maybe too much similarity between his casuals and his heroics?

Conner walks with Rachel. Close to her, but not close enough to make her uncomfortable, while his eyes look around the place. "I always liked the booths." He tells Rachel. "But I'll be happy either way. More company than seating choice." He smiles at her softly.

"Do you have a favorite sandwich?"

Raven has posed:
"A booth it will be then." Rachel gives that vague bit of a smile before leading him over to one of the booths and sliding in to one of the seats and relaxing into it. There's a little device on the table that they can place an order from and a good view of the sidewalk and shops outside.

"Everything I have tried is pretty good. Though I think my favorite would be their Reuben sandwich." She decided. "And they have an interesting selection of microbrews." She taps a few things on the device to put in her part of the order and then turns it towards him.

"...Maybe after we eat we can look at the arcade part."

Superboy has posed:
Booths! This makes Conner somewhat happy. He follows Rachel to a booth and slides in the seat across from her, lest he make her feel strange if he slides into the same side of the booth as her. Etiquette! But as he sits with Rachel, he seems to smile at her as she selects her meal. "Reuben sandwich...I don't think I've ever tried a Reuben, actually." Superboy ponders the selection when the device is turned towards him.

He pushes a few buttons, ordering the suggested Reuben and a dark, bitter coffee. He lifts his eyes up, looking at Rachel with a kind smile touching his features.

"I'd like that. I'm not good at Arcade games though. You would beat me." A moment of silence later. "You look beautiful today." He compliments her. A faint blush coming to his cheeks but it quickly fades.

Raven has posed:
"I hadn't tried one until I found this place." Rachel admitted from the Reuben sandwich. "But I was pleasantly surprised. I think you will enjoy it." She had ordered a microbrew herself for drink. Once the order was in, all they had to do now was wait!

"I believe we will be evenly matched. I do not play video games often...or at all really. However, some of the games in the arcade look like they could be enjoyable." There is a near audible pause when he calls her beautiful, though her expression remains ever neutral. "Thank you, Conner." Rachel says finally, looking down towards the table a moment and then back up to him.

She looks as if she is going to say something but then seemingly decides against it as her attention shifts towards the view out the window. "Greenwich has a lot of little shops that specialize in all sorts of different areas. There are a few I frequent for supplies to aid in meditation."

Superboy has posed:
"I never picked you out for a Reuben person. But that just goes to show that there's plenty we can still learn from each other." Conner chuckles a little bit, and once the order was in, it was time to wait! Which meant they had to talk. Hopefully without being nervous about one another. He keeps his full attention on Rachel when she talks. "I'll take your word for it."

"I don't play much video games either. I prefer to watch TV by comparison. But maybe we could see if some of the games are...uh...two-players? Cooperative instead of competitive?" He questions her. The deafening silence from Rachel at his compliment makes Conner nervous. He listens to her heartrate, as if discerning her attitude towards him at the moment in fear. She shifts her view to the window.

"Are there occult shops in Greenwich?"

Raven has posed:
Her heart rate had increased just a tick at the compliment but then slowed soon after. Rachel was exercising a fair amount of effort inwardly to keep herself in check. Normally it was easy for her to keep things locked down but Conner made it...difficult. Not in a bad way, but definitely in a way Rachel was unfamiliar with.

She turns her head to look back towards him, managing a brief smile, as if to try and reassure him everything was fine. "One or Two." Is her answer to the question of occult shops. "Sometimes I get supplies from there for different things. Sometimes I just like to browse."

Rachel takes a moment to mentally center herself and focus on Conner. "What is your favorite food that you have tried so far?"

Superboy has posed:
Conner looks at Rachel then a moment as she asks her question. "...grilled cheese sandwiches are really good." Simple and clean. "But the -best- that I've tried so far?" He ponders it. "Still grilled cheese. I hear it's a childish meal, but when mixed well with a serving of tomato soup, it's a household classic. I read about it earlier and since I tried it, it's been my favorite full meal to date."

Conner's eyes narrow for a moment. "Maybe I should expand my palette. What about you? What's your favorite meal?" He figures Raven would have taste buds that were more refined. Though Conner started to realize that he could get through her icy exterior, maybe he could find a way for her to be consistently comfortable with him.

With the idea that...

Conner immediately starts to chuckle. "Fair enough. I don't visit many stores. Maybe a car store to see what they have. They don't have much muscle cars though...and I don't exactly have money."

Raven has posed:
"Why drive when you can fly, right?" Rachel asked, leaning against the table as she mulled over what her favorite meal might be.

"It is not really a *meal*...but I enjoy strawberry milkshakes on occassion. Meal though...spagehtti and meatballs." There's a brief shift in her expression, as if she is thinking of something specific but then it's gone and the neutral look is back. "Grilled cheese is a good choice for a favorite sandwich though. There is something about melted cheese that is...addictive." She decides is the best word for it. "Have you had mozzarella sticks?"

A few moments later their sandwiches and drinks come around and a nearly contented sigh leaves the occultist as she catches a whiff of the perfectly made Reuben. "I think you will like this."

Superboy has posed:
"Do you normally fly rather than drive?" Conner questions Rachel. The answer was probably in her words, buth e wants to know, not think. He smiles at her. "Strawberry milkshakes." A little bit of classically colorful as opposed to dark and dreary that Rachel seems to exude. It amused Conner, but clearly no judgment existed in his eyes.

He looks in Rachel's eyes. "I think I'm a cheese addict. I really enjoy it. I've never tried mozzarella sticks, but I think it's because I don't find myself in Italian bistros much often." He lifts his shoulders in a shrug.

Their meal arrives!

Conner reaches for the Reuben on his plate and he takes a bite of it. He's silent for a moment as he mulls it over. "I like it." He eventually reveals, looking at Rachel with warmth. "I can see why you really enjoy this." He tries the coffee. Comedically lifting his pinky up. Has he been watching Spongebob Squarepants or just historical documentaries in general?

Raven has posed:
"I walk mostly, or use public transportation." Rachel reveals. "Sometimes I fly, but that is primarily just while on patrols or if I'm at the Tower. Driving in this city is not so good for my health." A light joke.

"You can get them," Mozzarella sticks, "From a lot of places these days. Maybe next time pizza is ordered we can request an order of mozzarella sticks as well. They are very good." Rachel nods. The sandwiches were served with a shareable basket of chips made in-house. Raven goes for a couple of these chips first while Conner tries the sandwich. She seems pleased at his end result of liking it.

"Good. I'm glad you do." She looks towards his pinky up with a slightly raised brow and then reaches for her beer to take a sip from it before finally going for the sandwich. She takes a healthy bite from it, making a somewhat involuntarily noise of satisfaction as she chews. "Certainly worth the trip." She says after swallowing the bite.

Superboy has posed:
"That's fair. I really want to buy a motorcycle, but I don't think I'll get the money for it. It's easier to fly, anyway." Conner lifts his shoulders in a shrug. Though he looks at Rachel with a tilt of his head. "Do you ahve road rage?" Conner questions her with curiosity in his tone. "I probably do. I'm short tempered, sometimes. I'm still working on it." At least he seems calm right now!

Though with Rachel suggesting he can get mozzarella sticks...pretty much anywhere, Conner is left with a potential feeling of stupidity. "Maybe I don't go to as many restaurants as I think I do." He looks into her eyes. "Would you go to one with me? I think it'd be a lot of fun." Conner...asks her out on a technically third date!

Connor smiles at the taste of his coffee. It has -very- little effect on the Kryptonian genetics, but it -does- have a taste that Conner apparently enjoys. "Definitely worth the trip." He says with a softer tone and a longer gaze.

Raven has posed:
"Maybe a little." Rachel agrees about the road rage. There's a little more of a smile from her. The ordering device glitches out for a second and Rachel quickly clams up again. Safer this way. "I can picture you with a motorcycle at the very least. It could be...enjoyable to ride one outside of the city. Where the roads are more open." But flying would always be easier.

At the question of going with him to another restaurant sometime, Rachel nods. "I like your company, Conner. So yes, I would go to another restaurant with you sometime." She looks back down to her sandwich at his lingering look, taking another bite from her sandwich.

"Do you like desserts? Sweet foods in general?" Food. Always a safe topic.

Superboy has posed:
Conner looks at Rachel as she agrees about the road rage, laughing just a little bit. Though he turns his head to the ordering device. Was her personal emotions something of a magical effect? Did he have that effect on her? "I would like to see it happen. I don't think I've ever seen you angry before. I hear from people that road rage is funny, depending on the context. But it can be very bad, depending on the same context. It's weird." Conner starts to chuckle a little bit, his deep voice rumbling in his chest.

"I like your company too." His face grows softer. "Thank you, Raven." Conner refrains from calling her 'Rachel', lest she react poorly. Depends on the mood? He's still not sure about how people feel about the whole secret ID thing. Granted, Superboy was still learning and getting used to his secret ID..just Conner.

"I do like desserts. I enjoy sour candy, I really liuke things that taste like cinnamon. How about you?"

Raven has posed:
"Well, normally when I'm angry things start exploding. Or happy, or sad, or afraid, or...anything." Rachel admitted, not quite looking at him still. "That's why I have to keep things suppressed. If I don't, things get dangerous." Or her father would have an easier time tracking her down and that is something Rachel had no real desire to deal with.

"But I will admit sometimes it is funny to see people road raging. Funny, and sometimes worrisome." She agreed before taking another couple bites of her sandwich.

When he answers her question of sweets, Rachel nods. "Sour candies are good. Cinnamon is...iffy. But it's good with apples. I like cherry cordials. They are like...chocolate covered cherries but they also have a filling in them." A moment of pause before, "I ask because there is a sweet shop not too far from here. Maybe after the arcade we can stop in there before we go back to the Tower."

Superboy has posed:
"You like sour candies?" Conner smiles at Rachel, like it was an unexpected outcome. "Maybe we could share a bag sometime. Going to a candy store...I've never been to one. I hear it's nice." Though Rachel is noticeably not looking at him back. Maybe she's trying to keep her emotions in check? Does he make her feel...different? Though she seems to admit that emotions - or at least those she lets herself to experience, causes things to explode. She's an empath and a magician.

Dangerous combination.

"You can't hurt me, if that's what you're saying." He extends his hand across the table, as if to rest his hand on hers. Course, he could get slapped or blasted. "I'm here." Conner's voice was soft. His intentions, if obscured before...quite known.

"I like chocolate covered cherries too." He smiles. "I'd love that."

Raven has posed:
"We will get some at the sweet shop then. Sour candies." Rachel decided. "And cherry cordials...and maybe something entirely new to try." It seemed like a good plan, a safe plan.

She finally lifts her eyes to look at him. "It is not you I am concerned about Conner. I know you are near indestructible. It's everyone else." A glance cast around the cafe. "Literally, if I open up people can get hurt. Innocent people." She watches his hand come closer to hers and he can hear her heart starting to race. It almost seems like she might let him touch her hand too, but at the very last second she pulls her hand back.

"I...I'm sorry. I can't...I just. I..Need a second." As she tries to talk the ordering devices is going haywire again. She rises to her feet, rapidly making her way towards the back of the cafe where the bathrooms are marked. A lightbulb *pops* above an empty table as she passes it, burning out, and then she's disappearing into the bathroom.

Superboy has posed:
"I like that plan." Conner tells Rachel, his eyes soft. He had never done this before. Never felt like this before. Yet, he reaches to touch her. She talks to him, he listens. "I can protect them. And with practice, we can both protect them." Conner tells Rachel, though he hears her heart starting to race and pound hard. At the last plausible second, she pulls her hand away and she retreats.

The ordering devices start going haywire and she charges towards one of the bathrooms, a lightbulb pops as she walks by and she disappears into the restroom. Conner had watched her and he stands up to his feet as if intending to chase her down.

He listens. He listens for sounds.

He wants to chase after her but....Raven is one of those people who when she tells you to do soething, you don't give her a hard time for the sake of sentiment. He walks about halfway to the bathroom before he pauses to consider.

Raven has posed:
Rachel grips the bathroom sink, staring at herself in the mirror. She had to get a grip. Why did he have to be so...she exhaled slowly, closing her eyes. She needed to get back to the Tower. To her Mirror. She needed to process all of this but first? She needed to go back out there - without more things exploding. She counted backwards from 10 and then slowly made her way back out of the bathroom.

She looks to Conner, studying him a moment before making her way back over to him - no glitches or mini explosions. Rachel stops in front of him, clearly trying to figure out how she wants to say what she wants to say. "Listen, Conner." Always a great way to begin. "I...appreciate your earnestness and I...I like you. I do." Even as she speaks, her expression and tone are remaining neutral. They have to. "But I can't rush into these things. Serious things. It never ends well."

Superboy has posed:
Conner was still stanidng there when she walked out.

No glitches or explosions. He heard her trying to get herself together. The impact of her eyelids as she tried to get herself under control was like a drum in his hears. But she talks to him. He doesn't say anything at first, but it's clear there's guilt in his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to freak you out." Conner says then. "I like you too. Then we won't rush into it, we'll take our time. Both of our time. I respect you and like you enough to take things at your pace." He tells her with a warm smile.

"Then this one will be the one time it ends well."

Raven has posed:
As Conner speaks, a look of relief touches Rachel's expression. Muscles relax that she hadn't realized were tense. "Thank you." She says softly. Her hand moves, not to take his, but to lightly brush her fingers against the back of his hand.

"I...hope it does." She dared to say when he says this time will be different. "Let's finish eating and then check out the arcade." She turned from him to walk the few steps back to the table and sit down. She was grateful for him. His understanding. More than she would probably ever be able to put in to words. Hopefully in time she would be able to open up a bit more to him.

Superboy has posed:
Conner sees the relief wash over her. He can hear the fibers in her muscles relax. Conner feels the warmth of her fingers on the back of his hand, his own fingers reactively touching the back of hers. "You're welcome." Je keeps his eyes on her.

He follows her back to the table, sitting down on the opposite side of her and he smiles at her. "Let's do it. With our inexperience, we can see what happens." He smiles at her as he resumes his meal.

He snuck looks at her. The curve of her neck, the frame of her face, her figure, the color and style of her hair down to the smallest strand, the sound of her voice, the warmth in her meaning.

He was memorizing her. He hasn't sorted out if Luther left any kind of mental suggestions in his head or if he had a 'reset' button. So he's memorizing so he never forgets.