2142/Suburbia

Suburbia
Date of Scene:	23 August 2017
Location:	New York
Synopsis:	She-Hulk and John Aaron arrange a family outing to the movies
Cast of Characters:	Ares, She-Hulk

---

Ares has posed:
    Early Saturday morning. Breakfast. The Aaron household.

    The table is set in part for breakfast that's already been served and et. The young blonde headed kid leans over his bowl, chasing the last few cheerios with his spoon, making faint ringing noises as the metal strikes the ceramic. He's leaning over it, focused, intent on getting those last bits of wheat even as he glances over to the side towards the tall silhouette of his father doing the dishes.
    As for the tall man, he's drying the plates, wiping a rag over the surface as he's putting them back into the cabinet, his expression a bit distant, and perhaps with a small smile on his lips as his thoughts are elsewhere...
    Only for those thoughts to be brought back to the here and now by a single word.
    "Soooo..."
    Alexander's high almost musical voice carries a faint tone of inquiry in that single word, as he looks almost slyly to the side. "How's everything going, dad?"
    Over his shoulder, John squints sidelong at the young kid still in his pajamas who is just as equally squinting back at the older man.
    "Everything is ok, Alexander." He answers, both of them holding their cards close to their vest. "What is it you are curious about?"
    "Oh you know. Stuff." He says, the spoon still scraping.
    "Yeah, like what stuff."
    "You know. Secret missions. And things."
    "Ah. Stuff. And Things. I see."
    "Yeah. So uhh... how'd that go?"
    John turns his back to the slowly gurgling and emptying sink of water, his arms folding over his broad chest with the dish rag hanging over a bicep. "Well. If you must know it went well."
    "Yeah?"
    "Yeah."
    "Hnh."
    "What?"
    "Well, I just mean... she's been over since that one time. You know."
    "True."
    "So are you guys like, dating and stuff?"
    Of course that's the moment when the phone rings.

She-Hulk has posed:
    Saved by the bell. Or chime. Or "Bad to the Bone" ringtone. Whatever.
    Shulkie is at her apartment, sprawled on the reinforced couch which was designed so it's long enough for her to lay on comfortably. She has on blue shorts and a t-shirt. The shirt is for the Laborers Union. It reads "All workers are created equal but only the finest work for Laborers Local 477." It isn't her usual affair but she has taken a special liking to it.
    As she waits for the phone to be answered, she flings a leg up over the back of the couch. Her other hand finds the remote for the stereo, turning down the music so that it won't be overwhelming. It's a surprise she wants anyting to do with the stuff after the big party in Times Square that went horribly awry.
    At least she got her cellphone back. That would've been a pain in the booty to get all her numbers back. She probably should store them somewhere else for safety.

Ares has posed:
    The phone rings its jangle and John looks aside towards it. He cocks an eyebrow and then just before moving over towards it he answers Alexander, "Yes, we are." And with that he'll pick up the phone.
    So the first thing Jen probably hears is a high pitched voice going, "WHAAAAAT!"
    But then she'll hear John's voice as he says, "Hello?" And as fate would have it... it's Jen.
    But Alexander was never one to exactly respect telephone ettiquette and she'll hear the sound of a spoon clanging around inside a cereal bowl and then an impact of some kind as he caroms into the island in the kitchen and hops up and down a bit. "You guys really are? That's crazy! Why? What's going on? What's she see in you? Is she crazy? She's probably crazy. I thought she was dating Thor! The kids at school said she's dating Thor."
    But then the cavalcade of words are stifled by a hand over the receiver and she'll hear a muffled exchange that once the receiver is uncovered she'll hear him say, "Awwww."
    But then into the phone John says, "Sorry about that, hey."

She-Hulk has posed:
    Jen blinks in surprise and pulls the phone a little away from her ear so she can see the screen. There is a picture of John and his name in bold letters across his chin. She dialed the right number.
    Which means that must be Alexander. She can't help smiling as she listens but when that part about Thor comes up, she bursts out laughing. She just can't help herself. She doesn't know for sure the conversation is about her but it's a pretty good guess. Unless John is dating another person who might be Thor's type. Maybe she shouldn't be assuming.
    She is still giggling when John manages to speak to her. "If that was about me, I have better taste than to date Thor. He's a bit of an egomaniac and I have too much ego to be in the same room with him for long."

Ares has posed:
    "I have no idea where he gets this stuff." Is the response John offers.
    But then Alexander pipes up, "School."
    "Chores, now."
    "Aww, man."
    But good to his word, Alexander rushes off and she can hear his footsteps disappearing into the background. It leaves her with the phone and finally some measure of privacy as she can hear the smile in his voice. "But yes. It seemed like the time I should finally tell him. The secret mission line wasn't quite cutting it anymore."
    There's a faint rustle of sound as he shifts the phone to the other ear and then murmurs, "What are you up to? How did that... party was it? How did that go?"

She-Hulk has posed:
    "Dancing with the Supers. And it went awful," Shulkie admits as she idly taps her foot in the air to the low music still playing in the background. "The Hypno Hustler was one of their performers. No, I didn't just make that up either. He was robbing the people in the crowd. Apparently gamma radiation doesn't keep you from being hypnotised into giving up your valuables." She lets out a frustrated breath.
    "Thankfully there were heroes there who were not succeptible. And then Sue--Invisible Woman from the Fantastic Four," she adds for explanation. "Used one of her forcefields and got my brain back for me. So I got our stuff back. Big hoopla and I think I'll be boycotting the show in the future."

Ares has posed:
    After she finishes talking for a time there's silence, then he tells her, "You are a weirdness magnet." He says, even though he's attracted a good chunk of his own weirdness himself, but she hasn't been exposed to it quite yet. Something to look forward to. But then she'll hear his smile in the words as he adds, "Though it would have been nice to see you dancing."
    A moment passes as he pushes off away from the counter, pulling down one slat in the blinds so he can look out and make sure that Alexander is doing what he's supposed to. A small nod is given then he turns back to the phone, "Did you want to do anything this weekend?" He asks her lightly as he looks at the newspaper on the counter, pushing the pages around as he ponders the 'Weekend' section.

She-Hulk has posed:
    He can hear the smile by her tone. "I would love to do something this weekend. As long as it doesn't involve Dancing with the Supers. Or 70s music. Or funk. Yeah, that should cover it." She purses her lips a little as she considers if there are any other specific things she should decline participating in but right now, seventies funk is really the only thing she can think of. Oh wait! "No bellbottoms either. Guh!"
    She twists on the couch, letting her other leg drape over the back then letting her head hang down over the lip of the couch. From there, she examines her furnishings from the upside-down position.
    "Found a fun bar out in Mutant Town the other night. They have cage fighting for supers. Not really classy but it was fun until the Fantasti-Signal went off." Not really called that but she opts to use it anyway. "One of the guys I saw there was in the crowd at the show last night. Helped take down some of the baddies. Weird. Small town for being ginormous."

Ares has posed:
    "Remarkable people travel in remarkable circles, such is the will of the Fates." He says in his own off-handed answer, then adds with a small smile, "I suppose I haven't told you that I'd sometimes go into town and partake of such tournaments." He offers her as he looks down at the tips of his shoes, his smile a little amused as he relates that information to her. "Though I'd tend to try and throw a fight or two before the final so I wouldn't get too much of a reputation."
    He rubs the back of his neck thoughtfully and then murmurs, "But," John looks to the side and then back down at the tip of his boot. "Alexander has been asking me to take him to see Vindicators III, is that... something you'd be interested in doing. With the two of us?"

She-Hulk has posed:
    That gets her attention.
    Not the fighting part. She actually had been considering getting in the ring herself so she doesn't find it strange he does that. Not that she'd throw the fights. Sad that he does so. Kind of defeats the purpose of letting off steam. Course, like her, he usually has to keep himself in check in a fight so as not to kill people with a punch. Probably why they enjoy their bouts against each other so much, since they don't have to hold back. It's a great stress reliever, in more ways than one.
    No, it's the fact he asked her to go to the movies with both of them. The whole family thing. That's a step of some sort in a relationship at times. To see if the new woman gets along with the kid outside of a few moments hear or there. Is she ready to face that test? What if she fails miserably?
    It'll have been a fun ride.
    "Yeah, sounds like fun. Although after Vindicators II, I'm surprised anyone let them make a third one. "

Ares has posed:
    "That is, if you wish. It is alright to say you would not wish to yet, Jennifer." The tall man's voice is a little formal, and perhaps gentle, as on some level he's aware that it is a step. And is also a step beyond he's allowed with anyone before. But he is also forgiving of the possibility that she might not want to be involved quite to that degree, since a kid... is a whole new ball game.
    "We can do something else, it was just an idea and he did well on his spelling test. I had thought to reward him in some manner."

She-Hulk has posed:
    "No, John, I'd really like to," she says in a gentle tone, the music suddenly gone from the background as she switches off the stereo. She even twists around so she's sitting upright, feeling she needs to be in a serious position for a serious conversation. Not like he can tell but it's important to her.
    "I appreciate that you are willing to give me that chance. I know that Alexander has that whole superhero worship thing going on and I don't want to complicate things but...well..." It's not like her to be at a loss for words. It's how she makes her living, being able to choose the right thing to say at the right moment. Being at a loss is foreign territory.
    "I like you. And I'd like a chance to get to know Alexander better. I just don't want to screw it up." There, she admitted it.

Ares has posed:
    "Alright, but it's your funeral." The answer is given back to her and she can hear the grin there as he shakes his head, looking out across the way towards the window, a small view of Alexander running around raking up the fallen leaves around the yard and putting them into a suitable pile. He shakes his head after watching the kid for a bit then turns back to the phone. "Want me to pick you up, or want to meet us there?" He asks as really, her going out... it tends to be a bit of a production considering the possible paparazzi issues.

She-Hulk has posed:
    "If you think I might need to make a rapid escape from the questions, I'll meet you there." They both know that there will probably be a lot of them from Alexander. Shulkie smirks a bit as she considers. "Otherwise, you can pick me up. You do the movie, I'll treat for pizza afterwards?" she suggests. Now that things are beyond the serious part, she's spinning around and laying back again with her legs hanging over the back of the couch.

Ares has posed:
    "I'm thinking I'll pick you up, since we'll want him to get it out of his system before the show. See you soon," He says as he takes a moment to pause just a second... and then the phone hangs up. Click.

She-Hulk has posed:
Later that day...
    Shulkie is sitting on her couch, waiting for their arrival. She didn't bother to change shirts but she did put on some jeans instead of wearing the bootie shorts she'd had on. Just wouldn't be proper around the kid. He might be a little above eye level but there are still lines that shouldn't be crossed. The jeans are faded and have a tear in the left knee. It's not a fashion statement, she's just owned them so long they've started to wear. Her hair has been left down and she didn't bother with make-up since really, they don't make a good green foundation that she's found. She does have some gloss on her naturally green lips, giving them a nice shine. No jewelry, no purse. Everything she needs is tucked into her pockets.
    Hearing the bell, she heads over and opens the door. "Hey there!"

Ares has posed:
    As they'd come up the hallway she probably heard them before they arrived. There's a steady running monologue as Alexander advances, his voice affecting a stern quality as he walks in the shadow of his father.
    "Captain Freedom had never been to the secret base of his teammate Lady Light..." He narrated to himself as he walked, the red white and blue costume of Captain Freedom wrapping about his thin frame. "He nimbly avoided the robot defenses and snuck into the hall before the door to the inner sanctum. Suddenly base turrets popped out! PEW PEW!" He rolls to the side holding up his hands in the form of a pistol and firing.
    "Alright, calm down, Captain." John says as he steps to the door and then hits the doorbell. It rings once and then a few moments pass until she emerges. And the sight she sees is John Aaron standing there in his own jeans and a black t-shirt, but the youngster is there garbed in his dime store costume and resting his hands on his hips, "Greetings, citizen!"
    "Jen," John says and smiles a bit.

She-Hulk has posed:
    As Shulkie looks from John to Alexander, she can't help smiling. "Captain Freedom, I had no idea you'd be here!" she says in delight, giving a bright smile to the superhero in their midst. "Thank you for joining us. At least we'll know we're safe with you along."
    She shifts her gaze to John, trying not to giggle. "It's good to see you, John. I'd invite you in but I don't think we have the time to spare if we plan to get popcorn. And I don't know about you and the Captain but I have got to have popcorn."