Owner	Pose
Darkhawk	It was after the big game, the latest big game. How come everytime the Riverdale Bulldogs played, it was considered a big game? They couldn't all be big games. But Chris Powell had played, and he'd played well. He even scored. Some of the guys headed off to a party, underage drinking, revelling, the usual. But Chris was a good boy. His father was a cop and his mother was a crown attorney, so he kind of had to play it safe by necessity. So, he'd quietly slipped out of the revelling, and headed to Pop's for a Bacon Cheeseburger, French Fries, and a Cookies and Cream milkshake. But while he thought he'd managed to slip out unnoticed, in Riverdale, nothing ever goes completely unnoticed. There are eyes everywhere. He had showered after the game and was wearing a grey 'property of Riverdale High School' shirt with blue lettering, a yellow and blue bomber jacket with his initials, CP over his right breast, and a big 'R' on the left. And was rubbing his hands together as Pop brought his order.
Veronica Lodge	Veronica Lodge slips in out of the night, shaking off an umbrella outside as a light drizzle has started to fall from the heavens. Just after the game of course. Even the weather thinks twice about raining on a Bulldogs game. Doesn't mean it never has, just means it thinks twice first. Veronica has changed out of her River Vixen uniform, and into something much more her style. A sleeveless black knit top with a high neckline, and a ruffled black skirt over black hose. The click of her heels distinct against the floor as she walks. She walks over to the counter, greeting Pop with a smile before asking for her regular order to go. With her order placed she turns and leans back against the bar, standing between two of the stools while she lets her attention wander through the room.
Darkhawk	Looking up from Pop, whom he thanks for the meal, Chris waves to Veronica, "Hey, Veronica, why don't you join me?" Usually Chris was more on the shyer side of things, but it was easier to be brave with a pretty girl when they were largely alone. There were a few other scattered patrons, a trunk driver passing through, an off duty cop, one of Fred Andrews' crew, and a lawyer... that one was odd, but Pop's was at the heart of Riverdale. It was an institution. People from all walks of life came here. "You really helped cheer us on, especially when we went down in the second half. We felt it. Thanks. We needed it."
Veronica Lodge	Veronica Lodge turns her head to look down the shop at the football player, her lips pursing in thought for a moment or two before she looks back at Pop who laughs. "One order to stay I guess." She smiles at him, paying for the food, and tipping him well for the service before she walks, her steps slow and even, measured as she approaches. "I'm not sure that I can account for the entire team's efforts. Just you know... most of it." She smirks playfully and slides into the seat opposite the ball player. "So what has you sitting here all alone eating tonight? No party to go to?" She knows there are parties. There are always parties to be had.
Darkhawk	Chris was overjoyed when she decided to sit with him, and his face showed it, though he tried to hide it and act all smooth in the way that only a high schooler can. He's convinced he pulled it off, when Veronica, Pop, even the lawyer probably all know what his body language screamed. He laughed at her joke, "yeah, most, I'd say no more than eighty-five, maybe ninety percent, tops. Definitely no more than ninety-five percent." He smiled, and slid his plate down a bit, "fry?" Since she was waiting for her own order, he offered some of his in the meantime. He was also good enough not to bite into his food until she had some. But as for him being alone, "well, I... well, you know I used to date Kara?" He meant Danvers, a brunette who went to school with them. "Well, ever since we... broke up." Yeah, there was way more that story, "I don't know, just been trying to get back my smile. I'm not really up to parties yet."
Veronica Lodge	Veronica Lodge settles into her seat, her hands settling on the table top in front of her, one hand over the other. She's got a small clutch with her, not a full purse, and it's set on the seat next to her, the umbrella placed against the wall. "Hmmm. Have to give the other girls some credit. And Betty did plenty too. So I'd say... 45 percent me. 30 percent Betty. And the other girls can have the remaining 25 percent." No one has ever accused Veronica Lodge of being humble. Ever. "No thank you. I won't even be able to finish my own. I usually get two meals out of it when I order here. But you go ahead and eat. Mine will be a few minutes. Probably more. Don't want yours to get cold." Her head tilts forwards at the mention of Kara and the breakup. She offers a sympathetic smile and reaches out to pat the back of Chris's hand. "Breakups are hard. Harder still when there's genuine feelings there."
Darkhawk	She was like a breath of fresh air. He found he appreciated it a lot. "Okay, 45 percent you, 30 percent Betty, and other girls get... hmm, so, the Vixens get 100 percent of the credit, and the Bulldogs get 0? Good to know. Next time we won't even have to show up with numbers like that." He winked at her playfully. The hand was really appreciated. Her skin felt soft against his, which for an athlete, was pretty soft. He'd done chores, looked after his younger brothers, but he hadn't really worked a day in his life. He was just a kid... who happened to secretly moonlight as a hero, not that he liked to share that aspect. "All right, if you say so." He meant the food. Taking a chip, he chewed it with his mouth closed, showing off more good manners. "Wait, this feeds you for two meals? Wow. You're not like, uh, anorexic are you? I think you look great, just the way you are. But you have to be healthy." He was more concerned for her now than his own situation. The look in his eyes belayed the depth of concern he had for her after hearing that.
Veronica Lodge	Veronica Lodge lifts her hands in a 'what can you do' sort of gesture. "I mean... the girls come to see the boys play sure. But the boys come to see us dance around the field in little skirts. And some of the girls come to see us dance around in little skirts. And some of the boys come to see the boys play. But if you guys didn't play we wouldn't have an excuse to run around in scandelously skimpy clothing showing off for the crowd. So I guess you guys can have 10 percent of my credit. I'll go down to 35." Spoken of course as if this is a magnanimous gesture on her behalf. Giving other people some of her credit. "No, I am not anorexic." She looks down at herself, slightly amused, then back up. "I am however very figure concious and have myself trained to eat smaller portions. And if I get hungry in between meals I can always grab a small and healthier snack." She offers a small smile, then looks up as her shake is brought out at least. "Like a milkshake." Yes so healthy. "Pop's is my splurge place though. It's where I come when I want a good greasy unhealthy meal."
Darkhawk	The way Veronica talks about those scandalously skimpy outfits, Chris is already thinking to himself, he'll have to make a point of paying attention to them whenever he can. But on the field, he has the game to focus on. It was a terrible combination. And then he realised he had gone a long time without saying anything and was no doubt being given a warm smile, "uh, sorry, I kind of spaced out there... my mind wandered." Yeah, that's one thing Veronica could do. District a man, or woman, and lift their spirits. "I'm glad you take care of yourself. You know, you hear stories. It's so easy to get into a bad place." He lifts up his own milkshake, offering to tap the glass to hers in cheers, "to the Bulldogs keeping up our winning streak, and the Vixens for inspiring us?"
Veronica Lodge	Veronica Lodge lets out a soft laugh, and her lips curl into a smirk again, this time one of amusement. "Oh I know exactly where your mind wandered to Chris Powell. And I will make sure to let the River Vixens know that you'll be leering at the next game." She takes a sip or two from her milk shake while she waits on her food, though the smell of grilling meat says her own burger is due up soon. "It is very easy to get into a bad place. Try living in New York. Where image is absolutely everything. And if you're not other people's idea of perfect than you might as well not even exist. A lot of girls get into bad places with their health when they think they need to look a certain way." She takes the toast and tips her glass off of his before taking another sip from her shake. "It's not my place to pry, but if you ever need to talk about what happened with Kara I have an open ear."
Darkhawk	She had caught him, and he blushed. He knew it, she knew it, and now, even the other patrons knew it. Pop's was pretty quiet and voices carried. "You brought it up. You are called the Vixens. Scandalously short skirts. How's a guy supposed to avoid... leering?" He lifts up his burger to take a bit out of it, and he makes a face. There're pickles in there. He'd asked for no pickles. But he didn't have the heart to send it back, or remove them. He didn't want Pop to know. So he took another bite. It was still the best burger in Starling, even if it did have pickles. "New York, I've visited, but must be nice to live there. But Veronica. You are perfect, just the way you are. And you always look great. I don't think I've ever seen you not look great.... no, no, it's okay. It's, it happened a while ago. Mostly, I just don't understand why. Just, she liked some other guy more, I guess."
Veronica Lodge	Veronica Lodge lets out a soft little laugh, a slight teasing tone to it. "Oh relax. All the boys ogle. It's kind of the point. Gets their blood pumping and lets you all perform better. See, we're doing you a favor. The adrenaline is a good trade off for the distraction." She winks and looks up as her food is brought out to her, set in front. She thanks Pops again and calls him a treasure before turning back to her food. She picks up a knife and cuts her burger in half, fingers scooping it up and she takes a bite right out of it. "Oh New York is a beautiful place. There's always places to go, something to do and people to see. But, underneath all the glitz and glam is a big rotten apple. At least here in Riverdale appearances are far less deceiving. Though well there is Starling so I guess I'm not that far from the seedy underbelly if I want a taste of home." She smiles and then bites into her burger. Small bites, each bite taken carefully, chewed thoroughly and then swallowed. "Perfection doesn't come easily." Again, she is not humble. At all. "It takes work. A lot of time. But thank you. I'm glad to know other people appreciate the effort." She frowns a touch at the talk about Kara, her head tipping. "Sometimes people do silly things that don't make any sense. At least not to you. Often they don't make sense to them either. But we move on eventually." She takes another bite from her burger, letting her eyes wander the shop just a little bit.
Darkhawk	"So... what you're saying is, it's okay to ogle you... in your Vixen uniform. What about um... other times?" This must be a trick. His brain was screaming its a trap. It's not literal. Logic doesn't work that way with women. Admiral Ackbar's voice shouted in the back of his head, 'it's a trap!' But her take on New York startles him a little bit. "A rotten apple. Oh, we all have our secrets." Wait, did he just say so much, "even a quiet, sleepy community like Riverdale's got to have stuff going on under the surface. And downtown Starling, I mean, you've read about who Oliver Queen is dating this week, or that. "Thanks Veronica, I appreciate that," about Kara, and as to her perfection. "I guess guys have it easy. We pick clothes at random, a plain t-shirt, maybe a chequered shirt over it, chinos, Chelsea boots, a watch, maybe a braclet, a nice belt... damn. Guys outfits aren't that simple either. I never really thought about it. At least on game days I have a uniform, so I don't have to think about it. Same goes for you Vixens. You look so good. Especially you, Veronica." He said the last part more bashfully than he intended, and took a bite out of his burger to try and hide his face for a moment. Blood had rushed to his cheeks.
Veronica Lodge	Veronica Lodge shakes her head, dark tresses brushing her shoulders as she shakes it. "That would be a question for the other Vixens. I am a classy girl thank you very much Christopher Powell." She smirks though, amused at the turn of the conversation. "If you notice my clothes are usually fairly conservative. Longer skirts, fully covering tops, often higher necked." She tuts softly and goes back to sipping from her milkshake slowly, enjoying the rich treat. "Oh I'm quite sure Riverdale has plenty of secrets to uncover. Little towns often have the strangest history. And I don't mind New York. But I know where to go and where not to go. And I know when. That's just as important. Too late at night and you do not want to be a girl on the streets of New York. Well, a girl with no super powers that is. But I do miss New York. The shopping. Mostly the shopping. And the soirees. I do miss the fancy parties. And guys just don't usually think about fashion. But if I put you in touch with one of my best gays? They would definitely tell you that they have it rough. They would say they have it rougher than women because they don't have assets to show off. Their words not mine." A quick little trill of a laugh before she resumes her slow nibbling of her burger, plucking up the occasional fry as well.
Darkhawk	Even the way Veronica shoots someone down is with class. One had to respect that. "You are, Veronica Lodge, you most certainly are. And there's nothing wrong with dressing conservatively. It's a good look, a classic look, and you really pull it off. Sometimes, a person's... inner glow... shines through, no matter the wrapping." Man, he was cheesy. Did he get hit in the head during that game? He goes back to his own milkshake, which makes a splurping noise as he had aimed the straw towards the shallow end as he held it, and he quickly stops, correcting the placement of the straw, while looking sheepish for the social faux pas. "Yeah... I never really thought about that until I talked with a girl who worked at a doughnut shop. She said she wouldn't take the garbage out at night, but she was fine to do it during the day. I didn't even think at first, but I guess it must be scary to do that at night, dark corners and all that. Who knows who's out there? It's kind of sad that more guys don't realise what it's like to be a girl. Not that I'm saying girls can't take care of themselves. But I don't think I'd have thought twice about it." He hadn't really thought of the plight of gay people either, especially gay men. Were women who liked women called gay, or was that wrong? He wasn't sure what the proper thing was to say. He didn't want to offend anybody. "Uh, sure, I guess. But I'm straight." For a moment, he was worried she thought he was gay. He was so embarrassed about blurting that out. Though she probably knew he was straight. He had once walked into a locker accidentally when walking past her when she had her Vixen uniform on.
Veronica Lodge	Veronica Lodge smiles and tips her head forwards in a slow nod to him. "You're a nice guy Christopher Powell, very sweet and honest. Maybe a little too honest for your own good." She winks and lowers her tone down to something softer so they can't be heard beyond the confines of the table. Or well, shouldn't be able to be heard anyway. "It can be. And it's the good guys that don't think about that. Because the good guys would never think of taking advantage of a girl that way. Guys like you and Archie and a few others. But it can be unsafe to be a girl sometimes. That's why I'm careful about where I go and when. Even here. We are pretty close to Starling after all." She smiles though and finishes the half of her burger, and some of her fries. Pops bless him brings her out a to go container for her to pack up the rest of her food in. "Thank you Pops." Her eyes pull back around to Chris though. "It's a touchy subject though. Because nowadays girls are all about female empowerment. Myself very much so as well. But that doesn't mean we can afford to be stupid. And forgetting that not everyone in the world is nice is definitely on the side of stupid. "Well yes. I had figured that on account of you dating Kara. But I was referencing you talking about guys not having it easy either in the clothing department. Not if you really want to look sharp and well dressed that is. Because all of my best gays are divas and will not walk out looking less than perfect."
Darkhawk	"Mom's a CA," meaning crown attorney, "dad's a cop. I was always going to be either a total delinquent, or Mayberry. I was doomed before I was even born." He tries to laugh off how sweet and honest she finds him, especially the part about being too honest for his own good. Maybe that was why it didn't work out with Kara? He leans in when she drops her voice to a whisper. It was nice to hear her voice at that level. There was a delightful lilt. He seemed to nod and sway his head a little as she spoke, smiling, trying to be cool, and failing utterly. Looking out at how dark it is, he turned serious. "Veronica, may I walk you home?" There was no hint of ulterior motive in his voice or body language. He was just thinking about the fact she probably didn't drive here, given how convenient Pop's was to the Pembrooke, and even if it was a short distance, he was now worried about her safety. "As nice as it's been talking to you, and it really is, I just want to make sure you get home, safe and sound."