| Nothing Beats (a) Palmer |
| Summary: | Guardians socialize at the Double R Diner in Metropolis after Jacks recovery |
| Date: | (2014-08-21) |
| Related: | http://ageofheroesmux.wikidot.com/plot:desperate-measures |
| NPCs: | NA |
| Scene Runner: | NA |
| Social/Plot: | Social |
| Players: |
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Considering Power Woman was there, lots of top resources were pulled in. Justice League, Stark, their associates. A few meta+ geniuses and 48 hours is a lot of time to look at and deal with a virus. Knowing he was the host and where to look, they isolated it and discovered if in a normal human it had a 8 hour incubation before blowing up with a potential to kill a normal host in the following 8. The danger was in the rapidity on which it could spread. If it had gotten out of that pod with Jack, significant portion's of the population could of already been infected and dying. It was literally on the level Stargirl had warned them. But armed with the forewarning, the 'cure' itself was more simple from the way they make it seem - but in this instance it might of involved shooting jack with something to kill the virus and see if he survived. He did.
Finally out of containment he asked Stargirl if they could just get a burger and fries, hence the Double R. Order placed, he finally seems ready to talk. And its a simple word he starts with actually, he looks at Stargirl and says, "Thanks, for everything."
And that was 48 hours of nailbiting hell, figuratively speaking. Glad that it is all over and that humanity has once more been saved, Courtney was all for a greasy meal. To bad the diner didn't serve beer too. Oh well burgers and fries will have to do "As if you wouldn't have done the same for me." she assumes if the roles were reversed that would be the case, "But you are welcome." her brow does furrow in concern "You sure you should be up and around?" not that she is worried about him still being contagious, just that he might not be up to full health.
Giving a non-committal shoulder shrug, Jack isn't sure himself, "Up and about, nothing strenuous." Then more of a grin, "So, I can't like get swallowed to retreive contacts - so, no heroing me again, not for a week or something." Drinks are dropped off, his is just a soda from the old fashioned fountain. He taps the straw, pulls the paper off and javelins it into the drink, stirring the ice a second. "Ya, I would of done the same, just glad you didn't jump into worry and instead started with the stories of the dirt holes around the Galaxy that Vance dragged you to looking for me. I guess its been a couple of weeks, there's something I missed in that time, I was wondering if you'd come with me so I can make an apology - like moral support and all that."
Courtney grabs a straw herself, which she uses to blowdart its paper wrapper at Jack before putting it into her limeade. That was a situation in which she was looking at worry on the rear view mirror and had an exit for panic coming up. "Strangly enough the worst of them was Gotham." it took days for her to get the smell out of her hair "Who are you apologizing to?
Grinning with feigned shock that she took a shot at him with the wrapper, Jack takes the strand of paper and folds/refolds it in various non-artistic positions idly with his hands. "Ya, Gotham is the worst - a few ports up there might compare, but Gotham," he chuckles, probably sort of the local 'tucky' comparison to Kentucky and the hills therein. "Its a guy I met recently, Gary, I promised I'd make it to his regional qualifiers for state Olympics … Despero had me, so I missed him running. I owe him big now.”
"That seems like a lot of guilt for someone you just recently met." Courtney is not trying to downplay it or anything, just trying to understand where we is coming from "But sure, I've got back. Where is this Gary person and when do we head out?
Finally putting the straw wrapper down, Jack rubs off some condensation on his soda glass before picking it up. "Gary lives over at the Carydan House, he has special needs," as if to explain some importance from Jack's perspective on this one. "Since, you know, my days with the para-games, I've been trying to keep up the support even with the chair gone. After the burdger, if you're up for it, I want to apologize to him as soon as possible. Sort of his routine since I came back, I try to visit so he can talk about his bike projects with someone who'll listen and such …"
.
Courtney ahhhs as understanding dawns, "Gotcha. Sure thing. Not like I have a job that I have to get to or any other big plans for the day." of course she would do it even if she did have either of those because that's the kind of person she is. "Are you going to be telling him the truth or should I just go along with whatever you say?
"Ya, take all those big plans and throw them away," grins Jack as food is dropped off. He smiles for the service as per the sign. "I'll put on the mask, gets him some attention from the others, but he knows who I am - or at least I've let him know. Either he's good with secrets or hasn't made the connection, but I think its the good with secrets thing." A shrug, he pours some ketchup on his plate, actually offers it over before capping it as an option for Courtney. "But, I try to come in a back door, don't want others coming around, its for him. He's a good kid."
Taking the ketchup Courtney squeezes some onto her plate as well "Well that makes it easier. No secrets and all." the ketchup is returned to its home before she examines the burger to make sure it's as ordered, full of cheesy pickley goodness, along with the other standard toppings "Should I suit up too? Give him two heros for the price of one?" she starts in on her fries.
Fresh even, the ambiance might be greasy 50s diner give or take, but the ingredients atop the burger are fresh at least. Jack his his loaded, maybe even onion rings and blue cheese added on for safe measure to make sure all his taste buds are hit. "Exactly, no secrets and all. If you want to suit up, I think he'd love that. Plus you were in the news it seems, so like extra bonus." He takes a bite, chews it up and mostly finishes, "Not to mention, there are a few dodgey codgers there, so not suiting up might be risky around their wandering hands is all." Putting the burger down to grab some fries, he pauses, "You know, a shake would of been good too." Like, 'what was I thinking not ordering a shake.'
Her heroine persona is starting to become a big a name on the East Coast as it was in her previous town "I think I can handle a few grabby hands. They can't grab what they can't touch." Courtney is going on the premise that she can move fast enough to keep any hands just getting air instead of her backside or whatever else they dare to touch "It's not to late." she waves a wand to get the waitresses attention "What flavor you want?
"A prepared mind is a saved behind," he jokes improvisationally, a slight turn of his lips. Not to defend the codgers and their fingers, but it was what it was. As the waitress makes it towards them, "I'm a vanilla sort of guy, I know I know, chocolate is better with fries, but I just can't escape that tradition - curse my parents for never getting my chocolage from the local DQ or Big Belly …."
That gets a laugh from Courtney. Good thing she wasn't taking a drink or Jack would be covered in it. She orders a chocolate and a vanilla shake with a smile when the waitress comes up "At least it's vanilla and not something gross like that Shamrock shake that some places offer." she wrinkles her nose in distaste "Or even worse, pumpkin." and since the season of everything pumpkin flavored is coming up its possible that there will be one of those too.
Jack grunts in return, almost an 'ugh' but not quite. "Ya, I think those belong in custard joints, those build your own yogurt places or with incence. A shake should just be a shake, regular vanilla, chocolate, maybe strawberry if you like - anything else, not my cup of tea." Grinning as shakes orders are taken and being fetched. A pause, "And no, tea isn't my thing. I don't know, just never found it refreshing on a hot day - water first, maybe soda, but water if its hot."
Vance Astrovik comes in from Business East and Seaport — Metropolis
The two Guardians are sitting across from each other at a booth enjoying a lunch consisting of burgers and fries. "Custard, ick." some would argue that ice cream and frozen custard are she same. Courtney would dump their precious custard on thier heads for it and gently boot them out the door. "Not going for the British champion of beverages 'eh. I don't mind it as long as it has the words Long Island Iced in front of it.
As Courtney brings up Long Island Iced, Jack nods with a grin, "Or a famous golfer, with some lemonade, I'll drink it … seems to make a world of difference." He chuckles, finishing off a burger on his plate. The waitress come by dropping off a vanilla shake for Jack and a chocolate one for Courtney. "After this, we can suit up and head over there."
Vance strolls into the place that he initially thought of as a good hangout. Once inside, he will scan the various seating and notice his teammates. Vance was unable to do anything for Jack's viral problems except for make jokes about VD so once the jokes were exhausted, he went and found some other means to occupy himself. When he learned Jack was free, he figured this was the place to look. Spotting his teammates, he saunders over wearing what one could consider, gasp, modern clothing. Jeans, colorful sneakers, and a bowling shirt. He grabs a chair and assesses Jack's presentation, "Court, Jack. How's it going?"
Knowing she had the shake coming Courtney saved some fries for dipping "Hey Charlie." she greets Vance as he sits down. The name being an indictment on his choice of shirt, if not other things. "I drink the ones in the huge can." she comments on something that Jack said before Vance joined them "Any luck tracking down Despero?
"Those are good, we'll hit the nearest gas station on the way over, pick up some cans," returns Jack with a grin to Courtney. Turning to Vance he nods, "I'm breathing, up and walking about. Could be much worse." He looks like someone who just had the flu, which for Jack to look that way takes a lot. "Thanks, Courtney explained you guys went through a lot … and sorry, for attacking everyone." Even though it wasn't technically him.
Vance fades – goes to place order, talk with a waitress.
"Good plan." Courtney agrees with doing that "Hopefully we will be in luck and no one decides to knock over the gas station while we are there." she looks up from taking a spoonful of her shake as Vance heads over to the counter to order food and hit on the waitresses after telling them no luck on Despero "Because you still look like hell." though she hopes that the food and sugar laced milkshake will help in that regards.
"Well," grins Jack just to counter, "I think you've caught on, that sort of stuff just happens to find us. It seems like we deal with a lot of messes more than the proactive approach but we're working on it." The food helps, the sugar laced milkshake more so, and probably the Arnold Palmer's in a can will do even more for him. Digging out to throw money at the tab, either full or his part, he's not pushy either way, he grins, "I noticed, Vance called you Court at least, did you guys sort that out, or is he just off his 70s mojo game today?"
"I've been heroing since I was 16, not really hard to catch on with that kind of experience behind you." Courtney still has money, despite her lack of job or other paying gig. Maybe she still has some college funds that is living off of, not that she has graduated. She tosses her share on the table, "He tried to apologize for dragging me into your big danger zone of a mess…as if I was some newbie and didn't know what I was getting into." she gives a roll of her eyes "I simply pointed out that if he was really sorry he would stop calling me cupcake." there is a beat "He took it better than I expected.
"Maybe its a 70s thing too, like 30 was totally adult then, so he feels like he's looking out for us. Big puffing of the chest stuff, but he's a softy at heart, even if displaced in time," chuckles Jack, shaking his head in agreement with the eye-roll from. "Hell, you've contributed more than your share even, he probably just thought we were clear on the space crazies or something. Or he's just jealous of your mad surfing skills - cause he's going for the Magnum PI thing. Maybe we need a go-kart day, just, he'll be over competitive …" He stands then, patting his pockets to make sure he didn't forget anything.
Downing the rest of her limeade Courtney gets to her feet in a sudden rush of movement "At least he is sporting the wide collar paisley shirts and gold chains anymore. Put a mustache on him and he could have passed for a porn star." she blinks at him a bit in confusion "Who's Magnum PI?" at go-karts she hmmms "That could be fun. Though I may need some lessons first. I've never drove a go-kart..or even a car for that matter." she can fly, why would she ever need to learn how to drive a car.
With a bit of a laugh, Jack returns, "70s guy, with colorful shirt, short shorts and a pornstache - Vance with a mustache when he's playing up that 70s line of clothing he still has in his closet." A grin at that, he walks for the door, "A regular TV guy that looks like a porn star, Magnum." Then he looks slightly confused, opening the door, to head out, "Never - not even like Mariokart with the wheel? Its about the same, and good ting with karts, you only hit the wall, no real damage - its okay to sort of crash them."
+I still say we should take some gas and a lighter to his closet. But then he will just go all Macklemore on us and get even tackier clothes." Courtney isn't sure what would be worse really "He'll need an intervention either way." following him out the door she takes a quick glance around as any expereinced hero would do when entering a new location "Well yeah, but more GTA and Need for Speed. Not quite the same. When I play those I am not inside a metal box on wheels that weighs at least a ton.
"Okay, that's true," returns Jack about the ton of metal on wheels. "But go-karts are way better than a real cars, honest. And if you hate it, I owe you a real solid. And don't mention Macklemore to Vance, next thing we'll have is a cadillac space ship with white walls on it - don't ask how we'll put wheels on a space ship, he'll find a way." Chuckling, he looks around, "Question is, take the bus, or go the quick route?" For getting suited up and to the home.
Courtney chuckles "He won't hear about Macklemore from me…nor will I tell him what a thrift shop is." she doens't think her retinas could stand if that were to happen, "Bus?" she eyes the bus stop down the block "I haven't rode a bus since I was in sixth grade. Which quick route you wanna take?" her flying them both or her flying and him using his own methods.
"Just whatever means necessary, I'd say a race, but you'd win hands down," and not pondering both flying, Jack looks at the bus, "But bus is good, more reason to work on those palmers - summer time bus ride. I think we could make it in three transfers, including grabbing suits. I got a new mask, I figured the cloth one wasn't cutting it after the bug digested it last time." Just by way of talking. "Only since sixth grade, that wasn't all that long ago was it," he jokes, forget they're darn near the same age.
"Several times over." Courtney would probably win in a foot race as well, as long as it was a sprint. "Three transfers?" she eyes the bus stop again "Well at least it isn't New York…or Gotham, where we would be risking if not our lives at least our noses. People around here tend to not have questionable hygeine habits.
"Its a Metropolis thing, you know the future is clean or something," sarcastic at least, Jack knows she's seen enough of the bad parts of space to know differently. "Just like crown jewel, appearance. Like Oa or Xandar up there." A pause at that, "That's uh, Green Lantern Corp home world and Nova Corps home world." He moves towards the bus stop, one hand near a pocket of his at least. "Uh, like space police guys …"
"They think it is bright enough to wear shades." Courtney says with a hint a cynicism. And that's her outdated pop culture reference for the day "I'm familiar with the Green Lanterns…not so much the other ones. Having little trouble keeping pace with him she heads to the bus stop as well "Since I have nothing to pick up," her costume change is wrapped about her waist "Is it still three transfers?
"Green Lantern is more wide spread, they think of themselves as universal police, Nova Corp is focused on our local group galaxies," offers over Jack, "As if borders weren't bad enough on earth, I still don't get how they figure out who has what jurisdiction." Heck, the Guardians sort of fit in there somewhere even, good thing its only one Galaxy though for them. "Tell you what, you do the suit today, I'll do my street threads, Gary knows me and you'll be a real treat - celebrity in the hiz'zah." Or just regular clothes, her choice, "We can do two transfers and make it in less then 30 minutes if we catch the first bus soon enough." Seems he sticks to busses even with the running gig - cause running fast is less conspicous then flying it seems.
Fade …