2012-10-03 An Art Filled Barbecue

Kyle Rayner's job is a bit more involved than just being a gallery designer. For instance, promoting your gallery is kind of important, especially if you want to bring in new attendees. Selling the artwork after the exhibit closes is nearly as important. So... Kyle's hosting a 'dine-in' function. Rather than make it a swanky black-tie affair, however, the young artist from LA is making things a bit more... fun.
It's a street barbecue! And not just for the 'professionals' on display at The Met- it looks like he's invited every artist, sculptor, and performer in town to come put their wares and food on display. At least one metal worker has a custom grill going, and it looks like a street vendor who does woodworking has a little brewery pumping out beer. For, you know. Those of age.
Kyle's wearing an apron that says 'GrillMaster' and is flipping burgers at the main grill. There's a festive attitude, even in the latter part of the evening, and the presence of some uniformed officers guarantees that criminal hijinks should be kept to a minimum.
Oliver Queen comes down the street. He has heard about the BBQ for the art gallery, and wants to help out a little bit. He always appreciates the artist trying to make it on his own. He carries a big crock pot and heads towards the man in the apron. "I know I'm not an artist, but thought I could help if you like." The pot is full of Ollie's famous chili. He gives the cops there a look and a somewhat roguish smile as he had just spent a night in NYPD's finest accomadations recently.
Someone say free food? Or cheap food? That's a fast way to earn a visit from a certain demi-homeless witch. She has paused her grudge against the pigeon population, ceased sea gull pursuit, choked off chicken vengeance... okay, kidding, she only slightly hates pigeons. Mostly. Regardless, she seems to be politely coming to admire the art and maybe try some of the food. She isn't terribly social, but Rain does like art. And no one seems to be on fire. She passes an officer politely. At least today she's not looking too scruffy. She looks to be in good spirits and smiles here and there. As a homeless to formerly homeless person, at least she seems to be adept at dodging cops... "Huh..." There's spices on the breeze and art to admire here and there. She peers at Oliver and the crock pot. Neat!
Considering what happened the last time Kate Bishop even tried to visit anything art related, hopefully she doesn't end up with a panic attack this time...
*Cough*
Anyways...
Art show. Barbecue. Lots of artists, probably local ones. And mingling among the crowd, sampling food and enjoying art is one Kate Bishop. And while she might not be an artist, or know art, she knows what she likes.
"These ribs are to die for..." she mutters to herself as she looks at a very abstract sculpture that looks almost like it's made out of recycled floor pots.
Starfire has absolutely no idea what a BBQ is but when she heard it was by the museum she had a sneaking feeling there was at least one person there she could rely on to explain it to her.
There's a difference in the way Kori enters though. First... It's on foot. Second... She's dressed! Well, in something other than leather that it. She wears a white, sleeveless sweater dress with a V-cut neckline that fits her form rather nicely and reaches about midthigh. Paired with this is a silver chain belt that hangs looosely and and angles from waist to hip as well as a pair of amethyst colored leather boots that go just above the knee.
Once she makes it to the event, that somewhat lost look crosses her face and a hand runs through as much of her ridiculously long red hair as possible as she begins to slowly wander around.
Sue Storm arrives a litle bit after the others, or rather returns. She's been here earlier, and offered to bring some bottled water. But, there's no way she could have carried enough for this entire shindig on her own, so she's cheating a bit. Keeping the stacks of bottles and herself hidden from public view as she finds a spot next to the coolers to set them down, she appears perhaps a bit abruptly just a few feet away from Ollie. "Kyle? The water's here."
"Ollie!" Kyle grins and waves his spatula at the blonde fellow. "If that chili's as good as it smells, I'll happily call you an artist of the kitchen, amigo." Kyle gestures at an empty table that Ollie can set up at, and flips a few more burgers over, letting them sizzle and cook on the steel grates. "Set up over there. Beer?" He produces a bottle and pump-fakes his arm once, then tosses it neatly to Ollie once the man's got his hands free.
"Sue!" Kyle doesn't seem surprised at all at her sudden appearance. "Thanks, that's great. Uhh..." he gets on his toes and peers around. "Set them down over... yonder. There the empty table, next to the glassmaker tent." Kyle grins, seeing a few familiar faces wandering around, but doesn't quit his station. The Chef is in the house.
An impromtu juggling competition breaks out between two of the street performers, much to the delight of the crowd. Spirits are high and everyone seems to be having a good time- and there's more than a few meta-humans wandering around, apparently.
Ollie carries the crockpot of chili over to the indicated table and opens the top. One can definitely smell the assortment of chili powders in the pot along with possibly losing some nasal hair in the process. He grins as he gets a ladel into the chili and some bio degradable paper bowls set up next to it. He catches the beer on the throw, "Thanks. That was the next step," he says with a grin, but then almost drops it as Sue just appears. "Whoa," he calls out with a laugh. "Lady, you do know how to make an entrance." He is dressed in fairly casual clothes today with his blue jeans, green tshirt, and a light windbreaker jacket of navy blue. He has never really discussed with Kyle what he does, and he often will defelect or downplay his money as if ashmed of it at times.
Hmm. So much to see! And where to - hey! It's - a Sue! And there's people with chili and stuff. Starfire gets a polite smile in passing. It's apparent Rain is a bit out of her element - that is, around people. Man, socializing. But the smell of chili is alluring and people seem happy. Rain socializes like a sponge, absorbing the atmosphere more than directly bothering people. She does wave to Sue. She doesn't seem to notice anything amiss. For now, Rain's in surveying mode. The area is happily pigeon and fire free. Hmm. The juggling competition amuses her, thankfully, no chainsaws are involved, either...
And Rain must of missed that guy off to the side that was using a chainsaw to carve a statue out of a log.
Kidding!
But Anyways, as Kate wanders around, she just shakes her head at the jugglers. That is as she moves on, and blinks at the group forming around the chili. Yeah. Two out of the three she recognizes. But Ms. Bishop doesn't say anything. Nope. even if that chili does smell good...
Aah. There's the voice Star was listening for. Hearing Kyle call out causes the orange skinned woman to turn in the direction of the voice and take a few moments to look for... aha! Confident steps take the alien through the crowd, hips swaying with each step. On purpose? Perhaps.
Rain's nod is returned along with a grin to the young woman. She, herself, would probably be far more adept at socializing if she were more familiar with things!
Coming up on Kyle Kori reaches out a hand to lightly touch his arm in order to gain his attention when he's not quite so busy. "What, exactly, is a barbecue?" She lets her eyes slide over the event happening around her and smiles. Oddly, she seems... comfortable in this setting.
Sue Storm nods to Kyle and smiles a hello to Ollie as her force field makes settling the water bottles where indicated a simple task. After waving hello to Rain, she catches a brief whiff of Ollie's chili and chokes a bit. "Good grief...what's IN that? I really hope you aren't to expect me to taste it."
Kyle flashes a grin at Kori. "It's call a barbecue. It's an old custom here- a special way of preparing food with a lot of flavor." He flips three burgers over and bumps Kori with his hip. "One second, Kori." He sidesteps her and heads two steps to Ollie's table. Kyle produces a spoon from his apron and promptly helps himself to a bite of Ollie's famous chili.
New Yorkers may think they're hardcore- and Ollie sure makes a mean batch. But unlike some Green Lanterns, Kyle grew up in LA, where habaneros are used only in the most serious of cookoffs. Kyle smacks his lips and nods. "Not bad. Kind of bland." He winks at Ollie and steals another bite, then beckons Kori over. "Here- try this. Everyone's gotta give spicy food a try sometime," he tells the girl. He waves the spoon back and forth, one hand cupped underneath it. "I promise it probably won't kill you."
"Come one, come all, to the great Artist Barbecue. The art is ok, but the food is great!" he calls. Kyle beckons Kate and Rain over to the grill station, still waiting for Kori to try the chili. "And medical staff is on hand for those who eat the chili!"
"This chili is designed to seperate the weak from the strong," Ollie says with a laugh. "Three different kinds of chili, sirloin, beans, tomatoes. The good stuff, of course." He pops the top off the beer using the table and takes a drink. "I've been making this stuff for years. Surprisingly, that usually seems to be the end of my relationships when I finally make the chili." He gives Sue a wink before turning to look out over the bazaar. He does give Kyle a look as he passes the chili off as bland. "You, my friend, have a lot to learn about good cooking then if you think this is bland." He returns the wink to Ollie before taking another sip of beer.
"Medical staff...?"
Yeah, Kate grins at that and shakes her head as she heads over towards the trio, and more importantly the chili. And yet the closer she gets, and the better she can smell it, the more she tries not to joke about that anymore.
"Mr. Queen. Ms. Storm." is said as the young socialite nods at the two better known individuals at the table. All though with someone like Kori there, with her unique appearance, odds are she should know her. Kyle likewise gets a nod.
"Wild guess, this must be some of the infamous Queen Chili? The stuff that you refuse to sell to the military on the grounds that they'd weaponize it?"
Rain looks awkwardly peaceful, not interfering with any of the introductions for now. She tilts her head at the chili. "Darwin's chili? Well, no..." The fellow doesn't seem to be Darwin. Mr. Queen? Hmm. Why does that voice seem vaguely familiar? Rain tilts her head and peers at the guy with purple eyes. "It smells kind of nice," She admits. Granted, being who she is, she might well eat anything that doesn't eat her first or is sentient. She seems curious about the new comers, but lets the conversation turn to chili for now. "Um." Wait, medical staff on hand for the chili?
Kori quirks a brow upwards for a moment. "It appears to be a celebration feast..." There's a bright laugh that emits from the woman when she's hip-bumped and nods. "Alright." Of course, then she's being beckoned over to try the chili. Kyle hasn't led her astray with food yet so... why not! Right? "Kill me?" She sounds rather amused.
Pure green eyes would sparkle as she makes her way over to the spoon that's being waved in her direction if they could. When she gets there, a smile and a nod go to Ollie and Sue. "Hello." And then her attention is back on Kyle and the offered food. A hand reaches out to wrap around his to hold it still so she doesn't have to chase the spoon down and then the bite is taken.
It's only seconds before those green eyes widen, the alien swallows and smiles brightly. "That's wonderful!" She doesn't seem at all bothered by the heat of it. A nod is given to Kate as well when the woman approaches before she laughs at Kyle's announcement.
"Good, right? This is pretty excellent chili, I'll admit it," Kyle says. He flicks his tasting spoon clean and wipes it on his apron. "And I grew up eating habaneros in LA. So no understatements here." He flashes a tight, boyish grin at the crowd. "But wait! Wait wait wait, there's more. Come, one and all, and try the Rayner Family Burger recipe!" Kyle goes back to his grill and does something manly with the spatula and the burgers. Ollie probably understands how it is. In short order, Kyle's got paper plates loaded with juicy, thick burgers, alterating with cheese for those who like their burgers made like they do in 'Murica.
Sue Storm chuckles at Kyle and Ollie. "I think I'll stay safely on the 'weak' side. Last time Johnny made some chili, I couldn't taste anything at all for a week."
"And good day to you, Miss Bishop," Ollie says with a grin as he watches folks gather around the chili. He smiles a hello to Starfire as well. "And yep, this is the famous chili. Step up and grab a spoon. Only the best for my friends after all." He follows Kyle over to the grill to grab one of the burgers he is putting on plates. "If you can snag me a rare one, I'd appreciate it. The blood soaking into the bun just makes the burger perfect."
Kyle quickly dishes one to Ollie. "This one was mooing ten minutes ago," he advises the Green Arrow.
And here comes the spoon. And a bowl. And Kate just barely puts it to her lips as her eyes go a ,little wide...
"I can definitely see why the military would want this..."
Starfire bliinks at the words from Ollie to Kyle. Can orange skin go green? Poor Star looks as if she's going to be absolutely sick. "That's..." She blinks, forcing herself to bite down on her tongue so she doesn't say something she thinks could be offensive. "Is that... Normal here?" It's not asked of anyone in particular but it does make sure that Starfire give Ollie a wide berth now. What? The man wants to ingest blood!! Even the thought has a shiver running down her spine.
Sue Storm receives a phone call and sighs. "I'm sorry, I've got to get going, Kyle. I hope this barbecue goes well." She smiles to Ollie, then takes the fastest way out of the event. She goes invisible then goes straight up and out of everyone's way before heading back home.
"Completely normal," Kyle agrees, ripping into a burger that's just about as juicy as Ollie's. "Meat's best tender or nearly moving." He winks at Ollie and happily chews down on the juicy slab of ground beef. "Oh man, and the /baby/ ones. The taste of suffering makes it sooooo much better," he moans, rolling his eyes skywards in carnal pleasure. He chews in a happy, noisy fashion, then looks to Starfire. "What, you want one well-done?" he asks her, the smell of delicious meat still filling the air.
"I can definitely see why the military would want this..."
Starfire bliinks at the words from Ollie to Kyle. Can orange skin go green? Poor Star looks as if she's going to be absolutely sick. "That's..." She blinks, forcing herself to bite down on her tongue so she doesn't say something she thinks could be offensive. "Is that... Normal here?" It's not asked of anyone in particular but it does make sure that Starfire give Ollie a wide berth now. What? The man wants to ingest blood!! Even the thought has a shiver running down her spine.
Sue Storm receives a phone call and sighs. "I'm sorry, I've got to get going, Kyle. I hope this barbecue goes well." She smiles to Ollie, then takes the fastest way out of the event. She goes invisible then goes straight up and out of everyone's way before heading back home.'
Ollie cannot help but laugh at Star's reaction. "Bloodier the better. You better be able to slap a few bandaids on this sucker and it is out there grazing." He waves to Sue as she heads out. "See ya around the water cooler." He decorates his burger with some lettuce, tomato, pepper jack cheese, and a bit of steak sauce. "Now this sucker is going to be good." He looks over at Kate and smiles after she tries the chili. "Told you it was good."
Kyle Rayner says, "You put STEAK SAUCE on the burger?! HEATHEN."
There was just a mild hint of fear in Star when Kyle spoke but the words from Ollie... That has her paling a little, or as much as she can, and slowly backing away. She looks positively ill and terrified at the same time. "W-why would you..." Another shiver runs down her spine. She's really been trying to adapt to Earth's custom's but... but... blood!
Rain listens at the talk of food. She tilts her head at Starfire and nods. "In some places. There's lots of cultures and foods. It's not really my thing, but sometimes - " Wait. No. She's not telling them about the Easy Bake Coven. Ahem. She just shrugs. "That's just how some people like to eat. There's vegans, who won't eat anything that involved an animal," She points out. She waves to Sue. Rain will wait her turn to try a burger first. Before she sears her tastebuds off, anyway. She seems amused by Kyle and Ollie's exchange. But hmm. Food. She pauses at Starfire. "Ah... um." She looks awkward. Hmmm. "Well. I guess there's things people do that we don't always understand...? No, I'm making this worse." But there's something familiar... peer at Ollie.
"Kidding. Starfire, we're kidding," Kyle tells the girl, eyes crinkling in a laugh. "We don't eat live meat. It's not really bloody- it's just the beef rendering down with the heat. Less cooked meat has a better taste. The suffering thing isn't really true either," Kyle says, mumbling something about 'lamb', whatever that is. "You up for one?" he asks Rain. He sets his burger aside and dishes her up one as well. "You look like a medium-well sort of burger person," Kyle informs Rain, passing her a snack. "And for you, lady?" he asks Kate, brandishing his spatual at her and wiggling it a bit in her direction.
The reaction from Starfire causes Kate to blink, and give the other woman a slightly odd look. Or at least she does before she tries to get ahold of some cheese to put on her chili. After all, that's suppose to help cool it down. Right?
And yes, Sue gets a nod as she heads off. But she still lets the others explain things to Kori. Or at leasts eh does as she 'works' on her chili.
Ollie takes a bite of his burger as they others discuss bloody meat. He has to find a napkin before he makes a mess of himself as the burger is quite juicy. He is whiping his face as he raises an eyebrow and regards Rain. "You know if you hold that face, it will stick that way," he says with a grin.
Now that causes Kori to stop backstepping. She takes a moment to look around and is suddenly very much aware of the odd looks she's getting. Those green eyes swing back to Kyle and just stare at him a moment. Her jaw works back and forth a moment before she swallows hard, gives a small shake of her head and simply turns and calmly starts to walk away.
"Kori, wait wait wait!" Kyle grouses and (carefully) sets his cooking implements aside. "Right back," he mumbles to the trio around his table. He negotiates past Rain and Kate, and quickly catches up to the departing redheaded alien. He gently touches her arm and starts apparently talking fairly quickly, trying to keep her from taking off in what looks like a panic.
Then it hits Rain. "Oh! Goodness, no. Most of the meat is prepared. We wouldn't eat live animals or drink their blood," She looks a bit wide-eyed. She looks apologetic. "I apologize. Depending on where you go, a lot of places take good care of the animals before they end up on plates," She notes. Granted, a lot of meat plants aren't quite so humane but a lot are! "Um, medium-well sounds fine, thank you." She will accept what is dished up, smiling a little. A look towards Ollie. "Oh! Sorry, I was thinking. I guess the chili might hide the smoke that would come out of my ears," Her eyebrows furrow a little. She tilts her head at Kori. "I hope she's okay..." But! She glances back to Ollie and Kate. "Your voice is familiar. Um, I don't think I've met either of you though..." This dissonance troubles Rain a bit.
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