2014.01.17 - Girls in Pants

'lina was pretty much a regular here at Angelo's. Angelo made an excellent (in her opinion, at least) vegan pizza, and the storeowner generally didn't mind the homeless alien washing dishes for a couple hours and just taking one for free. It was one of those free pizzas that 'lina had now. 
Seated on one of the seats ringing the outside of the pizzeria, her hair held back in a non-braided ponytail. Light and breezy - in spite of the cold - was how she was dressed today, a dark jacket (which looked kinda secondhand) worn over a light blue spaghetti-strap top, and sequiened bell-bottom pants. She was probably a little too old for the latter, but she didn't care. Well-worn sneakers were worn over her feet, and she had her legs crossed - lifting a piece of that pizza to her lips as she peoplewatches a bit.
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While she's not around very often, Jubilee is a loyal customer of Angelo's Pizzeria. The pizza is /great/, the prices reasonable, and the nickel arcade machines are so /retro/! Plus, it's a great place to just watch the people go by.
She's not inside now, but outside, just coming in front of the big window with the sign. It looks like someone's inside now, sitting in front of the window with a pizza in front of her. Just then the pizza-scarfing girl turns her head, and Jubilee's eyes widen. It's Hobo Girl!
Okay, maybe she's not a real hobo, but she did look a /teeny/ bit homeless. Still, she seemed nice enough. Dressed for the weather in a pink winter coat with white faux-fur at the collar, hood, and hem, along with her rainbow stocking cap and flared denims, she looks very little different from the day of the eventful mugging.
So, she lifts a hand and taps on the window, offering the girl an enthusiastic smile and a mouthed 'Hi!'
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While Julie might not be a regular or loyal, she sure had heard about it from the social networks. Wanting to try something new, she was slipping into the pizzeria, looking for a place to hang her green coat. The yellow midriff top might not really fit the chill temperatures, but the jeans and boots were doing it, providing enough warmth with the coat to not freeze.
Taking a look around the place for a spot to sit and order, she notices Karolina, giving her a smile "Hey, you again?"
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'lina was at least half-hobo. Technically, she just lived out of a giant robot, so that could theoretically be considered a home. Right? Dunno. Regardless, she was still living the Runaway lifestyle in her own way. Lifting her eyes towards Jubilee - the other young woman /was/ eyecatching, if only by the bright colours she tended to wear, Jubilee might notice the furrowing of 'lina's brow as she kinda considers her. Jubilee looked /tremendously/ familiar. 
 
Of course, when the Asian-American teen knocked on the window, 'lina jumped up a bit in surprise, an embarrassed flush touching her cheeks. Mouthing an 'o' sort of shape, Karolina gives Jubilee a smile, picking up a slice of pizza and kinda waggling it in the window, pointing at it with her other hand, before miming taking a bite before making a 'come here' sort of gesture. 
 
The blush might be slow in fading as well. Although Karolina glances up towards Julie a bit as the young woman calls to her, 'lina giving her a gentle smile. "Hey there, how are you?" she asks.
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Jubilee covers giggles with her hand, blue eyes twinkling as she smiles back at Karo. She gestures to the pizza slice, turning to the side and miming a pudgy belly with her hands. But all the same, she nods to the come-here handwave and holds up a '1 second' finger, then darts for the door.
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"Oh, I'm fine. You too, I guess?" Julie asked, noticing the charade at the window and bursting out to giggles "I was never good at charade... anyway..." With a big smile she waves at the table herself "Do you mind some company and the pizza on my bill? It's my turn, remember Karolina?"
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Karolina can't quite help the smile that springs up unto her lips at the giggles at the window, her own blue eyes twinkling as she purses her lips and glances downward - looking up towards the door briefly before eyes shift back to Julie. "Well, I already have a pizza, Julie - but thank you very much for the offer - you wanna share it? I mean, it's vegan, which bothers some people, but. I really think it's great," says 'lina. "But sure, come sit with me."
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Catching sight of the second girl just as she leaves the window, Jubilee backsteps as if caught by a VCR's Rewind command. Seeing the copious giggles, she sticks out her tongue at the other, her face screwed into a playful mock-scowl. After a moment, she turns her back to the window, as if miffed at the laughter... but then up goes the hem of her jacket, down go those jeans to her knees, and Jubes shakes her white-clad hindside at the glass tauntingly.
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Julie snickers still a bit as she sits at the place next to Karo' "Come on, Don't tell me you paid already. Because I so was intend to pay the next bill." Making a mock pout she looks at Karo, catching an eye on Jubilee outside and again bursting out to giggles, covering her mouth "Oh come on... your Friend out there tries either to tell something or freeze her behind off."
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"Oh gosh," says Karolina when Jubilee decides to do that - decidedly glancing away from the window, and holding up a hand as if to shield her eyes from the sight. "I like just met her. In an alley. Fighting crime or whatever, so... uh... maybe I don't know her," says 'lina, bringing up the pizza and taking a bite of it. "I actually just washed dishes for like three hours, and they give me a pizza for it," says 'lina. "Although I guess you shouldn't tell anyone. I just know the owner, I guess, and they've been really kind to me."
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Seeing the very real embarrassment on Karo's face, Jubilee settles down, casually drawing up her jeans again and hurrying for the door, fingers busy with buttons.
It's a moment before that telltale burst of cold air signals her entrance. At least it's quick! A pink jacket and bright cap join the green coat on the rack in the alcove near the door. "Um, hi..." the Asian teen says, coming up to the table, the pink in her cheeks from more than the signature New York cold weather. "Sorry for the show. I get a little carried away sometimes," she says, lowering her voice in apology. "But when I saw you, I knew it was you," she adds, nodding to Karo. "Nice to meet you when your feet are on the ground!"
She nods and smiles to Julie, too. "Hi!"
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Julie smirks a bit as the Asian joins them, nodding to her "Hey. I take it you know Karo, so I am Julie." she introduces herself, blinking at the girl next to her "Oh, I will not pay, but I guess we need another Pizza here. What's the chef's name? Angelo?" she asks quickly before standing up to wave at him "Hey Angelo, can we have another of those vegan Pizzas? I pay." she orders before sitting down "So someone kicked her off her feet?"
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"Why would you /do/ that?!" hisses 'lina quietly to Jubilee as the other woman approaches, "Soooooo embarrassing," she says, bringing up a hand to kinda scratch the side of her neck, glancing over towards Julie briefly. "I mean, um. You can do what you want, obviously, but. Yeah. I... new subject?" 'lina takes a swig of water, as if that would help silence herself. "I'm sorry, it's no, um, problem. And you do recognize me?" she says. 
 
"Most people can't tell if I don't have the... you know. Sparkle on," says 'lina, kinda making an open-handed gesture towards her face. "You must be hungry, Julie..." says 'lina, opening the pizza box, and kinda orienting it so that the other two women can get into it.
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"Jubilee. Nice to meetcha, Julie... and no, not exactly. Ya see, she was flying at the time," Jubes explains, keeping her voice down. "I never got close enough to ask her name, so I'm hoping to now."
She blushes as Karo mentions that again. "Just thought I'd give you both something to laugh at," she murmurs, looking away. "Laugh more, anyway. I think Julie said your name's Karo?"
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Julie snickers softly, pointing at Karo "I had troubles recognizing her the first time without. But can't fool someone with such a gentle cut nose." she teases, taking a slice of pizza while they wait for the other one to arrive. "So I take it you are somehow making the world a better place, Jubilee?"
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"/Oh/. I guess I never got your name, either. I... guess I'm kinda a ditz sometimes," says Karolina, laughing just a little bit, before bringing up a hand to point at her own nose. "Karolina Dean. From California. It's nice to meet you, Jubilee," she says, kinda lowering her voice, "Is that like... your real name, or a codename?" she asks then, glancing towards the window. 
 
The little tease from Julie brings another wave of color to 'lina's face, and she glances back towards the other two. "Yeah, I guess I never asked - are you a superhero or something?"
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"It's a very nice nose on a very nice person," Jubilee says, giving the now-sparkle free Karo a smile. "And you're from Cali, too? It's been a long time since I ran into somebody from bear flag country."
The questions come, and she steps closer to the table. "Actually, it's both. I have another name, but I hate it, so you're better off not knowing. Jubilee's fine... or Jubes, or Jubee, or Juju... I'm not picky. I do a little superheroing, when the chance comes. It looks like you do too, Karo... or should I have said that?" she asks, blinking and glancing sidelong at Julie, blushing again.
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Julie Power snickers a bit, keeping her hand in front of her mouth to prevent pizza flying - and that her blush gets seen. "Oha, I am in the middle of Hero-City it seems. Aren't you supposed to keep your ID secret?" she muses, knowing well she had done not too good at keeping hers covered from Karolina, but then again, Karo is such a sweetheart. "So any-nickname-Jubi?" she asked then, before nudging Karo "She is right, a nice nose for a very nice person." With a slight snicker she adds almost in a whisper "but it can't match the eyes."
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"Thank you," says Karolina to Jubilee with a very real smile, her eyes flickering to the side towards Julie. "Both of you - I know we don't really know each other, but I bet we can be really good friends, you know?" says Karolina, her smile turning a bit gentle as her eyes flick down and away from them both - 'lina then bringing up her slice of pizza to take a bite. It was Jubilee that her eyes kinda swing towards next. "I kinda like Jubee. Do you have a favourite of all of those?" she asks then. 
 
Karolina rolls a shoulder in a shrug. "I think, at one point in my life, I'd like to be a superhero - but um. I mostly just try to do the right thing, I guess. And help take care of Molly. Or maybe she takes care of me, I dunno," says 'lina, smiling a bit fondly.
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"There are /totally/ worse places to be," Jubilee ripostes playfully, giggling. "And I don't really have a favorite, but lots of people I know use Jubes, so it's semi-official. What about you, Julie? Have a secret ID we should be careful not to give away?" she asks, winking at the strawberry blonde.
and back to Karo. "I think you do a good job at doing the right thing, from what I've seen. If you've space on your friends list, I'd love to join it! Oh, and totally cool pants you've got on. Want to trade for a while?"
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"Worse place than Hero-City? Kansas of course. They don't even have StarkTV there!" Ok, that one was exaggerated, but what else to say about Kansas besides we aint in Kansas anymore? "But If what I saw counts, you do an awesome job Karo." Julie answers, then blinks at Jubees "eh... What?" she asks, more meaning the pants than the ID, but it could be the answer to both.
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"Oh, right! I grew up in Hollywood," says 'lina. "I don't think I've met anyone else from Cali - I think most people from there like to stay there. It's one of the best states in the nation, after all," says Karolina, kinda glancing up towards the ceiling. "At least, my parents seemed to like it there," she says then. 
 
Although the offer of pants? 'lina kinda looks shocked a moment, tilting her head a bit to the side. "That's... so... weird. Like the sisterhood of the traveling pants or something?" says 'lina. "I'm not sure we're the same size, so um... that's okay," she says, kinda bringing up a hand to wrap a lock of her blonde hair around her fingertip. "You grew up in Kansas, Julie? Is it as bad as they say?"
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"I've never been to Kansas, so I'm in the same boat as Karo," Jubes replies. "But I know Hollywood a little. I was in LA, myself; different zip code, same general area. Not a bad place, but life has a way of making it tough to stay sometimes."
She looks to Karo, seeing embarrassment again. "Jubes, learn to keep your mouth shut," she murmurs. "And I think the Sisterhood found one pair that fit all of them, which was weird. But I guess if you can have magic swords and magic rings and magic belts, magic pants are doable."
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"Hey, I have been in California the last year or two... Don't I count? Cali is cool, but it NY is not bad either. I mean Avengers, Spidey, Superman and JLA all hang around here. And nope. No idea about Kansas other than it is yellow from above and supposed to be the least interesting state. Came from Georgia but then we moved here to good old New York. Could you imagine to grow up without an Ocean somewhere nearby?!" Julie answers, smirking a bit on the on the stay "You mean like family and stuff? yea, it makes it hard... Sisterhood? Like Ann Brashares? Girls in Pants? I SO had that book, but no match ti hunting of the Snark."
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"Yeah, my folks were kinda... you know. I guess they were TV stars. They did soap operas, and had a pretty good following for a while. A couple of big films! Nothing like... earth-shattering," says 'lina, kinda breathing out a sigh. "They are... well... I ran away for a reason, let's just say that," says she, grinning towards Jubilee. "Are you vegan? You seem to like the pizza well enough, and, well... do you wanna sit down with us? I've been really kinda derpy, I guess!" she says with a laugh. 
 
"And yeah. I wonder if we could get like... a wizard or something to make a pair of magic jeans. Then that might be fun, um. I guess what we're talking about is a book thing, Julie. A group of friends shared a pair of jeans, and wrote stuff on it as they passed them from woman to woman," she says, grinning bright. "And the adventures they had around it."
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"Sorry, Toto, your home state is still boring after almost a century," Jubilee says, stooping to pat an imaginary little dog. "Strange that a major motion picture would feature it so heavily, huh?"
She listens with interest as Karo describes her family. "I kinda did, too. And it was a good reason, the never-can-go-back kind. I guess we've got something in common, Karo," she says, sliding into the booth and giving the taller girl a sisterly hug. "Maybe we /should/ talk to a wizard. Those girls were about our age. But first, I need to find out what a Snark is..." She looks curiously at Julie.
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"Well, Carroll wrote about them in the book I mentioned, but then there is the Cruise missile and Jack told me lat year he found Snarks in Half Life - I guess that is one of his stupid games. Some Ships carry that name and then there are real Aliens with that name and some supercomputer..." Shuddup Julie, you are a bookworm, but you don't need to prove it NOW... "Oh, we just need to find a jeans with stretch in it. What's your width... 30, 32 maybe? We could even have a chance to find one that fita all that is mundane... Unless we try to get Woopie into the club. Nothing against her singing and stuff, but she is a tad out of our waistband size."
Pondering about the idea of a Girls in Pants club Julie giggled "If we start it, Jubes is first, as she suggested it! and then... Karo, you want to go first in it or should I? And we so need a fitting diary."
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"Well, before we make any kinda club like that..." says Karolina Dean. "We'd need to know a wizard or something first. Do any of you guys know one?" asks Karolina, glancing between the other two women. Leaning into the hug a little bit, Karolina straightens afterwards, looking towards Jubilee first, then to Julie. "Aliens?" says Karolina Dean, face kinda wobbling. "We're okay with aliens here, right?" she asks.
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"The guy who wrote /Alice In Wonderland/? I could see him writing something weird and wonderful with a title like that," Jubilee opines, smiling at the thought. Another thought strikes her as Julie goes on with the subject. "I don't think we could find something that stretches /that/ much... I mean, I'm the smallest one here, and you look a few inches over my head, and Karo looks a few inches over /your/ head, so it might pose a problem. And who's Woopie?"
She nods to Karo, looking puzzledly at her face. "Aliens are cool, totally. I haven't known many, but I've liked the ones I've known. And isn't Superman technically an alien? I've read that somewhere, and he's one of the best people I know."
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Julie bites her tongue - did she just say real aliens? Smiling she gave Karolina a slight puff with the ellbow "With the friendly sparky kind absolutely, especially if they are pretty. But not so with ugly reptile Snarks."
Julie Power stands up "sorry, need to go to the ladies room..."
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"No way. Superman is American, right?" says Karolina, kinda bringing up a hand to brush through her hair again. Kinda distactedly, overall. "Wait a minute - you know /Superman?/" she asks, blinking a bit rapidly at Jubilee. "Ohmygosh. How? What was he like? What did you talk about?" she says, nudged a bit by Julie's elbow, she kinda grasps her side. "I dunno. I've never met a snark. There's /gotta/ be one or two really nice ones," she says.
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"Friendly, sparkly aliens would be cool, if I knew any," Jubilee says, perhaps a bit regretfully. "Supes manages friendly pretty well. It's kind of a distant acquaintanceship, though. I helped him solve a mystery once, so it's not like we're anything close to besties. But he was nice about it all."
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Karolina Dean bobs her head in a bit of a nod, kinda poking at her half-eaten piece of pizza. Chewing a bit on her lower lip, she gives her head a little shake. "I guess you guys do. I'm supposedly one," says Karolina. "A Majesdanian?" she says, looking between the other two. "Although I have no idea. I was raised here, and I have this bracelet," Karolina lifts her arm, kinda tapping her medic-alert bracelet. "...which keeps me from getting all glowy. I dunno if we're good, bad, or neutral. But I'm just me."
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"Well... that'd make you the first alien friend I've had. If you want to be, I mean," Jubilee says, blushing a little. "I've never met a Majesdanian before, so it's not like I have any prejudgements or anything. You're just you, so far as I'm concerned." She smiles. "I kinda like just you, actually, glowy or no glowy."
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"You're... wierd," says Karolina, but it somehow didn't sound like a judgement. Even if it was kinda one, "But you're fun, and funny - I'd love for you to be my friend, Jubilee, if I can be yours too?" she asks, giving the other young woman a hug again - if she was lingering nearby still.
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Jubilee is, and is more than happy to hug Karo back. "Totally! So friends we will be, the Californian and the alien from California." She stifles a giggle. "Doesn't that sound like a movie title? 'The Alien From California'?"
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"I don't /feel/ like an alien, Jubee," says Karolina, rolling her eyes a bit, but smiling. "But how did you get your powers? Are you an alien too, then?" she asks, kinda scooting away a bit after the hug, reaching out for her half-eaten slice to take a nibble.
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"Well... sometimes I think I'd be better off if I was," Jubilee murmurs. "I'm a mutant, which is about a half-step up from the spawn of Satan as far as a lot of the world is concerned. I don't know why. I mean, it's not like any of us asked to be different, and we can't help it. We are what we are."
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"Well, do any of us really get to choose? I mean... I thought I was human until like a year ago. And no ones bothered me for being what I am, but there's just... I dunno," says Karolina, glancing back towards Jubilee. "Do you really feel like the world hates you that much?" she asks.
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"I've met some people who /definitely/ do," Jubilee replies, shivering. "But it sounds like you got the same kind of shock, finding out you were different from most of the people around you. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I know what that's like." And Karo gets another hug.
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A hug that 'lina accepts, kinda bringing up her arm to return it, before drifting away again. "And I'm sorry you had to go through that as well. And that you've met some people that make you feel bad like that," she says. "It does make you feel... different, doesn't it? When these people get all mean and harsh towards you?"
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"It does," Jubilee admits. "Sometimes I wish I weren't a mutant. But then again, I'm pretty used to being one now. I don't think it's a bad thing. But sometimes I wish... I just wish things could go back to the way they were. That I could be an ordinary... spoiled brat with doctor parents, going to an ordinary school and coming home to an ordinary pampered home life. I miss it. But I wouldn't give my new family up for the world. We're a team, with everything that goes with it."
She smiles. "And that goes for friends, too."
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Karolina gives a rueful little smile at what Jubilee says, her eyes glancing down and away a moment - towards one of those retro games as they beep and boop. "Yeah," she says, kinda glancing back towards Jubilee, a lock of her hair hanging down into her face. "Everything changes - but I guess it's for the better in the end, isn't it?" she asks.
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"Not all change is for the best, ever, but some is. This one was, even with all the heartache that went with it, and how long it took," Jubilee says at last, giving Karo a smile and reaching up to brush that stray lock of hair out of her face. "Better move that... might tickle your nose, and pizzas don't like being sneezed on."
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That is when Julie comes back, quickly leaving the payment on the counter as she brings the second Pizza to the chatty girls "Delivery! Vegan Special for Misses Dean, Power and Jubi! What you talked about, girls?" she asks, getting back into her place. "changes? Some are bad, most of them can be undone and some are just stupid. But on the other hand, some are really awesome. Like Rainbows." The last word is said with a wink to Karolina.
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Julie snickers and gives Jubilee a look as if she would just have heard a top secret item - Julie and Rainbows - before she bursts out into laughter "Okok, I admit it! I am part of the hero gang. What a surprise! Lightspeed, member of PowerPack, since the age of 10. But if you tell that anyone... I'm a bud of Wolverine." Well, which Hero is not?
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"Fab? Has anyone said that since... like... the 80's?" says Karolina, glancing towards Jubilee with a bit of a giggle. "If we tell anyone, you'll have us killed? Really?" says 'lina lightly to Julie, giving her head a wry shake.
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Julie stops shortly, blinking at the cool commentary about them getting killed. "No? Wolverine is not a Killer... well, not always. He just knows absolutely everybody out there. Or knows someone who knows. Who else would you ask to spread word? Oh, we so should team up with him to battle... uh... You happen to know if they have a schedule for stuff like Kree Invasions or Undead Nazi assaults?" Ok, the last clearly is a joke - she is in the job for 8 years, she knows there is none.
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"So am I... but your secret's totally safe with me," Jubilee replies after a suspenseful pause, winking at Julie. "And just so you know it's true, I'll leave my phone with you both while I visit the Little Girls' Room. Though seriously, talking on the phone in /there/? Major lack of phone manners." Giving Karo and Julie each a quick hug, she sets her hot pink S-Phone on the table, safely away from the pizza, and slips into the back. "Back soon!"
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Karolina Dean brings up her hands to tap her number onto Jubilee's phone. "I dunno him. Although I think Molly punched him a couple times," she says, kinda giving Julie a little smile. "Hey - I probably should get going too. I have someone waiting on me - I was supposed to only grab a quick bite, but I was bad and chatted."
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"You mean this Molly? She must be super tough to kick Wolverine's ass!" Julie sais with a smile offering a quick, friendly hug "keep yourself up - and take yourself some slices pizza home. If not for you, Molly can have 'em as apologize." With a snicker she adds "Unless she is jealous of course. Then tell her I'd meet her in the park so we can talk about it."
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"You got it," says Karolina, bobbing her head in a nod to the other woman. "Thanks for the extra pizza, then. I'll catch you later?" she asks, standing up again, and collecting her things before heading off.
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"aye! Catching you, either by following the sparkles or setting up an ambush here!" Julie sais with a joke, waving.
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