2012-08-15 Exploding Pastries

It's early evening on the NYU campus, and Aloke is feeling right at home. His minor fame, coupled with his actual professorship at the university here, have combined to both swell Aloke's up coming class sizes, and also even earn him an autograph request here and there. He's taken up at a seat outside of a campus bar that serves coffee and alcohol (sometimes together!), with an oversized sketch book balanced in his lap, drawing the buildings in the quad. He's taking his time, and not drawing mad-dash like he's been seen to before, but he still moves pretty quickly. He sits at a little round, metal table, with four chairs around it, with his feet up on a second chair, as a student comes by and asks him to sign her sketchbook. He leans over with a smile, draws a quick sketch of himself, blowing on a finger-laser, and signs it for her. She seems pleased! He smiles to himself as she walks off.
Well, that was interesting. Kit exits a music store next to that coffee shop/bar, hands stuck in his pockets; he'd been trying to discreetly get information on a thug he'd caught the other day. Something didn't sit right, but he didn't have much to go on. He steps out of that store, trying to think on his next move--when he sees the professor. That makes him smile, and he heads right over to the man. "Hey, professor," he says as he steps around to be in the man's line of sight. "We met a few days ago, but I saw you in the newspaper. Something about giant ants?" He smiles at the man as he goes to offer his hand for a warm and firm handshake.
Doo dee doo. Rain, technically Winter, has decided to go exploring. She actually has a bag over her shoulder and is trundling along at a fair pace. She glances from store to store, trying to figure out what to look at. She actually has a box in her bag, looking thoughtful. Where is he? Rain checks the little note and keeps scampering along. But soon? Target acquired! She smiles, seeing Aloke/Laser. She waves. "There you are!" Beam. And a pause as the professor seems to have company. "Oh. I can wait a sec." Something about giant ants... Her eyes widen a bit. She has a terrible pokerface and Lady Gaga would be ashamed.
Aloke looks up and smiles. He takes his feet off the other chair and stands to shake Kit's hand. The wheels turn inside his glowing eyes for a second when finally it clicks. He snappoints when they let go of the handshake, and says, "Oh right, the luckiest intern ever! You saw that, huh? Yeah, a bit more excitement that day than I'd bargained for! Luckily the Phantom showed up. He did most of the heavy lifting." Aloke shrugs, and turns when Rain approaches. "Oh, Rain! How good to see you! We never got to..." catch up after that little episode in Metro, is what he was about to say. But his eyes track hers, and he connect the fact that she slinked away, with probably not wanting to talk about it in front of others. A secret heroine, she'll be then! "No no, come on over. Luckiest Intern - meet Luckiest Pedestrian. Rain here was nearly bowled over when the ants showed up, but he got her to safety alright." He winks at Rain and smiles, apparently pleased to be able to introduce two young people to each other!
At the snap-point and being named luckiest intern ever--which is actually true, really, and he knows it--Kit has to laugh. He perks up when the man starts talking about the ants; it's nice to see the man still in good spirits. When Rain comes up, he turns to greet her as well, offering his hand when he's introduced, for a lighter handshake than he'd given her as the Phantom. He does pay attention to the little things like that. "Hi. Christopher Walker, but you can call me Kit. And you were there, too, huh? Gosh, that must have been something. What was it like to see it up close and personal like that?" The last said as he looks between the two, and he's genuinely interested, too. It was--weird. Definitely weird, and kind of sad.
Rain smiles at the intern comment. She seems amused. "Yeah, that was pretty lucky," She admits. She is quiet. "It was interesting to watch." It's odd that she seems to keep her powers hidden as she can, though - maybe more known amongst the lower class sorts as a fairly mercenary healer. Either way, she seems glad to see the two. She accepts the handshake. "Kit. That's a cool name. It's a pleasure to meet you," She nods. Besides, one assumes Rain's able to compare handshakes. She's probably just worried about doing it right. "I'm still Rain," She nods. "And um, yeah. It was weird. Poor ants. I never thought I'd feel sorry for them..." Words spill. Awkward, but friendly babble mode - activate. "Um! I have a delivery for you," A peer at Aloke and the calligraphy set (antique) is handed over. "From a student. They said they had to be anonymous or I drop dead."
Aloke looks pleased at the introductions, being a matchmaker extraordinaire, of course. He got them to tell each other their names! What else do young people need these days, anyway? At Rain's delivery, he blinks and then raises his eyebrows. "Anonymous gifts. Oh dear." He reaches out to take the box and nods. "Thank you for bringing it to me. I hope we're not going to have a repeat of that freshman crush from a few years ago." Aloke trails off, thoughtful, and then swings back to the topic at hand. "Oh, so are you a courier in town, then? That's good, solid work, if you can get it."
"That /is/ pretty interesting," says Kit, sticking his hand back into his pocket. "I bet you meet all kinds of interesting people, and getting to deliver stuff like that--" a nod to the calligraphy set, "--that's got to be pretty nifty. Man, I bet you both meet pretty interesting people. Courier and a part-time hero." That's said with a warm smile as he looks between the two. He sounds rather impressed, and he is, too. Meeting new people is something he, himself, finds rather neat, so he's impressed by jobs and the like that allow it, if not encourage it.
Rain is blissfully unaware of any plans involving her. She has her autographed copy of So You're Going to Die Alone: Engineering Edition. She nods at Aloke. "Um, no idea, sorry. I just went with it." The calligraphy set is actually pretty nice. "They didn't seem like a freshman, though. And ... it's okay. On and off." She doesn't mention her other job(s). She smiles a little at Kit. "Sorta." But aw. She seems content to listen as much as talk. "Um. Y'wanna drink...? I think I'm going to grab something," She points in to the shop. "Wait, is that appropriate? Crap." Gaah. Curse you human interaction! Curse yooooou!
Aloke offers a genuine smile to Kit's enthusiasm. "I can say I've met my fair share of interesting characters. Although, honestly the vast majority have been in the class room. I guess it's why I do this really. It sure isn't for the money!" Suresh laughs at his own joke. Hey, someone has to. Then he steps closer when Rain is made uncomfortable by her own words. "Well, hey," Aloke says, placing a hand on Rain's and Kit's shoulders. "Drinks are on me. Supposed to tip a courier anyway. Plus, faculty discount and all." Also, ten percent less awkward. Matchmaker's work is not done here after all! "I'm getting an Irish coffee. What'll it be, you two?"
A moment's thought, then Kit looks between the two again. "Sure, I could go for something. I'd prefer milk, though, if they have it. I'm not really much of a drinker--though let me say I'm not some teetotaler who minds if anyone else does." That's said with a grin, and he looks to Rain. "What do you say, eh? Get to hang out with a professor-cum-super hero--and me, but hey, at least I'll try to make my company worth your time." Spending some time relaxing actually sounds right up his alley right then.
Rain smiles at Kit and Aloke, listening. "I bet, a lot of people go through college now," She considers. She seems awkward, and shy, but at least it's not the flailing, spazzing sort. "I usually get tea or soda," Rain admits. She smiles a little at Kit. "... that would be awesome," She replies. Rain fidgets a little, but at least she hasn't bolted under the table with a statistics book and started hissing. "And besides, drinking's not a good time if you don't remember it," She remarks. Who wants to wake up with dongs drawn on their face, anyway? She seems unaware of Aloke's plans. Captain Social Skills, indeed.
Aloke pauses, considering their orders, and just shrugs. If you can't get a couple of 20-somethings to drink, what was the world coming to? "Ok, so that's a milk, and a tea. Coming right up!" And Aloke disappears into the coffee shop.
Watching the man leave, Kit chuckles and shakes his head. "Got'a admit the professor's an interesting one," he says. "And I'm usually a tea man, myself, but milk really is good for you, so." A friendly smile, and he goes to pull out a chair for Rain. "Here, have a seat, yeah? I imagine being a courier's hard work, so you might as well take a load off." Only after helping her into her seat will he pull out one for himself. He's nothing if not a gentleman, raised with proper manners.
Well. Drunken broomstick flying would end badly in a city full of skyscrapers with clear windows. She smiles and watches Aloke go. Rain looks back to Kit. "It is. I just don't drink it straight often," She admits. She hesitates a moment, going quiet. "Sure, thank you. That's very kind of you." She sits in the chair, looking to him. "Well, not too bad. I like it. Walking doesn't wear me out too much unless it's crazy amounts..." She fidgets. "How about you? You said um... you- were an intern...?" She tilts her head, purple eyes peering at Kit. She's /trying/.
Aloke futzes around in the coffee shop for a bit, picks up a plate of different kinds of nibbles (never know what people might like), and eventually he's handed one of those cardboard trays that can carry 4 cups. Kit's milk is in a regular to-go coffee cup, and the fourth pocket holds Rain's tea fixings - creamers, sugars. Never know. Too bad for Aloke, but he totally misses the one fan-girl taking his pic on her cell phone, and tweeting it to her little circle of 8000 friends. Ok, so only 17 of them have heard of Laser before, but still! Some of them are coming down to the quad. Soon. Dun-dun-DUN. Laser walks out with the drinks, still oblivious, and sets the tray down on the table, next to the plate of nibbles. "There we go. One adult beverage for the decrepit old man, and something healthier for you two." Aloke grins, truly not that down on himself. He just has an odd, self-deprecating sense of humor.
"Actually, I'm mostly a college student, but I've got an interview with Hammer Industries' legal department as an intern next week," replies Kit, grinning as he leans back in his chair. "Still not sure how it will go--" He stops himself when Aloke comes out, and he straights up a little. There's a smile when he sees the tray of nibbles, though there's also some surprise on his face. "You didn't have to do this, professor," he says to the man. "I do appreciate it, though. Thank you very much." Truth to tell, the sight of the nibbles makes him a bit hungry, but he'll wait for Rain to take something first. He does though, reach to the drinks, so he can take his milk out and set it aside, then set her tea and tea-fixings closer to her.
Rain smiles faintly. "I see. That's pretty cool," She seems duly impressed. "I hope it goes well." She nods and sets her hands on the table. And she looks to Laser/Aloke. Her eyes widen. "Um. Thank you. You didn't really need to... I appreciate it." She smiles at him. "I doubt you're that much older than us. I can buy booze at will, and I finished at least one degree..." So. So there. She settles silent for a moment, hesitating. It's clear that Rain may well have a sort of shyness to deal with for a good chunk of her life. But then, a look to Kit. And hey! He's setting stuff up. Her mouth opens, then closes. She bites her lower lip, shoulders hunching a little. "Um. Thank you." Nod. Carefully, she'll reach for a pastry. "Well. I'll check and make sure it's not an exploding pastry." Rain: Modest Heroics, saving the world from pastry bombs, flaming pigeons and shoes not on fire.
"Hey, it's my pleasure," Aloke says, picking up his own drink and savoring the first sip. He keeps his feet, perhaps stretching his back, as Kit sets everything out for the Kit + Rain tea party, and smiles away at nothing in particular.Somewhere up the block, 3 whole fans have met up, and are closing on this location, as our heroes speak. Aloke raises an eyebrow at the possibility of an exploding pastry and takes a careful step back, just hiding his grin.
"Always a good thing to check for, exploding pastries," says Kit, giving a nod with an obviously fake serious expression. It's belied a moment later by another grin breaking out on his face. "Think I'll be making sure as well; you can never be too careful when there's the possibility of exploding pastry." Once everything's settled, he retrieves his cup of milk and leans back in his chair again. "Speaking of," he says as he looks up to the professor, "why not have a seat and check for exploding pastry with us? I mean, a bona fide super hero with us--there'd be no danger of incendiary confections." A grin given to the man, there.
Rain smiles faintly. She'll put some sugar in her tea (HEATHEN - wait she's a witch, ok) and stir it. She looks at Kit, turning a little red. "Well, remember me fondly if I get blown to smithereens," She does take a bite, nodding at Kit's offer that the professor sit. Nomf. Once she swallows, she adds, "Yeah, that'd be cool." She seems amenable to the idea, too. So far, so unexploded. "I think they're safe." Taking the first bite is a sin Rain will eat to make others comfy, after all. She stays quiet to see if he'll accept or not, also unaware of the fans.
Aloke snorts and rolls his eyes and Kit's suggestion. "Sure, ok. Just stretching the legs a bit. I was sitting for almost 3 hours before you came along." He gestures at his sketchbook on the empty chair and gives the book a glare. Then he smiles again, lowering himself into the chair. Just as he's about to lean back and get comfortable, his trio of fans (two girls, one guy, all high school aged) come up brandishing their phones, asking for pictures. Aloke hauls himself back out of the chair and obliges each one for a pic. When he thinks he's done, they start wanting him with each pair, and then they try to get Rain or Kit to get all three of them with Laser. After the pictures, out comes the autographs, and who knows what'll be after that. Well Mr. Suresh, Fame is not always all it's cracked up to be, is it? Eventually Aloke just excuses himself from the table making apologies, scoops up his sketch book, and tries to escape the evil younglings by walking away, which pretty much works. The three look Kit and Rain over, trying to figure out if they should get pictures with them too, but no one raises the red flag, so they finally wander off.
And Kit is about to respond to Rain when the fans get to the table. He's definitely amused by the way they treat the professor, and he idly wonders if any of them got him the calligraphy set. That would be too amusing. When Aloke makes his escape, Kit gives him a wave, saying, "Goodbye, professor. I hope to see you again sometime, yeah?" He shakes his head when the fan-girls wander off. Probably to stalk the professor's office or something. He looks to Rain and says, "Okay, so about the explo--" And he's cut off by his cell phone. Dagnabbit. He pulls it from his pocket and checks the text message. "Aw, crumbs," he says, teeth gritting momentarily. "Hey, I've got to take off, too--but tell you what, you want my number? Give me a call and we'll do this for real. Here, so you know it's my real number and not one of those rejection hot lines..." Fingers maneuvering through menus, he then turns the phone around to hand it to Rain, and she can see that it is in fact his legitimate phone number that she can copy down, if she likes.
Rain blinks as the fans get here. Huh. Wait. One gets a suspicious eye, but Rain says nothing. She waves to the professor. "See you. Be well." Man, fan-girls. Simultaneously destroying the things they love. Or at least, chasing them off. There's a pause as Kit starts to speak. "Sure... I'd love to," She smiles faintly. "And it's okay, I never really get phone numbers anyway." So she wouldn't really know. She'll copy down the number, slipping a little pad from her pocket and a pen. Number'd. "..." There's a long moment of quiet before she looks up. "Thanks." Yes.
((Fade out))
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