2012-09-19 Welcome to Metropolis

The sun's out, the birds are active, and the temperature's -just- right out in the Park Ridge area. There's virtually no commotion to speak of, a pleasant feeling of lethargy in the air as though nothing bad could possibly happen to a place like this. Even Domino's feeling it, rolling a jet black Jaguar up to the curb then climbing out to scan the house addresses around her through a pair of sunglasses that fail to cover all of the spot about her left eye. Next to the sun-lit scenery she stands out, draped in semi-gloss black with a patch of pale white skin making up the tips of her fingers and all of her neck and face. It's a safe bet that she's not from around these parts, a heavy boot nudging the car's door closed as she stretches out her back. Pop..poppop-crunch!- "Oh, man..! Road trips. Still not a fan."

Domino's not the only one that stands out in this nice little neighborhood today. There's something big, fuzzy, and sporting claws and sharp teeth around. And people don't seem bothered because that big beast of a guy has been pretty polite and friendly since showing up and rescuing a pair of kids from almost being hit by a bus. Walking away from the crowd of people that had gathered, he's preparing to head off on patrol some more when keen hearing overhears Domino and all that popping. "Can't say I'm a fan either. Too expensive and boring," he remarks with a friendly smile. Well...as friendly a smile as one can have with all those teeth.

There's certain expectations that comes to most people whenever the go somewhere new. Dom had this place labeled as low trash, low crime, high property tax environment the instant she got to within a thousand yards of city limits. One thing she didn't expect? This guy. Right here. When spoken to she quickly turns around and..yeah, her jaw might be hanging just -slightly- open. "Not the welcoming committee I was counting on," she offers back while taking in the peculiar sight that is you. If you aren't a mutant then there has to be something going on here, because really... "Gonna go ahead and guess that you're not from around here, either?" (Cripes, please tell me I didn't bump into one of the local hero-types already...)

Taz is used to that kind of reaction by now and it just gets a little laugh out of him. "Expecting someone less hairy wearing an S on their chest?" he asks with an amused tone. "Well, I'm not from this part of town but Metropolis is my new stomping grounds, miss. Name's Tasmanian Devil. Pleasure to meet ya," he says, curious if the woman's a mutant or a meta like himself or just into bodypaints.

Oh right... There's that Superman guy out in this part of the country, isn't there? Domino lets out a long but subtle breath, trying to remind herself of why she came back and why this is all a good idea to begin with. An instant later she's back to the present, looking at you with a friendly, but black-stained, smile. Alias, ho! "Beatrice," she says without so much as a catch in her mental processing. Until she can figure out who's who (or what) around this place it's probably best to err on the side of caution and distance herself behind a faux name. Still, she does offer a half-gloved hand to you in greeting. "Pleasure, indeed. If you've been stomping around this place for a while then maybe you could offer the name of a good diner..? Driving cross-country builds an appetite." An astute eye might have caught the California license plate on that Jaguar, though where the heavy black leather trenchcoat came from or why is still up in the air. Maybe she's cold-blooded?

Superman and a lot of others. Taz flashes another smile before bowing to give the offered hand a quick little kiss. He's in a happy mood so he's playing around a bit. "As a matter of fact, I can show you to a nice place I've been visiting lately even if I haven't been in these parts too long," he replies. The trench coat doesn't seem odd to him, really. He's seen people wearing all sorts of things in the city. He just figured it was an American fashion thing.

Heywhatwait--did you just kiss the back of her hand..? You did, didn't you! "Definitely not from around here," Dom/Beatrice chuckles softly. The next offer comes as no surprise, not after that act of greeting. With a practiced motion she checks the underside of a wrist, getting an update on the time. She did arrive way ahead of schedule, gotta love fast cars. "Alright... Sure, I'm game for this. Walking or driving?" Not exactly how she had planned on spending her first day back in town but there's worse things that could happen!

He did! As much a kiss as a guy with a face like his can anyway. "No, I hail from the land down under," Taz replies proudly. "It's only a short walk from here. Nice little diner," he explains.

That answers that. Dom reaches into a coat pocket and feels out the key FOB, locking the Jag's doors. "No kidding? Land of the giant, face-eating spiders and all? Must have been one heck of a trip. And here I thought all you boys had those adorable accents," she jokes while motioning onward with a slight twitch of her head. "What brings you out this way?" It's the spiders, right? Gotta be.

Taz laughs at that, starting to lead the way. "The spiders are normal sized. The ones you have here are just runts," he jokes. "What, my accent's not obvious?" he asks. Most people notice it right away. "Well, things got a little bit too hostile for a guy that looks like me back home so I came out this way to see what kind of work I could get done in the United States."

"Runts," Domino repeats with a lopsided grin. "They can stay that way, too. In fact, I'd prefer if they did." Next she's gently shaking her head, "More of the stereotypical 'g'day, mate!' stuff you get on TV. It's almost weird to hear the accent with more familiar wording." Too hostile? Well, now she just has to frown at the news. "That's no good. Seems like life's treating you better out this way? Everything for a reason, and all that."

Another laugh. "I hear there are Spider-people around this country though," Taz teases. "You're only likely to hear the old cliches out in the rural areas. Most of us talk just like you Americans," the fuzzy meta replies, still in a friendly mood. He's leading the way to a small diner up the block. "Yeah, wasn't pleeasant but things have been going pretty well up here," for the 'Taz' side of things anyway. The 'Hugh' one needs work.

"Oh yeah, -those- guys," Domino confirms with a soft laugh of her own. "Drives the pigeons crazy, they don't like having to share their airspace." Man, it's impolite as heck to ask but she's still wondering where your more ..feral traits came from. Not the most common of gene mishmashes that she's seen... "Well, good thing that you've found something that fits. Finding a place to take root can be important." Or so she's heard.

"Really? Huh, didn't think anything phased those little buggers," Taz remarks. He wouldn't mind answering if asked, really. He's been asked a few times already. "You've got that right, Miss," he replies, holding open the door to the diner when they arrive.

"They get ornery when you tease them with food sometimes, too." Dom should have guessed that you'd get the door for her. This level of treatment is rather unfamiliar to her, especially after the craziness that she left behind on the west coast. Now that she's leading she picks out a booth and is quick to plunk herself in the far corner, permitting herself a clear view of the rest of the diner and the front entrance. It's a subtle thing, but an important detail to her. It's only then that she decides to crack the big question, "Can I ask about your appearance? There's something unique about you, I'll admit to being curious what all that is." What the hey, you don't seem like the type to get easily offended.

As they arrive, the employees greet Taz in a rather friendly manner. Apparently he comes here often. Taz returns the greeting before following Dom. "I'll leave 'em alone. They outnumber me," he jokes. Sitting across fro the woman, he blinks then flashes a grin. "What would ya llike to know?"

Hmm, seems like you've got yourself a bit of a positive reputation around here. Good to know. But, it's hard to find the answers to a question that one does not know. Domino looks thoughtful for a second before lightly rolling her shoulders. "It's more than the physical traits, I'm guessing. You must be a meta of some sort, does that mean mutant..? Something else? What do you bring to the party that the others can't?" she finishes with a faint smile.

Stopping robberies and generally being a friendly and happy guy have served Taz well. As Domino explains her question, Taz grins. "Well...my mother was a were Tasmanian devil who raised me in a Tasmanian Devil cult who gave me a Tasmanian Devil amulet and sold my soul to a Tasmanian Devil after injecting me with radioactive Tasmanian Devil musk from a race of alien Tasmanian Devils," he says. It should be obvious he's joking and trying to get a laugh.

Cue the arched brow. It's soon followed by its neighbor, then followed with an uninterrupted pale blue stare as she absently plucks the sunglasses from her face. There's a passing silence once you finish before she pointedly states "You are so full of it" in a monotoned voice. Setting the shades aside on the table with a soft chuckle, the smirk returns once more to those ebony lips. Dom offers "If you don't want to talk about it that's all you have to say. Cute answer though, anyone ever fall for it?"

Taz laughs, shaking his head. "Nope, not a one. I don't mind talkin' about it. There's just not much to talk about. I was born with powers like this so," he shrugs. "Don't think I'm a mutant but some others I talked to said I still could be."

"Yeah, I bet you'd pass as one just fine, at any rate," Domino concurs. "So..that's really it? You look like you do and don't have any other powers? Sounds like a bit of a drag to me." Either that or you're holding out on her.

Taz shrugs. "I don't mind. I'm still me regardless of if I'm a mutant or not," he says. "Well I've got teeth, claws, better senses than most people, and I'm stronger and faster too. So I got some powers to go with these dashing good looks."

There it is, enhanced senses. Stuff like that Domino's gotta watch out for, whether the other is a hero or not. "So that apple cinnamon pie I smelled on the way in here must be hitting you like a physical force," she jokes. "Think I'll help remove some of that temptation." Should help keep your olfactory occupied with things more pleasant than carbon and oil, too.