2012-11-25 Insanely Dangerous Idea

Once he got out of work, Eddie had decided to follow up on something his friend Robbie had suggested the previous night. So using the number he was given, Eddie called up Noriko and asked if she'd like to meet up for lunch. Right now he's in a less traveled area of Central Park sitting on some steps near a fountain where he said he'd meet up with Nori. He's got two big bags from a local fast food chain with him and is idly sipping a soda while he waits.

The weather's getting more cold. The days are getting shorter and more miserable. A free lunch is still a free lunch, not to mention Nori's lost track of most of those bizarre but similarly crazy kids after having first run into many of them. It's almost a miracle that her phone has enough charge left in the battery for the exchange to go through, sometimes it's just nice to have a friend nearby. If these two have reached a point of considering one another a friend. She'll take that gamble for now.

As usual she attempts to blend into the crowd by hiding the blue hair under a ragged brown hood, not that anyone's likely to care in the middle of Manhattan. The smile and wave that she ultimately passes your way are both timid in nature, as though coming back to this part of town has her more skittish than usual. "Eddie, hi. How's life?" It's all she can think to say.

Eddie perks up when he sees Nori, offering a smile. He waves back as the other teen gets closer. "Things are g-g-going pretty well actually," he admits. There's just a hint of him being surprised at this in his tone. "How have things b-been going for you?"

Nori takes a seat beside you, knees bunched up toward her chest and arms wrapping about her shins. "Been going," she repeats before giving your question some deeper thought. "Quiet, mostly. Oh, ran into that plant ..man..guy..thing..? a few days back. It's--he's still as weird as ever, but seems cool enough. Means well," she openly decides with a slight nod. "Difficult to understand, though. Seems like he took that killer robots from the Bronx story a little obsessively, was out looking for 'em. Don't suppose you've kept in touch with any of our last gathering?"

"Xavin?" Eddie remembers the name. He's quick to offer one of those big bags to Nori. It's got all sorts of tasty but unhealthy fast food treats in there. "The r-robots were real but I don't think there are any of them left," Eddie adds. "Umm, yep. I've run into everyone but um...Xavin, Hawkeye, and that Tommy guy. I'm trying to find everyone though. What about you?"

"Whoa, wait. This -entire bag- is for me?" Nori hesitates, half in disbelief. "Eddie, you rock." Suddenly the challenge facing her is to find something to devour without giving you the impression that she's as hungry as she feels! "Xavin! Right. I've ..not met any of the others since then." Because she's been keeping to herself, and hiding from the cold. It's a good thing that some areas of the subway network still get cell reception. "Figures that the three you haven't seen are the three I've had any contact with. I've known Tommy for some time, though. Hey, if you have any way of reaching the others maybe we should all hang out as a crowd again. Safety in numbers." Pass the time. Feel a little less alone. Maybe even find somewhere to belong.

Eddie nods and smiles. "Yup. All for you," he replies. Of course being told he rocks just makes him blush. "I remember hearing about a guy that sounds k-k-kind of like Tommy when I used to live out here but I never met him until then. Do you..know how to get in contact with him then? B-B-B-Billy really wants to meet up with him since they look exactly the same," he says. He then smiles, sipping his soda again. "That's um, actually part of what I wanted to talk to you about. All of us getting together again."

The expression that Noriko gives you in response isn't quite as open and cheerful as it had been a moment earlier. There's something beyond hesitation, resentment perhaps? "I can get hold of him if I need to," she simply confirms. Knowing someone for 'some time' can be a mixed blessing. It allows history to take form between those involved. History doesn't always shed favorable light upon that which it encompasses. Fortunately, the moment doesn't have long to linger. "That really was crazy, and they aren't at -all- related? I heard that everyone has a twin somewhere, but that was a little too unreal. Maybe one of them is a shapechanger, too." Weirder things could happen, right? Like the next thing that you share with her, now pausing long enough to clear her mouth of food so she's not forcing herself to talk around a wad of it. "Really?" As soon as the word comes out she feels like an idiot for having such a thought-provoking response, but it's all that comes to her mind.

Eddie immediately looks a little worried. Maybe he said something he shouldn't have? He's considering apologizing when Nori replies. The power booster smiles and nods. "They might be related and not know it," since Billy is adopted but Eddie isn't going to reveal that. "Billy is definitely n-n-not a shapeshifter. I've felt his p-powers and they're all magicy," he replies. There's then some enthusiastic nodding. "Yep, really!" he smiles once more. "Speedball, Billy, and I were talking about it last night."

"Magic?" comes the second award-winning inquiry from the blue-haired girl. Because mutant powers are believable but magic powers aren't! Nori lets the moment pass with a tiny shake of her head, commencing with the consumption of oh so tasty but oh so bad for you food as you continue. Normally your level of enthusiasm might have gathered some suspicion from her end, though it's -really- difficult to be suspicious around someone like you. "Same reasoning, or something else..? It almost sounds like they have some bigger idea in mind than the lot of us crashing the closest fast food joint."

"Yeah. Magic. It's r-r-really awesome," Eddie chimes. Apparently it's not too much for him to believe but he's got the endless faith thing going on. "Well h-hanging out is part of it but we were thinking of...you know...teaming up. Fighting b-b-bad guys and saving people together and doing stuff like hanging out and all that too."

If ever Nori's expression became one of mixed reactions... Hanging out? Cool. Teaming up? Well..sure..? -Fighting bad guys?!- She's in the middle of chewing away when the motions of her jaw slowly grind to a halt, the remainder getting pushed down to her stomach to keep it out of the way. "That sounds insanely dangerous. Are ..are you guys serious? That's not our job, there's people out there who devote their entire lives to doing just that sort of thing so that other people, such as us, won't have to..!"

Eddie just blinks a few times, head tilting to the side. "Of course we're serious," he replies as if he were saying something as simple as 'the sky is blue'. "Being a superhero is awesome. Sure it's dangerous b-but there are people out there that we can help with what we can do. And umm...I found out that even if you're not g-going out to save the day and fight bad guys...trouble t-t-tends to pop up on its own anyway."

Noriko stares back at you, reading your expression as best she can. ..Yep, you're being serious. "This isn't some game, Eddie..!" Her attention momentarily shifts down to the Spider-Man logo printed across your shirt, motioning toward it with a hand. "Look beyond the pipedream, you're talking about risking real lives, -our- lives, and I don't know about you but I'm not exactly on speaking terms with that ..thing that I can do. It's crazy! You guys are just ..." Just -what?- Blinded by the thought of glitz and glamor? Or serious about making a positive difference? Safety in numbers, after all. Nori's head hangs forward, claiming a long breath to try and settle her thoughts. "I know a lot of us probably don't have a whole lot going for us these days, but ..c'mon, Eddie. We've gotta be realistic, we'd get ourselves -creamed- out there." Maybe she just needs some time to come around.

Eddie remains quiet as Nori speaks, frowning a bit. Eventually he sighs. "Actually...I've b-been at this awhile. Me, Speedball, and some of the others. And we haven't b-been creamed. As for your powers...maybe we c-c-can all help one another get the hang of things," he says. "And like I s-said...sure its dangerous but if we all worked together and watched one another's b-b-b-backs we could keep one another safe and make a difference out there."

Noriko isn't expecting it, but you manage to say one more thing which completely catches her off guard. "You guys have already been doing this..?" That, too, sounds downright crazy! And yet, here you are. No worse for wear. Speedball had left an impression when she first met him, and he seemed to be alright as well (though perhaps a little more crazy than you seem to be.) What seems like a suicidal idea suddenly starts to seem that much more possible. Still, is it what -she- wants? What is it that she's really after, for that matter? At first she glances down to the bag full of goodies that you brought out here for her, letting this new piece of information simmer alongside the rest. What she wants..is somewhere to belong. What else is she doing with her life? Living in grimy tunnels and doing whatever she can just to have something to eat. If she has to be honest with herself, there isn't all that much left to say. "We should find the others."