ic Faster Than a Falling Star (IC)

[Poncho]

(GM Post)

 

Early January, 2025

 

Sampson's Sodas: Riverside

 

Sampson's was a pretty nice place to hang out if you were a Claremont kid.

 

It wasn't quite the mall, it wasn't quite the movies. But Michael and Sam worked there, and almost always at least one of them was there after school, which meant half off drinks and food at minimum. And if it was Michael working and you needed it, he'd pay for your meal and drink without a second thought. It wasn't a full arcade, but it had a few games. It wasn't a full sports bar, but you could wrangle the remote off whoever was working pretty easily.

 

So the Claremont Students were always welcome at Sampson's, and Sampson's was always open for them to come visit.

 

Today it was Michael who was working after school, in the lime green Sampson's polo, for the Claremont students who had made their way over. Another benefit of Michael being the worker was his homework was never far away, because he worked on it between orders. And that meant that Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen could all be tutored by him when they needed it. He didn't even charge for it.

 

Sampson's itself was a store that catered to those highschoolers who were trying to be cool, who were too young for bars but wanted to join them, too old for play places and wanting to get away from them. It had a very heavy theme of wood in it's pizza bar style, high chairs on a bar, personally brewed, small batch sodas in barrels that were designed and crafted in the back of the brick building. A pair of pizza ovens could produce fresh made pies on order. The walls had sports team jerseys; a signed Andre Leroux Freedom Blades Jersey from his rookie year, a Freedom Comets jersey, a jersey from the Freedom City Rayguns's Andy 'Lancer' Tyler, and a Darrell Marks jersey from the Freedom City Heroes. And that wasn't counting the hockey and high-school jerseys on the display. Including one that Michael himself was always a little bashful about; his football jersey from his Sophomore year at Franklin D. Roosevelt High where he took the team to state as Quarterback.

 

For Superheroes, there was a known AEGIS Contractor faculty in the back; the same place Michael had gotten his powers, but it wasn't talked about often. Even Michael was prone to dismissing talk about it, since it wasn't part of things that teenagers should really be getting involved in, and he believed fully in keeping the Soda shop separate from the AEGIS stuff in the back.

 

Right now, Mass Lines was playing Young Punks, and Michael had one of the TVs tuned to the NJPW Wrestle Kingdom that had just aired; he was a big fan of Zack Sabre Jr.

 

It wasn't that busy at Sampson's, only a few people were there, watching TV, working on homework, or eating and drinking. Not everyone that came to Sampson's was a Claremont student. In fact, the Claremont students probably didn't make up the majority as a general rule, not because it wasn't popular, but because there were so few of them. That meant the majority of customers at any given time were not superheroes or meta humans at all.

[Jack]

The sweet-salty smell of pizza hit Jack's nose from half a block away. His stomach let out a growl that could rival his bear form. He patted his belly through the unzipped sleeveless hoodie, feeling the familiar pangs of hunger that came with having the metabolism of both a teenager and a werebear.

 

Jack dug into the pocket of his cargo shorts, fishing out a crumpled wad of bills. He smoothed them against his thigh, counting carefully. "Da, maybe enough for food." The bills weren't much, but the smell drawing him toward Sampson's was too good to resist.

 

The sidewalk felt warm under his flip-flops as he approached the brick building. Through the windows, he spotted the wooden interior and sports jerseys on the walls. The place had a cozy vibe that reminded him of some of the smaller cafes back home in Siberia.

 

His stomach rumbled again as he caught sight of the pizza ovens through the glass. The aroma of melting cheese and fresh-baked crust made his mouth water. Lynn wouldn't be done with violin practice for hours, and he hadn't eaten since breakfast. 

 

Jack pushed open the door, a blast of air conditioning hitting his bare arms. The cool air was a welcome feeling in a world that always felt too warm. He glanced around, taking in the high chairs at the bar and the barrels of house-made soda behind it. The TV mounted on the wall showed some kind of wrestling match.

 

He smoothed the bills one more time, mentally calculating. "Pizza and drink, da. Should vork." His bear spirit perked up at the prospect of food, sending a familiar tingle of frost down his spine.

 

 

[Tiffany Korta]

Centuria

 

Kate was starting to feel a little better about things, and her clothes reflected this. Gone were baggie hoodies; instead, she wore a white cardigan over a yellow tee and blue jeans. She was even humming happily to herself as she entered Sampson's. Scanning the place it wasn't difficult to spot Jack, he was one of those people who just stood out despite the effort. She considered just ignoring him, let him eat in peace, but she figured she should at least say hello first.

 

"Hey big guy!" she nudged him playfully, but not before he could see who it was first "Thought I'd pop over and say high, hopefully, I'm not disturbing you too much?" she gave a little friendly smile.

[Poncho]

(Michael and Sam)

 

"Yeah, this is fine." Michael said, putting the bills away in the register. The oven was fired up, the sodas were prepared, and after a few minutes, Sam brought the pizza out.

 

"I guess you do need a lot to keep that giant pile of muscle moving, huh?" She noted as she put the platter down for him. "Though given you I'd figure you'd be eating like...moose burgers or something." She said, moving over to a nearby table to wipe it down.

 

"I feel like that's rude." Michael chastised his friend, cheerfully but still. "Jack's Russian, he's not like, an animal. And pizza is one of the five basic food groups for any high schooler." He joked as he went to change the television.

 

"And hey, Kate. How are you doing this fine day? You need anything?" He asked, nodding at the inheritor of the Centurion's mantle respectfully 

[Jack]

Jack's mouth was stuffed with the most amazing combination of melted cheese, sauce, and perfectly crispy crust when Kate appeared beside him. He quickly covered his mouth with one massive hand, trying not to spray crumbs as he smiled at her greeting.

 

The pizza was just too good to rush swallowing, so he took his time, savoring the flavors while Sam made her teasing comment about moose burgers. The thought made him laugh, nearly choking on the last bite.

 

"Nyet, nyet," he rumbled after finally clearing his throat. "Am Russian, not Canadian!" His deep laugh echoed through the shop as he grinned at Michael's defense of his eating habits. The cold aura around him pulsed slightly with his amusement, sending little wisps of condensation curling from his bare shoulders.

 

He turned to Kate, his blue eyes bright with genuine warmth. "You never bother, Kate. Is always good to see friend." He gestured at the steaming pizza in front of him. "Must try slice - is perfect temperature now." The bear spirit inside him rumbled contentedly, pleased to share food with pack members.