Place Your Bets, Ladies! (IC)

[Aoiroo]

"Can't really say I understand magic at all, it's pretty far out there from any field of science I know. Some of it makes sense sometimes, but other things, just shouldn't be possible."

She picked up her cards again and started to look at them absently,

"Zombie powder is a good example. I've looked at the stuff under a microscope, and had a friend run some chemical tests. It's a low dose powdered narcotic, with an opiot base, which alone just makes it a mildly addictive painkiller. I than had it examined someone who could look at the magical aspect which is actually the part that kills you. For some reason or another a gram of powder can somehow absorb someones life energy which may or may not kill them, and if it does use it to resurrect them after the brain has already died some hours later. Chemically, it doesn't make sense, at least not with the materials present. But it works regardless, everyone saw that last October."

[Gizmo]

Setting her cards down, Jill raised her right hand palm upward. With a faint crackle of energy, a shimmering blue disc of mystically reinforced bioelectricity appeared in the air just above her fingers. "Things Fusions has fought," the teenager indicated in a smooth deadpan before raising her left hand and creating a second, identical disk above it. "Things Grim has made-out with." Bringing the hands closer together, she caused the two fields to merge most of the way into a recognizable diagram. "Surprising amount of overlap."

With a light clap, the medic let the force fields disappear. "It's not like the mislabeling of somethings means everything is mislabeled, either," she pointed out, getting back on topic. "That's a logical fallacy. Zombies are a good example," she added, although she didn't directly acknowledge Silhouette, evidently still a little annoyed with the other woman. "'Cause I know living systems, and there's nothing going on there that explains them walking around scientifically."

[April]

Sage favored the other white-haired teen with a smile. --It's alright, Wisp,-- she said to her directly, dropping the others out of her mental 'network' as she accepted to drink. --I know you didn't mean anything malicious by what you said.--

Turning her attention back to the conversation, Sage started to giggle at Jill's Venn diagram before smothering it with a hand. --I can't really say much on the subject of magic, though my observations of Seven make me inclined to believe in such a thing.--

--Though for your question,-- the telepath continued, cocking her head at Grimalkin, --Just the usual extra-dimensional hijinks that Young Freedom tends to stumble into. Bumped into our counterparts calling themselves the Young Paragons, kicked Overshadow and other assorted goons in the teeth and prevented the collapse of reality. You know, standard fare.--

[Avenger Assembled]

"You really should avoid dating criminals," said Fusion, politely but a little disapprovingly. Well, this new bit of news certainly put Grimalkin's story about being in love with a Japanese cyborg in perspective. "I know bad boys have a certain cachet, but I think that's just a natural response to people who project a certain amount of confidence. There's a difference between being attracted to a man because he seems confident and capable, and being attracted to him because he's a bad guy. If you do have to do those things, at least keep them on the down-low. We need to set a good example for the kids." She hmmed, bet, and winced when her two pair turned out to be a little too low. "Ah, damn. In any event, when it comes to scientific mysteries, I think of my grandfather, who didn't see a...ah, motorized vehicle until he was Wisp's age. There's always new things to discover, and the mysteries of today will be the commonplaces of tomorrow." When Sage spoke, she nodded approvingly and added, "You Young Freedom kids are all right. Do you know Wander?"

[Heritage]

Grim frowned at Fusion's judgemental tone, even if there was some truth in her words. Reaching down into her costume, she pulled out her engagement ring on a slender silver chain and started idly spinning it around.

"Well, I'll have you know that my fiance is in fact not a criminal; he just uses guns...a lot."

Yeah, that was not gonna go over well. Damn it, what was it about Fusion that made her come off so badly? Maybe she should just keep her mouth shut for the rest of the night...

[April]

--Yes, I know Wander.-- Sage acknowledged, turning to look at Fusion. --She is one of my nearest and dearest. Friendship aside, she is a veteran member of Young Freedom, while I...-- the telepath shrugged, --...am more of an interloper; when Psyche is not so busy I will no longer be needed. But yes, Wander provides much to aspire to, such as her physical prowess. It truly sets a nice bar with which to measure against.--

[Gizmo]

"Oh, well, that explains it!" Jill exclaimed as though it sudden realization, leaving her lackluster hand on the table while she knocked the heel of one hand into her forehead and turned to Dragonfly. "Seduced by your confident, bad girl charms! Defenseless against that certain cachet!" The young woman shook her head with mock sorrow. "Alas and alack, I shall certainly be a cautionary tale told by mothers." She hadn't really intended to make their relationship known to everyone in attendance, but the sidekick figured if it was that obvious to everyone, she might as well just go with it.

[Fox]

Dragonfly frowned, both at the antics and what was apparently a lousy hand, pushing it away from her. "Fold. And not really your fault," she reassured her girlfriend, sitting back in her chair and sneaking a couple chips off Jill's plate. "Clearly too young and female to know better. More a physicist than a biologist, but think I remember the common sense gland doesn't grow until 21 in women. Judgement just can't be trusted before then." She wasn't quite as deadpan as she'd have liked, but she shook her head in mock sadness. "Unfortunate. Miracle that the species survives."

[Avenger Assembled]

Hmm. Scarab, Bombshell, Dragonfly, Jill O'Cure...I wonder if there's a book in this. 'Out of the Closet and Under the Mask: LGBT Heroines Speak.' I might be able to get that guy from Lincoln in on it too, hmm...It's probably better if I contact them out of mask, though. She told Sage, "She's a fine young woman. All you kids are, from what I've heard, but she's the one I've had a chance to fight alongside in the most dangerous situations." Without using her hands, she unscrewed a soda bottle for herself, relaxing unconsciously with just the kids around. "You know," she said seriously to Jill and Dragonfly, "there's nothing bad about being gay. I'm proud to be around young heroes like you, standing up for the future like you are. When I was your age...well, I wasn't in this business, but damn few heroes were willing to talk about their orientation, even the ones everyone suspected were in the closet. It's good to see the world changing so fast."

[April]

--I wish everyone was as enlightened as you, Fusion,-- Sage murmured with an accompanying frown. --But I suppose if anyone was going to understand, accept and support differences it'd be a member of the hero community. But it's the people outside this community that makes things... uncomfortable.--

The telepath stopped 'speaking' for a moment, pondering her hand. With a small shake of her head, and a faint smile replacing the frown she displayed her hand, a straight flush. --And Wander is an exceptional woman.--

[Aoiroo]

"Change and acceptance happens faster in a community that has to pull together out of nessicity as often as the heroes of Freedom, and the city as a whole, yeah, outside the city it's comparitivably slower, but it's happening none the less."

Glancing over at Sage's set hand, Sil whistled and just threw her hand into the the pile. Before looking over at Dragonfly and Jill,

"I'm just glad you two are happy together, you make such a cute a couple."

[Azuth65]

Wisp finished fixing another plate for herself and popped back into her chair to look at her cards. Almost as soon as she looked she let out a curse is Russian before mucking her hand. A mess of low cards of different suits.

"Everyone at some point in their life takes a minute and considers their sexuality. They figure their orientation or start lifting weights to avoid thinking about it. I don't lift weights and my ex can attest that I figured myself out. With a two gender system I pick 'C' any of the above. Except I haven't met anyone single since moving here."

[Avenger Assembled]

"But remember," said Fusion maternally to the two kids, "it doesn't matter what we think. You don't need approval from anyone else to be who you are. Being comfortable in your own skin is the first step, and you know that already." Fusion studied her cards for a minute at that, her face hard to read behind its completely covering mask. Listen to me. I'm only thirty, and I sound like their Mom. They probably don't need more than one. "Anyway, uh...so you're getting married?" she asked Grimalkin. "That's great. I've been married eleven years this summer, and it's one of the best things I've ever done. "

[Gizmo]

Jill's left eye twitched briefly as she sat through the stream of overtly stated approvals, biting back on snarky comments as they jumped into her head. On one hand, it was a particularly galling blend of mortifyingly personal subject matter and unintended condescension, but on the reverse the other women were at least attempting to be supportive. The teenage medic was beginning to get a feel for Fusion's over the top manner which let her put the tentacled heroine's comments in perspective. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the table's most junior member was a physical effort, but to be fair, the things that had come out of her own mouth at sixteen not been no less cringe-worthy. Retaining her composure long enough for the topic of conversation to change, she shot Dragonfly an apologetic look.

[April]

Sage was watching Jill and Dragonfly out of the corner of her eye, wincing inwardly as the commentary. The telepath dropped everyone but the engineer and the medic from the telepathic link and subtly shifted her body to look at the couple. --Do you feel up for ice cream, later?-- she asked with a mixture of empathy and irritation, with a barely perceptible thread of anger underlying her inquiry, though it wasn't directed at the recipients.

[Fox]

With neither cards nor sass to hide behind, Dragonfly had ducked her head down and was trying awfully hard to disappear into her jacket, and trying awfully hard to not look like she was shrinking away from the attention, which mostly left her looking very uncomfortable and not keen on meeting anyone's gaze. She did, at least, meet Jill's look with a sympathetic wince. Sage, in turn, got a short nod. if it's a smaller group - please - don't know if you can actually hear this - if Jill also wants to go? - unsure she thought back, large parts of it simultaneous and more than a bit static-filled.

[Heritage]

Apparently tonight's poker game was also a Lifetime Movie Event about sisterhood, making tough choices and the importance of supporting of your friends. Finally Grim couldn't hold in the weird mixture of warmth, amusement and nausea that was bubbling just below the surface, so she fired a fist straight up into the air and yelled "GIRL POWER!" at the top of her lungs. Both relieved and embarrassed, she got a little pink as she looked at her cards.

"Sorry, my safety valve went off." She cleared her throat and continued. "Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it; Colt's a great guy, and we're a good fit, so-" Holding her cards in one hand, she crossed her fingers and grimaced hopefully.

I actually have a halfway decent hand here.

She raised the current bet without comment.

[Aoiroo]

There was an inherent tension about the whole thing, mostly the whole atmosphere was a mix of semi-embaressing, as well as a good bit of leftover feelings from the previous confrontation. However, Grim randomly pumping her fist up with a rather outdated phrase seemed to break it almost immediately, especially for Sil who had the full view of the gesture, and after a few seconds burst out laughing, with a light burst that started loud but sort of died down in value as the string of chuckles following it. She wasn't really sure what reactions she got from the outburst following the outburst, but at least she felt a little better.

While she was still chuckling lightly she found a few breaths to respond to the statement about the engagement,

"I'm sure, when you planning to have the wedding?"

[Dariusprime]

Heavy footsteps signaled the approach of the other half of the Interceptors' women. Fulcrum emerged from the stairwell, headed into the main room and waved at the assembled. "Hello! Am I too late to get in on the game?"

Cradled in one huge arm was a very large plastic bucket of chocolate chip cookies. "Brought you some of those cookies you like so much, Lynn," she added before heading over to the food spread. Plus they were in the middle of a hand, no need to interrupt anymore than she already had.

Cookie in hand, cold beer from the bar in the other, Fulcrum leaned against the wall and watched them play. Yes, it was a good day.

[Avenger Assembled]

At Fulcrum's arrival, Fusion made a decision. She was making the kids uncomfortable, she could tell, and she was wise enough to know that it sometimes took more than one conversation to break through the barriers of defensive snark that teenagers could put up. Better to exit gracefully for the moment, and have a chance to talk with them later, than be remembered as the old lady who ruined the _entire_ evening. "We're really packed...but I won't take a seat away from Grimalkin's teammate!" She slid away from the table, discreetly passing the dealer's deck over towards Grim. As odd as the little pixie was, she was probably better at playing poker. "Here, let me leave the table with some of my chips intact. I'll go stretch my legs for a while." She made a show of yawning, extending her limbs out, and then pulling them back, as she got out of Fulcrum's way.

[Dariusprime]

Fulcrum blinked, hesitating, before replying, "Uh, well, didn't mean to run you off. Feel free to continue if you want."

Finishing off cookie, she offered a handshake to admittedly tall Fusion, "I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Fulcrum. A pleasure to meet you."

Fulcrum had the suspicion that Fusion was trying for a strategic exit. If so she wouldn't delay her further.

[Aoiroo]

Sil looked over at Mona and smiled as she backed her chair up from the table,

"It's nice to meet your Fulcrum, I'm Silhouette, though I think I might need some air myself. No one touch my stack though, I am coming back. If only because I haven't finished my dip yet."

Getting up from her chair she walked over to the back door opened it, and gave a slight wave as she walked out into the night air. Setting her hand on her head, she let out a deep sigh,

"Ahh, damnit,"

She rubbed her head going over the conversations again, this was why she hated groups, it was so much harder to predict the flow of conversation, well at least it was so much harder to predict her flow. She spent four years in high school not saying a word, and than she got to college and it was like she hadn't stopped talking since. Her ability to take a hint was shot since childhood since her family was about as subtle as a sledgehammer, than there was Mona. She hung her head again, that was just awkward, she was her friend, and she had to pretend that she was a completely different person. Lying to Grim was easier on that front, she was an aquaintance at best, an aquaintance that probably didn't like her much anymore since she had coupled insensitivity on to threatening the woman with a very devistating weakness. She still hadn't apologized for that, she had every intention too before everyone else showed up so it would be more personal but once again the conversation got away from her. She sighed again and made a movement which if it wasn't all stuffed up in her mask would of been her moving her hand through her hair,

"Maybe I should have Dragonfly install a liplocking device on my mask."

[Heritage]

"Hello! Am I too late to get in on the game?"

Grim had never been so happy to see her giagantic teammate, and she eagerly waved her over. "Heck no! C'mon, we'll find a way to squeeze you in, 'Crum."

"Brought you some of those cookies you like so much, Lynn,"

"Wouldn't that just be all the cookies? I mean, seriously." She conjured up a party plate with several shallow depressions to pile handfuls of both thin mints and chocolate chip as she scooted her seat over.

"Here, let me leave the table with some of my chips intact. I'll go stretch my legs for a while."

"Um, okay..." At this point, the shapeshifter felt conflicting emotions; a sigh of relief that the rather prickly heroine was leaving the table, combined with guilt and sadness that Fusion might not feel accepted by the other much younger girls in attendance.

"We're playing some bizarre version of five-card stud, but no one's complained yet, so it seems to be working for us. Lemme deal ya in."

[Avenger Assembled]

Fusion didn't actually leave the room, but she did clear a spot at the table for Fulcrum. "No," she assured the other woman, "this is your table, and your friends. We all have a place here, especially those of us...who actually work here," she added with a whispery little chuckle. She let the much-taller woman take a seat, and pulled up a chair of her own along with a plate of dip and chips. Food's good, and it's cheap. She was more comfortable as an observer, anyway, at least for now. These kids deserve better than what they've got, she thought a little irritably. Don't we all?

[Azuth65]

Wisp sat in her chair, a headache having formed twitching behind her left eye. She pulled the last slice of pizza off her plate and munched on it while the newest player joined and the gathering's unofficial mom got up from the table. Trying to get her mind off the light throb in her head she picked a fairly innocent topic of conversation, food.

"Any of you girls ever watched that show Man vs Food? I've been thinking of finding local places that have such challenges and taking a shot at them." Nodding towards the stack of decimated pizza boxes she continued, "After a particularly 'port heavy night, I can down a pile of pizza like that by myself."

Finishing her slice she reached out and snagged a couple cookies from the platter Grim conjured while she waited for the cards to be shuffled and the betting to resume.