Baltimore, Late Monday Night

[gunslingerpose]

So it was the ass end of a long weekend, which Nikolai figured was going to be as good a time as any to hit up Baltimore to do his part to keep whatever peace there was to keep. And he'd done pretty well along his usual beat as Gorgon, catching a couple of break-and-enters. Hell, apparently he was starting to get a bit of a rep around the areas he frequented most, because one dumbass purse-snatcher outside of a bar actually pulled up short, gasped as he realized who had just stepped out onto the sidewalk in front of him, and then babbled an apology before shoving the purse at Nick and running off in the other direction.

Yeah, he was feeling pretty damn okay near the end of his beat, up a few tiers and burning off some excess energy by doing crazy parkour across the rooftops while he kept an eye on what was going on in alleyways below. He was no Banzai, no, at least not riding tier three the way he was, but what he lacked in crazy gymnastics, he made up for in strength and speed and, apparently, the ability to clear an entire rooftop in a single leap.

Sometimes he hated his powers, having to hide his eyes all the time, not being able to look at people without worrying about hurting them with his uncontrollable energy-vampire bullshit. And some days, like today, he wouldn't trade being Gorgon for anything.

[OOC: Open to anyone out in Baltimore that late at night!]

Comments

[spin_kick_snap]

"Maybe," Kathy said, pretending to give it a bit of thought. "He strikes me as the chocolates and roses type." He emphatically did not. "Though you may have some trouble with his girlfriend. She seems like the kind of girl who fights dirty, too, so you might want to be careful."

[gunslingerpose]

Elsa was indeed fierce. Nick wouldn't stand a chance.

"Oh, yeah? Well, I'm willing to negotiate. I mean, I'm not the sort of guy who takes issue with sharing," he replied, reaching for the popcorn. "See? Sharing."

[spin_kick_snap]

"How kind of you to share my popcorn," Kathy said, giving him a smirk that was far too amused for her own good. "But I'm not sure that's gonna get you anywhere with Barry's girlfriend. She's a princess. I'm not so sure how keen on sharing she's going to be."

[gunslingerpose]

Nick was tempted for a moment to take a bit of icing from his cupcake on the tip of his finger to boop onto her nose.

Tempted...

It would also be like sharing!

Instead, he just paused with his handful of popcorn halfway to his mouth, and then stared at her for a moment.

"... Literally? How the fuck did he manage that?"

[spin_kick_snap]

And, thus, he was spared the antics of watching Kathy try to lick it off. Which, depending on on how Nick saw her, was either a loss or a boon for him.

"Literally," she sighed. Because what little girl hadn't wanted to be a princess? And then to go and meet someone who was? It was a real mix of starry-eyed envy, to say the least. "But hey now! Don't sound so surprised! He's really smart and really nice, when he's not being an idiot and a jerk."

[gunslingerpose]

Okay, Kathy. Nick was smirking at you, now.

"That's a really fantastic personal endorsement you're giving him, there."

Just saying.

[spin_kick_snap]

"I'm just being honest!" Kathy defended. "He can be an idiot and a jerk, but usually he's a freaking genius and very kind. Besides--are you going to tell me that you don't get all the chicks back home?"

And--no offense meant, Nick--but Kathy wasn't sure she'd describe you as a genius or terribly kind.

[gunslingerpose]

And he'd thank Kathy not to.

"What, like, literal princesses?" Nikolai was raising an eyebrow at her over the top of his goggles. "That'd be the day."

[spin_kick_snap]

"You'd have to start hitting on my classmates for literal princesses," Kathy told him, not even bothering to hide the expression that that idea caused. "But what about Hollywood starlets?"

[gunslingerpose]

Huh. What was that expression supposed to mean? Aside from the obvious, Nick supposed. He was a little old to be hitting on high school girls.

"... Only a few."

Very few. Hollywood everything else, sure, but starlets?

[spin_kick_snap]

A little too old to be hitting on Kathy's classmates. Hitting on Kathy, however, was completely acceptable. Even preferable!

"And are you gonna tell me that you're always Mr. Nice Guy?" she asked, reaching for a soda.

[gunslingerpose]

Okay, no, Nikolai actually had to choke back a laugh at that.

"Are you kidding?" He snorted. "I can't even pretend I'm that."

Really, couldn't picture it at all.

[spin_kick_snap]

"And yet you get plenty of chicks," Kathy said. "Barry's probably nicer than you and that's why he gets a princess. See? Logic."

[gunslingerpose]

"That's... sound enough logic, I suppose," Nikolai decided, shaking his head and clearly amused. "So, I'll have to get better at pretending, huh?"

Yeah, that would happen.

[spin_kick_snap]

"I don't think so," Kathy said, shaking her head. "Pretending to be nice if you're really not isn't going to be good for anyone. At least, if you don't plan to keep it up much past snagging your princess."

Which was probably a more serious answer than his question had been intended to elicit.

"Too bad there's no pretending to be a princess," she said, settling back against the blanket. "I'm pretty sure most little girls spend a lot of time wishing to be one. Going to school with an honest to goodness princess can give your ego a bruising, even if she doesn't mean to."

But who could compete with a princess? Especially a princess with ice powers?

[gunslingerpose]

Yeah, Nick hadn't really anticipated such a serious answer, so he actually took a moment to mull over her statement in turn. The best he had when he replied was a shrug.

"I think for a lot of people, the trick is finding somebody who'll treat you like a princess regardless. I guess most people don't actually go to school with one, though."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy stuck her tongue out at Nick. "There's more to being a princess than just the hope of a prince, you know."

[gunslingerpose]

"Okay. Find friends who'll treat you like one, too," Nick replied, smirking faintly and holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Or are you accusing me of being shallow when what you're really looking for are servants and pretty dresses?"

Because, hey, pretty dresses could be arranged, too.

But pretty much nobody had servants, these days. Who the hell could afford them?

[spin_kick_snap]

Uhh, princesses could. Keep up, Nikolai.

"What's wrong with servants and pretty dresses?" Kathy asked. "Cinderella never asked for a prince, you know. All she asked for was a night off and a nice dress."

[gunslingerpose]

"Huh. Serves me right for thinking you were looking to be cherished or something, I guess."

Nick leaned back against the blanket, making a reach for the popcorn again. It was pretty good, for something that came pre-buttered in a bag.

"I must be missing something here."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy thought about that for a good long time. On the one hand, cherished sounded great. Isn't that what every woman wanted? There was a Madonna song about it, even!

But at the same time...

"I'm not saying I'd turn it down or anything like that, but...I guess I feel like there needs to be more to it? Being cherished always sounds like there's a pedestal involved, or kid gloves. I don't want that. I'm finally in the thick of things and I love it. I don't want a prince to come and whisk me away. I want someone who is willing to fight with me, by my side, you know?" She snuck a glance at him while she said that. For, y'know. Reasons. "Someone who trusts me to handle myself. Maybe to even sit back and watch me kick a little butt."

She looked away, up towards the rooftops which had become her own private playground over these past few months. "I still want to be a princess, but I want to be seen as fierce, not fragile."

And then she realized just how stupid she probably sounded right now. "I--sorry. I didn't mean to talk your ear off about stupid kid stuff."

[gunslingerpose]

Stupid kid stuff? Really, Kathy?

Nick was looking at her a little sideways, shrugging his shoulders. He clearly didn't mind. He hadn't chased her off the fucking couch or anything, after all.

"Standard presumption about princesses is that they are delicate, baby. Sleeping Beauty was taken out by a spindle. Snow White choked on a freaking apple. You want to be regal without becoming a damsel, you aim to be a queen. Going by the ass you've been kicking lately, I think you could handle 'queen.'"

[spin_kick_snap]

Look, she'd talked. At length. Clearly she needed to apologize for that.

"Maybe I'll do that then," she said, straightening up a bit as his praise warmed her. She smiled without even realizing it. "I just don't want someone who's gonna treat me like spun glass. I mean, I'm out here, getting down and dirty, chasing down and tackling bad guys. I don't wanna go home to a guy who expects me to cry out when I see a spider or something."

[gunslingerpose]

Somehow, Nikolai really couldn't picture her doing that. Not after seeing some of the shit she handled for fun in Baltimore.

"If anything with most guys your age, I'd say you're outta their league, baby," he mused. "But then, if Barry's good enough for a princess, maybe there is some guy out there who can hold a match to you. Pick up another hero or something. It's not like there's a shortage of those."

[spin_kick_snap]

Oh, believe her, Nick. She'd loooove to pick up another hero. There was even one she currently had her eye on.

Who'd just called her baby. Eeeeeee.

But, you know. She had to play it cool. Play it casual. "Maybe," she said with a shrug. "I dunno. I'll probably give most guys my age a pass."