Gilbert Kinkaid Walker (veryperceptive) wrote in dc_nextgen,
@ 2011-03-31 02:00:00

Entry tags:

Buy Me Some Peanuts and Crackerjacks (Zoe, eventually Trey)
It was Opening Day at Papp Stadium. Spring was in the air, the Star City Rockets were going up against the Central City Stars, and GK Walker was giddy.
He'd gone to meet Zoe, enough makeup on his cheek to cover the now-healing cut, and now they were walking toward the stadium. "Maybe I should get a car," he said, thinking aloud.

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veryperceptive
2011-04-01 06:09 am UTC (link)

"Nice to meet you, Trey," GK says as they all take their seats.

GK wants to say 'Ah, Trey. The name of a guy with a family boring enough to make him the Third and the good sense to be embarrassed by it.' But since apparently, Mr. Griffin II died recently, that would be way too tacky.

More tacky than paying for a someone's meal when someone else is trying to do so. Sure, it's not a date, but Trey doesn't have any way of being sure of that, and GK would be feeling really undermined now if it were.

Hey, maybe that's the guy's intention, to scare off the competition. GK keeps his smile mild and would never, ever dream of letting any songs about Zoe, random cute guys, and tree-based seating float through his mind.

...Wait, wasn't there something in the newspapers about a Somebody Griffin the II dying?

"Yeah, I dragged her with the promises of people-watching and possible mockery of poor pitching style -- I mean, I've got high hopes for the season as a whole, man, but I've heard nothing good about the guy they've got starting this year."

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dc_citizen
2011-04-01 11:35 pm UTC (link)

Trey doesn't think anything of what he did, except that he was doing something nice for Zoe. The other guy was /there/, sure, but Trey figured that if anything had changed between when he met Zoe and now, these two would be marking territory in some way.

Also, the fact that his father just died has dialed down some of Trey's give-a-damn.

"Yeah, Torino's gotten some bad press, but I try to give everyone a chance to prove themselves before declaring them worthless." Trey says.

"You guys mind if I hang out for a few? I really don't want to go back upstairs yet." he says.

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	veryperceptive 2011-04-02 12:25 am UTC (link)
	Since Zoe doesn't seem wary of him, he simply says, "Not at all, Trey. And yeah, I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised." And with a pause, he mentions "Sorry to hear about your loss, by the way," he mutters before digging into his hot dog. It's only right to say things like that, even if he doesn't properly know the guy and doesn't know a thing about fathers. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	zoe_torres 2011-04-02 06:00 am UTC (link)
	Zoe's usual expression softened a bit in a moment of awkwardness. "Mom mentioned she'd heard about it in the news, but I didn't make the connection. I'm sorry to hear it." She attempted a smile. "C'mon and join us. I might need an extra shield if I get caught throwing peanuts." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

dc_citizen
2011-04-02 02:25 pm UTC (link)

"Thanks, both of you. I'm going to hope that the system will do it's job and bring the man responsible to justice, no matter how much money he has to his name." Trey says, his thoughts turning to Keith Queen, the Green Arrow.

He knew /something/ about what happened to Trey's father. Trey had been excited to hear that so many people returned from the dead that day, that he'd gone to the site of the battle and looked expectantly for his father. He could have let all of this go if he could have seen his Dad's face.

But he wasn't there.

"Anyway, how are you two doing?" Trey asks.

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	veryperceptive 2011-04-02 04:29 pm UTC (link)
	"Pretty well, thanks. Mom and Uncle Jed called needing reassurance that I was okay after the whole mess, but that's pretty normal. You don't really get this stuff much in Seattle." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	zoe_torres 2011-04-02 04:56 pm UTC (link)
	Zoe had no hope that the system would provide justice for Trey. "I'll have to go back over the newspaper accounts," she said, more to herself than the others. "The whole mess didn't really touch down in the Triangle. Mom was still frantic, though." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	dc_citizen 2011-04-02 05:17 pm UTC (link)
	"Yeah, the Heights didn't really get any of it, either. Although, I hear people are still a little wary of going toward downtown and such. Good to hear you guys and your families made it out okay." Trey says, taking a bite of his hot dog in order to let someone else fill in the conversation gap for a bit (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	veryperceptive 2011-04-02 05:21 pm UTC (link)
	"It's reasonable for people to be freaked out." He pauses. "You ever play back in school, Trey? I was left field. Not much of an arm, but I could bat well. Zoe, you did some pitching in school, right?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	zoe_torres 2011-04-02 05:34 pm UTC (link)
	"I pitched," Zoe confirmed. "It was that or get suspended for pitching peanuts off the roof at the other kids." One bored day, one roof top, and one angry principal who offered to forgive it all when he realized she hit everything she was aiming for if she joined the softball team. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	dc_citizen 2011-04-02 07:20 pm UTC (link)
	"Nah, no baseball for me. I love to /watch/ baseball. I can't really play it to save my life. I play basketball. My other favorite thing to do is check out the Thunder when they're in town." Trey says. "There's a game next week if you two are interested." Trey mentions. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	veryperceptive 2011-04-02 07:28 pm UTC (link)
	GK's not as much into basketball, but it has its appeal. "That could be cool, work allowing." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	zoe_torres 2011-04-02 07:31 pm UTC (link)
	"Only if you let me buy the food next time," Zoe said, "and still give me an alibi if something happens to go flying across the court at a ref." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	dc_citizen 2011-04-02 07:48 pm UTC (link)
	"Okay, you can buy the food, if you like. Now, if you knock out a ref, I'll just point at a random fan and hope they buy it. How's that?" Trey chuckles. "What do you do for a living, GK?" Trey asks, trying to get to know more about this guy. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

veryperceptive
2011-04-02 08:05 pm UTC (link)

"You know, Zoe," GK says with obvious faux-earnestness. "The first step is admitting you have a peanut-throwing problem." Then there's that prissy countertenor giggle.

"Makeup artist at the theater," he answers Trey happily. "Really looking forward to the upcoming production of The White Devil. Jacobean Revenge Drama. Proud of the fake blood effects I've been working out."

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	zoe_torres 2011-04-02 08:47 pm UTC (link)
	"Grapes were messy, and the red ones made people freak out that they'd been shot or something." She nudged GK with an elbow. "Mom said I was wasting food, too." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	dc_citizen 2011-04-02 09:13 pm UTC (link)
	"My dad was pretty big on theater and the opera. Only one I ever liked was Phantom of the Opera." he says. "But let's plan on the three of us going to the Thunder game next week, then." he says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	veryperceptive 2011-04-03 03:25 am UTC (link)
	"Ohh, I'd love to do the makeup for Phantom, but we don't have the right kind of theater for the high-budget stuff. And yes, I think we have a good plan." Pause. "...Is it okay to ask who's back at your usual seats?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	zoe_torres 2011-04-03 03:33 am UTC (link)
	"Are we keeping you from your friends?" Zoe's brows lifted as she waited to hear the answer, glancing sideways at Trey. Her hotdog was getting cold and her soda warming up. She hadn't thought to eat. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

dc_citizen
2011-04-03 03:46 am UTC (link)

Trey looks a little uncomfortable when they ask who is waiting back at his seats.

"My bodyguards. All three of them. They're trying to be unobtrusive, but three very large men standing around a guy is anything but obtrusive.

Aside from that, they're screening everyone who comes into the skybox, so I can't get a hotdog with out the vendor being checked for weapons. They stopped after the first time, so I had to come out and get one myself.

I was lucky to find someone I knew." Trey says, taking that as his cue to leave.

"I should probably go before they come looking and bug you guys. Thanks for letting me hang out." Trey says, getting up to go.

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	veryperceptive 2011-04-03 03:52 am UTC (link)
	"Not trying to scare you off, man, and great meeting you, but they might be getting worried." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	zoe_torres 2011-04-03 03:57 am UTC (link)
	"You didn't have bodyguards at Christmas down at the shelter." Zoe looked up toward the skyboxes as if they were bearing down on them now. She'd been on the edgy side since the red ring disappeared, leaving her needing....something. "Who put guards on you?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	dc_citizen 2011-04-03 04:01 am UTC (link)
	"My lawyer. A psychopath murdered my father, hurt my step-mother and could have killed my little brother and sister." Trey says. "I asked them not to put guards on me, but knowing how Green Arrow and Merlyn operate, they could take a person out for long-distance and get away with it." he says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

veryperceptive
2011-04-03 04:19 am UTC (link)

GK tells himself that this is not the time to speculate about how an archer got to be nicknamed Merlyn anyway. You'd think a magician would be named Merlyn, but.... that is not important right now.

"Yeah, it's a lot harder to protect someone from a longbow than from a knife. Not trying to be pessimistic, Trey," he adds hurriedly. "But yeah, their paranoia might not be very productive."

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zoe_torres
2011-04-03 04:25 am UTC (link)

It was hard not to react to the names, and Zoe was probably worse at it than she thought. She had a huge problem with Green Arrow; she always had since he was the one who let the Triangle down after Deadshot cleaned it up. But Merlyn? He hadn't seen the type to be gunning for a business man or his kids. Especially the kids.

"You want to go back, that's up to you, Trey. We'll see you next week at the game. You want to stay here, then stay."