Cultural Exchange

Summary:
August 24 2014: Bobby, Berto and Mike meet her Majesty Queen Mera

FDR Boardwalk, Staten Island

A boardwalk and beach complete with shopping and street food. The complete coastal experience. With funnel cake.


Characters

NPCs

  • None

Mood Music:
[* None]


After accidentally killing forty Jamies (he hadn't meant to. In fact he'd not really been in his right mind), Bobby had needed to get away from the Burning Human Festival for a while. So here he is, out on the FDR boardwalk (a stretch of it that isn't too crowded mind) watching the waves roll in. He'd ordinarly try some icy pranks or tricks but… he's… just not really feeling up to it right now. At least there's lemon icees. Those help keep cool.

*

Roberto is here to see Bobby. Although they're peers and equals, it's the da Costa name on the checks, and the Burning Human gig was Hot Bobby's idea in the first place, so Roberto can't help but feel it's his responsibility to talk to his friend about what happened. He walks up behind his cool twin, hands in the pockets of the pair of light blue slacks he's wearing, and announces his presence first with a humming sound, then an innocuous comment: "Nice day out."

*

Down on the beach proper, where the water is lapping up against the sand, Mera stands and watches a group of children running and playing and building sand castles and collecting shells and … she doesn't get it. Why are these little and defenseless surfacers allowed to venture so close to the water? It just seems both dangerous and unsanitary to her. But then, she suspects she will never understand surface dwellers. Even a little bit.

*

There were hundreds of tiny cameras on that whole debacle last night. Mike reviewed it this morning. It is, in fact, possible for a robot to dent a concrete wall when he bangs his head into it, though there wasn't serious damage to the parts of his brain that he keeps in his head. Which is good because he repeated the action about fifty times, as the disaster was going on. Wow. Who needs Hydra, huh?

There are a few beetles on the FDR, sniffing around for specific explosives, and one of them spots Bobby, and other-Bobby. That leads him to ask what was going on, because, honestly, he couldn't tell from the chaos. So … a swarming cloud of small metal bugs, led by something the size of an action-figure, a humanoid thing with four arms and wings and a rocket, shoots over to the Parkway, comes down from the sky to coalesce into an approximately human-shaped cloud near the two Bobbies. Ten of the swarm notice the children, and the sea-queen, but they don't know how to parse what they're seeing, and the main-brain is focusing on something else. So they monitor. For the moment.

"Hi 'Berto." Bobby turns and waves with a small subdued smile. He hasn't spotted either Mera or Mike yet. At least he knows one of those two. "Yeah, not bad. I wish it would cool off a bit just for other's sakes" But then he's usually the coolest guy around.

"What brings you by? I thought you and the others were handling a lot of stuff."

*

"We are handling a lot of stuff, cold-twin. I took an hour off." Roberto is about to offer some consoling words to Bobby when he's interrupted by a mechanical buzzing and left stunned at the sight of a manlike swarm of robot bugs. "Okay, Mike, you do realize that is nine kinds of horror movie, don't you?" he asks with an appalled look. "We're supposed to be making nice with the public, not giving them nightmares." He also hasn't spotted Mera, as she's down below his line of sight on the beach. That has got to be some kind of record. Roberto, at the beach, not scoping out the sunbathers? Few would have expected it to last this long — we'll see whether it lasts.

*

Mera continues watching the children play until a strange sound catches her attention. If she were underwater, she would liken it to a swarm of tiny fish all battering their fins against something. But here… She turns away from the kids playing to look around, and then up, and she focuses on the school of tiny, golden air-bugs. That is one of the oddest schooling formations she's seen.

*
"right, sorry," says action-figure-Mike, and the cloud, including the two Mera-watchers, coalesces into a single figure, which is normal and human except for being a gold-skinned robot. With blue boxer-brief style swim trunks because why shock the people. He's looking at Bobby.

"That thing that happened? With the acid trip from Frozen and the two-score dupe-cicles? What was that?"

He glances over at Mera, suddenly aware that they're being watched. He waves, just a 'Hello' sort of wave, not a big arm-swinging "OVER HERE!" because … honestly he might've knocked something loose with the head and the concrete? Or it's just that he hasn't figured out if he should have a response to the virtual carnage last night.

*

"I wish I could tell you. Jamie made contact with someone who can… spread a bad trip by touch. Bunch of him started wandering around. He touched me… and the rest is this really disturbing blur. When I woke up…" He was on the ground, surrounded by Jamie-cicles. Bobby's about to continue when he spots the green clad woman watching them. "Um… Warm-Twin I think you have a fan? Who seems to be Ariel? Or her… older sister maybe?"

*

Roberto's expression glazes over as Mike speaks, then his head tips forward onto his palm like a falling tree. "Tactful, Senhor Roboto," he groans, rubbing the heel of his hand against his forehead in a scrubbing motion. Mental note: keep Mike far, far away from the human resources department.

Bobby's comment rouses him, and he finally looks over and spots Mera, his eyebrows shooting upward. "The admiration is mutual," he says, flashing a conspiratorial grin before calling out, "Ahoy there! Don't mind my friend. He is a very friendly robot, like in a Michael Bay movie."

*

Mera tilts her head a bit, her eyes going from Bobby to Roberto to Mike and back again as she frowns a little. Then, maybe to keep with the whole movie comment, a Russian water tentacle lifts her up off of the sand so she's standing even with the possibly friendly surfacer men on the other side of the railing. "What is a 'MichaelBaymovie'?"

*

"Oh man. So that's what it was. I suspected, but, such limited info," and Mike entirely ignores 'Berto's assessment of his unsafety for HR work, offering Bobby a shoulder-clasp, "you did ok, given the situation. You kept the vector controlled, you protected the cops. I would have been much more dangerous."

He turns to look at Mera. Facial recognition: News photographs of Mera and Arthur. Not a mutant, at least not a surface-dweller mutant. Probable royalty given speech pattern in report.

*

"One of our entertainments, a movie is a story, often projected on a large flat wall in a darkened building, so that many people can see and hear it at once. Michael Bay is one of the people who creates these, and he's known for explosions and machines, and exploding machines, and I do not explode," the robot guy says, giving 'Berto a momentary eyebrow-raise.

*

"Not generally anyway." Bobby smiles a bit thinly. "I'm Bobby, ma'am. And this is Roberto. He also goes by Bobby. And that's Mike. He doesn't go by Bobby but feel free to call him that anyway." Okay, maybe he's shaking it off just a little. "I don't mean to pry Ma'am but… did you just come out of the ocean?"

The ice nerd hadn't noticed but she and her clothes are both soaking wet. And that doens't look like surfacer swimwear. The air around 'Bobby' is chill. Quite cold actually. Like the arctic.

*

Roberto returns Mike's wry look, then smiles at Mera and summarizes: "I can assure you, you're better off not knowing." Subconsciously, he gives the hem of his yellow tank top a quick tug, ensuring that it is fitting him snugly. "That's quite an ability you have there," he tells her, indicating her mastery of the water with a relaxed gesture. "Are you a mutant, or some other sort of meta?" It's not a particularly rude question at the moment: with the festival going on, a lot of mutants have come to visit from out of town.

Roberto shoots Bobby a quick glance, noting that he's taking the subject shift well. Sometimes a nice distraction is all you need.

*

Mera ahs at Mike. "The entertainments which my husband has tried to explain to me in the past." And by her tone of voice, she's not interested. She looks at Bobby as he introduces them, looking at each in turn as they're named, then nods once in that somewhat regal manner that might remind Bobby of Ororo. "Well met. I am Mera. And yes, I did just come out fo the ocean. Did you just depart from a frigid area? Your water moves very slowly.

Then when Roberto addresses her, she looks down at the water holding her up to the bridge. And yes, it's drawing attention from others as well. "I do not know the term mutant. Or meta. I am Atlantean."

*

"Mera of Atlantis. Your … husband? The blond man with the trident, one news report said he was Arthur?" Mike is trying now to confirm the news reports without offending. As he speaks, two small bugs move off from his back, and fly an arc around to watch the two children playing in the water's edge, because there should be parents nearby, but he didn't see one.

"Are you enjoying our city? I suspect it's different from what you're used to."

*

There's a temptation… a strong temptation to just… freeze the waterspout. But no. that'd be rude. "At… atleantian?!" Now that does get Bobby's attention. "Wait, not the same kind of Atlantean who attacked that Oil Rig in South Carolina right?" Mera doesn't seem hostile but it's just the kind of thing he can imagine. No playing in the beaches. Those are ours. Yep. International border. Plust you pollute

*

"An Atlantean? Really?" Roberto gives her an easy grin. "I used to see Atlanteans every year at Carnaval. They claimed they came from the harbor to join the parties. I always suspected they were just faking it to seem exotic. Certainly none of them could fly around on columns of water." His paler twin brings up a fair point, though; Roberto grins over at Bobby, then waggles a finger in mock sternness at Mera. "Yes. No blowing up oil rigs, on the boardwalk, certo? We don't actually have any here. But if we did, and you blew them up, we would be so mad." Given the relaxed posture with which he leans against the railing and the calm smile on his face, he's obviously joking — to a surface dweller. How Mera interprets it is anyone's guess.

*

Mike winces, a bit. These guys never heard of lese majeste, maybe. It goes, No Tease (undersea) Royalty. And the papers were pretty clear on Arthur and Mera claiming to be Atlantean Royalty.

"Guys. That was NAMOR. I'm pretty sure Queen Mera and her country are not the same people who did that. They don't even have the same accent," Mike says, although he's pretty sure they have a similar attitude about pollution. Nobody on the surface would be thrilled if the Atlanteans started dumping dead fish or mining tailings at random on the surface, after all.

*

Mera nods again to Mike as he correctly identifies her husband, then scowls openly as the surfacers speak so glibly of what that rogue element Namor did, claiming to do so in the name of Atlantis. Of course, before she can speak up, Mike does so, and when she raises her eyebrows this time, it's partly in surprise at the surafcer's defense and partly at the realization that the surfacers can have differing opinions without going to blows over them. Or maybe that's just her.

She actually turns to watch the two small golden insects make their way down toward the children, then looks at Mike again for a moment, perhaps a bit questioningly.

*

Bobby the colder puts his hands up apologetically. "Sorry, sorry. The news report I read just said ‘Atlantean'. I was unaware there was more than one kind. And I mean, really, he did make quite a splash… as it were." Pun totally not intended. The downside of Bobby being stressed is he's not doing a very good job of keeping his cold in. So the temp drops more and the waterspout Mera's on starts to freeze a bit.

*

Still leaning casually against the railing, Roberto raises an eyebrow at Mike. "That wasn't about engines at all," he says, a teasing smirk growing on his face. "I knew it. You just totally wikipedia'd! Busted, camarada. And you owe me five bucks, cold twin." They didn't actually have a bet about whether Mike did mental wiki-checks, but it's fun to pretend.

The Brazilian pushes off from the guardrail and stands up straight, then dips gracefully into a deep, formal bow that went out of fashion about a century ago. He lifts his head without straightening his back, one hand thrown out behind him, and intones, "Your Gracious Majesty. I am your humble servant, Roberto da Costa of Rio de Janeiro. If I may offer you a seat?"

He lifts his free hand toward her, ready to guide her to a nearby lounge chair. With his forehead practically pressed to the boards, he noticed that her waterspout was freezing and thought a change of venue might be in order.

*

Mera glances down at the water spout holding her up and frowns slightly, then focuses on Bobby again. The waterspout suddenly pulls more water up to melt what's starting to freeze and to move enough to let Mera step lightly onto where the men are standing before the whole thing retreats back into the surf. Sorry, Roberto. "What is causing you to slow the water around you? Are you distressed for some reason?" She looks at the other two, Roberto in particular, wondering if he's bent himself at the waist for a reason.

"Is this normal behavior?"

*

Mike shakes his head, and murmurs, "Court Jester auditions, today on the FDR Boardwalk."

He looks over at Ice-Bobby while Mera is dealing with her freezing support, and says, "Drawback of not being a robot, you don't remember everything you see. I did double-check the news report though."

Mera had looked questioningly at him about the bugs monitoring the children.

"I was checking. There are adults watching the children, from under the shade, mothers I think. This beach is cleaned every day so they shouldn't come across anything harmful," he says quietly to the sea Queen. "And my friends… the cold one had a traumatic night, the warm one is trying to be polite. Bowing is an archaic courtly behavior."

*

Bobby would make some kind of joke that Berto's just doing what he does with every woman but if Mera here is actually a queen then perhaps that's in poor taste. He gets up and give a polite little half bow. Nothing so grand or eloquent as 'Berto's. "Is this a State visit your Majesty? Or are you just um… out and about? Incognito, perhaps?"

*

"Not at all, Mera. It's entirely bizarre behavior. I learned it in a cotillion, deus me ajude," Roberto answers, straightening back up and settling into his habitual relaxed stance. "My friend Mike, who has never actually met a royal before, seemed to think I was not behaving respectfully enough." He gives the robot a dry look. "I was making a point. We call it reductio ad absurdum — reduction to the absurd."

*

Incognito? Really? Dressed like this? Mera nods slightly to Mike in thanks for his helpful information, then studies Bobby and Roberto again in turn. The latter does seem rather … subdued compared to the other two. And Roberto. "Ah. Yes. Rio de Janiero. I have heard of this place." But clearly never felt it worth visiting. "You are as," she pauses to consider which word to use. "Flamboyant as the stories of your home city."

*

Mike will enjoy explaining later to 'Berto that he's crafted a personal vehicle for Frederik Christian of Denmark, and several racing vehicles for Albert Grimaldi, Prince of Monaco. But for now he's focusing his attention on those two children, and sends a third flying insect shape down to watch the parents. Just in case.

*

That gets a snort from Bobby. "Warm-Twin likes making a splash." He says, unaware that the idiom may go completely over Mera's head. He does notice that the Sea Queen did avoid telling him what exactly she was doing here, though. With a moment's effort he starts to draw the cold back in. Mera, Berto and Mike can feel the air-temp rise.

"So you're not here for diplomatic reasons?" The notion of a queen wanting to talk to three dudes, even if one is Mike and another is Berto, kind of blows his mind.

*

"I do try," Roberto answers Mera with a rakish grin worthy of her observation. "But I'm also curious what brings you to New York. Aside from those party-goers hoping to seem more interesting than they really are, we truly don't get a lot of Atlanteans visiting the boardwalk. Although I don't see why." He shrugs. "I mean: funnel cakes. Can't make those underwater."

*

Mera studies the others for a moment before replying. "Curiosity, mostly. Arthur has told me much, but I will admit that most of it does not make sense as I have no basis for comparison." She's starting to, though, if these three are any indication.

*

"We're actually fairly unusual, for surface dwellers," Mike says. "You happened to come out near a place where more people with, uhm, differences, or we'd rather call them, extra gifts, have chosen to live. Most of us are more like the children and their parents below. Ordinary people."

He goes on to be additionally ordinary by having the gold wasp scan the women for drugs, and to his disappointment, there is more cannabis than one should be consuming when watching children. So he lands the wasp in one's purse and starts doing horribly invasive things to her smart-phone, and eating all the Swarovsky Crystal she's glued to the thing. While he's staring abstractly into the distance.

*

Bobby chuckles. "Curiosity mmm? There's plenty of curious people about, as Mike says…" He eyes Roberto carefully for a moment. "You know if you're ever that curious… maybe come by the DiCosta building? What do you think Warm-Twin? Educational for the lot of us, I think."

*

Roberto considers Bobby's suggestion. "Not a bad thought. I can tell the front desk to keep an eye out for you. Although that's a medium term project." He grins, then offers gallantly: "In the short term, I think I will sate your curiosity and your appetite with funnel cakes. They are a cultural experience like no other. You two interested?" He turns and starts backing away toward the nearest cluster of snack carts. Granted, Mike isn't likely to find anything he wants in such a snack, but it's polite to offer.

*

Mera shakes her head no at Roberto. "Arthur warned me to be wary of most surfacer foods. They are … very different. But I remain curious." She doesn't know that Mike has one of those little bugs exacting a petty sort of revenge on the two women who are supposed to be watching the playing children, or she might… take the women to task more severely than he has chosen to.

"DiCosta Building. I shall speak with Arthur about this."

*

Oh, the vengeance of the robot on the Stoner Moms. The Swarovsky is replaced with something cheaper, but the phone itself is upgraded, and the wasp pulls it out, to where the video camera can now see the Moms. That's it, toke. Now, I pan the camera down to the beach, where the kids are playing at the edge of the water. Now. Send the video to the Grandmas.

Thirty seconds later, the phone rings. And it's the Mamas and Grandmas on conference. Mike smiles.

"Ah, all handled. OK, what was this about funnel cakes? Do either of you have potassium salt on you? That's all they need to taste right," the robot says. He looks over at Mera, and says, "It's been a pleasure and an honor."

*

"I like funnel cake. I think you will too, miss. Sweet… uh, I don't suppose you can make bread underwater can you? I think you'll like it. And no Mike…" Bobby looks about. "But surely there's some in the seawater, yes?"

Bobby gets up and starts to follow Warm-Twin toward a funnel cake stand.

*

"Oh. Well." That pretty much torpedoes that plan. Roberto's steps slow to a halt. "I would welcome both of you," he tells Mera, a bit disappointed that he can only offer this consolation prize. "I don't know how good you are with Manhattan geography, but it's on the Upper East Side, near 86th and 3rd. Maybe you could meet the rest of my superhuman colleagues — we're a bit of an upstart superteam, actually." He flashes a smile at Mike and Bobby. "I'm sure the cultural exchange would be enriching for us both." Then he's off with his twin to at least grab funnel cakes for themselves.

*

Mera shakes her head no again. "I think I would prefer to stay here." She's not hungry at the moment anyway. Turning away from the three men to look out over the water, she can't help but wonder about these surfacers. She knows better than to let preconceived notions dictate her opinions of them, but they do seem very … varied.


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