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The troubles in Mutant Town seems to go in waves, and across the Summer it was no different, just a bit more heated with other minorities being targeted as well. It was because there were problems in it that the agreement rose to go there and spend money rather than in Soho. Besides if someone was going to try to start trouble in the town Eight Ball needed to be defended. They have the best pool tables on the East Side.
"Glad I finally get to play. Everyone else chickened out the other night." Echo racked and looked to Teddy and Tommy. They were from the future and that was still, super weird. Still as unlikely as it was he asked, "How's adjusting going? Most importantly, have either of you played before?"
"Adjusting? Adjusting to what?" Teddy asks. He's got a bottle of beer since a bottle can't be watered down and he at least knows what the quality of it is. Not that the Eight Ball has any really good beer. "I've played once or twice but it's not really my thing."
"Adjusting?" Tommy wonders, not drinking beer, or anything else for some reason so far. She is instead perched on a near-by stool, her heels resting against one of the rungs and her weight shifted forward, "Sure, I'm adjusting fine…I've played a few times, you wanting to put money down on a game?"
Kaleb squint at both of them, Tommy then Teddy, and back again, an d back to Teddy. With his generally detached tone he said, "It's been noted to me by Jay that it's in our interests if I look in on our people, Tommy. I dunno what the future's like, only that everyone is generally angry about something in it, so really not much changes is my guess." He wasn't technically wrong, but hey he was trying to lookin on people. He just sucked mightily at this skill. "Well if you want to lean Ted, it's a good way to make other people become wildly less smug.
The future? "Oh, that's not me." Teddy assures Kaleb. "That's just those two. Though Billy said once or twice he thinks he might have done something to bring a whole lot of people back with him but it's not like anything can be proven. Far as I'm concerned, I was born here." One shoulder lifts in a shrug, not overly concerned about it one way or another. "Nah, I'm good. I have other ways of doing that. I'll just watch you two since I doubt I'll be any kind of challenge for you."
"I can't say that I remember much, though. You know?" Tommy points out, laughing before she shakes her head, "I mean, I couldn't tell you who was going to win the World Series next year or anything." She hops down off the stool she was sitting on, "How're you and Billy?"
Kaleb looked down at the table for a moment chewing on the thought that Teddy gave him. He offered in a quieter tone, "You do know even though people don't believe me I don't cheat at this." Looking back to the speedster he squint, "Man that'd irritate me. Not that I've got any great camera for a memory, but I like knowin what happens to me and what's happened. But I think I get where you're goin with it?" Her question to Teddy did amuse him and tuned in for an answer.
"Fine." Teddy answers, giving Tommy a quick smile before looking back to Kaleb. "I don't think anyone said you did. Not even suggested it. Anyway, yeah it probably is annoying. Every so often Billy says something but it's usually lacking details that he can't remember. Gotta be annoying."
"It's only mostly annoying." Tommy agrees, moving to select one of the pool cues, picking up a few before settling on one, "I certainly would never accuse anyone of cheating, especially since I've never played you before." She glances at Teddy, grinning, "Fine? You know what you should do…you should buy him a puppy."
Kaleb shrugged and dismissed it the way he did generally most criticisms, "You missed the other night. Heh, ended up never even getting a game in." He went to rack the set, but paused blinking at Tommy, "You want to arm your brother with a dog?" He paused and shook his head with a sigh, "I had to talk Max out of bringing home an otter. If you get Billy a puppy, for your sake, have it pre-trained at least."
Teddy frowns and reaches up to run a hand over his hair. "A puppy? You sure he'd like that? I was thinking about a couple of kittens actually. They don't need to be walked and sometimes we're not home for a while. Even then, we might need someone to check on them."
"Kittens are cute, too." Tommy replies, then frowns at Kaleb, then shakes her head, "An otter? That's a weird one." She leans against the side of the table, "And yes, arm him with a dog, or kittens. Buying pets for each other is a show of permenance, you know." She leans towards Teddy, lowering her voice, "I read that somewhere once."
Kaleb rolled a hand and didn't know why he offered Tommy an explaination, but she didn't irritate him so it happened. "I took Max to Boston to litigate on behalf of seafood done properly and there were otters all over the harbor. When he gets it in his mind he wants somehting…well… you'll meet em eventually." A hand gestured to the table "Ladies first." THe notion struck him as curious, and on the other hand, if he ever invested in one it'd require its own caretaker which brought him to the next thought. A bewildered look went to Teddy, "WHy not just have your concierge walk it and take care of it?" THat's what the help was there for right? To be hepful.
Permanence? Teddy hadn't really thought about it. "Umm, I guess." Concierge? "Concierge? We don't have a concierge." If they did, he'd surely know what one was, right? "Anyway, like I said, sometimes we might be away for a day or more. Cats can be left alone for a bit if there's food out but not dogs."
"Uh huh." Tommy agrees with a nod before she moves to grab the cue ball, walking around to get the bottle in place before she takes the first shot to break the balls. "Isn't a concierge those guys in hotels? The ones that know how to get hookers and stuff, quietly."
Kaleb blinked and looked up at Teddy, "What manner of low rent barbaric neighbourhood are you living in? You guys need a place to stay we can get you one." At TOmmy's question he shrugged, "They'll hook you up with whatever you want. Hookers, dog walking, food delivery, party favours, dry cleaning, your driver, things removed off premesis. Concierges make everything good in life happen." As if they were everyday things. His brow furrowed and actually complimented, "Solid break."
Teddy just shakes his head. "Kaleb, we make a nice amount, more than I ever thought I'd be making actually, at least any time soon, but we can only afford so much. Anyway, it's a really nice place and I wouldn't want to move. We like it there."
"Do they? Sounds like a fancy servant to have walking around at the ready, then." Tommy replies, stepping back from the table to allow Kaleb to go, a hand reaching up to rub at her ear, "But I'm with Teddy on this one…I couldn't imagine how much something like that would cost."
Kaleb seemed really confused and shrugged, "Just ask for one." It's clear this was his solution for most things. A glance to Tommy he added, "I've met your father. You shouldn't have to wonder things like that. Still, Billy said the real estate was nice even if it is a bit like living like savages." At least he wasn't bigoted in other ways but he had no real concept of the other side of the desk. "End point, you could do either. There's peope who take care of pets for you. My mum has one for her show dog. You can get a person who will take care of them, groom em, feed em, clean up after them so they're just there when you need them. It's pretty much like having a kid." He went back to the table and hunted around for the best shot that would land the cueball someplace optimal. "I mean we cna help you find one, but I think it's a nice gesture. Gifts are always good for a relationship."
Teddy just… gives Tommy a look. "My mom raised me herself." he tells Kaleb patiently. "We didn't have a lot of money. Most people don't. You might want to try to remember that when you expect certain things of others. Anyway, we'd definitely pick them out together. And we'll take care of them ourselves."
Tommy shrugs just a bit at Teddy before she points out very carefully, and very gently, "My dad? You mean Strange? I barely know the man, you know…he's not the one that raised me. Nor is mom…and we didn't exactly have money either, I didn't. I can't speak for Billy, but the man that raised me wasn't the sort that would buy someone a puppy, and sure wouldn't hire anyone to take care of it."
Kaleb tapped the bottom of the pool cue against the toe of his shoe taking this in as curious new detail. Were one waiting for some sort of emotional spark might leave them waiting all night. Echo thought about that offering to Teddy, "That's kinda wild. I don't think my mom could do that. Shit, she can't even tell us apart." He nodded to Tommy as it was her turn. "That guy shoulds like an ass. You should have a puppy if you want one."
"There's nothing my mom couldn't do." Teddy asserts. At least as far as non-super powered stuff goes. As far as he knows. "He's right." he says to Tommy. "You should get a puppy. You brought it up so obviously they're on your mind. We can come over and visit it and you can come visit the kittens."
"Me?" Tommy shakes her head quickly at that, "No, no. Not me. One, I'd forget to feed it, then it'd probably try and eat me while I slept." She then lifts a hand, ticking of point number two, "Two, taking it for a run would probably end up badly for the thing."
Kaleb nodded slooooowly in agreement with Teddy. "Well you can do what I do and lovingly co-opt your brother's things? Visit and play with theirs. Or, ooh, we can find you a mutant hamster that we can put in a ball to go on runs with you? Or just carry it I guess." He was kind of liking this idea but asked Teddy, "If we built a hamster ball with sortof a gyroscope design how fast do you reckon we can make it go?"
"The more important question is how fast can the hamster make it go." Teddy points out. "You don't want to hurt it." Tommy gets a shrug. "Just cause you can go really fast doesn't mean you /have/ to. You can just pace the dog. But your choice."
"The first point would remain, I'd forget to feed it. I'm not responsible for things, it's best left to those that are more inclined towards it." Tommy gestures towards Teddy, grinning at him, "Like you, and Billy! Or kittens, as the case might be. So, I'll pass on having anything relying on me for its survival."
Kaleb noted thoughtfully, "I feel this could be a valuable genetics expierement. We can pass it off as potential for secondary sources of sustained energy: hamster powered things. We might be onto something." Tommy's outsourcing of keeping pets got a grin from teh haughty sonic. "You and I both. Without staff I'd likely have starved to death a while ago. Don't feel bad. New York is covered in good breeders. Should be able to find one that suits you. We know if there are any plans for the team for thanksgiving?" Weirdly he seemed at least aware of holidays, or maybe keeping up appearances, or avoiding family functions.
Teddy nods to Tommy, conceding the point. "No experiments on animals." he tells Kaleb firmly. "You want to power soemthing, you climb onto a wheel." The question about the holiday makes him pause. "Umm. Not that I know of. But I'd think most people will be with their family. I don't think we've talked about it yet but we probably should. Like, just whose family? Or maybe all of them? Or maybe my mom and Billy's parents on Thanksgiving and then Wanda and Strange the next day. I don't know."
"Unless Wanda and Strange are doing something, I'm not doing anything on Thanksgiving." Evidently Tommy will not be having a wonderful family dinnfer with the family that raised her. Or, the man, as the case may be. "I haven't talked to anyone about it, though."
Kaleb listened very quietly and followed that with a slow nod. "Ted, keep us posted?" He loked to TOmmy and shrugged, "If they aren't You're welcome to come endure things with us. I know Kellana nd I will likely have the token fmaily obligation but thye generally don't last too long and we tend to cut out anywas. But I was thinking maybe have a restaurant or something opened up for us. Actually hang out with the people we'd rather hang out with, ya know." He warmed an impish grin, proud of himself, "Ask Jay if eating turkey is technically canibalism. You know, tradition." It had occurred to him that too many of them didn't really have strong family ties. Still he shrugged, "I think we should have an alternate gathering anyways. I think… it could be cool." Now that he had people around he actually liked. Funny how that worked.
Teddy nods then finishes his beer. "Yeah, I'll talk to Billy about it. It's already November so we should probably get it figured out before the parents start making plans on their own. I should get going, actually so I'll ask him about it when I get home."
"You and Kellan? Thanks, but no…I wouldn't want to make awkward dinners more awkward." Tommy shakes her head, "But thank you for the offer." When Teddy speaks up about needing to leave she grins, "Tell Billy hi."
Kaleb gave a half shrug. He could do social when he was moved to. He was not good at this, but it was worth a go. "Ask em. Let us know." Tommy merited an amused grin, "Yeah, don't blame you. Alright, fine. but, we'll still do somethin' as a group cause I don't think Jay's heading back for any holidays and Kellan I know'd rather be hangin with you guys and Vic than our family. I know because I met our family."
"We'll definitely do something one of those days." Teddy agrees. "Probably not on Thanksgiving but the weekend for sure. Talk to you soon." Giving the two a wave, he heads out.