Beer Burger Pool!

[arsenal-arrow.livejournal.com]

Philadelphia's night life can be wild if you know where to go. The wild days are over now, though, but there's places just as fun.

This endeavor is as much for Roy to show Grant the places in Philadelphia to drink, but also the places not to drink at. Nightwing-- Dick-- would probably have his head if he knew he was showing Mar'i's boyfriend how to drink, but someone's got to do it. No one likes hangovers, if Grant can even have them, and besides, friends show friends how to drink smart.

Roy hooks an arm over Grant's shoulder and faces him to the long boulevard that stretches out before them. Scattered about from side to side, down and down the block, bars: big ones, flashy ones, hole-in-the-wall bars.

"The trickiest part of your training will be bar food, young padawan. Let's find some grub and start the trials!"

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[arsenal-arrow.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I s'pose. The kids always are, huh?" That feels like a worse Titans in-joke than it really is.

But mentioning Mar'i enough... "So, how's life with the half-Tamaranean anyway?" He grins. "Interesting?"

[damage-granted.livejournal.com]

"We do what we can, just like you guys did, bro," Grant replies, grinning at Roy. The irony is that the kids aren't always alright - in fact, being part of the Titans usually means that things are frequently the opposite of alright. Grant would like to think, however, that the younger generation are just as capable as the founders.

The waitress returns with the two hero's ambers, casting a brief, appreciative look at the red-headed hero, and Grant is only just able to suppress his smirk. Reaching for his beer, the younger Titan takes a sip, making a bit of a face - it's been a while since he's had anything to drink.

"It's been going real well. We're looking into schools up here - U Penn," Grant explains, returning his attention to Roy. "With packing and everything, we haven't really had a lot of time together the last few weeks."

[arsenal-arrow.livejournal.com]

"Things will even out." He's casual about it. Yes, even if things go crazy they always do level. "Once things are more settled here, there'll be time."

He feels a little tight about the collar to admit it, so he takes a sip of beer around the smirk. "I'll be looking at school, too, probably. Try that alter ego thing, I guess, see how much I can tick the civilian gig." But right now he wants to know more about Mar'i. "Just, out of curiosity, nobody's, ah... given your grief about your, er-- coupling?" Delicate wording because he won't insinuate what might or might not have happened already. Well she IS half-Tamaranean!

[damage-granted.livejournal.com]

Grant certainly hopes so. He and Mar'i have had a few moments here and there, but nothing for some time. He'd blame himself, but he knows that circumstances have conspired against them. With any luck, things will go back to some semblance of normalcy - Emerson really would like to take his girl out on a proper date some time soon.

He takes another sip of his beer, but nearly chokes on the frothy beverage when Roy mentions that he's considering school. Wiping at his mouth, Grant can't suppress his growing smile. "Honestly, I think it's a good idea. If I weren't going to school, I'd be going stir crazy. You at least have Lian to look after, but I can only spend so many hours in the gym."

Brows lift at the question about Mar'i, but he just shakes his head. "No. Well, other than Nightwing," Grant says, his surprise subsiding. Quiet for another moment, Grant's eyes return to his drink. "There really hasn't been much to get grief for, Roy."

[arsenal-arrow.livejournal.com]

"I have no idea where I'm going to fit the time in," Roy replies honestly with another sip. "Everything I do now eats up so much-- look how long it took for me to take my bro out for a beer! And it's not just classtime, it's all the studying, too..."

He shakes his head and laughs a little too himself. Nightwing. Go fig. The smile says he knew that one was coming. "Nightwing and Mar'i are close. He worries, kinda like a dad." It's the truth but it isn't. Roy cracks up at Grant looking down and being so modest. "I didn't ask! I was expecting to hear 'Nightwing', and I won't assume anything on you. I left any insinuation wide open for personal interpretation."

[damage-granted.livejournal.com]

"There's no 'kinda' about it," Grant looks up, a wry grin on his face, recalling his conversations with both father and daughter. "Trust me - it took a little while to wrap my head around the idea of Nightwing being Mar'i's dad, but stranger things have happened. And after that talk with Nightwing... I dunno. Things just made more sense, the way the meeting shook out and all that."

The smile grows a little then. "Starfire and I had a good talk a while back, way before I knew about where Mar'i came from. She wasn't quite so... hostile."

Another sip of beer - he manages to keep from making that face again - and Emerson drums his fingers on the table. "We've talked about things, me and Mar'i, I mean," he explains, eyes shifting to the table, then back up to Roy. "We've just been taking things slow. But, uh... well, I doubt you want details, and even if you did, you're not getting any." The smile returns, and Grant reaches for a plastic-covered menu. "What're you getting?"

[arsenal-arrow.livejournal.com]

Roy's starting to look really stupid trying to not let all these cats out of their bags. "I didn't know how much she-- or he-- might've said to you. Sometimes I say what I shouldn't, but I don't want to give people's secrets out."

He doesn't need the menu. He thumbs the plastic edge. "Hot cheese pretzel. Four of 'em. Two for now, two for later." Donna's probably going to complain about the crumbs when he stumbles awake for them at 2AM. "Anyway, you guys are cute, and I wouldn't pry. One of these days I need to tell you about Donna's first apartment. Wildcat across the street, and surprise visits from Black Canary."

[damage-granted.livejournal.com]

As far as Grant's concerned, he's fine with Roy looking and feeling a little flustered. This might be the first time since he's returned to the team that he's felt like he knows what's going on. There are certain things and certain information to which he is not privy, such as Nightwing's identity, but at least he knows that his girlfriend isn't exactly from around here.

The waitress returns for their orders, and Grant flips open the menu, then turns his attention back to the waitress. "Burger and fries, well done on the burger," Grant says, folding the menu closed, sliding it away.

"You know, that reminds me," he replies to Roy, tapping his index finger on the table. "Now that we're here on the East Coast... do you think Ms. Lance - I mean, Dinah - would introduce me to the JSA? I've been meaning to do that for a while, but... well the opportunity just hasn't come up."

[arsenal-arrow.livejournal.com]

Roy holds up four fingers at the waitress with a grin. She doesn't even write it down as she walks away.

"Sure, I could ask Dinah. I could probably ask Donna, too, a lot of them are the same as family to her."

[damage-granted.livejournal.com]

Apparently, Roy's already spent a fair amount of time in this place, as the waitress seems to know exactly what the red-headed man is ordering. Grant might have to convince his brother to let him at least sample one of these cheese pretzels - odds are that they are far and away superior to those shops he's seen in shopping malls.

"I met her at the wedding - Dinah, I mean. She told me to just give her a ring whenever I was in town and she'd be happy to take me to the Brownstone," Grant explains, drumming his fingers on the table top again. Speaking of weddings...

"So, I have to ask," he continues, quirking a smile at the elder man. "How's married life treating you?"

[arsenal-arrow.livejournal.com]

That caught Roy by surprise. The coaster he'd gone back to playing with actually rolls off the table. He fumbles to get it. "Ah-- yeah, it's good."

He sits back up and lays the disc flat on the table. "Ups and downs, like everything else." The beer is getting more of his attention. A flag to the folks at the bar brings another one around.

[damage-granted.livejournal.com]

Well, that's odd. Grant had been at the reservation on the day of the wedding, seen how ridiculously happy both Roy and Donna had looked, as well as how nervous Roy had seemed. Emerson had been splitting his attention between the ceremony and Mar'i, who had been his date to the wedding, but he hadn't been too distracted to catch Roy's fidgeting.

This, however, is something different, and for a moment, Grant can't help but think that his brother looks decidedly... uncomfortable, ill at ease. "Just good...?" he finally asks, taking another sip of his beer.

Something's odd here...

[arsenal-arrow.livejournal.com]

Roy rolls his eyes a little bit that he'd be scattered after something like that. Of course Grant would ask a question like that, he's a friend and it's not so complicated a question. The answer...

He sits up a little straighter and fidgets some more. "Donna threw down with Despero a bit back, he--" The coaster goes back to spinning. There is no easy way to explain this situation. "He switched her wires all around."

[damage-granted.livejournal.com]

"Oh," comes the quick reply, the younger Titan's tone apologetic. "God, Roy, I'm sorry. I'd heard something about that, not any real details, but... with the move and everything, I haven't really gotten a chance to talk to Donna again, except, y'know, 'Hey,' and 'See ya.'"

Food. Food needs to get here quickly. Food will rid the two Titans of this awkward spell in the conversation.

And, as if on cue, the waitress appears, setting down Grant's burger and fries, four of the cheese pretzels for Roy, and a beer for each man. "Thanks," Grant says, smiling at the woman, then looking at his food. "Man, this couldn't have gotten here any quicker." And with that, Emerson dives headlong into what proves to be a surprisingly good hamburger.