"Sounds like my first day except I was the one in the fist fight," Alex remarks. "Kicked their asses. Training with the best fighters in the senior JSA after all," he grins. The Lantern starts to eat as well, listening to Ava.

"Well, if things don't go well, I got your backs. You can come hang with me and my Dads."

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Smiling to Alex, Ava grins a bit at Alex and takes a sip of his root beer. "I'm sure things will be fine, I think that the biggest issue for Henry right now is his dad.. he's afraid of disappointing Mister Jordan." he then shrugs some, going on to say "Thankfully my parents aren't such a big worry." he laughs then, "My father says he has three sons now."

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Alex laughs a bit as well. "That must be nice," he says. "Having such accepting parents," he smirks. "My Dads are obviously accepting too but when I first told 'em...they spent hours asking me again and again if I was really gay or if I was just copying them or doing it to make them happy," he shakes his head. "Was funny. Henry swings both ways though, so I don't think there'll be problems."

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"Yea, but he doesn't have the same.. set up." replies Avalon after he finished off half his sandwich. "I mean.. the reason my father is so accepting is because he believes that all three of us were sent from the spirit world. On Starhaven they have specific beliefs that allow for those whom are attracted to their own sex to have a special place in society. So it's an honor to have three such spirits in his family. I think that Henry is just more afraid than anything.. Once he goes through and does it, he'll learn that his worry was worse than the outcome."

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Alex blinks a few times and tilts his head to the side. "You lost me," he says, confused.

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Scratching at the back of his neck, Ava gives an embarrassed little smile and then says "It's.. a belief on Starhaven that people who are homosexual are spirits given flesh. That they are sent to the land of the living to be guides in this life and beyond, and that they are capable of fantastic things because of their being spirits. All the Lantern Rings and healing powers just.. enforce that for my father. It's a great honor for him to have three such spirits to call his sons." he then shrugs, saying "My mother is.. just odd. She's proud of us but.. she's too lost off in the Dreamland and her precognative visions to really have much of an opinion."

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Alex waves a hand. "Not that. That I got. It's cool. The thing about Henry."

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Ohing, Ava nods his head, then asks 'Well, have you ever been so worried about something that.. well. once you actually do whatever it is you're worried about.. you realize it's not as bad as you'd worried? Kind of like that."

He then shrugs, saying "Of course I'm just inferring what I know from my empathy. Henry's not talked to me about it so.. I'm just putting the bits together."

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Alex nods slowly. It sort of makes sense to him but not completely. He goes back to eating his sandwich, comtemplating this information.

Eventually, he finishes the sandwich and nods. "Okay," he says.

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Ava isn't sure what else to say, suddenly realizeing he might have said too much already. he flushes a bit and pulls his wings around himself and then starts to poke at his chips without really eating any of them. "I'm sorry if that was a bit of too much information.." he apologizes softly.

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Alex blinks and then starts laughing. He falls but just ends up catching himself with his aura and floating back into place. "Dude...that wasn't anywhere near too much information. I just couldn't think of a reply that didn't sound incredibly stupid," he says, reaching out to ruffle Ava's hair again.

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That just illicits more shyness from the alien, and be blinks a few times at Alex before he tries to push the hesitation within himself down and straighten his posture a bit. His wings are surprisingly expressive though, and they stay curled around himself a bit like silvery armor. "Are.. you sure. I mean.. I don't intend to put too much pressure on you with all the silly stuff about our life.. I just got talking and you were listening and.." he then says, trailing off. Shifting a bit uncomfortably on his stool, Ava says softly "I'm not all that good at.. stuff. Social stuff." he sighs, "I feel like.. I don't know when to shut up sometimes."

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Alex stares at Ava a moment and then flashes a grin. "Avalon...this is normal social stuff you're supposed to talk about with your friends. Dopey little things about one another's lives. Granted you shouldn't be so candid with everyone...just closer friends like us in the cape and tights crowd but you're doing fine," he says. "Believe me, if this bothered me in any way, you would known," he says seriously. "I asked because I wanted to know. Just like you can ask about my life," he says, stretching. "So, you coming out of the wing cocoon or do I gotta come in there after ya?" he asks.

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Ava sends Alex a bit of a pouty expression and then hesitantly pushes his wings back, flattening them to his spin as he hunches over the bar looking ever so slightly uncomfortable. "I.. didn't have a lot of friends growing up." he then says softly. "In fact, being around so many people my age and.. being allowed to talk and joke and what have you has been a real adjustment."

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Alex sighs and reaches over to sling a friendly arm around Ava's shoulder. "Ya know, if healer boy is anything like you, I figured out Henry's type," he idly half-jokes. "But seriously, buddy. Relax! Enjoy hanging out with a friend."

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That makes Ava smile a bit, and she shrugs his shoulders a bit as he says softly "Herny and I are really more alike than Josh and I am.. Josh blushes at the slightest mention of anything. I'm a lot more outspoken when I'm not about to jump out of my skin." He then goes to let his chin rest in his hand, ocean colored eyes looking at Alex as he says "Things didn't work out smoothly between Henry and I at first." Still, at least he's trying. He even leans in a bit towards Alex, enjoying the closeness of another body. Then again, Avalon is just naturally rather affectionate that way.

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Alex looks a little surprised. "You're like Henry?" he asks. "That's a little surprising," he remarks. Again there's a little pang of jealousy but Alex fights it away for now. "So what? Joshy-boy's what brought you two together?"

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"Kinda? A little bit of everything?" replies Ava, looking shy once more. He draws in a breath and tries to explain, "Henry was.. breaking hearts when I came along. I was sent here to be his partner, but he didn't even understand what the word meant. And so he broke Josh's heart, and in helping Josh pick up the pieces.. Josh and I grew close." The recounting of the tale causes Ava to sigh, and his tone softens as he goes on to say "But by then Henry had moved on, and he didn't even notice me. I was happy to stand quietly by his side, but he kept hurting those around him so much that I finally couldn't bear it anymore.. and so then when I tried to tell him, we had a big fight and he said hurtful things and.. I left. After I left, Katima helped him see how he had hurt both Josh and myself and so Henry came back to fetch me. He's come to care for me, and a great deal at that.. But there were no fireworks at first."

He smiles a little bit, then says softly "I am very fortunate to have both Josh and Henry.. But in many ways Josh is who keeps me sane. I love Henry dearly but he.. doesn't get it sometimes. And that's okay.. I know that he will in time, and I am patient." He tries to explain, "Henry is still maturing, where as Josh and i have.. been forced to mature in such ways already."

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Alex is quiet as he listens to Ava's tale, taking in the information and storing it for another time. As he listens, there's a range of emotion from him. Happy for the other three guys, sadness at his own loneliness, jealousy, anger at Henry for being a blockhead, and general loneliness.

"I'm sure he will eventually. Or maybe he already gets it and just doesn't realize it yet," he shrugs. "Everyone matures at their own pace."

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"I know he will. One of the joys of precognatives.. I've known of Henry for a while.. ever since I got my ring at 16." replies Ava with a smile. "I just didn't know his name, or know the details.. But I know things about the future that most humans find hard to accept."

Tilting his head to the side, he then looks long and hard at Alex before he asks softly "Why are you so lonely?" He quickly tries to explain "You.. seem like someone hurt you, though I really can't tell for sure. I can feel how badly you ache though. How much you yearn for a partner of your own. It makes my chest feel empty and at some points I feel guilty for being so open and causing you such pain."

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Alex shrugs. "Precognition only gets ya so far. One I used to know always said that the future can only show us choices but not the ones we will take," he says with a shrug.

He then sighs and shakes his head. "It's not your fault, Avalon," he says. "Someone did hurt me..." he trails off. "Henry set me up with this guy. Really hot one...who I had a crush on for awhile," he says. "And we went out dating...I...sorta fell for him," he says, expression faultering. "He was the first guy I ever...actually felt something for. More than just sexual attraction. But," he swallows, things getting a little harder to talk about. "Turns out...he didn't swing my way. Henry didn't tell him he'd be dating a guy...so he just...strung me along. All those dates, everything we did together...then just one day 'I was straight all along'..." he sniffs a bit, eyes tearing up.

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It's hard for Ava to not be drawn in by Alex's tale. He ends up leaning up towards the taller teen, a wing curled around Alex's shoulder in a show of support. Of course as I gets darker and more hurtful, Ava can't stop the gasp that passes his lips as his eyes turn wide as dinner ages. Something so heartless is just unimaginable for him. "He what?" he asks in shock. "What a.. A.. I don't even have the words for it!" he finally says softly.

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Alex refuses to let himself cry again, showing some of that extraordinary willpower of his. He leans against Ava and gives an empty little laugh. "He was an idiot. Insensitive moron," he says. "Still is," the Lantern adds.

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