She smiled the red's had helped quite a bit. "That's true Jupiter was one of my first customer's" she said remembering the day she had first met him. She was also very glad he liked her, His help had gotten the place running and turning money far quicker then she had thought possible. The damage that ran hand and hand with the business had also been so far minor and she strongly believed the Red brothers had a hand in that.

"Your probably right, the place should be able to stand on it's own. A break from yelling at bar drunk's would be nice to. The scariest part about it all is i'm actually finding the food here eddable." she said with a mock shudder. The food was one of their least ordered items other then french fries.

"Their are places i would like to see, I have heard of including the typical tourist one's im sure will become background noise eventually, like the Golden Gate bridge did back home." she said recalling tourists admiring it while the common folk blared their horn across it. Still she did want to see the statue of liberty up close as well as some of the big apples other attractions. "Like central park, the weather's been good" she said, noting the lack of rain.

Nate understood the mentality of a workaholic; he was prone to devoting plenty of time and focus into whatever craft he was committing himself to, whether it be theft or teaching. Melissa's bar was her baby and she seemed connected with it, and that dedication was admirable to him.

Still, even a dedicated mother could call a babysitter every now and then to get out and release some stress. Melissa was not the sole employee, and Lord knew she deserved a reprieve.

The weather was nice like she mentioned. It was a cool Autumn evening, which was the perfect type of night to enjoy a stroll. "I mean, I wouldn't mind a relaxing walk through the park. Sounds like it'd be a nice way to wind down the night."

It was an innocent offer. She seemed like a friendly young woman and she had every right to refuse if the idea was too forward. "If you're interested, of course."

She considered his word and his offer for a moment. It would be wonderful to get out of the bar and she thought to herself, if someone really wanted to destroy the bar what was she about to do? SHe could try and bribe them with booze but short of that she had no more control over this place then her staff. All were mutant's but most lacked any power that could be used to fight much less stop a pyro from melting more then a tv.

"Hey Nica, the bar's yours for a few hours, if your survive and the fire department is not here, you'l get a bonus" she said before her mind had time to figure out her plan. Had many others made the offer she might have made an excuse not to, but Nate seemed like a good guy and it helped he was cute. Though she felt guilty at the thought as he had just broken up with someone.

"That sounds wonderful, give me a minute" she said offering a cute smile before she turned away and headed for a door in the back, Labelled Managers office. Once incide she grabbed her purse, wrote down a few notes for Nica. She then tossed her cell phone on the counter, knowing with it on her she would never really leave the bar. She checked her appearance in the mirror quickly, retouched her lip gloss and A few Minutes later she walked back out on the same side of the bar as Nate. "I'm ready, had to leave a few notes behind" she said knowing her bartender could do the job, likely even without her help. It was not easy to dispell the dooms day scenarios in her head but she did her best.

Nate waited patiently as Melissa ducked away to take care of the duties required before she dared leave. While she was busy, Nate closed out his tab with another bartender and made sure to leave a fair tip for his favorite girl behind the bar.

When his companion for the night returned, Nate's keen eye could have sworn her makeup had been touched up a bit. He rationalized it as a pretty young woman simply caring about her appearance. There was nothing about a walk through Central Park at night that was anything but innocent and friendly.

Alright, so that did not even sound true in his head. "Alright, off we go, before they find a way to change your mind." Nate led the way out of the bar, before some sort of tragic mishap cancelled their new plans.

The distance to the Park was not a long one, and the walk was filled mostly with small talk to break the ice and move them hopefully to some lighter topics than his breakup.

Speaking of ice, Nate realized that the night was still rather cool, and Melissa was dressed for the temperature of a bar filled with warm bodies and smoke. "Little chilly, hun?" He had a jacket on, and he could endure the cold for the sake of being a gentleman.

Well she stepped out of the bar and it so far was still attached to the ground. Her sense reminded her just how often she had been at the bar. She was stunned the smell of liqueur and smoke was absent in the air.. "A good idea, " she said as she watched a colorful feathered mutant walk into the bar. Melissa smiled, normally the other bartenders pushed the guy on her, do to his colorful personality. She wondered if her cellphone was already ringing, then cast the thought from her mind with a bit of effort.

"It is a bit cold, i'm happy it's not raining though she said agreeing with him. Rain was annoying, she had never minded it before her mutation. The Bar stayed warm do the bodies and the kitchen and she had not quite realized how cold it was outside.

"Thank you for getting me to do this, Managing is like babysitting" she said shaking her head a bit, realizing she had just brought work back up. Sorry....I mean..." she searched her mind despretly for anything else to talk about. "The city is lovely at night" she said looking over the lit building as they went, shivering slightly as the wind blew a bit harder.

Melissa was quick to scold herself when she mentioned her job, remembering that she was supposed to be taking a break from the stress of the bar. Nate smiled and shook his head, dismissing her worry. "It's fine. I know what it's like to always have work on my mind." It was simply a sign that she loved what she did, as she should.

She admitted to being cold, and Nate caught her shivering in the chilly winds. Without a warning to give her the chance to object, he slid his leather jacket off his arms, and placed it on her. The inside of the jacket was a comfortable material still carrying some of his body warmth, so it would protect her against the cold. "I hope that helps."

The conversation moved a bit, and the topic of how varied and unpredictable mutants could be sprang up, which was a topic Nate had a funny ice breaker-type story in his back pocket as a go to. "So I was in New York no more than a week or two when I had an accidental run-in with a woman who could make giant spiders in Central Park!" Admittedly, it was probably not the perfect ice breaker in Central Park if she happened to be skittish.

She was about to respond when Nate, suddenly put his coat around her. The effect on her skin was immediate and the retained warmth of the jacket might have helped a fair amount to. She was glad she had decided to take the night time walk with him. He was a gentlemen, a rare find in her opinion and she found it hard to place in her mind, how his girl friend had let him go. She reminded herself that she did not know Nate Terribly well and then only from his bar visits. "Thank you" she said before she forgot.

"Really? That seems like a strange power. Nature really knows how to make life interesting" she said as they walked. "I hope she found somthing constructive to do with her powers?" she asked really hoping she had. Many mutants seemed to have th need to try and rebel against humanity, but they were all just human anyway and their were deeper issues with those ideas.

"you come here a lot?" she asked curiously as the park came into view. She had not found the time to come here despite wanting to. She glanced at her friend with a smile.

"My parents have no idea i'm a mutant, not that i could tell them really" she said shaking her head with a mischievous smile. "My parents put away a large sum of money for my collage fund which became mine not to long agao, they were unimpressed in my choice to build a bar" she said honestly. Her parents had not spoken to her since and she had no idea how they would react anyway.

Something constructive to do with her power? One could certainly say that. "If 'creating giant spiders to search for your lost mutant baby' counts as constructive? Then yes, she was highly efficient. I got a pet out of it at least." He chuckled, before awkwardly adding, "Um, but seriously, I kinda have a cat-sized spider now." Okay, so that would probably be the kiss of death for any romantic interaction. But they were just walking as friends, so clearly that would not be a problem.

It was tough to hear that Melissa's powers were still a secret from her parents. It was something Nate had no ability to relate to, given his orphan status. Would his mother have been accepting of his power? He remembered her being very nice when the rare memory did come to mind.

Having a questionable career path in the eyes of loved ones? Nate could understand that one a bit more. "Well, you're a grown woman doing what you love! That should be good enough for anyone. Certainly been a pick-me-up for one country boy," he assured her. No one's judgement should matter if someone was lucky enough to be happy with life.

"Oh, and I pass through here sort of a lot since," he pointed in the direction where his apartment was located, "I kinda live right there." Sure, rent that close to the Park was not pleasant, but he had few expenses to worry about.

Especially now that he was out one girlfriend. The financial silver lining to an emotional dark cloud, it would seem.

Well she no trouble understanding searching for ones child, she was unsure how she felt about a pet spider the size of a dinner plate. Her mind played a cartoon of her crushing it with a pan. While she did not mind spiders normally, she found her opinion changed when it came to dealing with ones that could fight a house cat. "What's something like that eat anyway?" she asked imagining the thing eating a rabbit or something. She really hoped the giant spider did not eat bunny's.

"Thanks, that helps" she said, wishing her parents had been at all accepting of her career choice. They had been right that her occupation was likely to eventually get her hurt, but so far it had gone pretty well.

Which carried her into Nate's next word's. He lived by this lovely park and could tell from where she lived and the rent there, this place could not possibly be cheap. She wondered just how much teachers got paid vaguely. "Must be lovely waking up to such a vein each morning" she said, looking around. It sure beat where she lived, she was fairly sure somthing shady went down oin her block but kept her nose out of it.

Melissa had the expected worry of what a pet spider would eat, knowing that the eating habits of regular spiders were decidedly carnivorous. "He is one of the least picky eaters I've ever met. He's been pretty content with leftovers and cheap beef." He also kept the house very clear of any wandering insects, but that was hardly a topic for polite discussion.

The view from Nate's apartment was great in the morning; he might cut down on some of his other luxuries if it came to it, but he wanted to keep himself planted where he was. "Would you like to see it?" After a moment, Nate caught the awkward implications of his question. "I mean the view now. Not the morning one, but--" well, that was not going as well as he would have hoped. With a sigh, he tried again and asked, "Would you like to come up for some coffee and check out the view?"

She assumed their was some benifit to having such a spider arround but she had trouble thinking of it. " Well's that's good" she said happier it did not seem to eat live food. She was pretty sure she would never want to see the spider. She did not have a fear of spiders but she had form ideas on just how big such things should be.

Then he asked her if she would like to see the veiw from his apartment and she blushed slightly at where his word's might be leading. She smiled shyly and out of reflex twirled a few locks of her hair. She felt like a school girl and tried her best to avoid being sweapy up by her dashing freind.

"S-Sure! I would l-love to" she said leaning in a bit closer to him, taking his actions to mean a bit more then they might have been intended. The night in her eyes was going well, and was more exciting then she thought. He was good looking and seemed to have a kind heart and she was hoping she was not letting herself get sweapt up to fast, but the thought quickly left her mind.

The idea going to his house meant meeting the giant spider never enterd her mind at all. "Maybe i can show you a few drinks'" she said Suddenly wishing she had worn somthing nicer tonight.

Melissa accepted his offer graciously, and he could have sworn she was closer after accepted than she was before the offer. If so, there was no problem, right? She was a clever young woman, and he was a single, independent... youngish man. Nothing wrong with two adults returning to an apartment for a nightcap.

"What is the point of having a lovely bartender in my life if I didn't let you show off a drink or two?" Admittedly, the entire reason he went to the bar was thanks to his depleted liquor cabinet, but based on Melissa's mutation, that might not be as much of a problem.

Nate offered his arm and grinned. "Shall we?" And with that, he led her across the street, to the elevator, and finally up to his apartment.

After unlocking the door, Nate took a quick look around. The apartment, all things considered, was in pretty good shape. The bedroom was still a bit lived in since he was not expecting company, but it was probably not something to worry about; surely their evening plans would not involve that particular room.

Nate gestured to the large windows facing out to the park, conveniently next to the comfy furniture of Nate's living room. "Make yourself right at home, hun. I'll be right with you, I just need to, er, find something."

Specifically, he wanted to find Parker and put him away in his room. Nate peeked in the spider's closet, followed by the bathroom, and even his own bedroom, but Parker was apparently hiding well. It made Nate wonder... where was that punk arachnid?

Him taking her arm only cemented her idea's he meant for this to be romanetic. Him calling her lovely put a bright pink glow on her cheeks. She smiled determined to show him somthing special she could make. She had no idea what he had in the house drink wise but her mutation limited that issue and she could use various things to bring a nice flavor into the drinks. It felt nice being on his arm and she took his his apartment as they enterd it.

It was nice for a guys apartment, with a lived in feel. As they seperated she let her nails run down his arm making sure she touched his palm. Knowing on most people it was a sencetive area. "ALl right" she said happily.

So distracted was she, she did not notice the spider come down from the ceiling untill she felt a hairly leg on her neck. The color drained from her face as she saw it out of the courner of her eyes, and she let out a loud scream of suprise and freight, she swatted at it to try and get it off of her, unsure how well she would move it.

The spider seemed much bigger in reality then she had imagined and the fact it was on her did not help at all. The spider unmoved by her feebile attempt to swat it was carried with her as she ran into the bedroom after nate, paniced.

When Nate pulled away from his companion for the evening, her fingertip touch very clearly lingered before letting him go. He was not exactly sure if it was his actions that lead her to believe he had more intimate intentions, or if her actions were the ones initiating things, but it did make it hard not to think about where the night could conceivably go now that they were in the cozy confines of his apartment for the night.

Unfortunately, his search for the elusive pet and quite possibly any chance of more close and friendly interactions both came to a quick halt when he heard the high-decibeled scream of a woman who undoubtedly just had a run-in with a giant arachnid.

Nate ran into the living room to see Parker clinging to Melissa's shoulder as the woman tried knocking the beast away.

"PARKER!" Nate closed the distance and pulled the large creature off of the now terrified lady friend. He dropped Parker to the ground and placed a foot on the spider's back. "You know better! No sneaking up on people! Very rude!" It was bad enough that his neighbors were probably wondering where and why there was a screaming girl in the building.

Parker began warbling and clicking, clearly sad at how upset his owner was. Nate kept a stern face, but he always found it difficult to remain angry with his pet. With a sigh, he commanded, "To your room for the night." Parker wasted no time returning to his room, grounded for the night. Nate followed the spider so he could close the door before returning to Melissa.

Nate carefully placed a hand on the shoulder Parker tried perching on. Worried that Melissa was going to be in rough shape after the encounter, Nate looked her eye to eye, hoping to read her current state. "I'm so sorry... are you okay?"

She was quite releived when the large spider was gone from her shoulder. She did her best to calm down as the man disaplined the spider in a way that made it seem almost dog like. Her hand resting on her chest she looked down at the spider which while it looked smaller still seemed way to big. She had liked to think not to much would scare her but the spider certainly had. She was happier when the spider went away but she still glanced torward the ceiling a few times.

"Y-yea I'm ok..." she said though she looked around to check if their were any more of the giant spiders. She found the hand on her shoulder comforting though and with the spider no longer visable she felt her breath slowing and her heart starting to go just below what she felt was a loud pounding noise. "I'm sorry..I...He.it....." she said feeling a bit bad about screaming about the spider.

She looked up into his eyes a bitt meekly but much calmer then she had been even moments before. Nervously sweeping her hand through her hair. "He was bigger then i thought" she said, placing her free hand loosely on his waist, feeling safer near him. She was a bit embaressed she had screamed like that. She should have known the spider would live at his aprtment. WHy that fact had not came to her earlior she did not know.