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| I Could Have Danced All Night | |
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| Participants | Julian Lorna |
| Synopsis | Lorna makes good on her promise of a party, but first they have to tackle the problem of getting there. |
| Location | New York City |
| Time | January 15, 2016 |
| Posted By | Lorna |
(…continued from Proportional Response)
It's approximately 30 minutes after the party going pair separated and made their way to their respective dorms to get ready for a night of tripping the light fantastic. There's no curfew to worry about tonight, it's the weekend. Plus Lorna has an apartment in the city that they can go to if things get a little too out of hand or it gets too late. Hopefully neither happen.
Stepping down the stairs in a pair of tall heeled boots, tight jeans, a purple wrap around t-shirt and her puffy pink parka, Lorna is trying to faster a pair of dangling earrings to her ears. Snap. Snap. They go in very easily and her hands get tucked into her pockets. It's not too cold outside that she'll need a hat, but since they won't be taking a car she's come prepared in case. Sweeping her hair up into a bun on the top of her head she tucks it all under a fluffy purple toque that has a pair of earflaps and a large pom pom on top.
Julian, having put the kibosh on the makeup idea, has taken considerably less time to get ready. Nicer pair of jeans, trade the T-shirt for something collared, toss on a little cologne, and finally, swap out the sneakers for grown up shoes, and he's set, his expensive leather jacket tossed on over top as the only protection from the weather. He looks not unlike an impatient date, waiting downstairs for Lorna to emerge. Seated on the couch, he amuses himself playing with a handheld video game, though he's quick to shut it off and push to his feet as she comes down the steps. "You look hot," he comments with that dangerous grin of his.
The advantage of being a model for a makeup company for over four years is that one quickly learns how to do anything with a brush and powder. So it doesn't really need to be said that when Julian makes his statement, it's a bit of news that the young woman already knows. Regardless, she gives him a crooked little grin to match his wolfish smile and nods. "I know," she says in an unusually smug voice. "But let's keep that fact under wraps. I'm hoping that someone equally as hot will notice me and my dance card will be full for the whole night." She pulls a pair of purple mittens to match her toque from her pockets and pulls them on over her hands. "You're not going to wear anything warmer? Are you serious? We're going to be out in the cold."
Julian laughs approvingly at Lorna's smugness. "Hey, I won't say anything, but I don't think you'll have much luck keeping your hotness a secret." He tucks his hands into his pockets before spreading them wide - because of course he hasn't even done up his jacket. "Relax, mom. I'll survive. And hey, if I'm lucky, maybe someone'll be looking to warm me up, hm?" It's a macho thing for him. Despite thin California blood and bitching about the weather, he's not going to admit to actually getting cold. "Besides, it's either this or my pink puffy thing, and we can't show up wearing the same thing," he adds in teasing, gallantly offering her an arm before gesturing towards the door with a jerk of his head. Every once in a little while, he can pretend to be a gentleman.
Giving him something of a look, Lorna shakes her head. "Oh no, you get a coat, a hat, and some gloves or mittens before we leave. I'm not going to have my good time ruined because you caught pneumonia on the way to the city." That doesn't mean she wouldn't carry him to the apartment and nurse him back to health, but that's what a friend slash older sister figure does…. just before knuckling him in the head. She stands firm and crosses her arms over her chest, waiting for him to make with the winter preparations. "I can totally wait here all night. I can see the Victoria Secret models any time I want… You have tonight. So you can either dress for the weather or we can stay home."
"I'm not-" Julian starts to protest, before cutting off with an impatient huff. Boarding school boy is utterly unused to someone actually fussing about his well-being. There's a long pause, as his stubbornness wages war with the fact that there are actual models waiting on the other end of this. "Fine. But you're being completely ridiculous," he informs her with a roll of his eyes, as he starts pushing past towards the stairs. He'll take them two at a time, keeping his pace unhurried and yet still covering a lot of ground with each stride.
The smug little smirk spreads across her face as Lorna watches the boy race up the stairs two by two. It's funny, really, how easily they will give up their machismo when faced with the possibility of not getting to where the girls are. Pulling out her phone, the green haired woman checks the time before she paces toward the door, opening it slowly to test the weather. Hopefully she'll be able to carry both of them all the way to Brooklyn, otherwise they'll end up walking part of the way.
Or Julian will be forced to admit he totally could have flown himself the whole time. But for now, he's keeping mum on that, as he returns moments later from his dorm. The leather gloves are designed more for fashion than warmth, and he may have opted for a baseball cap instead of a toque, and he's still got only the leather jacket, but as far as he's concerned, he's met her requirements. "Come on, let's go," he urges, trying to hustle out the door before she can make a thing of it. "I'm overheating in here." On account of all the winter clothes, see.
"Alright, it's going to be slow. I can't fly fast if I'm going to be going very far." The young woman explains as she grabs his hand. When they walk out of the door, she looks around before they begin to rise in the air. She's not kidding that it's slow, it doesn't help that he's added weight. The hand that isn't holding his, is pointed toward the ground as she tries to keep the two of them level. "I guess we could have taken a car, but this is safer than the roads tonight."
Julian is game for being the passenger this time, if only because it's an excuse for holding. Which he was, admittedly, hoping would be in the more bodily sense. But he gets a little caught up in curiosity as they take off in that slow flight. "So, how's it work, your flying?" he can't help but ask, as he gives a look around. It's a different point of view than when he's up here under his own volition, to be certain. But he's a great deal less nervous being carried along, knowing he can readily catch himself if anything should happen.
Looking at him, Lorna shrugs and gives him a little smile. The tip of her nose is already getting red from the cold as are the apples of her cheeks. "Basically, like we're riding on the ground, only twenty feet up in the air." It's a very simple explanation, there's really not much more to it as far as she's concerned. "I can only go for a little while though, I have to practice a lot more before I get better. Obviously I haven't had that much practice with everything I should be able to do."
Julian returns the shrug with his free shoulder. Works for him. It's just idle curiosity rather than a driving need to know. "How long have you known?" is his next question. He's assuming it can't have been all that long ago, if she hasn't practiced much yet. After all, he takes every single opportunity to practice (read: show off) that presents itself. "But hey, glad to be of service if it's practice you need." There's a faint grin with that. And yes, he's starting to feel the cold, but he's certainly not going to admit it.
"It started when I was about seventeen or so. I'm actually lucky I made it out alive." Lorna's voice grows a little dim and sullen at that point. It's not exactly a memory she enjoys visiting. "How about you?" For now, his offer to allow her to practice on him is given a polite little smile and a shake of her head. "I don't really need people to practice. Laura is really helpful though, but she's got more than a few metal fillings. Otherwise, it's just better for me to do it on my own."
"I was thirteen," Julian replies, and while he'd usually boast about that, being an early bloomer and all, he has noticed the change in her. But, glancing at the ground, he's not sure this is the best time to pry. Instead, he goes back to his own story. "Best thing that ever happened to me." He readjusts his grip slightly and carefully. "Well, I was considering this as practicing," he notes, his grin returning more easily. "Use them every chance you get. That's how you get good. Like me." Okay, the boasting couldn't stay at bay for too long.
"I don't like being different." Lorna admits honestly, gripping his hand a little tighter as they pass through a bunch of trees. When necessary, she flies in front of him, holding him behind her. Once they are clear of the trees, Lorna touches down and lets off a long sigh. The skyline of the city is visible along the Hudson river, but it's still a very long way off. "I'm going to need to rest for a little while. I can't go too far with someone else."
"You should," Julian replies, his tone simple, instructive rather than being a lecture. "Who wants to be the same as everyone else?" He shrugs his shoulders, before lapsing into silence as she navigates the trees. When they touch down, he's quick to find his feet. Straightening his jacket, he looks out over the city, before turning back to her. "Take your time." He could always just do it himself, get them both there. But he's actually delaying his chance to hook up with models in some perhaps misguided attempt to help her practice. Still, the distance left to cover does cause him to reconsider a bit. "How far can you make it if you're on your own?"
"About fifteen minutes if I go at fifty miles an hour. That's the fastest they've clocked me. The slower I go, the longer I can go… but the more weight I carry the less I can do." The young woman says, still staring at the skyline. "This is literally going to take forever. I wish we'd brought my car." She's not a big fan of practicing, it's not like she has someone to show off to. Though she has a very strong relationship with her mother, it's not exactly a secret around the school that they're not overly proud of having a mutant for a daughter.
"Hey, don't worry about it. We'll get somewhere eventually," Julian replies as he casts another glance at the city. "Look, you rest up and then … just focus on getting yourself as far as you can. Let me worry about me." There's a cheeky grin with that, as he hopes he's not in too much trouble for failing to mention these things before. "Anyway, this is way more fun than taking a car." Whatever her feelings on it, he still loves playing with powers. "We're riding in style."
About ten minutes after touching down, Lorna is ready again. Without a word, she grips Julian's hand again and they rise into the air. "Alright, this time we're going to get to the city." She says with a very determined expression on her face. Every time they navigate around a tree or through a ravine she grips his hand much tighter. She's pushing herself to near exhaustion by the time they reach the limits of Harlem. When they touch down again to take a walk through the rougher parts of town she doesn't look as good as she did when she first came down the stairs. They still have a very long way to go.
Julian is a little surprised to find her taking off with him again, when he was fully intending to offer to fly himself. But in light of her grim determination, he keeps quiet until the touch down. It's only then that he notices how rough she's looking. "Hey. You okay?" There's a tiny edge of actual concern in there, though he'd no doubt deny it. "Practice is good and all, but don't kill yourself." He glances around at the area where they've landed, not worried, overly confident in his ability to keep them out of trouble, but wary and on-guard, just the same.
Shrugging her shoulders, Lorna stops at one of the bus benches and takes a seat. "I'm a little tired, to tell you the truth. I could probably go to sleep right here." She leans back in the bench and closes her eyes, as though that plan might have been the most intelligent thing in the world for her to do. She's not overly concerned with where they are right now. She hasn't exhausted herself to unconsciousness just yet, so her shield is up and around them. Should someone decide to take a bullet to the pair, it just won't go through.
"That's probably not a good idea," Julian notes, quite unaccustomed to being the voice of reason when it comes to not doing stupid things in bad areas of town. "C'mon, doll, wakey, wakey." He reaches for her hand, intended to tug lightly to get her to her feet. If she can't fly them out of this bad neighbourhood, he'll just have to do it himself. Of course, his powers are a little … flashier. Which is why he's starting to glow green as he steps back and starts to drift off the ground a few inches.
"I just need to rest my eyes for a couple of minutes, Julian. We have all night to get to the party." Lorna complains, almost as though she's begging her mother for five more minutes of sleep before she has to get up for school. "If I rest for a little bit we can fly again, otherwise we have to walk." With a very heavy sigh, the woman allows herself to be tugged to a stand. "Fine, hey, why are you glowing?" Then she narrows her eyes at him, "You can… and you made me… Oh you're so going to pay for that. You better take me with you."
Julian is quite a competent flyer too, it would seem, for as soon as Lorna cottons on, he's quick to swoop back a few feet, out of hitting range. She gets an angelic grin as he does so, spreading his hands in front of him as though in surrender. "I thought you needed the practice!" Of course, glowing in a bad neighbourhood is probably not helping their chances any, so he pre-empts the argument by creating a flat disk, a few inches off the ground in front of her, big enough in diameter for her to stand or sit on. "Hop on, doll." There's a slight pause before he adds, somewhat reluctantly, "I can't get all that far with a passenger either though. But I can get us out of here."
Lorna gets up on the disk and sits down on it, using this time to get some rest. It's likely that by the time the boy has exhausted himself that she'll be able to pick up again. "If we get to the Upper East Side, we can get to my apartment and rest there for a bit. We still have loads of time before the party picks up," she quips to him from her seated position. "Get closer to me, I can shield us in case anything goes wrong."
"I never say no when a beautiful woman asks me to get closer," Julian replies with a grin, drifting over that way even as he begins to lift them both up off the ground. Thanks to the glowing quality, he'll have to go higher, which will reduce the distance he can cover, but still, on out of the bad neighbourhood they go. "Upper East Side. Right. That's, uh, that way?" he guesses, pointing vaguely to the south, even as he starts to head off in that direction.
"Ah geez, Jules, you really need to stop that." Lorna says lightly, reaching over to give him a rather playful swat. The combination of their powers gets them out of Harlem quickly and quite safely. Her shield plus his flight is much better for her that her shield and her flight. When the woman spies Central Park, she gives him a brilliant smile and points toward her building. "Right there! That's my place, we can stop there for a little bit so I can get decent again." And he can get rid of the hat hair that he's likely developed.
"Ow, hey," Julian protests, though the swat didn't really hurt. "Careful or you'll break my concentration." With that, he gives the disk a little swoop, quite confident in his ability to keep it steady. Like he said, he practices as much as he possibly can. He looks over as she points out her building, altering course and picking up speed a little bit, to make a beeline for it. "I knew it. This was all some big scam to get me back to your place, wasn't it, doll." At least he seems to be joking on that front.
That statement gets Julian a very unimpressed look. "Yeah, that's exactly why I almost killed myself trying to get here. Because I wanted to get you into my shoebox." Okay, so she's exaggerating, but still, she could have died in Harlem… if someone had decided to cut her up with a glass bottle or something. "Let's set down near the front door, not right in front of it." Clambering up to a stand, she brushes off her pants like the disk was dirty or something.
"Yeah, see, I knew it," Julian replies, nodding sagely. He glances over at her as she requests the landing to be not directly in front of it, but with a shrug, he complies, starting to angle them down at a nearby stretch of the sidewalk. "And I told you not to kill yourself. All you needed to do was ask." Yes, he's still playing it that she was so desperate to get him back here, but now it's hopefully a little clearer he's just kidding. Mostly, anyway. The landing is pretty smooth, as he steps back onto the ground and brings the disk to a halt a few inches, hovering steadily for her to step off.
Stepping off the disk, Lorna pulls the mittens and hat, running her fingers through her hair and fluffing it out. "Come on up, I need to touch up my makeup and make sure I don't need to change my clothes." Pulling her keys out of her pocket, she walks just ahead of him into the building and opens the door. Moments later they're up in her tiny apartment, s space that isn't much bigger than a couple of dorm rooms fitted together. It's really very tiny. "Welcome to mi casa," she smiles as she passes on to him two of the only words she can actually speak in Spanish. Hey, she's from the midwest.
"Huh," Julian remarks as he follows Lorna into the building, glancing around at his surroundings. He doesn't explain that thoughtful little interjection, though he's perhaps a little quieter than usual on the trip out. And then there's another "Huh" as they step out onto her floor. Yeah, he's inwardly marveling at the coincidence. "Yeah, thanks," he replies as she welcomes him inside, distracted as he takes a final glance out into the hall before shutting the door. "You weren't really kidding about the shoebox." There's a grin with that, as his focus comes back more onto the actual apartment.
Lorna leaves him in the living room with the purple couch and the millions of pillows while she goes into the bedroom. Examining herself in the full length mirror, she wrinkles her nose and shakes her head. Then it's into the wardrobe while she makes change after change after change. It takes her longer in the apartment than it did when they were getting ready at the school, likely because her wardrobe is just a little bigger here. When she emerges again, she's dressed in another pair of fitted jeans that rest down around her hips and a t-shirt with a logo on the front. "Okay, I think I'm ready. Does my makeup look okay?"
While Lorna heads off to get ready, Julian searches out a reflective surface to primp himself, though his again takes considerably less time. Especially since he doesn't have the luxury of a wardrobe change, even if he were so inclined. So he kills the rest of the time nosing around her living room - nothing too invasive, but not being exactly shy about it either. Hey, she's just lucky he's not trying to sneak a peek into the bedroom while she's changing really. When she emerges, he turns around to face her, offering a grin. "Hot as ever, doll," he replies, before cutting his gaze towards the door. "I didn't realize you lived here," he notes, having mused on that during her absence. It really is such a small world. And without further ado, he's heading for the door.
Rather than using the power of flight, Lorna has found a taxi to transport the pair of them to their final destination. It's easier on the hair, and definitely on the skin. She's shed the purple wool hat and mittens in favor of a 'cooler' look, though she's still wearing her puffy pink parka. One half hour later, the yellow cab pulls up in front of what looks like a very quiet looking building. There are no lights, no cars around the entire area seems devoid of life. Turning to give him a grin, she wiggles her eyebrows and says "This is it!" and opens the door to the cab to clamber out.
Julian is quick to go for his wallet, making a gesture that he'll cover the cab. He makes no big deal about it as he clambers out behind her, tucking the wallet back away and then eyeing the building with a somewhat skeptical expression. "This one of those monastery parties that are all the rage in Europe?" he can't help but ask, as he peers around the area. Not exactly his idea of a raging high profile party with models. His own hat and gloves have been left behind at Lorna's apartment, so he tucks his hands into his jacket pockets for warmth.
"It's called an underground party, Julian, get with the times." Apparently there just might be some illegal activities happening other than the woman sneaking in a minor. Digging her cell phone out of her pocket, the green haired woman checks a few texts back and then makes her way to the warehouse. "Okay, remember, you are not allowed to embarrass me tonight. At all. I will ditch you if you do. And this really isn't the kind of neighborhood that you want to be ditched in." Really, it doesn't look like that kind of place at all. Though the streets are barren, there are the faint sounds of gunfire in the distance and sirens.
The door to the warehouse is unlocked and Lorna seems very comfortable about pulling the metal door open. It is only then that the faint sound of music can be heard in the distance. "See? I told you it was here." The air is not any warmer and as they grow closer to a door leading to the basement, the music begins to pump louder. Even though the air is still quite cold, the green haired woman removes her coat and begins making her way down the skeletal stairs. The ambiance is alive with life, there's a catwalk set up with models dancing, cages hanging all over with hired dancers writhing inside. With the way the models and cage dancers are dressed, it seems as though nearly naked was the dress code of the night.
"I've been stuck in boarding schools since I was nine, give me a break," Julian replies, rolling his eyes as he's ordered to get with the times. "Underground parties were more like getting high in the woods." He follows behind her, watching all of this with a great deal of intent curiosity. "Relax. I'm not going to embarrass you. Though I can handle myself." He just has to point that out, even if he's not particularly looking to be ditched; it's not because he couldn't look out for himself. He follows her inside, leaving the jacket on as he follows. It works just as well as part of the ensemble, which is the perk of wearing something way too thin for a New York winter. As they make their way inside, of course the first thing to catch his eye is one of those dancing models. They all get a real good look before he bothers to check out the rest of the joint. "Okay, I'll grant this is pretty cool," he allows with a sage nod of his head.
His allowance is lost in the thunder of the music that Lorna is already dancing to as she makes her way through the crowd to a group of women that are waving toward them. Her hair seems to glow under the strobes and blacklights that are mounted up in various spots all over the bare ceiling. "Julian! These are some of my friends from Keene!" She yells at her much younger cohort when they get to the old sofa and coffee table combo that is host to a plethora of thin beauties. It must be his lucky night because three of the women reach out and pull him forcefully into the couch with them. Whether he goes willingly or not. Lorna rolls her eyes as she witnesses the women beginning to fawn all over him and she yells out, "Hey guys, be careful, he's my baby brother!"
Whether he goes willingly or not? Julian is sure as hell not going to fight it if lovely ladies are actually proactively seeking out his company. He falls readily onto the couch, letting out a little laugh as he goes. "Why, hello!" he greets with a roguish grin, giving them all an appreciative once-over. Lorna gets a 'look' as she tries to salt his game. "Don't you have a dance card to fill?" he calls out to her, straining his voice over the music, though it's in a light-hearted sort of way. "I'm sure your friends will keep me company, right ladies?" He looks around at them, nodding earnestly. Glancing back at Lorna, she gets a more appreciative grin.
The grin is completely missed because by the time Julian has looked back up at the green haired woman she's already being swooped down upon by a rather roguish looking charmer of her own. He should recognize the type, it's his type only older. "Oh hey Enzo," Lorna almost purrs as the man's arms wrap around her waist. She freezes visibly for a moment before her jaw tenses and then she forces herself to relax. Giving the man a playful swat, she grins and twirls away from his grasp and begins to dance away into the crowd, leaving Julian alone with Enzo and the collection of models.
Which is why Julian simply cannot wait to get older. Enzo gets a nod in greeting, Julian's eyes following Lorna for just a moment as she twirls away. "Hey man," is offered in casual greeting, whether or not it can be heard over the party - the sentiment is probably clear enough, as he leans forward to offer a hand. But that's about as much attention as he's willing to expend on his future self, not when there are ladies needing attending to. When he sits back, he takes advantage of the move to sling each arm along the back of the couch, inviting them all into his personal space. Yeah, this is going to do nothing good for his ego, but at least he's having fun.
