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| (NPC) Hoyt |
| (NPC) Mr. Roboto |
| (NPC) Zaynab |
| Rain Dance | |
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| Participants | Brian, Julian, Lorna with NPCs by Control_Z |
| Synopsis | An illicit party goes up in flames. |
| Location | Music Practice Room - Xavier's School - Westchester |
| Time | February 6, 2016 |
| Posted By | Julian |
Not a huge turnout for the illicit on-campus party, but that's probably just as well, considering the close quarters - as it is, there's enough of a crowd to make for a very cuddly party, and it's still early yet. A curious place to throw a shindig, to be sure, at least until you figure it's probably one of the only soundproof places around. And if the tight space means having to get that much closer, well, there aren't too many people complaining. The inner doors have been left open, spilling the sound of music out into the interior hallway, where most of the party-goers congregate. Providing clues to the party's location are just the very faint sound of thumping bass throughout the basement, and then the periodic blaring whenever the door opens to let someone in or out. The overhead lights have been left off, candles and a few lamps appropriated from dorm rooms providing the ambient light. Julian has found himself a prime spot right at the end of the hallway, where he can see everyone coming and going, as well as the occupants of both rooms.
Cruz Control at its finest. That's right, Brian Cruz is making his way through the party as amazingly as he can. He has no qualms about bumping into whatever females may be in his path, making sure to slap fives and point fingers at everyone that he knows. Which is almost everyone. He's opted for a more host-like suit to wear this night, hoping to make himself stand out as the King(maker) of Party Making. Whatever the case, he's also got one hand on his phone and scrolling through whatever messages are constantly coming through for the moment. Each of them just make him smile, since it can't be anything but good news. Of course, this is also the part where he stops by the very small stage (it's practically just a pile of soap boxes or crates with plywood on it, but black tarp and other things have made it look smashing) to play host to Resident Evil, the local crazy punk band that he's managed to score as a gig. A favor for a couple more favors, that is. But whatever. Live music? Always a plus. Brian steps back from shaking hands to look at the close-quarters crowd and smirks. "Brian Cruz. You are something." Oh yeah. Julian helped too. A little.
She'd heard the murmurs of a party from a few students, but mostly from the younger high school crowd. Not really anyone that she would normally hang around with but at the last minute, Lorna accepted an invitation from another girl with a smile. She was in the middle of fixing a pedicure on her toenails, so she sent the other girl ahead and promised to meet her there. A promise is a promise, Mama always used to say and when you make a promise to someone you do your best to keep it. So after changing out of her pajamas and into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, Lorna slips into a pair of flip flops and makes her way down the stairs and to the kitchen. She's still not sure about her arrival, so she dilly dallies over a glass of water.
Among those packed in like mutant sardines, there are a few faces ranging from familiar partyers to those who heard to come from a friend of a friend of a neighbor. In about the middle of this pack is the large form of Hoyt, one of the instigators of the snowball fight that ended so well and all. He's jammed inside a group of happily laughing and dancing females, but he flips one of those hip greetings back at Brian when the other passes. Nothing like getting in with the right crowd. And Hoyt is nothing is not a follower. One of his usual taskmasters is also here. Zaynab, her exotic skin dashed with a touch of make-up and her dark hair dropped in waves around her face, was here before but left and is just now returning. This means she gets the questionable pleasure of passing by hall monitor Julian. All, of course, to the beat of the bass under their feet.
Julian doesn't seem to mind sitting back and letting Brian run the show. All the better to leave him unencumbered to simply enjoy the fruits of his labour. He's got a plastic cup filled with something just fruity enough to offer a hint of deniability should the fit hit the shan, and he's rocking the cool lean against the soundproofed walls. People coming and going get a flash of that winning grin, and he leans in to engage a few people in conversation, speaking close to be heard over the music. As the partygoers' ranks swell to include those from the snowball fight, Julian seems to no longer hold any grudge against them. It's not worth it, not tonight. He's high on life, and so Hoyt gets a raised glass in greeting, and Zaynab a somewhat suggestive grin. "Lookin' good tonight," he enthuses, leaning in as she passes. Not his fault the loud music and small space necessitate getting up close and personal!
So. This is what happens when Brian Cruz doesn't attend the Snowball Fight of Doom. He loses out on hating those that are in his party right now. Oh well, grudges are only worth holding if the grudgees have something to lose. But for the moment, Brian is doing that thing where he continues to mingle. "You da' man!" is tossed at Hoyt, simply because he hasn't said it in a while and that makes it easier for him to get past a couple more bodies. One of which may be a bit too chesty to be in this place, but you won't find Brian complaining about that at all. Nope. Nyet. Nada. A quick glance down at his phone and he realizes that his clock is reading a specific time. So he slides over to the farthest wall and make a quick call. His eyes are quite focused, as to make sure that he tunes out the bumping party and focuses on what's happening on the other end of the phone. Look Out, Check In.
After finishing her glass of water, Lorna slowly washes the glass and dries it then places it back into the cupboard. She straightens her t-shirt just before heading down to the cellar. A quick glance is given to her left and right, just to make sure no one sees her and then flits down the stairs and to the hallway where the music is pounding loudly. The place is packed with teenagers and a few people her own age, which comes as a little bit of a surprise to her. She closes in on the crowd and shuffles through to the table with the little plastic cups and pours herself a little cup. Spotting Zaynab, she lifts her hand in a small wave and then settles at the entrance, leaning her back against the wall.
Oh, no, nobody's fault. All the same, Zaynab squeezes by that little space she's been given, completely not in-control of how she is unfortunately forced to rub by several guys on the way. If she just happens to pass by Julian quicker and /not/ touching even with his leaning in, well, that's chance, right? But her hurried maneuver might be more planned, based on the equally mischievous look she offers him in return. "Screw your head back on, Jules, I look this good /all/ the time." And then she disappears into the rush of people, with just a little butt-wiggling action to say goodbye to him.
Julian just laughs it off, watching Zaynab go with that little butt-wiggle before turning his attention towards some lovely ladies who aren't going to be so mean to him. He snags one of these more favourable girls by the wrist, lightly, just enough to get her to stop, to hear him out as he leans in and says something into her ear that gets her to giggle. Oh, the giggling. Something is handed off to her then as he nods towards the smaller of the two rooms, sending her along on her way. He takes a sip of his drink, grinning like the Big Man on Campus he clearly thinks he is. That green hair stands out, so Lorna is spotted soon enough, and gets herself a glass raised in greeting as well.
It may not be as simply to be the Associate to the Big Man on Campus as Brian is soon finding out. He's keeping tabs on the upper levels and what not, thanks to somebody with a bit of duplication in their blood. Making sure to have a head's up in case anything resembling trouble is headed their way. Satisfied, he slides himself back to the main area of the party and proceeds to zero in on anything that may be familiar. He's not drinking at the very moment, wanting to make sure the party is in full amazing swing before anything bad happens. He's just a bit paranoid. Within the next moment, though, Resident Evil finishes their set and he finds himself running up onto the baby stage and grabbing the mic. "Is this how school should be or what?! That's right! It's another Brian Cruz joint! I know, I know! I'm the greatest. Just make sure you have a good time an we'll call it even!" Woo!
Lorna lists her glass and smiles over at Julian before turning her head to the stage to focus on Brian. He seems in much much better spirits since their last meeting, but she's still a little wary about meeting him face to face. Turning toward the front of the hallway, she spies another student that she's a little more familiar with and begins chatting with her. Unfortunately for Lorna, the girl in question was in the middle of chatting up one of the other college age students that had decided to crash the party, so the reception is a little less than pleasant. After a pair of tight smiles are exchanged, Lorna is off again, looking for the girl that had invited her down.
There's a mixed reception of Brian's announcement. Some people are there to be at a Brian-Julian event— and some are just there to be at a party. So there's some yelling ("Woo! Brian, you rock!"), some jeering ("Get the band back!"), and some people who just keep on dancing without realizing anything's changed at all. Hoyt resurfaces from all this, having left the girls behind somewhere.. he's not sure, they're just gone… with a dull look of enjoyment on his face. "Bring it on, Cruz!" he calls up there, "What else you got for us?"
Julian lets out a little woot of his own, raising his glass in a salute. For all his ego, he doesn't seem to mind Brian taking the credit for this one. He's really more about enjoying the party than managing it, after all. One of the cat-callers might find his feet suddenly knocked out from under him by a suspiciously green glowing disk that disappears a split second later. If anyone were watching Julian closely, they might notice a matching green glow to his eyes that goes out at the same time, but otherwise, he doesn't move or make any indication that he's behind the little stunt. Casually, he takes another sip of his drink, nodding appreciatively to another student body that presses past. "Hey doll."
"Oh, you want more?! You don't think I got more?!" Brian is stalling, apparently. Either that or he's trying to build up suspense. Either way, while Resident Evil is taking a breather, Brian points up to the ceiling. Hanging there are about four cheap disco balls. "Let's kick this up a notch. This ain't just a party! This is a contest! Up above are disco balls filled with numbers! There's two of each! You'll be teaming up with your matching number for the epic dance contest." Brian grins and looks very proud of his own addition to this party of awesome. "The winners get an all expense paid night out on the town, sponsored by Yours Unruly." Brian grins and looks off towards Julian. "Hey J! A little help here?" He's pretty sure Julian can TK those cheap things open!
Looking up to the disco balls, Lorna just gulps. Dance contest? In this crowded place? The thought of it is fun but a little on the eep side of life as well. Caught between hoping she'll get stuck with someone she likes and the horror of Junior Grabbyhands, she edges toward the door, ready to make a break for it. What she wouldn't give for Kitty's power right about now. Gathering a bit of courage, she cracks a grin and calls up to the stage, "A night on the town anywhere we want? Or McDonalds and a movie in the park?"
Whoops! That particular jeerer goes down, alright, and so do several of the people around him because of these close quarters. They make a tangled, but fairly bemused jumble, as others look on and laugh. Brian's announcement is enough to get attention back on him. From his spot there as chief encouragement, Hoyt looks pretty proud of himself, though not after a keen-then-usual thought occurs that he's not sure he really knows much dancing… While he's contemplating this, Zaynab reappears, pushing through others to pound her hand on the stage with a big teasing grin, "How do we know there's enough for everybody, hotshot?"
Julian laughs appreciatively at his own handiwork, watching that section of the room go down like bowling pins. He tears his gaze away, his expression still amused as Brian brings the room's attention to those disco balls. "You got it, man," he calls out in reply, as he's called upon to do his thing. His eyes narrow in concentration, though it doesn't require too much work for him. "Guess we'll find out," is offered to either Zaynab or Lorna. Sure, he could just crack them open, but that lacks panache. Instead, the balls, glowing that signature green, swing out on their hanging wire, each doing a full synchronized 360 before yanking free of their supports, hovering for a moment a few feet from the ceiling, and then rocketing upward to collide with it, covering the four corners of the room. It's a little more explosive than intended, the brittle plastic of the cheap decorations shattering almost too easily, raining down both numbered balls and mirrored bits of plastic upon the crowds below. Julian just seems to think that was pretty cool.
"Oh please. I'm Brian Cruz. When do I ever do anything cheap?" All the time. But he's not about to let the world realize that. Well, less the world and more the people that are in these two rooms. He manages to grin, even while Julian is doing that TK thing. "Maybe there are, maybe there ain't. Either way, if you wanna' shot at me paying for your fun… I suggest you grab a ball." Laughter at his puny answer follows him returning the microphone to the lead singer of Resident Evil and he hops down off the stage, flashing a smile and reaching up to adjust his tie. "Man. Did I mention how good I am, yet?" And arms get crossed as he proceeds to watch the crowd scramble.
The thought of leaving without grabbing a ball did cross Lorna's mind, just a flicker really before she gave in to temptation and caught up one of the little numbers. It's a dance contest after all, she's not a stick in the mud, she's a party girl! Plus, she's planning on winning… as long as she doesn't have to take her dance partner as her date. She turns over the ball in her hand and wrinkles her nose a little, "Anyone have number uhm…" Then she lowers her voice until she actually hears her number being called out. No way is she calling THAT number out loud in a room full of teenage boys. Leave it to Julian to make sure it's included.
Scramble, indeed. Because for one, the room's too small — have we mentioned that yet? Two, a few people aren't keen about getting leftover disco ball in their hair. Three, the people who don't want to dance are trying to move out of the way just as fast as those trying to grab a ball for themselves. There's instant chaos afterwards as well as the shouting contest trying to find matching numbers becomes. Plus, there's those who have to try and ditch for a better number when they see their partner, there's unmatched numbers lying on the floor, and there's some asshole hording a whole bunch of them in his pockets. No one ever said excited partiers are good at organization when random prize stuff gets dropped on their heads with little warning. Zaynab, for her part, easily gets a ball by elbowing a bunch of guys out of the way till they're scared of her.
"Hey now, watch it," Julian calmly advises some of the scrambling partygoers who get too close in the chaos. Well, the male partygoers, anyway. The females can step on his feet for all he cares. Of course, he's actually enjoying the anarchy, keeping up that cool lean as he watches everyone hustle and bustle to get their number - or avoid getting them. "Hey there! No slipping out the door! That's cheating!" he calls out some of the spoilsports trying to flee. The door glows green and slams shut on them before they can get through it. But he doesn't bother to hold it shut - it's more about messing with them than really holding them against their will. "Now, who's my partner?" he invites in a loud voice, spreading his arms wide. He hasn't even bothered to grab a number, always the rule-breaker.
Brian's grin is almost one that belongs to The Joker, because he's watching the chaos as if he's planned it all along. Which could be true, but then again, why would he do something like that? It's not like this was all some crazy plot to get people out of their rooms so that he could have his duplicating friends do some acquiring or anything like that. That would be totally and utterly wrong. He would never do something like that. Ever. Really. Honest. Ahem. "Like moths to a flame." is whispered from his lips as he watches, not even bothering to grab a ball himself. Too busy checking his phone to make sure everything is going according to plan. Er, check on the lookouts. Yeah.
Having not heard her number being called out yet, Lorna just holds her ball close and keeps watching all the cool people pair off with each other. Her eyes float over the crowd and land on one unfortunate boy that has just had his poor little heart crushed by a self involved diva. The entire scene was so heart breaking that Lorna tosses her ball over her shoulder and marches out to the boy and grabs him by the wrist right in front of his latest rejector. "I think you have my number! Let's dance." She manages with the biggest smile she can muster and then tugs him along after her, leaving the diva gaping.
Those who are thwarted by the door don't seem to have any aversion to making themselves into wallpaper instead. Unless they have persistent friends out there, they get away with it, too. After all, who wants /more/ competition? As it thins out of those looking for partners, Zaynab nudges her way in front of Julian, twirling the little numbered ball in her hand. "Looks like I've got yours, flyaway," she comments, despite that he's clearly not holding anything. Some other girls are getting the same idea, though, and they shove forward with equal looks of temptation towards him. The easier marks versus the challenge, Jules.
In other realms, Hoyt didn't seem to pick up on the concept, because he's also numberless (or ball-less, if you're looking for a fast joke). He hovers near the stage, and therefore, Brian, holding a drink he mysteriously ended up with and blundering right in on that phone checking. "Hey, what'dya doing, man? Got another party going on elsewhere better than us?"
This fellow Lorna's chosen starts out wide-eyed but then puffs up a bit when people see him getting dragged off by some hot green-haired chick. So what if he thinks all songs could use a little robot-dance to them; she's done a good deed, right?
What can he say? Julian always likes a challenge. Zaynab gets a wolfish grin, which only turns more amused as he realizes he's got some pick of the litter here. "I'd tell you to take a number, but hey, you already have," he remarks, reaching out to snag the twirling ball from her hand. "Sorry ladies. But I'll add you to my dance card," he promises the other hopefuls, glancing back over at them again with his most charming smile. Sure hope no one was counting on him to judge, since that doesn't seem to have occurred to him.
As long as the little guy keeps his hands off her merchandise, Lorna is all to happy to indulge in the Robot for every song until they get cut out. She reserves her robotic moves for songs that might actually need them though, let her partner give up the flare. She gives Julian a little smirk as he suddenly becomes belle of the ball and goes about picking and choosing his dance partner. The green haired woman has no idea what Zaynab is up to, but whatever it is, it can't be good. She's seen that glint in far too many eyes not to be just a little suspicious that something is about to go down.
It's straight-up fact up and down any hallway at Xavier's that Zaynab is and always will be 'one of the guys'. A tomboy. An army commander. A rough-housing - and the person to beat at arm-wrestling. But at this moment, on this impromptu dance floor, she's a whole other entity. Leading Julian by example, she saunters somewhere towards the middle, raises the arms above her head, and demonstrates that she can sway her way almost to the floor and back up. Accomplished, she bats eyes at Julian to show what /he's/ got.
Julian watches with an appreciative smirk, his eyebrows lifting just a bit, as Zaynab drags him out onto the floor. Catching Lorna's look, he just gives a helpless shrug. He can't help that the women are drawn to him like flies to honey. After watching Zaynab's surprisingly impressive moves, he leans in, attempting to speak directly into her ear. "Hot." So said, he straightens up, tugs his party-going clothes straight, and starts busting out his own moves. He's no Fred Astaire, but he's not some stiff-armed white dude either. Stuffed into tuxedos from the time he was a young moppet, dragged around to social events, cotillions, swanky matchmaking dances at hoity-toity private schools, Julian has at least learned how to move, even if he hated every moment of those stuffy events. He's not hating these particular moments, and it shows, his moderate dancing skills improved by enthusiasm and flair. Zaynab isn't the only one who likes to show off.
Thanks to Mister Roboto, Lorna and her partner are tossed from the race rather quickly. But the young man still gets his own reward. Leaning down, Lorna plants a kiss on his cheek and straightens to give him a big smile. "You did great, I'm sorry I lost it for us. Maybe next time you'll get a better partner and you'll win." she offers quite kindly. Then she gives Julian and Zaynab a small wave as she disappears into the crowd and away from the party. It's been a night, but she needs to wash the acne off her lips and make a few phone calls before bed time.
Bri is busy on the phone, as usual. In fact, it takes him a moment to realize that the contest is going and all of that good stuff. He's peeling the phone away from his ear and paying more attention to the party than the words coming at him from the celly. There's a couple of hot babes doing some dancing together and he may be drifting off into a fantasy sequence. Who really knows when it comes to Cruz Control's Cerebellum.
It isn't out of any sort of particular maliciousness that Hoyt takes the opportunity to lean in and spy on Brian's phone. He just didn't get her question answer and, dammit, he wants to know if there's a better party. Too bad that, once noticed, those grinding girls are just as good at pulling his attention to them. And then, eventually, his body. Watch out, Cruz Control, your fantasy is about to gain one football-sized mutant man too many.
Apparently, Julian's display is working well enough because Zaynab rewards him by joining in. As he busts his moves, she sidles in closer and gets her own body to complement his in time to the thrumming beneath their feet. At one point, she has him with a light hand on his waist, though she always shies mischievously away from letting him get any touchy of his own, and she leans in with a flick of her head that sends her hair over her shoulder, exposing that dark neck. "Mmm, you're on fire." Cliche, but he started it. And when a girl's speaking in husky tones next to your ear, who cares. But then said girl pulls away, does a sexy spin, turns over her shoulder to give you the bedroom eyes…. and suddenly looks confused. Then shocked. Then she repeats, deadpan, "You're on fire."
For he is. On fire. And eventually the guy behind him notices and the couple after that and, because this is, say it with me, a /crowded/ room, everyone really starts to notice the smoke and flames routine. And they want /out/. And those who have the capacity to be heard on any level besides speaking might panic enough to inform a teacher the instant that alarm goes up.
Julian is having a grand old time, even if Zaynab won't let him get quite as up close and personal as he'd like. But then, the chase is really half the fun, and he's not going to complain if she wants to take the lead on getting handsy. He grins at her cliche, and it takes a moment for her confusion to sink in, his grin flickering and then quickly dropping to be replaced by a look of sheer panic. Stop, drop and roll? Julian is going more for the 'smack at yourself while shouting profanities' approach. Probably not helping with the panic, but hey, he's on fire here. He at least thinks enough to quickly shrug out of his open button-down shirt, trying to strip the fire off of him.
"… My party!" Brian is upset now. Mostly because his party is being ruined. And also because his new BFF is on fire. "Everybody get the hell outta' here!" And that could be the reason why he's tagging himself to see if he can't get the crowd to disperse and get away from him and what could be a dangerous room. He's hoping Julian can get out of that shirt (hot) before he starts to run. We don't need that fire spreading out. "Doesn't this cheap ass school have a sprinkler system?!"
That system will kick in soon - as may have one or two of those with water based powers, but Brian's tagging took care of that. In similar ways, Zaynab puts out her hands, stammering, "Hold on. Keep still. I can do this!" An odd command when on fire, but she needs to concentrate on its whereabouts to put it out with her control. Too bad she's, seconds later, booking it for the door when the game of tag sets in. There's less standards set up in the music room, of all places, but suddenly all the fires — undisturbed candles included — do blink out. Putting the fire out was probably less trouble than the panic that has summoned adults in.
Julian is hot out of that shirt, both literally and figuratively, as it leaves him wearing only a wife beater, but still on fire. Zaynab gets a look as she orders him to stand still, but grimacing against the terror and pain of it all, he tries to do so, unable to keep entirely still, as the adrenaline has him agitating. There's an especially loud curse when she goes running off instead, and he goes back to flailing about, his panic only growing, his spazzing attempts only helping to spread the flames at this point. Of course, it also makes him look kinda funny when the fire suddenly blinks out, and it takes him a few moments to realize. As soon as that realization sets in, he sinks to the ground, breathing heavily and still in quite a bit of panic.
Brian is likely apt to find himself the only one still standing in this room. He kind of just looks around and frowns, realizing that his party has been ruined. He turns off the self-tag and just kind of sighs, before realizing that this is probably a good time to call in for another check in. He brings the phone back up to his ear and sure hopes that he gets a teenager's voice on the other end. "It's Cruz. How we looking, out there? Because, in here? We're so screwed…"
Screwed indeed. It doesn't take long for word to reach the faculty, thanks to the sudden fleeing of students emerging from the basement like rats abandoning the lower levels of a sinking ship. Julian finds himself dragged off to the infirmary to get his burns looked at, while those other students who could be rounded up are all met with a variety of lectures and punishments. Well, at least no one can say it didn't go out with a bang?
