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| Unstoppable Force, Meet Immovable Object | |
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| Participants | Julian, Laura |
| Synopsis | It starts off as two new friends hanging out and a short tour of part of the grounds, but Julian pushes and Laura digs her heels in - and everything gets twisted around. He just doesn't take a hint and she's just so socially awkward that the pair end up in an argument. |
| Location | Xavier's - Common Room to start, the boathouse at the Cove later. |
| Time | December 26, 2015 |
| Posted By | Laura |
The day after Christmas and Laura has mostly been able to keep out from underfoot — basically, avoiding large crowds and celebrations. Even when she still had a family, to speak of, she wasn't a bit celebrator because of a general feeling of being ignored or 'appeased' with gifts. Give the kid a toy and it will shut her up for a while, right? Anyway, also careful was she over the last few days to avoid standing in doorways. Doorways have mistletoe hanging from them, which could spell true disaster, sorrow and pain (from claws, no doubt!). For the time being, what crowd has hung around for the holidays, such as they are, seem to be off doing other things, while Laura seems to have the common room to herself. For now, anyway. She's seated on one of the sofas with her knees bent and hugged to her chest with her socked feet up on the cushion, her side mashed up against the arm of the sofa — not in a scared or upset fashion, but more in, 'I'm most comfortable like this… you got a problem with it?' type of fashion. The tv is on fairly low and some movie — Die Hard, maybe? — with action and explosions plays on it. A steaming cup of cocoa sits on the table next to her.
Julian had an excellent Christmas himself. No family gatherings to deal with, and a large parcel of expensive presents to make him feel less ostracized - or so the theory goes, anyway. He comes sauntering into the common room, eyes on the screen of the newest and most expensive handheld video game system, involved in some rather deadly combat, to judge by the sounds emitting rather loudly from the thing. Of course he hasn't bothered with headphones or playing the thing on mute. "Eat it, sucker," he gloats to the video screen as the speakers emit a loud sound of explosion. "He didn't see that one coming," he laughs to himself, though perhaps also intending to share that victory with anyone in the common room … which appears to be just Laura. He glances up from the game, considers this for a moment, and then hops nimbly over the back of the couch, coming to sit beside her. Not too close, but with his arm still slung over the back of it on her side, so that's he's probably invading her space. "Hey doll," he greets, even as his game keeps making war noises in his hand behind her.
The eruption of the game's sounds in the common room certainly snags Laura's attention. The tv wasn't turned up too loudly to start with but her hearing is particularly sensitive, so even in a school full of rambunctious teens, it grabs her attentions. She blinks once, doesn't look over her shoulder, but instead grabs the remote and thumbs the volume a bit. But the game, and now the voice, gets closer, heading toward the sofa. There's a quiet sigh as she recognizes the voice even before Julian vaults over the back of the couch. Finally, she thumbs the volume to lower it a bit again as she turns to look at him. "Uh, hi," she starts, then slowly looks up to his shoulder and what of his arm she can see hooked behind her without having to go Exorcist with her head. She winces a bit as the game blasts away in her ears. Covering one, she finally says, "Uh… that's kind of loud back there. Do you mind—?" She's trying to be polite. She's not giving him an attitude-filled 'do you mind???', so she hopes he responds to that well enough.
"Huh? Oh yeah, sure thing," Julian replies, agreeable enough. If it was meant to get him to take his arm away though, well… He makes an upward flick with his wrist, launching the game a few inches in the air. Before it can begin to descend, it's caught in a greenish glow and floats easily over his head to land neatly into his other outstretch hand. At which point he does, at least, thankfully switch it off and toss it carelessly onto the couch on the opposite side of him than the hot chick. Now she gets a winning grin. Of course he's showing off. At least he doesn't even try to pretend otherwise.
As he gives his little show, Laura watches the passage of the toy in silence. Once he turns it off and tosses it over on the other side of him, she offers a little, "Thanks." Clearing her throat, she offers the explanation of, "My ears… they're kind of sensitive. Otherwise, I wouldn't have cared, really." There's an expression which passes over her face, but it looks almost pained, as though she regrets saying anything, but there's also the feeling that she needed to explain. Then she sees the winning grin. There's a certain awkwardness to the moment, or to just herself, as she distractedly tucks some of her hair behind an ear. She averts her gaze to the tv, watching Bruce Willis trying to pull glass out of his bare feet there. Clearing her feet, she asks, "Did you have a fun Christmas?" Nothing wrong with small talk, right?
"I'm here to serve, doll. Anything you want, you just name it," Julian assures her, albeit with a rather meaningful and loaded expression. He's utterly unbothered about having to turn off his game, anyway. He's so good at it, he'll just rack up a high score again, no problem. For his part, he's not the least bit awkward, watching her for a moment longer as she glances at the screen before following her gaze. "And I see you have some taste in movies. None of that crying chick flick stuff." To her question, he rolls a shoulder in a shrug. "Yeah, it was okay. Got some decent swag anyway, even if this isn't quite skiing in Switzerland like last year."
"Anything?" she asks, still staring at the television. "Then…can you please call me Laura?" Apparently 'doll' is not her name, nor does she wish to adopt that moniker, it seems. As he goes on about the movie choice, she actually cracks a small smirk — the first he's seen on her face since he met her, no doubt. "Thanks. Well, no… I actually hate 'chick flicks'. I watch movies to be entertained, not be depressed. I figure after this, I might pop in Alien or something. Maybe Aliens… you know, part two. 'Game over, man!'," she says, doing a quick imitation of one of the soldiers in the second movie. As he mentions the swag from the holidays, she looks at him again and nods at the game. "That what you got? And skiing? That any fun?" she asks, only sounding slightly interested in the answer — she doesn't want to encourage him too much right?
"Sure thing doll," Julian agrees quite readily, quite ably missing the entire point - probably on purpose, though he doesn't let on one way or another. "Good. Excellent. Nice to know when we hang out, I won't be stuck watching stuff that makes me want to kill myself." He pats his hand on the back of the sofa approvingly. Oh yes, they will be hanging out, in case she didn't get the memo. He nods to the video game as he kicks his shoed feet up onto the table and reclines back a bit, making himself comfortable. "Yeah, that was one of them." One of many, from his tone. "Skiing is fun yeah. At least when you're good at it, which I am. You never been? I could teach you. Or boarding. Yeah, you might be more of a boarding type," he muses, taking this opportunity to give her a long look up and down.
She frowns a little, then points out, "Laura… not 'doll'." Maybe he'll understand explicit requests. "And… uh… sure. Wait, what?" She looks back at him again. "Hanging out? Uh… I thought I put you off of that idea the other day. You know… when I was telling off Brian." She winces, perhaps considering what Brian likely said about her after she stormed off. Pinching her nose, she makes a little noise, then seems to sink more into the cushions she's squashed herself against. But she doesn't share what she's thinking. Instead, she sighs and drops her hand to her knee. "Anyway… one of them? Nice. Lucky you. I think the Professor made sure some of the kids who were staying had stuff to open. Good man. He makes sure Christmas doesn't suck for them." Some of the kids whose families have abandoned them, likely. "I don't know… skiing looks kind of, well, dull. Or oldschool. Like rollerblading with the old four-wheeled rollerskates. Boarding… yeah, maybe that's something I could get behind. Maybe." She carelessly rolls the shoulder closest to him.
"Right," Julian replies, not giving this explicit request anymore thought than the previous one, though at least there is no 'doll' this time. Hard to say whether the lesson has stuck or not. He mainly just seems amused at the idea she might have put him off. "Nah. You clearly just need the right sort of company." Which he considers himself to be. An eyebrow arches as she mentions the professor's gift. "Hardly. They're from my parents. The prof can save his money for the real charity cases." It's not really disdainful, just indifferent. Though there's a certain desire to make sure she knows he's not one of those 'charity cases'. "I think they call that rollerskating," he points out with a teasing smirk, his tone light, before he nods encouragingly. "Sure, yeah. Boarding then. You're totally psyched, I can tell. I'll have you shredding the hill before you know it. They gotta have a hill somewhere up in this nowhere land."
The fact that there is no 'doll' on the end of that seems to have been noticed. He actually gets a little smile out of her. But it doesn't last long. She doesn't seem to be a girl of a lot of highs and lows today. Just an even keel. Maybe someone's asked her to watch her temper. Maybe she's just not had the right buttons pushed. Maybe she feels guilty about her display when he arrived. Who knows? Regardless, she says, "I'm not proud of what I did. But Brian knows how to piss me off really easily and he exercises it when he can. He could be alright if he'd stop trying so hard to be smarmy." So apparently smarmy is Bad. At least in her eyes. It's her turn now to quirk an eyebrow at him. "I… didn't mean that came from the Professor. Just that not all the kids here have families to have presents from… just that it seems they all had a good Christmas too." She doesn't mention herself. Looking back at the tv, she realizes the movie's come to an end. She unfolds herself and gets up, swapping out the Die Hard DVD for Aliens, opting for the second movie. Holding up the box, she says, "Less dragged out suspense… more action." That's her explanation. Then, she tosses the case on the table and moves back to the couch as she says, "Rollerskating. Right. Anyway… well, I don't know. I guess there's got to be somewhere. But on the grounds… well, there are woods… there's a cove… and a lake… eventually once things thaw, there's a boathouse and boats. There's stuff to do here… but some of it won't work till the spring, like the pool. So… no skii hills here, but the woods are awesome. I go for a run out there a lot." No, it's not as exciting, but hell, it's something to do.
"Hey, whatever. That's between you and him. Seems to me like maybe this is a conversation to be having with Brian," Julian points out. Of course, he assumes he's not smarmy. He's just … Julian! And being so wholly in his Julian-ness is also why he doesn't get at all flustered at having misread her words. "Oh. Yeah, that's cool, I guess. What's the point of Christmas if you don't get some good stuff out of it, right? Except to those cheap people who try to pretend it's all about peace, love and happiness. Clearly they've never been in a department store on Christmas Eve. Things get violent." But again, he mostly just sounds amused. How much of a role did he play in inciting the violence, really? He watches (taking a good look) as she swaps the movies around, but doesn't move from his pose. "Don't worry. I'm sure there's a glossy brochure around here somewhere to tell me all the wonderful things this place has to offer," he assures her in a bored tone. "If there's no ski hill, we'll just have to find one." Easy as that.
"Oh, well… I've tried having the conversation with Brian, but… touche." Point made. And as she curls back up on the couch, she literally folds herself back up and curls back up in the corner of the couch, keeping as much distance between them as possible. She's apparently missed him watching her as she changes the video. "Well, the Professor is one of those people who believes it's about peace, love and happiness, but he's not someone I'd call 'cheap'. He just wants everyone to feel like they're part of his family, I think. But anyway… yeah, it's nice that they could get something." She arches up a dark eyebrow and adds, "I avoid the stores around this time of year." She reaches over to the table next to her and picks up the mug there, which is no longer steaming as much as it was earlier. Taking a sip, she looks over at him as he sounds bored. Lowering the cup, but not putting it down yet, she snorts and says, "Come on… this place isn't that bad. It's been my home for years. Don't knock it." There's something about the way she says 'home' that suggests there's a deep connection with her here — but whether or not he picks it up, who knows? "Anyway… it's not a big deal. If I never board or skii, it's not a big deal." Not that she's afraid to do it, not that she doesn't think it would be fun… but perhaps because she doesn't want to encourage him -too- much.
Julian just grins as she concedes his point, pleased that she joins him again on the couch and doesn't choose another spot to sit. The distance between them is easily ignored in that case. "He might believe in it, but he still bought everyone presents, right?" Christmas is about swag. And that certainly makes it a lot easier to bear. He doesn't comment on being a part of this particular family. Shrugging his shoulders, he lolls his head back and casts a quick look around. "Who's knocking it. It is what it is. You seen one, you seen 'em all. But hey, I'm not saying it couldn't be a hell of a lot worse. As holding cells go, this one has its perks." With that, she gets a little wink. Apparently she is a perk. "What sort of attitude is that? 'Not a big deal'," he says with a roll of his eyes. "When I finally kick it, I want my list of 'never done's to be as short as possible."
Sighing, Laura rolls her own eyes. "The Professor might be a lot more altruistic than you're used to, but he recognizes that kids like presents and tend to be a little more materialistic in nature than he is. So, he likely sees no problem with feeding that a little. But anyway… not here to argue about the man's philosophies. I'm not him, after all." And it's obvious that he's not buying into it anyway. So, dropping that subject, she hides behind her cup again as the movie starts to really get into things again, taking a couple of good gulps before she finally puts the cup down. Looking back at him, she snorts and retorts, "Perks. Man… you and Brian need to stop hanging out. And really… it won't kill me if I don't skii or board. I've got plenty of other things to keep me entertained." She gives a little mysterious smirk.
"A great man, I'm sure," Julian murmurs in an absent, indifferent way. A tone he usually only busts out for formal parties he's forced to attend and the like. As long as this Professor isn't riding his ass or giving him detention every day of the year, Julian is, thus far, rather unconcerned about his philosophies. Unless they involve homework being optional. He arches an eyebrow, not sure whether to be a bit offended she thinks this is Brian rubbing off on him. He's capable of being this way all on his own! But instead, he focusses on the rest. "Oh really? Like what? Because I see you sitting here alone watching a movie you've obviously already seen more than once. And you're telling me your life is too full for new experiences?"
Laura doesn't react to his bland comment about the Professor, perhaps figuring it's a lost cause. Not everyone's going to see the Professor the same way she does, and obviously one such as Julian has experienced a bit of a financially charmed life, so he's going to be unimpressed. She sighs, then lets it go. She focuses on the television instead for a while longer as the soldiers start getting into trouble and start, well, dying. The sounds of gunfire erupt from the speakers, but it's still rather low in volume. Snorting, she shoots him a look. "Because sitting inside where it's nice and cozy and warm with cocoa and a couple of good movies is a) such a horrible thing and b) such a good gauge of what else I do in my life? Thanks for profiling me on a single encounter, Julian. Nice to know I'm so two-dimensional to you." She looks half-amused, half-annoyed as she quickly switches her gaze back toward the movie as though losing interest in him rather rapidly…
"So prove me wrong then," Julian challenges, shrugging his shoulders, not seeming especially chagrined at her annoyance. "And anyway, it's not because you're sitting inside watching a movie now, but that you aren't even open to a new experience later. But whatever. I guess some people are happy to just be cogs in the machine. I prefer being a wrench in it. We were never meant to be machines." If anything, he seems disappointed in her.
Rolling her eyes, Laura looks back at him, her head lazily rolling against the cushion behind her to do so. "Jesus, Julian, you are such an assumptionist." Is that even a word? She says it with all the authority that says it is because she says it is. "I never said I wouldn't or didn't want to. I just said if I didn't, it wasn't a big deal. Like… if there aren't any hills around, no big. There are other things to do. Fun things. At least, things I enjoy doing. If you're going to sit there and judge me because you choose to misread my words, you can kiss my ass." She looks at him as though she just dares him to do so, frowning ever so slightly. "Running with the deer in the forest… base-jumping off of one of the cliffs overlooking the cove into the lake in the summer… fuck, I've even done a Polar Bear Run in the dead of winter in the lake. All of that gets the blood pumping and I enjoy it. Don't -ever- make assumptions about me, Julian. Or if you are, keep them to yourself and fuck off." She starts to rise from the couch, apparently willing to make a hasty exit at this point unless she's stopped.
"Christ, you're touchy," Julian replies, though he's almost a little too calm about that, considering how worked up she is now. "Suit yourself, I guess. Try boarding, don't try boarding. If it were me, if it were something I wanted to do that I'd never done, I'd find a hill, but I guess that's just me. Great that you've done all those wonderful things without ever having to leave the comfort of your home. But maybe you should ask yourself what you're going to do next."
"I'm touchy," she repeats, without making it a question, nor an agreement. It's merely an echo. She stands there, looking down at him, ignoring the movie behind her. "I tend to be touchy around guys who seem to think they know what's best for me, that they seem to know me better than I do, or seem to have something to prove. So you've done stuff like that… that's great. Just as I've done other things. Just because you can apparently afford to run off to expensive, far off places to do whatever fun things you want doesn't mean everyone else has had the opportunity, nor the means to do so." Her voice goes more quiet as she folds her arms over her chest and adds, "I'm happy that you could afford to do all these cool things but I'd appreciate not being judged because I don't exactly have the cash to run off looking for some expensive skii resort to do this." She actually looks even just a little vulnerable for a moment, though she tries to hide it. "I do what I can afford. Okay?" she says in a bare whisper.
"Oh man, is that what this is about?" Julian replies, sounding actually surprised for the first time in awhile. It's even enough to get him to sit up straight. After all, Xavier's is littered with far more scholarship kids than the schools he's been at before. "I'm not saying you should go skiing in Switzerland. Though the hills there are amaz… But that's not the point. I bet you go a few miles up or down one of those roads and you'll hit a ski hill. Google it, we hop on my bike, and all it costs is a lift ticket. Er, you can afford that, right?" It comes out bluntly, but he's genuinely unsure. How little money do poor people have?
Still kind of hugging herself, Laura seems a bit surprised by his sudden change in demeanor. She blinks a little but still doesn't move away from the sofa that she stands in front of, nor the boy seated therein. As he starts to go on about how great Switzerland's hills are, she frowns a little, but she seems to relax a bit as he passes that topic off and goes on about the 'point', whatever that might be. Fidgeting a bit, she looks around the room. "I have a job. Here. I do odd jobs here… research… database management… but it's not like I'm rolling in dough or anything," she says, before adding, "I mean… I'm a college student, of sorts, so it's more of a part time or on-call thing." After a moment, she clears her throat and looks at him, shrugging. "Yeah… I suppose I could swing that."
"So there we go then!" Julian replies triumphantly, as if that reluctant admission on her point decides the whole matter and they are now on to go skiing at some later date in the no doubt near future. He's pleased with himself to get it sorted so quickly once he figured out what the root of the problem was (or she told him, whatever). "Research and database management, eesh. You must be looking to blow off steam." He shakes his head a little in disbelief at being stuck doing that boring stuff, but at least no big deal is made about her not having much money.
She slowly lowers herself onto the coffee table in front of him, careful to avoid any cups or feet which may be propped up there. Sighing, Laura rubs at her face and offers a shrug to him, despite his apparent triumph. "It's not that bad, Julian. I don't mind. I'm pretty handy with computers, so it fits," she reasons. Deciding things are far too awkward for her, she asks, "So, have you gotten a full tour of the grounds? Did Brian take you around or did he just kind of go, 'Here's stuff…' and blow it off? Even if you're used to more extravagant stuff, you should at least get familiar with the layout, right?" She's -trying- to behave… -trying- to be social… even if she'd just like to stalk off and be left alone. She doesn't like getting into confrontations that expose her weaknesses. It makes her feel… well… weak.
Since it's not his weakness that's been exposed, Julian seems to have all but forgotten about it. He flops back against the couch again, seeming maybe a little too satisfied to have gotten his way. "Nah, we decided to, uh, look at some other stuff instead," he replies, either not wanting to get into what stuff they did, or lying so that he can get another tour from her. "You want to show me around? Show off your favourite spots? Maybe I'll change my mind." It rolls out a little too carelessly to be sincere though.
Laura arches an eyebrow at him. 'Other stuff'. Perhaps he can even see her mulling that over. Perhaps either out of a disinterest in Brian's business or just not wanting to know (not getting involved) she seems to pass this detail over after only a brief pause. "Ah, well… sure. If you want. I mean, the place is pretty big, but… I could take you down to the Cove maybe? It's pretty quiet down there right now because everything's frozen over, but it's really pretty. You can have a look at the boats — they're fun to take out when everything's thawed. There's all kinds of different types, too. Probably nothing you're used to, but… I like it down there." She shrugs, leaving that to hang there to see if he has any interest in going.
Julian rolls readily to his feet, brushing down his shirt to straighten it out before offering a hand to her. See? He can be sort of gentleman-like when he puts his mind to it. Then again, he might be planning on giving it a playful little tug to throw her off-balance so that he can swoop in and catch her, but … still. "Sounds like fun. Let's do it." As with everything in his life, it's honestly just that easy.
If he has anything nefarious in mind, Laura has no clue. She's not telepathic nor a precog, after all. She's far more physical in that respect — not that she'd let a line like that slip in front of Julian if she could help it because he'd think up all kinds of rude responses, no doubt. So she accepts the hand as she rises to her feet as she says, "Well, let's go. My coat's just on the hangar there… and my boots. There are a couple of snowmobiles out back, usually. We could snag 'em." Depending on how many are still there, that is. The common room is likely empty for a reason.
"Cool. I haven't driven one of those in ages," Julian replies, jazzed about the loud, fast machine, of course. He is a boy who loves his toys. Speaking of, as intended, he gives her hand a little tug, right as she's perhaps distracted about the snowmobiles. Ready to rush in and steady her gallantly, of course. "I think I have a coat around here somewhere too…" But he's not too worried about it at the moment.
Laura is usually pretty quick on her feet. She's got quick reflexes. She's got fantastic balance. But he's managed, somehow to completely and utterly surprise her. As he tugs on her hand, she gives a little gasp as the move does manage to unbalance her. She teeters on her feet and inadvertently leans forward abruptly, bumping into him in the process. "Shit…" she mutters, then tries to right herself as she also tries to figure out what happened. Did he do that on purpose? Was it a case of mistaken judgment on how much force was needed to nudge her up? Maybe he was just over-eager? Regardless, all she mutters is, "Sorry…" even as she tries to push herself away from him, despite the coffee table being in the way, the backs of her calves bumping into them in the process. She's almost coltish for a moment as that seems to both startle her and frustrate her all at once. She mutters something and tries to move to the side, to put some distance between them. But… did he notice that she might be a tad bit heavier than the waif-ish thing looks?
Julian is quick to take hold of an elbow to help steady her, if she'll allow him. Maybe a little too quick, really, but then, who knows what wonderful powers he has that he hasn't shown off yet, right? If he notices the weight, well, even he knows better than to comment on how heavy a woman is. He does linger a moment, keeping them trapped in that tight space as he offers her an irreverent grin. "Easy tiger," he teases in a light way, before finally stepping back so that she can have just enough space to regain her footing. And then before she can skewer him (he hopes), he glances around. "Where'd you say you left your coat?" Moving right along…
No, there's no skewering. He didn't try to dangle mistletoe above her head to try to kiss her. That might have warranted a skewer attempt. "I'm fine… sorry… right… anyway…" she mutters. As he helps to steady her, then actually steps out of the way to give her some space to settle herself, she sighs heavily and looks around a bit. Running a hand abruptly through her hair from her forehead to the back of her head, she finally catches up to the conversation, such as it is, and says, "Huh? Oh… over there. I've got it. Go get yours and meet me out back." She then quickly crosses the room, being careful not to brush past him or anything, giving him a large berth for the time being. Boots and coat are swiftly tossed on, as well as a hat, scarf and gloves, then out the back door she goes, not even looking back to see if he's gone for his coat or what. Whenever he catches up to her, she'll be standing next to what appears to be the only snowmobile not in use. She looks a little distressed at this fact, but keeps a lid on it mostly.
Julian just finds the whole thing irreverently amusing, however distressed it makes her. After all, the point was to throw her off-balance in more ways than one. Nice to know he's still got it. "You betcha, doll," he replies, starting off towards the foyer where he thinks his coat was left. He's not as fast as her, but emerges from the mansion a few moments later. While she's all bundled up, he's opted to simply toss his leather coat on, not even buttoning it up. He is a manly man, after all! He laughs at the sight of only one snowmobile. "I call driving," he tosses out as his footsteps crunch over the snow towards the girl and the machine.
As she watches him come out of the mansion, she does her best to get her distressing under control, trying not to let it show on her face, or at least not for long. But as he calls the driving seat, she balls up her gloved hands and puts them on her hips. "Whoa, wait a minute… you don't even know where we're going. How can you drive if that's the case?" she demands, peering at him. "I should drive there. If you want to drive back, that's fine… but it doesn't make sense to give you the driver's seat and tell you to drive someplace you don't know the way to." Perfectly logical!
"I have an excellent sense of direction. Tell me how to get there, and we'll go. How hard can it be," Julian counters easily, lifting his eyebrows back at her. It might be a macho thing, this insisting on driving - or it could just be that he likes going fast on loud machines. "Unless you don't think you can give good enough directions. Though then I'm not sure I trust you to get us there." It might be a joke, it might not.
Rolling her eyes, Laura swings a leg over the machine and looks back up at him. "You can drive -back-," she insists, shooting him a bit of a challenging look, jutting out her lower jaw ever so slightly. Stubborn, this one. "Hop on, or walk." With that, she leans forward over the console to reach the ignition and brings the machine to life with a roaring sound. Will he join her? Will he not go on some macho principle? Will he try to get physical and force her to sit on the back part of the seat? Regardless, she might not wait long for his response, whatever it might be. She revs the engine a bit, then reaches into a hidden compartment to pull out two pairs of goggles. She pulls one over her eyes, then holds out the second pair to him almost like an olive branch.
"Hey man, I called it," Julian points out, a little bit sullen now that she's absolutely not letting him have his way. "Fair's fair. Not my fault you weren't quick enough on the uptake." He takes the glasses but doesn't put them on, eyeing them dubiously instead. If anything, he seems a little younger now, even more than the lad of 16 he actually is. It's easy to put on grown up debonair airs when you're getting your way.
Laughing lightly, Laura replies, "You'll get to play with the big toy on the way back. Do you want to see the cove or not?" He's been keeping her off balance for much of their encounter but for the moment, she seems a lot more relaxed. If she were a bit more bold, she might even point out to him that he gets to sit behind and press himself up against the chick he's hanging with but she's not like that… in fact, she probably doesn't even think of it. Instead, she reaches back and pats the seat behind her, adding a little more gently, "C'mon. Let's go. I want to go have fun."
Julian finally deigns to get on, though he's uncharacteristically quiet. No quip or suggestive comment. No, he's still going to sulk for the entire trip, of course. The goggles are left looped around one wrist, as though he'll blind himself on principle either to look cool or in protest of this unfair arrangement. "What are we waiting for then?" he asks, pretty much as soon as his posterior has touched the seat. Of course, no amount of sulking is going to keep him from pressing in close. For safety! He wouldn't want to fall off!
Let him sulk. She doesn't seem to notice… or at least, she doesn't call him on it. So as soon as he gets himself settled, she revs the engine briefly, not questioning if he's ready or if he's going to put the goggles on. A second later, they're off. And she proves to be a bit of a wild-woman behind the bars. She guns the gas, sending them off like a bullet through freshly fallen snow. A bit of a hill appears before them, dropping off in the path, so that they'll have a considerable dip in the road. Does she slow down? No… she gives a whoop, guns it and takes off… they hit the hill with enough speed that stomachs will either get that good 'thrill' as they go over, or they'll flip. One or the other. She's cackling like a madwoman as she takes them off through the woods for a bit, then veers off abruptly, sending up several sprays of snow as she angles the machine toward the cove…
Julian holds on tighter as Laura reveals herself to be a great deal freer behind the controls than she is when talking to him, though he doesn't seem to be scared at all. Now it really is at least a little bit about not falling off as they go bounding over the snow. While he's neglected the goggles, he's not entirely helpless, though she probably can't see the small green shield that flickers up in front of his face every time she sends up one of those snow sprays.
If she wasn't already distracted by the sheer thrill of the ride, she'd probably take note of the tighter hold. Maybe she'd even get a little flustered by it. But really, she's pulling out all the stops. But the ride doesn't last long at the speeds she's keeping. Before long, a long dock can be seen and it seems that that's her target. So he won't be stuck on the back end of the machine for long — but really, is that position really so bad? A few moments later, she pulls up and finally stops the vehicle, laughing almost hysterically, as though elated but winded… she's had the time of her life just taking that short trip. The engine is killed before long and she relaxes on her seat, still giggling a bit to herself before she tries to look over her shoulder at him.
The thing with Julian is when he sulks, he really sulks. But when it's over, it's over. Once the unfair trip is done - and whether or not it was bad isn't the point! - he lets it go. And now he's more than willing to take advantage of this position, not hopping off in any great hurry. "You should laugh more often. It suits you." The comment is simple, offhanded, but genuine. It is nice to see Laura more relaxed and actually having fun.
She hasn't even taken off her goggles yet, so she looks a little funny with a toque pulled down over her head and the goggles enlarging her eyes ever so slightly… but despite that much of her face hidden, the pink rising in her cheeks that has nothing to do with the chill in the air is unmistakable. The compliment catches her unawares. It's unexpected, but perhaps the genuine tone of it is what is even more unexpected…and pleasant. "Um… thanks," she says quietly, then quickly looks away. She can't move until he does without getting physically tough about it and forcing her way out… so she's a little at his mercy right now. "I… I guess I don't get a chance to just let loose a lot…" she admits finally, quietly. She doesn't explain why just yet.
"Y'don't say," Julian replies in an ironic tone, though he's only very lightly teasing. Because, well, duh. He had picked up on her tendency not to let loose. If he were a little more gracious, he might allow that it made the unfairness of not being able to drive worthwhile, but he's not ready to go that far. "Guess we'll just have to work on changing that," he remarks instead, either threat or promise, depending on how she views it. Without giving her a chance to inquire, he finally swings himself off the snowmobile, brushing off some of the snow from his outfit and then looking around. "So this is the Cove, huh?"
Laura rolls her eyes a bit, releasing a small breath in a puff of white in the air. It is crisp and chilly out, that's for sure. "Julian… it's… it's not that I don't want to. I've had to spend years learning control," she starts as he gets off of the snowmobile, releasing her from his hold. More slowly than him, she climbs off of the machine. Did he notice how small she is versus how solid she seems to be? Who knows? Regardless, she's no weakling. And he's seen the claws. Sighing, she looks out over the frozen body of water, along the length of the dock, then around the area. "Yeah… this is the Cove. I promise it looks a lot nicer in the spring and summer… but it's still kind of pretty now, all frozen up." Yanking the goggles off to dangle them off the handle of the snowmobile, she shoves her hands into her pockets and nods toward a nearby building. "That's the boathouse. Wanna go look?" she asks, already heading that way.
"Learning control and turning into a robot aren't the same thing. You're still allowed to have fun," Julian proclaims in his most lordly tone. As he's said it, so shall it be. "Yeah, it's … got something, I guess." He shrugs. He's not about to call it pretty. His goggles are simply tossed in the direction of the snowmobile before he jams his hands into his pockets. "Geez, it's freezing." Well, maybe if Hollywood-boy wanted to actually wear winter clothing, he wouldn't be freezing. But what's the fun in that? Her question seems to strike him as suggestive, to judge from his arched eyebrow, and he turns to head after her quickly, his sneakers slipping a bit on the terrain.
"I'm not a robot. I just… have to be careful," Laura protests weakly. He might be letting his hormones interpret what she means but she has no idea of this. Could trouble be brewing? Or just disappointment for Julian? She trudges along in her sensible, lace-up winter hiking boots and warm clothing. Looking over her shoulder, she chuckles quietly. "Of course it's freezing. It's -winter-, goofy. You'd probably be warmer if you grabbed a better coat." She rolls her eyes but manages not to say, 'Boys!' in the process. She wanders up to the door of the boathouse and opens it, pleased that it's not locked. Slipping inside, she holds the door for him. It's not much warmer inside, but at least it blocks the wind that blows across the ice. That likely won't help poor Julian. She walks around once he enters the building, looking at the various boats. "I know it's nothing glamorous, but I figured you'd want to know what's here for when the ice thaws… so you know what we have access to."
"So be careful. Just don't forget to have fun while you're doing it," Julian replies, sensing the weakness in her response and so not backing down on his point of view in the slightest. Though not like he would even if she had the strongest counter ever. He frowns down at his coat as she draws attention to it. "But I like this one. I suppose I could go shopping, see if they have anything good up here at all." He's somewhat doubtful. Probably just parkas and ponchos or something. He follows her into the boathouse, giving just a cursory glance about and nodding in acknowledgement. "You don't have to keep apologizing for stuff, you know." He's not denying that they aren't glamorous, but still.
Once inside, Laura looks around again, then back at Julian as he enters. She ignores the comment about having fun while being careful. It's at risk of degenerating into a bicker-fest and she just doesn't want to go there right now. Instead, she focuses on his choice of fashion over warmth. Sighing, she shakes her head. "Well, there's something about the way you look at everything that makes me feel like I have to apologize or explain, I guess. I know it's not -mine-, but I live here and I take pride in it, so…" So, indeed. She doesn't want this bleeding into an argument about money again. "I guess I'm just saying that it's not likely what you're used to but it's still here in case you ever want to use it." This is said more quietly. But abruptly, she asks, "So are you still really cold?" She looks at his opened jacket and adds, "I mean…not to tell you what to do but if you do up the jacket, you might be able to keep some body heat closer to, well, your body. It might help, is all I'm saying."
"I'm not saying it's not good enough, am I? I just don't care. This place could give every one of us our own fifty-foot yacht, and it's not going to change the fact that I'm only here under duress. And I don't even care about that anymore either. These places are interchangeable, so what's the difference? I say make the best of it and forget the rest." Julian edges his way inside, stepping carefully around some obstacles as he waits for his eyes to adjust to the darker interior. And then as an afterthought: "I'm not the one making this about money." He steps over a coil of rope, bringing him closer to her. Propping an arm up on one of the shelved canoes, he uses that leverage to lean in closer. "Better ways to get warm than just doing up a jacket, doll." There's a smirk with that, of course. "If you're looking to help…"
"You're not making it out to be about money in words, no," Laura points out, shrugging. "And really, maybe you're being forced to be here, but so far, is it really so bad? As schools go, this is more like a resort than a school. Sure, there are classes and exams and teachers, but it's a lot more than just a school." A moment later, she sighs and shrugs, looking away at the nearest wall at some of the oars set up there on mounting hooks. Perhaps she realizes she's honestly preaching to the wrong choir. As she turns her attentions back to the boy who is suddenly a little too close for comfort, Laura takes off her long black scarf and hooks it over the back of his neck quickly, unless he moves away or stops her. "Here. I can live without it for now." There is a waft of the smell of whatever shampoo she uses as she does this. Something vanilla. Then, she starts to step back to put some space between them, unaware that there's a pile of rope behind her feet. Will he warn her? Will he let her step back again and trip? What will he do?
"I'm not making it about money at all. If anything, you seem to have something about me being rich, but that's okay. We can work on that," Julian assures her without concern. "I'm just not about to buy into the glossy brochure. I mean, I didn't care about those other places either. It's not about the tuition rates." He doesn't fight her as she offers her scarf, even though that was clearly not his intention. Instead, he ducks his head slightly to make the gesture easier for her. Of course, he might have an ulterior motive in that, since it brings her in closer. Lifting his head again, he's about to reach out and stop her from moving away - nothing to do with the pile of ropes, really. In fact, when he notices those, he stops reaching for her, apparently quite fine with letting her trip - because, when she does, she may well find herself caught by a glowing green disc of telekinetic energy.
She's not naive. She has some idea as to what he might be trying for as he gets closer and closer. And she's trying hard not to encourage him. While trying not to draw attention to this for the moment, she points out, "Well, maybe I've been misreading your comments and general disinterest in the place, then. And, really, I can't expect everyone to fall in love with the place." As he takes the scarf, she has just enough presence of mind to fling one end over his shoulder as she makes that move to step back. For a moment, Laura thinks that his aborted attempt to stop her from moving away might be him finally getting the hint. But she doesn't notice that coil of rope… so of course, her heels hit it and she starts to tumble backward with an abbreviated squeak of surprise. Laura's eyes go very, very wide as her arms pinwheel next to her… one false move and she's over the edge of the horseshoe-shaped floor or into a pile of gear, which could be painful, depending on how she lands. "Shit!" is about the only coherent thing she gets out as her body finally topples…
Well, Julian certainly won't be having any of that, if he can help it. Which he's sure he can. Hence the glowing disk that's already in place to catch her as soon as she begins to go over, casting an eerie green glow about the dim interior. He's got strength enough to lift two average people, so her extra bulk shouldn't prove a challenge, especially since he's not trying to keep himself aloft at the same time. With some dexterity, the disk is intended to sort of scoop up under her as she falls from her feet, catching her up on the flat, round object. And then holding her only about a foot above the ground, but continuing to hold her aloft just the same.
There's little she can do to stop herself, so it's a good thing that Julian intervenes. If the water below is frozen, that would hurt; if it isn't, she'd be at risk of hypothermia, healing factor or not. If she landed on the gear, she might have gotten hurt — sure, she'll heal but it will still -hurt- initially. As she hits the disk, she lets out a low, yet audible 'oof' and freezes, unsure what's happened initially. Then she realizes she's hovering just about a foot off the ground and that Julian is behind the quick save. "Shit… wow. Uh… thanks," she says awkwardly. She looks over the edge at the darkness below, unable to tell if it is frozen or not. "That was close," she mutters, then starts to roll toward the opposite side, intending to get off the disk, if she can. "Seriously… thanks, Julian. That could have been bad…"
Julian is grinning with a great deal of self-satisfaction by this time, of course. A chance to play hero and show off his nifty keen powers all in one. And earning Laura's gratitude is just an added bonus that he plans to milk for all its worth. Since she seems intent on scrambling back off the disc, he debates for a moment about keeping her stuck up there for laughs. But instead, since he seems to be making progress, he opts instead for gently lowering the glowing circle closer to the ground. "Don't worry about it, doll. I've got your back. And I'm sure you can come up with some way to show your thankfulness."
As he lowers the disk, she rolls off of it onto her knees and rises quickly. While she doesn't try to make it obvious, she does maintain distance between them however, choosing not to wander back to where he's standing. "Well, it just goes to show that you always need to be alert, huh?" she adds with a small laugh, tucking a bit of hair back behind an ear. "Yeah, well… I suppose I could reward your boyscout save with a hot meal when we get back… if you want. I'm no gourmet chef, but I won't kill you, I promise." She flashes a brief little smile, then looks around again. "So, anyway… welcome to my world. Sometimes I snag a kayak or canoe and take off on my own for a day. Sometimes the school organizes camp-outs and stuff. In the summer, sometimes we just come out here and jump off the dock to cool off. These are things I like to do for fun. And now you know where it is. The lake's just up a bit. You can take a boat out from here to it when the weather and season's right. The woods are pretty awesome."
"Oh, I always pay attention to hot chicks," Julian assures her. "I'll catch you whenever you need it." He tosses that out easily, but it's true. A meal … was really not what he had in mind, but still. Meals can lead to other things, right? "Sure. Why not. So long as you promise," he notes with a grin, before casting a cursory glance around. "Sounds so very wholesome," he replies, not quite disdainfully, but with some wry amusement. "Well, I guess I'll see it for myself if I'm still here come summer." He pushes off the canoe he's been leaning so casually against all this time. "So how about this meal?"
"Hot. Chicks?" Laura questions, narrowing her gaze at him a bit. "Is that what all of this is about?" she questions, finally calling him on it, so to speak. "If you're being nice to me just because you think you can 'get somewhere' with me, think again, Julian," she says in a warning tone as her gloved hands go to her hips. "I mean… how old are you, anyway?" She -is- twenty-one and in college-level study at the Institute… he's in high-school level? Once kids are out of school, that kind of difference doesn't make much of a difference, but in school, it can. Jutting out her lower jaw a little, she adds in a stubborn tone, "Just… don't even go there, Julian. I'm -not- like that. I don't toss myself at guys because I appreciate something they did for me. Either help me because you want to help me or because we're friends, but don't help me because you expect to get something like that out of me…" The idea of a meal is quickly slipping from her mind at this point as she starts to get annoyed.
"Man, you are uptight," Julian marvels, not sounding at all apologetic despite her freaking out at him. "You're hot. You're a chick. What?" He spreads his hands before him, as though to show how helpless he is in the face of that logic. "And age is nothing but a number, doll. Don't hide behind that." Yeah, just like a chick, using some lame excuse like age to shoot him down. "The fact you're getting all bent out of shape because I called you hot is telling me I'm onto something here, though. Tell me, what is it you think I expect to get out of you?" There's a knowing smirk at that, but he's still amused that she went from A to X without passing the letters in between.
Making a disgusted face at him, Laura replies, "Come on… what was all that? Getting close… telling me I will find -some way to repay you-. Now you'll just claim you weren't thinking anything rude and that I'm the one with her mind in the gutter. Trust me, I know how these arguments go." Sighing, she pulls her toque off her head and runs a gloved hand through her long locks. She then tosses the hat at him and mutters, "And for the record, you're going to freeze out here if you don't do something, so take it. If I get frostbite, I'll survive it just fine." It'll hurt like a son of a bitch but she'll heal. With that, she shoves her hands in her jeans' pockets and sighs heavily through her nose.
Julian catches the hat easily, but doesn't move to put it on, just twirling it on a finger instead. "Oh come on," he rolls his eyes as she gets all disgusted at him. "You really don't know how to have any fun at all, do you." He rolls his shoulders in a drawn out shrug, giving her a long, thoughtful look. "So what, even flirting is a crime? You jump to an awful lot of conclusions just because a guy gets close. And I still don't hear you denying it. What's that saying about ladies doth protesting too much?" Oh yeah, he's totally onto her.
Shaking her head, Laura replies, "Flirting? If you call that flirting, I'd hate to see what you call 'coming onto someone'." She frowns a bit as he says he doesn't hear her denying it. Denying what, exactly? She almost seems to be mentally rolling back through his earlier statements, trying to figure out what he means. Sure, she's strong and fast and dangerous, but she's not the most socially adept person. "I'm bent all out of shape because it seems, now, that everything you do seems to have an ulterior motive. I don't like games, Julian." Because they're complicated and confusing and messy… but she doesn't say that. Does he see it in her face? Who knows?
There's a difference? Julian is simply amused at the idea of there being a distinction between flirting and coming onto someone. Both lead to the same end, right? "Well, I'm with you on that," he agrees, as to the not playing games. Except somehow this involves a step towards her instead of away. "Some girls seem to like them though. Gets so tiresome going around in those circles. So why don't we just cut to the chase. You tell me what the problem is and I'll tell you how we overcome it. And I'm not buying the age thing."
As he steps forward, she backs up, not really realizing that this means she's putting her back to a corner. Not a good idea. Holding up a forefinger, she says in a warning tone, "Julian… just stay there. I mean it. I am not some piece of meat… I am not some cheap party-girl for you to 'conquer'. I'm not like that… and you need to back the fuck off. -Now-." She thinks she's being pretty darned clear. "The problem? The problem is that you seem to have it in your head that I'm interested in letting you in my pants. Correct me if I'm wrong, by all means… but that's the message I'm getting. And if there's anything to it, the answer is 'no'. Got it?"
"Cheap party-girl? What kind of two-bit pimp do you think I am?" Julian asks, feigning hurt feelings. Of course, best she doesn't actually answer that question. "Relax, doll. You don't need to get your back all up. I'm a gentleman, really." He spreads his hands in front of him again as if to show he's unarmed. Of course, she told him to stay there, which also means she doesn't want him to back up either. "You've got standards, I get it. I was thinking, you know, a date. You wholesome kids still do dates, right? We'll go to the malt shop and split a float, whatever."
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the kind of two-bit pimp who buys into Brian's bullshit and who is just always used to getting his own way?" Laura retorts quickly, her back definitely getting right up, despite him telling her she doesn't need it up. "Standards… right," she starts to say, but then she falls silent as he goes on about a date. She blinks once. Then she blinks twice. The resident, self-appointed misanthrope going on a date. Unthinkable. It's not about principles. Well, maybe it is. Just it's not about never going on a date… it's about not going on a date with someone who's so smarmy. At first, he seems almost serious to her… then as he goes off about the malt shop and splitting a float, calls her a 'kid'… she makes up her mind that he's making fun of her. Eyes narrow. Hands ball up into fists. Shaking her head, she finally says abruptly, "No thanks." With that, she launches herself forward and off to one side with the idea of slipping past him, heading for the exit.
"What does Brian have to do with any of this?" Julian asks, honestly confused at that part. But he moves on too quickly to bother getting it cleared up. He doesn't go into whether or not he gets his own way. That seems neither here nor there when it comes to going on a date. He waits expectantly as she mulls over the idea of a date, sure that he's surprised her with his much more noble intentions than just getting in her pants. So it's actually another surprise to him as she suddenly goes storming past. Without really thinking about it, he reaches out to grab her by the arm, not in a forceful way, but just to stay her progress until he can get this sorted out. "Fine. A nice dinner then. I'll pay." In case it's the money thing giving her problems.
As he grabs her arm, she stops, tugging briefly as though to see if he'll release her before she shoots him a bit of a sidelong glance over her shoulder. She looks angry. She looks upset. She looks annoyed and a little wild in the eyes. "Julian…" she says lowly, almost in that warning tone again, but there's something more there that might be hard to figure out. Maybe it's just her upset colouring her responses. "I don't know you. You are coming off like you only want one thing… that the ends justify the means…" She doesn't mention the age thing again since he obviously doesn't seem to care about that. "It would be a very bad idea. No. Just… let me go." Her tone is quiet. Perhaps a little too quiet.
"Yeah, I do want one thing," Julian confirms, looking back at her levelly. "An explanation. We were having a good time and then you suddenly lose it on me. I ask you on a date and you accuse me of … well, what are you accusing me of, exactly? Because I'm only into willing chicks, Laura. And believe me, I don't have any problems finding them." He makes a show of releasing her and stepping away. "Even in a lame-ass back-water place like this."
"I didn't just suddenly lose it. You went from somewhat decent to sleaze on me in two seconds flat. You know… some girls just don't care for the smarmy," she points out, pulling her arm back to herself, crossing both arms over her chest. "If I'm accusing you of anything, it's of being smarmy." And in case it isn't clear at this point, she doesn't like smarmy, it seems. Sighing, she adds, "-That's- why I'm not interested. This whole 'I don't have problems finding them'… you don't get it, do you? I'm not interested in being 'just another girl' for some guy. I'm not someone who wants to be just another notch on the headboard." She looks at him for a moment, falling silent, waiting to see if he even gets a little of what she's saying.
"Okay, well, I didn't realize saying hot and chick in that order made me smarmy," Julian replies, rolling his eyes. "Because that's pretty much when you lost it and decided I was here to steal your virtue or whatever. And I'm not about to apologize for not being blind. And I'm definitely not going to apologize for not being a prude. Or for being hot. Or for having sex. All I did was ask you on a date. And I don't think I want to apologize for that either. You want to wait for true love and marriage, that's great. Just great. But good luck with that if you won't even let a guy get close enough to ask you out." He pulls the scarf from around his neck, bundling it into the same hand with the hat he's been holding, before lobbing them both back towards Laura. "Maybe you should just start collecting cats now."
Once more, her eyes narrow as she watches him. As he speaks, she listens, letting him tell her off. As he lobs her scarf and hat back at her, she doesn't reach out for them. She lets them fall onto the floor near her. She had given them to help him keep warm. No ulterior motive involved. She was just trying to be helpful. And that's being thrown back at her. And he's insulting her to boot. Granted, she wasn't the most nice to him about his intentions, but still… she says in a sharp tone, "Yeah, I'm so becoming the crazy cat lady because I turned you down. Whatever. Did it ever occur to you that maybe I just don't want to date and possibly sleep with a sixteen year old -boy-?" Leaving her belongings on the floor, she spits, "Fuck you, asshole." With that, she finally turns and stalks back toward the exit. She's leaving. Without him, preferably, in her mind.
"Yeah, well, at least this boy isn't afraid of sex!" Julian retorts after her. "That's why you'll become a crazy cat lady." But he makes no move to stop her this time. The hat and scarf can stay on the floor as far as he's concerned. And he's not rushing to follow her. He'll figure his own way back, apparently.
Laura doesn't even retort again. She could justify herself, point out that she's not afraid of sex, that it's not the point. But really, she's done. The door to the boathouse slams shut. And then she's gone. When Julian does decide to head back, he'll find the snowmobile still there with the key in the ignition. She did promise he could drive it back. Her bootprints show clearly in the snow, leading off into the woods.
