capeandcowllogs | A constellation of tears on your lashes

Entry tags:

A constellation of tears on your lashes

WHO: Roy Harper & Laura Kinney
WHERE: Dallas BBQ Restaurant
WHEN: Friday night
WARNINGS: Discussion of non-con/abuse.
SUMMARY: Roy takes Laura on an ill-planned date and talking happens.
FORMAT: Tagger's choice.

Their brief encounter at the auction left Roy with more questions than answers about Laura, though one thing seemed certain: she didn't at all strike him as the roller rink type. It took a little thought, but he'd come up with the barbecue place as an alternative, figuring that there would be good food and tasty frozen drinks, and if they decided to go elsewhere after dinner, it would be a fine preamble.

He'd arranged to pick her up at 8pm and had arrived casually dressed in jeans and a plain red teeshirt. He seemed laid back, much like the establishment. It was busy, but not overwhelming, with the smokey scent of babyback ribs wafting through the air and the laughter of college kids tipsy off daiquiris filling the room. It was fun, and Roy sincerely hoped it would translate to his evening with Laura.

"You gotta try this one drink they've got," he said, pointing to the list of frozen options on the menu. "It's called Miami Vice. It tastes like how being on a vacation feels."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Roy decided he liked the sound of this, almost as much as he liked the idea of testing himself against Laura. He liked sparring almost as much as he liked being the best at everything, and he didn't mind her for company, even though she was a lot less talkative than he was.

"So, where are you from, originally? Me, I'm from out west. I grew up in Arizona, on the Navajo reservation, actually." He shook his head, wondering if that land is much different here than back home. "But I bounce around a lot. Star City, Metropolis, New York, I get around."

Another question about herself. She supposed it was inevitable, but it still left her without much in the way of an out. "I was raised in a laboratory," she finally answered. "My mother helped me escape when I was fourteen. I lived in New York and California after that, until I was brought here. That was almost two years ago."

"Yikes." He felt like an ass for even asking. Really, he ought to have gotten the hint that maybe it was a sore subject, the way she'd been quiet before. Maybe though, the present would be a better topic than the past. "Sounds rough. But you've been here a long time. How's the City treated you?"

Laura was quiet at that question, not upset, just...thinking about it.

"I like it here," she finally said, smiling faintly into her drink. "This was a second chance, I believe I have..." She wasn't quite certain what she had managed, but it did not feel like failure.

"I would not wish to return to my old world, if the option arose."

He looked a little surprised by that. Sure, the City wasn't the worst place imaginable, but in spite of all the distractions, all Roy ever dreamt about was going home and holding Lian again.

"But what about your friends and family? Your mom? I bet she misses you. Or would, whatever. However time works."

She just shrugged. "My mother is dead. I don't have any family," except, maybe, wolverine and daken but that was such a mess. "Some of my friends are here, and I have made others."

And she wasn't really certain how many of the X-men back home were even her friends, at this point. Man her life was crummy.

"Oh," Roy coughed out, a little sheepish. Man, he was just striking out with every conversational angle here. As someone who has never had a problem striking up friendly conversations with anyone (especially women) he was starting to now feel like his silver tongue had left him completely.

"I'd go back," he finally said, lamely. "I have a daughter. It sucks being without her."

Well in Roy's defense, Laura's life was basically awful.

"I believe most people would return, if given the choice," she agreed with a faint nod of her head. "I am just not one of them."

"That second chance must mean a lot to you."

He could get behind that idea, even if his love for Lian superseded that entirely. He'd had his own second chance, he knew the importance of that feeling.

"Let's get out of here." He said, pushing the cornbread aside. "Do you dance, Laura? I want to take you dancing."

Laura was honestly a bit startled at that sudden change, but after a moment of thinking it over she nodded, setting her half finished drink down as she stood as well. She smoothed her skirt as a way to buy a moment, considering what he had asked and trying to decide what to say.

"I know how," she finally said, looking up at him. "Jessica goes sometimes." She hesitated. "I would not mind going dancing." It was as close to a yes as he'd get, probably.

Roy smiled, pulling out enough cash from his wallet to cover their bill and tip the waitress nicely, then leading the way toward the door, holding it for Laura. The air outside seemed refreshing and cool, a nice breeze coming in from the east.

"I'm gonna warn you, I'm actually a terrible dancer." That was a bit of a lie, he was actually very well coordinated, but he figured it might help put her at ease. "So if I step on your feet or something, I apologize in advance."

Laura tugged her jacket off the back of her chair as he paid, and pulled the leather garment over her arms as she stepped outside of the restaurant, drawing in a breath of the cool air. "Thank you," she said when he held the door.

"I was professionally trained to dance," sort of. It wasn't really the same kind of dancing, but what she had been taught by the Facility was certainly still applicable. "But I will overlook your mistakes."

"A professional? Shit, I'm doomed." He laughed though, clearly not taking it seriously. But it made him wonder, was there anything else she couldn't do? She was already supposedly an indestructible fighting machine. Now she could dance like a pro. Next, she'd probably tell him she could sing Italian opera and outshoot him. "Eh, well, as long as we have fun, who cares."

"I was trained in other forms of dancing, I am not as familiar with modern dance 'club' dancing," she said, perhaps hoping to be reassuring. And while she couldn't sing opera, a shooting contest might be interesting...

"That is what matters, according to Jessica as well." She was often dragged into things because they were 'fun.'

This seemed to reassure him, or at the very least let him relax a bit more. This girl sure was difficult for him to read. He still wasn't even sure if she was having a good time or not.

"There's a club down the block. We can give it a try, and if that doesn't work, you can pick something else." Perhaps this would reassure them both, in case dancing didn't work out.

Laura wasn't sure if she was having a good time or not either. She just didn't do socializing, especially not a date, it had been forever since she had been on one. But it wasn't unenjoyable, at least.

"As you wish," she agreed with a faint nod of her head as she started down the street, her green eyes flicking out at the people and cars they passed, constantly checking for danger...some habits never went away.

"Something catch your eye?" Roy's own gaze seemed to follow hers, and he wondered if she'd seen something unfriendly to put her on alert. "'Cause you don't need to worry. You're safe with me."

He didn't mean that in some weird, demeaning way. She could handle herself, he got it. But part of him really just wanted Laura to relax. He wasn't going to hurt her, and neither was anyone else. Not on his watch.

"I am not worried," she answered, and his reassurance made her face twist up in consternation, as if she wasn't quite certain what she was supposed to say in response. "I am just...careful." She finally added as her expression faded back to normal.

"There is little that can go wrong on a simple date, anyway."

"Right. I mean, how much trouble can two people get into just from dancing."

He stuffed his hands into his pockets as they walked, keeping in step with her so that they didn't lose one another amongst the throngs of people pushing their way down Saint Marks Place. That part of town was always crowded, especially so on a weekend night, with all the nine-to-five stiffs ready to let loose and party the night away. Indeed, the other pedestrians were a little pushy, invading the personal space bubbles of everyone they encountered, Roy and Laura included. In response, Roy reached out for Laura, to offer her his arm so that they would not get separated.

Laura knew she was bad at this, she just didn't really know how to not be bad at it. If this had been a mission, with a goal, with a focus, she could've faked what was necessary. But it wasn't, it was her real life and when that came up she was just...stuck.

But she was trying, that had to count for something.

When his arm caught her she tensed up, but only for a second before she realized what he was doing, stepping closer at the motion to make certain they weren't knocked apart by random passersby, though her shoulders hunched slightly, unconsciously.

"How far away is this club?"

He guided her along as they weaved through the crowds, and he stayed close and didn't walk too fast. There was an art to navigating through pedestrians, and while Roy normally walked quickly and with a purpose, there was no need to shove and push to get where they were going. Besides, it wasn't very far.

"It's just around the corner," he said, glancing back at Laura. And sure enough, there was a small crowd of people gathered around the entrance to a nightclub, waiting for their chance to show their ID and pay the few bucks cover charge for the DJ. As they reached the line, he made to grab his wallet from his back pocket. The idea that Laura might not be able to get in hadn't yet occurred.

It wasn't something that had eluded Laura's mind, her green eyes narrowed as she considered the bouncing carefully, deciding on the best way to get inside the building.

"I did not bring a fake ID," she said, her voice quiet, studied whisper designed for just Roy to hear. "I will need to find another way into the building."

She said it not like 'oh man, what if I can't get in' but simply that she would go and find another way inside. She even started to remove herself from under his arm.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on," Roy whispered back, turning to keep her from darting off so soon. He liked breaking the rules as much as the next guy, but he wanted to know the plan before she implemented it. "Keep me in the loop here. Where are you going?"

She frowned, but stopped, turning her gaze towards the next building. "I will climb up the side of that building, there is always roof access in clubs like this, I will enter through there, or a window if necessary, and come down through the second floor or scaffolding."

Or just whatever was around for her to climb down, she could improvise.

"And you'll avoid paying the cover in the process." Which was, to Roy, an incentive to circumvent the line along with her. Why pay the charge when they could bend the rules a little and dance for free? "I'll go with you. Screw these schmucks and their fee."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject