1963-07-10 - No Judgement
Summary: Armando and Jubilee go out for drinks.
Related: None
Theme Song: None
darwin bucky jubilee 


"This place is great, Jubilation." Armando assures Jubilee as he holds the door open for his fellow mutant. "They won't throw you out for being who you are. A little expensive, but don't worry about it- I'll cover you." he assures the young woman, with a smile. "Great folks inside- the bar tender, Julian- real nice guy." he says, as he gives a wave to the Bartender- who nods up and waves back to Armando. "So- you want to sit at a table, or the bar?"

Jubilee put on her hot little minidress to go out into the city. Ah, being done with school is nice. She looks around, and grins. "Well, this place is a bit loose. I like it. Why don't we start at the bar?"

The stranger following Armando is stymied by an unpredicted departure— a dress code. He stops across the street, nestled in the shadowy embrace of an alleyway, and his scowl darkens thunderously. His clothing won't remotely do for entering a club as posh as the Black Cat— it's not a 'jacket and tie' place but there's an expectation of being dressed to impress.

It doesn't help that the scowling stranger hasn't showered recently, and his trench coat looks as if he's been sleeping in it. It takes him a minute or two to find a likely mark, a fellow stepping across the street to use the pay phone. They're about the same size, though the stranger is probably thicker through the shoulders.

He glances left and right, then approaches the man before the fellow can fish change from his pockets. "Hey buddy," he says, in a Brooklyn accent. "Got a cigarette?" Despite his boxcar appearance he's not an unattractive fellow and the party-goer doesn't seem to have missed that fact. A brief conversation ensues, and the stranger invites the other man to duck behind the alleyway for a more 'discreet' conversation.

Five minutes later, the stranger's doffed his clothing and left the other fellow bound and gagged in a dumpster. Splashing some water on his face and raking his fingers through his hair, the stranger moves towards the club entrance wearing smart trousers and a rakish looking blazer, though his shoes are perhaps a bit grimier than one might prefer for clubbing. Still— it's enough to get him in.

The Winter Soldier moves to a table in the corner, partially obscured by ferns, and settles in with his back to Armando and Jubilee, watching the man and woman talking in the mirrored reflection of the darkened windows.

"Yeah, the people here come to enjoy the music in a place they won't be judged. Its real inclusive." Armando replies, as he moves to the bar. He waits for Jubilee to sit before sitting himself. Julian, the bartender, moves up to the pair. "Hey there, honey!" The Puerto Rican man is fairly effeminate- given the type of club their in, its not so odd. "You comin' in here with a pretty girl- look at you, Armando! I told you that you'd melt hearts."

If Armando could blush, he would- "Oh, Jubilation is just a friend- she wanted to see some of the New York night life- and I figured I'd show her the places that are friendly to anyone who's not a jerk."

Julian smiles, "Oh, see. He's a good guy. Now, what'll it be for drinks?" Armando looks to Jubilee- "I'll have a Manhattan, and whatever Jubilation wants."

Of course, Armando doesn't notice The Winter Soldier's entrance- he had no idea the American Government was watching him, let alone the Russians. There he stood- in a nice tailored suit, with over-long arms and gray skin. White eyes, no iris or pupil- difficult to read. Supposedly he's got the mutant ability to evolve- that he's constantly evolving to survive any situation. A paper, undoubtedly offered to The Winter Soldier for research, title 'Darwin: The Evolving Boy' was written about Armando. His mutation- while not as flashy as some- is certainly impressive. Even Russian scientists believe he could survive the apocalypse….

Jubilee blinks at the very enthusiastic greeting at the bar, and with a laugh gives a wave. "Hi. Um. I don't want to start too hard. I'll have what he's having, why not. But just a moment…" She then gets up. To get what she's in the mood for, you have to try to find the darker corners of the place. A man in a corner table just might be setting up shop. So she wanders on up to the Winter Soldier, going right toward him actually after a short look around, and she smiles, asking very quietly "So what do you have?"

In that moment, Jubilee has no idea how close she comes to dying. Bucky's left arm sits across his lap, concealed by the table, and the short tablecloth conceals a snub-nosed revolver that aims right for her stomach when she approaches him.

He doesn't look like a normal drug peddler. Too alert. His eyes are cold and calculating, but distant, and they barely seem to react aside from focusing on the petite Chinese girl when she walks up to approach him.

"Nothing. Waitress is slow," he grunts, his voice a low series of monosyllables.

Then it dawns on him what Jubilee's /really/ asking— the slightly knowing little smirk, the conspiratorial tilt of her shoulders— and he suppresses a startled shift of his shoulders. "Just samples," he says, after a beat. "It's clean. Real fire," he tells her. He digs in his coat pocket with his right hand, a bit awkwardly, and flashes her a small but expertly rolled blunt in his callused palm.

"Alright, two Manhattans." Julian says, with a nod of his head- he heads off to make the drinks. They're served in cocktail glasses, whiskey-cocktails. Classy things with a cherry for garnish.

Armando looks over as Jubilee walks off to talk to some shady-character, just shrugging his shoulders as the drinks arrive. "Thanks, Julian." he pulls some cash out of his wallet and places it on the bar- payment with tip.

Julian smiles, "You're always a sweet guy, Armando. Don't let those ladies take advantage of you, now." he says, with a wink. "Some people are just out for sugar, darling- and nothin' but."

Armando chuckles, "Ah, no. She's really just a friend- sorta of new to the area. She wanted to see the nightlife, so here we are."

Jubilee has played this game before. Approaching the 'dealer,' she slides her hand to his. Taking the merchandise, leaving some money. The trick is to make it look like a bit of flirting. Nobody thinks twice about that. "That enough?" she asks mouth grazing over his ear, before she stands up again. Armando gets a quick wave, and a mouthed "Almost set."

"Yeah. That's fine," the stranger says, his words still a bit clipped. He glances towards Armando when he sees the fellow turning away again to talk to the bartender. Carefully trying to keep from getting 'made' as a surveillance asset.

He turns his palm up to let Jubilee pay him and he glances at the tight fold of bills she presses into his hand. More than the weed was worth, certainly, and quite a bit more than he'd procured it for (stolen, from a well-meaning agent of SHIELD).

In that moment before Jubilee leaves, Bucky spots a potential opportunity. "Does your friend party?" he asks her, in a rasping, low voice. "I have more product. If you two are serious," he adds.

Jubilee looks around, and leans down again. She whispers over his neck once more, her hand grazing across his chest. "I don't think so, but I'll ask him." At that, she stands up, and starts walking back to the bar. "Anyone got a light?"

Armando lifts his drink in quiet salute to Jubilee as she looks back his way, and does her thing- he just shakes his head quietly as he takes a sip his Manhattan. He drinks for the taste- since alcohol does nothing to him. He just listens to the Jazz filtering through the dark, smokey atmosphere. Julian is off doing his thing, talking to other patrons at the bar- and Armando seems happy to just listen.

Armando shakes his head- a place like this, it has matchbooks available at the bar. He takes one, and gives it a wiggle as Jubilee comes closer. "Matches, Jubilation. Always available in nice places like this."

The waitress comes by after Jubilee makes a promising departure, and Bucky lifts his chin at her. "Scotch. One rock," he grunts at her. He glances down at the cash in his pocket, then peels off a five dollar bill and sets it on her tray before she veers to the bar.

The Winter Soldier glances in the window once more, watching Jubilee moving towards Armando. He's got some real talent for spycraft, despite his gravelly voice and sour exterior, it seems. Under the table he shifts his grip on the revolver a little, then tucks it up into the sleeve of his jacket. It fairly vanishes into the fashionably oversized cuff.

Jubilee settles in to sit. Taking a match with a smile, she takes a moment to light up her illicit prize. "There's more if you want one," she says to Armando, lighting up and inhaling deeply. She closes her eyes, and just starts sizing up whether the stuff is really any good.

"Wouldn't do much good." Armando notes to Jubilee with a smile, "But if you want more, we can get more." he says, with a little shrug of his shoulders. "I'll save my money for things I like the taste of." he explains. In a place like this, no one cares if you're smoking weed. Its not anyone's business.

"I can't get drunk, or high, or anything." Armando admits to Jubilee. "My body filters it all out. I guess my body considers it to be a toxin or something. I evolve immunity. But, at least I'll never get sick." he says, with his own playful grin.

It's -extremely- good weed, apparently. Whoever the mysterious tail following Armando is, he's got some good connections. It's fresh and there's no taste of tar or chemical compounds.

Bucky's hearing is exceptionally good and Armando's words carry back to him, his sharp senses filtering out the mutant's explanation from the ambient noise. He scowls a little when Armando demurs on getting more drugs.

Bucky spends a second or two considering his options, then with something that looks like a resentful glance aimed westwards towards a red-haired woman neither of the two mutants remotely knows, he rises from his table and heads to the bar to intercept his drink.

"That's good stuff, huh?" he tells Jubilee, sliding into the spot next to Armando and talking to her over the man's shoulder. "That's my last sample. I've got a few ounces for sale back at my apartment though," he tells the woman.

Jubilee sits back a bit as she inhales, and then sighs heavily "Oh.. wow this is nice." Smirking,s he opens her eyes, and leans forward to have a sip of her drink. "You're missing out, Armando," she giggles. Then her connection arrives, and she looks back. "Oh it is, it is, thank you. I may need to pick up some, but my friend here doesn't want any, so it'll have to be um, later."

"If you want some, get some." Armando says simply to Jubilee. "I'll come along to make sure its all good." he offers simply, giving look to Bucky as he comes to join them. Armando just smiles, sipping his cocktail. "Eh, I might be missing out, but I'll never know now, will I?" he asks with a little laugh. "As long as you're having a good time, that's good enough for me, Jubilation." he offers simply.

Julian approaches the trio, delivering Bucky's drink with a smile and a wink. Its a bit of a heavy pour- seems Bucky has an admirer.

Bucky reaches for the drink with his right hand, and that's when everything goes pear shaped. Julian's moving with a bit of flirty elan, holding the drink between thumb and forefinger, and when Bucky goes to grab it he 'accidentally' jostles into Armando.

The heavy glass of scotch tumbles down and lands square on the martini glass in Armando's negligent grasp and both shatter into pieces.

"Damn!" Bucky exclaims. He grabs a napkin and hastily starts blotting at the curved pieces of glass on the counter, ostensibly trying to help. He grabs multiple napkins and starts pulling the glass towards him before the bartender can get a brush and dustpan to help, and in the chaos of alcohol splashing towards Armando and Jubilee, he sweeps a good amount of Armando's broken glass into a folded napkin and pockets it before anyone's the wiser.

"That was my fault. I will buy you another drink," the stranger tells Armando, fishing for some cash in his pocket. A stiff leather glove covers his left hand, his fingers clearly not terribly dextrous— concealing some injury, perhaps?

Jubilee slowly inhales again. She's getting the most out of her sample, and getting the evening started right. Looking between ARmando and the mysterious drug dealer. "Well Armando, you do know how to pick a place." she snickers. "But no, I'll go shopping um, after. I don't want to interrupt your evening." That's about whene verything falls apart. "Oh my god," she gasps, watching the fumbling and the mess.

Armando shoots up as glass breaks, with cocktail going everywhere. "Woah!" he says, managing to react fast enough not to get spilled drink all over his clothes. Stress is a trigger- his skin has gone firm with broken glass afoot.

Armando just nods, "Well, it was an accident. No harm done." he offers congenially as he goes to help clean up the mess- grabbing a napkin of his own as he uses his hand like a blade and just wipes what remains of the shatters glass onto the napkin, folding it up and putting it on the table. His hand is uncut. Indeed, untouched by the shards.

"No harm done." Armando says again with a smile for Bucky.

Bucky doesn't miss Armando's reaction, or the casual way the mutant handles the shards of sharp, broken glass. His keen eyes flicker towards the man's disdain for hazards. "You didn't cut yourself?" Bucky observes, sounding mildly impressed as Armando sweeps up the remaining glass. "Nice trick."

He wipes his hands clean on a napkin and sets it on the pile with the other detritus from the 'accident', transferring his hooded gaze back to Jubilee. "Sure. I'm around," he grunts at her. "There's no hurry."

"I don't have much to worry about when it comes to environmental hazards." Armando says, "I'm not just a pretty face." he jests, with a little grin. "So, Jubilation- want to hit up somewhere with more action next?" he asks, "Once you finish your party favor, that is." he says, with a nod towards her joint. He retakes his seat, as Julian comes to clean up the mess- giving a look towards Bucky. "Hey, Mister- any more sloppy drinking like that and I might have to cut you off. Be careful now- we're not made of glasses." Its mostly a teasing tone, accompanied with a wink.

Jubilee looks to Armando, and less so to Bucky. She offers some napkins to both, seeing if they need any help. But when everyone's fine, she just puts them down, and inhales again from her hard-won prize. "Oh yeah needed this after this week."

Jubilee then responds to Armando "I'm fine here. Though, it all depends onw hat kind of action you mean?"

"Yeah, I should… go home." Bucky plucks another crisp ten out of his wallet and sets it on the counter, then when his drink shows up he throws it back with one quick toss of his head. "Goodbye."

Without furthur ado— or waiting for a reciprocal farewell— he turns and starts walking towards the door, his stride unhurried but purposeful. A man with places to be, it seems.

Jubilee looks up and to Bucky. "Wait… how do I Get in touch with you about the um, stuff?"

"Hey, nice to meet you." Armando offers to Bucky- really a friendly kid. "See yah!" he then looks over to Jubilee. "I figured you might want to go to a dance club or something. You're usually wearing those dancing boots." he notes, with a smile. "Really, depends on what you want to do.." The night would continue, despite the odd meeting with Bucky.

"I told you. I'm around," Bucky rasps at Jubilee. He gives her a quick, measured look, and then pushes past the bouncers and heads out the door.

Once out of eyesight he nips across the street to where his actual clothes are abandoned, and strips out of the purloined frippery and into his shabby disguise, taking only a swift minute to get changed. The snub nosed revolver goes into his belt and a wickedly angled, futuristic SMG is revealed to dangle from a leather thong slung over his shoulder, hidden by the folds of his coat.

With another quick glance around the alley, Bucky brushes his tangled hair from in front of his eyes, then quickly disappears into the steam-filled night with a soft bootfall on asphalt.

Jubilee watches her connection leave, then looks back to ARmando. She considers as she finishes off her 'sample,' then sips on her drink. "Well we can't just go where I want. You sure you don't need to go home and clean up?"

Armando smiles, "I'm fine- didn't get much on me at all. Anyways, I'm trying to show you the night life- so, where you want is the name of the game." he assures her, "Come on. We'll figured it out as we walk towards a few more clubs." He begins towards the door, hands in his pockets.

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