|
     |
Julie is out around an exit to the school's rather extensive garage bays, many of them containing the Professor's car collection. Dizzy's there by a cameo-locket two-tone '56 Chevy Nomad, changing a tire. Changing *all* the tires, apparently: off comes a five-spoked mag accented with chrome, apparently in favor of some Baby Moon rims. She's not using a lugnut wrench, just twiddling some fingers at the lugnuts, them seeming to spin off of their own accord with a strange 'vrrr' sound that may be coming from the girl herself. Also there's a transistor radio sitting in the open tailgate, some rock and roll station's playing the latest Beach Boys single, appropriately enough.
The sound of footsteps can be heard gradually growing louder, the pace of each pounding footfall keying one in to the liklihood that the approaching figure is running. Steady huffs of breath perhaps are discernable to the keen ear moments before Piotr Rasputin, or more commonly known Colossus, comes into view. He is in his normal, flesh colored form, and his body is covered in a sheen of sweat as he runs his usual path around the grounds. As he sees the garage doors open, he gradually allows his body to slow to a walk, his mouth opening to pull in more oxygen as he places large hands on his hips. He is wearing a simple pair of exercise shorts and tank-top, and his dark eyes search out and eventually find Julie. "Good evening," he says, his accent obviously Russian.
Julie hefts the mag wheel off a rear axle, …no powers evident here, but the girl seems accustomed to work that way, and she rolls the thing aside, looks *way* up to Piotr, "Hey, howya doing," she greets, in an Italian-tinged Brooklyn accent. "It's Piotr, right? I heard about you." She tries not to mangle the Russian pronunciation, though with limited success. Looks over the inner sidewalls of the race tire as she sets it aside, before introducing. "Glad to meet, for real. Dizzy Bottero."
Piotr nods his head in agreement with the name, the slight grin on his features revealing that even if she did not get the pronunciation right, he doesn't really mind. "I have seen you around," he offers with a glance toward the car. "The students say that you can make anything run. That is no small talent." He steps into the garage and reaches down with a hand to lift the racing tire that was just rolled away, looking at it before placing it back down.
Julie is out in front of one of the open garage bays, changing out a full set of tires on her prized Nomad, familiar chrome reverse-dished Baby Moons go back on in favor of some Goodyear racing tires on mag wheels of chrome and dark grey. There are still soap-pen numbers on one of the passenger windows. "Oh, just about. Sometimes something's broke but good but if I can put it in neutral there's this thing I do." She winks. "Track tires," she explains. "Cost a bundle so we don't usually run em on the street, but they was closing the place down around us by the time we got all our times turned in."
A voice echoes from the door to the garage, "Oh, please tell me that you didn't try to take the Aston Martin racing." And with that, in walks the Professor, leading Emma Frost into the garage as well. When he sees Piotr, his grin widens a bit, "Piotr, how is everything going? Ah, and you've met Ms. Frost, of course?" He looks over at Julie curiously, tilting his head towards what she's doing out of professional curiosity.
Emma doesn't generally find herself in the garage, unless Charles is leading her there for some reason or another. That said, Julie being present there is a familiar sight and, taking in the very tall Piotr, she smiles pleasantly to both of them. As always, she's dressed impeccably, whether casual or business-like, always appropriate for the occasion. "Hello," she says by way of greeting, her hand tucked in the crook of Charles' arm.
Piotr turns his head at the arrival of Charles and Emma, looking over and more than a little down at the two newcomers. "Professor," he says in a thick Russian accent. "Miss Frost." He dips his head to both, offering them each a polite smile. "It is good to be seeing the two of you again. I hope that you are both doing well?" He places the racing tire down gently, manipulating the weight not seeming to be an issue to the big man.
Julie winks, giving a nod to Emma. "Miss Frost," she greets in an attempt at high-class etiquette, and smirks mischeviously to 'the Prof.' "Kinda tempting, but nah, it was just me and Stanley here and a few rides my cousins been working on. Besides, I'd have to put a harness in." In fact, rarely seen in an age when seat belts are a generally-ignored novelty, straps from one such harness are still hanging down inside the Chevy, usually tucked out of sight somewhere, aparently. "Probably not a bad idea we take youse to the track and try her out, though, see what she could use in the way of those modifications you talked about." Says to Piotr. "We kinda figure the Prof might learn a thing or two about matching revs from right outta up here, see?" She taps the side of her head.
The Professor actually pales a bit at the thought of racing on the track, "Ah, well, er, I'm not sure that's such a good idea, I mean, really…" His eyes are a bit wide at the thought of racing on the track, then he looks over towards Emma with a silent "HELP!" expression.
Charles needn't even cast that glance to Emma. She's already on top of /that/ particular notion. "No, Julie, thank you for the offer. I'm sure the Professor would enjoy that greatly, but his responsibilities are very time-consuming and he has to choose what he does with his free time very carefully," she begins. "Since we've decided to spend more time together, I'm grateful that he chooses to spend much of that time with me. And, sadly, racing cars aren't one of my favorite things," she says with a small smile. "Now, the /ballet/… There's a worthwhile time expenditure," she sighs wistfully.
Piotr sort of stands there, looking from Julie to Xavier to Emma. He does not say anything in regard to the Professor racing, as Piotr is not much a of a driver himself, he simply wears a small smile as the man looks toward Emma in that panic stricken way. Emma's reply causes the large man to raise a brow, but he says nothing and simply crosses his arms over his chest. "I suppose seeing the Professor doing ballet would be more entertaining."
Julie laughs a little, as an afterthought extends a finger to turn down the transistor radio, remotely. "I guess there's something I dunno about, myself, ballet. Get to an opera once in a while, though." She says, "Anyhow, I was thinking more an empty track or a testing day. I'd never use my stuff to cheat in a race, but I wouldn't let you get in a crackup, can pretty much keep folks from that if I have to." She winks and hefts one of the shinier, heavier street rims onto the lugs.
The Professor grins wryly at Piotr, "As interesting as wearing a tutu might be, I think I'll have to pass on that one. Besides, I have two left feet, as anyone who has seen me try to play outfield during our baseball games can attest." He glances over at Emma gratefully, giving her hand a squeeze, "Though I will gladly watch a ballet with you anytime… barring any world-ending incidents. In which case we should probably get refundable tickets."
Lorna came from out from the mansion, wearing a shockingly green tank-top that even put her hair to shame with its brightness, along with a pair of high waisted jean shorts, that frankly, would've made her father demand she go back inside and change immediately had he seen. Perhaps, even more shockingly, her hair was cut from her lower- middle of her back right up to around her chin in a bob. A headband of black pushed her bangs back from her face.
Yet Lorna didn't seem the least bit coy about her change in wardrobe and approached the group out back with a grin and a wave. "Heya," She glanced back toward the Professor, Emma and Julie and Piotr in turn.
Emma laughs at the idea of Charles wearing a leotard and tutu. Dear lord, no. Mindbleach, stat! "Well, Julie, it seems we should prepare an outing for those students who would be interested in learning about ballet. Or, experiencing going to the ballet, at the very least," she sounds thoughtful. Class trip! To Charles, she shakes her head. "No, darling. No refundable tickets. I will always support the Arts in any way I can, and that includes paying full price for tickets, even if we're unable to attend due to the always-on-the-brink-of-death lifestyle we lead," she smiles ruefully, shaking her head. "Hello, Lorna. How —-" she faulters in her greeting of the green-haired girl when she notices both the outfit and the haircut. "Oh, /Lorna/, what have you done?" she asks in a breathless way, her hand at her pearls. Perhaps clutching.
Piotr chuckles at Xavier, obviously envisioning the man prancing around in a ballet, though honestly the Russian is not at all familiar with the dancing art. He opens his mouth to speak, perhaps to further joke at the Professor's expense when Emma speaks toward Lorna. The Russian's eyes move in that direction and he looks the girl over thoughtfully. He is not super familiar with the girl, but they have spoken, evidenced by how he lifts a large hand and says, "Well if it isn't my future combat partner. Are you coming to practice on me already?" Obviously he is not as shocked as Emma.
Julie threads lugnuts on, then spins them tight with her powers in a star pattern that makes her look like she's doing something from the more mystic side of Lorna's family, though there's that Vrrr sound her powers make as she just torques them down evenly, and, one imagines, precisely. She then raps a chrome hubcap in place with the heel of her hand, and pops up there. "Yeah, don't wanna do anything too dangerous or nothing," she comments wryly. "Hey, Lorna," she says, "Looking pretty groovy, there." Funny enough, Dizzy actually visits the hairdresser once in a while, if for rock and roll chick styles. There's pushing certain things too far in this world for someone like her, really. Then she glances way up to Piotr again, asks, "So you're another one with all the karate stuff and everything?"
Charles blinks at Lorna, then smiles a bit, "Wow, that's… quite a change, Lorna. But it's definitely very striking." He does sound approving. Possibly because he knows what Erik's reaction will be. Of course, he is the encouraging Uncle Charlie, so that's what he do.
Then at Julie's comment, Charles amends, "Well, Piotr is one to teach athletics if he wants to, but his primary focus is actually art. And he's exceptionally skilled at it." Charles then glances over at Emma, and grins at her mentioning non-refundable tickets, "Well, as long as you're with me there."
The mixed reactions draw an equal fidget from Lorna, she blushed and grinned and tugged at her shorts. "Uhm, well, I was talking to Remy about how he only wears jeans, but it's been so hot. And I went shopping with Miss Crystal and she seemed rather against them. And how the skirts were too short in the stores. And I figured if I wore pants then, well, isn't that better and more practical? Same with my hair.." She bit her lower lip and shifted on her heels.
"But they didn't really have any shorts that would make sense, and I just figured if I got some jeans from the thrift store I could cut them down on my own." She shrugged and glanced toward Julie and then Charles in turn.
"I just figured since well, I might be going with Remy and Scott and everyone to go to investigate things.. uhm, practical would be better for my hair.. and stuff. Is it too much?"
Emma is at a loss for words as Lorna falls silent, hesitantly asking for her approval. Those icy blue eyes of Emma's drift over Lorna's new haircut, to her tank top, to the cut-offs. Charles can easily sense her consternation over the mind-link they share. She's trying /very/ hard not to lose her cool over this new look. Lorna's had it rough and sensitivity would be better employed, here, than an outlashing of indignation. "Well," her voice is strained as she tries to sound calm, "..It's certainly a different look." She exhales mentally. "But, the hem… I think you may have cut them /too/ short. I don't know that you want to be wearing something so…revealing…if you're planning on being active in them," she says in as non-judgmental a fashion as possible. Embrace the logic!
"It looks great!" Piotr is saying, even as Emma is attempting to keep from a meltdown and talking about hems. "I don't think it is too mutch at all," he continues, lifting his right hand to stroke his shaven jawline thoughtfully. "Not that I am being much of a fashion expert in this country…" he says, his tone and the slight frown speaking clearly enough that he doesn't really think himself a fashion expert in /any/ country. He glances toward Julie and nods, "Art teacher and the occasional athletics."
Julie ahs, "Groovy," she says to Piotr. "Yeah, I dunno, I'm not exactly an expert, kinda got my cousins and girlfriends to keep me from embarrassing myself too much." Little wonder: she's much more likely to be seen with Hot Rod magazine or the like than usual girl fare in hand. She tries to contribute helpfully, though. "Guess that looks a bit more like what they wear where Kori comes from than New York, though."
Charles smiles a little, giving Emma's hand another reassuring squeeze as he says to Lorna, "Well, you might want to be a bit lower key with the clothing to avoid attracting too much attention. Though actually the haircut is good, since you could wear a hat or the like without worrying about dyeing your hair. As delightful as it looks, green is a bit of a giveaway."
Lorna nodded, "Yeah I know, but it's too hot and if we go to Albuquerque won't it be more out of place to wear the full length jeans? I mean it's hotter there right? I figured it would fit in more." She tugged at the jean faintly, biting her lower lip and then glancing back toward Charles.
"Yeah well, that's why Wanda made me a charm to make my hair brown if I really need it. I was planning to go with that but since I'm just testing out the clothes today.." She shrugged, then glanced back toward Julie and grinned.
"Kori does wear really short skirtsn and tops doesn't she?" The image of very short purple tops and skirts flashed in Lorna's memory, making her shorts and tank top look modest by comparison.
Emma purses her lips as Lorna makes excuses and others let the loose-moral-shorts slide. "Well. They are too short, Lorna Dane. I think you know that, if you take into account the way your stomach twisted at the thought of what I would think of them. Not to mention your father," she says, lightly. In that way adults do when they disapprove, but will let it go because they're not winning the battle, anyway. At the flash of the image of Kori that flits through Lorna's mind, Emma gasps and really does clap her hand to her breastbone. "I don't think this 'Kori' is anyone you should be using as a /role model/, whatever the case," she adds, grimacing visibly at the idea of using the orange-skinned tart as an example for acceptability.
Julie shakes her head a bit to Kori, "Actually, they do all the time, cause of the sun and everything. Last time I went through there it was winter, other times, well, you gotta wear jeans, if not coveralls around the track, especially if you don't want to look like you're one of the promotional chicks posing and all that." She winks, not that she'd likely be mistaken for one of those if she tried. "Anyway, I guess Kori pretty much stands out wherever she goes, whatever she does." She says, as an aside, "I kinda got this thing where I meet people from outer space lately. Who knows why."
Charles catches the image of Kori as well, and blinks a bit. Thankfully he has a lot of control, as he simply says, "I have to agree with Emma on this one, Lorna. If nothing else, a green tanktop that can be seen three counties away isn't exactly how you avoid attracting attention." He does glance at Julie, "Wait, is that whom you got the moonrock from?"
Lorna pouted slightly, but didn't seem inclined to change anytime soon at least, not while she was at the mansion. It was home after all and it was Summer Vacation. The mention of her father however had the young mutant cringe almost immediately. A glance around followed and a pleading oh gosh, no no no, followed in her mind, before she realized her father was not infact in yelling distance to catch her wearing what she was.
"Kori said she was from Monaco to me.." She muttered at Julie's comment and then glanced back to Charles. "But I saw like three stores have dresses in this color. It's totally groovy and goes with my hair." Another pout.
Julie nods, "Ah, yeah, that's her. Nice lady. Kinda thought she was one of us, only a bit <Italian phrase for crazy> at first. But she's kinda convincing, and Josh could just tell. But, yeah, kinda best if she hides, kinda like us. She'd probably get the wrong kinds of attention." There's a pause as she considers the green. "Though there's places you could stand out if you're dressed too square, too, these days," she shrugs.
"It's not the color to which I'm objecting, though Charles makes a good point. It's rather eye-catching, as a color," Emma notes, not adding the fact that it's eye-catching in the sense that it's nearly blinding. Emma is immune to pouting. In fact, she finds it a sign of weak character and Lorna knows this. It's possible that, in her recent past, the girl's gone through enough emotional trauma that she's experienced some backsliding, but really! Flagrant, public pouting is unbecoming. {Lorna, you know better,} she says directly to Lorna's mind, not wanting to further admonish her publicly. It's hard enough to take criticism, as it is. {I know you were hoping for a different reaction, but consider that we've your best interests at heart.} Then, a breath. "I'm not suggesting you wear pants. Even I enjoy shorts, from time to time. But, modesty is never out of style. Stylish modesty. Perhaps we can go shopping together and I'll show you what I mean," she offers aloud.
Charles smiles over at Emma, "A shopping trip… that is a very good idea." If he catches anything about the telepathic conversation between Lorna and Emma, he doesn't let on about it, though with his talents he probably heard it. Then he tilts his head, and frowns a bit, "Actually, I should take care of something quick. If you'll all excuse me." He leans in and kisses Emma on the cheek, then smiles to everyone, "It shouldn't be terribly long. I'll be right back." And with that, he goes from the garage back to the manor, as something must have flagged his attention.
A huff and a mental defensiveness follows rather than the usual quick apology to Emma's gentle scolding. Something along the lines of, 'You're just too old to get it'. Though she never said it outloud, but it was clearly in a muttered, pouting mental tone of voice that both Charles and Emma could likely catch. "It's not like I was using pins to make 'em shorter." And plenty of other girls her age had, she'd seen it in high school. Especially where said girls got into trouble for it.
But she didn't out right reject Emma's offer to take her shopping either, instead falling into a sort of sulking silence.
Julie smirks a bit, taking a moment to rub some chrome with a clean rag and pull out a jack stand, before spinning the jackscrews to lower that corner of the car. "Hey, I guess green's your color, really. Can be hard to find a nice orange sometimes." Of course it seems Diz's fashion statements may be generally fairly limited to those checkered-flag accessories she usually sports.
Emma frowns at the mental snarkery, narrowing her eyes in a way that usually signals a dangerous change in her mood. To the comment about pins, however, Emma smiles thinly. "No, Ms. Dane, you used /scissors/," she points out. "At any rate, if you can find the personal mettle to get over your sulking, perhaps I'll take you shopping. Though, given your behavior, I'm not sure I should even offer," she says crisply. To Julie and Piotr, she smiles briefly. "It was good to see you. I think Charles and I have some things to talk about, if you'll excuse us. And, I'll have Tabitha call about the ballet tickets, Julie. Maybe you could ask your fellow students if they've any interest in it, and let me know if it'd be worthwhile to pursue? Do have a good day," she says and, once Charles says his goodbyes, makes her way out of the garage and back toward the mansion still on his arm.
Piotr drops his voice as Emma walks off with Charles and says, "Well, for what it is worth, I did not think you were to be looking bad. But then again, I am not in charge of the operations here." He offers a sympathetic shrug and then looks toward Julie and says, "Do you think you have that many friends who would be interested in going to the ballet?" The tone of his voice reveals that Piotr will most likely be missing that particular trip.
Julie laughs a little. "Well, not too many. Sophie, I bet, she mentioned she used to dance that, herself. She probably goes all the time, bet she could tell us all about it." So as not to embarrass themselves, apparently. Dizzy thinks a moment, then balances on tiptoe on one foot. It seems unfamiliar, but oddly, she has no real trouble keeping her balance. "I dunno, what you think?" She holds out her arms and then, for no apparent reason, starts slowly rotating in place… Though there's that telltale 'vrrr' sound coming from somewhere around. She laughs a bit.
A sigh and Lorna dragged her hand through her hair. "I was rude. I'll owe her.. an apology." She mumbled, grimacing and looking down at her shorts. "I'm gonna wear 'em anyways. I spent money and time on them. I don't care if Miss Frost thinks they're too short. It's not like she's my mom. And my father is always gone so who cares? I'm totally an adult. I can wear what I want if I want to wear short shorts, then I can." She sounded pretty defensive over the whole thing, and crossed her arms.
"Also, totally cheating if you use your powers.."
Piotr chuckles and shakes his head, both at Julie's revolving maneuver and good naturedly at Lorna's defensive statement. He shrugs his shoulders before saying, "I think I am going to go back up and look over the students' pieces in the art room. If either of you need me, feel free to come and join me." With that, the large Russian steps away from the garage and begins moving back toward the mansion.
Julie nods, to Lorna, "Guess it's a bit tough, you got practically family being your teachers, by the sound of things. Don't figure I could carry that look off outside a beach, though."
A sigh and Lorna waved toward Piotr as he turned to go. "Later, and it was cool seeing you. Thanks for the compliments." She grinned weakly and then deflated again as Julie spoke, dragging a hand over her features.
"Yeah, the Professor might as well be my uncle. And Miss Frost was the first one to discover I was a mutant and train me. I've always been close to her." She shrugged and made a face. "And my father might as well be a teacher here when he's actually around. Jean called him Professor before and he rolled his eyes though."