1964-07-27 - Date and Girl Talk
Summary: Jay and Ninette are hanging out when Kaleb and Lorna come home. While the boys sort out their issues, Lorna and Ninette talk about them shamelessly.
Related: http://www.marvel-1963.com/log:1964-07-27-meanwhile-at-fight-club
Theme Song: None
jay ninette lorna kaleb 


For the first time, Ninette is coming around to Jay's. She called ahead so as not to waste the trip. She's dressed down, for her, in a minidress that has a Bohemian pattern on it, low-flowing sleeve. Her hair is straight and sleek, and her little kicky boots are just… what can one say? She knows how to dress for Greenwich Village. She knocks, and she comes bearing a gift of fine red wine.


With the phonelines finally up and running once more, Jay is able to once more contact Ninette and catch up with her properly. Now that he's not living on someone's couch in Hell's Kitchen, or on a floor in Mutant Town, he feels more comfortable having her over, so the invitation comes willingly. Not that Jay fits in here at all. The young man answers the door in a pair of faded blue jeans, barefoot, and a plain tee shirt that at one point was probably a nice, rich forest green, but has since faded. Not frayed anywhere, but faded. No overshirt which means, naturally, his wings are exposed and present for the first time since they've met, looming over his shoulders, the feathered elbows inch higher than his head when not compressed down.

Jay greets her with a small smile and holds the door open wide. "Miss Ninette, glad t'see you. Come on in, did ya find it all raght?"


Ninette steps through the doorway and immediately takes in the interior of the apartment with an eye of sharp assessment. Hmm, no room of his own, but the apartment itself is fine. It passes muster. "Jay, it's been so long since I've seen you. You won't believe what I've been up to. I'm still not sure I believe " She offers the wine over, then tilts her cheek expectantly. "You look well. It turns out we have some mutual acquaintances, and they said they would tell you I'm all right."


Jay taks a half beat, but he takes the hint and as he takes the bottle, gives Ninette a peck on the cheek and a small smile. "Thank you. Yer too kind. Should I pop it open now?" Gesturing mildly with the bottle while he waits by the door, closing it behind her and quickly walking into the apartment with a hosting gesture. "Please come on in and make yerself at home. Th' fellahs are all out raght now, so it's quiet." Immediately heading into the kitchen to tend to that bottle. "They, ah, took a bit but yeah, Ah heard some of what's been goin' on. Ah was /so relieved/ t'hear you were all raght! The werewolf business sounds damnably horrifyin' the way they described it."


"If you like," Ninette says. "We could have some wine and catch up." On that note, she goes to the kitchen after Jay to search for glasses while he deals with the bottle, quite at home in someone else's apartment. "It was terrible," she says. "It savaged my arm, and they told me I might become one of those things, but this man named Josh healed me and made my body make antibodies." She smiles at Jay as she says, "I'm now immune." Take that, werewolves.


Jay sorts around in the kitchen for a cork screw, listening quite happily to Ninette's explanation of what had happened to her. Cradling the bottle under one arm while he twists the curly cue into the cork, Jay stops what he's doing for a frozen moment and closes his eyes. A shiver runs through his wings, feathers fwipping against one another for an aggitated moment. Then he's back and yanks the cork free with a determined yank. "Well," a pressed smile slide sidelong toward the blond woman. "Ah'm just glad yer all right. Truly."


Ninette sets two wineglasses down before Jay and his bottle. "What's wrong?" she says. She's noticed the wings, and feathers don't lie. "I'm doing quite well. Her brow furrows, and she asks, "Is it Josh? Is there something wrong with him? I didn't get to meet him for very long. He had to rest, and I was exhausted. Lorna showed me to a bedroom and I slept it off, then went home."


Jay shakes his head gently as he fills her wine glass up half way and his own as well, his smile holding on to his features smoothly. "Nothin', Ah'm good." A reassuring glance in Ninette's direction, though his wings rise and lift away from his back, filling up space and making his silhouette large. "Ah really am glad yer all raght, Ninette. That things went smoothly." The young man lifts and presses her glass toward the cultured woman. Trying to be reassuring.


Ninette's eyes narrow. She doesn't try to hide the fact that she knows something is up, Jay. She knows. But she lets it go. She clinks her glass to his and murmurs, "A votre sante." She takes a sip, then gives an approving nod. It's a fine, delicate wine with subtleties and nuances. She chose well. She loops her arm around Jay's and leads him toward the living room. "How are you doing?"


Holding Ninette's gaze, Jay knows damn well that she knows something is up, and the look he gives her is a softly pleading one as he clinks his glass to hers. A sip taken, Jay's arm frames up and is a proper place for Ninette's hand to rest against—a boy doesn't grow up in the south without learning how to hold a lady's arm. They do still have formals, damnit. Toward the living room, Jay ignores the daybed set up to one side, though the privacy screen is open to the rest of the room, his guitar laying on top of the bed, bare, and his bags shoved under it. A small framed photo face down under his pillow. He opts for the couch and nods a couple times to the question. "Ah'm doin' better than a lotta folks. Can't really complain. How've you been since Ah saw you? You met one of mah roommates, so you've been out meetin' new people?"


"Oh, yes. Kaleb. He dresses well." Because that's the important thing. "We've fought the werewolves together a couple times." She takes a sip of her wine, then adds, "I volunteered at the kitchen at the community center. I hated it. But I'm going to look at their finances for them to make them more efficient. I can donate money. I just don't want to be n the kitchen again." She shakes her head. No, a soup kitchen is no place for classy ankle-strapped wedges. She glances at the face-down photo where it lies all the way over there, and she glances to Jay. She knows something's up, Jay. But she says nothing. "A professor from a special school hired me to teach music. How special can a school be if it has no music program?"


"You'd be a might surprised how special a school can be, music or not." Jay says with amusement and a tilt of his head. "Ah was gonna try to start somethin' like that up somewhere but realized Ah was pretty underqualified an' couldn't get the headmaster t'see me. Takes a special person t'teach. That sounds excitin'." Jay folds a leg up underneath himself as he sits, exhaling a small puff of breath as he looks over toward the open bedroom pocketdoor that belongs to Kaleb. "Yeah. Yeah, he's a snappy dresser." Turning his attention back to Ninette, Jay lowers his voice, needlessly. "He just about passed out when he saw everythin' Ah owned fit in a couple bags." Hey, you picked this one, Ninette. Jay leans back again and adds, perhaps a little hesitantly with a glance at his glass. "He's got his heart in the raght place, though he doesn't want anyone t'know it." Those large wings lift and fall again like a breath.

Mention of the community center makes Jay smile, gently at first, then a thread brighter, amusement in his eyes. Jay nods, modestly, his chin lowered somewhat. "Ah understand. Ah volunteer there almost every day—or, Ah did. It's good that yer reachin' out. It's a start. You can't much understand what people are goin' through if you don't see it fer yourself. You just gotta be," Jay pauses, his thoughts heavy as he inhales a breath and exhales again, brows lofting up gently. "Sure yer strong enough t'accept what you see."


Ninette lowers her gaze as she says, "It's because of you. I wanted to be part of your world." That admission has her glancing aside, not looking at Jay directly. Maybe if she makes it sound casual. "I can handle anything," she says after a moment. "After freezing pools of ichor so no one would get infected, and watching someone torch living werewolves to death, I think I can handle whatever this school has to throw at me. Except children. I said no young children."


Because of him? Jay looks surprised. Genuinely surprised at the explanation. As if, how could he have inspired anyone to do anything? But all he says is a dumbfounded, "Oh." And blink a couple of times at Ninette while she avoids his gaze. His wings shiver briefly, fwipping behind him a couple of times, pinned up against the back of the couch, the motion is muted.

"Torching werewolves is okay but young kids are where ya draw th' line, huh?" Jay shifts the subject, fluidly. "Kale mentioned that you were there th' last time. When…Mutant Town burned." The young man nods a couple of times, taking another drink of wine lightly. Silence settling for a lengthy moment, solemn. "Well, what's the school? Maybe Ah'll come by an' see the teacher in action." Jay offers, harmlessly, right?


A quiet huff of a sigh is Ninette's only response to Jay's fluid transition. "Children are wild animal," she says, "and can't be torched." She smiles, bringing levity to the proceedings. She kids, she kids. She wouldn't torch children. She takes another drink of wine. Maybe she should go slow, but maybe a little buzz would be nice right now. "If you do, I might make you give a demonstration on guitar."


Jay doesn't laugh often. Not really. He whispers his humor through exhaled breaths with short pockets of waves between, nearly inaudible. That's how he chuckles for Ninette. Soft and muted, but his smile is honest. "Kids are easy," Jay shakes his head gently, flicking his eyes over toward Kaleb's bedroom on his way back to Ninette. "Well then, Ah better brush up on my finger exercises if Ah'm gonna come visit ya. Make myself useful. What's the age range? So Ah know what songs t'brush up on so Ah don't make ya look like you brought an amateur in?"


"You can handle the children then," Ninette decides. As if they're going to run into packs of roving curtain-jerkers in the streets. "I'll be teaching your high school?" Schools in France are different, called different things. "And the college students. I can teach singing and scales, and piano, but other instruments will be a challenge. I'll learn." Suh confidence. She hesitates, then lays her hand on Jay's. "It'll be nice to see you there."


Well one never knows! If you can run into packs of werewolves, why not packs of rabid toddlers? Though that could be easily construed another way and Jay turns bright red around his ears, hidden by his hair, just a little pink flush in his cheeks. Quickly moving toward the music class again, Jay nods and drops back the rest of his wine but for the smallest amount in the bottom. Not much of a sip left. "If y'want, Ah can help ya with a few. Ah mean, Ah know how to play more than th'guitar." He squints gently. "Did you mention the school? Ah probably missed it, Ah'm sorry."


Ninette's brow arches, and she pats the blushing Jay on his arm. There, there. "It's a special school," she says, "For people like us. I don't know the details just yet, and I probably couldn't share them even if I did. Not without permission." She frowns faintly and adds, "People would put mutant children in peril out of hatred." It's a wonder she doesn't freeze the world. She takes another drink of her wine, then leans her head lightly against Jay's shoulder and asks, "Do you like me, Jay?"


Oh good lord. Realization comes with a lean back from Jay when he gets where Ninette is teaching. Exhaling a breath, Jay settles against the back of the couch, nestling into the cushions. His expression is not a very pleased one, but rather, filled with recent agony and trouble as he scoops a hand through his hair a few times, eyes slipping shut. Jay exhales in a breath, "Yer at Xavier's." It's the pressure on his shoulder and the smell of a lady's hair so close to his nose. The question sends his mind reeling in the other direction, hard and fast. Smoothly, naturally, Jay's arm slides around Ninette's shoulders, fingers brushing through her hair if he is able. "Yes, I like you, Ninette. You're a good person. Ah'm sorry Ah'm so distracted raght now. It ain't raght."


That touch to her hair is tacit permission to kick off her shoes and curl up, legs tucked under her. She snuggles up to Jay and releases a pent up breath slowly. Okay. Distraction she can handle. "You don't approve of the school," she says. "You know that if i don't like it, I will quit and they will know exactly why." No wilting flower is Ninette. "If you want to talk about it, I'll listen. I want to know about your life."


"The school is…fine," Jay murmurs with a shake of his head, making himself more comfortable as Ninette curls up against his side. His fingers lightly skate along the surface of her blond hair, not disrupting it too much. "The school is fine, it's. I don't know. They helped my brother and my sister. When Ah first got here, Ah was supposed t'go there but there was some…clearance issues," Jay vaguely brushes over the subject and shakes his head. "It ain't the school. It's good that you'll be there. They need someone lahke you there, Ninette, and you'll need them. Ah just…Somethin' awful happened over there yesterday an' it's in mah head."


Sleek and straight and still so soft. Ninette smiles as he touches her hair. "What happened?" she says. "It's got you affected." The best word in English she can find in the moment. "What clearance issues? I'll give that professor a piece of my mind." So tiny, so willing to knock heads together in a heartbeat. She rests her hand on his knee, relaxing further. This is more like it.


"Mah brother said Ah had to wait t'get cleared by the professor b'forehand, so we holed up at the community center while Ah waited." Jay shakes his head, waving a hand mildly, his tone is negating of the whole matter. "He must've been busy. Sam had somethin' to do, told me someone'd be by an' it just…" Jay drifts and shakes his head. "It doesn't matter. Mister Summers found me a couple weeks later an' brought me in on his own. Ah guess mah momma was callin' them and raisin' hell," Jay almost laughs, again, breathily. But the story is a good distraction from what happened yesterday.


"Good for her," Ninette says. "I was going to do that if she hadn't." She strokes Jay's arm, fingertips trailing lightly. "So much you don't tell me," she chides with a note of humor. Then she looks up at him and says, "That's all right. As long as you're healthy and happy." But she knows, Jay. She notices things like the picture with the face turned down. Is it another woman? Maybe. Trust is so hard. But he's so kind. He hasn't rushed her. "We should do something fun," she says. "Soon."


Jay's arm tightens some around Ninette's frame when she says she would raise hell for him, another whisper of humor bubbling up out of Jay's chest. The mention that he doesn't tell her a lot draws that mirth out and away, glancing down at his wine glass, then hers. "Ah'm sorry. Ah'm not always great at talkin'." Jay has to admit, sheepishly, a bit ashamed of himself. "Not many people know how t'listen so Ah guess Ah got bad at talkin'." Not that it's much of an excuse, but it's honest. "Not real good form t'talk about stuff like this on a date, y'know?" Casting a crooked smile down to the woman on his shoulder. "Fun, huh? Man…/fun/." Jay's brows loft upwards, the word sounds so /novel/ to him at this point. "Y'ever have those moments where…they feel like they take over yer whole life? Like that moment swallows up everythin' else that makes you up, so…when ya try to look beyond it, it's like seein' the sky for the first time?"


Ninette takes the glass out of Jay's hand and sets it aside. Then she takes his hand in hers. "You don't have to be sorry," she says, "and it doesn't matter what we talk about, I just like being around you." She pauses, then says too casually, "We know each other well enough you don't always have to be your best self. I like you the way you are." Then she listens to him, her brow furrowing with thought. "Oui," she murmurs after a moment. "I've had those moments. It's like they define you. You can't go back to where you were before it happened."


The kind words are a balm of sorts. Of sorts. Jay's hand freed up and he stares down at her hand in his, watching his thumb rub over the back of Ninette's delicate looking hand. Nodding slowly while she identifies with what he tried to explain a moment ago. "Yeah. Like that. Or, even like it's hard to remember what that was lahke. A dream you can't quite get yer teeth around. Ah'm just stuck in one-a those raght now. Ah'm sorry, that ain't fair to you."


"Oh, darling, don't worry about me," Ninette says. "You must feel lost right now, and everything is different now." She presses a kiss to his cheek. "When it happened to me, it's when my father died. My life came to a crashing halt, and I can barely remember what our life together was like. It was just me, alone, and him gone. It took some time to adjust to. Whatever you're going through, don't worry about entertaining me. I'm fine."


The peck on his cheek draws that corner of Jay's mouth upward gently, squeezing his fingers gently on Ninette's hand. "You must've been very close t'him. Ah'm sorry, 'Nette. Feelin' alone like that, it's hard t'find yer way back from." He looks around the apartment, quiet and thoughtful. "Ah think a friend of mine hit it smack on the head. He told me Ah don't seem to want anywhere permanent because everythin' Ah thought was, is gone. Ah'm a chicken. Feathers an' all."


"He was the only one in my life who didn't abandon me," Ninette says softly, and she curls closer. "You're not a chicken," she says, giving him a sidelong look that borders on incredulous. "You've been stung, again and again, and life tells you reach out again where there have been hornets every time. You need time to check out your options and get your feet under you. To check your situation for hornets before you put your hand out. Do you understand what I'm saying?"


Jay is home. He's home and has company, actually. Ninette is visiting and she's currently curled up into Jay's side, her head on his shoulder, the pair sunken into a corner of the couch with a pair of wine glasses on the table nearby. A bottle of something Ninette brought on the counter.

"Hornets are jerks?" Jay responds after a moment of thought—deep and thoughtful thought, though he responds with a lighter tone and gentled smile to Ninette that lasts a whisper. "But…hornets are little bugs. They pack a whollup but they're bugs. T'just give in…" He sighs and drops his head back, staring at the ceiling. "It ain't in mah blood, Ah suppose."


Lorna was tipsy. And had eaten nothing but light sugary deserts and snacks for the past few hours. Of course, that had gone along with the manicure, pedicure, facial and makeup and hair styling from the salon. To say that she felt spoiled was an understatement. Real gold lead peaked out on her toe nails between her flip flops, and upon her nails? New fake nails that had been drilled through and set with two very large, shiny, diamonds.

Her hair had been smoothed up into a popular looking swirl, classic and fancy. And her make had been professionally done (that too glittered faintly with gold leaf). She was particularly sparkly. She at least, tipsy verging ever closer to tipsy, had not had to drive.

She wasn't entirely sure that she could throw a punch either with these nails, they were so sparkly. She clutched at Kaleb's side for support as she entered the apartment. At least for the World's Fair, Kaleb would have a sparkly date.


Ninette's shoes are off and she's cuddled up to Jay, her feet tucked her her. She's wearing a minidress that's Bohemian chic with flowing sleeves, and her hair is sleek and straight. She's dressed for Greenwich Village. "They're horrible," Ninette says. "Anyway, the point is you're not a chicken." She glances up as the door opens, and, taking one look at her, she sits up and says, "You look fantastic."


Kaleb unlocked the apartment door and was about to drop his keys on the hook and kick the door shut with his heel when two steps brought him slowed to a halt. Half distracted, both by the sparkly giddy Lorna on arm and Jay sitting in the living room. There was also a Ninette which weirdly threw him less accepting her as a missing puzzle piece here. "Well," He said offhandedly, "she already did that. Now she's shiny." He nodded to Ninette in a quiet greeting and finally, "Jay." Man he looked dressed to kill, but he also looked tired as hell. Lack of sleep catches up.


The lock clicks over and Jay's eyes flick up, his demeanor tightening up. He looks well rested, but at the same time, he never really doesn't look well rested through the merit of his own mutation. Not without several days worth of sleepless nights at least. Waiting to see which of the three he could be expecting, Jay inhales a slow breath when Kaleb and Lorna walk through the door. Green eyes flick to Lorna's hands. Her feet. Her hair. Then to Kaleb. Jay stares into Kaleb for a long moment, then murmurs lowly. "You look like shit."


Lorna flashed Ninette a smile, "Thank you!" She chirped, swaying slightly as she held onto Kaleb's grip. She flushed, and looked down at her feet, which sparkled with real gold leaf. "Kaleb took me out." She mumbled, "Or dropped me off at the salon. They had these macaroons? They were covered in gold. My gosh, like real gold. I ate real gold today." She mumbled, and pressed a hand against her cheek. She blinked, jerked her hand away and stared.

"They asked me what little specks I wanted that were diamonds on my nails and then they put them on top. But this big one? They like drilled through this fake nail they put on. And it's like an earring on the back." She murmured, and then glanced back at Kaleb.

"I thought.. maybe Kaleb needs a nap."


Ninette clucks her tongue and says, "Jay!" To Kaleb, she says, "Your ensemble is flawless, but you do need to rest." Jay gets a little nudge in the ribs, but then she cuddles up to him again, not caring if the other two see she's crushing on the winged fellow. It's a different facet of Ninette, this tactile and capable-of-human-emotion version. She listens to Lorna intently. "Oh, I think I know the salon you mean. It's amazing. They work miracles there. You and I must go there together some day."


Kaleb :just watched Jay for a long moment, his elbow releasing Lorna's hand so she could flap it at Ninette. Good. If she was excited and something in this week made less horrible? Mission accomplished. He was still as aloof as he ever was, though exhaustion could have a lot to do with that too. He responded to Jay like there was some subliminal dual of wills happening on some other plane of existence and returned a faintly shrugged expression, "Eh, long week. I don't need a nap so much as I need an aspirin and a Vic. I can keep on. You?" He glanced from Jay to Ninette and Lorna comparing notes. Good good. He wasn't an 'emoter', he was a facilitator. Still he looked back to Jay with a thinly veiled concern. Finally he asked Lorna, "Can I get you anything?"


Kaleb just watched Jay for a long moment, his elbow releasing Lorna's hand so she could flap it at Ninette. Good. If she was excited and something in this week made less horrible? Mission accomplished. He was still as aloof as he ever was, though exhaustion could have a lot to do with that too. He responded to Jay like there was some subliminal dual of wills happening on some other plane of existence and returned a faintly shrugged expression, "Eh, long week. I don't need a nap so much as I need an aspirin and a Vic. I can keep on. You?" He glanced from Jay to Ninette and Lorna comparing notes. Good good. He wasn't an 'emoter', he was a facilitator. Still he looked back to Jay with a thinly veiled concern. Finally he asked Lorna, "Can I get you anything?"


Lorna giggled, even more bubbly in personality now that she was tispy as she bounced a few light footed steps over to Ninette. Her fingers spread out wide as she fluttered them out before the other woman to see in the light of the apartment. "Oh my gosh, yes! Kaleb had them close down the whole salon for me. It was so strange! I've never had my nails done before. My mom growing up thought it was something those sosh girls do. I mean it's like I knew this girl that was on the make in high school. She was so over the top." She gushed. It would seem the more Lorna got tipsy, the more she was apt to use slang.

The was practically giddy with having spent the day as she had, and couldn't stop turning and twisting her hands every which way in the sunlight. She glanced at Kaleb as he offered to get her something and paused, biting her lower lip. "I should have water.. Last time I drank so much I got a hangover.." She mumbled.


Jay flicks his eyes down at his lap when Ninette scolds him, sucking in a deep, swift breath and murmuring toward his hands, "Sorry." Succumbing to the normally frosty blond nestled into his side, warming up rather nicely nestled against his side. Turning his attention back up to Kaleb, his eyes following the man, focused on him like a hawk tracking a mouse. "Same." His wings try to pull, but they're pinned against the couch behind him, but that doesn't stop his heart from racing too quickly, thudding against his ribs, likely a little palpable to Ninette as she leans back.

Jay rests a hand on Ninette's forearm and sits up a little bit, whispering some non-committal sound in askance for her to sit up so he can stand. Lowering his voice to the Lady Winter, "Keep her company a sec, huh?" Passing Kaleb a long look and walks toward his bedroom, tipping his head lightly in that direction. 'A second?'


Ninette rises to her feet, and she's got a canny look about her, first noticing Jay's wings. She glances to Kaleb, inclining her head to him as she says, "There's wine, if you like. She then gives Jay's arm a squeeze, kisses him on the cheek, and murmurs, "Of course, mon ami." She then gathers their now empty glasses and comes to the kitchen. "You need water," Ninette advises Lorna. "If you drink enough water, your hangover won't be so bad."


Kaleb was more the mouse aware of the hawk and peered back. Like any other rodent Kaleb was the sort to just chew a hole through whatever he had to to get to the other side. Grubby cheese mongers. Still the request was made and the response, while sterile of emotion, was compliant with a nod. Keep Ninette entertained? Sure. There was literally nothing Kaleb could or would do to placate whatever rime built up on those two. To the note of chiding though he told Ninette, " Well he's not wrong. He doesn't have to censor himself on my account." No really, Jay, let's hear it the undercurrent seemed to say.

Still Kaleb had no stomach to pick another fight with him and quietly got Lorna a glass with ice and water from the pitcher with the lemon slices in it from the fridge to fill it. Looking up he asked, "Ninette, did you want one?" She had wine but water made the drinking of the wine go longer. Hydration, folks, it's a thing. He brought the glass back for his date and presented it so she could grab it and not pop a sparkle. "Glad you are happy with it."


Lorna flushed as Ninette agreed that water was a good idea. She was about to turn and get herself some when Kaleb moved to fetch it and presented her a fancy glass of water with lemon. She blinked and flashed him a brilliant smile, "Thank you Kaleb." She leaned forward quickly to snag his hand and give it a small squeeze.

"You didn't have to do that." What did she mean? The salon? The water? The gifts? Maybe all of it.


The kiss on his cheek is accepted easily as Jay parts from Ninette, his hand lifting to touch lightly to the small of her back in gratitude. Little blessings. Leaving Ninette to keep Lorna company for a moment, the barefoot winged man walks toward Kaleb's bedroom, chest out and chin up, the passive young man definitely has a few feathers out of place. Figuratively. Waiting expectantly for Kaleb to slip away from the ladies for a moment.


"Please," Ninette tells Kaleb with a warm smile. Holy crap, she's human after all. She comes to sit beside Lorna, giving both men a brief glance, lingering finally on Jay, and she gives him one of those lidded looks that says in the sultriest of ways, 'come back soon, boy.' She asides to Lorna, "Do you know what's going on between them? You can cut the tension with a knife."


Kaleb gave Lorna's hand a faint squeeze back. His head tilted to the side faintly and all he said was, "I did." Did what? Tonight was a parade of 'vaguery'. Did have to get her the water? Take her to get dolled up? Drop someone's yearly salary into her hair and nails? Keep moving like a shark trying to stay busy? Do something to stay off his soapbox for five minutes or maybe just see her smile like nothing in the world was wrong while it absolutely was? Who knows. An expression shifted to them drawing on that bottomless aloofness to play the consummate host. "Ladies a moment? Help yourselves." And with that he made a steady, but unrushed bee line towards his door palming an empty rocks glass en route. No reason. Noooo reason.


Lorna, poor tispy Lorna had no way of limiting what came out of her mouth as she sipped at her glass of water, holding it with two very sparkly hands as Kaleb left and dropped her hand. As Kaleb and Jay went off to Kaleb's bedroom she pursed her lips together, glancing down the hall and back to Ninette. She frowned.

"It's because of Warren. He showed up all … all, messed up from.. from these like experiments. And Kaleb feels guilty and he's been trying to protect Jay 'cause they had similar mutations and 'cause Kaleb feels all guilty and stuff.. I mean, he saw the experiments in the lab on what they were doing to Warren and he feels horrible nad has nightmares." She mumbled out in a quick gust. Did Kaleb likely hear her? Probably, did he have time to listen to her mumbled words that were said in a pinched, rush of a voice? Maybe not. Not while Jay was trying to talk to him.


"But Kaleb, he did not do any of these experiments?" Ninette says, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Why is Jay upset?" She can tell, Jay. She knows! She just doen't know why. "Who's Warren?" Ninette's tone is merely conversational. She's not trying to keep her words from anyone's ears, but neither is she egging the men on to listen.


Lorna scooted forward, "No, he didn't, but his dad was like friends with the guys that were in charge." She sipped at her water, "And I guess he feels upset about not having known or done enough." She worried her lower lip and shrugged in regards to why Jay was upset.

"Maybe because Kaleb didn't say anything. That Kaleb knew and didn't tell everyone else? I don't know." She paused, eyebrows hitching upwards. "Warren Worthington? You don't know who he is? He was like this blonde, tall, kinda good looking I guess. Rich guy. CEO of his family business. He hid he was a mutant and stuff, but he still donated to Mutant Town."


"Warren Worthington? Oh!" Yes, Ninette has heard of that Warren. She takes a drink of her water, frowning faintly. "Men," she says. "Of course Kaleb wouldn't want to talk about it. Who wants to talk about how their father was friends with someone like that?" She shakes her head. Men! "Jay's upset that it happened, and it's so much bigger than him that he's lashing out at something smaller." She regards Lorna in all her sparkliness which, it has to be said, is still awesome. "What we need to do is find these men who did this and destroy them."


Lorna nodded, "Well yeah, obviously," She mumbled at the last comment Ninette made, sipping at her water carefully. "It's just we have nothing to do on other than some country that starts with an 'S' and was cold. I mean, really, I can think of two at least like that. And we've gotta find some secret lab out in the mountains, break in, and hope that those responsible are still there." She muttered. Her expression pinched faintly.

"Which is next to impossible. We won't know anything more until Warren wakes up."


Ninette nods glumly. "In the meantime, these two must work out whatever it is." She sighs. "Jay is very sweet, but he doesn't tell me anything. I don't know how to help him." She shakes her head, changing subjects as the current one starts tempting her down a murky road. "Kaleb seems crazy about you." She smiles. "It's very sweet, all these things he's done today. It's good to see you let him pamper you. It's good for them, you know."


Lorna colored, "Really?" She whispered, leaning closer to Ninette. "Because I just.. I don't know. He's only ever really held my hand. And we've gone on like three dates. I just.. he doesn't talk to me about stuff. Like I feel as if I'm the one that's always talking. I mean, sure, he tells me some things but this stuff with Warren? He didn't tell me at all until he had to." She made a face.

"And I mean.. he spoils me.. but I feel like it's him trying to make up for not being so good at talking to me."


Ninette gives Lorna a sympathetic squeeze on the shoulder. "Mon amie, he's just being a man. They don't talk to us about anything. They probably think they're protecting our delicate selves. And if it's something they're afraid of? Or ashamed of?" She utters a short, musical 'ha!' of laughter. "They'd sooner have their fingernails pulled out. No, he likes you, and it's good you let him pamper you because it makes him feel successful at courtship."


Lorna exhaled a breath, "I let him because it makes him seem to be happy, to not be worried about stuff that's going on or happened in the past.." She shrugged wordlesly, and glanced down at her water. "And he knows that I can take care of myself. I'm better at combat than he is and better trained. My power are well.. they're still growing and I can take out a building on my own." Likely more than one if she truly tried.

"I just worry that I'm always unsure what to say or do around him."


"Say or do whatever you please," Ninette suggests, "but I would just try to be content with him the way he is. Be glad he likes to pamper you; you look amazing. Besides, you deserve to be kept to a certain standard. You're a powerful woman. Is it any wonder he showers you with tribute?" She smiles at Lorna. "Men are delicate creatures. He'll come around." She sets her water glass aside and pours more wine, then gestures with the bottle to see if Lorna wants some. "As for only holding your hand, sometimes we have to abandon subtlety."


Lorna flushed darkly as Ninette spoke, and when the woman offered her wine she nodded. "I mean, I just.. I don't mind holding his hand." She mumbled, her voice more than a little of a squeak. "I just.. I like hugs too." She mumbled, biting her lower lip, her eyes wide. "And I like him and respect him and I don't want to upset him by pushing into his personal space." She added after a moment.

"Like.. he's not like his brother at all. And he's been through so much.."


Ninette pours a glass for Lorna and hands it over. It's a fine red, a vintage with nuances and subtleties in its flavor and bouquet. She brought the best. "Tonight's a good night," she says. "If you're tipsy he won't blame you if you hug him first. It's not fair. We're supposed to be demure and ladylike, but they're so clueless." She takes a sip of her wine, then admits, "I'm close to pinning Jay down and asking if he's gay or what."


Lorna took the glass, any of the refined tastes of the wine utterly lost on her. She had no idea what was 'good' or not. She sipped at it, and made a face at the sharpness. But she drank it none the less. "Pretty sure Jay isn't gay. My nephew is and he can't keep his hands to himself around his boyfriend." She paused, "I have two gay nephews. And that's true for both of them." She colored faintly, and took another gulp of the wine.

"Why is it so hard to just want to feel okay to hug my boyfriend when I want toy?"


Ninette sighs and asks, "Why are the cute ones gay? They're adorable and pointless." She shakes her head. So sad. She gives Lorna's shoulder another gentle squeeze. "Because you're afraid he'll reject you," she says. "Because it's like you said, he's been through so much. He probably has a hard time letting you in." She glances toward the bedroom door, eyes narrowing. Just which one is she talking about? "Tell him you want a hug. You can always blame the wine."


Lorna slumped back agains the couch, entirely passing off her water for the wine at this point as she sipped at it. The taste becoming easier to handle the more she continued to down it. "Yeaaah," She sighed and shook her head. "Gosh. My nephews have been happier and in better relationships than me for months." She groaned, closing her eyes.

"I just like Kaleb! I mean he's sweet when he's not worried about what others think. He really is. And he's thoughtful. And he remembers things.. and he's not afraid of my family. Gosh." She sighed.


"That's good, though," Ninette says. "If you're going to have the same man troubles other women are going to have anyway, you might as well enjoy the one who isn't afraid of your family and is sweet when no one's watching. Just hug him when no one's around, like it's the most natural thing. Sometimes we ladies have to make the first move." She sighs and groans, herself. "Do you think they're killing each other in there?"


Lorna sighed, a sound of unhappiness pulling from the back of her throat as she sipped at her wine continuously. She sipped at it like it was fruit juice, and in a way it was, kind of. "I don't know how to make the first move! My last boyfriend seemed to know how to do all of everything!" She flailed a hand out around her. "He'd been with all kinds of women and knew how things were supposed to be! I have no idea what I'm doing! Am I supposed to kiss him now? We've been on more than four dates! I don't even know if I'm good at kissing! What if I mess up and he doesn't want me to ever kiss him again? What if I want to kiss him?" Well she'd escalated from hugs quickly.


Ninette's brows lift. On to kissing now? She leans back on the couch and purses her lips in thought. "If you don't want to just do it and see what happens, write him a romantic letter, and say, "I can't wait until the moment when we kiss." Because that won't freak Kaleb out. "Or I can talk to him and tell him to stop being such a priest. If you kiss him and he isn't perfectly wonderful to you, tell me and I'll clobber him."


Lorna made a distress sound at that. As if the thought of writing such a letter was even worse! "No! No, don't tell him! Oh. My Gosh. Ninette you can't just tell someone that! Or hit him! I'm stressed over this already!" She squeaked, throwing up a hand. Somewhere, in the kitchen, the toaster turned on.

"What if he hates me because I try that though? What if I'm terrible at it and he never wants to see me again? What if he.. if he realizes I'm so annoying and d-dumps me?"


Ninette takes a moment to soak this up. Can't just punch him? But… but she wasn't even going to use her frost-biting. She glances toward the toaster as its lever clicks, and she tentatively puts an arm around Lorna's shoulders. "All right, I won't say a word, not even to Jay. "If he hates you for kissing him, he's not straight," she says with an air of finality. "Or he's just a bad person and you should break up with him. Think of it as a litmus test for whether or not he's a catch." Then she clicks her tongue chiding, "You're not annoying. You're lovely."


Lorna's lower lip trembled and her hand flopped back to her lap. That was probably safer anyways. "He's told me he's a bad person and that everyone thinks he's a jerk, but he's not. I swear he's not. I like him. Even if.. maybe it's not like, that crush feeling, you know? Like I like who he is a as person.. it's just not… I mean.. I want to kiss him and give him hugs and stuff because I just .. it's nice. And I want to help make him smile." She mumbled, pouting over her glass of wine.

Her gaze swung back toward Ninette and she sniffled, "I've only ever had one boyfriend before this, I don't know what I'm doing. And I ramble when I'm upset or drunk. I'm sorry."


Ninette waves a hand and says, "Don't worry about it, amie. We're just talking. It's all right not to have very much experience. Sometimes I wish I had not quite so much. I trusted the wrong kinds of men when I was around your age. This is better, trust me." With a sigh, she adds, "I don't know how to get Jay to talk to me either, or see if he even wants more than holding hands and kissing. We're not so unalike."


Lorna blinked, sitting up in her seat as she considered Ninette. "But like.. Jay is so nice and polite and stuff. And you're so pretty! You're like this classy lady that Hollywood always puts in the movies." She downed the rest of her wine, and bit back a yawn. "Like seriously! I wish I was so classy. I had to get lessons on how to walk in heels without falling on my face." She chewed her lower lip.

"And I dunno, the last guy I dated .. oh my gosh, I have a type. I've only dated rich mutant boys." The horror seemed to dawn on her. "I didn't meant to. Oh my gosh. Everyone is gonna say that I'm like a horrible person and that I'm shallow and dating guys for money." She turned red and slumped in her seat again.


Ninette smiles and says, "It's kind of you to say that." She doesn't hinge on false modesty by trying to deny her glamour. "He's had so much on his mind, I don't think he's thinking about the better things he could be doing," she says. She studies Lorna for a moment, and she says with complete seriousness, "There is nothing wrong with dating men with money. It's not only acceptable, it's practical. Jay isn't my normal type at all, but those men always disappoint me. But they all had money."


Lorna worried her lower lip, glancing down at her nails. "I would like Kaleb if he didn't have any of it. I mean I enjoy the gifts he gives me, because he gave them to me. I don't need diamonds or gold on my nails." Her brows furrowing as she looked down at said nails.

"I just want to spend time with him. It's why I'm happy to come over and cook breakfast or lunch or something for him. I mean.. sometimes it's really overwhelming. And I look at the expensive stuff and think it could feed a family in Mutant Town for a year…"


Ninette glances at the nails in question. "They do look good, though." She finishes her glass of wine and sets it down, empty. "Does he donate to mutant causes? Convince him to, and then enjoy your nails. I've actually got to be on my way, unfortunately." She shakes her head at the door, then calls through, "Jay? I have to go. Call me later." She asides to Lorna, "They'll be in there all night."


Lorna winced as she looked down at her nails, "I think he does. Or he wants to." She mumbled faintly, picking at the diamond flecks on her nails faintly, idly. She yawned as Ninette got up. "I'll hang out and wait to see if they come out at all." She bit her lower lip.

"Might fall asleep before though if they do take all night." She waved toward the other woman as she went for the door. "I'll talk to you later."


From the other side of the door comes Jay's voice saying, "Yes, of course, Ninette. Ah'm sorry. Thank you fer comin' by!" Ninette looks at Lorna. "Men," she says. She puts son her shoes and gathers up her purse. "Take care, amie, and remember to drink more water, and don't worry so much. He's crazy about you." On that note, she slips out, of to do rich snooty girl things, no doubt.


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