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Summary: Boy(Cloud) meets girl(Jem). Cloud gets to know Jem for the wildfire that she is, taking an impulsive flight for the ice cream shop, which results in a panic sister(Star) following to chew them out. Curious Ahdi joins the scene to complete the bunch.
Date: June 4, 2011
Title: Youthful Impulses
Rating: PG-13(For a little language).
Xavier Mansion - Recreation Room
What was once the Parlor has been turned into a Recreation Room for the students. A nice plush carpet meets the light blue walls giving it a homey feel. A pool table at one end, a foos ball table at the other, and entertainment center with video game systems, movies, and of course, cable TV. Big comfy chairs and couches surround a coffee table for comfortable loafing. Long glass windows with a pair of French doors line one side of the room bringing in plenty of light during the day. The main rule in here is to clean up after yourself.
For the time of day, it is a rather lone and somewhat empty Rec Room, seeing as how it is probably better to be outside in the lovely weather than stuck inside. But, yanno.. who says you're stuck? Maybe you just wanna chill where it is chill for a while, catch some surroundings and just take in the vibe of 'laxin'. That is the story of the new face around the campus, a blond girl with curly hair and a white stick in her mouth. It is a little too thin to be a cigarette, even if she holds it between her lips like one, but from the looks of it, it appears to be the stem of a candy sucker, with her using her tongue to shift it from one side to the next, pool stick in her hands, leaning over the table to line up and give a powerful knock of the white cue, making a solid hit which sinks two of the balls in. She doesn't seem pleased or excited about the accomplishment, rather indifferent to be honest, and starting to circle the table to line up another.
It may be a little late in the game but Cloud spent most of earlier today at a collage fair trying to decide what to do with his life when he graduates, he's dressed in blue jeans, red sneakers, and a red plaid shirt, feeling a bit overwelmed he's decided to kick back in the rec room and watch some TV, entering the room he spots the blonde at the pool table, "Hey there".
Jem, for her part is dressed in something of her signature tight pants and a casual fitting halter, white kicks on her feet as she jerks her head to one side, flicking a curl from her face so she can see the shot that she is preparing to make. She doesn't notice right away, until she hears a voice addressing her, but her green eyes lift to the source and for a second it looks like she is going to ignore him, going back to what she is doing, until she smacks the ball with the stick and sinks her target in a corner hole. After which, the girl rises up and lets a grin cross her lips, "Hey." she calls in a friendly tone. "Was startin' to wonder if anyone was around. Am I missing a function or something? I'd have thought the rec room would be a bit more crowded."
Cloud smiles when Jem makes the shot, "Nice shot, you play much?", he walks over to Jem and the pool table, "Not that i know of, i guess everyone has plans or are just chilling in their rooms", kinda odd getting a new student so late in the year, "Never really seen it too crowded myself anyway, I'm Cloud", he offers a hand.
Jem plants the bottom of the pool stick into the ground and leans into it a little with one hand, lightly lifting her other shoulder to bob in a shrug, "A little. One of my many little side talents I guess. I'm not a big competitive shark or anything," she looks at the pool table for a second, "But I know my way around the green." As it just so happens, Jem was rather excited about joining for her last year, she had wanted to get a head start on things, get to know folks as not to seem like a new girl when things started up next year. So many little quirks like that with her. "Ahhhh. Going the route of den hiding. I see.." she shakes her head, sending curls to bounce a little, "Never was one for that myself. I like to be where the action is." a smirk finding itself on her face. "Cloud? Like white and fluffy like? I'd have pegged you for a Ryan, or a Josh actually." she tilts her head, "Probably the eyes." another smirk, "I'm Jem. Nice to meet you."
Cloud goes a bit red as Jem mocks his name a little, "My grandma named me, i'd much rather of been a Ryan or Josh, but nope i'm all white and fluffy, what about my eyes are Ryan or Josh-like", he grins at the action comment, "You like action?, you must be looking forward to the squad sessions right?"
She chuckles a little at that, "No no, don't be coy or anything about it. It's totally a fine name. I mean.. come on." she points to herself, "Jem.. J-E-M. My father thought it'd be cute to name me after that popular 80's show he used to like. Do you have any idea how old that joke gets? I mean.. it's what? 2011 now? Almost 40 years later and they're still getting their 'har hars' out of it? But hey, Cloud is a cute name." It doesn't sound like it really annoys her too much, just an observation really. In anycase, she sets her pool stick to prop up against the table and tucks the tops of her hands into her back pockets, sauntering his direction to get a closer look and peer, "I dunno.." she comments, "I've seen that blue with a lot of Joshs or Ryans. Or Chris. Guys named Chris have eyes like that. Ryan's are fun though. My dad's name is Rian, and he's a blast." the girl smiles. "Squad sessions? Eh, yeah, I guess. Of course it'd be nice to know who my squad was first."
Cloud isn't 100% following Jem's speech on names so decideds to bypass right though it, "Well wherever you got your name, i like it, gems are pretty, it fits", he runs a hand though his hair and stands up straight, "Well i'm not sure what squad you'll be in but i think the New Mutants or the Corsairs might have a space, i'm in Alpha Squadron".
Public> Chloe finds that emulators work best for the old old stuff now that tvs are all so huge.
Public> Christian is running around outside somewhere if anyone is interested in venturing out at some point. :)
"Ohh. Pretty huh?" her brows raise with a bit of amusement in her eyes. It makes her chuckle, "Well I suppose I can take that compliment, so thank you. Though I do have a bit of a reputation for being nice to look at, but hazardous to your health.. in the metaphorical sense at least." She gives a light shrug, indicating her general relaxed manner, though there is a swell of mischief in her smirk there. Her green eyes settle upon him, eying with a bit of inspecting scrutiny, perhaps trying to figure him out. Meanwhile, she sends the metal stud of her tongue ring to roll against the inside of her teeth. "Hopefully a flame retardant one." she replies. "But maybe I'll get the hang of things before I'm set out in a team."
Cloud grins, "So you're kinda like a rose then?", he doesn't really take a lot of figuring out though when you get to know him you do realise he's smarter than he usually appears, "So you're a pyro?, I've used fire a few times, it definatly gets the job done".
"Me? Like a rose?" Jem sounds surprised at that one, "I.. uh. Don't think I've ever been compared to a flower before. A natural disaster maybe, but never a flower." She thinks about that for a few moments, "Buut.. I think I get what you're trying to say? Roses are beautiful but they come with thorns. Very enticing to want to hold, but can be quite painful if you do it wrong." she nods, "I guess that's a bit fair, sure." Okay with the comparison, she plops down into the the couch for a seat, "Pyro, yep. Little bit more than just fire I think, but.. that is the general idea."
Cloud walks over and sits himself down on one of the other couches, "What do you mean by more than just fire?", he's interested to find out what would lead to Jem being called a "natural disaster", "Where you from anyways?, you traveled far to come here?"
Moistening her lips a second, she considers with a thoughtful look on her face on how to approach it. After a second, the girl pulls herself to rise up to her feet, deciding that words probably won't serve all that well in this case. Moving to his seat, she reaches to hold her hand out for his, "Come on." she smiles, "Not really the place to do that in here. Need a more open and outside venue to give you an idea of what I mean." With a gesture nod to the door with her head. Just from her general demeanor, she doesn't seem to have much in the way of shyness. Probably not too much in the way of shame either. Extreme sports? Probably not an issue for her, the girl just looks like she can handle her own, while still being pretty at the same time. "I'm from around here, Westchester. Not too far from here actually. My brother graduated two years ago."
Cloud grins and takes Jem's offered hand and lets her lead him out the door, they need to be outside to see this?, thats gotta be cool, "Westchester's nice, i've only really seen the Salem Center, actually well, i saw some Doctor guys house but then that got blown off and i followed that guy though the portal so i didn't see much", yeah he's babbling.
"N'yeah, Westchester isn't bad." she agrees as she leads the way out of the rec room and then further out the front doors. "It can be kind of quiet now and then, but for the most part.. I grew up happy around here." Which is generally true, all things considered. Jem is one of those teenagers that isn't quite plagued by angst, and a world that just doesn't understand her. She could give very little care if anyone understands her or not. She is who she is, and that just has to be good enough. "The boys are usually pretty cute too. They grow a nice breed around here to be honest. Not really edgy enough for me, but.. I make due." she shrugs, stepping into the courtyard. A girl that has caused her share of heartbreaks. "Okay.. I think this is good enough." she lets go of his hand, turning to look at him with a grin, "Ready?"
The only girls Cloud's ever really been with are Cheerleaders, when you're on the football team thats generally the girls you hang out with and it gets pretty boring to be honest, when Jem steps away from him he readies himself and nods, "Ok, go for it".
Well, lucky for him, she doesn't do anything to him directly. She actually takes a step or two back away from him. However, the next thing that can be felt is an intense heat. A flaming energy, with the consistency of lava bursts from her feet, coating her in a bolstering orange glowing flame of shoes of sorts, burning into a ground with a hiss. She snaps her fingers and a similar effect is created through her hands. "'kay. Now I'd like you to watch the Olympics and then you tell me if any of those girls on there can do anything like this." She then turn and starts to off across the courtyard, leaving a trail of fire in her wake as she starts to skate as if she were on the ice on a pair of ice skates. Judging by her movements and her skill, she knows her way around this sport, and she seems to be going faster than anyone ever has on the ice, cutting across the field with a grace that defies the wild girl that she seems to be.
The flames burst from her feet and hands like a rocket, propelling her to even greater speeds, the position she points her hands guiding her where she wants to be, until she plants a foot and pivots to leap, and jump high into the air, spinning her body in several Lutz turns while the flames streak and spiral around her, twirling her a good fifteen or so times. There is then a sudden burst as her whole body is engulfed in the same state as her hands and feet, and she rockets high into the air, reaching a cresting point to where flames of greens and blues explode outward from her body like some kind of brilliant firework.
The burning body of flame streaks at an arch and flied back down toward him, landing where she started and then cutting off the blaze from around her. "And that is something they won't allow in ice skating." she grins.
Cloud watches in awe as Jem demonstrates he's skill in skating in unison with showing him her powers, he's seen some amazing displays of powers in the danger room before but never anything like this, this is utterly unique, still watching carefully he crouches down and places a hand into the energy left behind absorbing, he quickly straightens up as she does her big finish, "wow…", the only sign at the moment of what he did is a change in the colour of his eyes.
She doesn't even seem to have broken a sweat. But her hair is just a little out of place. In her face a little, to which she reaches her hand up to sweep across her forehead, "Thanks." she chuckles, "I've actually had about 3 years of practicing that stuff on my own. So.." she shrugs, "I guess I have a little bit of an edge when it comes to what I can do." Pursing her lips and wrinkling her nose, she looks a little uncertain, "Execution like that took me at least a year. Lots of routine changes, some adjustment… I really have to try pretty hard to pull it off still. But.." she looks around, "I don't expect to have to use my powers much more today, so a little display isn't gonna hurt."
"I've seen plenty of displays of abilities since i came here but i've never seen anything like that, that was just… wow", Cloud grins as the buzz from the energy hits him, "Im the interest of fairness, you've shown me yours so i'll…", he holds a hand out palm up and lets the energy cover his hand, his control is no anywhere near on par with Jem's so it flares up here and there.
Jem watches the flare of energy across his fingers, seeming a bit curious as it appears possibly similar in a way, or familiar. "Is that— How did you do that?" she asks with amusement. "I mean.. do you know how they work? Mine's pretty complicated from what I know. It gets really weird if certain things happen." Mainly if she gets wet. Having a bio based power kind of does wonkey things at the worst of times. "You know.. one of the things that helped me a bit? Is to trust your emotions, and gain control over them. When you know yourself enough to feel comfortable, then control.. or at least some control comes naturally."
Cloud quickly closes his fist as he feels the energy flare to avoid any 'mishaps', "Yes it is and thats what i do, i absorb and replicate energy and matter, it's interesting but i'm useless without anything to absorb from", also the buzz he gets from absorbing is fun, "I can control whatever that energy is to some degree because it is energy which i'm used to but i does feel more complecated than anything i've worked with before, definatly more than just fire", listening to what Jem says about ow to control it he tries to clear his mind and realises it again.
"Mm. I see." she nods, "It's.. well it's chemical, in a way. Biochemical. Kinda starts out as a semi-solid, like how jello is, before you refrigerate it? But you never see it because, when it hits the air, it changes into.." she rolls her eyes upward, thoughtfully, teetering her hand back and forth a bit, "Best I can figure, some kind of plasma? Like.. some kind of nuclear reaction; fusion, which causes flames and stuff. I got curious one day and totally looked this stuff up on the internet." the girl grins. "But like I said, it gets majorly weird if you like, add water or something like that. But hey, it's kinda cool that someone else can get a feel for what it's like."
Cloud suddenly gets a paniced looks on his face and puts out the energy, then a few seconds later he bursts out laughing, calming down he grins, "You have some serious power don't you Jem?, i really hope you're on my squad".
She looks iffy, "Eh. I mean, it is really just a series of different stunts with one power." she explains. "Which is pretty impressive since I had to sorta train myself on how to control it." But she settles into a relaxed smile, stuffing her hands into her back pockets, "But yeah, it might be pretty cool to be on the same squad. I could probably show you how to control it if you needed to absorb from me, really. That.. might take some kinda close training though." she grins, settling her eyes on him, "I'd suggest telling your girlfriend or girlfriends that it's just training. I tend to come across with the wrong idea when it comes to guys and their girls." It is really just an assumption on her part.
Cloud looks down and turns slightly red, "I havn't had a girlfriend since my mutation showed up, it's been a few years now", it's not that he hasn't had oppotunities, it's just different now, "Thing have just been different since then, i can't really risk it".
Jem initially looks a little skeptical. The girl who normally attracts the wrong kind of guy, and goes out with them for a while until their bad boy behavior becomes too much for her to put up with, resulting in her dropping the like a very bad habit. Sure… it didn't always end there. Stalkers aren't fun, but still.. she doesn't have a good history in the romance business. So she has initial doubts about anything a guy tells her, suspecting it to be a bit of a line. "What?" she peers at him. "You don't have at least one? You're shitting me, right?" she arches a brow. The girl isn't really a lady that is for sure. "You are, aren't you? C'mon.. just one girl?" It does seem like she is going to insist for a moment, before she switches directions, "Risk it? Risk what exactly?"
Cloud shakes his head, "Nope, no girlfriend", he leans against the building, "As well as energy and matter i can absorb life force, i could kill by touching someone, i have control of my powers but i've lost control before, i can't risk hurting someone, not only ould i kill them, i'd have a chunk of their personality in my head aswell, i'd never be able to move on".
She listens, though from the look on her face, she doesn't look like she feels sorry for him, or sad or some such. She just squints her eyes at him closely, pursing her lips together, "Well.. You know how to fix losing control, don't you?" she lifts her brows. "It's really easy, actually. You just… don't." she shrugs. Simple as that. "Or rather you don't get nervous about losing control, because you'll psyche yourself into thinking that you will." she starts to walk a little, her need to be on the mover getting the better of her. Almost pacing in a way. "You'll get nervous, start getting paranoid, panic and then you'll lose control. Which is exactly the thing you want to avoid, right? You have control now, right? So keep it that way. Don't let it get the better of you." she finally props herself back against the wall next to him, crossing her arms, "And don't let your power make you miss out on the things you're supposed to be living for."
Cloud shrugs, "Thats one way to look at it i guess, plus the last time i loss control a psycho had mushed my mind", he pushes himself away from the wall, "Still it will probably be a while before i get a girlfriend, the only girls who show an interest at the moment are cheerleaders who know me as the quarterback at my school back home, what about you?, got a boyfriend?"
She rolls her eyes, "Cheerleaders…" she comments with almost a snort in the end. Which actually, if not for her mode of dress and all around manner of carrying herself, she could pass for one, at least looks wise. The next question makes her burst out laughing at some kind of inside joke perhaps, "Currently no. Though quite a few of my exes seem to be under the belief that I'm still their property." She lifts her shoulders a bit, tightening them together, "I'm… addictive. Very tough to quit, even when I quit you. I guess that's one of the things that I mean when I say I'm a natural disaster. And usually the type of guy that I attract.. well, they're not exactly stable in the mind." she looks over at him, setting her green eyes level upon him. "I actually probably dated the psycho that you lost control on." Jem smirks smoothly.
Cloud smiles, "I guess we both need to take a step back and rethink the kinds of people we date, i'll avoid cheerleaders if you avoid psychos, yeah?", though in his expirience the two often overlap, there is many a psycho cheerleader out there.
Jem grins, "Mm, I dunno… I'm pretty sure that I'm partially responsible for making them psycho in the first place. I'm a little bit of a wild ride." she admits, and then she considers the words for a moment, rethinking them after a rewind in her mind, "Metaphorically speaking." Her eyes squint a little, thoughtfully, "Have you ever just wanted to touch fire? Watch it dance and move about in front of you and then have something deep down inside of you just… make you want to embrace it? Even though you know how dangerous it is and what damage it can do? That's sort of me, I guess. There are very few people… if any at all, that I believe can truly handle me. But it never stops them from trying."
Cloud laughs, "Have i ever wanted to touch fire?, i stuck my hand in the energy you produce without even asking about the effects, i'm all about just going for it, you can pretty much ask anyone here, it's got me into trouble more than once since i got here".
"Oh yeah?" Jem arches a brow, "Just going for it, huh? You consider yourself pretty impulsive then? Well…" The girl pushes herself up off of the wall, "I'd like to be impressed, to be honest. I kinda wanna see you do something impulsive." She keeps her arms crossed, "I know that I am. I mean, I do what I feel like doing at the time, annnnnd consequences be damned. But I haven't met too many with the same… initiative as I have. So… quarterback. What can you do that'll make applaud?" the girl smirks.
Cloud walks over to Jem, "You want impulsive?", he grins and takes a step back clicking his fingers, "Ok, i'll give you impulsive, just one thing though, you're the 'natural disaster', you first".
Okay, so she was given a challenge. On that, she can deliver. "Alright, Mr. Absorption.. Since you're so quick to dip your hands in my power…" she doesn't explain much more than that. What happens next is that she takes a few liberties, facing him and moving to close the gap between the both of them. Jem gets close, so close that she is but a few inches away. He could probably feel the warmth starting to pour off of her. "You better hold on. Tight, I would suggest." the girl grins, and if that wasn't enough, she reaches out to try and put her hands at his sides and hold there. Whether he'll struggle or not, or if he'll grab on like she suggested, there is an energy reaction happening at her feet, sounding like an engine starting up as a reaction occurs, suddenly bursting her plasma from her legs and giving her the thrust to push her, and possibly him up off the ground, quickly scaling high into the air.
Cloud doesn't struggle but he does grab on as instructed, not the slightest clue whats gonna happen, but whats the worst that can happen, as long as he isn't lost in time for a month whatever happens should be pretty tame, when he feels his feet leave the ground he smiles broadly, so much yes here.
He wanted impulsive, so impulsive he'll get. She isn't sure if he had been taken flying or not, but there is a first time for everything if he hasn't. Eventually the grounds of the school become smaller, and they have gone pretty high up. For the next part, she'll likely need her hands, which, since he is holding onto her, should be a problem. "I'm starving! I totally wanna hit this little spot for something really sweet, but it's off ground, so we probably wouldn't be allowed to go!" She has to talk louder over the thrust. "It's not far." She uses her hands to direct the flight, shooting off in one direction. "Impulsive enough for you?!" It is a bit more difficult than normal for her, she is starting to discover. The weight of another person is making her need to expel a bit more than her usual.
Cloud starts laughing as he watches the grounds get smaller and smaller, "Ok, if you get us there i'll pay yeah?", when asked if it's enough he smiles, "It's a start", seeing that Jem might be struggling a little he uses the energy he absorbed earlier and fires it in the direction Jem is firing hers.
If? There really isn't any if. Come hell or high water, she would do it. To have them drop would be more irresponsible than she cares to be, so she'll ensure a safe arrival at least… with a little fun inbetween. "You're on!" she calls. "Alright! Kicking it up a notch!" She goes into a roll, spinning over and over through the air and carrying him with her. Flying is always one of her more enjoyable activities, especially when she can make it exciting. Though she can honestly say, this is her first time actually taking someone with her. Only slightly more difficult than just her, and nice to know. The fact that he can absorb her energy probably makes it possible, otherwise he might end up burned pretty badly. Now she can't wait to see what it is he intends to do to match her impulse. Annnnnd.. he probably has no idea what he is in for, offering to pay. Few things she hasn't mentioned about her powers when it comes to eating.
Cloud is loving this mode of travel not to mention he's figured out something thats not only very impulsive, is seriously gonna freak Jem out, he should be fine though, maybe, definatly, probably.
It isn't far too long till they make their destination, above an old fashioned looking malt shop of sorts. A theme restaurant which Jem makes a few circles overhead, ensuring it is okay to land, before making a drop onto the roof, cutting the power from her legs and looking just the smallest bit winded. "Okay, I think maybe we should walk home rather than fly. I'm not too effective for going very extended periods of time, and carrying another person makes that even worse. But thanks for helping me test that though. It's good information to know." The girl looking around, "Now.. we kinda have to get down off of the roof."
Grinning Cloud shakes his head, "I can get us back, got a few tricks of my own", when Jem brings up how to get down he hmms and walks over to the edge to see how high up they are, "In the interest of being impulsive, i've got an idea", taking a deep breath he holds out a hand, "Can you trust me?"
The height of the shop isn't really all that high, it's a small shop. There is only a small risk that you could hurt yourself jumping down off of it, on account of the impact you legs would take. But maybe if someone was skilled enough to jump and then roll, they'd be fine. She was gonna suggest maybe hitting a fire escape, but like he said, in the interest of being impulsive… "An idea?" she arches a brow. "Hm, I'm intrigued. Alright, my fate is in your hands." she reaches out to place hers in his.
Gripping Jem's hand Cloud smiles, "Ok, when i count to three jump, one…, two…, three!", on two Cloud pulled a small diamond out of his pocket, if she jumps with him when they leave the roof he'll absorb and their clothes, hair and body become diamond-like, which should hopefully make the jump nice and easy.
It was a pretty short trip from the manor courtyard to the ice cream shop, considering Cloud and Jem went up like a NASA rocket being launched, and then burst off in the direction of the area. Safely landing on the roof, the pair trying to think about how to get down. So when Cloud suggested being impulsive, and asking Jem to trust him, the girl accepted. Jump on the count of three he says? What is he gonna do? The blond girl is quite curious but no less afraid. So on his cue, she leaps with him, suddenly finding her whole body changed into.. diamond? Well this is new.. and initially she doesn't really know how to react. How does one respond to becoming diamond? Regardless, his little stunt does make the jump from the roof much easier, if not cause the ground to cave in under the dropped weight of the both of them.
Ahdi is leaping onto the roof of the icecream shop at about the same time Cloud and Jem are readying to jump off. As he lands ghost-like behind them he ponders advising the humans not to jump from such a hight, when suddenly they are doing so anyway. With a wince Ahdi hurries forward to peak over the edge, only to jump back when a loud 'crash' slams into his hyper-sensatized hearing. Quickly tuning down his mental diles a bit so loud noises won't cause him to jump out of his skin, the young Atjadni creeps forward once again. In full hunter's garb he grabs hold of the edge of the roof and leans out into space to look down, puzzling at what he sees below.
Cloud lets go of Jem's hand grinning widely, as he lets go the two return to normal, "Yes!, wasn't sure that would work", thats when the mental strain from covering Jem too hits him and he stumbles backwards into the wall, "Ouch, thought i would've gotten over that by now", shaking his head he straightens up, "Still that was a rush".
Jem knows a bit about collateral damage, as she tends to cause lots of things to burn or melt. This is the first time she has actually made a dent in the pavement though. Not so much as a dent as a small crater of sorts. Diamond the size and mass of she and Cloud is.. pretty heavy. Before is able to get really freaked out about being transmuted into something else, she finds herself returning to normal, blinking her green eyes and looking around a little confused. "What— did you just do? That was an experiment?" Well she is one to talk, she wasn't quite sure how carrying him in flight would go herself, but she won't really bring that up. She doesn't notice that they are being watched from the spot that they had leapt from, but then again, she has other concerns as Cloud stumbles back, "Hey, whoa, are you okay there? Don't go passing out on me, I don't have the energy to carry you back, and you're pretty big for me to haul you on my back." the girl grins.
Ahdi blinks again from his perch on the roof, the tattoos over his right eyelid flashing briefly. He isn't sure exactly what is going on, but, his natural need to learn pushes him onward. Leaping gracefully over the heads of the two teens below him he flips and twists in mid air so that he lands facing them, clearly visible but making little to no noise. Remaining squatted he the leather-clad native leans back on his haunches to study the two special teenagers, cocking his head bird-like to one side.
Cloud shrugs, "Well i've done the diamond thing before but not to someone else before and never to jump off a building, so yeah a bit of an expiriment", he smiles to himself when Jem shows consern, "Yeah i'm good, just a bit of mental strain there", catching Ahdi's jump out of the corner of his eye, he turns to face him taking a defensive stance learnt from squad sessions, people showing up out of nowhere rarely goes well when it comes to him.
Having been outside to escape the miasma of unhappy that seems to constantly fill her dorm thanks to her roommate, Star was witness to her brother taking off with a stranger and heading in the direction of the mall. Something through the bond she's had with Cloud ever since she died (the second time) has her heart jumping into her throat and the elder Rosen twin taking off after her baby brother at a dead run. Arriving outside the mall out of breath and with a stitch in her side, she leans over, supporting herself with her hands braced on her knees as she tries to catch her breath. One hand comes up to cradle the pain in her side and she closes her eyes, just feeling for a moment as she gasps in great gulps of air.
It doesn't take very long before she's straightening again, still breathing hard and wincing a little as every breath causes a little twinge in her side, and looking unerringly in the direction of where her brother is. The air around her is filled with fear, though not for herself, and worry: Two emotions that she most often feels where her brother is concerned… She stalks in the direction of where Cloud, Jem, and Ahdi are, her eyes an odd blend of blue, violet, and gray when she sees the defensive stance he's taken. One she, likely, would have mirrored if she'd been watching when Ahdi jumped off the roof, "Cloud! Are you okay? What's wrong?" She doesn't even wait until she's close enough to talk without having to yell before she's demanding answers to questions she doesn't give him time to respond to, "What the hell do you think you're doing going off like that?! I thought you were getting kidnapped again!"
"Well, don't strain your mental too much. I need you in one piece when we get back to the school. It's a little too early in the game to have me be responsible for your well-being." She takes both of her hands and runs them all the way back through her hair, letting the curls drop into place again. It is a good thing that Jem isn't the jumpy type. Sneaking up on her could have immolating consequences. But in many things, Jem is much cooler than her powers might lead one to think. She looks above her as Ahdi goes leaping over her head, landing a few feet away, which prompts her to arch a brow. She doesn't strike a defensive stance like Cloud, as she actually seems pretty curious herself, "Whoa, hello." she remarks, She hasn't had the experiences Cloud has with people appearing, so this reaction isn't surprising from her.
"Hey," she calls out to Cloud's jumpiness, "Settle down there, Kung Fu Panda. It's just a dude." she reaches out to put a hand on Cloud's arm, peering at Ahdi, "A… unique looking dude, but still. I don't think he—" That is when sisters attack, catching her attention to look over at the overly concerned Star. Her lips purse together tightly, and after stuffing her hands into her back pockets, she takes a few steps back away from Cloud out of his sister's way, "No angry girlfriends, huh?" she mutters to Cloud as she gives some distance, stepping to stand next do Ahdi, "Mm. Someone's a bit tightly wound, huh?" she comments, and then looks over at Ahdi, "I dunno bout you, but I'm starving for some ice cream. Wanna head on in and get started while they…" she looks to Cloud and Star for a second, "Sort out whatever is going on here?" Carefree and easy going, that is Jem.
Ahdi blinks at Cloud, and suggests in a soft, yet stern tone, "Human, is no good get in such stance with wall behind, is open stance, much sloppy work." Shaking his head in exhasperation the Atjadni warrior stands fluidly from his crouch and looks over at the raging Star as she approaches. His attention then falling to Jem he gives her a shy half smile and clasps his hands over his lower stomach. Bowing to the two sibblings, then to Jem alone, he says quietly to the latter, "I feel you speak wise, this female is no happy with male, it seem that she is alpha of the family, yes?" He looks from Jem back two the icecream shop, "Am think that ice cream is much good, always make thirsty. I have no of human money left, will no be able buy some." He shrugs, the silvery wolf pelt across his chest shimmering in the sun. Adding after this with another shy half smile, "Am Ahdi Anuati." This greeting is much shorter than his original, but he has started to shortin it for the humans.
As soon as Cloud relaxes and straightens up the small angry thing that is his sister turns up, "Crap, this can't be good", he quickly shakes his head at Jem when she mutters the girlfriend comment, "Eww, no thats my sister, but yeah angry", Ahdi's comments get ignored as he tries to figure out how to deal with Star, "Star calm down, i'm fine", then her tone annoies him, "I'm an adult i can go off where i like, i don't need your permission".
A glance is spared for Jem as Star comes to a stop a short distance from Cloud, her hands on her hips as she waits for a response to her demands. She scowls fiercely at all three of the others, her brother in particular, "You scared the shit out of me, Cloud!" The fear drifts off, replaced with at least mild irritation as her twin gets annoyed, "Yeah, but look at your track record." Which isn't really that much worse than hers, "It sure as hell felt like you were in trouble when you left school." She glances over at the other two and folds her arms over her chest, shifting her weight so that she's got one hip cocked, before looking back at her brother and taking a deep breath to try to calm down, "Then why do I need your permission before I leave school?" It was what he said when she first returned to school a couple of months ago: She couldn't leave school grounds by herself.
Jem is laughing and trying to speak at the same time as Cloud explains his relationship to the angry Star, "That's even worse!" She finds the whole thing pretty amusing apparently. "Clingy girlfriends can be dumped. Angry sisters… Eyhhh… not s'much." She could have guessed that someone would have seen them take off, her flights are generally non-stealthy. But she wasn't expecting this kind of reaction. She has a brother herself, so she knows how trying those relationships can be at times. "It's cool. Hey, she's concerned, so that is a good thing really. Least you don't hate each other." She lets her eyes shift between the arguing pair, maintaining an amused smirk all the while. "Hey, guys, come on. 'Chillow'," A word she made up in her own lingo, a mixture of 'chill-out' and 'mellow out', "We came here for ice cream, not conflict." Her hands waving defensively.
"Ah.." she comments to Ahdi, "Well then you're in luck. Cloud offered to pay a on the way here, so I guess you'll be treated." It seems like for a second that she is volunteering Cloud to pay for everyone, "But, it wouldn't exactly be right to let him take on two additional tabs," let alone hers which one can be assured will be pretty big, considering how much she eats. "So I guess I'll chip in." With that, she heads for the door, pushing her way into the shop.
Ahdi glances from Cloud to Star one last time before he hurries after Jem with a slightly perplexed expression, "What is this tab to pick up?" he asks Jem's back as he trails her into the icecream shop. "Why would be treated, am no hurt? Am no sure would want human treat, human seem be, no good for much but make big rock hill." Ahdinods sagely at this statement, keeping his hands clasped at his stomach as he waits to see where Jem is heading, "Am think that is good Earth have no strong game, human would no be." Ahdi sounds concerned at this last bit. Along with his broken english he has an oddly lilting, yet impossible to place, accent.
.
"Look Star we've been over all this before, it's the end of the year and i've got a lot on my mind, so if i wanna go somewhere to chill out and be impulsive i will", Cloud doesn't even comment on being volenteered to pay for everyones ice-cream, "He focusing too much on trying not to do something really impulsive, "Ok so wheres this place Jem?"
The family resemblance is obvious enough between Star and Cloud that them being siblings should be pretty easy to guess… "And you think I don't?" She's the one that's still half expecting someone to jump out of the shadows and attack her all the time. She huffs with irritation and turns to walk back toward the bus stop, "You know what? Whatever. I'm going to get a shake and go back to school." She's not entirely comfortable being in a big crowd anymore, after all…
"Wow." Jem comments to Ahdi, a little raise of her eyebrows, but it doesn't stop her stride into the shop, "You're totally Tarzan-ing it right now. I've seen that whole language and culture gap, barrier thing on TV? But I never thought I'd get a my own personal experience with it. Thanks for that there, fluffy." the blond girl grins, "Name's Jem by the way. Not new to town, but I've been too preoccupied with to be much of a known face in the community." Save for the ice skating competitions she has been in since she was 9 or so. That is about as far as her fame goes. "I'll explain it to you when we get inside." She tells Ahdi.
As the siblings seem to continue to argue, Jem pretty much rolls her eyes, "Hang on a sec.." she says to Ahdi, leaving the door and moving over to both Star and Cloud, reaching out to try to slip one of her arms into each of theirs and begin to usher them towards the Creamery. "Listen, you're siblings. You're gonna be concerned for each other. I get it. And you're gonna get on each others nerves, one being more protective than the other, wanting to protect one while the other wants to do it more than the first. But guys.. come on. We're young, we're free… at the moment, and most importantly, we're teenagers. We're supposed to do stupid things. Let's forget about the uglies of the world for a sec and just have some ice cream."
Ahdi stops at the door, not sure what to do, but soon busies himself by pushing open the door and holding it for the others, like he has seen other humans do. As Jem finishes talking he says, a bit confusedly, "Am no Teenage, am 51 earth year, is make me, middle age?" He looks questioningly at the other three, his shy smile back as he isn't sure if he should be tossing this bit of information about. To himself he wonders who Tarzan is, if he is also an Atjadni, and why he was just called fluffy. He looks down at himself for some fluff, tilting his face away from the others. Some of his hair falls in front of his shoulders and he notices it, coming to the conclusion that this is probably why he is fluffy. He will have to call Jem fluffy too, he supposes.
