Graduation Ball

[Bobby Drake]

Bobby isn’t entirely sure how their conversation turned into him dancing with Molly, but he’s not at all complaining… she’s a good dancer and clearly intending to have a good time tonight, and he finds himself enjoying her company. He does feel a little guilty about abandoning Rogue in mid-conversation, but not enough to do anything about it. Story of my life, I guess.

After several energetic dances, she points to the punch bowl and pantomimes taking a drink; Bobby nods agreeably. Once they’re away from the music, she grins at him: "Wow… not many guys can keep up with me on the dance floor, but you’re not even winded! What do you do, run marathons in your spare time? I would think with, you know, the sort of things you and Josh can do, normal boring physical exercise wouldn’t matter so much?" After a moment she bites her lip apologetically, adding "Um… I mean, if you don’t mind talking about it? Josh has always been pretty open with us about his powers and everything, but I know it’s not like that for everybody…?"

Bobby isn’t quite sure how to respond to that, torn between preening at the compliment and launching into a speech about the Life of the Modern Mutant. He ends up by splitting the difference with a small, self-deprecating shrug. "Thanks… I try to keep in shape. All the X-Men do, I guess. I mean, our powers aren’t magic or anything, you get tired using them, just like running or lifting weights or whatever… and it doesn’t matter if you can summon lightning or ice or control people’s thoughts or whatever if you’re too exhausted to do anything, you know? So endurance matters, and we do a lot of endurance training. It’s kinda like, I don’t know, being on the football team or something for normal kids, I guess? " He laughs, aware of the abysmal inadequacy of his understanding of life for normal kids. "I mean, it’s just part of the training."

"Oh," Molly replies, frowning a little as she nibbles on a cheese puff, "are you an X-Man again? I thought… I mean, Josh mentioned you’d quit the team when you lost your -- " She blushes faintly, then smiles apologetically. "I’m sorry… Mom always says that me and Josh are incontrovertible evidence that tact isn’t gender-linked… he ended up with all of hers. I’m more like Dad that way, just say whatever comes into my head. I mean, I certainly understand if you don’t want to talk about that stuff…"

Somewhat to Bobby’s own surprise, he finds he’s not unwilling to talk about it. "No, it’s OK, I don’t mind. I didn’t exactly quit, but yeah, I stopped being an X-Man last year when… when I took the Cure and everything. " He’s not sure how much Molly knows about those events, and decides not to go into the gory details. "Still off the team, but in training for it… now that my powers are back, I intend to try out again." He laughs and takes a sip of punch. "Man, it really does sound like varsity football or something, doesn’t it?"

Molly frowns for just a moment, and her voice is very serious. "Except football doesn’t usually get people killed, you know."

Bobby flinches at that, then nods. "Yeah… there’s that." It seems like he should have something reassuring to say here, but he doesn’t.

[Bobby Drake]

Bobby tries to look fascinated by the buffet as the awkward pause after the whole “nobody dies playing football” thing grows into an uncomfortable silence, mercifully cut short by the dazed arrival of one of the other freshmen… Michael something-or-other, Bobby thinks his name is. He’s looking over his shoulder at Laurie and Matt as he walks away from them, about to walk into the punch-bowl before Bobby stops him. "Hey… last time I checked you hadn’t grown eyes in the back of your head, so you might want to look where you’re going?"

“Oh… sorry, Drake.” Michael hastily backs up a few steps away from Bobby, then indicates Molly with a tilt of his head. "Your sister?" Bobby is taken aback by the question for a second, torn between annoyance at the assumption that he doesn’t have a date and acknowledgement of the justice of it. "No, Josh’s –" he starts to respond when Molly steps in with an extended hand and "No, I’m his date. Molly Dalton. And you are…?"

“Um… Michael Staten,” he replies, startled; he takes her hand and starts to shake it before recovering his aplomb and trying to kiss it, which fails when she pulls it back. "Ohhhh… right," she responds, and Bobby would be impressed by the perfectly executed (though entirely false) “I’ve heard about you…” tone in her voice if he weren’t still trying to wrap his brain around “date.”

“‘Date’? Didn’t think she was your type anymore, Drake?” There’s a teasing tone to the question that Bobby has learned to ignore; instead he puts a hand on the boy’s shoulder and whispers, sotto voce, "Don’t be upset, Mike… if you’d wanted me to go with you, you should have asked! A boy can’t wait forever." before taking Molly’s hand and leading them back the way Staten came. "Come on, Molly… let me introduce you to my roommate and his girlfriend." As they cross the room he looks at her, bemused. " ‘Date’? Since when?" She shrugs and grins. "Since a while ago. I figured it was time to let you in on it."

Bobby finds himself unable to come up with a better response to that than “um?" so he’s glad to have introductions to distract him. Molly, I’d like you to meet Matthew and Laurie; Matthew, Laurie, this is Molly." He notices the rose pinned to Laurie’s dress and adds to Matt "So, you went with the white after all, huh? Classy."

[Laurie Collins]

One of the good things about dating Matthew (not that she has some mental list gleefully separating individual components of the good-ness to go over in her head during dismal times like math class, of course not) is that he doesn’t usually startle her as he has a hard time sneaking up to anyone. However in light of Michael’s recent bout of weird staring and her own bout of slightly panicky appearance checking he’s actually managed it and she jumps a bit as he speaks from over her left shoulder before turning to face him with a grin.

“Hi, thanks, you um, you look really nice too…is nice the word to use for males? Handsome sounds so strange, um, not the point, oh you know.” she finally concludes and waves her hands vaguely before going back to grinning like an idiot. Plainly his potentially corny line hasn’t bothered her at all, she probably would have kept beaming at him even if he’d run up and yelled “DEAD PUPPIES!” She’s still residing happily in the bliss state of their new relationship after all and, in response to grumbling from her mother about how insufferable she’s been acting, has always retorted that she doesn’t expect it to last forever and plans to enjoy it while it does. Besides, how long has it been since I wasn’t worrying or hiding or denying things, just really happy? she asks herself in further self-justification which maybe isn’t just for being so insufferably happy but for choosing that happiness over dwelling on the rumors of the new masked leader of the Brotherhood…

Then there’s an awkward moment where he shuffles around with the corsage in his hand before pinning it to her and saying something else entirely sweet and maybe a little corny but she can’t mind so much because the way he says these things so earnestly makes it seem like he just came up with them on the spot. As he’s straightening up she kisses him quickly on the cheek and is opening her mouth to thank him for the flower when she spots Bob and an unfamiliar girl approaching out of the corner of her eye and turns towards them as it becomes apparent the other couple is heading for them.

“Molly, I’d like you to meet Matthew and Laurie; Matthew, Laurie, this is Molly."

“Nice to meet you.” Laurie says genuinely enough though she looks as if she’s trying to place the other girl among her memories of other students at the school before deciding it’s not her place to enquire any further than what’s offered by way of explanation though she can admit to herself she’s curious- Matthew had said Bob wasn’t bringing a date but this certainly looks date-like. Her musings are cut off as she sees Michael staring at their group again this time looking somewhat disgruntled. “I wonder if he’s feeling all right. He's looking over here again all discomfitted and earlier he looked like I was doing something strange just standing here and I don‘t think I was...” she mutters in absent concern looking around as if she expects to find a sign affixed to the nearby wall saying something like ’This is a no standing zone: violators will be nonverbally shamed with odd stares.’

[Bobby Drake]

Laurie looks Molly over carefully, and Bobby can’t quite tell whether it’s a “who is she?” look or a “what’s she doing here?” look or some kind of girl thing he’s never going to understand, or maybe she just likes Molly's dress.

Molly apparently takes it as the former, though, and further introduces herself. "Molly Dalton…. nice to meet you too, Laurie. Josh talks about the students here so much, it’s nice to finally get a chance to know some of you, and Bobby was kind enough to be my date for the evening, since Josh is, um," she doesn’t quite blush and doesn’t quite smirk, but her small throat-clearing noise somehow manages to evoke both, "wrapped up in Warren at the moment."

Bobby almost spits out a mouthful of punch before recovering. "Yeah… that, um, happens a lot." He can’t quite manage to avoid the smirk as he says it, though, and feels vaguely like he’s lost points because of it, though in any case Molly doesn’t seem to notice. "I mean, who would have ever imagined it – my own brother, dating a celebrity!"

"Well, to be fair, he’s pretty much a celebrity himself these days. I mean, there’s a line of Impulse action figures for sale, and T-shirts, and he gets fan-mail, right? That sure sounds like celebrity to me, doesn’t it?" Molly nods, then looks back at him questioningly. "Jealous?"

"Only of Warren," Bobby shoots back with a grin, "and maybe of his cool siblings." The truth is he is sometimes jealous of all the attention the public X-Men have gotten, but he also knows about the tradeoffs… hate-mail and awkward moments in public and worrying about crazed mutant-haters going after family members. All told, he’s pretty content where he is.

> " I wonder if he’s feeling all right. He's looking over here again all discomfited…"

At first Bobby thinks she means Josh, but then he looks over where she’s looking and stifles a laugh. "Oh, no… my bad, I think. He was trying to get my goat and I ended up with his instead."

> "…and earlier he looked like I was doing something strange just standing here and I don‘t think I was…"

"He was? That’s weird. Though now that you mention it, he did seem kinda dazed when we saw him. Maybe he’s – oh," Bobby chortles as he finally puts together Laurie’s outfit and the way Staten is looking at her, "I get it. Matthew, m’boy, I think you might have a genuine rival! Please try not to hurt him, the paperwork is a bitch to fill out."

[Matthew Craft]

“Nice is great, though I wouldn’t try it on Mr. Logan or anything. I don’t think he would take it too well if he knew that he was ‘nice’.” His resurfacing nervousness catches him just as he’s finishing his poorly laid joke, causing Matthew’s face to give off a gentle red glow. Fortunately he’s put at ease as she smiles brightly and doesn’t take offense to him pinning on the corsage, she even dares so far as to give him a small kiss against his cheek. The blush returns full force as he straightens back up, a flashing a happy grin at her.

Their little (geeky) romantic moment is interrupted when Bobby introduces the young and familiar woman at his side.

“Hey Molly.” He smiles and offers a small wave after Laurie introduces herself.

“Josh talks about the students here so much, it’s nice to finally get a chance to know some of you, and Bobby was kind enough to be my date for the evening.” Matthew’s tempted to shoot a ‘behave’ glare at Bobby when he comments on Josh’s relationship with Warren, but he bites his tongue instead.

"…and earlier he looked like I was doing something strange just standing here and I don‘t think I was…" Looking over at his girlfriend’s science partner, Matthew raises an eyebrow.

“Maybe he’s – oh, I get it. Matthew, m’boy, I think you might have a genuine rival! Please try not to hurt him, the paperwork is a bitch to fill out." This time Matthew doesn’t stop himself from glaring at his roommate, but it’s only for a moment before looking back up at Michael. The latter notices that he’s been caught admiring Laurie and promptly stares meaningfully into his cup of punch.

Matthew calmly rests his hand on Laurie’s shoulder and lets his fingers toy with a few strands of blonde hair. “Why hurt him when I can get my sister to flunk him?” He smirks while stealing another glance at Michael, who quickly adverts his gaze, again caught staring. Matthew stands a little closer to Laurie and tightens the arm around her shoulders, but tries to ignore the other boy as he changes the subject.

“So you’re Josh’s sister?” He asks, “It’s funny, I never would have guessed. You guys don’t really look alike.” Matthew knows from experience that that particular line usually doesn’t bode well when trying to change the subject, but he’d rather not have anyone dwell on Michael’s apparent attraction to his girlfriend.

[Toni Craft]

[[And who is this mysterious Tobey dude? Heh, you'll find out soon enough. ;D ]]


“Hmm...I’d do him...him...maybe her...definitely the blue fuzzy one...” Toni mumbles to herself while gazing through the room of mingling students, all of whom had dressed up for the joyous occasion.

“I’m gonna claim the red-head chick in the black pant suit.” Comes the smooth and deep, yet playful and immature, voice from behind. “She’s hot.”

“I heard she’s willing to put out too. But only for the strong aquatic types.” She smirks and tears her eyes from the room to turn around and grin at her mentor and best friend. “Prom crashing just wouldn’t be the same without you, Caine.” Toni smiles and gives Dr. Tobey Caine a big, enthusiastic, rib-crushing hug, lifting him off his feet a few inches.

“Anny, be nice to poor Tobey.” Toni freezes mid-hug, earning a gasping huff from her suspended friend.

“You fucktard.” She hisses before setting Tobey back down. The doctor straightens his suit jacket and grins, breathless. “I told you not to bring them.” Toni pokes him firmly in chest before forcing a smile and turning to her parents.

“I heard that, young lady.” Alessa Cianfaglione barks, then softens and hugs her less-than-content daughter.

“Hi mom. How’s it going?” She manages to grind out.

“Oh you know, still busting bad guy balls.”

“And mine while she’s at it.” Jacob Craft adds, taking a place next to Tobey after giving Toni a small hug.

“That’s a lie, dad. You never had any to begin with.”

“Very true.”
[/i]
“Why is it that all your conversations seem to revolve around male genitalia?” Tobey asks, glancing between the three family members.

“Because it’s just so damn interesting. You know, with all that squishy--”

“Okay, Anny. I think you can stop there.” Jacob holds up his hands, prompting his motor-mouthed daughter to halt her mini-rant.

“Where’s your brother?” The redundant question quickly answers itself as Alessa notices her extremely tall son across the room. “Ah, there he is...but who’s the girl?” She whirls around to face Toni and stares at her expectantly.

“Right, well, for the sake of Matty’s romantic life, I chose not to tell you. But since Caine took the liberty of surprising me,” an angry glare accompanies the equally angry phrase, both directed at the grinning doctor, “That’s Laurie. She’s Matty’s petite flame nouveau. Careful with the mom-claws, she’s fragile...and Matty’s totally hot for her.” Alessa raises an eyebrow, before sauntering off to join her son and new girlfriend.

“Uh oh. This isn’t going to end well.” Jacob mutters, coming up behind Toni.

“Way to go, Anny.” Tobey smirks, poking his former charge in the shoulder.

“Call me that again and I’ll rip your little scaly penis off and dice it up and feed the puny pieces to Hector.”

“She will too.” Jacob adds. Tobey just grins and sets off after Toni as she follows her mother.

[Laurie Collins]

"I get it. Matthew, m’boy, I think you might have a genuine rival! Please try not to hurt him, the paperwork is a bitch to fill out."

Laurie blinks at Bob, a puzzled line furrowing between her eyes. What an odd joke, she thinks because it isn’t as if it could be true, Michael had ignored her all year except to be mad when she’d messed up a few of their labs due to shaky hands caused by nerves and puzzle her with some Chuck Norris/Fight Club joke.

“Why hurt him when I can get my sister to flunk him?”

Laurie gives her boyfriend a ‘not you too!’ look as he grumbles that out and looks over at Michael herself to disprove this weirdness. Oh. He is looking at me, like looking looking. Uhh… Her face flushes with embarrassment and she snaps her head back around quick enough for whiplash to be a danger, suddenly really missing her ratty jeans and tee-shirts. The possessive arm Matthew wraps around her shoulders is nice though and she leans into him without really realizing she’s doing it, deciding that this is more the funny kind of embarrassing and makes a face.

“You’re both ridiculous.” she informs them in a mutter, trying to pull off un-phased and not really achieving it, before turning her head away a little to hide the residual flush and seeing…

“Uhm…Matthew? Is that woman heading right for us something I should be worried about? Because your sister’s following her looking rather alarmed…”

Laurie sneaks another nervous glance at the oncoming woman and realizes where she’s seen that expression before-it’s a pretty good imitation of Gail Collins’ ‘Mom Face.’ The second she realizes that she jumps away from Matthew to a decorous distance like she’s been stuck with a cattle prod, her face in that moment a curious cross between absolute terror and the facial equivalent of ‘so, for springing this on me forget about that kissing thing happening ever again’.

[Bobby Drake]

It’s really quite remarkable how Matthew, despite being a linebacker-sized radioactive mutant powerhouse, manages to be as unintimidating as he does. Bobby supposes it’s a side-effect of youth, and also of the kid’s genuine friendliness… and the apparently perpetual blush he’s got going as long as Laurie’s around no doubt helps it along, too.

Still, it doesn’t do any harm to humor the kid, so Bobby responds to his glare with an abashed head-tilt and does his best not to laugh at the boy’s proprietary handling of Laurie. Ah, you’ve just turned into a cranky cynical old man is all, Drake. They’re being adorable and young and in love for the first time. Cut them some slack, will you?

> " Why hurt him when I can get my sister to flunk him?"

Bobby chuckles at that. "Speaking of whom, who are those guys with her?"

> " So you’re Josh’s sister? It’s funny, I never would have guessed. You guys don’t really look alike. "

Molly mock-rolls her eyes. "I know… he’s way prettier. But I do my meager best."

For just a second Bobby looks like he’s going to object to her self-deprecation, then he seems to catch on to the joke and nods mock-seriously. "Well, it’s hard to say, really. I’d have to see him try on that dress to really be sure." He just barely manages to block Molly’s arm as she reaches out to whack him on the side of the head, and somehow her glare turns out to be more intimidating than Matthew’s. "You are an evil, evil man. I’ll have that image stuck in my head for days now."

She looks over at her brother, who is now with Warren talking to her mom, then shakes her head. "He doesn’t really wear a dress, does he? No, no, don’t answer that. I don’t want to know." Changing the subject hastily, she adds "I wonder what they’re talking about... Mom looks so serious!"

Bobby can’t help but grin as he notices where she’s looking. "Well, it’s about damned time they – " he skids to a sudden halt, realizing the wedding is still a secret, and flails for something else to say, finally coming up with "um, got around to talking to her… nobody should be made to talk to Hank all evening, it’s cruel and unusual punishment!"

[Matthew Craft]

[[Funny dark blue italisized text = telepathy... ;D ]]

“You’re both ridiculous.” Matthew laughs lightly.

“I would say Bobby’s slightly more ridiculous than me, but that’s just my humble little opinion.” He fires out as a retaliating stab at his roommate.

"Speaking of whom, who are those guys with her?" Matthew glances across the hall and immediately freezes when he spots his sister and her company.

“Uh oh...” He groans. “Well...the old guy is my dad, and the younger one is Dr. Caine, Toni’s friend. And if they’re here...” He’s busy searching the neighbouring areas when Laurie suddenly vaults away from him, her fear quite evident. And there were only a few things that could probably make her scared enough to want to get away from him...

“And how is my big boy?” Tensing as he turns, Matthew, like his sister, forces a smile.

“Hey, Mom. What are you doing here?” His comparatively short mother reaches up and clings to him in an overly tight hug, which Matthew reluctantly returns.

“Matthew, please! At least try to be happy to see me!” Oh I’m trying, Mom. “I already got one of your sister’s less-than-exemplary greetings.” She mutters, not impressed.

“It’s just a bit of a surprise, that’s all.” He mumbles as Alessa takes the time to smooth out the wrinkles in his jacket.

“Looks like it’s almost time to get you a new suit, young man. You know you’ve grown a bit more since Christmas.” Matthew tries to ignore the motherly chatter as he shoots a pleading glance at Bobby and Molly, and then over at the approaching Toni.

“Yes ma’am.” Tobey’s amused grin earns a sharp glare from Matthew.

“Come on now, Matty. You know that I couldn’t in good conscious show up here without your folks. Especially with the new girlfriend and all.” Tobey’s almost certain that the look he receives guarantees a few bruised kidneys once the boy can get him alone. The ensuing salvo of thoughts that waft his way confirm his suspicions. Hey now! I like my kneecaps!

“That’s right! Who’s this girlfriend of yours, and how come you haven’t introduced me to her yet.” Because I would kind of like this one to not be reduced to a quivering ball. Matthew looks back at Laurie to find her already half way to said quivering ball.

“Mom, this is Laurie. Laurie, this is my mom.” His tone couldn’t be any less enthusiastic if he had just found out that his dog had died in traffic.

“So, you’re the new girlfriend...” Elessa starts, looking over Laurie carefully. “Laurie was it? I like your dress.” Matthew chews on his thumbnail nervously and casts a worried glance at Tobey. The doctor, unconsciously listening in on every thought within a one hundred mile radius, grins in a reassuring manner.

Don’t worry, kiddo. I’m not getting anything too hostile from her. It does little to calm Matthew’s nerves, and he suddenly finds himself wishing that his girlfriend would let out a few fear-based pheromones and scare his mother off.

“Hmmm...This one looks a little on the fragile side, Matthew. Best be careful with her.” He winces with a small grimace and looks apologetically at Laurie. “Now tell me, what is your opinion on the legalization of marijuana?”

“Come on, ‘Less. Save the interrogation until after the prom, will you? This is their night after all.” Jacob pipes up, showing a bit of sympathy for his son and his girlfriend.

“I suppose... But just remember young lady, you are dating my baby boy. If you so much as make him frown, I’ll have your parents’ car impounded and their taxes audited. And no one wants that.” As if a switch had been flicked, Elessa turns and smiles kindly. “Bobby! How nice it is to finally meet you! Matthew’s told me you and your good roommate manners...though I suppose you are to blame for me having to ship up some extra sweaters for him.” She gives him a playful nudge and proceeds to introduce herself to Molly.

Matthew releases a held breathe as he realizes that ‘protective mom mode’ has officially passed and Laurie’s in the clear. “Well, that wasn’t too bad, I suppose. Sorry about the whole mom thing...I honestly had no idea she was coming.” He murmurs to Laurie as his mother chatters away to a few other students.

[Bobby Drake]

> " I would say Bobby’s slightly more ridiculous than me, but that’s just my humble little opinion "

Bobby grins at that. "Hey! I resemble that remark!" Further banter is cut off by the arrival of Matthew’s mom, who quickly establishes herself as a force of nature the likes of which Bobby has only seen on television as Matthew is reduced in short order to a twitching, pleading shell of his former self. Wow, I’ve never seen him so intimidated!

> “ If you so much as make him frown, I’ll have your parents’ car impounded and their taxes audited. And no one wants that.”

Bobby’s sure she’s joking… well, mostly sure… well, OK, he suspects she’s joking, but sees his opportunity to distract her attention from Matt and Laurie, who obviously need a breather.

" Actually, ma’am, I don’t think I’ve seen Matthew stop grinning since he and Laurie started dating. " At least, not until you walked in just now. "We’ve actually started to be concerned his face might freeze that way, but don’t worry, there are some excellent clown colleges in Westchester County he can enroll in if that happens. " He pauses, his better judgment suggesting he leave it at that, but can’t quite seem to stop. "And it’s a good thing too, because you understand all of us Institute kids have to stick together… nothing we can do about it, really, it’s one of the rules… so if you went and harassed Laurie’s parents we’d be obligated by official policy to retaliate, and there you’d be, shoveling your way out of blizzards in July, your garden ruined, pipes frozen. It would all just escalate from there into a horrible mess, of course, and we only just got finished doing repairs from when our last little family feud blew up in our face… so really it’s lucky for all of us that they seem to be pretty happy together, don’t you think?"

Bobby tries hard to keep the smirk off of his face, then finds it takes no effort at all when she turns her attention instantly from Laurie to him. Just her glance is startlingly on the intimidating side, and he readies himself for another round when she surprises him by smiling kindly.

> “ Bobby! How nice it is to finally meet you! Matthew’s told me you and your good roommate manners...though I suppose you are to blame for me having to ship up some extra sweaters for him.”

"Um, " Bobby replies, inexplicably tongue-tied, "yeah, I… guess?" She’s already moved on to greet other students, though, and Bobby feels bizarrely put in his place. Wow. How did she do that?

[Laurie Collins]

Laurie’s face throughout this encounter has been quite the study- though it usually is as she’s both terrible at concealing anything and not at all inclined to be talkative in most situations. As Matthew’s mother greeted him she’d been too busy attempting to prepare herself for the inevitable parental interrogation and controlling her pheromones even to be amused at how cowed Matthew is by his mother. Now the maternal figure in question swings her focus on to Laurie and she tries not to start apologizing and/or confessing to things she’s never even thought about doing, all presumptions of preparedness or teasing Matthew out the window.

“So, you’re the new girlfriend...”

Oh no…

“Laurie was it? I like your dress.”

Laurie, easily swayed by any sort of approval, relaxes too soon and smiles shyly, opening her mouth to thank her boyfriend’s mother when she’s hit with-

“Hmmm...This one looks a little on the fragile side, Matthew. Best be careful with her….Now tell me, what is your opinion on the legalization of marijuana?”

“I…um…” stammers Laurie who probably wouldn’t recognize a joint if it did a fandango and then jumped into her mouth, looking more confused and terrified than ever- she’s still getting the hang of Social Skills 101: Interacting with friends, basic transactions in life, and first dates. This particular conversation probably belongs somewhere on the graduate level and she completely misses Matthew’s father interceding on their behalf, in fact she’s rather oblivious to anything but the immediate threat who is still rolling on with the scariness though Laurie thinks she really ought to see that she’d won the second she looked at Laurie without any need for words.

“…just remember young lady, you are dating my baby boy. If you so much as make him frown, I’ll have your parents’ car impounded and their taxes audited. And no one wants that.”

Which is both funny because one of her parents might well be a powerful mutant terrorist and the other is just not the type to take that shit from anyone and terrifying because… Mrs. Craft is just that scary. And just as she’s considering letting loose some terror pheromones and just ending the dance right here so that Mrs. Craft can’t impale her before she’s even had the opportunity to speak a full sentence in her own defense Bobby jumps in with the joking and the talking well and all that and she has a chance to breath, and by the time she’s done catching her breath Mrs. Craft is finally, miraculously gone.

“Thank you!” Laurie whispers fervently to Bobby when she’s sure the woman has moved on, because after that little speech she can actually think this is sort of funny, and she smiles at him before turning to Matthew as he whispers-

“Well, that wasn’t too bad, I suppose. Sorry about the whole mom thing...I honestly had no idea she was coming.”

“Not too bad? Wonder what she’s like when she is bad.” Laurie mutters fearfully in response, then smiles up at her boyfriend, “Don’t worry though, I understand about having a protective mom… good thing mine didn’t come tonight or they’d have to have a mom-off and like Bobby said the Institute’s looking so nice now that all the repairs are done…” Then she actually looks a bit mischievous as she adds, “And you know I think I’d like to see her try that impounding the car and auditing bit- my mom went to Stanford Law and she hasn’t had anyone to go all lawyer-y on other than me when I try to logic my way out of something in ages.”

[Bobby Drake]

(( OOC: Yeah, I know, this thread has been in stasis for a bit. But it’s back. Still open to everybody. The Warren/Josh/Mrs. Dalton conversation Bobby and Molly are referring to is here; they’re telling her about their wedding plans.))

> " Thank you!"

Bobby gives Laurie a reassuring nod, though he can’t help looking furtively over his shoulder to make sure Mrs. Craft is out of earshot before continuing: "No problem. This whole ice-thing is just a sideline, goofy babbling is my real mutant power… I’m surprised you haven’t noticed by now."

He returns his attention to spying on Josh, Warren, and Josh’s mom as Laurie and Matthew engage in some mom-talk of their own. Hope that little talk is going well… Josh sure was nervous about it. Not surprising, really; he is awfully young to be getting married… but on the other hand, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him happier. He makes a concerted mental effort to derail his train of thought as it starts comparing Josh’s relationship status to his own dismal failures in that arena, and turns his back on Warren and the Daltons only to be startled by yet a third Dalton glaring at him suspiciously. "You know what they’re talking about, don’t you?"

"Who, me? Well, I, um –"

"The nerve! He told you and he didn’t even tell his own sister? I should put another toad in his shorts for that." Bobby can’t decide whether she’s sincere or not, either about the anger or the toad, and decides he’s better off not knowing.

"Look, Molly, I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it, it’s just… I mean, Josh and I have been through a lot together, there are things -- " she isn’t even listening to him anymore, he realizes, and shakes his head in dismay as she calls out across the room " Josh, can you come over here for a second?"

To Bobby’s surprise, Josh actually does, leaving Warren in animated conversation with Mrs. Dalton. Molly runs over to him and the two siblings end up in a conversation of their own as Bobby turns his attention back to Laurie and Matt.

> "… my mom went to Stanford Law and she hasn’t had anyone to go all lawyer-y on other than me when I try to logic my way out of something in ages."

"Oh!" he blurts out, "So that’s why Sheppard always looks like he’s looking for somewhere to hide when your mom calls! That explains a lot." He chuckles deviously and adds "We should totally lock him in a room with both your moms at the next parent-teacher conference… lawyer on the one side, law-enforcement on the other, I think he might literally melt into a pile of telepathic goo."

He’s distracted by a delighted squeal from Molly as she jumps up and gives her brother a huge hug, and he grins in amusement. "Heh. Guess he told her." A second later he winces, realizing that Laurie and Matt don’t yet know, and hastily adds "I mean, told her whatever it is he was talking to his Mom about… sounds like good news, huh? I wonder -- " he trails off gratefully as Warren walks over to the microphone and Josh goes to join him. Thank God, they’re finally announcing it!

> "I've got an announcement I'd like to make [..]we'll be having another party in two or three weeks for anyone who's here. A wedding reception, in fact… that is, if Josh hasn't come to his senses since agreeing to marry me? "

Warren and Josh are suddenly the focus of everyone’s attention – some more surprised than others.

> " No, I'm still committed. We're going to ask anyone with mutant powers to check them at the door, though… I'd hate to lose all of our deposits…"

Bobby laughs and calls out "I can do that, but then you’re going to have to buy ice, y’know…"