13124/Storm chasing

Storm chasing
Date of Scene:	26 April 2021
Location:	Manhattan - New York Harbor
Synopsis:	Warren takes Ororo out on a yacht for their date. Relationships are discussed.
Cast of Characters:	Archangel, Storm

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Archangel has posed:
Tonight is the night. A few weeks ago Warren offered to take Ororo out on a date to show her what dating in the one percent is like. True to his word, the winged billionaire mutant showed up at Xavier's at 7pm on the dot in a stretch limo, and waited at the door with a bouquet of wildflowers, already in a vase in water, bundled in one arm and a box of high end chocolates in the other.

Warren is dressed elegantly, in an alabaster tuxedo that appears to be made of raw-silk, the light playing off the fabric in places, with color matching shoes and shirt. For a splash of color, the bow tie around his throat is a bight blue that matches his eyes, and his longish hair is tightly pulled back into a short tail.

As Ororo approaches, when she approaches, he smiles and tips his head in a short bow, "I hope you are ready for this. I'll admit I didn't go /as/ over the top as I could have, but I did pop for a couple opulent surprises."

Storm has posed:
If you're going to go out with the elites; one has to actually look the part.

The day was spent with pampering, facials complete with microderming and a gold face mask to bring out the glow. Eyebrows were plucked, hair washed, dried, straightened and curled to a near Farrah Fawcett style, then shaken out to mix and mesh the curls into something completely different.

Then it was the dress, something worn only on special occasions, but at the state of the world, few and far in between. Close to the motherland, a white and gold ensemble complete with a flowy cape and stilletos to match. She was ready!

When Warren shows up, it was almost like a fairytale approach. But backwards.

Her feet quickly takes her down the stairs, hands reaching out to carefully take the vase of wildflowers from Warren, as well as the box of chocolates that were soon tucked underneath her arm. "I am ready, so ready." She comments, then glances back towards the house. "Let's talk in the limo." And.. as true to 'dating' fashion, Ororo gives a quick air peck upon the cheek, and then dashes inside.

All to hide away from the prying eyes of the manse, and there were many.

Archangel has posed:
"As I have heard in various places, your limo awaits my dear," chuckles Warren as he offers his arm to Ro and leads her to the waiting car. He opens the door for her, offering to help her inside, where awaits two glasses of chilled champagne, more chocolate (this time encasing strawberries that are almost the size of plums), and even a small tin of caviar with toast points. Once she has settled, Warren follows after and using an intercom system for the car lets the driver know they are ready.

"We have some time to talk. Our trip should take little under an hour. While I know we could have flown ourselves there quicker, I didn't think that would go with the theme of the night, not to mention I would have hated to have been the cause of messing up your hair." Warren winks, and picks up one of the champagne flutes, offering it over to Ororo while picking up the other in his free hand. "I took a guess for what might make this a special evening for you, and have a few things planed, but as the night progresses and if the mood strikes you differently and you want to suggest other activities I am open."

Storm has posed:
It was nothing new riding in a limo, however, it was one of the most basic of limos that she had taken a trip in, so this one was immaculate. Her eyes were planted upon the interior, noting the extra treats that awaited them, the chilled champagne which was poured and.. well, Ororo was left a little speechless. There was a question on if she should really partake; were they going to dinner? Would they be dancing? How nervous was her stomach?

The questions immediately stop as the flute of champagne was offered, and she takes it with a smile. "How would that look if we were to fly in our best either way?" She fixes her hair, tucking a white strand behind her ear so that she could not feel the crawl of an errant strand upon her skin.

"It really all depends on what you have planned." She comments, then takes a sip of her wine.. and.. wow. She looks at the glass as if it insulted her, then takes another sip to make sure it was as good as she had tasted the first time.

Amazing.

"Dinner, of course. Movie?" She winces a little. "I'm not too sure of how the one percent does this. A play maybe? Opera? Waltzing?" Meet Ororo, clueless.

Archangel has posed:
Warren Worthington chuckles, leaning back in the seat of the limo and focusing his attention on Ororo, sipping at his flute as she speaks.

Once she is done he nods and explains, "Well from what I know about you, you don't tend to be the kind that would like a crowd. So I arranged something a little less public than a fancy dinner out then off to some crowded nightclub for dancing. If it is ok with you, I have chartered us a yacht for a cruise around the harbor where we will be served a gourmet meal, followed by an overly opulent dessert, and then should the mood strike we can dance under the stars on the deck. No, I will admit that I didn't go 'all out' on the opulence. I thought about it, because I wanted to show you what it might be like to live in the 'one percent', but then I realizes that I don't live like that so I didn't want to shower you with $100,000 gold plated steaks, or other such ridiculousness. Not to say I didn't do at least one course like that because I did on the dessert, but not the whole dinner."

He pauses, "If you want to go to a play or something instead, I can see about calling in a favor or two and see about last minute tickets to Hamilton, or we could always save that for another date...if there is another date."

Storm has posed:
The champagne was drained from the glass, which was soon tilted to allow another pour. The plan that he had in mind was immaculate, and thankfully they wouldn't be in such crowded and closed spaces. She happened to laugh, then shakes her head at the unbelievability of it all. "Gold plated steaks?" She shakes her head again. "That is not real."

Is it?

She does shake her head, returning to sip at her drink if she had it poured, but she grins. "You know what? I'll take those last minute tickets regardless of another date or not." It was then she grows a little bit more serious, leaning forward to drape a wrist against her crossed legs. "Listen. Whatever happens tonight, promise we will be friends afterwards." She holds out her glass, hoping for a toast. "It may not be business as usual after this, but let us try."

Archangel has posed:
As Ororo laughs about the gold plated steaks, Warren grins and fishes out his phone. He taps a few buttons and passes it over to show that indeed, there are such things as $10k gold plated steaks, $70k pizzas made with white truffles, rare caviar and rare foie gras, and $100k ice cream sundaes. "It's real. I know, it's obscene. I just want you to know that no, I don't go off and eat any of these on the regular. Fact is tonight will be the first time I have ever ordered anything like this before, and the only reason I did tonight was for something truly outrageous since this might be a once in a lifetime thing. I mean, it isn't every night I get to take a literal African goddess out for a night." He winks, refilling his own flute.

As she turns more serious though, Warren just nods. "Of course. I wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize our friendship, Ororo," he retorts as he clinks his glass against hers. "Whatever happens tonight, our relationship as friends and teammates won't change."

He leans back into his seat again, "I know we come from different worlds, 'Ro. I just want to give you a night out and spoil you a little."

Storm has posed:
The phone was taken and scrolled. Her head tilts a little as white eyebrows raise to the ceiling of the limo. "What." It was a statement of unbelieving yet seeing, and soon she shakes her head and returns the phone. She does believe Warren and doesn't refute this, but it does get her to think...

"I would.." She mutters quietly, her gaze turning to the side to quickly take a gulp of her champagne, quickly diverting the conversation by a loud *POP* she makes of her mouth.

"I appreciate this Warren, I really do." She smiles, then gestures. "I suppose a second date -will- have to be in order. You show me your world, I'll show you mine. Then we can worry about if there'll be another date after. Deal?"

Archangel has posed:
"That's fair but I do have to warn you this isn't 'regular' for me," nods Warren with a smile as he takes another sip from his champagne. "Truth be told my 'regular' world is actually relatively boring. Aside from having the money to be able to do pretty much whatever I want at any given time, I actually mostly just spend my time working. I'm either doing office work as the CEO for WI, or I am doing work with the kids over at Xavier's. I don't honestly tend to get out and do much else, despite the rumors to the contrary. This is the first 'date' I have had in...a while." He shrugs a shoulder, the feathers of his wing ruffling with the movement. "Thank you for agreeing to spend an evening with me, Ororo."

The limo pulls into the private dock, where a small 50' yacht is moored. Once stopped, the driver exits the car and moves to open the door and help Ororo out on her side while Warren climbs out his. The night air is cool, but not overly cold...and even if it was present company could make it as temperate as they wanted anyway. The winged mutant makes his way over to Ororo and offers his arm, "Shall we?"

Storm has posed:
"And here I am thinking you lived a life of excitement." Ororo teases, then offers up a nod. "I.. am honored." She states, then nods. "Who would have thought a joke would have both of us intrigued?"

As the limo comes to a stop, Ororo exits the car with the drivers help, her cloak billowing with the gust of wind that hits her. Where one would be cold, Ororo revels in it, so much so that manicured nails tug away from the hair that threatens to get into her eyes. With a smile, she latches her fingers onto the crook of his arm, gripping tight so that she could lean to the side to remove her shoes. If they were going on a boat, there was no need for the fancy footwear. She was going to make herself even more comfortable before they left the dock.

With both shoes held now, she gestures. "I am."

Archangel has posed:
Warren smiles, slipping his free hand over the fingers that nestle in the curve of his arm and leads her forward, slipping out of his own shoes at the ramp that leads itself onto the deck. The small crew that runs the boat is on deck in a line for a quick meet and greet, starting with the Captain and working down the line the Captain makes introductions. "Welcome to the Serendipity, Mr. Worthington, Ms. Munroe. I'm Captain Davis, That is First Mate James, Chief Stew Samson, and Chef Summers. We hope that your trip with us will be a pleasant one. Stew Samson will take you on a quick tour and get you settled while we make preparations for departure."

The stew takes the pair on a quick tour, showing off the interior cabins and lounge area before taking them up to the main deck where she shows off the hot tub, a small deck that would be suitable for dancing and finally to a small table has been prepared with flickering electric candles. Warren leads Ororo over to the table, pulling out her chair for her before taking his own seat.

"Care for a cocktail or some wine?" the stew asks, making a point to ask Ororo first.

Storm has posed:
The Serendipity, it was a wonderful name given the circumstances. All of the introductions of the crew were met with nods and handshakes if offered, and soon the tour was underway. There were a few points to where Ororo clutches Warren's arm a little bit too tight, especially in the tightly confined places, but once they were out into the open, breaths of fresh air were taken and composure kept.

As soon as they reach the table, she finally dislodges from Warren's arm, smoothing her cloak down so that she sits upon it, then unlashes the clasp so that it could fall behind her neatly. Bare arms were shaken, and soon she smiles, a little mischievious, "Coke zero." She says in her purposely heavy accent. "And iced water."

Archangel has posed:
Giving Ororo some reassuring pats to her hand in some of those tight spaces, when they finally get to the table and are seated he helps her get settled before taking his own seat. "I'll take a scotch, neat, and also an iced water with lemon. Thank you."

It doesn't take long for the crew to get the ship underway, and it starts it evening cruise along the island of Manhattan at a slow pace, the lights of the city sparkling around them as they settle in for dinner. First course is plated and arrives soon after the drinks are brought, it is a simple salad of spring greens with a vinaigrette dressing. Warren waits for Ororo to start eating before he does, taking a forkful once she has begun.

"So, we have been teammates for how long now? I've been at that school so long I don't know how long it has really been half the time. Sometimes I still think as Scott, Jean, Hank, Bobby and I as teenagers...if it wasn't for the scars and how old I look when I get a glance in the mirror," he jokes. "I'm surprised we have never done something like this before. Not a 'date', but just some one on one time regardless of the label put upon it."

Storm has posed:
It would be a moment before Ororo requests an alcoholic beverage again, preferring to eat first and imbibe later. The salad was delivered, the dark woman wasting no time in picking up her fork to dig in, politely of course. The question of how long they were on the team gets a light shrug, it wasn't that it wasn't important, it was just that she didn't know.

Carefully, the napkin was dabbed at her lips before she speaks, her look not as severe, but searching her mind for the correct words to say. "I do not know." She states. "It was easy for Jean and I to become personal in a sense that, she's an empath. She understood, all too well. And we are both women in a male dominated faction." Her fork was placed aside, fingers laced now as she leans in, posture incorrect.

"Perhaps then we felt that something like this wasn't needed. We are friends, yes. We fight together, sometimes work together. But 'together'?" She shakes her head. "Perhaps the divide was our assumptions about ones' 'class'." She even uses the finger-quotes for that one. "But I suppose in this particular situation, I will have to question if you are attracted to me or not. Or if the reason that you truly agreed to show me how the other half lives is because you're alone."

It wasn't as harsh as it sounds, but they were adults. They've probably been shot and it hurt worse than what she said.

Archangel has posed:
Ororo's bluntness doesn't seem to offend Warren at all, eliciting a slight chuckle from the billionaire as he takes a more relaxed position in the chair and lifts his glass of scotch to his lips for a sip. "Well, if we are going to be blunt then by all means, let's just be blunt. Yes, I find you attractive and I always have. I didn't ask you out before because we live in two different worlds and I honestly thought that you wouldn't want anything to do with me aside from being friends and teammates, but when we were all in the gym the other week it sounded like you needed to get out and have some fun I figured I at least could offer you that regardless of how you might feel about my lifestyle, the perceived or the reality of it"

He pauses to take another bite of his salad, chewing slowly before he continues. "I'm not alone, or at least I am not lonely. I am not actively seeing anyone, if that is what you mean though. In that aspect I guess you could say I am alone, but I didn't ask you out to fill some void in my life, 'Ro. I do actually care about you, I am not as shallow as people make me out to be. If I was, I wouldn't have been worried about how I come across to you with all the caveats about how I normally don't spend this kind on money 'just because'. I promised you a night out with a high pricetag, so that is what I am giving you even if it makes me look like I use stacks of money to keep my fireplace lit. I just hope you know me well enough to see through that and know it isn't the 'real' me."

Storm has posed:
"Atch.." She starts, now picking up her glass of iced water. She hadn't even touched her coke, it was completely a joke. "You find me attractive, yes. But -are- you attracted. Two different things, Worthington." The drink of water was deep, nearly wanting a straw to not damage the makeup nor gloss that surrounded her lips, but she was thirsty, and a conversation this blunt required it.

She dabs at her lips again, then shakes her head. "I never had any.." She bobs her head in attempts to find the words, "..awon imoran.. assumptions about your lifestyle. "You show us who you are." Busy. Direct. Near timeless. But does she tell him that? Nope. "You certainly are delivering on that promise, Warren. And, I care about you a lot as well, which is why I've even considered going." She smiles again, glancing down towards her plate of salad. At least half of it was gone, but the need to eat that particular dish was gone. "Besides, if you used your stacks of cash to keep your fireplace lit I'd ask why didn't you pay your bills with that." Horrible, horrible joke! Ororo was not funny at all!

Archangel has posed:
Setting down his scotch, Warren runs his fingers along the rim of the glass idly as he listens quietly, letting her finish her thoughts before he responds. The joke, as bad as it was, does get a chuckle but it can't be pinned down as if it was out of genuine amusement or just because it was an attempt at humor and as such required a polite response.

"I never though about it," he admits

"Not until the last few weeks, at least. At first, when I asked you out I was doing it just for fun. I hadn't any ideas in my head about this ending up as anything romantic, but since then as I gave this night more thought and was planning on what to do...something changed. When I started to think about it, I realized I cared. I cared about you, I cared about how you would enjoy the evening, I cared about how I would look to you at the end of the night." He lowers his eyes slightly to, eyeing his drink as he continues with the next few sentences, "And when I heard you were seen out with Cap, I might have gotten a tad jealous thinking I might have lost my chance."

He shrugs his shoulder, the wings on his back fluttering a bit as he moves to raise his glass to his lips and take a swallow. "But what about you? I'm laying all my cards out here, so what hand are you playing with? Is this just something platonic as I originally thought, or is this something else? If it isn't, that's fine. I'm not so fragile that I am going to shatter apart."

Awkwardly, the stew decides now is a good time to come clear the plates from the salad, quickly gathering them up and rushing off towards the galley with them.

Storm has posed:
"Mmh." Is all Ororo says, at least for now, as she takes the better half (the last half) of her water to bring to her lips to drink. She pauses until he asks his question of her own intentions, then takes a deep drought, leaving nothing behind but the ice clinking against the glass. She smacks her lips loudly, looking towards the bottom with her iced over eyes, dabs her lips and smiles. "Damn, I'm all out."

It was clear that she wasn't going to answer the question, especially as the stew took their plates away. She was waiting for the main course, and all but told by her actions that she was -not- going to answer. "When you mentioned gold plated steaks, I'm going to assume that's what we're having? Not the gold but, steaks?" She grins a little, now leaning back comfortably within her chair, one leg crossed over the other. Her feet wiggle a bit to at least distract her, for only she noticed that the wind surrounding the boat had grown still. Oops.

Perhaps she did answer after all.

"Dancing after dessert?"

Archangel has posed:
Watches Ro for a bit quietly, nodding slightly to himself as he realizes he isn't going to get an answer, at least not a verbal one. Wither or not he picks up on the weather surrounding the ship is unknown. He pastes on a smile, regardless of whatever he might be thinking inside, and nods. "That is the plan. That is if we haven't gorged ourselves on ice cream to a point we would rather lounge and just look up at the stars. But yes, dancing. As for dinner, I actually had them prepare vegetarian. I believe it is going to be a spicy ginger-mango soup next followed by a mushroom wellington with a mushroom risotto and truffle oil...and of course it now dawns on me to ask if you even /like/ mushrooms."

He shakes his head, a slight reddish tinge coming to his cheeks, "If you don't I can go talk to the chef. I am sure they have provisions for back ups...like steak. The other option is just to skip right ahead to the $100k ice cream sundae and forgo the rest."

Storm has posed:
Though, sadly.. she will not get the steak that she hoped, but the planned meal sounds amazing. Already she could smell it, taste it upon her tongue, but she really didn't feel like continuing the dinner as it was. It wasn't for lost appetite, but it was for conversation. Adding food to the mix might get in the way; chewing brings long pauses when they spoke so fluidly in the moment.

"Mm.. how about we ask them to put that on ice for a while?" She pushes her chair back just enough so that she could stand, then picks it up to place it closer to his. Not that they were sitting across from each other, but nearly knee to knee, close enough to touch and see clear view of one anothers intentions.

"I have an appetite, but not for food. This conversation is.." It was giving her life. She settles down into her chair before she continues "..hell, we could dance now too. But I want to keep talking." She smiles then, finally settling for the route of fairness. "I'm attracted. Which is why I asked if this wasn't for us, we remained friends."

Archangel has posed:
Warren watches as Ororo starts to rise, rising himself as is protocol that has been engrained into him since birth from his parents. As she sets the chair back down, Warren helps her push her chair in before retaking his seat.

"I can have them do that, sure," he says as he catches the eye of the stew who is close enough to hear and gives her a nod to make the request. He will have to tip extra large for this, the chef probably isn't going to be thrilled but with the amount of money Warren is probably going to throw at them they will survive.

"We can dance now. I don't why we couldn't dance together while having a conversation." It's Warren's turn to stand, helping Ororo out of her chair as he offers to take her hand and lead her over to the open area which could be used for dancing. He catches the eye of the stew again, and a moment later a soft waltz starts to play over the speakers on deck, "May I have this dance?"

Storm has posed:
Watching Warren, and sensing his eyes behind her, she immediately turns and waves. "Three old fashioned please! Cherry!" Odd request, but she likes what she likes. If this was a night of all nights, she was going to enjoy it completely. Throw caution into the wind, they were teammates, friends, and attracted to each other.

As he stands, she takes his hand and offered help, following him barefoot to the dance floor. And as he asks, she releases his hand to grip at her gown, pulling it out as if she were royalty (which she was, who are we kidding) to curtsey. "You may."

If they were to usual waltz, Ororo would change directions. With her arms around his neck, her feet upon his, her gifts making her seem light if she were too heavy. "Would you be my date to the Summers wedding? At this point, I do not see or envision myself attending with anyone else."

Archangel has posed:
As the stew rushes off to make the drinks, Warren leads Ororo over to the dance floor and slips his arms around her waist as she places hers over his shoulders, starting to sway with the beat of the music, his wings aiding in his balance and shifting out behind them as they dance.

"I have it on good authority that we are both likely to be a part of the wedding party, 'Ro, but I would be delighted to be your escort for the evening. I'll make sure that we are matched up together. I think Jean is honestly having issues selecting more woman of honor, other than yourself, to match who Scott all has planed." he mentions with a slight chuckle.

The stew arrives with the drinks, setting the tray with them down on the table closest to the open area before making herself scarce from the deck.

Storm has posed:
"Mm. I know I need to help her plan the wedding, and it's not that I do not feel like it.. but.." Her brows lower in thought. "..I suppose I had that, or keep having those moments where I do think and feel that I will not experience the same joy." Ororo chuckles at that, then looks up towards the sky. "Who knows what will happen with the world if that were to happen."

But she does nod in thanks, finally letting out a sigh at that question and relaxes. She even rests her forehead upon his shoulder for a time. "Maybe they're waiting for Bobby to come back." Or, for Jean to get off her butt, but she doesn't say that outloud.

Archangel has posed:
"What? Getting married?" asks Warren as the move to the music. There is a little puff of air that escapes his nostrils in a gentle snort, "I have no doubts in my mind that someday you will be the most beautiful bride Africa has ever seen, Ororo. I wouldn't concern yourself with not having the chance to feel that same joy. You are a strong, beautiful, independent person, and you would make anyone proud to call you their wife."

He pulls back slightly in order to have the chance to look down into her face, those bright blue eyes of his seeking her eyes out, "Maybe the world deserves to burn if that ever comes to pass, but I would bet my life that it won't. You just haven't found anyone worthy to be your husband yet, that's all," he finishes with a wink.

"As far as Jean and Scott go, it's a shock it took them this long to get this far. I'm hoping that now that 'it is actually happening' thing will progress at a much more rapid pace than it took to get here. They got the house, they moved in, they just need to finally put rings on each other damnit."

Storm has posed:
"Not just married, but being in a happy, fulfilling relationship." Ororo clarifies, but.. if the woman could blush, she would have. There was nothing to say with the compliments that he had given, so unused to such, even turning away mere moments after he pulls away to look into her face. That moment of vulnerability didn't pass, but she happens to let out a little laugh after his wink, which sends her arms tightening around him to hug, this time giving a real kiss to his cheek.

Though, frustration is shared between the two, her head nodding quick enough to cause friction between both of their cheeks. "-Trust- me. At this point we should just drag their asses down to the Justice of Peace, force them to sign their papers and -mash- their heads together to kiss. Though.." She pulls away enough to see him, then asks. "Do you ever envision yourself as a husband and a father?"

Archangel has posed:
Warren smiles at the kiss, returning the hug as it is given. "Oh, don't I know it. I have known the both of them longer than you have. I have watched Scott pine over her since we were kids...this has been a decade in the making at least. If I didn't know Jean's moral compass, I would be shocked she hadn't just 'suggested' it to him years ago. I heard you happened to be there for the momentous occasion. I probably would have fainted from shock seeing it happen."

Her question gives him pause for a moment, "I would like to, yes. I just don't know if it is a good idea, at least not anytime soon. There was a time I would have said yes without any other hesitation, but since then things have happened with me that I just don't know if having a child would be the best option for me. When the Archangel emerges, it's dangerous. Maybe someday, if I ever can get control."

Storm has posed:
"Fainted for shock or swore very loudly in a manner that states 'Its about time'." Ororo jokes. "But it was wonderful, and admittedly, I could barely sleep for a week." The adrenaline of it all, in fact, just being happy for her best friend made it all worth it.

While he answers her question, she watches, attentive as usual and understanding. "I believe you will." Ororo says with confidence, then leans against him again, this time cheek to shoulder, just to look out towards the city skyline. "That's one thing that we always have to reconcile, the -bad- essences of ourselves and the destruction it could create. The people we could hurt."

She pulls away then, her arms sliding down his own to grasp his hands, shaking them briefly. "I'm going to go freshen up. Grab our drinks?"