13361/It's All Just a Walk in the Park.

It's All Just a Walk in the Park.
Date of Scene:	23 May 2021
Location:	Apple Park - Salem Center
Synopsis:	Alex finally makes his feelings known to Lorna. He's a dork, she's a moody b*tch, but they wouldn't have each other any other way.
Cast of Characters:	Havok, Polaris

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Havok has posed:
    Alex has still been spending a lot of his time at the apartment in Bushwick, but last night he stayed at the mansion. He woke up in a 'mood'. Not a bad mood, just quiet and contemplative. Introspective Alex doesn't happen often and it usually ends badly. Before he could get too far lost in his own head, he hit up his bestie. Maybe a walk in the park would do them both some good? Especially if food was involved. He packed a lunch, nothing fancy, just PB&J with some chips and an apple a piece. It's all tucked away in a backpack though, not a basket.
    When they get to Apple Park in the jeep, he checks his watch and then just sits there... weird.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna has been in her own mood lately, sliding towards the depression she sometimes gets lost in. She's been spending a lot of time indoors, isolating herself, so when Alex calls, she agreed. Green hair is pulled back in a ponytail, with sunglasses hiding green eyes. She's in a soft black t-shirt with a faded graphic, and some well worn jeans, with converse on her feet. "Something wrong?"

Havok has posed:
"Nah," Alex replies before he checks his watch again. "Let's go find a spot to eat and then we'll take a walk, maybe even a jog?" Physical activity is always good for 'moods', right? He's dressed for it today, not wearing his usual flips, but a pair of old school Adidas blue and white runners alone with matching running pants and a white t-shirt that reads: I'd like to buy a vowel with the letters F_CK _ underneath. It's all written in shades of green.
    Since it's nice out and the top's down, Alex foregoes the use of the door and hops out of the jeep. He does, however, go around to open Lorna's door for her.

Polaris has posed:
There's a shake of her head, and despite the glasses, Alex can practically /feel/ her roll her eyes at him. The door pops open all on its own, and the green haired mutant steps out. "You can go for a jog. Not interested." She has her own backpack pulled from the footwell, before she will shut the door behind her. "I am not jogging in these jeans."

Havok has posed:
    He might still be a little on the introspective side of the spectrum, but Alex isn't going to let that stop him from trying to nudge his bestie out of her funk. "Well, I think you still have shorts in the back of the jeep," he offers helpfully... "Or you can just kick me in the nads now and get it done with?" he suggests... while kinda crossing one leg over the other just in case. He smiles and winks. He really DOES have a nice smile when it's genuine and today it is. "C'mon, there's that one spot under that big tree by the skate park, remember?" He holds out a hand to her to lead the way.

Polaris has posed:
She will tip her sunglasses down her nose, peering over the lenses. "Alex, I am not here to jog. I am here to spend time, eat lunch, and people watch. Don't push me, hmm?" Glasses slide back up into place, before she's adjusting her backpack on her shoulder, to head towards the skate park.

Havok has posed:
    Along the way, Alex just seems a little 'off', like he's all antsy with nervous energy? Maybe he didn't release his shit the way he should have yesterday? They don't make it quite to the skate park, the big old tree he was talking about is just before it. It's a beautiful day, the park is crowded... but that spot is wide open.
    Once there, he pulls a small blanket from his own backpack and spreads it out on the ground. For some reason he flaps the damned thing like five times when he's laying it out. ...and where did he GET that? It's a hideous combination of red, pink, orange and green. BRIGHT, red, pink, orange and green. "People watching and time spending it is then, siddown. I'll get the food out." But first he pulls a bluetooth speaker out and goes through the process of pairing it with his phone.

Polaris has posed:
     "Alex, where did you get that hideous thing you're passing off as a blanket?" Lorna hisses, even as she slides her backpack off. "I figured you would forget it, so I brought my own." She produced one, an army green blanket, simple, that she splays out partially over Alex's. "We'll just mark our territory." She'll produce a couple of tiny travel pillows, a book, and a couple bottles of cream soda.

Havok has posed:
    It's been mentioned that the park is crowded, it's REALLY crowded. It's a great day to people watch. Alex sets the speaker on his blanket as he replies, "I dunno, it was in the closet at the apartment." He's lying. She would definitely know he's lying. His voice gets a little higher when he lies. Why would he lie about a blanket?
    She isn't given much time to ponder the situation because when the music starts? Well every person in their little area of the park stands.
    ... OMG, he's such a NERD! It isn't!
    But it most definitely is! FLASH MOB!
    To the tune of 'I Want You to Want Me' by Cheap Trick. And Alex is front and center of the mob. Will Lorna punch him in the face or... sit and wait it out to the end?

Polaris has posed:
     There's the lift of an eyebrow as Alex /lies/ to her. "Never play poker for money with me, Summers, I'll clean you out." She's just sitting down on the blanket, when the music starts, and people are standing up. Her middle finger moves to nudge the glasses up to the top of the bridge of her nose, a very subtle flipping off. She's shaking her head. He can't be /serious/.

Havok has posed:
    He notices the middle finger and winks. The mob is growing behind him, it must be about twenty people by the time it's all said and done. With each chorus, they're changing it up to 'He wants you to want him... needs you to need him...' all while Alex is singing 'I' and pretty much bopping along to his own beat while the others dance in sync behind him. There's no denying it, really, he is CUTE. He just has that ... energy, that passion that he puts into everything - good or bad - going on.
    When it's over, when the song comes to an end, Alex is on his knees in front of Lorna. Those bright blue eyes are all earnest like a schoolboy asking his first girl on a date. "I really would love you to love me, Lorns. Ride or die, to the end, will you be my girl?"
    ...he's also SUCH A DORK!
    And now he just looks so open and vulnerable and, frankly, terrified of the answer. Does he pull her close to kiss her? Let her speak first? Duck in case she punches him. He really didn't think this ending out!

Polaris has posed:
     Lorna has sat, arms around her knees, watching this insane spectacle. Alex should know better, he knows her better. She pushes the sunglasses up atop her head, when he's asking her to be his girl. " Seriously, Summers?" She whispers, before she leans in to kiss his cheek. "I am so kicking your ass for this." She murmurs into his ear, before she's burying her face to the side of his neck.

Havok has posed:
    "Seriously, Dane," Alex murmurs in reply.
    Of course the crowd behind them goes a little wild when he wraps his arms around Lorna when she leans in close. He whispers back, "It's better than the blimp and the banner over the city that I thought about first." Just a beat, a soft exhalation of his breath against the top of Lorna's head. "I do love you Lorns, I have since... fucking forever. Been too stupid, too scared to do anything about it. I mean... I'm *in* love with you." At least all this is pitched low enough that the gathered mob can't hear? Besides, they're too busy chatting excitedly and... snapping pictures. "I'm done being scared and I'd have flash mobbed the world if I coulda." Who knows, he may have, this is the kind of thing that goes viral right?

Polaris has posed:
     "You know me better than this. I don't like the crowd." She mutters against his neck, shifting to curl into him as if he can hide her. "You couldn't just ask me, like a normal person? Just act like we're normal, for once?" Arms slide around him, to hold close - between her at the people now taking pictures and being nosy.

Havok has posed:
    "I'm sorry," he murmurs quietly. He must have paid the gathered masses a pretty penny that he probably couldn't afford, because when he waves them off... they do mosey on their way. When most of the lookieloos are at least lookiloo-ing from a distance, Alex tries to tilt Lorna's face back to look into her eyes. "Normal's boring," he teases. ...and he'd feel the same way if he wasn't a mutant. "You better hope I never propose." He winks and flashes that grin-o-charm of his, but it fades... because well, she hasn't actually *answered* him yet.

Polaris has posed:
     "Please tell me you didn't spend money on this." Lorna, ever practical...well, usually. "You couldn't just.. you know, say hey, let's go on a date?" She sighs, shaking her head. "Well, maybe we should date a while before you do something dumb like propose."

Havok has posed:
    "I wanted you to know how..." Alex shrugs a shoulder. "I dunno, I was stupid and scared all these years, it just seemed like it needed to be a big gesture now that I'm finally getting around to it." He's babbling more than a little bit, words all tumbling out on top of each other. Insecure Alex, he still lives in there and he's probably the one that made this decision... like he had to impress Lorna? Like just Alex isn't good enough. Here's to hoping Insecure Alex doesn't plan their first date?

Polaris has posed:
     "Scared... of me? Alex, we've been all but dating for years, it seems like. Why do you think I never have a boyfriend, silly?" Lorna finally pulls away, moving to flop back on one of her travel pillows. "No one would have put up with my bestie relationship with you." Her hand reaches out, clearly intending to pull him down to snuggle. "You're not stupid. You just overthink." She would know, she does it too.

Havok has posed:
    "No, not *of* you," Alex begins before he's allowing himself to be pulled in close. "...of losing you, if I changed shit," he all but whispers once he is close. He rolls to his back and pulls her around so his chest can be her pillow. Not the first time they've laid this way, but it might be the first time his heart's been beating this fast. "...and I guess I just thought it's 'cause you're a moody bitch," he TEASES. "I didn't want things to change because I was afraid changing them would run you off."

Polaris has posed:
     "Alex.. don't you know by know you're not going to run me off? I mean really, at this point..." She settles in next to him, but she will poke him viciously in the ribs. "Yeah, but clearly, you like me being a moody bitch. You had me friggin' serenaded."

Havok has posed:
    "Ow!" he melodramas over the poke. "Actually I had you flash-mobbed. If I had you serenaded there would have been violins or something." Alex's heart rate is starting to settle back into something akin to normal. "But I do like you, all of you, moody bitch included," he agrees. Just a beat and he actually ASKS, "Can I ... I mean I'd really like to kiss you now." It's probably not the first time they've kissed, but... this time they're not both three sheets to the wind, neither one of them is in the middle of a total and complete emotional meltdown and they'll be allowed to talk about it later. Weird.

Polaris has posed:
     "Oh shut up." She groans when he's comparing serenading to the flash mob. Her head lifts off his chest, and green eyes will meet his. "Oh you would, would you..." Then there's a smirk. "You haven't even taken me on a date yet, Summers." She taunts him, before she leans up, kissing him lightly.

Havok has posed:
    Well, so much for that heart rate slowing down. It quickens again with that kiss, light as it is. Alex doesn't push too terribly hard, but he does deepen in somewhat. He allows that slight little sense of urgency to be conveyed in that kiss. Oh the places they can go and the things they can do now! He breaks it and pulls back to say, "You mean Cabo and Rome and Paris..." and ALL the other places they've vacationed together... "...don't count?" A beat and he asks, "So, wanna go to the movies Saturday? Is that how this works?" He leans in close and whispers, "...at least you know I've already seen you naked..." BY ACCIDENT! "...so no first time hangups when we reach that point, yeah?"

Polaris has posed:
     She arches her eyebrows. "Of course they don't count. They were buddy hangouts, duh. It's not a date." There's that smirk again, which usually means trouble. "The movies? Really? No chick flicks." She will drop a kiss to his chin...and then a hard swat to his arm. "Shut up, or you'll be a long, long time before seeing me naked,"

Havok has posed:
    Again with the melodramatic OWING! Alex pouts a little. "So mean to me!" The crowd has pretty much thinned out completely. Seems most of them were likely paid to be there, maybe a few were just hopeless romantics that did it for nothing. "So, you want PB&J or should we go get something better? Does that count?" ...as a date? Is this gonna be a thing with him now? What's a date and what isn't a date? He taps his head and says, "All I gotta do is close my eyes, Lorns." ...to see her naked that is. He didn't slap his hand over his eyes THAT fast that one time.
    The parking lot is mostly empty too, only two vehicles left. Alex's Jeep and that kind of creepy white panel van parked three spots down from it.
    He sits up, suddenly aware of their relative 'alone-ness'. "Maybe we should go, yeah?" Alex may be mostly blowing it off, but he really hasn't forgotten that he was just snatched and grabbed a few weeks ago.

Polaris has posed:
"You made us peanut butter sandwiches?" Lorna looks like she thinks that's cute, before she's rolling at her eyes at him being an impossible ass and anything but cute. But then he's sitting up, and she's rolled off the side a bit, green eyes blinking. "You're not getting laid on the first date, Summers." But her hand reaches out to his. "Alex?"

Havok has posed:
    "I did," he tells her. It's a surefire bet that they have her favorite peanut butter and her favorite jelly too, even if they may not be his. How in the Hell did he ever think they WEREN'T dating? "I know," he agrees readily. "It's after the third date, that's the rule right?" He's so obviously joking, there's that gleam in his eyes and that little half smile to prove it. "...it just got really isolated here," he points out. "I just don't want to..." A beat. "That van's weird right? I'm not just being a paranoid puss, right?"

Polaris has posed:
"Keep it up, and it'll be never." She'll stick her tongue out at him. "Isolated....we're at a park, Alex. You don't want people right on top of us, do you? Kind of ruin the whole date vibe, wouldn't it?" Green eyes shift, to look at the van. "It's a Van, Alex. No one's offering free candy, or anything. " Her hand finds his shoulder. "Did you forget who you were with?"

Havok has posed:
    "I guess you're right." But Alex still seems a little on edge. Still, he drags his backpack over and unzips it. "So, PB&J?" he asks before, "So this IS a date?" He holds his hands up quickly to fend off any 'attack'. "Kidding!" He tosses her a sandwich, it's even in one of those 'keep it from getting smooshed' plastic things instead of just a paper bag.

Polaris has posed:
     She catches the tupperware, popping it open for the sandwich. "It's sort of a date. I mean, it wasn't when you asked, though." She'll keep an eye on the van. She'll hurl it and anyone in it if she has to, but...she'd rather just eat lunch and hang out.