14772/Two Mutants and a Spider Walk Into A Bar

Two Mutants and a Spider Walk Into A Bar
Date of Scene:	10 March 2023
Location:	The Tunnel - Midtown Manhattan
Synopsis:	Summary Needed
Cast of Characters:	Jubilee, X-23, Ghost Spider

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Jubilee has posed:
It's Thursday night, and that means it's TIME TO PAAAAARTAAAAAYYY!

Jubilation Lee is quite insistent. With tomorrow being an administrative day for the faculty of Xavier's, and no classes scheduled, it is in fact the _perfect_ time to go out for some tunes and some booze and 'looking straight fire... well, looking /fire/.' she insists to Laura.

Which is why she's waiting by her beat-up VW Bug in the mansion driveway for her dour friend. To show her what night life is. And she's dressed for it, because... well, she /said/ it was important to dress up for the club. A bright yellow cropped jacket of a fabric so slick that it might very well be vinyl has a high collar that nearly tickles her jaw... and offsets the fact that the jacket itself ends just south of the hot pink crop top she's rocking. Hey, she's a superheroine _and_ a gymnastics teacher. She earned these abs and she's going to show them. Exactly why her denim shorts have to border on being 'swimwear unsuitable for a public pool'? That she's mum on. Even through the drive to the club. Which club? The Tunnel. Why? Because she's never been there before, and Jubilation Lee has one rule: If you're going to misbehave, do it at some random club you've never been to and might never go to again. To complete this daring attire, Jubilee's gone with stark white running shoes and thigh high socks in hot pink, with yellow stripes around the top, disappearing into pristine white sneakers... with muthafuggin' LIGHT UP HEELS!

The trip to the club is terribly undramatic, because no matter how hard she jams the volume on her car stereo, it is in fact a cheap car stereo. And pedal to the metal is not impressive in a non-modded VW Bug. But that's also why she parked a couple blocks away from the club, so her and Laura could walk up to it in _Style_ without the Partymobile, you know, negatively impacting their style.

"I'm telling you, Laura! You're going to love it. Clubs are great. You can drink and relax and dance your ass off, and like... you don't even /have/ to talk to people! Because of the music! You're gonna love it!" Did she just say Laura would love it twice in the space of twenty words? Yes. Yes she did.

Blame the three empty red bulls that now reside in her back seat. People normally pregame with alcohol, because mixing caffeine and alcohol is dangerous.

People, Jubilee insists, who are _bitches_.

Jubilation Lee is no one's bitch. You are all hers.

X-23 has posed:
    It was probably a bribe. It was probably a LOT of a bribe. A bribe so big that Laura won't talk about it. But somehow, Jubilation Lee got Laura Kinney to get out of the mansion and not just out in public, but to a club. Is it the promise of fire? The call of alcohol? The need for socialization? No. Not really. It's none of those things. Laura's been on fire. Not high on her list. Alcohol? She'd need to slam an entire key before she feels it. Sociali--HAHAHAHAHAHA!

    NO.

    Laura's here because, aside from an unmentioned compensation, she's trying her best to... do the friend thing. To be a friend. And Jubilee seems to like her. For some reason. Even if she's the antithesis of the girl in the driver's seat. In fact she looks more like she came fresh off of a shooting of The Matrix. She has one color, and it's black. PVC. Vinyl. Leather. Whatever. Her black hair hangs down over a black leather jacket, more styled like a trenchcoat than a biker jacket. Up above, a leather tube top that's connected to a matching choker and shows off her own impressive abs (Maybe Jubes inspired it?) And down below she's practically been poured into that shiny, slick material that barely clings to her hips--to say nothing of those special, self-fixing combat boots. Just in case. ALways just in case.

    But she sits in silence, enduring the loud music while staring straight ahead. She could be plotting escape routes, fight-or-flight thresholds, the nearest dead-drop with supplies if she needed to cross the state line. All manner of worst case scenarios, next-worst-case-scenarios, and more. "I will do my best," she states, exhaling a nigh-theatrical sigh.

    "You do realize I don't know how to dance, right? That wasn't part of my training?" she asks, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jacket--because those pants don't even look like they have room for seams, let alone hands. "And that alcohol isn't going to do a thing to me?" she lifts a hand and brushes some of her hair out of her face. She can smell it as they get closer. People. So many people. Bodies and sweat and ... she just wrinkles her nose.

Ghost Spider has posed:
Someone else who is not part of the faceless masses is at the Tunnel tonight, or rather, in the back of the line to get in. Gwen Stacy, secretly the AMAZING SPIDER-WOMAN, is out to get her drink on. To do some people watching. To hear some tunes and kick it on the dance floor. Even spiders need to cut loose and turn off the hero thing now and again.

Thusly, the blonde is standing in line outside. She's dressed, honestly, somewhere between Laura and Jubilee's extremes. Her top half is in a white spaghetti strap tank top that seems very clingy, and peeks just a hint of toned belly. Around her hips are a pair of short shorts that, were she not wearing black tights underneath, would be scandalous. On her feet is her shot of color, turquoise ballet flats with ribbons that wind up her calves. No jacket either, which is why she's huddling against herself in the cool night air.

"Shoulda brought a jacket. Good job, Gwen. Catch pneumonia before you can even catch a buzz."

Jubilee has posed:
Jubilee snorts out softly, one hand dismissively waving at Laura's declaration of lack of dance training, "Laura! It's /club/ dancing. No one gets trained in it! ...Okay, not this kind of club dancing. But that's another story! And, I mean, I dunno how much your adamantium weighs you down, so like... you might just rip a pole out. SO uhh... no need to worry about that kind of club dancing for sure! Trust me, you could just stand in a knot of writhing ladies and it'd /work/ for you."

Does Jubilation explain why a bunch of club-going young women would be grinding around the dark, serious young woman with the intense eyes? No. No she does not. Baby steps. First the club. She'll explain if it comes up.

Plus, she picked a random club, so what are the odds they're going to run into anyone who's immediately struck by Laura or her? Okay, probably pretty good because they're going to draw attention in general, but hey.

Of course, in her eagerness to drag/kidnap/bribe Laura out to clubbing, and picking a hot up and coming club, Jubilee might have forgotten a few things. Like March weather. And queues to enter nightclubs. But she can adjust her plan. She can improvise. She's great at it! Getting to cut lines at the club? It's basically like fighting a big purple robot. Easy peasy.

And her eyes land on one Gwen Stacy in the line. Bingo. Instant solution.

Because, really, getting past the bouncer? You want numbers. But not too many numbers. Five blondes? Overkill. One blonde to contrast perky, manic Jubilation Lee and her sullen friend? Yesssss.

That's some goddamn _math_, kids! Jubilee is bad at math. Like... diagnosed. There's a note on her Xavier Institute student file that very politely explains it. Hank McCoy's erudite explanation is very flowery in its scientific breakdown of why Jubilee should never be a Mathlete.

She sliiiiides up behind the blonde in the cute outfit and the ballet flats. For someone in electric yellow and pink, she practically appears like a vampire.

"Hey! You wanna join us? I bet if we go to the bouncer as a trio, we can totally like... get in! Trust me, I've seen it work!"

Jubilee may have seen it work in the presence of one of her fellow Xavier staffers or students.

But considering a non-zero amount of them have telepathic abilities, there might be some holes in her plan.

It'll be fine. She's got a good feeling about this!

"I'm Jubilee! This is Laura! She's like... seriously cool. But she says she can't dance. And I think we gotta prove her wrong!"

X-23 has posed:
    The more enthusiastic Jubilee is, the more... /not/ Laura is. While the razzle-dazzle girl is going off on the finer points of dancing--or the lack thereof of fine points at all--she's trying to figure out what the hell Jubes means by a bunch of writhing ladies. That and scan the line as they approach, looking for any familiar faces, or familiar enemies, or people with weapons. Or people with suspicious hair.

    She breathes in deep, though, trying to sort out the scents that aren't the fruit-by-the-foot girl who brought her here. And then they're cozying up near the blonde girl. Flowers. Not offensive at least. Pleasant enough. At least the two girls nearest her smell nice, even if one is a little over-excited. She even backs her 'friend' up.

    "...safety in numbers..." she quips, voice near monotone. Then she lifts her shoulders in a shrug when she's introduced. "She said I would meld in with the floorboards if I stayed home any longer. I told her I don't have any mutant dryad powers." Another sniff, "....you smell nice."

    Her eyes drift between Gwen and Jubilee for a moment before she clarifies. "...you both do..." she admits.

Ghost Spider has posed:
The thing about Spider-Sense is that you have to be in danger for it to fire. Is Laura dangerous? Yes. Is Laura a threat to Gwen at the moment? No. This is why, like any normal, distracted young lady would, she jumps when Jubilee talks to her, yelping in surprise.

"Wh--Oh. Uh. Hi. Sorry, you startled me," Gwen says sheepishly. "I'm Gwen and," she starts, looking them both over. Jubilee looks like she should be colder, but isn't, and Laura is just ... intimidating. "Sure. We'll flash a little ankle, he'll let us in. Or kick us to the end of the line again. Nothing to lose! Lead on, Jubilee, you seem the most ... enthusiastic of us all."

Jubilee has posed:
Jubilee does not, in fact, squeeeeee out loud as Laura chimes in about safety in numbers. It's woooooorking! Laura's only like... tense and suspicious! And that's like, an /always/ thing for her, so it's practically like she's already relaxed and enjoying herself, right? Right. Flawless logic.

She glances back over her shoulder with a sly little smile, almost smug, "I said if you stayed at the mansion anymore we'd need to vacuum around you actually. I know all about your powers! Kinda. I mean, I kinda listened when Logan was all 'grrrgrumblemumblegrr gotta kid Jubilee, grrr, I'm so stoic and sullen and not a big softie.'" her eyes roll as a reaction to her own flawless Logan impersonation. "But I did use my all natural fruit bodywash and shampoo today, because I'm considerate and nice. Also because it's kinda amazing and silky."

But then she's back to focusing on Gwen, smiling wiiiide. So wide. Smile like a shark. Well, not really. But it's big. She nods solemnly, and for a second that smile fades, and she does up that halter cut jacket. Not all the way, no, just enough for the zipper to close about a third of the way up her chest, frowning as she kind of... shrugs and narrows her shoulders and... okay, she's trying to /perk things up/ as it were. "God, this is probably so much easier when you have telekinesis and a cup size that hits a letter a first grader would be having trouble remembering in his alphabet..." She sighs and shrugs, which does give a bit of momentum to her figure, and then she's reaching out to clasp hands with her new friend and her _other_ new friend! "Alriiiiight, we got this! Or we'll go jam to the stereo in my car. The heater works if you kick a bit."

And then Jubilee is basically dragging this newly formed heroic trio along with her to go make biiiig eyes at the bouncer.

Because hey, something big oughta get them on his good side, and that's all she's got that might work.

And work it does! Well, that and a slip of a /fifty/... ooof, her poor scholarly salary.

Oh well, it just means she's going to make the most of this night. Gotta get her money's worth now.

X-23 has posed:
    "Hi Gwen," Laura is so personable. She didn't ignore the other girl. She acknowledged her, said something, even used her name, AND actually waved. Whoa. Multi-tasking. "If it doesn't work I can get us in the back," she states, completely serious. There's no look of joking anywhere in her expression or any mirth in her tone. Then that waving hand ducks back down into her pocket for safekeeping.

    Then her eyes widen, briefly, at Jubes. She makes a very Logan-like sound, growling under her breath. "...you mean my powers of getting plenty of sleep?" she growls just a bit louder and actually gives Jubilee a good elbow to the ribs, glaring at her in the 'if you talk about my powers I'm going to stuff you in your own trunk' sort of way. Also in the 'I'm only sticking around because you smell nice but this is your last chance' sort of way.

    Laura is just adept at conveying a lot of things with a stare. She's a woman of many talents. Just not dancing. At least, when it isn't involving killing.

    The talk of cleavage being a master key makes her roll her eyes, before she looks down at herself with an appraising look. That top she's got does have some cleavage. She's fairly stacked, especially for an eighteen year old. Go figure. Not that she's taking point to use that to any sort of advantage, though.

    "This is already a disaster..." she deadpans, then gives Gwen a look that's full of emotion. That emotion is purely apologetic. "...yes she is always like this."

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen can't help but giggle at Jubilee. Her enthusiasm and energy is intense, but in a nice way. Laura is intense in a scary way that makes her wonder if her Spider Sense isn't broken. Especially after offering to bust them in the back door. Still, she shakes her head a little as Jubilee does a little push up magic, and then peers down at her own chest. "Maybe I should have worn the corset? ...Nah. Too uncomfortable. Makes my boobs look amazing, though," she says with a shrug as she's pulled towards the club with Laura. She rolls her eyes at exactly how much it cost to skip ahead and get inside, and this is after using Boob Magic.

At least inside it's warmer! "This isn't that bad. I was at a club one time and Electro showed up and tried to murder the DJ. Luckily Spider-Woman was there to kick his ass, but the music got fried and I couldn't get drunk."

Jubilee has posed:
Jubilee sighs out and shakes her head, "No no, no need for breaking and entering. We can just... schmooze our way in. Easy. Eeeeeasy." Her big eyes lock on Laura with all the innocence of a kitten. Would /she/ let Laura's secrets slip? Of course not! She might hint, tease, tiptoe up to the line. But she _does_ like Laura. And she doesn't want to make her truly uncomfortable. Just get her out and about.

And this Gwen girl seems really nice. And earns some lifted eyebrows, "You have a corset? It's not white, is it? Because I know this one... uhh... nevermind. I've seen one before. It looked good is all."

She nods solemnly. The last thing she needs is Emma picking up a stray thought tomorrow at a faculty meeting about comparing her to some other blonde who owns a corset. There's no way that'd go well.

Once they're inside, Jubilee's eyebrows pop up, "Oh wow! You saw Spider-Woman? She's like... really cool! And she moves so fast! Half the videos online look like they're sped up! I bet she can dance her ass off!"

Although, once they're inside, Jubilee's dragging them to the dance floor. Because Spider-Woman's not the only one who can!

X-23 has posed:
    Laura is pretty scary. She does nothing to alleviate the 'I know where you live and can show up at any time to watch you sleeping' vibe she's got. She's not actively menacing. Like she's not baring her teeth and snarling or twirling a knife, but she does exist. With those intense eyes and that cold expression. Such a dead fish. She doesn't even seem to do much more than go 'huh' at the mention of Electro and Spider-Woman. Well, there is a "I would not enjoy that happening here."

    As if she's really enjoying any of the here as it is. At least her two companions smell nice. Which helps alleviate the thick cocktails of sweat, bodies, other perfumes, and more that's clogging the dance floor. It's a heady mix and she takes her breaths slowly, trying not to get too deep of a whiff--at least when she's not close to Gwen or Jubilee. When she DOES get near them, she is taking in some more air, to fill her senses with fruit and flowers.

    Which... only serves to make her seem WEIRDER for the time being.

    And hey she's not fighting being dragged off to the dance floor. Not too much, anyway. "Corset... huh..." she muses, openly scrutinizing the torso regions of both girls. This is a non-creepy gaze, as it looks entirely appraising and not at all leering, like she's calculating in her head the coefficient of pressure to cleavage.

Ghost Spider has posed:
"White? No it's like...dark red. I wore it for Halloween last year, and the couple times I went to the goth club. I need new fishnets though, they got too shredded." Gwen does not elaborate how. Probably for the best.

Once inside, she gives a longing look at the bar as she is bodily dragged towards the dance floor. "You think Spider-Woman's cool? Really?" She sounds awful excited. "I mean, me too. She's so sassy. It's great."

Way to toot your own horn, Gwen."

Once on the dance floor, though, she moves with a fluid and natural grace. She is a good dancer, and might have seen the pole a time or two after one too many drinks. That might just be a rumor, though. If she notices Laura's sniffing or appraising looks, she's at least polite enough not to mention it.

Jubilee has posed:
Jubilee's eyebrows are so very high. So very curious. But if being Laura's friend is teaching _her_ one thing, it's that sometimes you want to take things slowly in friendship. She can ask about the fishnets some other time.

She's used to Laura eying her like a target as much as a friend, like she's doing the math on how to fit her in a car trunk or something. It's charming.

Or at least, she doesn't really hold it against her serious friend.

Jubilee's eyes go /wide/ at Gwen, even as she's starting to sway to the music. It's subtle at first, almost more of a gradual roll of her head, and twist of her wrists. But the motions build as she feels out the rhythm, calling out as she guides Laura and Gwen into her dance bit by bit, "Oh yeah! I mean, I'm a gymnast, right? And like... she does things I couldn't imagine doing! Definitely not like two hundred feet in the air while fighting a weirdo on a flying sled or whatever!"

And then, as the dancing gets into full swing... well, Laura might feel a little nudge to her side as Jubilee presses her back against her front, just to make sure she's noticing Gwen's moves. Yes. Her moves. Very good moves.

X-23 has posed:
    Long coats are not great for dancing. They're great for overheating in a dance club. But Laura has endured worse. She gazes over towards the coat check on the way to the dance floor, but it's more of a long stare as she's shuffled in another direction entirely. The talk of Spider-Woman doesn't so much go over her head as she just doesn't respond to it. Who is she going to fangirl over? Nobody off the top of her head. Well. Jubilee is kind of cute. And earnest. And proooobably well-meaning?

    Let's go with that.

    Longing looks at a place to hang up her coat aside, though, she does end up getting stuck in with Gwen and Jubilee. And she can't not see how well Gwen is dancing. She'd have to be blind or completely looking in another direction to not notice it. So she watches and... sways.

    She sways more like a ship on the ocean, though. She rocks back and forth, following the flow of the crowd, letting the dances around her dictate the rhythm. If she goes with the flow, maybe she'll blend in enough and--oh she's being pressed against some. Green eyes flicker over to Jubilee and she gives her a nod. "...she moves very, very well. Are you suggesting I can learn something from her?" she asks, perhaps a question that comes with ambiguity. Dancing and fighting? Laura on a pole?

    At least with the urging she's moving a little more, eyes closing now as she chases the tempo and rhythm of the music like she's on the hunt for the beat.