5575/Brunchin' It Up

Brunchin' It Up
Date of Scene:	17 October 2018
Location:	Manhattan, New York City
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Dazzler, Rogue

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Dazzler has posed:
Place: High Street on Hudson, Manhattan
Time: some time late in the A.M.

    Alison sits at a table sort of secluded from the rest of the restaurant, and has ordered a water with berries in the bottom as she waits for her brunch date to arrive. She's dressed in Manhattan fall casual--black, black, and more black--but she can't stop herself from including hints of color; black knee-length sweater dress with a large black belt, and black knee-high boots with a sturdy heel, but a scarf of whorling pinks, whites, and pale yellows is wrapped artfully around her throat, protecting it from the chilly weather. She also has on some black sunglasses, in the hopes that she attracts as little attention as possible. Her light blonde hair is loosely wavy, as though she didn't take time to flat iron it, this morning, and worn free about her shoulders.

    Late last evening, she'd been going through her phone contacts, cleaning it out on a whim, and came across the name of a friend she hadn't spoken to in a while. She sent out a brief text, saying hello and asking for a general update. Then, asking if she'd like to meet for brunch, once she learned they both lived in Manhattan. After making a reservation, she sent the info to Marie, with a mid-late morning time. Now, she sits in wait, idly perusing the menu and contemplating what to get.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue got the text while she was in morning classes at college in the village, she had a free time for lunch though and agreed to meet with the friend from Xavier's. So it takes a few more minutes for her to arrive, likely giving Dazzler time to settle in and relax a bit in the place, but eventually she does arrive via a skateboard outside. She's still only 19, and the skateboard 'cover' is a hell of a good way for her to get around... She can glide along on the ground with the use of her flight power and no one is the wiser for it!

The board is stepped off and deposited into a hoop on her satchel, she enters the building a few seconds later, holding the door open for some folks leaving and sharing smiles with them. Rogue's got a dark green wool knit cap down over her head, holding her brown/white hair down around her face. She's also wearing a charcoal colored peacoat that is only partly buttoned up over a hoodie and a tanktop beneath, with blue jeans and leather boots finishing her attire. All of her clothing looks brand new, because... well, all her other clothing was lost when the Avengers Mansion disappeared a few weeks ago.

After a second of searching, Rogue spots Alison and heads toward her. A big smile is shown from the 19 year old. "Hey." She tells her. "Damn, you look nice!" Her voice is quite sincere in that regard too, because its true. "This place is hoppin'!" She adds with a glance around the joint too.

Dazzler has posed:
    Alison's smile, as she looks up to see Marie arrive, is brilliant. She gives her an enthusiastic little wave and beckons her to sit down. "Heyyy, yourself, lady! You look great, too!" she says brightly, making sure Marie has her menu as soon as she's seated and comfortable. "Yeah, isn't this place neat? I saw a review on it that made me think, 'I should try it out, sometime!' And, then, I was always so busy with touring and whatnot, and I'd always forget..." she talks animatedly, using her hands.

    "But, this seemed like the perfect time!" she exhales, taking her sunglasses off to take in a better look at her friend. "Gosh, you're even prettier than the last time I saw you! Those boys are eating their hearts out, I bet," she grins. "OH! Before I forget, they say their breakfast sandwiches are the best in New York! So, keep that in mind," she says, pointing at the section on the menu.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue just has to grin at the compliment about her looks and the boys bit, that part makes her smirk too though and she looks away. "Oh yeah." She says. "Beaten'em off with both hands." And yeah thats a joke, a scandalous one, but still. "Especially when they find out about my 'gift' then they just line right up t'get put inta comas." There's a heavy amount of sarcasm in her voice and all of this is spoke after she settles in across from Alison.

Rogue's left gloved hand rises up and she pulls her wool cap off of her head, leaving her hair in a bit of a disarray, but she's got so much of it and its generally always in that state that she's used to it doesn't pay it any real heed. Her green eyes drop down to the menu and the bit about the breakfast food has her smiling again. "Sounds like a challenge I'm gonna have t'take." She starts flipping through the menu before she looks up again. "So what about you? What the heck has been goin' on? You takin' the world over yet? I don't pay a whole lotta attention, so it wouldn't shock me if ya had!"

Dazzler has posed:
    Of course, Alison is aware of poor Rogue's struggles with her 'gift,' but she also knows that won't stop the ardor of young men in the face of Marie's beauty and wonderful personality. She simply smiles at the comment and nods, "I'm sure they are. Love always finds a way. Remember that." She touches the tip of her nose, then points at the younger girl. "Even if they don't say it, I'm sure there are quite a few boys and girls who are probably scrawling your name in a notebook when you're not lookin'," she says with certainty. "I ought to write a song about that," she trails off in a dreamy, muse-inspired tone, absent mindedly reaching for her phone to make a note about it.

    That done, she tucks her phone into her purse so it won't distract her further, and regards the menu. "I know I should be eating something more savory for lunch, but I really want one of those pistachio spice cakes! That, and some hot cinnamon tea... If they have any, that is..." she murmurs, scanning the menu looking for the drinks. "What looks good to you?" she asks, peering over her menu, as though Marie's has some secrets hers doesn't include.

    "Ohhhhh, me?" she exhales with a laugh. "Well, I finished that last tour and, while I love my fans, I dooooo... I think... I wanna try something different. I want to try a new sound. I'm nervous about what the reaction will be, but... Artists can't help where their inspiration comes from, nor what the outcome is, can they?" she asks with a tiny grin. "I'm moving away from the peppy EDM...and want to experiment with indie folk, singer-songwriter stuff. Sad, but beautiful, you know?" she asks. "Maybe it's my increasing years, but I like to wallow in the melancholy -- not really sad, so much as finding the beauty in it, and soaking that in. ...Or, does that sound crazy?" she laughs, running fingers through her tousled locks.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue is all grins at that first bit and she softly nods her head. "Its gotten a lot worse since I become a public member'a the Avengers main roster. Now I'm listed on their main website and... fans... have started following. I mean, part'a that is cool. Like I had someone tweet me a picture'a their little girl wearin' her hair like mine, and punchin' at a sofa pillow. That was cute as hell. But the... uh, ya know, other fans, aren't quite as cute in their approaches." She laughs softly and shrugs her shoulders, which makes her then shrug her jacket off onto the back of her chair. "Whatever though, I handle it."

Her eyes look down to the menu and she has to softly laugh once more. "I want you to order for me, clearly you're better at this than I am. Cause everything you just said sounds fantastic." Another page is flipped in the menu and she raises her eyes up a second later. "Indie and soft music is way more my style than EDM. EDM -can- be good but... I hate it when they just focus on the beat drops." A little sigh and then she clears her throat. When their water arrives, she reaches out for it to take a sip. "I'd totally come watch you do the indie type music though, chill music has been where my headspace is lately."

Dazzler has posed:
    Having been a public figure since before she was capable of knowing how to handle it, Alison completely understands Marie's situation. She nods emphatically, shaking her head in commiseration. "I know what you mean, girl, I *know.* More than once, I've seen somethin' I could've gone my whole life not seeing," she laughs and shakes her head, again. "It's the other things, though, that make it worthwhile, right? That little girl, in her Rogue costume and punchin' pillows? She wants to grow up to help people, just like you. To be strong, like you," she says in a warm voice, her eyes dancing in the soft light of the setting. "That's what makes it worth it. For me, at least!" she grins.

    Looking up, her perfectly shaped brows arch high. "You want me to order for you? Are you sure?" she asks, grinning. "I've never done that, before. Let's see... How about that roast turkey sandwich for you, and I'll get the honey ricotta and toast with the black mission figs... And, we'll get a spiced pistachio cake to split between us? And, I'll have a Sprite with my meal, the cinnamon tea for dessert. What drinks do you want, cutie?" she tells the waiter, leaving the last up to Marie.

    Then, the ordering done, she stretches a bit with a yawn. "I've done my EDM phase. It's time to move on. I'm glad to know you'll be listening to what I come up with," she beams. "I just hope there's not a huge outcry. EDM is kinda over, for the time being, I feel. Until something brings it to a state of newness, freshness... I don't feel my creative juice is there, anymore, in that genre. So, I'm working on a new sound...and, surprisingly, it's hard! Before, it was easy. Singing bright, poppy stuff, bubble gum and glitter. But, now, I want something that takes more of me to make. It's making me feel vulnerable. Nervous, a little," she admits, biting at her lower lip.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue just smiles at the part about their shared understanding of fans, and she nods at the part about the little girl. "It made me tear up, really, just t'see that. Then I laughed cause of the fact the little kid was punchin' things, ya know... violence. But, yeah. We live in a publicly violent world, with fighting happening all too often. Gotta defend ourselves."

The Mississippi native looks up to the waiter then when the order starts going and she just leans back in her chair. "Oh, any kinda tea would be great. Sweet tea is all good with me. The classic southern gal, I guess." A grin is shown but its a reluctant one. She'd left her southern home behind but her roots had dug deep.

"EDM..." She starts then and just softly shakes her head. "I don't know. There's some great stuff there, yours included, but yeah. Times change, tastes change." Another sip of her water is had and she looks up at Alison's eyes. "Ya know the eighties are comin' back in force. I'll get a frizzy hair-doo with ya if ya wanna delve inta that old fad comin' back."

Dazzler has posed:
    Alison smiles at the waiter as they gather the menus and heads off, turning her attention back to Marie. "I'd rather a little girl practices punching pillows than never contemplating the idea that she'd be capable of defending herself or others, but that's me. Girls need good role models like you and me, Marie. We need to let them see they're powerful in their own right, with or without gifts. People say that kind of thing, then they don't do anything about it. But, we can," she says, not sounding forceful...more matter-of-fact, and full of purpose.

    "Then again, I decided a long time ago that I'd use my voice to uplift and encourage others, spread a good message, so I'm sure you've heard all this and more from me," she says, taking a long drink from her berry water. At the mention of the 80s making a comeback, she laughs! "Well, you know me. I'm always game for doing something truly outrageous with my look," she says, tossing her head and primping at her hair with a playful smile. "I've been thinking of what look I should go for, too, to better reflect my indie folk evolution. This might be just the thing! What do you think? A perm? High side ponytail? A Mary Lou Retton bowl cut?"

Rogue has posed:
Rogue waves a tiny little (arguably flirty) wave to the waiter as they leave, because thats just how she is, and then she looks back to Dazz across from her. Her hands come together and her elbows come up onto the table, she brings her hands back to rest her chin on her palms and she stares across the table at Alison like a starstruck fan might. "Wonder Woman already is out there tryin' to inspire all the little girls so much, not sure I could ever compete with that kinda woman. Hell even I have a set of her pajamas, and last Halloween I dressed up in a gold and green version'a that sexy armor she wears." Rogue laughs softly/slowly then as she drops her hands back down to the edge of the table then.

"And yeah, the bowl cut, that would look adorable on you with that blonde hair'n all. You'd be turnin' heads. Not that you don't already..." She glances around the cafe that they're in and has seen more than a few looks just in here.

"Though a bowl cut is just cute, I don't know if I'd go and call it 'outrageous'. Thats usually saved for like... shavin' your head bald. Which I am definitely not for." She lifts her hands up to run her gloved fingers through her wild mane of two-toned hair. "I like this mess I got."

Dazzler has posed:
    Alison waves her hand, herself. But, this time, it's to pooh-pooh the idea that Wonder Woman gets to be the best role model for girls. "Pah! Wonder Woman's amazing, we all know that. But, it never hurts to have more than one strong female role model to choose from, right? I know /I/ like variety!" she grins. "Besides, you can be a role model for girls who are closer to your age, 'cause those girls can see themselves in you. You know? You're relatable!" Dazzler chuffs proudly. "So, don't think that you can't be a face of strength and support for others -- girls and boys, alike."

    "Frankly, with the two of us sitting here, the cuteness factor is pretty much through the roof," she leans forward and stage-whispers, winking. "But, hey. There's no need to go as far as Sinead with this new look deal," Alison says thoughtfully. "I think you'd look awesome with that high side ponytail, personally, and a neon headband, with two arms covered in glittery, clitterclattery bangles," she fantasizes aloud, her eyes wide and bright, her smile infectious.

    And, so the brunch dinner between two friends goes. A pleasant way to spend a late morning-early afternoon in Manhattan. Hell, it's a good time, no matter where you are.