8/17 - Storm

Aug 24, 2008 15:08


8/18

After dawn, the morning is shrouded, the golden gleam of sunlight obscured by pale shreds of mist and spray. On Sunday morning, even a touristy beach is quiet, with only a few people out walking the surf in the pre-heat pleasantness of the early morning. Ororo walks barefoot amidst the sand and pebbles, looking out at the broad stretch of the ocean that fills the world to the horizon, her composure quiet. She is wearing blue jeans and a thin sweater of rich red, a splash of bloody color against the relative paleness of the sand.

It is an ungodly hour of the morning. Seriously. Jubilee says that every time she heads out on a run. But hey, there is a beach, and if she closes her eyes, it's close enough to California to pretend for a few minutes. Dressed in running shorts, shoes, tanktop, and headphones, she's a riot of colors against the pale sky. She spies the weather-witche's familiar form and angles off the sidewalk and down toward the beach, slowing to a skipping sort of jog as sand creeps into her shoes. "Hi, Roro!" she calls out cheerfully, tugging the headphones from her head.

"Good morning, Jubilee," Ororo says lightly, drawn from whatever her contemplation of the water by the younger woman's greeting. Her eyes flick to the headphones, and then down to shoes. Both, as far as she is concerned, are totally alien to the beach experience. But then, she is not Californian! And she doesn't like shoes anyway. "Enjoying the fresh air, I see."

Jubilee pants lightly and tosses off a brilliant smile that flashes white against gold. "Yeah. Not gonna get much of that over the next few days," she replies with a wink. She drops backwards to land in a sandy heap at Storm's feet and starts trying to imitate her by tugging at her shoes. ""

"That much is certain." Storm turns her gaze up to the sky, her hands fallen to her hips with the slight roll of her shoulders, and the curve of her mouth twitches in a slight smile. "I am a little sorry that I will not be up there with you." But her claustrophobia and her fears about the lack of air aren't sorry at all!

"Well, /I'm/ glad you're not. Makes /me/ feel better havin' ya down there in the control room thingy." One shoe down! She digs her toes into the sand and wiggles them before turning her hands to her other shoe. "But it should be interestin' at least. Now maybe those astronomy lessons'll stick with me. Assumin' the 'troid doesn't totally wack them up."

Exhaling the breath of a quiet laugh, Ororo inclines her head. "I suppose there is that," she says, and shifts her weight back on one heel, her arms folding loosely over her stomach. "Hopefully you won't need to steer by the stars. I think there are plenty of scientists engaged to handle the astronomy for you all."

"Darn. And I was totally going to ask to drive the thing." Jubilee pulls off her other shoe and sock, and stuffs the sock into the toe before starting to tie the shoes loosely together. "It's kind of scary though. For real," she adds softly a moment later.

"Yes?" The single syllable is offered quietly, with understanding and rue mingled together in Ororo's expression. Her shoulders twitch, with the suppression of a more self-involved response involving her own fears, and her head cants slightly to one side. "I think you are very brave to face it."

Jubilee rolls her eyes and tips her face up, an impish grin masking sincere idealism. "Nah. I'm not doin' much. I mean, everyone else has figured out how to do it. It's just point and shoot with me. It'd be someone else up there if not me, so why not me?"

"I don't think it would be someone else up there, if not you," Ororo says with quiet warmth, slim brows lifting over vivid blue eyes as she glances over Jubilee. Her bright energy a warming thing, Ororo finds it heartening and answers it with a grin of her own. "But if it's modesty you want, I'll allow it of you."

Jubilee crinkles her nose and holds a hand out for a help up. "That's me. Miss Modest and Retiring X-Kid 2008."

Storm lends Jubilee her arm, pulling her to her feet. Her fingernails gleam bluey silver with a fresh coat of polish. This is what she did rather than sleep last night, with toes to match. Don't tell! "Knock 'em dead, kid," she says. "All those rocks. I've been thinking of starting a betting pool on which of you nabs the most, but I'm afraid Tony Stark might win, and I think I'd find that depressing."

Jubilee laughs, the sound bright and pure and-- apparently enough to send a nearby flock of gulls scattering. Hmph. "Bet on me. I'm the only one up there who can actually aim."

Ororo's laughter is low, rich and mellow counterpoint to the younger mutant's bright sparkle. But she does laugh, and her smile still lingers afterwards. "Well, hopefully the rest did get /a little/ practice with that over the past few weeks," she says, a trifle dry.

"Yeah, but so did I," Jubilee says with a wink, squeezing the hand still holding onto Ororo before releasing it and spinning in place to face the resettled flock of birds. "They're gonna have ta work hard ta keep up with me!"

"That's for sure," Ororo agrees. She takes a deep breath of the sea air, and looks out over the water. "Have you had breakfast yet?" Then she frowns and asks a more salient question: "That is, are you allowed to eat breakfast, being an astronaut later today and all?"

"If not, they're gonna have to deal. I /demand/ chocolate chip waffles before going off to save the world. Cause if I don't, I sure won't have any ta come back to. Join me?" She takes off in a bouncy trot toward the birds, flapping her hands to scare them back into flight.

"All right." Ororo frowns slightly as she falls in step at a longer, less bouncy stride, following after Jubilee. She does not flap at any birds, either, although she does watch the gulls scatter with faint amusement in her gaze. "Although I can't say I'm sure about the chocolate chips."

storm, asteroid

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