Flux wants to make you to feel.... (capriccio) wrote in schisms, @ 2019-03-18 11:08:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !character: brooklyn rowan, !character: julia askor, !complete, !log |
Who: Brooke & Julia
What: Hang out~
When: BACKDATED: Early Feb
Where: Brooke’s apartment to laser tag
Warnings: None
Hang outs in general were always fun and those with Brooke certainly had never failed to deliver. Now the question of what they were doing would be a different conversation altogether as there had been mention of night time laser tag but realistically you didn’t need to buy tickets for that in advance or anything. Not like the bungee jumping they’d possibly be trying out next week. Julia had gone ahead and done a little bit of research on appropriately legal bungee jumping and the only thing that had immediately come up was like a 3-day long excursion to a special site that cost $600 a person with an expert group that would walk you through everything you needed to do, not do, know and supply you with all the equipment that would be required as well. Which… Lead into a whole other area of potential issues as well… Julia wasn’t sure her and Brooke needed like… A three day excursion. Admittedly, it was a full trip that had included white water rafting and other things up in Canada too, but… Well… Did she want to take a three day trip with one person who wasn’t one of her band members? The question had launched her into a lot of personal questioning and confusion and weirdness. They were friends! Friends took trips! …. Then why did the idea of asking Brooke to go on a three day trip with white water rafting and bungee jumping feel weird to her? Perhaps the other aspect of white water rafting wasn’t all that appealing either. Julia liked the feeling of falling, of diving and then swimming, of feeling the air fly by her as her body dropped, but the idea of possibly getting tossed into some sharp rocks or thrown violently out of a boat careening down a river? Not so much. She was a bit of a thrill seeker when left to her own devices - falling from great heights was freeing, made her feel alive - but the white water rafting? Yeah, okay, not so appealing. But going back to Google and then to Yelp had netted her all of zilch on actual legal bungee jumping options. There were some really cool trampoline parks or sports things but nothing like what they’d talked about. There was of course the illegal bungee jumping option but with how the band had been going and with Brooke’s wings they’d likely get identified and arrested pretty quick. Sure Julia had the money for bail but the idea of having to pay bail sounded horrible plus the glares she’d get from Monica for years to come? Totally not really worth it. Though there was also the option of potentially mentioning the possibility of a three day escapade with a friend to Monica and Yessi and that would get her looks too… And questions… Both things she wasn’t entirely sure she was comfortable dealing with right now either because…. Reasons. Instead she’d bring it up with Brooke, see if maybe they could figure something else out. That was what had lead Julia to the other woman’s doorstep that afternoon with a messenger bag slung across her body and a small nondescript paper bag in one hand. Knocking at Brooke’s door she’d wait for the woman to open it before offering the bag forward - a feeling reminiscent of her delivery days - to the other woman. “Treats for chonk, custom delivery.” A grin spread wide across her face and Julia would wait to be invited inside. Brooke had been busy cleaning her apartment for most of the day. She tended to be a bit of a workaholic when her staff wasn’t looking and before she realized it the day would have swept past her and blossom into nighttime. Since she did not have classes booked, though the studio was still open, she decided that staying home to tidy up was the next thing on her list. And instantly she had regretted that decision. Reynolds was a sprightly chunk but being a Persian cat had its drawbacks. Her everything was covered in cat hair. Long strands of the auburn fur, tufts here and there, hairballs. It was a huge mess and the silly cat rubbed himself on any surface he thought he could even after Brooke had cleaned and straightened it up. By the time Julia had arrived at her door Brooke had given up, showered, and changed. A scratch over the cat’s ears from where he was lounging on the arm of her couch, and she headed to the door with a spring in her step. Overall she was a happy person. It was rare to see Brooke in a state of distress or discomfort unless she just had no way of twisting the situation into something more positive. So it was not uncommon for her to fling the door open wearing a large smile, which was exactly what happened that particular day. And then there was a bag being offered to her, a bag of treats for a certain furry feline who instantly was curious and brushing himself around her ankles desperately. “Julia!” Brooke greeted, singing the woman’s name softly. Waving the other woman in Brooke scooped up Reynolds, tucking the cat under an arm like a football while she carried the bag of treats. “Thank you! It’s so good to see you. Come in, come in!” “Hey!” The grin was obvious and immediate. A beat would be allowed to pass to allow Brooke to take the bag and for Julia to get inside before she’d unshoulder the bag so that it could be left by the door. Only then would the bassist turn to her friend and offer arms out for a hug. “Long time no see, lady.” Julia would jokingly offer. While the last time they had hung out didn’t immediately come to mind the bassist had no doubt it had to have been in the recent past. Though to be fair her schedule was often a mess of appointments, rehearsals and meetings paired with the fact that Brooke had the dance studio and… Well… Schedules didn’t always align so well. “So, tonight. What’s the game plan? There was mention of laser tag?” A beat. “While I am far from opposed by any means, is that what we want to do?” A curious look was cast at Brooke. Moods changed, people changed their minds, and generally Julia was more than happy to just sort of go along for the ride. Though… She was a little worried about Brooke being targeted due to her wings in the laser tag arena… People weren’t always the nicest. Even with treats Brooke was falling into those outstretched arms easily. Her own arms wound around Julia and hugging ensued. Brooke could not help herself, hugging was a favorite thing of hers to do. She only allowed herself a moment to exchange the warm greeting before she was pulling away. Down below came the barrage of needy, desperate mewls. Her legs were grazed with fur - the tail of the husky Persian twisting in between her legs in a figure eight. While Brooke never claimed to be able to communicate with animals, she was hearing Reynolds loud and clear - treats, nao. “Too long,” she teased, offering a playful eye roll. Stepping carefully over the furry cat, Brooke beckoned Julia further into the apartment. “Make yourself at home!” She sang, twirling around in a circle. Her good wing stuck itself out appropriately, narrowly missing Julia in the process before it settled down again. Laser tag was safer for her because of her wings and also do to the proximity; while laser tag was more enclosed it wasn’t as if you were really being shot at with anything except blinking lights. She had fun when she got around to going, it was easier and better when you had a friend. “If you can handle getting your butt handed to you,” Brooke smirked, eyeing her friend playfully. “If you’re not chicken.” Reynolds pawed at Julia’s leg since it was obvious Brooke was not catering to his starvation. The cat meowled deeply, peering up with a grumpy look. “Totes too long.” Julia cheerfully agreed and would follow along into the apartment behind Brooke. A lean back would assist in allowing the wing the space it needed to stretch and bend and move about. There was a bright smile that accompanied the clear joy of her friend though at the sudden fire back Julia’s face fell, concern sweeping over it. “I…” There was a pause as she looked down at Reynolds. Eyes would drift back up to Brooke as she kneeled down to offer the cat pets. “You know, I just wasn’t sure if you might have wanted to do something else.” Julia offered a shrug as her eyes dipped down to the cat that she would continue to pet. “People change their minds.” A beat. “I was just trying to be considerate.” Blinking at the sudden change in the energy Brooke settled down in effort to assess what might have occurred. A tip of her head to the side and her eyebrows arched some. “Not unless you wanted to,” she replied softly. Her words in response had the intent to be playful and offer some competitive edge - the delivery might not have been effective in that sense. Brooke frowned a bit but not for long. “Really, it’s no biggie. I just like having the opportunity to hang out with you, laser tag or really anywhere. I appreciate your consideration, too.” It was nice to know that someone else was thinking about her well-being. Like the water in the ocean she was fluid, willing to go with what sounded the most fun even if that meant a change of plans. As long as Julia was there she felt like she would have fun regardless. It was interesting how Brooke reacted. Sure Julia had started off lightly playful but Brooke had brought this challenging atmosphere in which wasn’t unusual for Brooke from what Julia could remember but it seemed to happen often and had grown to be mildly concerning. Was the other woman trying to prove something? Or did she just feel lots of things should be competitions? Either way… If there was a problem hopefully Brooke would feel comfortable to be honest with her if there was a problem. “I’m good with laser tag.” A smile was offered as a final bit scritch was given behind Reynold’s ears before standing. “I just know you have the studio and you never can tell how people’s days have gone.” Shifting arms would stretch out behind her back for a moment. “Did you wanna head out now? Or did you still need to get ready?” A bit of competition could make things fun in the sense of things like laser tag; being on opposing sides could be fun in the way of light competitiveness. There was no way she was any better than anyone else and she knew that. She had no issues at all with Julia and did not want to seem as if everything in life came with the addition of a one-up, that got old and boring pretty quickly and was liable to sap the fun out of things. A grin met Brooke and she nodded, “I made sure to clear my schedule today to make sure nothing interrupted any plans. If anyone does come by I have a feeling one of the other teachers can take care of them!” She was radiant that the day off meant no interruptions. Brooke was not exceptionally wealthy but being able to hire two additional instructors - even though one was technically still learning - helped ease the need to be there all the time. “We can head out anytime! I’m really excited to go.” “Alright, then as long as Reynolds isn’t going to be too upset with me for stealing you away let’s get a move on.” A nod of her head would be made towards the door.If Brooke was as ready to go as she was saying then the other woman was probably ready to head out before she’d even gotten here. Yet, she’d leave that up to Brooke as to how soon they’d get out as Julia had just arrived it was obvious that she was still pretty much good to go. “How’s the studio been going anyway?’ Because she was interested in her friend’s life and how things were going even if they didn’t get to talk about it all that much. “Aww, grumpy kitty face will be okay now that he has treats,” Brooke cooed. Reynolds peered up at her, tail flicking casually. The funniest part about the cat was its expression - while often flat and perhaps angry looking the feline actually cared quite a lot about things. With adoration Brooke leaned to stroke the cat behind the ears before nodding and stepping backward to give Julia a bit of space. “When you’re ready!” She sang, beaming at her friend. “Oh, it’s great! I’ve had to hire two more teachers to help offset the workload, otherwise I’d never have time for anything!” Teaching was a second passion to dancing; her solitary love was being in constant motion in whatever capacity that held. Her classes grew considerably, one after the other, and while that was a good thing and a good problem to have it meant expanding and bringing in more people. Money was tighter than usual but she had always been good at figuring out how to balance her budget. Brooke grabbed her stuff and smiled at Julia, “What about you? How are things with you?” It’d be easy to turn, opening the door and moving out before waiting for Brooke to lock up appropriately. If so allowed Julia would move to hook arms with the other woman if she so allowed, and if Brooke wasn’t up for it? That was cool too. “Oh good.” Julia grinned. It was great that Brooke’s dance studio was doing so well. It really seemed like things were on the up and up for several people she knew lately and it warmed her heart to know they were all climbing the ladder of success together. Maybe she was a little too cheerleader-y sometimes but it was great watching others grow and thrive. “Things are good.” The grin remained as she’d continue towards their destination. “Lots of work, but it’s good work? Even if the amount is a little stressful sometimes, you know?” Brooke would move out of the apartment after Julia with only a pause to get her coat and her bag. Keys jingled; she took a moment to latch the door and lock up after they had made it to the stoop. Into her bag went her keys and Brooke’s arm would loop around Julia’s extended one. “That’s fantastic!” Truly she was happy for her friend and the success she and her band had. Brooke didn’t follow the band obsessively but she did follow enough to be aware of new songs that might be coming out or what venues locally they might be playing. “I couldn’t imagine all of the stuff you and the girls go through but I bet it’s rewarding.” She knew that feeling of satisfaction from her own adventures into self-employment. “I like to think it is.” Julia confirmed to things going well and it being rewarding. It was amazing how far the band had come in the last few years. She’d never really expected it and Julia had expected it even less with her still being involved. While she always knew Yessi and Monica had tons of talent and work ethic she obviously wasn’t quite as good as either of them even if she did her best to be just as dedicated as each of them were. “So what are your next steps for the studio?” She couldn’t help the curiosity in her voice. “You’ve got hit it big enough to have a couple instructors having joined, what’s next for Dance on Top? When do you see it being dancing on top of the world?” There was a mock reporter voice imitated, like the ones she’d seen on TV or during special events. It was meant to be encouraging but also teasing and playful as she grinned and gently bumped a shoulder against her friend’s. Success came in so many forms - big and small - that sometimes it was hard to spot while other times it nearly knocked you over with the intensity. She didn’t know anyone who was super successful with their career and so knowing Julia and her friends, and knowing that they all three were moving up in the world made her very happy. Her face contorted a bit in thought. “I want to hire more instructors for sure, I’d love to find some professional dancers who might want a break from performing or want to teach in their free time.” She wanted to be the best dance school in New York but she knew that was probably a far fetched idea considering all of the schools in the area that had been there for ages. That voice made her laugh, “Maybe we will start branching out a little bit, too. Yoga, pole dancing classes, burlesque classes, aerial acrobatics.” Moving that fast scared her a little though. She was only one person and it was a small place which would die if it expanded too quickly. “That would be awesome!” Came a sort of encouraging excitement at what Brooke wanted to do with the studio. The idea of getting professional dancers in that just wanted a little side job would be amazing for the studio and really help get it some of the recognition it deserved too. “Ooooo, aerials huh?” The rest of the things Brooke had mentioned were interesting too but the aerials? That really stuck out to Julia. “Soon as you get that going lemme know. I’d love to come check something like that out.” Though she might consider the yoga or pole dancing too… but that would be a talk for another time. Dancing had so many avenues to explore and she wanted to be versatile without stretching herself too thin - which meant hiring more staff to help, especially people with experience in certain fields of movement. “If you know anyone looking for a part time gig that might be interested please give them my number!” When the interest came for aerials Brooke grinned, “For sure!” She knew that mutants like her with wings might not be as adept at aerial acrobatics but someone like Julia would thrive and probably find fun in it. “Laser tag isn’t much further. I’m excited to play!” “I’ll keep my ears open.” Julia confirmed with a nod to Brooke’s ask for sending people her way. Off the top of her head no one was immediately coming to mind but that also didn’t mean she didn’t know anyone either. Now though her mind started running on the possibilities. Who did she know? She had to know someone. “It isn’t!” Julia conformed, clearly excited to get there. “I can’t even remember the last time I went. Everything’s been so busy.” And there was thoughtfulness in her voice as if she were actually trying to pinpoint the last time she’d tried to do anything like this. God it has been forever. “Thanks for coming out with me again. Im glad we’re getting out together.” A smile would be turned on Brooke though even if they were close and the night wasn’t done yet it never hurt to say your thanks when you thought of them. “Oh gosh, I know, right!?” A playful eye roll, but she knew exactly what Julia was getting at. Life had a way of piling on a ton of things and before you knew it you were thirty working at McDonald’s. Not that the scenario would ever happen to them but when it came to finding time to go out and do even small things that were fun was a challenge. “Aww, you’re welcome! Thanks for inviting me.” She was glad she had a friend like Julia who was fun. People she met and knew were varying stages of fun, but the other woman knew how to have fun without going overboard. There was value in the small things. “Oh look, I see the sign!” She nearly leapt off of the pavement. It would seem life had been taking them both on quite the ride as of late, but hey, at least it wasn’t a bad ride at all. Hopefully neither of their lives would turn into some sort of car wreck. No one needed that. “Oh!” Julia couldn’t help but half squeak at the sign coming into view. Even if she had any doubts about their night out prior the notion had long faded away and the nice wall paired with their destination now being so close by cemented that even more. Julia was glad she’d gone out tonight. “You ready to show up everyone in there?” “Let’s do it!” She giggled excitedly, hooking an arm around Julia’s. A half of a skip later and the pair arrived at the intended destination. Teens and even some younger kids were moving in and out through the doors - it was busy but that was alright. It seemed as if everyone there was having a lot of fun. The door swung open, she caught it and held it for Julia and then moved into the place after her. This was going to be a fun night, indeed. |