Tensor

His first week had been pretty uneventful, thankfully. He'd gone down to the Reyes Center every few days to have his burns checked and he was fitting well into his classes - they were different from the ones back home but at least most of the material was the same, except in American history. Jono rather liked it, since America was a lot newer than England was, so there was a lot less of it to learn. None of this 'And then the Romans...' bollocks. However, these kids had been at it longer than he had, so he had more to learn. Not that he minded. American history was almost quaint. There was a small map of the US above his desk right at his eye level. He was still learning all the states. He'd gotten a lot of guff for that, but none of them knew where Whitechapel was, so there.

The tie Josh had knotted so quickly and neatly about his neck more than a week before had served him well, and hung on the doorknob to the bathroom when he wasn't wearing it (most of the time). But after he'd gotten up to wash his hands he'd pulled on it accidentally, and the knot he just slid up when he put it on pulled right out.

Bugger.

(Also? He loved that the 'Mericans didn't think 'bugger' was a curse word.)

Josh had not said which room was his, but he'd mentioned that his boyfriend lived right next door. And to call on him if he had any problems.

Jono paused for a moment with his hand on the doorknob. Had Josh just been being neighborly? After all, he was offering services of someone else. His boyfriend, but still.

Well, no time like the present to go see. He already had demerits for his tie, he didn't need to admit he didn't know how to knot one.

So, holding the length of blue fabric limply in his hand, he stepped into the hall. It was mostly empty because people were doing homework or already in friends' rooms, but Jono paused outside 217. And then he knocked. Three times, firmly.

It was stupid how something so mundane as a day trip into Salem Center could be exciting. Some days, Jamie felt so cooped up at school that he just wanted to bang against the walls. Which, considering his powers, would probably only exacerbate the problem.

Here at the bookstore, though, he felt at peace. This was in spite of the hustle and bustle of Saturday shoppers taking advantage of the post Valentine's Day clearance sales. The steady ebb and flow of customers, the constant hum of their conversation, even the God-awful store soundtrack (Kenny Loggins, really?) was comforting. He was part of things. It was nice.

After way too much time browsing in the graphic novel section, Jamie zeroed in on a thick book of Dashiell Hammett short stories and knew he must have them. This was at the expense of the person he actually elbowed on his rush over.

"Oh God, sorry!" he said, turning their way.

"Come on, it's okay," Clint said, adjusting his grip. "I'm not going to let you fall."

Marissa shook her head, dark curls flying. The wind whipped through them, making them billow like a cloud about her pretty face. Her lips were pressed tight. "Uh-uh, no way--you're crazy if you think I'm going out there with you."

"It's perfectly safe. See?"

Clint let go of the building and took three confident steps backward. Marissa's scream was shrill, piercing, but he just grinned and spread his arms, balancing effortlessly on the tiny beam that ran along the top of the buttress. Below him--very far below him--people crawled like ants in the mosaic courtyard. "If you hold on to me, you'll be safe as houses."

"Why the hell would I want to be out on that ledge, safe as houses or not?"

He fought the urge to show off and instead extended one hand, lips curving up into a warm, sexy grin. "Because I'm out here," Clint teased, meeting her eyes. "And because I have something I want to show you."

He could see her hesitating, slowly relenting. It was just their second date, but things always seemed to move fast with him. Already, she trusted him not to hurt her. Already, she was visibly itching to take his hand. "Well," Marissa said slowly, reaching out. Clint felt his heart lurch when her fingers curled around his, and he was sure she could see it on his face, judging by the way she softened, warmed, began to smile back. "If you promise you're not going to let me die."

"Cross my heart," he said, carefully helping her out onto the ledge with him. It was small, it was high up, it was windy, and it was a very long drop to certain death below, but he didn't feel a moment of fear, and now, neither did she.

Turning toward her warmth, Clint wrapped an arm around Marissa's waist and pulled her close, letting her breath touch his face as he began to move back along the beam, bringing her with him. By the look in her eyes, they could have been safely anchored to the ground.

But the rest of him was soaring.

Ali had called in favors from her contacts in the music business. There was something to be said for having taken a few years off to pursue her recording career. She at least knew all the people to buzz up in order to get something awesome thrown together in a relatively small amount of time. And Lawrence had not disappointed her in the least. The venue he had chosen was one of his lesser known, smaller place. It made it even sweeter than she had played there during her short lived "I am Glam Diva" tour so there was a little nostalgia with it all as well.

It was tucked into a corner and made of red brick. During the day it was a noodle bar but once the sun went down and the dinner crowd went home, there was a whole other side of the Pink Door that came out. Upon walking in there was a mahogany bar that ran the length of the right wall and wrapped around in a L-shape. To the left there were brick arches that separated the bar area from the dance room. There was a projection screen on the wall. As the room went back, it shifted into seating. There were a couple of couches and tables back there as well as the audio station that was equipped with a computer, mixer, etc.

If you kept following the hallway back past the seating area and the audio station, you came to the bathrooms and then a stairway that would take you upstairs to another small section. There was another bar upstairs and more seating. The middle of the floor was open with a balcony so you could look down at the dance floor. If you followed the balcony around you would reach an outside balcony for people who might need a little fresh air without wanting to fight through the crowd.

The lights were flipping around the dance floor. Lawrence himself had agreed to DJ for the party, and he was spinning something hot for them. A projection show of random images was playing on the screen. He had also loaned her a bouncer to stand at the door and check IDs so they could easily mark the people not old enough to drink.

A number of the college students and Cadets were already milling about in the bar area, though no one seemed to have the guts yet to get out there and dance.

OOC: Open to 18+ crowd.

Mark was out for the day and Kevin had come by to see what Evan had sent over. They'd discussed it for a while (and tested the material by making out) before setting it aside for a better time. Spontaneous intimacy was kind of difficult when you had to plan out how to go about touching. The suit had gotten them talking though (as if they ever needed much excuse) and it had lead to nostalgia. Which had ended in Josh showing him the collection Kevin had created and Josh had compiled over the years.

"This one's my favorite," he said, picking up a small gold cast humanoid with outstretched limbs. He rocked his leg, which in turn rocked Kevin's. "I can't believe I actually turned gold." He looked at him from the corner of his eye, beneath gold lashes. "Or that you liked it." He laughed softly.