16697/Once upon a time on the subway..

Once upon a time on the subway..
Date of Scene:	28 December 2023
Location:	Subway Car
Synopsis:	Bad guys in the Subway. Flying around in the Subway. No one was hurt at least.
Cast of Characters:	Julian Keller, Roxanne Spaulding

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Julian Keller has posed:
3 am is an interesting time to ride the subway. The cars are mostly empty. only those who are leaving work late, or heading into work super early are on the subway. So it's easy to find a seat, unlike in a few short hours the subway cars will be absolutely packed with people heading into work.

This particular train is heading southward, towards the finance district. A young man sits, with his legs stretched out. He wears a trench coat over his business suit, but by the looks of it, he isn't heading into work, his tie is loose, and his hair is a mess and he has that look of been up all night, rather then the just work and is hurrying to get to work to prove himself.

He's fiddling with his phone, but soon realizes that there are dead spots. Even if the system has been built out so that commuters can still have access to the cellular network, there is slowness and dead spots galore. During this one dead spot, he visibly gets annoyed as he tries to swipe something. Once. Twice. "Fuck." He mutters, and tries to do it again and again but it for whatever reason what he is doing isn't getting the results. In his obvious frustration the phone slips from his hand and goes flying hitting the ground and sliding to a halt face up at someones feet.

On the display? No, it's not Tinder (he did that earlier), it's oddly a Korean kpop girls group - IVY and there totally danceable song, I am.

Roxanne Spaulding has posed:
After a night of barely getting any tips, of older men flirting thinking they'd get anywhere with her, and of course, having to threaten to destroy the entirety of the bar if she didn't get her fair share of the evening meant the night shift as a bartender at one of the local dives was a little more than stressful.

Having gotten on the subway earlier, she sat in one of the areas not too far from Julian at the initial uptake. For her part she was dressed simply, in a pair of boots (with the fur) with a pair of jeans (not applebottom) tucked into them. Wrapped up in a simple COLLEGE hoodie and then a navy peacoat, she's just listening to something on her earbuds.

What is she listening to? Ivy's Love Swim (love dive).

GLancing about as the seemingly well dressed finance bro heads on over, she catches sight of the MV and chuckles under her breath.

Julian Keller has posed:
Rising slowly, Julian stretches a bit before moving towards where his phone has ultimately slide to the stop against the foot of the standard issued basic girl fur lined boots. He flashes a quick smile before reaching down with his gloved hand to pick up his phone.

It's a struggle. His fingers seem to work, but they don't work in concert. They wiggle at odd times causing his grip to slip more then a few times. "Dammit, work." Julian mutters under his breath as he fumbles for a few moment before with a growl deep in his voice uses both hands to scoop up his phone and as he rises has a look of concentration in his eyes. "Work," he says under his breath and suddenly his fingers seem to work properly again and he's tucking his phone in the inside pocket of his trench coat.

His gaze turns to the younger woman, appraising her a moment before he sits down across from her and flashes her a charming smile his blue eyes twinkling. It's a look she has likely seen a hundred times or more from drunk patrons. "Coming or going?" He asks her his arms crossing over his chest, hiding his hands from view.

Roxanne Spaulding has posed:
If she notices that there's a lack of coordination with his fingers, she makes no mention of it. There's lots of possibilities as to why it wouldn't be coordinated. MS? Parkinson's? There are numerous neurodegenerative diseases after all. Michael J. Fox did a good job in awareness for the public, Roxie included.

"Going back home from work." she tells him. "I'm a bartender." she explains why she's still out and about before looking to his phone.

"So are you watching them because you like the music or because they're hot?" she asks, clearly talking about the Ivy MV he has on his phone.

Julian Keller has posed:
A brow lifts as he settles easily in his seat across from him, his legs crossing out in front of him his Louis Vuitton's clean as a whistle. "Ah. A bartender? Probably some dive place?" He says with an appraising look at her. Almost like there is a moment of judging her. "Putting yourself through college. An education is good."

His brow lifts and suddenly his haughty demeanor shifts and his smiles bashfully his face transforming into much more boyish then manly. "Both?" He says with a broad smile. "I don't know why, but there damn songs are so catchy even if I can't understand most it."

Roxanne Spaulding has posed:
The automagical assumption that she's in university amuses her. She does look the part though. "Yes on the dive. I like dives. They're usually less crowded but the tips suck. At least the drinks are simple, nothing too fancy where you have to study the menu." Roxie replies, apparently having tried the more upscale sort of bar.

"And they are catchy. That one is about coming into yourself and acknowledging it." Oh, is she a Koreaboo too? "Is that a one off or are you a K-pop afficionado?" Cause there are a lot of hot girl groups.

Julian Keller has posed:
"You like working in a dive." It's not a question but a statement. And it's one that has Julian quite honestly trying to puzzle out. "That makes absolutely zero sense." He shakes his head and looks across mystified by it. "But, I guess if you like living that life. Who am I to question." Judgey much?

His smile returns, though, his obvious dislike for her chosen profession, pushed aside as a different common ground is brought up. "Not as much of an afficionado as my downloads would suggests. But, yeah. I like Pink Black, New Pants, STB." He shrugs his shoulders, his hand slipping out of his pocket and he absently stritches his nose his long finger moving a little oddly before he hides it. "Got into when I was in Korea visiting."

Roxanne Spaulding has posed:
Her brows furrow at the seeming judgeyness of the young man before her. There's a bit of a roll of her eyes at the comments, so instead, she focuses on something that makes her not want to punch him in the throat. Julian is oh so punchable in her opinion after all.

"I like Blue Velvet a lot." Roxie tells him. "But I do have a special place in my heart for Pink Black's Restart. Anything that can incorporate classical in a Kpop girl group rap? I'm down for that."

Julian Keller has posed:
He's been clocked a time or three, likely. Especially when he's got that haughty smug better then you sort of look on his face. It's not there, at least for this moment in time. "I love Blue Velvet." He gushes. "Oh! I just found La Angel. Don't Forgive is so catchy. I just like how danceable this shit is." He flashes a grin, "that is when I'm not watching the videos cause of the hotness."

The train suddenly rolls to a stop, halfway between stations. The lights dim, and the ding of the speaker is heard before the engineer of the train comes on with her think Bronx accent. "Shit broke, folks, sit back and we'll move when we move."

This causes Julian to roll his eyes. "I should have just taken the damn limo. Would have been there already." He shakes his head. "This waiting around sucks, ya know?"

Roxanne Spaulding has posed:
"Pfft. Don't Forgive is alright, but Lilith, Psyche, and Blackbeard's Wife is waaay catchier." Roxie says, apparently having a strong opinion on such matters. "Don't Forgive is a bit overplayed." That's said with a slight shrug before she chuckles softly. "It's why they have complex choreo. It's meant to be danced to."

When the train stops, she braces herself, grabbing on a nearby pole to not shake so much. There's a soft sigh as she leans back in the chair, "At least we have our phones. I mean..."

Before she finishes her statement, the talk of limos causes her to squint. "I mean, if you have a limo, even I'm wondering why you're on the A-train."

Julian Keller has posed:
"You are delusional!" Julian says his feet uncrossing and he shifting to lean forward his hands coming out and as he talks his hands wave about. There is some natural movement but there is a stiffness about it that makes it odd. "Don't Forgive is there best! The change of tempos and everything!" He scoffs a bit more before leaning back into his seat tucking his hands away once more.

"I was running late. Told the damn driver 230 on the dot. Got pissed off so decided to slum it on the train." He shrugs his shoulders and is about to add more when the doors to the train open and a group of young adult, about 10 of them, not much older then the pair of them, saunters into the train. They don't look like they are here for a casual chat or friendly discourse. "Alright. It's real fucking simple. All your wallets and purses and phones. Or we're going to fucking beat everyone down.

Julian sighs and lowers his head as he rises. "Fucking great, just what I need. Trying to get into a girls pants and it's interupted but hooligans. This night fucking sucks."

Roxanne Spaulding has posed:
"I mean, it's alright, but..." and that's when she looks at the ten thugs, and she lets out a hearty laugh at the mention of trying to get into her pants. "I'm telling you now." Roxie says, looking over Julian. "I don't sleep with finance bros." Cause that's what she figures he is.

"DO YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY, BITCH?" one of the thugs yells at her, reaching down to grab her by the arm, with clear ill intent in his eyes. "What if I just take more than your money?!?"

If there's one thing she does NOT appreciate, it's being manhandled in a non-sexual way. Roxanne Spaulding furrows a brow as she looks at the ten. Her gaze flits about, trying to find just the right position as she feels out the warps of space from gravity.

Finding the perfect spot, a sort of 'center of gravity' between the ten thugs, she purses her lips and flashes a smile, "Please let me go, sir."

Before the thug can answer, he, and the others are drawn together, in quick circular motions, like water running down a drain. They're caught in a gravity well after all, and with their combined masses and the dip of the gravity well, well, they're water going down the drain. After a few quick circles, they're smashed into each other and have a hard time, a very hard time getting up.

Julian Keller has posed:
"Good think I'm not a finance bro," Julian quips back before turning to look at the thugs. With a flurry typical of comic characters, he flings his trench coat, added oddly by a green glow for a briefest of moments. As it flutters dramatically behind him and filters to the ground Julian's head lowers and his body posture shift. His arms flexing his his suit jacket. Strong. Ready for a fight. His fist pounds into his hand and the sound is not normal.

Slowly his head rises his eyes glowing an unnatural green, "You bette..." his voice trails off as he witnesses what he will describe as a hooligan whirlpool. The green in his eyes wink out and he turns to look down at the Roxy. "Mutant?" He asks his head tilting to study her a little more.

Roxanne Spaulding has posed:
It's something she's been wanting to try for a while, but hasn't had the chance to. Basically, drain the streets of New York from it's evil and grossness.

When Julian puts his attention on her, she blinks for a few moments, losing her concentration, and the thugs just flump down on the ground, a little worse for wear. Pursing her lips, she mulls things over, and knowing the general attitude towards mutants, she simply shakes her head. "No."

Her eyes squint a little. Did she notices the unnatural green glow, she cants her head. "You?"

Julian Keller has posed:
Julian Keller Watches the thugs drop with a thunk. Having been spun around like a whirl pool leaves them stunned and dazed. Several try to stand but end up falling over and hitting the wall and seats. It's all very Benny Hill-esque.

"Hmm?" Julian asks looking over towards Roxy. "With a world full of strange and the unknown, not all things make them a mutant." He laughs suddenly flashing a broad grin at Roxy his eyes suddenly glowing green and he turns to look at the group of weebbles that are wobbling and a green wall forms infront of him and slowly pushes forward. The thugs go ack and scream as they get pushed towards the door and pressed against it. The seats tear off the floor, not having the fine control that is needed to navigate those obstacles.

"Whoops," Julian says with a shrug, his eyes winking out that green glow and the wall dropping. "So. That was interesting."

Roxanne Spaulding has posed:
There's the Green Lantern-esque wall that appears and she squints once more, studying Julian for the briefest moments, until the seats are torn as well. With a wince, she looks back towards him, "Okay, Carrie, we've gotta get off at the next stop." she says with more than a bit of urgency.

It's not like she has that fine control yet, but she at least has an excuse of still being relatively new to her powers without Xavier like training. Buuuuurn.

Julian Keller has posed:
The train has stopped. Julian looks at the young woman and nods his head. He's about the reply when the chimes ring and the bored engineer is heard over the loudspeaker. "Okay folks we're going to be here for a bit. Take a nap. I am."

Julian looks to Roxy and laughs. "Well, we either need to sit tight. Or we," he hitches his thumb towards the door, "we exit stage right sort to speak." He turns and grabs his jacket and folds it over his arm, seemingly making a choice he moves towards the door. Hitting the door release does nothing. But grabbing them and forcing it open does. Especially with added by TK green glowing power. Hopping down he looks up at Roxy, "You coming? I'm sure we can find an accees point up. I'll pay for your cab home."

Roxanne Spaulding has posed:
"If I get hit by an oncoming train, I'm going to haunt your ass." she replies, looking more than a bit unsure, but surely, leaving now is better than dealing with the authorities to answer questions. As she wraps herself up once more, she follows along when the door is essentially ripped open and she pulls out her iPhone to act as a flashlight through the dark tunnels.

"There has to be one around here." Cause the movies seem to indicate that they're just everywhere.

Julian Keller has posed:
His hand reaches up to help her down. Sure he could try to use TK powers to help her down, but that might end badly. His hand is.. a hand but there is something odd about it. Lifeless almost, but it moves somewhat naturally. It's grip soft. Once down he turns to look left and right down the tracks. This section is double tracks with a small concrete ledge on the opposite side to walk on.

"Why would you haunt my ass? I mean it's a good ass, but if you were to haunt me I'd think you'd pick something other then my ass."

He easily steps over the track keeping sure not to touch the middle one. Don't need to get electrified like Pikachu. Letting her lead, he walks behind her, pulling out his own phone to get more light. There is some lighting in the tunnels, but it's few and far between and flicker from time to time.

"Julian." He says almost as an after thought as the walk along the path. "And unless you want me to call you Sweet Cheeks or Sweetums, or Doll or some other mysognistic sort of name, can I get yours?"

Roxanne Spaulding has posed:
Did he just reach out to her with a prosthetic. It's an odd sensation, it's not exactly a fleshy hand, but it's also not cold. She doesn't press the issue, instead just taking the help to wander back onto the tracks.

"It would make going to the bathroom scary as shit." Yes, she's continuing with the ass puns in this case.

A shit-eating grin curls onto her lips as she follows along, making sure she doesn't touch any of the rails before quirking a brow at his introduction.

"Roxie." she offers as introduction. "So you're a teke then?" she asks, "Can you fly. Might be easier to find the way out."

Julian Keller has posed:
"For who? Your ghostly body or me?" Julian asks with a soft laugh. His guard is down a bit, his laughter easy and smile even easier as they walk along the path. "Look, if you want to look at my ass all you have to do is ask." He looks over his shoulder and gives her a broad smile and a wink.

"I'm magic!" Julian says with a laugh. Then shakes his head not able to keep the joke up. "I am a teke, as you call it." He ponders a moment and gives a nod of his head. "Aye, I can fly. I could carry you, I think, but we have only just met and didn't want to assume you'd want to be picked up by a guy."

Roxanne Spaulding has posed:
"Dont need to be carried. I was offering if you wanted a lift." With that, she takes in a deep breath, and soon enough, she's floating just a few inches off the ground. Sometimes, this feels more natural to someone with complete control over one of the fundamental forces of the universe.

"I thought you were one of those Green Lantern types, but I didn't see a ring." she says, motioning towards the seemingly lifeless hands.

Julian Keller has posed:
"Ah," Julian stops and looks at the woman floating above the ground. He tucks his cell phone away after putting his jacket on. His body suddenly is covered in a green glow and likewise he too floats off the ground. "No. No green lantern type. My power comes all from me."

His eyes suddenly light up and dance with mischief, his smile becoming boyish. Suddenly he reaches out and touches Roxy's shoulder. "Catch me and I'll buy you breakfast. If you don't, I buy you dinner." And just like that he's rocketing down the subway tracks.

This is the weirdest way to get a date.

Roxanne Spaulding has posed:
"I do prefer someone who is entirely self-sufficient." she says with a coy smile curling onto her lips, Her brows furrow as he starts to zip zoom ahead of her.

As he departs, she balls her right hand into a fist, squinting in his direction. If anything, Julian might find himself needing to exert more energy just to keep himself aloft, almost as if he's getting heaver; cause he is.

Hoping that it slows him down enough so she can catch up, she tries to follow along. It's not like she's the fastest flyer, but she does what she can.

"Just don't run into a subway car and go splat!"

Julian Keller has posed:
"I'm rich?" Julian counters with a quick grin, "That sufficient enought?"

Gravity is a bitch. However, his powers are based on the mind. Unless she amps up the gravity he wouldn't notice it really. Not flying at least because he's powerful enough to hurtle cars. He glances over his shoulder, he's not going full speed, just fast enough down the tracks to keep ahead. Laughter is heard as she calls out. "Sadly, the subway car would go .."

It happens so fast. Around the bend the train comes. It's lights bright and the horn sounding loudly. "Fuck.." Julian says and quickly changes course back the way he came.

It all happens so fast. One minute zipping down the tracks. The next? Roxy is being bear hugged and rocketed upwards. Look at that. There is an access ladder after all. It's a tight fit but Julian keeps his arms around her. "You had to go and jinx it, didn't you?"

Roxanne Spaulding has posed:
There is some warning as they zip zoom ahead. The subway cars are loud, and her eyes widen as she starts to see the lights towards her.

Like a deer in headlights, she pauses, before she's suddenly scooped by Julian as he does his best Superman impression by bearhugging her and flying towards the nearest exit which would happen to be an access with a rather heavy manhole cover on top.

Not knowing where it's going to lead, she squints, "Slow down! We might run into a car!" and she looks towards the manhole cover as it slowly starts to move upwards. So far, no sounds of honking cars or incoming traffic, so that's good.

Julian Keller has posed:
Even at three am the City that Never sleeps is true to its name. Even if at first there are no cars passing over head. One soon does, knocking the man hole cover back into place with a deafening thunk. Julian, still holding onto Roxy as he presses his body into her, seems to realize what he's doing and his arms lets go and he scoots back just a bit. It's still a tight fit, but now there is a little space between them.

A little. Not even a piece of paper would fit between them.

"So, we can chance the manhole, or we can totally float down to the tracks and find another route." He purses his lips and looks down at the woman, "Or we can just cuddle here for a bit, tell each other our lives stories, fall madly in love with each other and go home to sleep and wake up wondering was it all a dream?"

Roxanne Spaulding has posed:
"You're a cocky one, aren't you?" Roxie asks, with a soft chuckle of amusement, before she points upwards to where the manhole cover lifts higher and higher. So far, it doesn't hit a car, truck, or something else. There are no sounds of oncoming traffic, and so as they remain not too far from the surface, she simply says.

"Let's go up the manhole cover. I normally don't fall madly in love until at least the fourth date." she says with a little snicker as she looks towards him expectantly to bring up back to the surface world!

Julian Keller has posed:
"I am pressed up against you and feel every bit of your body," Julian says with a bit of a smirk, "I'd be a fool not to be cocky in this situation, don't you think?"

His gaze goes to the manhole as it lifts into the sky.

Slowly he lifts the two of them up out of the man hole. When there heads peak up a delivery truck drives towards them forcing Julian to drop them a few feet so they don't get decapitated. Also results in more pressing together. "Let's try that again." Upwards he lifts and this time there truly is no traffic and floating them to the side he sets her on her feet.

"That long? I can do it in two." Julian says his grin broadening. He's pressed close for a moment, before he takes a step back from her. "So. Any idea where the hell we are at?"

Roxanne Spaulding has posed:
"Not every bit." Roxie quips with a silly little sort of smirk. "And the cockier you are, the more disappointment you're in for."

And then they start rising to the very close call with death and decapitation. "HOLY AKJRHSKJHEAKJh Yes, that was a bunch of gibberish, as that's what was on her mind when she was trying to not get decapitated. The sudden up down motions causes her to get a little queasy, and when they finally land on the surface, she peels herself immediately from him to the side and she dry heaves.

After she finishes hacking up nothing, with her tumtum still queasy, she grumbles. But she looks around and notices that things are a little more bougie, more WASP, more gentrified.

"Brooklyn." she deadpans. "We'ree definitely in Brooklyn."

Julian Keller has posed:
"Enough to know I like what I feel," He quips back and waggles his brows. "Disappointment?" He purses his lips and shrugs his shoulders. "I'm a walking disappointment, Roxy. Story of my life."

He steps towards her and places a comforting hand at the small of her back, his other hand pulling her hair back as she bends over to do her dry heaving thing. The hand at the small of her back softly rubs, but it is almost like it's lifeless. You feel something, but you don't feel something either. Mechanical in a way. "Better?" He asks, his hand lingering on the small of her back before he steps back from her. "Sorry about that. Figured it was better then becoming headless or me destroying another innocent delivery truck."

He looks around and nods his head. "Brooklyn," his brown lifts and he looks down at Roxy. "You live around here? Or we on the other side of the city that we need to be?"

Roxanne Spaulding has posed:
Once she recovers from dry heaving, she just grumbles, definitely still looking a bit pale. That's what happens when you can't experiencing a sudden shift in g-forces that fast. Maybe she needs more training. Or she needs to eat less, one of the two.

The comforting pat on the small of her back makes her bows her head with thanks as she wipes some spittle from her lips. "I'm all the way in Lower East Side. I just came this way to grab some things from a local deli here. Best. Salami. Ever."

Julian Keller has posed:
Julian Keller pulls out a hankerchief from his suit pocket and offers it over to her. It's clean. No errant boogies in it. "You got a little something," he says before she can wipe the spittle from her lip.

"Fuck me," Julian says looking around. "I got on the wrong damn train. I was supposed to be going to the Finance district. Now you are telling me I am in Brooklyn? Son of..." He gives her an appologetic smile. "Gotta blast, Roxy. Have a call to London in.." he looks at his phone, "10 minutes. He pulls a card out of his jacket pocket and hands it over and poof he's flying off into the night sky.