View source for 420/Alton takes Christine on a date in NYC. He failed to mention how fine the fine dining would be.

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2020/03/10
|Location=Daniel's Restraunt, NYC
|Synopsis=Alton and Christine have their first date. Dinner, robbers, movie. The usual.
|Cast of Characters=553,576
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Alton told her to 'dress nice.' He's got one of his tailored suits on himself...like he'd been to the Men's Warehouse and had it tailored. And when he told her it was a nicer restraunt, he failed to mention exactly how nice. Or how he managed to get reservations in like that. Even more notable is being utterly unconcerned by the prices involved. Alton comes from a better family than maybe it looks he did. Daniel's is a very nice restraunt indeed...and it wouldn't be especially surprising if at least one celebrity wandered in.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>To be fair, Christine did dress nicely for an ordinary, first date style, sitdown restaurant. A white scoop-neck, sleeveless dress that came down to a bit below her knees with a slit on the right side going up to mid-thigh, and a pair of black, closed-toe pumps with ankle straps and 3" stilletto heels. She thought she looked stunning. In any other setting. But, compared with all the fashion on display at a $200 a plate restauraunt like this...she seemed rather subdued. In fact...was Christine a bit shorter than Alton remembered, even with the heels she was wearing? She smiles nervously as they get seated. "Ummm...don't get me wrong," she quietly says to Alton. "This is *amazing* and it's mindblowing that you would bring me here. But...just to let you know... there's 'dressing nice'..." She gestures to herself. "And there's dressing *nice*..." she makes a subtle gesture to the occupants of the restaurant. "Sorry. I don't mean to be a bitch...I just, kind of feel...underdressed?" She takes a deep breath and smiles. "Sorry, I'll relax and enjoy now."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Alton chuckles, and replies, "It's alright. I didn't want to tell you exactly where we were going, because I didn't want you to feel pressured to come up with something. I wanted you to be able to enjoy yourself. And...if you look around...nobody's even looking at us. They're too busy with their own dates and own reasons for being here."<br><br>Also, they're not in the public eye for long, as the waiter, with an understanding sort of look, leads the young pair to one of the private booths. A booth so private there's actually a curtain they can pull over if they'd like.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>"Ohhhhh....boy...." Yeah, Christine is looking a bit paniced, spotting some rather famous celebrities eating openly or being lead to private booths like theirs. The fact that Alton can *get* a private booth at a place like this has her slightly freeing out. And...is she shorter than before? Christine closes her eyes and takes some deep breaths to calm down. "Okay. full disclosure. How rich are you to be able to afford this place for a first date? I mean...this is even too good for a prom restaurant." Another quick, deep breath. "Again, not being an ungrateful bitch..." Calm. "I just..really wasn't expecting...*this*"<br><br>Alton's eyes had to be playing tricks on him earlier, becasue now, Christine is the size he had thought she was. He couldn't have seen what he thought, right?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Alton puts a finger over his lips. "Don't tell anyone...but my parents are steel tycoons in Germany. We own a lot of the steel industry, and a lot of the supporting industries that makes the steel industry go. Basically, as long as nobody truly knows where I come from, they won't be treating me like a loan machine. It's happened before." Even people that don't like him will ask him for money.<br><br>Speaking of celebrities wandering on...hey, here celebrating the 23rd anniversary of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it's Sarah Michelle Gellar, and her husband Freddie Prinze Jr. They have the next door private booth, as it turns out.<br><br>Alton thought she was just slumping a little, and didn't quite catch on to what was actually happening.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine relaxes more at the explanation, and nods. "Believe it or not, I understand. I mean, my family isn't as well off as yours, but my dad's made a good living off of his research work. Some drug pattents. I mean, we live in San Francisco for crying out loud." She's smiling, shrugging off her affluent Bay Area lifestyle. "But I get it. I mean, it's a part of you, but you don't want to be like, humblebragging. In addition to the whole attracting moochers thing. I've never had that problem, but I can only imagine how much it sucks to wonder if someone likes you or your money."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Alton's glad of what she told him...if she's not needy, then she's probably not going to like him for that. "I could guess you were better to do than some. It's the needy types that go gold digging immediately, without caring about what or who they've been dating. There's whole movies about people submitting themselves to all sorts of terrible things so they can get half the money in the divorce. All the money in the world will never satisfy greed, though."<br><br>"It's also why you never see me making any charitable contributions in public. People don't need to know what I give...because if they don't know what I give, they don't know what I have."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine thinks about that for a moment, and sort of waggles her head from side to side in a half-nod, half shake. "I mean...I guess? But, isn't it also important to be seen doing things? To inspire others to rise to the occasion? That whole conversation we had with Xio on why Captain America talking to students was just as important as him punching Nazis?" She shrugs a bit, then continues. "It's your money, and it's good that you donate to charity. Most people in your position only do donations for the tax write-offs. And even then, it's usually to some foundation that they're tied to, so it's like the money isn't even leaving them." She takes a breath to calm down, then smiles apologeticly. "Sorry. I just get kind of mad at how unfair the world is or how some people cheat or exploit things becasue they don't think the rules should apply to them."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Alton thinks about that. "...There's a balance, though. To make those contributions in public is to acknowledge what I have to all the world. And when I acknowledge that...yeah, I might inspire some other other people with money...but they're called the 1 percent for a reason. More likely, I'd inspire Greed from the other 99. So...I have to be careful what the net benefit, or loss, is from how I choose to give. My Genonshan donation was totally on the downlow, for example."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>At the mention of Genosha, Christine shuts her eyes, looks down at the table, and hugs herself. "So terrible," she says quietly. "All those lives, gone. All those people killed because they were different." She's silent for a while, then looks at Alton. "With that much hate creating that much power...no wonder mutants choose to hide. And it's only getting worse, isn't it." That's a marked change from the normally happy, optimistic girl that Alton is starting to know. And Christine is fidgeting with her napkin, rolling the fabric between her fingers.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>"Yeah. In that case...it's best not to be traced. The hate people have for mutant kind is considerable. And wealth will not protect from me from raw hatred." From donations, or for other reasons? Alton doesn't specify. "But hiding...there's a time for that hiding to end. Strength will be found again, one way or the other."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine isn't saying anything, just the thought of all those deaths has her numb. BUt then, her head cocks a bit as something Alton said clicks in her mind. "Did..did you say your wealth won't protect you from hatred?" When they were discussing anti-mutant hatred...Christine looks at Alton, examining him, working out something in her mind. It's not cruel or fearful, but there is an air of suspicion about her glance. Finally, she quietly asks what on her mind.<br><br>"Alton...are you a mutant?" Again, there's no fear in her voice, but a hint of suspicion, perhaps?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Alton decides...if he's gonna date this chick, he might as well tell her. "Yes." He doesn't go too far into details yet...particularly because he's already active as a superhero. And trusting people can be difficult sometimes. Besides, he already let too much slip anyway.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine doesn't say anything. She reaches out and takes Alton's hand. She smiles and gives his hand a squeeze of comfrot and support. A glance to make sure that the privacy curtain is closed.<br><br>And this time, there's no mistaking it. Christine shrinks in height by a foot, right in front of Alton's eyes. And he feels her hand get proportionately smaller as well. "Me too," she says.<br><br>And then she's back to normal size. "I can get down to about 1/16". And I can grow, too. Up to 30'." She smirks and tosses her head a bit. "The shrinking's just not as noticable in public." Her hand continues lightly squeezing Alton's, and she's smiilng in relief that all this is out in the open now.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Alton, in turn..."Magnetism is my thing. I...don't want to demonstrate right now. My powers cause what I like to call synaptic static. It's...why Magneto was sometimes pushed to extremes, I think. He wanted to best for mutant kind, but his powers altered his brain a little, and wanting the best turned wrong. And...if I have to use my powers, it wouldn't be smart of me to touch anyone. At least not skin to skin contact. The magnetic charge can...discharge into someone else, and drive them a little loopy. And if I don't discharge the charge, I'll go a little loopy sooner or later. The mood swings get a little extreme."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>That handsqueeze gets stronger, as Christine listens and nods in sympathy. "God, that's got to be terrible. Knowing what your power can do to you and still...you have to deal with that and it's not your fault or even something you asked for." She sighs, and smiles ruefully. "Heck, I don't even have a problem with my clothes ripping when I go big or them falling off when I shrink. I kind of got it pretty easy, huh?"<br><br>"I'm glad you told me. Glad you trusted me. I don't like hiding things from friends. But I understand why. It's just been...kind of maddening for me, trying to figure out who might have powers and who doesn't. Seeing the other kids at school and wondering. Feeling alone because I kow there's people I can talk to that would understand, I just have to find them first. So...thank you."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Alton chuckled, "Even if you did, at least nudity wouldn't drive you crazy. But no, there's plenty of research on Magneto and what his powers did to him. All the things it caused him to do in the name of 'saving mutants.' He really wanted the best for all of us. He just...lost track of how to accurately express what the best for all of us really looks like. I understand why, now, he did those things. He must've kept that charge inside every time instead of risking it getting into another person. My brain sort of created the discharge as a self defense mechanism. Which means...if I have to fight just before taking you to prom, I need to A: wear gloves, and B: not kiss you."<br><br>"I'm glad I could trust you too. And...I hope my restrictions and issues aren't too much to work around."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>"Don't say that," Christine answer with a slight frown. "Don't act like you're some terrible burden to be in a relationship with. Yes, there are some complications. But you're being up front about them with me. They're a part of your ability and that's a part of who you are. Don't appologize for it. Do you think a kid with juvenile diabetes should pre-apologize to a date for his condition?" She grips his hand a bit tighter, giving him a supportive look. "Just be yourself, and things will work out alllright. Okay?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Alton smiles gratefully, "Thanks. The downsides shouldn't come up too often...the magnetic charge can be discharged, it's just...nasty if it gets out of control." Alton's trying to downplay it, but he's kinda worried about himself...and what he might do if a mood swing occurs. The image of Magneto doing deeds nobody would be proud of still lurks in his mind, and the realization he could end up just the same...good intentions, poor execution.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine smiles and rubs her thumb over Alton's hand. "Do your parents know?" she inquires as she slightly cocks her head. "My parents do. Kind of hard not to notice when your daughter grows to 20 feet and punches a hole in her bedroom ceiling." Her smile widens, a bit embarassed at her 'origin'. "But they're cool with it. I was homeschooled for a while; my dad started asking others in his field about ideas for a 'mutant school', and he found out about Happy Harbor. And at first, I thought they were getting rid of me; shipping me out here. But I think I understand and appreciate what they did a bit more. I'm okay with being here."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>"...Well. They own a steel company. I control magnetism. One of my first uses of the power was when a giant steel beam was falling at my dad. I caught it. I am blessed, and cursed, that my parents happen to own a large quantity of ferromagnetic material. So...it kinda works out and kinda doesn't. But it definitely worked out that day. He kept me out of the public eye, and insisted I put a costume on if I'm going to do any saving of people. So...I have one handy."<br><br>"He's still been training me in finance, trying to teach me how to take over the company someday when he can no longer run it."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>An expression of realization comes over Christine's face, and she nods. "So, *that's* wht you meant in the diner about 'bashing in heads', or whatever. You're doing the superhero thing." She's smiling wider, and her expression changes to admiration for Alton. "That is so awesome!" She's excited, but still keeping her voice down. "Where did you get the costume from? Do you go out on your own or do you have a partner or a team you work with? Have you captured any, like, real villains, or just stopped street crimes?" Yeah, she's definately into this idea.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>"Well. That IMP guy who joined Crush to capture Vulture? That was me. I'm probably gonna go on another mission soon. As for the costume, I had it made out of the finest bulletproof and other things proof materials I could get my hands on. It's not my first line of defense...it's mostly a backup in case something gets by my forcefield. Until you have a costume of your own, though, I'd recommend staying at your smallest if a fight breaks out. If they can't see your face, they can't identify you." Cause it's important to not get caught doing this sort of thing.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine laughs and waves a hand. "Me? Do the superhero thing? No, that would be a bad idea. I mean, besides not having a costume, I don't know how to fight." She sighs, looking down at the table. "I mean...yeah, it would be an awesome way to help out. But it's also a really god way of getting hurt. Or hurting someone else. Because you're not trained." She sighs again, and looks back at Alton. "Would I? Yes; I believe that helping others is a good thing to do. Could I? Not until I was trained, I don't think. Going in, not knowing what to do or how to properly do it...that can make the situation worse in a lot of ways." She smiles tightly at Alton.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Alton considers...and then nods. "...Yeah, you're probably right. I've been training in lots of different ways...at my previous school, I was trained in Krav Maga, I was trained how best to use my powers, cause they had a full on power training room to work with, I was taught to control them to a greater extent, I made the uniform there...my old school did quite a lot for me before I came here. And that's why I feel comfortable taking on adult villains the way I do. I had over 2 years of training before I walked in the door, and while I can continue training in my martial art...it's simply a matter of hiring the instructor and paying for the teaching...there's nowhere to really train my powers further here. So, if I want to learn, I have to do it with field testing...out there, saving real lives and fighting real bad guys."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine nods. "See? You went into it prepared, not on some whim. I'd need to go through all that first before..." She pauses and winks at Alton. "Teaming up? Don't get me wrong, I wnat to do it. I just don't want to get tossed into the deep end of the pool, so to speak." She pauses, wringing her hands and fidgeting with her knapkin again. "Will you show me?" she asks as she looks back into Alton's eyes.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>"I'll do the best I can. Although...if we can get ahold of the Avengers...specifically the Wasp, or maybe Ant Man...they can teach you far more then I ever could. There are ways to use rapidly changing sizes they know of that I wouldn't think of. But yeah, I can show you everything I've learned, and I can definitely sign you up for the Krav Maga classes. There, the trainer isn't me, and martial arts instructors are used to dealing with multiple skill levels." This sounds like a fun way to have more dates...and get some practice in too.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>"That sounds like a plan," Christine says with a smile. And training with the Wasp? Janet Van Dyne is a fashion Goddess! Although this wouldn't be the same as walking the catwalk of designing clothes with her. "Do you really think you could talk wit the Avengers?" Christine has some doubts, there, but then again, she didn't expect this kind of first date with Alton. "And you said your hero name was IMP, right? Guess I'd better come up with one too." She thinks about it for a bit, trying to figure out something tied to her ability. Then, she taps the table. "Okay. How about...Min-Max? Yu know, becasue I shrink and grow?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>"Well...Tony was at the school just a few days ago. Stands to reason he can get you in touch with any of his teammates if Morrigan sends him an email or something to that effect. And yeah, she can probably do the fashion thing too, and anything else you want." Of course, he may be putting too much faith in Morrigan's ability to contact Tony. "...There's a chance it doesn't work out, but there's nothing to be lost by trying, right?"<br><br>Min Max..."...That's a good name. You'll probably think of more as time goes on, before settling on something that becomes you. IMP wasn't the first thing I thought of...I actually thought Minimags was a good idea once. But...associating with that man, by name or otherwise, can lead to bad places."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>"Yeah...good call on that." Christine smiles and lifts her water glass to toast Alton. "Here's to the coolest, most unusual, first date ever. I'm really glad you asked me to prom. And decided to do some dates first."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Alton toasts back, also with water. For all the fine dining of this place, the waiters know underage when they see it, and while they have truly ridiculously priced wine, they also follow the law, no matter how much money you have. "I didn't expect to share so much of myself. But yeah. To a great first date."<br><br>Just then...there's gasps all around the room. "This is a stickup! Put all your wallets and money on the floor."<br><br>Alton reacts quickly. "Damnit. Have to do this early." So he leans over the table...and gives Christine a proper, if quicker than he'd really like, kiss. It's pretty firey for as short as it is.<br><br>And then...a strip show? Well no. Alton has his suit underneath his street clothes, and tosses his street clothes to the side, one by one, leaving the super uniform underneath. He puts the mask on, and..."Stay minimized...if nobody sees your face, nobody knows who you are..."<br><br>Alton starts to levitate off the ground, and a forcefield comes up around him, as his powers activate.<br><br>Alton steps out of the curtained suite...and uses his powers to first, force all metallic objects to the ground, like, most importantly, guns. Second, he launches a massive EMP wave to disable all the cameras in the building. He doesn't need his face being recorded. Hell, all electronics have been disabled. That EMP wave takes no prisoners. "That's about enough of that!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Both the kiss and the shout catch Christine offguard. Alton's moving and reacting to the situation faster than she is. But, his words do make sense. 'Man, I hope this isn't ging to be a running gag; getting robbed when we're on a date...' Still hidden by the curtain, Christine shrinks down to a more diminuitive, and less visible, size. She still moves fast, covering the distance to the nearest shooter quickly. Alton's disarmed the robbers, so time for her to test a tactic out. Running up unseen to the robber's foot, she reaches under the toe of his shoe and lifts. Christine still has her normal strength while only 1/16" high, but it's a matter of leverage. With some effort, she lift's the man's foot up, and sends him tumbling backwards.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Meanwhile, Alton has crunched the guns, and forced them all together into a mismashed ball of things that were once guns. It bounces around the room, even as Christine pushes a guy over, who cannot for the life of him understand why he randomly fell over like that. Did he have one too many drinks before he left?<br><br>The robbers still notice they're fighting a lone kid, and figure, well, there's lots of them, and he can't possibly beat all of them right?<br><br>Well, Alton's metal ball of former guns is quick to pound at the crooks. His control isn't perfect...one gets nailed in the arm, another gets hit in the gut, and a third takes a metal ball to the knee. Probably ruined his life.<br><br>A fourth robber tries to engage Alton hand to hand, but he appears to be much better trained than this goon, and quickly lays him on the ground with some skill.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>With all the electronics in the area fried, Christine feels more comfortable returning to normal size next to Alton. She almost takes him by the hand, but remembers his warning about 'discharges'. "Come on..." she urges. Most of the patrons are already fleeing, so they should be able to slip through the crowd. "Come on! We can get out now. Better to get out of here before the cops arrive, right?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>"Gotta make sure these guys don't get away first." Speaking of discharges...the guy who engaged him in hand to hand is now crying piteously on the ground, his mood having been altered by IMP's synaptic static. IMP touches the next guy, who abruptly rolls around laughing. The next guy is enraged and tries to get back up to fight...but he can't, because he took a metal ball to the knee. The last guy touched? Well, he's suddenly looking pervy as all hell, and leering at Christine. IMP kicks him in the face for that. Still, while corrupted by the synaptic static, they won't be going anywhere...they're functionally cuckoo for cocoa puffs right now.<br><br>Then there's the getting away part. He could just carry Christine, but, well...the robbers show why he can't. "Stay small, sneak out. If the cops see me, it's fine, I'm in costume. Wish I'd brought gloves..." But he hadn't thought of that part, and his exposed hands were kooky weapons right now. Still, he flies towards the door. The cops are actually slow to arrive...nobody has a functioning cellphone to call the cops with.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Again, Christine sees the wisdome in Alton's plan. So, while he wraps up the badguys, she shrinks back down and escapes with the rst of the crowd, unseen. Once outside, she ducks into an alley to change back, then walks casually back towards the scene, waiting for Alton to get himself out as the police arrive.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Then Alton suddenly remembers he left his street clothes behind. Flying over, he grabs them, then flies out of the restraunt. The cops are coming, good. The robbers are all acting kooky on the ground in various ways, though he was definitely seen by all the guests, and IMP has already appeared to fight the Vulture, so a second appearance by him isn't exactly out of the ordinary. He waves to the cops as he flies away...and he won't be able to circle around easily, as he has to land somewhere and get back into street clothes, then get to ground level.<br><br>This is a whole process that requires landing on a roof, basically lying flat on that roof as he wiggles his way back into street clothes, finding a deserted alley, flying back down to ground level, and THEN he can come back to pick Christine up. Changing costumes is hard when you don't have super speed.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>When Alton returns, Christine looks relieved that he's alright. Not that she was doubting, since he prtty much had things wrapped up when she exited. But things can happen. So, she smiles and moves to touch him, stopping short again. "Are you okay?" she asks. "Do you need to discharge?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>"The crooks already suffered the discharge. Still...I should probably keep my hands to myself for a while. Even after touching 4 crooks...Well, I don't wanna ruin this." Pause. "At least I got a kiss in before I had to charge up." And his smile there is a little sly. Of course, he can't give her any more of them now, but...he looks like he kinda wishes he could.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine walks along with Alton, as close as he feels comfortable; he knows about how the discharges work, she doesn't. "So, how does it work?" she asks. "Do you like, bleed off the extra energy when you sleep? Or does it go away in a shorter or longer period of time? Ever thought of, like, building a battery to siphon off all the excess power that build up?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>"...I dunno if that'd work. Then again, I've never tried. It'd be an interesting project for the science fair, though, if I can find time to work it in. But yeah, if it's possible for an inanimate object to drain the charge, that'd be ideal." He checks his watch. His old, rolex, not at all digital watch. There is a reason for that.<br><br>"I think we can still get to the movies if we hurry. Onward."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine nods. She's not a science person by any means; she doesn't know what is and isn't possible. But it's the optimist in her that comes up with ideas and puts them out there for the other, smarter, people to figure out how to make possible.She walks with Alton towards the theater, and she finds herself constantly reaching out for his hand, but stopping herself before contact is made. And as they approach a trash can chained to the security gate of a closed bodega, she looks over at Alton curiously. "Have you ever tried discharging into...objects, I guess?" She nods towards the trach can.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Alton...gives it a try. And touches the steel trash can. And while he can feel a magnetic field in the trashcan...there's no discharge. "...Wonder if it has something to do with bioelectricity." Because apparently the magnetic field of the trash can isn't absorbing anything.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine watches expectantly, then sighs when she sees Alton's expression after the test. "Worth a try, I guess," she says with a sigh. They walk on further. "Sorry. I just...really feel like holding your hand. But, I am glad that we kissed. That was nice." And she smiles at Alton, happy from the memory of their lips connecting. "This is going to take some getting used to, I'll admit. But...I like you, Alton. I'd like to do more of this. I'd like to get to know you more and I want you to get to know me. So, whatever difficulties there are, I'm okay with working with them."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Hmmm. "If we find a shop that sells gloves, that might work. It's not a test we should probably perform right now. Too much can go wrong if the test fails." As for how long the charge lasts? "It should wear off by tommorrow. As long as I don't have to fight again...the fact it discharged into 4 people...it'll probably be gone by morning." He smiles at her with a grin. "Cause I want to hold your hand too. And kissing. I'd definitely do more of that if I could."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>At the mention of gloves, Christine goes digging in her purse, pulling out a pair of wool golves that match her winter wrap. "Try these," she says, handing them to Alton. "If you don't mind wearing gloves that go with a girl's winter coat, that is." The gloves are an ivory color, the same as Christine's wrap.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Alton's hands don't fit in the glove very well...but he gives the other one back, and says, "Wear that one over your hand. The extra layer of protection might be needed." After all, there's a right glove and a left glove, and if they each wear one, they might be able to hold hands on one side at least. And then...he tentatively offers his hand, that the glove doesn't quite fit all the way over. Still, it'll test the theory till he can purchase better glove.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine nods, sliding the glove over her hand. She's tense and nervous, taking a bit to prepare herself for what might be a bad result to this experiment. But, she takes a deep breth, say, "Here we go..." and takes Alton's gloved hand into hers.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>And...it works! The discharge doesn't occur. "Oh, good. It takes skin to skin contact to discharge. Gonna need better fitting gloves though. And watch the forearms and wrists. That can get you too." There's a lot to be considered when putting one's self in a position where incidental contact can occur virtually anywhere.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine nods, but she's smiling wide. That's one problem solved, and she squeezes Alton's hand as a sign of affection and suport. "And I'm sure you're not going to have any trouble finding fitted gloves. Not with your wardrobe budget." She giggles, and wants to kiss Alton. But, one problem to conquer at a time. At any rate, he said he'd be discharged by morning, so she could demand some make-up kissing frm him then...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>"I really won't. I'll find something suitable..." His wardrobe budget is pretty neat. Hell, with the kind of money he can put into gloves, they'll probably be 'accidentally' appropriate for superheroing, with resistance to all kinds of damage worked in. Always buy things for two purposes, when possible.<br><br>But then, the theater isn't too far away...just a walk down a chilly March evening street in NYC. And they actually make it with plenty of time to spare. "Well...we should probably get the popcorn and stuff...I'll get the tickets for that 3D showing." Which is not sold out...or even particularly filled for a middle of the week performance like this. There'll probably be like 10 people in the theater at most.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine nods. "Okay. What kind of soda you you like? And do you want butter on your popcorn? I'm getting 2 bags for us so that there's no..." She touches her two fingers together and says, "Bzzt." She smiles and heads to the concession stand after he puts in his order. Once Alton gets the tickets, he sees Christine ready near the ticket taker; 2 sodas, 2 bags of popcorn, and some assorted candy all in a foam tray.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>"Coke is fine, butter is fine." He's totally fine with all this. In the meantime, though, he's got the tickets, and they get those little 3D glasses the theaters give you. And then...it's time for some Onward! Well, there's also previews of other movies and stuff like that, but yeah, it's movie time! Alton is really regretting that fight now, because now he can't spend the whole movie making out, and he'll have to actually watch it. Nuts.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine is a bit upset about the lack of a potential make out session as well. But, she's still determind to give Alton some attention and affection. They get the pick of seats in the theater; there are actually 15 other viewers. And once seated, Christine moves her soda and popcorn to her 'off-hand' side. That is: the side opposite of where Alton is sitting and thus, opposite of the glove she is wearing. As the movie plays, she holds Alton's hand in hers, giving it gentle squeezes throughout the movie. Her tumb gently rubs along her hand and finger, and evey so often, she turns to look at Alton with adoration. She likes being with him, and she wants to tell him in ways that don't involve word. Becasue talking during a movie is rude.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Just before the movie starts, he says, "...I am regretting that fight." And yet, he couldn't have stood down. It's not in his nature. And he'll take the hand holding and the gloves and what has to be done to get around his powerset. And frankly. he's lucky he has discharges at all. Those moodswings could be affecting him right now, and that'd totally ruin this date. Still...the tension is palpable. And all he can think about, sitting there, is all the different ways there are to kiss someone in a movie theatre. Other people trying to watch be damned. Oh, hey, it's a good movie too, but his mind's not really on it.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>"No," Christine says. "Don't regret the fight. Regret that those jerks tried to rob the place, sure. But never regret that you stood up to protect others" She gives alton's hand a squeeze, then caresses his cheek. "Your courage is part of what I like about you. We're going to have plenty of time for kissing." Yeah, it's on her mind too. "But if you hadn't gone into action, things could have gone wrong there. Someone's time could have completely run out. And...I'd rather be a little inconvinienced in having to wait for some fantastic kisses rom you, than getting more kisses and knowing that they came at the cost of someone innocent getting hurt or worse." Again, she squeezes his hand; tighter this time in a show of support for him and his choice.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Alton...smiles. "...well. Yeah. I mean, my instincts are always going to be there. That probably won't be the last time you see me take Crush to go fighting either, on the news. She's really well trained, actually, she seems comfortable out there." And then he grins a little wider, "Thank you. I wouldn't want to give up what I do out there, not for anything. Yeah, there's the potential I get hurt...but I'm okay with that. It's happened before, and I'm still here."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine stays quiet as they watch the movie. But she continues to squeeze Alton's hand and give his cheek little caresses with her gloved ahnd. She laughs and smiles and gets teary-eyed with the film. But she makes sure with her little gestures that she cares for Alton and supports him.<br><br>When the movie ends, Christine walks out of the theater with Alton, hand in hand. She didn't want to talk about him getting hurt, but spent most of the movie thinking about that possibility. "Look, I want you to know that it's not a trust issue or a jealously issue," she eventually says. "But I want to train so I can go out there with you and help you out. Crush is great, and I'm sure she's a way better fighter than I'll be. But...if something does happen to you, I'd feel like it was my fault I wasn't out there. Like maybe I could have prevented it if I was there. So, bsides helping to protect others...I kinda do have a rason for doing the hero thing, I guess." And she gives Alton a smile, wishing it could be a kiss instead.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Alton nods. "Right. But it's equally important you're properly prepared to be out there. You're less likely to get hurt when you're so small...after all, even supervillains would have trouble aiming at something that size. But if you mean to vary your size a lot to get best use out of it...then, well, you need to be prepared for bullets and knives and everything else. I don't want to lose you to, I dunno, Doc Ock because you jumped into a fight too quickly. I'd never forgive myself." With a solemn look, "We put our lives at risk, but not foolishly."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine nods. "Not foolishly," she agrees and nods. Her gloved fingers are entwined with his, and she rubs them all together for a bit. "This has to be the best, and most unusual, first date ever. And I'm glad of it. Even if I only got one kiss out of the night." She giggles and looks into his eyes. "And you *are* a great kisses, by the way. Really looking forward to more of those."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>"In the morning. I'll make up for it, I promise." Alton's kisses...have experience behind them. This isn't his first date. It's not even his 20th. He did a lot of dating back at Ravenswood. Still, a finely honed kisser is better than one who hasn't done much of it, and experience has its rewards. "And I chose wisely. Sure, I kinda eyeballed it, but I know you were the right girl for Prom."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine smirks and gives Alton a raised eyebrow look. "Well, I'd hate to think this all started off because you were feeling sorry for me..." She giggles and squeezes her hand to let him know that she was joking, then sighs happily. "This school just keeps getting better and better..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Feeling sorry? "Oh, no. I was worried the other two guys were gonna ask first. I hardly expected one to be chicken and the other to have a date already." But hey, that's how it worked out for him. For them, he should say now. "Yeah. Everything's...coming up great."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine smiles and shakes her head. "You don't have to worry about Alex or Sam competing for my affection," she assures Alton. One reason he already knows; the other...that's nto her secret to share. "As far as i'm concerned, I got the top prize in the date pool. I'm just glad you weren't already taken by the time I arrived. With your looks and style, I'm guessing you had to hire some bodyguards to hold back all the girls here."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Alton chuckles, "Well, I did keep my wealth a secret, and that means the gold diggers weren't out in force the way they might've been. As for the other girls with powers...Crush is my bash buddy, but...I just never saw her in that way. And the number of girls in the school I could trust with my secrets? That number is considerably smaller to begin with."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine nods. "yeah, it's not exactly an ideal situation to be fostering relationships..." She's smiling, but also sighs. "I...kind of got a little frustrated and talked to MacIntyre about how messed up I thought it was to know that there *were* other meta students, but not *who*. And, she did agree with me. She's thinking about a kind of 'directory' for powered students that lists all of them that are okay with others knowing they have powers. So, sort of an 'opt-in' plan for a social network. At least it's a start, right?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>"It's true. None of us really know who we can trust with our specialized concerns. Who would understand us, or even want to try? Can you imagine? If I'd picked the wrong girl, and she turned out to be a big Pro Humana type...well. That would end worse than badly. Pro Humana does have a presence at the school...after all, the normal kids are equally trying to find other normal kids, I'm sure." Hmmm. "But yeah, Ravenswood had that sort of 'directory.' All of us 'non traditionals' knew who the other NTs were, but the 'Traditionals' did not know who the NTs were."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>"Exactly," Christine says when the subject of trust comes up. "We need to build a social network so we can support each other. Just going through all this, thinking that you're alone but also *knowing* that you're not alone just drives you coo-coo." She sighs, feeling more relieved and at ease. "The staff is great for a lot of things, but you just can't go to them for somethings, you know? You need to have peers you can talk with, not just adults and authority figures. Like...I can tell you about Alex's girlfriend sneaking some beer onto schoolground and that valkyrie, Heidi, bringing some Asgardian mead. I'd never tell any of the staff about that, though. It's a normal teen thing, even if it is against policy."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Alton shakes his head. "Ya know, in Germany, the drinking age is much lower. But ever since I started the whole fighting evil thing...I don't actually want alcohol. The sorts of things I might do under the influence...I need to be better controlled than that, and fit to fight. Yeah, I mean, even Tony Stark has been drunk on national TV before, but that doesn't mean I think that's a part of him worth emulating." With a sort of superior grin, "Besides, Alex's girlfriend was probably sneaking in cheap American stuff. German stout or bust!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>"Oh, God, yeah," Christine says. "I mean...I'm not a narc or a prude. I've had a beer or two at parties before. But...on school grounds? That's just asking for trouble. So, I totally passed on the offers. And yeah, I agree with you about drinking and doing the hero thing. Doesn't mix at all. I might party a bit, but never when I know I'm going to be 'on the job'." She smiles, taking a deep breath. "I've never had real German beer before. But there's some good breeries in San Francisco. So, the party fare there may not have been the best, but it wasn't the worst, as I understand it."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>"Well, for me...the best case scenario is, an EMP kills everyone's phone and other electronic devices...the worst case? Some of the things I can do strike with lethal force. Frequently." Pause. "...I'm gonna have to replace your phone, probably, if you brought it. The EMP at the restraunt probably wasn't kind to it."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>"Ugggghhhh," Christine moans. "I hadn't thought of that..." She takes out her phone and, sure enough, it's fried. "And I just got this for Christmas," she laments. She's not blaming Alton, just upset at the situation. "Thank God for cloud storage, I guess..." She turns to Alton, smiling. "So. That's one new smartphone and...at least 5 kisses you owe me for tonight."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>"Sorry. The EMPs take no prisoners, so when I use one...yeah, that happens every time. I have a directed one that only hits one thing at a time, but that's not the tool to use when you're trying to make sure no camera has a record of your face. And restraunts have all kinds of cameras you can't see." Mmmm. "The phone is the easy part. For the rest...maybe you'll be surprised. Maybe you'll be pinned against a wall, legs wrapped around me while I hold you up. Maybe it'll look like a dramatic movie scene. Maybe it'll be sneaky and quick behind a locker or something. Or maybe it'll just be sweet and normal. Never can tell with these things..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Chritine blushes and doubles over with laughter. "And here I thought that Germans were these stiff, emotionless, joyless efficiency experts that built good cars." She's still smiling and she puts her gloved hand on Alton's arm. "You'll probably need some kind of warning sign in your room that you're charged up. Never know when an insect-sized girlfriend might sneak in for an innocent kiss while you're asleep." She giggles and gives Alton a sly wink.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>"Innocent? Oh no. Innocence is not required in my presence. And we can experiment with size. You could go Amazon and make me look tiny before leaning down to kiss me. Or pin me against a wall if you're feeling particularly equal opportunity. Or you could go small when the mood suits, and see what it's like when you're pint sized. Eventually, we'll figure out what feels best for you..." Mmm. "And then there's ideas for what you could do at giant sized...particularly since you know I can't fly while doing it because that'd cause me to be charged." Ponder. "But yeah, I'll leave a note after a battle."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>Christine laughs, giving Alton a playful punch in the arm. "Easy there...down, boy. Let's get through prom first and save all that for, like, summer break. Preferably somewhere that has a low crime rate." Yeah, she's totally smitten with Alton, and she couldn't be happier. "Speaking of Prom...I'm going to get a dress next week. I'm probably safe in guessing that you already have a tux? So, just need to tell you the color of the dress so you can coordinate the color with your tie &amp; cumberbund?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>Alton smirks, "I'm just a fount of ideas. Besides, you brought up the size changes first. I just took that ball and ran with it." And he hasn't actually mentioned more than kissing, yet, although he's certainly implying considerably more. "...Yeah. Low crime rate. Ya know, Cancun is where Spring Break usually happens. It's where high school, and college, kids go, if they have the money to begin with...to get away from it all, and have one heck of a party." He nods about the tuxedo though. "Yeah...just give me a color, and I'll handle the rest."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:576|Christine Lake (576)}} has posed:'''<br>"Probably something aqua or turquoise," she says as they get in a cab for the ride back to school. "Complements my hair and eyes nicely. But, I'll let you know." As they drive off, Christine squeezes Alton's hand, then carefully lays her head on his fully clothed shoulder. "Whatever happens, this has been the best night of my life. I wasn't exactly feeling alone before, but I wasn't as happy as I normally am. You brought my happy back to me. You made em feel normal again. And I'm never going to forgt that."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:553|Alton Schmidt (553)}} has posed:'''<br>"Hey, you accepted me too. I'm not the easiest guy to like. I mean, I can't even kiss you goodnight right now. But...in the morning. Goodnight, Christine. Sleep well. I owe you things in the morning. You will certainly collect."<br><br>"But if I made you happy? Really happy? That's a whole lot more than I thought I was going to manage in one night. That's...pretty awesome." And that's a thought he's going to be dreaming about. "...Goodnight." And he hugs her...gingerly, making sure that no unclothed parts of their bodies touch. It actually requires some careful placement of limbs, but he manages it.<br> <br>
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