4939/Headbangers' Ball

Headbangers' Ball
Date of Scene:	30 January 2021
Location:	Angelo's Pizza
Synopsis:	Julio and Simon make time for pizza and punk rock.
Cast of Characters:	Julio Richter, Simon Lasker

---

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio is a little early for his prearranged meet-up with Simon, pacing around the spot in the Xavier's School backyard where they appeared after the ice cave. It's the nearest place where he can easily hitch a ride on a ley line, and without wheels (or, for that matter, a license that will stand up to police scrutiny), that's where he's going to have to pick the other student up for their date.

He's dressed in a black denim jacket festooned with patches and buttons and a pair of Doc Martens: punk duds to be sure, but the most daring thing he's wearing is a pair of black leather pants. Oh, and some sloppily applied eyeliner, because why not?

But as he stutter-steps around, he looks like he's got more than the typical pre-date jitters. He keeps calling up traceries of green light, weaving them into abstract patterns, then dismissing them, as if he's practicing or experimenting with his powers. Judging by his expression, he's finding the process a bit of a struggle. Honestly, for all that he tried to be put together for the date, one could get the sense, looking at him, that he's stressed out and hasn't been sleeping well.

Simon Lasker has posed:
Simon has been sleeping fine. That doesn't mean he isn't nervous. He has been busy distracting himself with procrastinating on writing. His novel is still not particularly close to done, so there is plenty of excuse to type something up and then delete it all. He wonders how he will pass the time if he ever finishes it.

He has his usual black leather jacket on (He isn't dead), but today he is wearing black jeans with torn knees and his big black boots with the shiny metal buckles (They had a brand name once, but they were almost cetainly knocking something else, and he forgot it anyway). He also has a graphic tee -- with the sleaves torn off -- that features a flaming skull and an illegible band name. He also has thick black around his eyes in that clasic skull face style, and sunglasses to cover it up. It is cold out and he doesn't feel like bundling up, so he has to hide his glowing ember eyes.

He walks up to Julio with his hand in his pockets with that sort of gait of someone pretending they know what they are doing. "So you said something about food first?" He is anxious and hoping that once they get started things will get easier.

Julio Richter has posed:
When Simon calls out his question, Julio turns and spots him, and the tension in his face breaks for a second. "Hey there," he greets his date with a lopsided grin. "Si, there's a pizza place not far from the show. Nothing fancy, but it's pretty good. And it's on the way from the ley line spot." As he finishes this sentence, the tense expression crowds back in again and his gaze drops back to the ground. "Now I've just got to... hey, c'mere."

Julio steps to Simon's side and extends an arm to snake around his back and pull him in close, so that they're hip to hip. It's much closer than they've traveled by teleport crocodile previously, and although the gesture seems affectionate, there's also an undercurrent. Something to do with his unfocused tension, perhaps? Still, his eyes come back up to Simon's shades, and he gives him a little squeeze and a quick, tight smile. "Let's see if this works."

He brings another filigree of green light into being around them, brows drawn with concentration, and spots like a stylized leopard pelt flower around them -- no caiman this time, for some reason. Julio bites his lower lip, shifting the light patterns with his free hand, and with a queasy lurch the pair are chucked through a kaleidoscoping tunnel of abstract color. Unlike before, the ground seems to buck beneath their feet, and Simon might feel his gorge rising as the previously smooth and brief process is drawn out into a sickening, tumbling flight.

When they finally arrive, in a lonely Brooklyn alleyway, there's a sheen of sweat on Julio's brow and he mutters what is almost certainly some Spanish profanity before ending with a sheepish "Lo siento."

Simon Lasker has posed:
Simon returns the smile. Food is usually a great way to start things off. "I am always up for pizza." He lets out a surprised noise as Julio wraps his arm around him. He puts his arm around Julio's shoulders -- returning the affectionate gesture. He isn't entirely certain where this is going, but he is game to find out "Well atleast you're buying me dinner first" He snarks.

Simon groans at the unsteady travel. "Well I guess it didn't matter whether I left ate befor or not. I woulda wound up with room" . Simon recovers a bit before loosing a chuckle at Julio's self censorship. "Its okay. You can fucking curse -- we are going to a punk club after all-- but you gotta promise to teach me some of those words." Simon does not deliberately make himself the first to let go.

They turn out onto the street. The buildings are mostly low out here -- nothing more than three stories. The shop itself is one of those places with the fronts that open entirely -- a boon in the summer months when things get hot and stuffy, but now in the winter, it is closed up. The interior is relatively small. It has just enough room for two rows of tables going back into the shop. A game is on in the background on a chunky tv in the back corner that looks like it might be older than both of them. There is a long glass counter with pizzas and tubs of pre-prepared pastas going down one wall and a mirror on the other that makes the place actually feel kind of spacious. There is a light din and a small crowd -- roughly a third of the tables are in use.

Simon brightens up as they at last enter the warmth of the restaurant.

Julio Richter has posed:
Releasing Simon from the tight grip, Julio reaches up to ruffle his date's hair and snorts with amusement as they exit the alleyway. "I swear in Spanish because I think in Spanish," he answers. "I mean, 'fuck-ing' is pretty good, but most of the others in English just don't feel the same. 'Shit' is one syllable." He gestures grandly as he contrasts, 'Mi-er-da' is a symphony."

He was playing it cool out in the cold, but there's definitely a sense of relief in the line of his posture once they've entered the cozy interior of the pizzeria. He doesn't waste time going to the register, putting in his order and inviting Simon to use his tab, if he wants. Then he takes the number they're given to a small booth and slides in.

Once Simon has joined him, he resumes that sheepish look and says, "I really am sorry about the rough ride. I've got some... stuff going on. I'm having to make some changes." Sitting back against the cushy upholstery, he asks, "So what have you been up to lately?"

Simon Lasker has posed:
"Me-air-duh" he repeats to himself "I will have to remember that. That does sound awesome." He lets out a single chuckle. "Before I met you, all the spanish I knew was 'No hablo engles' and 'Tu eres el saxophono en el banyo'. That said, don't sell our swears short. They make all fit onto a single pained exhalation. You can't claim 'mierda' is anything else, meanwhile shit could be anything."

Simon takes a deep breath. This is nothing like the last date he went on. The last time Simon dated -- god this feels like a tale where someone says they thought noah was an idiot and that the whole ark thing would never go anywhere -- It wasn't that long ago he swears -- they had to hang out in the back yard of the X-mansion because neither of them had a good way of going anywhere. This beats that by miles. There are no mosquitoes for a start. That time he did get to set a fire though, so it had that.

He lets out an emotive breath whose mood is none the less still not obvious. "Did you and the gator -- eh nevermind that one is getting old. I gotta get some new material. Did something happen? Maybe some of that Endless Clock stuff?" He deliberately messes up the name of the Infinity Watch. He can't be getting sappy this early on. After all, how saccharin would they end up if that is where they start?

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio gives Simon a bit of an odd look at his stilted explorations of the Spanish tongue, but holds back his laughter well enough. Still, the glimmer of amusement in his kohl-rimmed eyes seems to be driving away the haunted look he was wearing at the start of the evening. "Yeah, English swearing is like: boom, done. In Spanish there is more time to really snarl. It's different."

At that point, a waiter in black pants, apron, and a band T-shirt shows up and drops off their food. He looks at Julio and asks, "Can I get your number?" The Latino looks panicked for a second, throwing a significant glance at Simon, then the waiter points past him, at the placard that identified their table for him. With sudden comprehension, Julio passes him the placard, going a little red in the face.

He's almost feeling too awkward to continue the conversation after that, but Simon's question is a fair one. "Si, sort of," he answers hesitantly. "I, uh... jesucristo, where to start? One time, last year, I went to hell to steal back my friend's soul that his dad had sold when he was a baby. While I was there, I tried to use a spell as a disguise, but the disguise came alive and an Aztec god called Cipactli took over my body for a while," he says, watching Simon the whole time for signs of bafflement or worse, ridicule. "It turns out that when my powers first went off, I killed a lot of people, and some sleeping gods decided that was a human sacrifice and they've been kind of... after me, ever since. And just a couple of days ago it all got a lot worse."

Simon Lasker has posed:
Simon watches the whole interchange with the waiter. Innitially there is confusion, then comprehension, and at last amusement. "Daaamn Julio you got game." Simon says teasingly after the waiter leaves. "Man I wish strangers came up and asked /me/ for my number. Oh I am definately going to share this when we get back."

Simon hears the whole story from Julio. He has been trying to be more compassionate lately. He recites the reply that he has memorized for situations where teasing or jokes would be inappropriate. "Well... That sounds like it really sucks. Are you going to be okay?" He really is trying to be comforting. He has to practice so that he says something sensible like that and not a stupid question like "So does that mean jokes about cutting peoples hearts out are also off limits?"

... He actually said that out loud didn't he? ...

... Well that was certainly a thing to say. He looks down at the table awkwardly. He is not proud of that one. Whelp it was a good life. Most people in moments want the earth to swallow them up metaphorically. In this situation it might wind up being literal. The alternative is worse -- that he finally got somebody to open up to him and he used it to hurt them. The clammy darkness seems good right about now.

Julio Richter has posed:
The teasing about the waiter was definitely fair game, at least. Julio slinks lower in the booth, and the waiter actually glances back with an amused expression of his own, although it isn't clear whether he heard Simon's joke or just found the situation funny on its own.

Julio is halfway through shamefacedly replying to Simon's nicer question, wooden though its delivery might have been, when his date blurts out what's really on his mind. "Yeah, I think it'll be --"

He stops and gives Simon a canted, interrogating look at the blunter question. "I haven't actually killed anyone with a /knife/, you know," he says after a second, not sounding angry so much as a little bit hurt. He lowers his voice as he continues, "Not that it's /better/, I guess, but I don't want you to think I'm some kind of psycho killer, or something. Why did you even come out with me, if you think I would...?"

He stops, shakes his head, and decides to forge ahead. His voice is flatter, with a bit less vulnerability, as he continues: "Cipactli is the caiman -- the crocodile shape. He used one of my spells to control me again, or steal my soul or something, two days ago. I worked extra hard to teleport us without calling on him, and it was a lot harder. That's why the ride sucked -- I was trying not to put you in danger."

He stares down at the slice on his plate, his appetite having disappeared, and decides instead to take a break by sipping at his drink, giving Simon a chance to respond.

Simon Lasker has posed:
"Well I mean like Aztec gods ... sacrifice ... the heart thing ... You know what it was stupid anyway." So it would be the crocodile that would swallow him up. It sure was taking its time. Then again explaining a joke you wish you'd never made was like digging the hole deeper with one of your ribs. He tries to diffuse the situation. Maybe if he changed the subject it would all go away. Julio hadn't got it after all. "I appreciate you trying to not get me eaten. That Kipatti sounds like a real jerk."

The change in tone kind of hurt. Simon just had to sit there stewing in it. Maybe if he volunteered something? Only fair he supposed. Give Julio an opportunity to do it back. "I suppose that makes me lucky. Theres nobody ancient that gives a damn about a few second degree burns. Practically a polite notice of mutanthood by comparison." 'Give it a few moments' he thought. 'See if it did anything before shove your foot further down your throat.'

Simon took a bite out of his pizza. Its harder to say something stupid with your mouth full. There is an oral sex joke in there somewhere, but now wasn't the time to go looking for it. He stared down at the table awkwardly.

Julio Richter has posed:
"I get it, Simon," Julio says brusquely, tension ringing his eyes. "And they do want me to sacrifice people -- to 'feed the river of blood' -- but they want hundreds at once. The knife would be too slow." He shifts back in his seat, avoids eye contact, and picks a single pepperoni off his slice and eats it.

When the awkward silence around his chewing has gone on long enough, he sighs a little bit and continues, "Look, we barely know each other, and I started going on and on about Aztec gods. Te importa una mierda. I shouldn't have brought it up -- it's not exactly sexy talk for a date. It's just -- what's on my mind." He slides his plate into the middle of the table, tucks a couple of crumpled bills under it as a tip, and starts getting up from the booth. "Vamonos. We should head to the show anyway."

Back out on the street, he shrugs his jacket on more tightly, shoulders hunched over as if to shield his core warmth from the chill of the darkening evening. He's not rushing; Simon can catch up easily, and when he does, Julio tries to make a joke of his earlier upset. "I guess when you find out your date might accidentally feed you to a dead god, getting a bloody nose in the mosh pit doesn't sound so bad. I've said it before, but you should raise your standards."

Simon Lasker has posed:
Simon is glad to get out of the building. Some how it was like he burned the air out in an instant. It was suffocating. He resets the sunglasses in front of his eyes. He is looking forward to some loud music and inconsistent lighting to hide his awkwardness. Maybe by the end of the show, Julio would have forgotten and Simon would get a do over. He goes after his date.

Simon sees Julio brace himself against the cold. Well there is something he can do. He wraps his arm around Julio and lets the heat that he is generating for himself warm Julio up. It is kind of sad that things go so much better when he shuts up. Oh well. He'll get the hang of this whole speaking thing eventually. He hears that phrase again. "You keep saying that-- 'You should raise your standards', but you gotta understand -- Us..." he gestures as if to suggest its obvious what he is talking about. "we're used to the danger. We live in New York. Wasn't it like two weeks ago that a bunch of giants were stomping around central park? and then there is all the space stuff where things that can swollow the planet happen. If I wasn't in danger for my life, I'd think you were up to something."

Julio Richter has posed:
Sharing that warmth does some good, both as a physical comfort to Julio and as a metaphorical olive branch. He loosens up a little bit as they make their way to the hole in the wall where the punk show is going to take place, just a crosstown block away.

He gives a short laugh, which only fogs when it exits their little bubble of warm air about a foot from his face, creating a strange visual effect. "I guess you're right, but deadly danger is not exactly a great look for a date. Sure, sometimes it shows up, but so far, I've always been the one who causes it. The -- what's the math word? Common de-nom-in-ator."

His voice hitches for a second, as though he's been reminded of something he was trying not to think about, and he quickly changes the subject. "So if it's not low standards, and you really do live for danger, tell me about some of these other risky dates you've been on. Unless you're just trying to make me feel better...?"

Simon Lasker has posed:
Simon chuckles. "Me? Try to make someone feel better? Hah don't make me laugh." He lets out a breath of relief. "My personal favorite risk is mooning over somebody and never saying anything to them, so they wind up with someone else, but I hear from all the popular people that its like that. Apparently the straights find their partner trying to kill them just the hottest thing. Why do you think they keep winding up with their fellow capes? Besides I used to have a job as a firefighter, so the risk of death doesn't make me stop." He is determined to fit in a 'like it hot' joke in at some point in the night.

"You seem really concerned with these 'standards'. You've met me. Where exactly do you think my standards should be?" If the marvel movies existed in this universe there would be a 'you must be truly desperate to come to me.' joke here. He is beginning to think it sounds like Julio thinks he isn't good enough for Simon. This is a hilarious thought to Simon. Of course it can't be that. It would just be funny to imply, and it would annoy Julio. Now to figure out a way to do that without crudely insulting him.

Julio Richter has posed:
The pair arrive at the venue, where a short line has formed. Most of the people in it are dressed much like they are, although there are a few full-on mohawks and shaved heads, and a ton of piercings and ink that Julio, at least, can't hope to match. As they wait, Julio asks wryly, "Isn't never saying anything kind of the opposite of taking a risk? Verdad, the asking part has never been the issue for me, personally."

He starts ticking off items on his fingers. "Let's see. Who wants to kill or imprison me? We've got the Mexican government. The Jalisco Cartel. The U.S. government. Mutant haters, homophobes..." He stares at his hand. "Hijo de puta -- out of fingers. Next hand! Racist militias. ICE -- but I repeat myself. Probably my mom. This one jackass named Sabretooth. Oh, right, and a whole pantheon of Aztec gods." He holds up that mess of fingers to Simon and says, "With all that after me, 'no I won't date you' is like: /whatever/. So I just ask."

He loops one arm around to give Simon a little squeeze on the back of the neck and continues, "You know that saying you should have higher standards is a compliment, right?" (Well, sort of.) "You deserve to have a nice time and not worry about dying and also not be stuck with a guy who is being a jerk. Is that so hard to believe?"

Simon Lasker has posed:
A line with loads if piercings is one of those moments where he imagines life with different powers. You could get up to so much mischief with some magnetism powers. Maybe if he got one of those supermagnets, you could stick a couple of them together in awkward poses.

"Well you say there is no risk in asking, but think about it. What is the worst that could happen if you ask, and then think whats the worst that can happen if you don't?" He grins. "See, way riskier."

He interrupts "Ooh you got Sabertooth trying to kill you? You really are a big deal. To think all this time I knew a famous person and didn't even know it."

At that last comment, he smiles a little. "Pot calling the kettle, don't you think?" Well he has an /idea/. "You are right though. I can do so much better. I will just cancel this, and call one of the dozen or so supermodels -- whose numbers I definately have by the way -- and then go have a wild night at his penthouse apartment with champagne and caviar. Besides it would never work between us- my parents would never aprove."

Julio Richter has posed:
"I meant to say that /not/ asking was taking no risk," Julio clarifies. "Although compared to the other risks we take, asking is like... eh. It would be awkward if someone said no, but we've all been through a lot worse than awkward." At the idea that he's famous, he gives a snort. "I only met him a couple of times, but when we first ran into each other, I sort of... taunted him. About getting his leg cut off." He drops his head and gives a sheepish grin. "Not one of my big brain moments. But it was a pretty funny line."

When Simon says he's going to take Julio's advice and ditch him, the older boy runs a thumb along the underside of his jawline, and sidesteps the joke at first. "Can guys even be supermodels? I know they can be models, but I've only heard of women who are supermodels. Or are you bi and that's what you meant?" There's no trace of judgment there, just a flicker of amusement at the entire proposition. "If not, I might have to hear an example of a guy who's a supermodel, to believe you. Shouldn't be a problem since you know so many."

Then he reaches out to ruffle Simon's hair again, giving him a sort of gentle, playful push to the back of the head when he finishes. "I asked you on one date, not to marry me. No need to get your parents involved. Or did you invite them to the punk show?"

Simon Lasker has posed:
It serves him right for going for the deep stuff immediately. "I meant that not asking was riskier. Its a philosophical thing. --Anyway, I wanna hear this line."

He then hears the rest of what julio has to say and lets out an exasperated sigh. "Well of course I meant it like that. I never use sarcasm ever..." Okay clearly humor and indirect ways of communicating this concept aren't working. The trouble of course is that Simon can't think of a better way to get this idea across. How do you tell someone you aren't to good for them and not insult them?

He settles for just rolling his eyes. "If guys can't be supermodels thats sexism. I am very offended because this directly impacts my career prospects as you can clearly tell." he pauses "I sure hope that my parents aren't here. That would be awkward. I was hoping we wouldn't get thrown out."

Julio Richter has posed:
"I mean, you never really know if you're going to get thrown out," Julio says with a laugh as they reach the front of the line. He flashes his fake ID at the bouncer, who gives him a bit of a warning look, given what he just said. Julio just shrugs and smiles innocently, waiting for Simon to catch up with him. It's an all-ages club, so even if Simon doesn't have a fake, he shouldn't have a problem getting in. Having drinks will be more of a challenge, of course.

"It probably is sexism," he agrees. "But now that you mention it, I don't even really know the difference between a supermodel and a regular model. I'm not really an expert, as you can clearly tell."

Of course, Julio didn't actually think Simon was being serious about ditching him for a contact list full of Calvin Klein spokes-six-packs, he just likes to take a silly premise and run with it, leaning into the joke and seeing where it takes him. But since Simon doesn't really seem receptive, he decides to get a little more serious and explain, "It's not that I think I'm this terrible person who no one would ever want to date, or anything. I'm just saying the cave thing would not have been a good date, even if that's what it was. You know, even if you are on a date with someone really cool, you can have a bad date if sentinels attack, or something."

He gives a little sigh and concludes, "My point isn't 'raise your standards so I don't meet them.' My point is 'raise your standards to where you expect to actually have a good time.' I can be a good time."

Simon Lasker has posed:
Simon doesn't bother with ID. He needs all his faculties for this. He is already putting his foot in his mouth under just the influence of carbs. He shudders to think what he would say if he was tipsy. He doesn't have to of course. He has comparable examples. Not dates of course, but you can say stuff in any situation. Doesn't seem fair really. You can screw up at any time, but only do it right in very select situations.

Well that went somewhere. At least know he knows where that came from. "...You know that was me messing with you right? I didn't actually think thats what you did for a date. That would be messed up." A mischevious smirk passes over his mouth, but then fades. He was going to say something about how 'he doesn't think Julio would cave him for a date. He only does that to the bodies', but that seems like a bad idea. Now Julio saying he is a good time, that he can make fun of.

The club is quite loud inside -- mostly people and some recorded music. Off to one side is the bar with memorabilia from the famous acts that passed through here on the way up (Not as impressive as it sounds. If you are touring the city already, whats one more club?). The walls look like grafitti caked concrete despite being drywall, and the tables are all odd shapes. Off to the other side is the stage where the previous act is packing up their stuff after their set and the mosh pit is slowly dispersing as people go to the bar to get drinks.

Julio Richter has posed:
"It /would/ be messed up!" Julio agrees, with a palpable sense of relief. "That's all I've been trying to say. This is hopefully going to be a normal, not messed up, fun night out." He goes quiet for a second, then continues more seriously, "When I talked to you in the cave, you seemed like you could use one." In case that might be taken as disparaging, he quickly adds, "I /know/ I could."

The noise that passes over them as they jostle their way into the club doesn't seem to bother Julio; given his mutant power, that's not exactly surprising. He lives and breathes vibrations, and noise is just another kind of vibration. Even though the bouncer put X's on Simon's hands to indicate he's underage, Julio puts a hand between his shoulders and asks, "I'll head to the bar. You want anything?" Seems he's not as concerned about his conduct as Simon might be. The risk of being caught drinking underage doesn't concern him, either, or at least he enjoys taking risks.

He'll get Simon anything he asks for, but he just nabs himself a nice, affordable PBR. "Guess we missed the first act. Hope they weren't your favorite," he says when he returns. "I guess I never asked -- what kind of music do you usually listen to?"

Simon Lasker has posed:
It is warm inside, and Simon is able to remove his sunglasses. With things being warmer, he doesn't need to have his eyes glow. This also reduces the risk of him losing them for the return trip -- all 15 stomach turning seconds of it (or however long it actually will be. Simon doesn't really know for sure how that works.). He also isn't sure he wants to part with his jacket. The heat isn't that much for him and he worries about what would happen to his beloved partner if he were parted with it.

"I dunno get me a soda or something."

The question about what kind of music he listened to was inevitable, but that didn't mean he had figured out a good way to handle it. It was a challenge because he knew what people thought of his musical tastes. He knew people made fun of rap metal and thought it was whiny and stupid. That is clearly not the impression you want to leave on your date. He tried to think of music that people wouldn't laugh at him for. "What kind of music do I like? I listen to Green Day and stuff like that."

"Who do you listen to?" This was probably a good place to take things. Maybe he would get some idea of what he could listen to that people would respect.

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio passes Simon a plastic cup with a plain old Coke in it. He doesn't have to worry about ditching his own jacket, because it's not really warm enough for the outdoors anyway. Who even knows what he might be wearing underneath it? He has kept it on the entire time they've been out. When Simon turns the question about music taste back on him, he laughs and answers, "Punk, mostly. That's why I suggested it. But most of my favorite bands speak Spanish, so most people here haven't heard of them."

He can't help but notice that Simon has to ponder his own answer for a surprisingly long time, even though he has no idea what's actually going through his head, and he goes on to reassure him, "It's not a trick question or anything. Just asking what you like." He cants his head to one side and continues, "You seem kind of nervous. Is everything OK?" He shifts his smile into a bit of a lopsided grin and adds, teasingly, "Don't want you to start feeling defensive and being a dick so I'll leave you alone, like last time."

Simon Lasker has posed:
Simon hears that bit about it all being in spanish so no one has heard of it as a challenge. Perhaps in another life he would have made a great hipster. "You gotta give me some names when we get back. I wanna hear some spanish punk."

Is he really that obvious? He hopes not or this will be a long night. "I guess its just been a while since I have been to a live show." The truth is that he hasn't really been to any live shows before. The videos he sees online all show some pretty violent stuff. He has also heard about crowd killing. Getting kicked in the head doesn't sound much fun. Oh yeah and there is the part where he doesn't actually listen to punk. He has no idea how much work pretending to like it will wind up being if it turns out he doesn't like it. Most of his music is more on the personal sad anger part of the rock spectrum.

Julio Richter has posed:
"I'll make you a playlist or something," Julio offers. "You on Spotify?" It's kind of a silly question. The school has a special group contract, so everyone there has access. It's just one of the benefits of going to a school where most of the faculty are in their 20s. Still, there's a possibility Simon doesn't actually use the service, so it's not an entirely useless question.

Julio isn't bad at reading people, and Simon definitely has a couple of tells when something is going on beneath the surface -- after all, if Ric hadn't noticed a kind of lonely sadness beneath the other student's abrasiveness, they certainly wouldn't be on a date now -- but it's not as though Julio can tell /what/ his date is thinking. He just occasionally gets the sense that there's something he's not hearing. For someone who's most in his element exploring hidden depths, maybe it's not surprising that he finds himself curious, when that happens.

Now, for example, he's sensing a bit of uncertainty. "You can just say if you aren't into the scene," he says, offering an out if Simon wants to take it. "I won't be offended or anything. It's not for everyone. Some of the stuff about how rough the crowds are is pretty exaggerated, though."

Simon Lasker has posed:
"I have one, but I don't really use it much. I could definately check out some songs on it though. I actually use youtube mainly. Probably because I used to go to it on school computers out in human land." He has fond memories of listening to AMVs while sharing earbuds from a school computer in the back of the library. He also wound up finding a lot of his favorite shows that way too. Its too bad puberty had to happen and make everything awkward.

Simon is trying desperately not to seem scared. He was scared when Julio asked him in his doorway, so he felt like he had to say yes, and now he doesn't want to chicken out. Besides he might like it. That would be nice. "Nah everything is cool. I'm not worried about getting a little roughed up anyway. Do you go to many of these shows?"

The band begins to set up. Mainly this involves moving in the drumset and futzing with the wires. One of the members is talking to the sound guy. The conversation seems contentious, but civil.

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio has a sip of his beer and crinkles up his nose at 'human land.' It's funny that after attending Xavier's for less than a year, it almost seems... /gross/ to think about going to a normal school where they'd have to hide who they are and what they can do. He laughs a little bit, and decides to give voice to this thought. "I won't say I never look back, but I don't have any nostalgia for those days," he says. "Where I am now is definitely where I belong, even if things aren't always easy."

Again, Julio can only pick up on hints of nervousness from Simon, so he does his best to interpret his concerns and set his date at ease. "For a while I didn't go to any shows, because I couldn't get too far from school and Salem Center doesn't have many. Then when I learned to" -- he glances at the nearest punks and lowers his voice a bit -- "teleport, I started going all the time again. I love it, it makes you so free. You can push your way up into the mosh pit and run around knocking into people if you want, but you can also just hang outside that part and jump around, scream, headbang, whatever. Even if you're in the intense part, worst you'll get is some bruises, unless you actually go and start a fight."

He raises his eyebrows and adds, "And we are not going to start any fights. They have way more to fear from us than we do from them."

Simon Lasker has posed:
Any whistfulness in Simon's eyes quickly leaves. "Oh yeah, no I don't wish I was back there. The thing about 'waking up' is you find out who your real friends and family are. The truth of the matter is that all that hapiness was based on a lie, but how I felt in those moments was real, and I do miss not having to worry." For a moment there he wasn't sure, but most of the time he is obstinately proud of who he is. This moment of uncertainty worrys him. He will have to think about this later.

He is conflicted about Julio's description of a show. On the one hand, it makes him optimistic about the night going well. On the other hand, it increases the disparity in experience. Simon does not like being the newbie in things, and this is... well its new to him. "Thats cool. My favorite part is when they slow down for the waltz at the mid point." He doesn't even try to keep a straight face through all that.

Simon lowers his voice "No fights? Aww you're no fun." He chuckles.

The band seems to be getting together on stage and the crowd starts gathering again. Some are still waiting for their drinks, and a few even seem to be planning to watch from the seats.

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio nods. "Yeah, getting up here was probably the worst couple years of my life, but now that I am here, it's... Well, there's some scary stuff, and dangerous stuff, and painful stuff. But I live in a mansion, I have magic powers, I've flirted with a half-naked sea king and I'm confident enough to wear a skintight outfit in public without having a panic attack." He hitches his shoulders and gives a sad smile for a second before adding, "Mierda, even the breakup, which suuuuuuuucks... still means I had a boyfriend, and everyone knew, and they were OK with it. In a way, it's a good problem to have."

He raises his eyebrows again, swiping a thumb across his jawline. "I mean, I didn't know you wanted to go do /that/ kind of dancing. But I mean, I do actually know a place. Waltzing can be arranged." His date's other suggestion, though, gets a quick, dismissive shake of the head. "I am lots of fun when I'm in a good mood, trust me. But beating the shit out of some puny humans and getting banned for life will make me no fun at all."

As the band starts gathering on stage, Julio tilts his head to indicate that they, too, should start filtering toward the stage. "So, you want to mosh or just dance? And how loud do you like it?" These are the factors that will determine how close they should get.

Simon Lasker has posed:
Simon is "Which half naked sea-king?" There being of course sooo many to choose from. Another way that Julio has more experience in less time. Simon has been at the X-school twice as long and hasn't flirted with any sea men. Of course hearing about Julio's ex isn't great. He bets Bobby paid for everything. He is tempted to ask, but suspecting is bad enough.

"Yeah, little known fact- schubert is my favorite punk artist. Honestly though I wanna mosh." Simon doesn't really dance. The idea of actually having to scares him a little. So any concerns about getting hit in the pit are outweighed by the fact that it is a date activity that doesn't ask him to dance -- or talk much for that matter. All that he has to do is bounce around and 'be a good time'.

Simon gets up and goes to the crowd. "Lets do this."