Participants:
| Scene Title | Bump Buddies and Tough Love |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Melissa, Magnes and Delilah run into each. They discuss puppies, bump buddies, and Melissa gives Magnes some tough love. |
| Date | February 25, 2010 |
Okay, so it's kinda late. And so most people wouldn't want to hang out in Central Park once the sun goes down. But Melissa? She likes to live daaaaangerously! Though how dangerous it can be when you're a pain projector with a FIERCE guard dog…that's safer. Or would be if the dog wasn't a fluffy puppy with more fur than brains, dashing madly after a neon yellow tennis ball. Melissa herself? She's busy grinning and sitting on the ground, coat snug around her, hat tugged down over her ears, scarf and gloves in place. Yay, cozy!
Flying through the chilly air with his black denim jacket buttoned all the way up, scanning the area for Delilah, he finds something interesting in their meeting spot.
"Puppy!"
He swoops down, hitting the path and skidding across the ground in his black sneakers, picking up a bit of slushy ice on the bottom of his pants. "Melissa! You're here. And a puppy, you have a puppy!" His eyes are lit up, and he immediately runs over to crouch down and pet it. "I've never had a pet before, except a penguin for about a week. This is awesome!" Samson's the closest thing he has to a pet, and it's not even his!
Delilah has a similar modus operandi when it comes to taking Samson out- He is monstrous enough and she is dangerous enough, so after twilight she doesn't find it that harrowing. On this walk, Magnes called her halfway in wanting to know if she could take him suit shopping. She didn't bother asking why, but she said yes- the thing is, he has to finish walking the dog with her to get there.
When Delilah eventually appears around the turn of the walk, she is bundled up warmly, and in one hand is a thick leather leash attached to a thick leather harness- which is wrapped around a rugby-striped dog sweater- which of course is on Samson. Samson is a half a pace behind her, his attention on the ground to his left until he seems to register there being another dog within distance; of course, he looks up at that, but he says nothing of it, simply looks up at Dee before scanning around to follow the puppy in his view. Magnes isn't hard to notice either, even Lilah knows that.
"Hey! What's this, a party?"
Melissa jumps a little at the yell of puppy more than the appearance of Magnes. "Uh…yes? Just got him today," she says, while watching the puppy go nuts sniffing and licking at a new person, then promptly flopping over and barking. Belly rub time! "And you had a penguin for a pet? How in the hell did that happen?" Then she's looking over towards Delilah, and looks amused. "It seems like it's becoming one, yeah. Join us in our puppy party?"
"Long story. I only had it for a week, they wouldn't let me bring it home with me." Magnes immediately starts rubbing the puppy's stomach, then looks up and smiles when he sees Delilah. "Hey, Delilah!"
Looking down at the puppy, he says lowly, though still a bit loud enough for them to hear, "Boy, this is an awkward situation, isn't it, puppy?"
Samson isn't much of a puppy. He's probably three times the size of Jerry Lee, even from afar. As he and Dee get closer, he seems more like a bear on a leash. A bear with a crewcut, anyhow. He's quiet, thankfully, but does wag his tail once or twice before tiptoeing forward to sniff the Shepard pup. Delilah is just smiling to both Melissa and Magnes, giving the former a second look. "So you got one! What's his name? How old is he?"
Jerry Lee rolls over to his feet as he sees Another Dog! There's barking and the required sniffing, before Jerry starts to fearlessly try to play with the much larger dog. Melissa grins at the pair before she nods to Magnes and answers Delilah. "We think he's about four months old. His full name, according to Ygraine and Tony, is Jerry Lewis Lee. And yes, I know the last two names are switched. They insisted. But it's Jerry for short." Another grin. "From K-9."
Magnes stays crouched, watching the puppy as he goes to try and play wtih Samson. He couldn't be more happy, watching two dogs! "I guess with my new job, I'll definitely be able to afford a place where I can keep pets. I wish they sold flying dogs, I wanna fly around with my pet. Birds aren't fluffy enough, except penguins, but penguins don't fly." He rambles a bit, but his attention is quickly captured by the dogs again.
"If you had a bird, you'd teach it to say nerdy things." Delilah nods once, certain of this. "Jerry, eh? Cute. He already looks pretty handsome." Samson, in the meantime, is exercising his eternal wisdom and taking the pokes and paws and nips at his toes in stride. He has battled the fearsome Mister Muggles- Jerry Lee is no match! The big dog lifts his front foot and puts his paw on Jerry's head the next time the puppy goes to get at his ankles. Puppy! .-.
Melissa nods. "Yeah, you could get one of those talking birds. Or maybe a flying squirrel? A bat?" she suggests with a shrug, before she giggles a little at Samson and Jerry. Jerry doesn't take it too well, and paws at the much larger paw, growling in a way that can only be cute for his size. "So what're you two doing out and about?"
"Well, I worked on the corset some more, I'll probably make Delilah one too or she'll kill me." Magnes laughs and heads over to her, moving to place an arm around the red-head's shoulders. "Then I had band practice for a while, Sable being a slave driver and all. And now I'm gonna have Delilah help me pick out suits since I'll be Tracy Strauss' intern starting next week."
Samson lifts his other leg and puts it over Jerry before lying down- and probably taking the puppy with him. His tail wags slowly behind him, seemingly content with his new friend. Delilah shrugs at Magnes in agreement, but then she pauses to look at him better. "I have enough corsets, Magnes- A- What? Seriously? You're not even in school and you've got an internship?"
The pup gives a little yelp as he's taken down, then he tries to squirm out from under the larger dog. Melissa's brows lift. "You got it huh? Congrats. And you know you don't have to make me a corset, right?"
"I know I don't, I do this stuff for fun, and because I like doing nice things for people." Magnes says in his Gary Stu-like manner, then nods and smiles down at Delilah. "A friend pulled some strings for me. I start school soon, I just need to decide which one I'll go to. I decided not to go to Claire's school, as much as I want to. But yeah, being Tracy Strauss' intern will teach me a lot."
Samson has very paternal notions. Or maternal, depending. He starts licking at Jerry's ear, despite the puppy's energetic protesting. Sluuurp. That's a big tongue! Dee is paying more attention to the humans, however, so the dogs get to do the dog things. "Helena's going to Columbia, hopefully. And yeah, he makes things-" Dee leans towards Melissa as if they were gossiping by themselves. "He's made me quite a few things. It was weird at first but then I just let him spoil me a bit."
"Good. For not going to Claire's school, I mean," Melissa says before she looks back to Delilah. "I'd really rather not be spoiled, to be honest. It's highly over-rated," she says with the dry tone and frown of someone who knows what she's talking about. At least in her opinion.
"Don't worry, I won't go nuts or anything, I just thought a corset was a nice challenge. The other day I gave Daphne an experiment I did. It was a regular shirt, but with hoody pockets and a thin hood so her hair doesn't blow away when she's… moving." Magnes sounds almost like he began to slip something, then shakes his head.
"Columbia might be interesting. Helena said Claire's her best friend, but, they don't seem to hang out much anymore, and I could use at least one friend at a school. Taking this whole girl break has made me feel so much more relaxed." A pause, then another look down at Delilah. "Well, a girl break except you."
"Gee, I was gonna say- Maybe you shouldn't count me, might make that concept easier to manage." Dee glares a moment at MAgnes, but it's hard to tell if she is being sarcastic or honest. "And schools are for making new friends, aren't they? Maybe you just need a normal one?" That's a thought.
"Helena and Claire are friends? Wow. Small world," Melissa murmurs. "And here's another tip, Mags. Most girls like their business to be their business. If you're actually with someone it's sort of expected that you're sleeping together. If you're not? Then might wanna ask if they want everyone to know."
"Yeah, I guess new, normal friends couldn't hurt. And hey, I could never give you up, not in a million years!" Magnes playfully defends in the face of her glare, smiling. Though Melissa's tip causes him to go a bit thoughtful, and he suddenly asks, "Um, is it a secret, Delilah?"
"I don't care either way. But I already told you about too much PDAs, that's all that matters. Other guys might think I'm actually taken." Delilah glances to him and then Melissa, almost waiting for a response before nudging at Samson's expansive hindquarters with her boot. "Hey, get your face out of his ear. You'll right lick his brains out."
Melissa glances down to the dogs and can't help but snicker a little. "I think Jerry's having a blast, really." Then she looks to Magnes. "See? So might wanna stop spreading around who you're sleepin' with unless the other person is cool with it. Some people are really private and don't like having their business spread around, yanno? I've seen people blush and stutter when their bump buddy let it spill. It's not a pretty sight."
"Sorry." Magnes sounds almost disappointed about the actually taken part, for whatever reason, and removes his arm from around her shoulders. He slides his hands into his pockets, then turns his head to watch the dogs again. "I'm an adult, I can handle that." he says in that same unsure tone he had with Melissa the night before.
"You better handle it, it was part of the terms. I'm not going back on what I say just because you really really want me to say something else." Delilah just cannot see herself with him- not seriously. Sorry, Magnet. "Bump Buddy." She does take a moment to giggle at Melissa though.
Melissa shoots at grin at Delilah at her giggling. "What? Would you prefer a different term? Frisky Friend? Perv Pal?" she asks before she looks to Magnes. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, Mags. We're just offering helpful suggestions for the future. Besides, you're off girls seriously, remember?"
"Yeah, I know, but, well, I don't know. Delilah may have been a bit right, about the reason she didn't wanna be my first, but…" Magnes pulls a hand from his pocket to gently place it on to her back. "I can handle it, I mean, it's a bit late to decide I can't, and, it's not like this arrangement is unpleasant, at least not for me. If nothing else, it's forcing me to grow up a little, I think." There's a pause, and he corrects, "I hope."
"I hope so too." Delilah's mitten finds the top of his head, ruffling at his hair. "Just don't do it too fast or you'll end up like half the older people I know."
Melissa grins impishly. "Do it like me, so you grow up as awesome as I am!"
"I was with one other girl, and I don't really feel hung up on her or anything. I guess with you it's just 'cause of all the history and stuff, y'know?" Magnes doesn't even hint at who the other girl was, he just puts it out there for Delilah. "I am happy now, I don't feel stressed or fixated or anything. And I'm just really anxious to start my internship. Tracy's gonna freak."
Delilah's eyebrows crawl up on her forehead when he says that. !!! "Pardon? Seriously? You actually got some action that wasn't me? Wow. How come this is the first I've heard of it!?" Clearly knowing at least the existence of such things is super important.
Melissa arches a brow. "Not even as hung up as you are with Delilah? History or not? But happy is good. Unstressed is good. Unfixated is very good."
"I'll tell you later, Delilah, I'm not really allowed to say right now." Magnes snickers to himself, clearly some sort of inside joke, then moves his hand back into his pocket. "I've been meaning to tell you, really, but like, it only happened a few days ago."
"Pfffffff. This is like, sleepover BFF talk man. If you're allowed to tell me, do it soon." Delilah briefly checks her watch, and then Samson's progress on licking out Jerry's brains. "So did you want to go looking, or what? Cause I'd have to take him home first."
Melissa glances to Delilah curiously. "Looking for what?"
Magnes winces a bit for whatever reason, then laughs nervously. "Suits." he reminds Melissa, then pulls out his iPhone and looks at the clock before sliding it back into his pocket. "It's a bit late, most of the stores are probably closed now. I'll stop by your place later and make dinner for you or something. And don't worry, I'll, um, tell you, or some variation of that." he says, suddenly sounding playfully fearful.
"Maybe I'll have to beat it out of you then." Delilah says this so nonchalantly that maybe she just means it. "Come on, Samson. Let go of him, you'll see him again, I'm sure of that." She laughs and tugs the leather leash on the dog, and he reluctantly gets up and steps away from the puppy. No! Friend! "I've got steaks in the freezer that need cooked, you can do that, alright?"
Melissa reaches over to scoop up the smaller puppy, then gives Samson a pet or two. "See ya later, Delilah."
"I'll put some sort of Italian twist on 'em! I'll be there in a few." Magnes then moves to the puppy again, crouching down to smile at it. Puppy!
"See you later, guys! Make sure Jerry still has all his brains!" Samson is looking back as if he had gotten to the gooey center of the puppy's ear and wants more. Or, he just really liked this one for some reason. Delilah otherwise moves off, alpha-dogging Samson into following her down the path again.
"Oh, as much brains as he ever had," Melissa says with a wry smile. "He's a sweety though."
"Well, that was pretty awkward." Magnes says from his puppy-petting position, eyes completely focused on it. "Though there was kind of something exciting about it, for some reason."
"No, it wasn't exciting," Melissa says, voice flat, ruffling the dog's fur. "Though I'm gonna have to remember bump buddy."
"You're too serious sometimes, y'know." Magnes teases, looking up from the puppy to give her a calm smile. "Sometimes I feel like we switched places."
Melissa eyes slowly lift to Magnes' face. "Magnes…I've tried to be nice about this. I tried to spare your feelings where I could. But you are quickly approaching the point where I'm going to be blunt and completely honest. Do you really want that?" she asks, voice soft and slow, very controlled. But while outwardly she shows a calm but irritated facade, inside is different. She seems to be angry enough that her control over her power slips, just a bit, projecting mild pain without realizing it. Headache bad, nothing more.
Magnes groans slightly, holding his forehead. "Sorry, Melissa, I was just teasing." He stands to face her now, still wincing a bit when he removes his hand from his head. "I won't do it again. I didn't know you were so bothered, so, I'm sorry." he smiles warmly, despite the headache, trying to sincerely apologize.
"Were you teasing when you said you'd tell Delilah? I meant what I said about women wanting their privacy," Melissa says in the same flat tone. "My business is my business. Not yours, not Delilah's, not the freakin' pope's. And I don't want my address, phone number, lovers, ability or anything else spread without my knowledge," she continues, rising to her feet, Jerry still in her arms.
"I honestly wasn't trying to piss you off." Magnes frowns, starting to ascend like the night before, hands in his pockets again. "Maybe I should go. I'm not a big fan of making you dislike me even more, and it seems like every time we talk I put my foot in my mouth, so…" He starts to rise a little higher.
"No? Then I've got some homework for you Magnes," Melissa says, working at calming down, reigning in her power now. "Learn how to respect boundaries. Not just with me, but everyone. You irked Delilah earlier for the same reason. Everything that pops in your head doesn't have to come out of your mouth."
"I'm sorry." is all Magnes really manages to say at first, still hanging there in the air, staring down at her. "I kind of wish we could start over, before I screwed up so much. But, if nothing else, I learned why you wanted nothing to do with me that way when we first met. Good night, Melissa." His mood seems to have suddenly dropped, and he seems fairly intent on flying off, though he hasn't quite yet.
Melissa sighs. "Then prove it. Focus on your internship instead of girls. Learn to respect the brain/mouth barrier. Be good to Delilah without being clingy. See you later, Magnes," she says, before she starts walking off.
"I'll do my best." is Magnes' answer, and he simply darts into the air. As bad as he feels now, he does always find himself thanking Melissa later!