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| Scene Title | Cause Crosses And Bibles Are Lame |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Magnes brings by a very inappropriate belated birthday present for abby, the inspiration not long behind him and Leonard wishes she'd keep it. Eventually it's just Melissa and Leonard and conversation in Old Lucy's. |
| Date | February 15. 2010 |
Showing up at the bar early in the evening, at around six or so, Magnes is holding a long white box, like one of those disappointing Christmas boxes when you just know it's clothes. But, at least it's not gift wrapped, and he's heading for the bar. "Abby!" he calls out, in case she's in the bar somewhere, and nods to Brenda.
He's wearing a black suit jacket, unbuttoned with a white shirt under it, and a highly stylized double G on the front. He's also wearing his usual pair of blue jeans and black sneakers.
"-eally, you should try some baloney cake. I don't know Teo hates it, it's not like it… meatloaf" Abigail hates meatloaf and Magne's yell is another thing on the list of things that Abigail doesn't much care for. Jacket over her arm, purse, winter boots on and toque covering her hair that's been turned back to it's natural shade of red with a little evolved help, she pauses as she's heading out from the back behind the bar. "Magnes, do you really need to yell like some little teenager?" A new little gold cross has found it's way to around her neck and she looks over at Leonard with a roll of her eyes. "I bet I can get Magnes to try some baloney cake"
Melissa comes in a minute after Magnes, after pausing just outside to flick her cigarette towards the street. Once inside she tugs her knit cap off, shakes her hair out, and shoves the cap into her coat pocket before she starts towards the bar.
And right behind Abby looms Leo, back from the state of confusion that is California, and as tired and cynical as ever, if somewhat less wrathful. He winces at the yelling. "I don't like baloney either," he says, easily. "Salami, sure. Ham, turkey….bologna, no, I'll bet you can," he agrees.
"Hey, I got bullet grazed four times, I think I earned a little yelling!" Magnes laughs and goes to sit at the bar close to Abby. "Oh, sure I'd try it! If you cooked it I'd totally try it. I don't really like bologna, but I'm sure you can make it awesome." He smiles confidently, and sits the box on the table, suddenly pulling the top off. He hasn't noticed Melissa entering yet. "This is kind of a late birthday slash Valentine's Day gift, if you don't like it I'll certainly get you something else. A friend of mine said these things are comfortable if you get them in the right size, and I've known you long enough to have a good idea of your measurements. I don't know, they don't look comfortable to me, but if girls like them…"
It's a corset, a white corset, with two angel wing designs on the back and light blue stripes wrapping around the middle in an upward angle when they reach the front.
That look on Abigail's face? It's a nice one, smiling at magnes and rolling her eyes. "It's not cooked Magnes. I'll make another one some day and you can try it, it's real goo-" Her brain grinds to a screeching halt and she stares at what he's just revealed in the box.
Brenda meanwhile is trying to come in on the other side of Abby and eyes wide. "Oh Wow kid, where'd you find that. That's fucking awesome!"
Melissa glances over towards Magnes, perhaps hearing his voice, and she heads over in his direction. "Hey Mags," she offers, before giving a nod to those around him.
Leonard whistles, long and low. "Damn, woman, he has your num-ber," he says, sounding intensely amused at that. Magnes gets a look that has some actual respect in it.
"Hey, Melissa! That's Abby, the girl I told you about. Abby, this is Melissa." Magnes tilts his head at Abby, but everyone else having a favorable reaction just makes him shrug. She must like it too then! "Oh, I was just looking in lots of stores. At first I thought 'Maybe this isn't Abby's thing', but you know? Abby's still a girl, so I tried to find something really nice but still classy, so she could try something new."
Maaaaaaaybe she remembers how righteously upset that Coren got when she tried to refuse a present. Leonard can tell, beneath the smile she's plastered on her face that she is unamused. But much like a ring she once got from Brian and a crystal cross, she just smiles brightly. 'Thank you Magnes. It's a very interesting present" That will filter it's way to the back of her closet, remain in the box and never be opened again.
"Abby? Oh, the friend. Gotcha. Nice to meetcha, Abby," Melissa says, nodding to the other woman, then peering at the present. Her lips twitch, then she snickers and shakes her head. "So I guess there was a reason for all the corset questions, huh?" she asks Magnes.
That's okay. Leo has enough amusement for both of them. Dark eyes nearly vanish with the force of his grin, for a moment. He'll keep it. Maybe he can fit Teo into it.
"You're welcome, Abby! I didn't really wanna get you something lame like another bible or a cross. I thought about making you clothes, but I already made you that Jean Grey costume. You're really hard to shop for." Magnes laughs and nudges Melissa, shaking his head. "No, you kind of inspired the gift, since you were saying how great the things are."
And that's where the inspiration came from. It's not that hard to see really and she looks to Leonard, unsure of what to do. But she squares her shoulders, putting the lid on the box and passing it back over to mages, despite the frown of disappointment on Brenda's face that she's doing that. "Magne,s maybe it's a better gift for your friend" A nod politely to Melissa's direction. "You're a friend and you should know by now that I don't consider crosses or bibles lame, but this is not an appropriate gift for me. Would you really see me wearing it?" She's trying to be nice about it. "I am not a girl, who runs about wearing my underthings, outside my clothings magnes. Thank you, for the gift, but please, I can't accept this"
Melissa grins at Magnes, seeming amused that she inspired the gift. But some of Abby's words have that grin fading and a little tension creeping into her body. But she doesn't say anything, oh no. She goes completely silent and just looks at Abby for a long moment before she shakes her head and moves off to get to ordering a drink.
Awwwwww. Leo was -hoping-. The telekine's face grows ever longer and more lugubrious, like a basset hound outside a butcher-shop window. But he doesn't argue with Abby. Merely looks disappointed.
"Wait, this is underwear?" Magnes takes the box and lifts the corset up, turning it around, looking inside it, then to Abby, then the corset, then Abby again. Alright there's a bit of brain lag and mental imagery, but he quickly shakes his head and looks in Melissa's direction. "You're wearing underwear outside?"
He's quickly putting the corset back into the box, giving Abby a deeply apologetic look as he clamps both his hands together and closes his eyes. "I am so sorry, I had no freakin' idea at all! Can I get a gift do-over?"
"Magnes, somepeople like this style and it works for them. It works for Melissa? Melissa. Brenda's already drooling over it but…" She's realizing she might have offended Magnes's friend and there's a wince, even as she's digging an elbow into Leonards ribs. "THis is just.. for a girl like me, this is something that is better off coming from her husband" Classic magnes though. "She looks over to melissa, leaning over the bar and offering her hand tentatively to melissa. "Abigail, Abigail Beauchamp. Prude"
Melissa glances back at Magnes, giving him a look that's far from friendly. "No. I'm not," she replies in a tone that's a notch or two cooler than it was before. Then her gaze shifts to Abby, and her head tilts slightly. There might be a moment where evil things are thought, but they're dismissed in favor of taking the offered hand. "Really is a cute corset, even if it is white."
Leonard just looks wry, and ambles around to take a seat at the bar. Ah, well, a man can dream.
"Husband… oooh!" Magnes is peering down at the corset again, coughing slightly, though he doesn't say anything when Melissa doesn't seem too happy with him. "Alright, Abby. I know what I'll do! Something super thoughtful that can't possibly be bad! I'll teach you how to make pizza, from scratch!"
"I'm sure it is. Really, I hope I didn't offend, it's just.. it's not a gift for me. But I'm glad that you have him thinking outside of his normal box. Please, have a drink, on the house" She takes her hand after the shake. "Magnes, that's probably something Delilah would adore. She'd be gushing over it." Poor Leonard. Brenda will lean over and give him an eyefull as consolation prize and blow a kiss to him. "I should go Magnes, I have to do some shopping and get some stuff for work"
"Free drink sounds good," Melissa says, nodding and drawing her hand back as well. And order a drink she does! Before glances at Magnes, then Leonard, and finally back to Abby.
Leonard just props his chin on his hand, gives Brenda a very long-suffering look.
"Alright Abby. Sorry again, I did try to do something different! I'll show up with the stuff for pizza some time when you're not busy. Every guy will love a woman who can magically whip up pizzas. And uh, give my regards to Robert, I think his name was?" Magnes smiles, totally trying to show no hard feelings, then places the top back on to his box. "And um, sorry if I offended you too, Melissa."
Crap. Crap. He remembered her lie. "I will…." Abigail sing songs as she starts shoving her arms through her jacket and winding her scarf around her neck. "take care Magnes, Brenda, be nice to him" Which get sa roll of her eyes from her flame red haired employee who starts taking and serving drink orders. "Some day Magnet, some day she'll be like the rest of us. She's already necking with guys in the alley"
Melissa shakes her head. "You're fine, Mags," she assures him before she glances to Leonard. "So who're you? Or are you the nameless guy who just hangs around and says very little?"
"What?" Magnes stands up suddenly at that revelation, and a nearby mug just shatters. "What did you say?" he asks of Brenda, Melissa's words going in one ear and out the other.
"I say very little, but I do have a name. Leonard Shelby," he says offering a hand to Melissa, rather languidly.
"You heard me magnet" Brenda just smiles, as if mayyybe she was saying it to get a rise out of him, maybe not. "So! Drinks on the house, bosslady's orders! HEATHER! Lets get serving!"
"What's the deal, Mags?" Melissa asks before she takes Leonard's hand. "Melissa. Or Mel, or Lissa or whatever the hell you want."
"Well, I don't care, I'm over Abby anyway, I mean, I had a girlfriend." Magnes crosses his arms as he frowns a bit, completely-not-bothered-at-all. "I'll take a very large class of Guinness. And nothing's wrong, Melissa."
"A pleasure, Melissa," says, Leo, but looks quite prepared to continue being lazy.
Melissa nods to Leo. "Same goes," she says before withdrawing her hand and giving Magnes a skeptical look. Then, "Thought you were laying off the booze?"
"I just need one glass is all." Magnes says, but then thinks twice on it, and shakes his head. "Nah, you're right, I'm gonna go out and skate." He stands up, giving Brenda a nod. "I'm not jealous or anything, I'm just gonna go skate and get my mind off something completely not related."
Leonard looks intensely tempted to twit Magnes….and unable to work up the energy. "Have fun," he wishes.
Melissa sighs softly and shakes her head. "See ya later, Magnes. Have fun, don't get hurt, all that good stuff."
"Yeah, later Melissa, and, uh, you guy." Magnes offers Leonard a thumbs up. Funny, they saved people from a chopper together and never really met. He's mumbling something as he heads for the door, something along the lines of, "What's necking anyway…"
"I'm perpetually amazed at how long that boy's innocence survives in this city," opines Leo, watching Magnes go with a look of incredulity.
Melissa shakes her head. "I'm not amazed, I'm completely freakin' /shocked/. It's like he skipped puberty or somethin'. It's kinda creepy."
"I suppose it is," Leo admits. "Hadn't thought ofit that way, but yeah."
Melissa grins. "Well considering he's never done anything that normal teenage boys do, like prank calls, TPing someone's house, or, apparently, even /necking/…"
Leonard wonders, ""Where did he come from? Was he raised by wolves, or something?"
Melissa shrugs. "No idea. Haven't asked and he hasn't offered. A cave would certainly make sense though."
Leonard finally sits up a little, grins at her a little less languidly. "I'll have to ask him. He has some thing for Abby."
Melissa grins. "You noticed, huh? But nothing is wrong of course. That wasn't jealousy we were seeing, not at all."
He rolls his eyes. "Yeah. But Abby puts up with him, so I don't chase him off. He means well." Like that excuses everything.
Melissa cocks her head. "Why would you chase him off for having a thing for her? You got a thing for her too?"
"More like I'm her brother, than anything else. I'm queer, so I don't have that as an ulterior motive." Well, he's playing fast and loose with the truth.
Melissa arches a brow. "You're gay," she says, tone flat and skeptical.
Leonard notes, in his best slow southern drawl, "They make 'em down there, too, honey."
Melissa rolls her eyes. "They make 'em everywhere. But then, I guess you /did/ seem a little too interested in that corset. I just figured you were hopin' to see her in it or somethin'."
"She's got a boy housemate I was thinking of," Leo confesses, without an iota of shame.
"Oh yeah? He cute? Tall, dark and hunky?" Melissa asks, lighting up a cigarette and leaning against the bar.
Leonard lets out a slow sigh. "He used to be beautiful. And tall and fair and built. Now he's got this fucked up Heidelberg scar from some gang fight. Talk about a waste." He sounds utterly mournful.
Melissa gives Leo a sympathetic look. "Everything else intact though? It'd be more of a shame if he couldn't perform than it is havin' a pretty face ruined."
LEo waves a hand. "I don't know. It's….an on again, off again thing. And right now it's off."
Melissa arches a brow. "How…can being able to get it up be an on again, off again thing? Oooh. Does he have to use viagra? Poor guy."
"I'm saying…..I don't know, because I haven't had an opportunity to test it," Leo says, and it's less teasing now. More really sad.
Melissa ahhs. "Gotcha. Well, jump the boy or something," she says, shrugging. "Or, yanno, find someone else to jump."
The telekine confesses, "Nah. I'm hung up on him. It's….been rocky. But hell, I'm obsessive and I know it."
Melissa shakes her head. "I don't get how people can get so caught up with one person. There's what, four billion people on the planet? And if someone isn't into you, why not just…find someone who is?" she says, sounding genuinely baffled.
"Because he has been, in the past. And we have this history," Leo explains, and he sounds merely sad.
"Key words there though, babe. Past and history," Melissa points out before she shrugs and changes the subject. "So where's the local hot spots 'round here? Clubs and stuff?"
Leonard lifts his hands. 'Honestly, don't know. Been so outta that loop, haven't the faintest," That's where Leo turns in his Gay Male Union Card.
Melissa sighs. "Damn. Was hoping to find someplace good to go hang out. I mean, bars are nice, but they usually have nada for dance floors."
"Ask Abby, when you see her again. She'll know," Leo advises.
Melissa nods. "I'll keep that in mind." The cigarette is put out, and her drink downed. "For now though…think I'm gonna jet. see if I can't find one of those spots all on my own. Can't be /that/ hard…"
"Good luck with that," says Leo, lifting a hand in salute. "It's New York, there's gotta be some."
Melissa nods. "Yeah, that was my thinking. You take it easy, Leo. And good luck with your boy," she says, giving him a grin before her hat is pulled out, tugged on, and she starts sauntering towards then out the door!