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Tessa and Jeanne-Marie, middle of the party
The girls have a sweet little dance the night before Tessa moves out.
Sometime during the night, Jeanne-Marie had descended upon Wanda to ask which song was meant for which of her friends. She didn't know all of them, but she did know the one meant for Tessa; so when it came on, she strolled up to her friend and held out her hand. "A last dance with the vampire hunter, before you go?"
Slender fingers twining around Jeanne-Marie's palm, the cyberpath allowed herself to be gently escorted back to the floor. "That would be most welcome," Tessa said, canting her head to give the latest musical offering her full attention and then smirking faintly. "Ah. Pietro's taste is, as ever, both a marvel and a mystery." But soon her gaze was filled with the younger Beaubier sibling once again. "I suppose there is an elegant symmetry to it, sharing a dance with both the vampire and the slayer. And a privilege to counting both amongst my dearest friends."
"We are lucky to have you," Jeanne-Marie said with a smile, recalling fondly the memory of her brother and Tessa dancing so familiarly not so long ago. She pulled her friend near and led her--moving backwards--to the dance floor. "I am perhaps not Pietro's biggest fan, but the music tonight, I like. His and Shinobi's choices both." And she laughed there, because, oh... Shinobi.
Relaxing her usual, reserved mien for a moment, Tessa allowed a hint of amused tolerance to show in her expression. "They are both rare and inimitable individuals, I suppose," she said, her palms moving to Jeanne-Marie's waist as they slowed to join the other dancers. "A fact for which we should very probably be grateful." The cyberpath began to sway with the music, unhurried, as though time were not a factor deserving of note. "You and Roberto appear to have been enjoying the celebration," she observed. "You are finding him quite manageable?"
Jeanne-Marie slipped her arms around Tessa's neck, smiling happily and moving with her. "I am, yes. He is so stubborn, but luckily he listens to me. Even if it sometimes takes him a while. By you know how that is from your squad." Which had been a point of some animosity with Roberto, but mostly Pietro and Warren. Now that seemed to be all cleared up, though, thank God.
"I do, and I acknowledge he has made considerable progress, since we began group training. He has much to be proud of, but some distance yet to go before I would call him either consistently self-sufficient or a reliable teammate. But I think he can achieve both these objectives, if he applies himself, and does not allow himself to become mired in the past once again." Tessa studied Jeanne-Marie as the two of them swayed together. "Your progress, however, has been more remarkable still--and, for Sunspot, I believe you will present a more formidable and more rewarding challenge yet. Of course, when it came to the squad all he needed concern himself with was the disappointment of his peers. If he should fail to perform adequately as your boyfriend, well," her gaze flickered toward Aurora's twin, "I suspect the consequences will be a great deal more dire."
Jeanne-Marie laughed and moved nearer, putting her cheek against Tessa's. "I only just kept Jean-Paul from killing him after that whole mess the night of the Masquerade. Really I am not sure how I kept from it--except that he is not a good liar, so I believed him."
"That is a consideration in his favor, I suppose," Tessa mused, tilting her face into the other girl's affectionately. "Although if he should stray again, I feel obliged to tell you that it will not just be your brother seeking to correct him."
"I wouldn't have it any other way." Jeanne-Marie smiled. "So, where is your new place? I have to bring you a housewarming gift."
"I have taken a small space in Yorktown," she said. "It is overpriced, and drafty, and the bathroom and kitchen fixtures are antiquated, but it is sufficient. However," the cyberpath shook her head, "no gift is necessary. I scarcely have the room for possessions that are not strictly necessary in the course of my day-to-day activities."
"Something you can put on the wall," Jeanne-Marie reasoned with a small laugh. "Maybe some kind of wall-hanging that can defeat the draft a little. We will see."
"I already have the portrait of Josh that Kevin painted for me, as well as several charcoal rubbings that Ellie and I made of the grave markers in the cemetery in Westchester," Tessa replied, somewhat dubiously, "along with assorted other items both decorative and functional I have gathered in my time here. You need not go to any particular trouble--though I appreciate, of course, your regard for my comfort."
"Those are not very draft--ah draft-preventing," Jeanne-Marie pointed out. No, she needed one of those batik ones from India, or maybe some sort of rug. Anyhow, she'd see when Jeanne-Marie found her one. "You may as well resign yourself to my regard now; it will always exist."
Tessa smiled. "Your regard is a source of tremendous gratification for me. I only meant that you need not trouble yourself, nor take on any unnecessary expense. It is enough to know you care."
"I feel the same... mostly." Jeanne-Marie pulled back so Tessa could see her smirk; it wasn't necessary and she knew Tessa would feel it anyhow, but it was funnier that way. "Sometimes I admit that I do like tangible evidence, though. Or perhaps Jean-Paul and Roberto have just made me used to it."
"They exert a questionable influence upon you, in that regard," Sage noted, her tone wry. "But I will remember your predilections when next the time comes for me to express to you that I care."
"Meaning I should let myself be spoiled?" Jeanne-Marie asked playfully.
"In moderation, certainly. An excess of any quality rarely leads to any good, but I do not think your personality will be irreparably distorted by a little indulgence at regular intervals."
"Augmented, let's say," Jeanne-Marie said, ever proud when she find the precise right word in English. It had taken her a year, but that was relatively little time to master a language she'd struggled with before, she thought. Not very humble, but then... well, she was a little spoiled. "Or hope, considering the way my brother treats me. I somehow doubt that having less endorsements will stop him trying to give me anything I want."
"I share your skepticism," Tessa agreed, somewhat wryly, but with a small, fond smile. "I suppose we each expression our affections in distinct ways. I certainly would not consider myself qualified to assert which means are better and which are worse. My familiarity with such practices is still somewhat new." Rather like Jeanne-Marie's familiarity with English, and, like her, the cyberpath had come far in less than a year's time. But there were still finer points the persistently eluded her.
Jeanne-Marie kissed her cheek briefly--but a few interesting memories flashed through her mind as she did so. Another dance, not so long ago, the loud thump of music not unlike this, but quite a different crowd. She flushed and grinned. "And yet, you're better at it than you think."
"Perhaps," Sage allowed. "But not yet quite so expert as I might prefer to be." She was no stranger to the physical aspects of affection, certainly, and it could not be disputed that she enjoyed them thoroughly. But it was also clear that such activities were not quite as meaningful to her as they seemed to be to many of the others; from her perspective, when they were concluded, they were concluded, and had no further implications or ramifications. It was difficult for her to form attachments with the same overt tenacity her peers so often displayed.
"Well, luckily, you won't be so far away that we all have to stop practicing." Well, perhaps not that anymore, but Jeanne-Marie was always prepared for general affection. No matter how far Tessa went, she would always have an extra share of that from her.
But Jeanne-Marie was glad she would near enough to get it regularly, anyhow.
"Fortunately, yes," Tessa agreed as the music began to wind down. "As ever, I look forward to expanding the horizons of my knowledge." Before they separated, the cyberpath leaned in and kissed Jeanne-Marie gently on the cheek. "Thank you for the dance."
Sometime during the night, Jeanne-Marie had descended upon Wanda to ask which song was meant for which of her friends. She didn't know all of them, but she did know the one meant for Tessa; so when it came on, she strolled up to her friend and held out her hand. "A last dance with the vampire hunter, before you go?"
Slender fingers twining around Jeanne-Marie's palm, the cyberpath allowed herself to be gently escorted back to the floor. "That would be most welcome," Tessa said, canting her head to give the latest musical offering her full attention and then smirking faintly. "Ah. Pietro's taste is, as ever, both a marvel and a mystery." But soon her gaze was filled with the younger Beaubier sibling once again. "I suppose there is an elegant symmetry to it, sharing a dance with both the vampire and the slayer. And a privilege to counting both amongst my dearest friends."
"We are lucky to have you," Jeanne-Marie said with a smile, recalling fondly the memory of her brother and Tessa dancing so familiarly not so long ago. She pulled her friend near and led her--moving backwards--to the dance floor. "I am perhaps not Pietro's biggest fan, but the music tonight, I like. His and Shinobi's choices both." And she laughed there, because, oh... Shinobi.
Relaxing her usual, reserved mien for a moment, Tessa allowed a hint of amused tolerance to show in her expression. "They are both rare and inimitable individuals, I suppose," she said, her palms moving to Jeanne-Marie's waist as they slowed to join the other dancers. "A fact for which we should very probably be grateful." The cyberpath began to sway with the music, unhurried, as though time were not a factor deserving of note. "You and Roberto appear to have been enjoying the celebration," she observed. "You are finding him quite manageable?"
Jeanne-Marie slipped her arms around Tessa's neck, smiling happily and moving with her. "I am, yes. He is so stubborn, but luckily he listens to me. Even if it sometimes takes him a while. By you know how that is from your squad." Which had been a point of some animosity with Roberto, but mostly Pietro and Warren. Now that seemed to be all cleared up, though, thank God.
"I do, and I acknowledge he has made considerable progress, since we began group training. He has much to be proud of, but some distance yet to go before I would call him either consistently self-sufficient or a reliable teammate. But I think he can achieve both these objectives, if he applies himself, and does not allow himself to become mired in the past once again." Tessa studied Jeanne-Marie as the two of them swayed together. "Your progress, however, has been more remarkable still--and, for Sunspot, I believe you will present a more formidable and more rewarding challenge yet. Of course, when it came to the squad all he needed concern himself with was the disappointment of his peers. If he should fail to perform adequately as your boyfriend, well," her gaze flickered toward Aurora's twin, "I suspect the consequences will be a great deal more dire."
Jeanne-Marie laughed and moved nearer, putting her cheek against Tessa's. "I only just kept Jean-Paul from killing him after that whole mess the night of the Masquerade. Really I am not sure how I kept from it--except that he is not a good liar, so I believed him."
"That is a consideration in his favor, I suppose," Tessa mused, tilting her face into the other girl's affectionately. "Although if he should stray again, I feel obliged to tell you that it will not just be your brother seeking to correct him."
"I wouldn't have it any other way." Jeanne-Marie smiled. "So, where is your new place? I have to bring you a housewarming gift."
"I have taken a small space in Yorktown," she said. "It is overpriced, and drafty, and the bathroom and kitchen fixtures are antiquated, but it is sufficient. However," the cyberpath shook her head, "no gift is necessary. I scarcely have the room for possessions that are not strictly necessary in the course of my day-to-day activities."
"Something you can put on the wall," Jeanne-Marie reasoned with a small laugh. "Maybe some kind of wall-hanging that can defeat the draft a little. We will see."
"I already have the portrait of Josh that Kevin painted for me, as well as several charcoal rubbings that Ellie and I made of the grave markers in the cemetery in Westchester," Tessa replied, somewhat dubiously, "along with assorted other items both decorative and functional I have gathered in my time here. You need not go to any particular trouble--though I appreciate, of course, your regard for my comfort."
"Those are not very draft--ah draft-preventing," Jeanne-Marie pointed out. No, she needed one of those batik ones from India, or maybe some sort of rug. Anyhow, she'd see when Jeanne-Marie found her one. "You may as well resign yourself to my regard now; it will always exist."
Tessa smiled. "Your regard is a source of tremendous gratification for me. I only meant that you need not trouble yourself, nor take on any unnecessary expense. It is enough to know you care."
"I feel the same... mostly." Jeanne-Marie pulled back so Tessa could see her smirk; it wasn't necessary and she knew Tessa would feel it anyhow, but it was funnier that way. "Sometimes I admit that I do like tangible evidence, though. Or perhaps Jean-Paul and Roberto have just made me used to it."
"They exert a questionable influence upon you, in that regard," Sage noted, her tone wry. "But I will remember your predilections when next the time comes for me to express to you that I care."
"Meaning I should let myself be spoiled?" Jeanne-Marie asked playfully.
"In moderation, certainly. An excess of any quality rarely leads to any good, but I do not think your personality will be irreparably distorted by a little indulgence at regular intervals."
"Augmented, let's say," Jeanne-Marie said, ever proud when she find the precise right word in English. It had taken her a year, but that was relatively little time to master a language she'd struggled with before, she thought. Not very humble, but then... well, she was a little spoiled. "Or hope, considering the way my brother treats me. I somehow doubt that having less endorsements will stop him trying to give me anything I want."
"I share your skepticism," Tessa agreed, somewhat wryly, but with a small, fond smile. "I suppose we each expression our affections in distinct ways. I certainly would not consider myself qualified to assert which means are better and which are worse. My familiarity with such practices is still somewhat new." Rather like Jeanne-Marie's familiarity with English, and, like her, the cyberpath had come far in less than a year's time. But there were still finer points the persistently eluded her.
Jeanne-Marie kissed her cheek briefly--but a few interesting memories flashed through her mind as she did so. Another dance, not so long ago, the loud thump of music not unlike this, but quite a different crowd. She flushed and grinned. "And yet, you're better at it than you think."
"Perhaps," Sage allowed. "But not yet quite so expert as I might prefer to be." She was no stranger to the physical aspects of affection, certainly, and it could not be disputed that she enjoyed them thoroughly. But it was also clear that such activities were not quite as meaningful to her as they seemed to be to many of the others; from her perspective, when they were concluded, they were concluded, and had no further implications or ramifications. It was difficult for her to form attachments with the same overt tenacity her peers so often displayed.
"Well, luckily, you won't be so far away that we all have to stop practicing." Well, perhaps not that anymore, but Jeanne-Marie was always prepared for general affection. No matter how far Tessa went, she would always have an extra share of that from her.
But Jeanne-Marie was glad she would near enough to get it regularly, anyhow.
"Fortunately, yes," Tessa agreed as the music began to wind down. "As ever, I look forward to expanding the horizons of my knowledge." Before they separated, the cyberpath leaned in and kissed Jeanne-Marie gently on the cheek. "Thank you for the dance."