[Open]

[strings_theory]

Who: Jolyne and open (closed prompt for Jonathan)
When: Sometime in November, idk
Where: Various places. Some empty room, the quad, etc.
What: Hamon training! More stupid dancing garbage! Training! Really bad memories time!
Warnings: Jolyne is Jolyne, as always. CW: drugs on the D prompt.

A. Dancing

As per usual, Jolyne can be found pretty easily outside practicing her ridiculous dance moves. Anyone who has been paying attention is probably more than familiar with her nonsense at this point. The song and dance for the day is kind of a little raunchy in lyrics but less so in the moves. A weirder one for her, certainly, and not as bombastic and loud as her stuff normally is.

As usual, she can be grabbed after she's done and taking a water break. With Stone Free, as usual, chilling out not too far away.

B. Training

Jolyne is the easiest to always find in the Legionnaire Quarters, as always punching the absolute hell out of a punching bag, swimming in the pool despite the weather outside, or jogging.

However, this time she's also seen... lifting weights? Weird and new, but why not. It seems her weights range from smaller weights up to something that would almost never be seen on someone with her body type. She doesn't seem to be having a whole lot of issues with this whole thing, especially since those who are paying attention my notice the strings wrapped around her wrists and on the weights themselves.

What the hell is she even doing?

C. Garage

Mechanics club was kind of a come or go sort of thing, Jolyne not particularly caring if someone really wanted to get involved or not. It was a formality to keep up with the whole list of those in the club proper, since she'd only really done the club in the first place to get access to parts she wouldn't noramlly get a hold of. But she's pretty easily found in there, working on her bike that... at least has a basic skeleton going on for it.

In fact, she's found in clothing that isn't her normal. Instead it seems to be a white (or formally white, now stained with oil and the like) shirt that's rolled up to her elbows and a pair of jeans that are just as covered. And goddamned black boots. Her hair is out of its usual style and instead tied back in a simple ponytail.

Anyone that bothers to check on her will find her hard at work and focused on getting the engine on this thing fine tuned. Or maybe it's better to not interrupt her while she seems something other than irritated at the world.

D. Greenhouse, potential CW: drugs

It hadn't been her idea to plant these, not in the slightest, but she'd... kind of inherited this particularly hidden little plot. A small crop of marijuana and mushrooms. She didn't know shit about how mushrooms worked, so she'd sort of let them go a bit with the least heavy hand possible while instead working on the crop she was far more familiar with.

Despite the falling out, despite the way things went, she at least was going to try and keep something alive that she was left with. And, despite everything, she actually was doing a fairly good job at keeping them alive and somehow not being found out.

She wasn't using it, of course not, but it was something to do and see how everything turned out.

Though anyone passing by might hear some music playing in the background. Certainly not something to be growing plants to, right?

E. Hamon training (closed to Jonathan)

This was stupid, the whole idea was absolutely stupid. But her great x3 grandfather had promised to teach her this whole... hamon or whatever thing. And she'd been debating on going through with it or not, she didn't mind learning something new, necessarily. But if she learned this, wouldn't this make her more of a target for them to keep her around? Ugh.

Ultimately she's determined that she might as well see how this goes, if it's utter bullshit then she can leave. It's not like a bat can stop her, anyway. She's even been nice enough to keep Stone Free unsummoned for the time being.

But she's prompt and on time, if nothing else, slipping into this empty classroom and frowning as she leans against the now closed door.

"This better be worth my time, I could be doing literally anything else."

Comments

[strings_theory]

... Yeah, that one.

[It's not her fault you're a dipshit, Therion! Her conversations with him were quite pleasant and actually were helpful. But to each their own.]

I dunno, shit's weird. Whatever.

[bolderfell]

...He does seem to know a lot.

[He knows way too much about Therion, specifically.]

But I'm probably already in enough trouble with him. ...Pretty sure he knows I catch up on sleep in his class.

[And if he didn't, he does now! Thanks, spider threads.]

[strings_theory]

No shit, he evidently knew of my fucking family line. [Which still weirds her out a little bit, but that's beside the point.] ... Er, before my weird great-great-great grandfather showed up as a goddamned bat or whatever.

[Whatever, it's fine. Because they're finally getting there and she's ushering him the hell in before closing the door behind them.]

So. Offering myself as tribute, I guess, since we both know I can handle all kinds of stupid bullshit.

[bolderfell]

[For a moment, Therion looks uncomfortable, but then he breathes out, moving more towards the center of the cage.]

I know you can, but I don't like not knowing what's going to happen.

['To you,' he doesn't add.]

[strings_theory]

[Huh, shes not really used to seeing him look like that, at least not in a situation like this. Weird.

Until he's adding that and she's raising a brow slowly.]

What, you starting to get some feelings for me or some shit all of a sudden? I'll be fine, if I can handle my arms being set on fucking fire there's not much worse you can do. Probably.

Hell, evidently the shit Jonathan is teaching me can help with healing quicker, so might as well give that a work out. [Jolyne... Jolyne no, you barely started learning, you absolute moron.]

[bolderfell]

[An annoyed huff is all she gets for her baseless insinuations. Feelings. Pah. He's a stone cold criminal, clearly.]

Here goes, I guess. Full-length song.

[He jumps right into the beginning of their routine for "I'm Out," and for a couple measures, everything's fine. He makes eye contact with Jolyne, though, during a slow shoulder roll. And lightning strikes out of nowhere towards her.]

!!

[strings_theory]

[Funny thing is that she claims the same thing. Absolute morons, these ones. But she'll let it slide for now.

Since it's more important to be on her guard and, luckily enough, when she said that she reacts quicker than most people, she meant it. Because that's... actually where it's striking for turns into a nice hole that is clearly that string shit.

She seems fine.]

Well, I'm glad I learned I can do that shit. [... JOLYNE.]

[bolderfell]

[For a heart-freezing second, he thinks he's lightning-blasted a hole through her. The relief Therion feels when she speaks up is almost staggering. Or maybe it is staggering, literally; he breathes out and braces his hands on his thighs and finds that he's a lot more tired than he should be for barely a minute, if that, of dancing.

He files that away to figure out later and wipes sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.]

...Damn. Never thought I could do that.

[strings_theory]

[It's also a nice way to be absolutely dramatic, even if it's probably a little strange to see that hole fill back up with what is obviously string before being exactly how it was before. How fucking weird. But she doesn't seem remotely bothered by it.]

... So evidently this shit can also do attack magic, that's... actually kinda bitchin'. [NO.]

[bolderfell]

...But not exactly something you want happening at random to your dance partner.

[J O L Y N E.]

[strings_theory]

I mean, Stone Free's got this shit on lock in case it happens again while I'm around. But I guess the point stands. [Jolyne, Jolyne not.

But she is going to casually needle at him for fun.]

Oh, so we're officially dance partners, then?

[bolderfell]

--I. Mean...

[For once, it seems she's caught him very much wrong-footed. There's the flustered reaction she was probably aiming for, but also... something else. Something that struck a little deeper.

He exhales again and straightens, wiping his face again and playing the embarrassment up more, so he can bury whatever else he's feeling underneath it.]

Can we pick a different word?

[strings_theory]

[G o d, that's all she was asking for and she really can't help but laugh at the whole mess. It's probably a nicer sound than he probably hears from her normally, at least in a public space.]

You were the one that suggested it, not me. But that's the technical word for it. You against the word partners, then?~ [Of course she's going to take this and absolutely run with it.]

[bolderfell]

[He and Darius had been partners.

Going along with her mood feels like dragging his soul inch by agonizing inch over rocks, but he does it.]

Dance... crew. Dance squad. The League of Extraordinary Dancers.

[strings_theory]

[Generally going along with anything Jolyne suggests is a dangerous and unpleasant time, perhaps one day he'll learn that.]

Squad is generally three or more people. Same with crew...

[bolderfell]

[It's fine. He's fine.]

Stone Free counts.

[strings_theory]

[Is he? Is he really?]

Stone Free don't do shit other than stand there with my water bottle?

[bolderfell]

...

[Maybe later, he'll blame what he says next on how tired he was, how hollowed-out drained using this new magic made him.

Right now, he only slowly looks away.]

There was someone I used to run with. I called him 'partner.'

[...]

It ended poorly.

[strings_theory]

[... Oh.

Well, that makes a lot more sense than she thought it would. Her ridiculous needling and pestering turns more somber and she's rubbing at her face with a soft sigh instead.]

We'll figure out a name for this kind of shit later. And, you know, you don't have to tell me shit unless you want to. I'm not gonna pry.

[It's the one thing she absolutely will keep to her word on, luckily.]

[bolderfell]

...I know. Wouldn't have said anything if I didn't.

[If nothing else, he... trusts her honesty. Eventually, he shakes his head and makes himself shrug it off.]

Well, maybe someday I'll be the one that owes you a story.

[strings_theory]

[Being able to be trusted is such an odd thing, but when she says something she absolutely means it. Mostly.

Unless it's necessary bullshit.]

Mm, maybe one day. You do make me curious, but I can be patient when I wanna be. [That's a bold fucking lie, Jolyne. But she's at least willing to wait for a good damn story.]

But anyway, you want to try anything else or are you good with testing this shit out?

[bolderfell]

[He holds up a hand and shakes his head again. Mercy, please.]

If I do it again, I think I'll fall over. Didn't realize until I tried so many times in a row, but... it takes a lot more out of me than my powers normally do.

[strings_theory]

[Mercy is for the weak, Therion!]

Usually pushing yourself to the limit helps build up that tolerance, but I suppose you can give it a rest for the day. [Is she teasing him? Absolutely.]

How many people know about this shit, by the way?

[bolderfell]

This new dance thing? You.

[He thinks back.]

The guy built like a Greek statue. The assistant nurse. And a robot. ...You're the only one I told. They were just there when it happened the first time.

[strings_theory]

Oh, so just me. What an honor. [She is never not going to tease him about this shit, but at least she's the only one he's talked to about it. Not that she has a single idea what's going on.]

Guessin' it was some chaotic-ass random magic around them, then? Man, seriously, that wasn't remotely my intention when this all started. Like I said, all I have is this familiar shit.