Dinadan Palmer (sonoftheatom) wrote in dc_nextgen,
@ 2010-03-14 23:36:00

Entry tags:

dinadan palmer, inactive - henry jordan, petra gardner

Over My Head
If someone were to ask Dinadan Palmer what his favorite part of the week was, he’d tell them Friday afternoon; specifically late Friday afternoon when the school week is over and he’s finished his weapons’ training for the day, and the weekend stretches out glorious and free ahead of him. It’s exactly that time now, and he feels at ease with his world.

He weaves a little as he walks to his bedroom, since he hasn’t quite mastered the art of walking and towel-drying his hair at the same time, but he doesn’t knock into anything or trip over his own feet (today), so it doesn’t really matter. He reaches his bedroom and tosses the towel into his laundry hamper, flicking on the radio for some music while he gets dressed and makes plans for his freedom.

This is ultimately why Dinadan is playing air-guitar in his underwear when Henry puts his plan into action.

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gal_gardner
2010-03-16 01:16 am UTC (link)

Yeah, she's a whoa, if anyone asked her if she thought so herself.

"Well that I am, honey. Nice to meet you." She takes the flowers, bringing them up to her face for a deep sigh. She gives him a little gaze over the top of them. Oh yeah, she saw that little lag before your eyes got up there Din.

"You ready to go, or are you inviting me in first?" She extends the flowers. "If it's all the same, I'd rather put these in water than lug them around with us. Very sweet though."

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sonoftheatom
2010-03-16 11:10 pm UTC (link)

He's sixteen, interested in girls, and short. Of course there's a lag.

Dinadan blinks and steps back quickly, opening the door wider so she can pass. "Uh, sure, come in. I'll go look for a vase or something."

Probably an 'or something'. He's pretty sure that any vase that somehow made it into the Palmer home would have been immediately misplaced or pressed into service as lab equipment. There's a water pitcher that will do in a pinch, though...

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	gal_gardner 2010-03-17 01:01 am UTC (link)
	Petra saunters in after him, looking around curiously. The place is nice, if filled to the brim with science-y stuff. "So, just you here, cutie?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sonoftheatom 2010-03-17 01:29 am UTC (link)
	"Me and my dad," Dinadan says, leading the way toward the kitchen in a slightly more scuttling-like manner than his mother would approve of. "Mom doesn't like it up here much, and it's easier for us to go to her than the other way around." Pitcher pitcher pitcher pitcher... Aha! Pitcher! He stands up on tiptoes to get it down off the shelf. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	gal_gardner 2010-03-17 01:35 am UTC (link)
	Petra pauses, contemplatively. "I see.... If things go well, you averse to heading back to my place? Not close by, but not too long a flight, the way I can move." She comes over and reaches over him to grab the pitcher herself, certain curves brushing the back of his head. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

sonoftheatom
2010-03-17 02:19 am UTC (link)

It's a good thing she does, since her question and anatomy have teamed up completely shatter his mind.

"Erk?" he says intelligently. Wait, no, that could be a completely innocent question! There could be movies!

There totally aren't movies, but he's going to pretend that there are until he can get the hamster back in his mental wheel.

"I, uh, wasn't going to assume anything...?" he says, which seems like a relatively safe bet. Or possibly gibberish. The metaphorical hamster may be concussed.

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	gal_gardner 2010-03-17 02:38 am UTC (link)
	Petra smiles sweetly. "It's good to keep options open." She taps a finger against his forehead as she takes the pitcher and busies herself with getting the flowers ready. "Now, you take a deep breath, and tell me where we're going for dinner. I'm out of my neighborhood after all." She gives him a warm grin and finds her way around the kitchen. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sonoftheatom 2010-03-17 03:14 am UTC (link)
	He can do deep breaths. Meditative breathing does wonders for this kind of situation. "Meso Roma," he says. "In a little under half an hour. I got my license, I can drive." Assuming that she doesn't throw him another curve-ball while he's driving, they'll even arrive safely! (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

gal_gardner
2010-03-17 03:18 am UTC (link)

She finishes snipping the ends of the stems and putting the flowers in water, washing her hands before turning back to him with a smile.

"Good for you. Daddy moved us around so much, and what with me being able to fly, I never was too concerned with driving."

She almost asks how far back his seats go, or the size of the backseat, but holds off on it.

"I'm all set." She moves over to him and slips her arm around his, letting him take the gentlemanly position.

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sonoftheatom
2010-03-17 07:17 pm UTC (link)

"I'm not sure how much I'll end up using it, but I'd rather know how to do it and not need it than need it and not know how." Dinadan relaxes a bit. This is safe conversation, he can totally do that much.

He can also definitely do the gentlemanly thing. He double-checks that he's got his keys before they hit the door, and leads her out to the car -- which is surprisingly clean and decorated with an air-freshener. Okay, he definitely owes Henry for that.

He releases her arm and opens the passenger door for her.

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	gal_gardner 2010-03-17 07:26 pm UTC (link)
	"I think I heard that said about putting on a condom and loading a gun as well." She chuckles as they head outside. Petra doesn't have any comment about the car, but she appreciates it's cleanliness. Din gets a generous flash of leg as she gets in, in reward for opening the door for her, along with a mischievous smirk. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

sonoftheatom
2010-03-17 07:56 pm UTC (link)

Deep breath, deeeeeep breath. "Yeah, those can also be useful skills to have."

Considering that most girls his age in New Morlaidh wear significantly less than what Petra's wearing, it's really not fair that she can unsettle him this much. Of course, the girls in New Morlaidh aren't very much like Petra either.

He circles around to the other side of the car and gets in the driver's side.

"So, uh, I know you don't live around Ivy Town. Where do you live?"

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	gal_gardner 2010-03-17 08:18 pm UTC (link)
	No other girl is like Petra. ;) "I'm a New York girl. Daddy set me up with a job and a starter apartment to keep up. Had to get my hair redone after flying here, but it's better than paying tolls or train fare." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sonoftheatom 2010-03-18 12:07 am UTC (link)
	"Well, your hair looks very nice," Dinadan says as he performs his pre-drive-check of the car. "You weren't rained on or anything on the way over, were you?" Beat. "Wait, stupid question, forget I asked. How was your flight?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	gal_gardner 2010-03-18 11:21 am UTC (link)
	Petra laughs. "Honey, you forget whose girl you're talking to? When I say I flew here, I mean I flew here." She adjusts her seat enough to give herself some leg room. She's a tall girl after all, and she likes being able to stretch. "You been to the restaurant before or is it one of Henry's recommendations?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

sonoftheatom
2010-03-18 05:26 pm UTC (link)

Dinadan flushed a little. "I meant that you weren't, I don't know, pursued by angry ducks on your way over or anything." Ugh, ducks. You couldn't trust those birds.

"I've been there a few times," he said, starting the car and putting it into drive. "They have these mini-flans made with goat cheese that are almost ridiculously good. And they're really good about handling allergens, if you have any."

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	gal_gardner 2010-03-18 06:01 pm UTC (link)
	"Heh, no, no bird problems. I've learned to spot geese ahead of time, and it's not like anything in the air can catch me if I don't want it to." Petra flinches a little. Din just mentioned two things she's certain are proof that evil exists in its purest form on Earth. "How's their chicken parm?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sonoftheatom 2010-03-18 09:50 pm UTC (link)
	"Lucky," Dinadan says, a little enviously. "I haven't clocked Tris in awhile, but there are definitely things that can catch her when they put their minds to it." He notices the flinch out of the corner of his eye and tries not to flinch in response. "That's good too. There really isn't any dish there that I wouldn't recommend, honestly. Everything's good." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	gal_gardner 2010-03-18 10:18 pm UTC (link)
	"Who's Tris?" Petra cocks her head curiously. "Sounds good. I'm a bit of a carnivore, but I usually save steak for steakhouses, so a good chicken cut sounds nice." She smiles teasingly. "I do appreciate.... meat." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

sonoftheatom
2010-03-19 03:07 am UTC (link)

"My riding parrot," Dinadan explains. "She's a red-lored Amazon, they're native to the area around New Morlaidh. That's how I fly. It doesn't work for really long-distance stuff, for obvious reasons."

A blush mounts yet another attack on his facial regions at her teasing. "Well, uh, I'll remember that. For next time, if you want to do this again. Not that you should feel pressured into a second date or anything, of course."

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gal_gardner
2010-03-19 03:53 am UTC (link)

Petra grins. "She sounds really pretty. I've never had any pets... or, do you call her companion? -- like that. Me, I cannonball, or ice-slide when I need to move more smoothly."

She laughs, happily. "Din.. relax. You don't have to worry so much. You're adorable, and I know Henry wouldn't set me up with a bad guy. You're doing a lot to give yourself good press anyway."

Carefully, not being too predatory, she puts a hand on Din's, stroking the back of it softly. "Everything's just fine."

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sonoftheatom
2010-03-19 04:53 am UTC (link)

"'Companions' I can take to nice restaurants," Dinadan says with a little smile, peeking at Petra out of the corner of his eye. "Tris' habit of savaging papers sort of precludes that."

He ducks his head a little as he shrugs. "Well, there are lots of reasons besides me being a jerk that a second date wouldn't happen. I mean, there are plenty of completely nice people in the world that aren't compatible for reasons other than their niceness, otherwise dating wouldn't be as difficult as it is. You know?"

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	gal_gardner 2010-03-19 05:15 am UTC (link)
	"Yeah, I hear that." She nods, stowing conversation for a bit as she thinks something over. Once they come to a read light, she speaks up again. "Just to take some of the pressure and wondering off of you... you're definitely having sex tonight if you want to. With me." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

sonoftheatom
2010-03-19 05:36 am UTC (link)

Waiting until the car is stopped is an excellent move on her part, because it means that Dinadan doesn't swerve them into a lamp post or something.

"Nygipp," he says, which isn't actually a word in either of the languages he speaks. The wide-eyed expression on his face is fairly eloquent, however. He opens his mouth, closes it, and blinks hard a couple of times. English. English would be helpful here.

"...I'm flattered," he says finally. "But I, ahh...I don't know you that well. Not that I doubt that you're a perfectly wonderful person, but I..." He opens and shuts his mouth again. "Can we explore that avenue of discussion after dinner?"

The car behind them honks to alert him to the fact that the light is now green and he jumps a bit in his seat for an abrupt acceleration.

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gal_gardner
2010-03-19 11:28 am UTC (link)

"Y'okay there sweetie?" She props her chin up on an elbow, supporting herself on the armrest, eying him.

"I know that a lot of guys spend the first date thinking about that constantly. I mean, it's the one thing a girl can always know that the guy probably doesn't, so I thought it'd take the pressure off." She tilts her head.

"It's okay if you're a virgin, or if you just don't want to have sex with me. I won't be offended." She tries to reassure him. "We'll talk about it, or not talk about it, however much you're comfortable." Petra smiles warmly.

"Seen any good movies lately?"