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 2010-03-18 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?"

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sonoftheatom
2010-03-19 07:56 pm UTC (link)

Dinadan takes a few more deep breaths. "I'm not a lot of guys," he says, really wishing that the shrill note in his voice would go away. It makes him sound like he's been huffing helium, which isn't conducive to a serious conversation. "I'd like to get to know you first, before talking about sex."

Argle.

Okay, okay, safe topics. He can do those. "The drive-in theater did a William Castle double-feature last week. House on Haunted Hill and The Tingler. They were fun, in a B-movie horror way." Which is really the way he likes his horror. B-movie horror is safe.

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	gal_gardner 2010-03-19 08:06 pm UTC (link)
	She smiles. "Go ahead and get to know me then." "Oooh, scream-flicks. Geoffrey Rush or Vincent Price version?" She just about lights up. Yeah, Petra's a horror buff. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

sonoftheatom
2010-03-19 08:15 pm UTC (link)

"Vincent Price version, both of them," Dinadan says. "I did some research afterward--" while he was waiting for the jazzy feeling of watching horror movies after dark to die down. "--And I almost wish I'd gotten to see them in the theaters when they first came out, with all of the gimmicks and stuff. It would have freaked me right out, but the audience-participation idea is pretty cool."

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	gal_gardner 2010-03-19 08:22 pm UTC (link)
	"If you like audience participation, remind me to drag you to a Rocky Horror showing sometime." Petra grins. "If you're not offended by 'voyeuristic intentions' that is.." She winks. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

sonoftheatom
2010-03-19 08:55 pm UTC (link)

"I haven't been to a showing, but I've seen Rocky Horror before," Dinadan says. He is best friends with Henry after all. "I should be all right with some forewarning."

He pulls into the parking lot of the restaurant. It's about three-quarters full, but there are still spaces available. He very carefully maneuvers the car into a spot, then hops out. "I'll get your door," he says to Petra, and moves around to the other side to do just that.

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	gal_gardner 2010-03-19 09:08 pm UTC (link)
	Petra decides to let him fuss over her. Poor thing seems to need the distractions. She rewards him with another flash of leg as she gets out, as well as maybe just leaning over just a bit more than she had to as she ducks out of the car. "You're so classy." She giggles at him. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

sonoftheatom
2010-03-19 09:46 pm UTC (link)

Dinadan flushes again and double-checks that he remembered to lock the car before presenting Petra with his arm. "I try to be."

Yep. Still totally not fair that she can make him all flustered while wearing that much clothing.

He gets the door to the restaurant too, and tries not to blush again when the hostess gives the two of them one of those 'aww, young love' looks.

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	gal_gardner 2010-03-19 10:05 pm UTC (link)
	Petra takes his arm and hugs it to her chest as he offers it, letting him walk her inside. She grins at the hostess, giving her a shrug in response to the adoring look. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sonoftheatom 2010-03-19 10:45 pm UTC (link)
	The hostess shows them to their table and Dinadan disengages to pull out Petra's chair for her. She seems to be putting up with it so far, and he's always been of the better safe than sorry school of thought. They're left alone with their menus. "So," he says after a moment. "Tell me about yourself. What do you like best about living in New York?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	gal_gardner 2010-03-19 11:25 pm UTC (link)
	"Oh that's an easy one." Petra leans back in her chair, stretching her legs under the table, but not teasing him. Yet. "How diverse it is. You can walk five blocks and go by five times as many styles of cuisine, for one thing." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sonoftheatom 2010-03-19 11:58 pm UTC (link)
	Dinadan nods. "We definitely don't have that kind of variety here. Do you eat out a lot?" He idly scans through his menu, but he knows that he's just going to go with his usual. This night's already so uncustomary that he wants something familiar just to center himself. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	gal_gardner 2010-03-20 12:25 am UTC (link)
	Petra finds herself the chicken parm as she nods. "Constantly. I can cook fine, but there's just so many places to try, how can I resist?" One hand discretely reaches under the table to free a sandal from its straps. She extends her leg again and gives him a playful, but not quite naughty, stroke along his ankle. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

sonoftheatom
2010-03-20 05:52 am UTC (link)

"It's not something I enjoy either," Dinadan says, wrinkling his nose. "On the other hand, baking is awesome. It's tasty chemistry! There's pretty much nothing wrong with that."

It takes him a moment to figure out what's touching his ankle under the table. Fortunately, he does figure it out before he actually bends over to check. He stiffens a bit, then forces himself to relax. Ankle's fine. He can handle ankle.

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	gal_gardner 2010-03-20 07:39 am UTC (link)
	"Tasty chemistry, hm? I think bartending falls under that too. I've been taking courses in it so I can have more options for shifts to work at Warriors." Petra smiles. She keeps the footsie simple, trailing a toe around his ankle where his foot goes into his shoe. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)