ic Empty Threat

[Avenger Assembled]

Judy didn't have a lot of experience with places like this, which made sense for someone who'd grown up in a post-apocalyptic hellscape - and someone who'd grown up with bodyguards her whole life for that matter. But she loved it; the music, the smiles on people's faces, the wash of heat and light in their every movement - it was beautiful. She stuck close to Corinne as they moved through the crowd, enjoying the chance to hide her light in her friend's bubble for a little while. 

 

For her part, Ashley did have experience with places like this - some, anyway. She hadn't been the type to come out to clubs when she was a teenager, and the places she went to now on those rare days when she could had a considerably harder edge than this lemonade and fizzy bubbles place. Not that she really minded the soft edges here; nor the presence of other adults. Even though only a few of them were the rest of her Secret Service team.

[TheAbsurdist]

The music was energetic, loud, and had the occasional harmonies that the crowd could sing along with.  It was fun.  Sure there wasn't beer for Ash, but the kids here were mostly milquetoast and that helped.  Corinne danced to it, though it wasn't the display of her fearsome skill and athleticism, it didn't need to be.  She liked to lose herself to the music when she could, and she could also play off Judy's behavior as well, engage her, and making occasional overtures.

Then it happened, and Ash'd catch the aftermath, as Corinne's eyes flashed, and her back stiffened rising up to her full height, before she wheeled sharply towards the long haired teenage boy behind her, her arm moving quickly and snatching up his wrist, and bringing it up with a practiced movement, as she twisted and did a tie up of that arm, while loading her own left hand for a punch, though she kept it low and out of sight of the kid.  "You gonna apologize pumpkin?"  She growled at the kid, fortunately the light faded before she was almost nose to nose with him, but she had several inches on him.

[Avenger Assembled]

Ashley stepped between Judy and the altercation with a smooth economy of motion, face going blank as she watched Corinne intimidate the grabby-handed boy. She had her hand at the bottom of her jacket, ready to pull something that wouldn't draw as much attention as a laser gun. It wouldn't be hard, really; a hard strike to the face with one of her tonfas and she could probably have it away before anyone in the crowd took a close look at them. It might get her arrested (again!) but it would keep Judy out of a super-brawl. And leave her in Corinne's custody - #($K! Oh well, she knew a thing or two about staying out of the grip of the cops. 

[TheAbsurdist]

She was calm, collected, and stronger than she looked.  Not showing any super powers at all, though Ash knew that Corinne's emotional state made it harder for her control, or limit herself.  "Would Jesus like you grabbing my butt?  I mean, it is nice, but..."  And she leaned in towards him, "I've got, like five inches on you kiddo."  Her voice dipping a bit to a contralto of dangerousness as she leveled her eyes at him.  

He sputtered out something approximate to an apology, before she released his hand in kind, and she let him go.  And of course some of the event staff was coming over, leading the tall blonde's arms to sag and she slumped a little bit, looking over her shoulder at the sisters, and mouthed out an 'I am sorry.'

[Avenger Assembled]

"It's not your fault," said Judy, earning a surprised, but not displeased, glance her way from Ashley. "What...a bad person," she muttered, glaring after the rapidly retreating boy. "Ah can't believe somebody like that would come to a Christian concert." 

 

"That's one word for it," commented Ashley. "Good work," she said, giving Corinne an approving nod. "Didn't even need to fry his ass." 

 

Judy stepped up to Corinne and gave her a quick, very warm hug. "Let's shake the dust of that guy off our feet and enjoy the concert." 

[TheAbsurdist]

She let the boy skulk away, of course, the staff didn't see it, they had seen her.  The curse of being noticeable, so when Judy was coming in to give her a hug, which she responded to with Platonic Side Huge™.  "Yeah, except I am more noticeable than the greasy faced..."  Corinne trailed off as she watched the staff come up to her.

"So you felt a need to be aggressive with that young man?"  The man asked, he was somewhere in his twenties.  Wearing a bright yellow staff shirt, his blonde hair held back in a sloppy man-bun, and that kind of splotchy beard someone grows out, not out of necessity.  He frowned at the three girls.

And there was the slight expectation that Corinne would launch into her indignation, it was her idiom.  But instead, she looked wide eyed, hugging Judy a bit tighter, as her brows knitted together in an anxious expression.  "He grabbed my backside... and I just, my dad made sure I took self-defense, and I just acted on instinct..." she said, adopting a quaver to her voice.

 

[Avenger Assembled]

"Did...did he run off and make up some story about us?" asked Judy, her voice going up and face flushing. "That boy came here and grabbed my friend, and now he ran off and lied?!" Ashley interposed, suddenly acutely conscious of the risks of pictures being taken and passed around, knowing that when Judy's righteous indignation came it came like the waters of the Biblical Flood." 

 

"Strue. Boy there got handsy, she told him to knock it off, and that was the last we saw of them." You ask me, this is what happens when you let teenage boys go feral. She basically did your jobs. "You've got a policy for taking out creepers, right?" 

[TheAbsurdist]

It was almost easy to forget that Corinne was taller than the security guy, she slouched, she slumped, and she made herself small.  "My mom made sure I took self defense, and it just clicked when he grabbed me..."  She wasn't too hammy, more looking ashamed that she had done that.  When the other girls new damned well that grabbing the guy's wrist was on the shallow end of what Corinne might do.  But her eyes went to Judy.  The selfish teen's hand fidgeting at the waistband of her jeans wriggled her fingers, preparing for what would come next.  Readying her own efforts, or possibly setting up the next stage of her drama.  Corinne could draw attention after all.  Better than anyone in the class, except her nemesis Nicole.

The security guy frowned a little, faced with righteous fury, a girl who had been grabbed, and... he wasn't being paid enough for this.  He sighed and closed his eyes, shaking his head, "Right, right.  I'll go deal with it."  And he turned from them, giving a hand sign to the other security guys who had detained the other guy.  They started to lead him away.

While this happened Corinne moved touch Judy's hand lightly.

[Avenger Assembled]

Judy had overcome her hesitation about touching by now - so she squeezed Corinne's hand and gave her a reassuring smile as they headed into the concert together. As awful as that had been, they were going to have a good time here. The little delay had actually worked pretty well, Ashley decided; it meant that by the time they were actually on the floor, the rest of the Secret Service team had made their way there and were already lurking about in the disguise of uniformed police officers. She stuck close to the duo, glad to see Judy and Corinne were still getting along so well. 

[TheAbsurdist]

It was also, normal stuff.

 

Corinne flashed her friend a smile, and released her hand.  She wanted her to know it was okay.  That was more important than anything, yes she was concerned about what would happen, or being outed, but she didn't view herself as a freak.  Not like things Judy had voice.

 

There were no supervillains, or really anything that was odd.  Well, the music was maybe sub-par, but what could you do for a five dollar youth concert at a community center.  It was fast, and had enough of a melody to move to.  Eventually she leaned in to signal the sisters after a set was finished.  "I'm going to get water..."  She let it dangle as she looked at the sisters, asking without asking if they wanted anything, or if they wanted to come.  She pulled a handkerchief from nowhere, and mopped at her brow, and offered some of them as well.

[Avenger Assembled]

"Okay," said Judy, swallowing just a little. Of course she wasn't sweating at all, not even after the physical exertion of dancing - Corinne already knew Judy didn't drink or sweat. "We'll, um, hang around here." She beamed at Corinne, and before she left gave her a quick hug. "This is the wildest party I have _ever_ been at," she admitted, "but this is great." 

 

Ashley, for her part was sweating just a little - even if she'd spent much of the dancing glaring at the other dancers rather than really getting into it. "Sure, I'll do a water." She knew Corinne was rich but peeled five bucks out of her wallet anyway, because she wasn't going to let one of Judy's rich friends buy her a present. 

 

 

[TheAbsurdist]

Corinne had been diplomatic, aware of Judy's state, but she was letting them know where she was going.  And she knew that Ash would stick with her sister, and she expected the money thrust into her hands, and she arched her brow, before she blew them a kiss, and walked to get some waters.

 

Though, it was when she bumped into someone who was a little too old to be at a concert like this.  She blinked a little at that, they weren't staff... but maybe they liked the music or with the church putting the show on?  She frowned a little to herself, but then she noticed someone at the water line who also didn't fit.  Maybe it was paranoia, but she had been almost abducted twice, and she was the daughter of a billionaire, even if they were strained in the best instances, so she glanced back to the stage, and tripped into one of the strange people.  A fingertip stroking against their jacket, and her power trailed after the gesture, adding a small color change.  Creating connection.

A few minutes later she returned holding two waters, and she offered one up to Ashley, her lips pursed into a frown.  Then remembering, she offered up the money back to her, "They weren't selling them... hey... you noticin' weirdos?"

[Avenger Assembled]

"Every goddamn minute," said Ashley frankly. She cast her gaze around the hall, realized where Corinne's eyes were pointed, and thought a profanity. The obvious course of action here would be to bug out, alert her team to scatter, and have no further worries. But she thought about how excited Judy had been, and was, about the concert - and remembered what they were both going back to during summer. 

 

"'Yeah," she -stage-whispered, thinking through strategies on the fly. "What's your take?" 

[TheAbsurdist]

Corinne's bright eyes held a flat expression for a moment, as she side eyed Ashley.  "Oh, fuck off. You're as weird as the rest of us. Like, you-"  She cut herself off as she looked at the others, "Mid-30s, not paying attention to the music, looking at people, but aren't looking for someone, or something.  So not kidnappers, but probably are bodyguards... You guys forget I've been to awards shows in Hollywood, and my father is filthy rich.  Well... other people do.  You don't."

She drank at her water as she glanced about, "But..."  Then she pressed her lips tightly, as if she was thinking better of what she was about to say.