2019-08-23 - Pizza, Practice, and a Potential Move

It's a bit after noon on a Friday and Cole is in the office at Dance Evolution, doing a little bit of paperwork before classes begin in the afternoon. Like most mornings, he'd gotten up early, gone for a run, came in to open the place, and settle into work.

As much as they shared housing, Lyric and Cole's paths hardly crossed. It seems one was busy or the other was. Or they were in their bedrooms minding their own. To find Cole though, she knew very likely she had to look no further than the Dance place. It's what brings her here this afternoon and she comes inside not making any secret she's rather awed by all of the equipment available. For the most part, it all looked a little confusing. Or like torture devices. She finally begins making her way towards the office.

Half of the place is set up for gymnastics, though there are no gymnasts practicing today. The other half is the dance studio, and likewise, it is empty. Even the sound system is turned off, which makes everything in the large space echo a bit. It's the movement though, outside the office door that draws Cole's attention. He glances up when Lyric comes in and says, "Hey.. fancy meeting you here. How's it going?"

There's a ready smile as she gets to the office and is greeted there. Lyric steps closer to lean on the frame in the doorway, the smile only inching up some. "I think you live here more than you live at home." There's teasing in her eyes but she doesn't alter the words any. "Things are doing good. Was kinda putting a band together. If I can get enough people. It'll be fun. Do you gotta work a long time today? Or do you get a lunch break or anything?"

Cole chuckles just a little bit at that and says, "Yeah, I've been working a lot lately, trying to get everything caught up around the office -- get the right people to do the books and everything so I can focus mostly just on teaching and less on doing.. all this.." He gestures vaguely at the computer and paperwork, none of which is his forte. Then he glances at the clock and says, "I've got a bit before my first classes come in. I could do lunch." Then he grins, "A band, huh? Sweet! What are you going to play?"

Remaining in the doorway, Lyric looks around at the things he indicates and nods a little solemnly. "I don't think I'd like staying inside all the time." Of course she walks everywhere. "We don't have to leave for lunch if you don't want, I don't want to interrupt your work, but we can call out for something. Do you like pizza or chinese or sandwiches best? Tacos?" There's plenty of options and their own version of GrubHub in their small town. "And we can eat it here, if that's ok? It'll give us more time maybe."

"Oh, it's alright. I don't have to do any of this right now, so we can take a break for lunch," Cole grins and clears some room on the desk, staggering piles of papers perpendicularly so that he can spread them all out again later as he motions for her to come in and make herself comfortable. "Grab a seat. We can order pizza." He grabs his phone and pulls open an app. "What do you want on it?" He knows what she likes to drink, and puts in a drink order before ordering the pizza, too.

Walking over, Lyric has a seat and she considers the pizza toppings. "I like everything on there, so that's fine. Just not anchovies." Crinkling her nose up at the idea of that. "Little fish with little bones and little eyeballs." Shudder. Pizza and drinks ordered, she leans back in the chair a little. Not taking it off all four legs or anything, just with her back against the back of it. "How are you liking living in the trailer?"

"Yeah, I'm not a fan of my pizza looking at me," Cole agrees with a laugh and gets a supreme, so there's a mix of toppings. Once it's ordered he sets the phone aside on the desk and leans back in his chair, swiveling ab it back and forth. He shrugs his shoulders and smiles, "I like it alright. It's nice having company. I don't really need much. Why?"

Lyric watches him swiveling back and forth and grins, "That looks fun. Put your feet up and I'll push you all over the building." Though she offered, she just laughs and doesn't get to her feet or anything. Yet. "There's a few of us wanting to look at getting something else. Maybe a real house instead of the trailer. Would you come too? The room will be bigger and better and maybe your own bathroom." This is when she opts to tell him what instrument she will play. "Mostly I play the guitar and sing some. I found some others who all play different instruments and have other talents. Ico writes songs and plays drums. Scott works keyboards and sings. Ico told me Park is interested and she plays bass guitar, mixes and does keyboards too. So we've mostly got things covered."

Cole laughs when she offers to push him around, "While that sounds fun.." He doesn't make any move to get up, either. Instead, he continues his idle swiveling, probably just leftover energy from his run in the morning. "Oh," he says when she mentions the others wanting to get something else. "That's cool." It's clear that he's already making some mental calculations to figure out what he's going to do when she asks if he'd come too. He pauses, and looks surprised. "You want me to come?" But as she goes on to talk about the band, he grins again and says, "That's awesome, that you guys all ran into each other and have all different areas of expertise. Sounds like a good match."

"Mostly it's because I put out an ad thing looking for band members is how we found each other. Turns out I went to school with two of them. I mean like in some of my classes, same year and everything." Lyric tilts her head and laughs as she lifts her eyes to his. "Of course I want you to come. I wouldn't abandon you now or anything. You're the best roomie."

"That's cool, actually. Did you know that they played music when you knew them in high school?" Cole asks, curiously. "Or is it something that happened later so you're just finding out about it now, like, bam, secret talent?" He smiles and shrugs his shoulders, "You don't owe me anything, Lyric. I like hanging out with you, and I didn't want you to be alone in that trailer. But now if you've got a whole bunch of other roomies, I know you wouldn't be alone, and that's good. So, I mean, yeah, if you guys do decide to do something and you have room and want a spare roommate.. that'd be cool. But if not, I wouldn't be offended either."

"Yeah," Lyric grins. "It was more like bam surprise! I saw Park at the Platinum Cabaret. We both work there." The strip club. "But we're both DJs. I've been there since it opened, but she just applied the other day. It's super good money so I'd like to get a better place. I grew up in the trailer park till I was 6 and went to Foster care. Then I went back and forth to other families a lot. I'd like to have a real house for once." Hearing him out, she hesitates a moment. "I.. didn't know you only moved in so I wouldn't be alone." There's another moment where she nibbles her lower lip as she thinks about things. After a bit she nods more solemnly. "You don't gotta if you don't wanna. I mean I bet you got a lot of other offers too."

Cole frowns a little then and says, "No, I mean.. I didn't /only/ move in so you wouldn't be alone. I moved in because I /like/ you and I like being your roommate. What I meant was.. I'd worry about you, if you didn't have other friends around you, because I care. That was the point." He studies her features as she nibbles her lower lip, trying to make sure she understands what he's trying to say. "I do.. want to.. and no, I don't have any other offers." That much is true. Even the few people he'd met on getting to town, he hasn't seen much in a while. "I don't really know a lot of people. I meet a lot of people, but then.. " He shrugs. "I'm not from here. People who are from here seem a lot more tight knit."

"Oh." Lyric watches him a moment before bobbing her head in a nod. "What kinda friend would I be to abandon you now when you were there for me all along? I don't want to leave you all alone either. But I want to because you want to, not because you feel sorry for me or anything. I know how some people are with people who don't come from here. But you're shiny, like me. We have to stick together." Her smile is back in place, "And if you have someone you like, a boyfriend or something, then you can bring them too."

Cole shakes his head again and then says, "I don't feel sorry for you, I care about you. It's different. I want you to be happy. And hanging out and doing stuff with you has made me happy." He grins a little crookedly and says, "Shiny happy people and all that." He then pauses and says, "I actually met another girl who shines the same way that I do. She can heal like I can, and I guess she's been taught a lot of stuff about what it all is. I guess it's called Glimmer, what we do. And there's a Veil that you can cross back and forth between. I think that's what happens when we Dream." He shakes his head, still not entirely clear on all of it. Then he smiles a bit wryly and shakes his head, "I don't have anyone. There's just me."

"Well I don't want you to be alone either. And I am happy but that's cause we've been happy where we are and all. Moving is a little scary, but I want to try it. But I really would like if you come." Again, Lyric pauses to consider what he said and even echoes the word. "Glimmer. I like the sound of that. And I know about the veil. I can open it and get inside. It's just harder to find my way back out. But I did it last time I went in alone. I was scared at first but it got better. I didn't know you could heal. Does she need a place to live too? You could share a room if you want to."

"Moving's not that bad, really," Cole says. "I've done it a few times, not a lot of times, but a few. In and out of the dorms, and back home, and out here." He doesn't talk about much before his arrival in Gray Harbor, rarely talking about the past other than to say that he used to be a dancer. He nods when she mentions it being hard to find a way out. "I don't know how to do that at all. But yeah, my abilities -- I can heal people, and fix things.. and I can also break things.. and people, but.. I don't use it like that."

"Did you have fun while you were in there or was it full of scary monsters? I saw some monsters every time I went in, but not every time are they bad seeming. Some were musicians but they had sharp teeth and claws. But they were pretty funny with each other, like a comedy show. Then I saw some octopi with tentacles and they had birds beaks. They were helpful in getting me to the way to come home. Did you know the place to come home is at the old saw mill? That's how I knew I could go there now. When I came out of the veil. But when I went in, I was at the pond near the church. Twice I was there actually. The second time there were others there. And a talking fish that had his twin inside him. The twin was bad, he wasn't." Lyric just talks and talks. "But I didn't know you could heal people. Can you heal people in wheel chairs?"

"Oh, and no, Astrid lives with a bunch of college kids from Hoquiam. I guess there's like two houses full of them that live next door to each other over on Oak. She's got a place to stay. We just ran into each other in the park," Cole says, getting around to answering that question. Then he falls quiet to listen as she describes her adventures in the Veil. He's quiet then for a long time before he finally says, "When I had my accident, I was in a coma for a while, and I saw.. demons, is the best way that I can describe them. And even after I was out, I began to see them more and more. I was taught how to fight them." He knows this sounds crazy, which is why he's never mentioned it before. "It kind of became my purpose, to fight back the dark things that I kept seeing everywhere. And that's how I learned about the light that I had in me, that I could use to heal people." When she asks if he can heal people in wheelchairs he says, "I don't know.. I've never tried."

"Demons." Lyric's chipperness fades a little. "I know the demons too. I've known them all my life. Lizzy used to protect me from them. They killed my mama." It's not something she'd actually told anyone before, but it was a good time. "I don't know how to fight them. We hid beneath the trailer when they came and hurt my mama. Lizzy stayed with me all through the years until recently. I think just after you moved in. I haven't seen her since."

Cole looks a little surprised when she mentions that Lizzy isn't with her anymore, and that it happened after he moved in. It's odd that this seems to surprise him, perhaps, while talk of demons killing people doesn't. Instead, his expression shifts to something grave and he says, "I'm sorry about your mom. And I'm sorry if me being around somehow had something to do with Lizzy not being around." His brow furrows a little bit. "Does that upset you? That she hasn't been around? Have you tried to find her?"

"I'm not sure if she was ever real." Lyric finally confesses. "Or if she was someone I invented to keep me from being alone after I lost everyone else. Or even before I lost everyone. My mama never really was around either. Lizzy was there to make me eat and to help me find things. And to hide when the demons were coming. I guess I don't need her anymore. I've learned to do things on my own now. Maybe that's why she went away." Lyric smiles at him. "Don't be sorry. I think everything is how it should be."

Cole nods his head a little bit at that and says, "Maybe. I'm glad that you don't need someone to keep you from being alone anymore, and that things are how they should be." He smiles a little then, but the phone buzzes letting him know that the pizza has arrived and he says "One sec," before hopping up to head to the door and grab the delivery, bringing it back to the office and popping open the box, handing her a bottle, before taking his own and settling back into his seat. "So, tell me more about the band? Do you know what kind of music you're going to play? What about your bandmates? What are they like? Are they all going to be living in the house too?"

Lyric waits while he gets the food but she glances around the office just to see what all there was there. When he comes back, she reaches for the bottle and inhales the aroma of the pizza. "Hey, I offered to get you lunch and you paid. I get to get it next time then. Or pay you back now?" Leaving the offer out there. The question about the people in the band is put on hold as she opens her drink and places the lid on the desk before placing the bottle between her legs and reaching for a slice of the pizza. It smelled too good to wait and it was all good and hot still. Only after she'd taken a bite and chewed it all and swallowed does she answer. "Mostly rock. Some covers, some original. We'll take requests of course, but with Ice writing songs we'll sing a lot of his. Ice is Ico, but his initials are I.C.E. so I call him Ice. It's cooler." Then she ponders something aloud, more asking it like a question. "Do you play anything, write songs? Sing?" Obviously giving a hint where this is leading.

The office is pretty well-kept and neat. There's a computer on the desk, which has some locking drawers and there's some locking file cabinets, as well as others that have no locks on them for non-private information. There's information on the various lessons that are offered, the instructors, pricing for lessons and whatnot. There's the usual office supplies. Aside from that, it's pretty non-descript.

He grins and says, "You can get the next one. I'm just glad for the company. It was getting kind of boring in here and I was going to end up falling asleep on the desk before too long." He grabs one of the slices from the box and half-folds it so that the toppings won't fall off and bites into it. He grins a little as she talks about the songwriting and stuff, nodding his head, chuckling at Ice being cooler than Ico. "Ice works." He shakes his head and smiles a bit, "Nope. Always the odd man out, it seems. My whole life was pretty dedicated to ballet. I never really had time to learn how to sing or play an instrument."

"I bet you could sing. You already have a good talking voice." Lyric smiles before taking another bite of her slice of pizza. The office doesn't distract her anymore, she just was getting a feel for the space. "Well I guess not everyone can be in the band. We have to have people to listen to us too. I don't know if everyone is moving in together or not. No one has asked Park, but I don't know much about her now except her parents are kind of strict if I remember right. She may live at home with them. And Scott, he's not mentioned it. I think maybe him though and maybe Ice. Ice may invite Park though. I'm still getting to know everyone."

"Maybe," Cole says dubiously. "I mean, I sing karaoke sometimes, but usually only after a few drinks for courage. I've never tried to actually sing." He makes his way slowly through his slice of pizza, nodding as she gives him a little bit more insight into the potential bandmates. He grins then when he finishes his bite and says, "Yeah, you probably don't want the band to be too huge, either. I'll just danace along to your music and go see your shows and cheer you on."

"Or you could guest star sometime, singing with us." Lyric smiles at the idea. "Or come watch us and dance and cheer us on. That would be fun too." She finishes off a slice of the pizza and picks up her drink to have some of it too. "You know, I still never really saw you dance here. Do you want to after lunch? I could watch?"

"I could, maybe. I'd need to practice and see if I can even sing. You might be horrified and decide that I should be permanently muted and not allowed to speak let alone sing," Cole laughs as he finishes off his slice and grabs another. "Sure, you cana hang out while I practice a bit. That'd be cool," he grins.

Taking a piece of the pizza, Lyric also grabs her drink and walks over to hang out while he practices. She seats herself cross legged on the floor and has her own little picnic while she watches him dance.

After wandering in back to change, Cole comes back out in a white long-sleeved t-shirt and dark blue leggings with a pair of ballet shoes on his feet. He stretches a bit as he makes his way across the floor of the dance studio half of the room. Flipping through the music, he puts on the music that he had been practicing to earlier in the week, then moves out toward the middle of the room.

This is clearly a routine that he has danced before, not something new. He falls into the movements so fluidly, so naturally, it's almost as though the music itself moves him on its strings, like a marionette, though with the movement of water or air. It's no wonder that he was a professional dancer in the past. He is skilled, precise in his movements, and the height on the leaps that carry him across the length of the floor is impressive. It's as though he forgets that anyone is there, watching. It's just him and the music for some time.

He had said he was a dancer and that ballet was his dance of choice, but Lyric didn't know how serious he was about that dance. Or how good he was. The picnic is forgotten as she watches, dancing, the routine as good as anything she'd seen on television during the live ballet shows she'd watched from the New York City Ballet. Keeping quiet as not to interrupt, she just watches, appreciative of him sharing it with her, not even applauding or daring to breathe loudly for now.

He continues to practice for a while, finishing out one routine and moving into another. And while it would take a careful eye to notice, his left side is slightly weaker than his right. It only begins to show after he's gone through several more routines, clearly something he's been working on strengthening. Finally, though, with sweat dropping from his brow, he lifts his forearm to wipe some of it from his face, and tugs at his shirt a bit to let air between it and his skin. He grins at her aas he takes a moment to catch his breath and says to Lyric, "Fuck, that's probably the best I've done all week. Maybe you're good luck. You should come watch more often." He flashes her a broad smile.

The pizza is finished after a bit and the drink is set aside as Lyric is mesmerized by the dancing and when he finishes she lifts her eyes to his and realizes hers were leaking a little. She wipes them with the back of her hand and smiles. "Cole it's beautiful. Why are you here in Gray Harbor when you should be in New York in the ballet there? Cole, you're amazing! You can make someone feel it."

Cole makes his way over to Lyric and crouches down next to her, grinning a little, anad actually blushing just slightly when he notices her reaction. He says quietly, "Because I was broken, and because of the demons, and because something brought me here. I couldn't be on stage there anaymore without the demons." He smiles a little and says, "I'm glad you liked it."

There's a moment of impulse where, when he crouches, Lyric throws her arms around him in a hug. It's tight but brief before she's pulling back. "Thank you for sharing your dancing with me. I better go now though. I've got to go over and see Ico in a little while to talk about what he thinks about Park."

Cole returns the hug, though keeps it brief because he laughs and says "Oh, I'm gross. Raincheck for a proper hug when I don't stink." He laughs then and pulls himself up. "Alright, say hi for me to your new band, and we'll catch up later."