Jubilee and Gilmore, New Year's Eve
Dec. 31st, 2017 08:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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ax_mainConfetti canons and teamwork on New Year's Eve!
"Affix the balloon to the bottom of the paper tube with duct tape. Not a problem." Jubilee rummaged through the bag she'd brought with her to the party for the duct tape one-handed, as her other hand was simultaneously holding her phone and the tube she'd stretched a balloon over one end of.
Confetti canons, she decided, were definitely needed at this party, especially since the Professor had pointed out to her, unasked, that fireworks inside were not a traditional way to celebrate the New Year. Which sucked, but okay, he maybe had something of a point, and setting off fire alarms or sprinklers would totally suck. But something had to go up, and she hadn't had time to make the confetti canons before the party, so she was sitting cross legged on the floor at one side of the room.
At least she had the confetti all ready, by virtue of having talked Dr. McCoy into putting colored paper through the paper shredder in both directions. It was something.
With her tongue protruding slightly in concentration and her glittery top hat askew on her head, Jubilee started applying the duct tape. She could totally do this. Right?
Gilmore had wandered over partly because someone was sitting on the floor of what was supposed to be a party, but largely because he'd heard the familiar sound of a tear of duct tape and somehow, he knew he was needed. The closer he got, the clearer it became. He even gulped down the rest of his soda, abandoned his cup, and tightened a couple of the leather bracelets he'd laced all around his wrists in preparation. He crouched down carefully in his skin-tight jeans, and offered out a hand to the girl.
"My dear, at the very least, allow me to hold the instructions for you. Duct tape is a job for two hands. Often more. Trust me. I'm an expert."
In a very fitted purple t-shirt and casual scarf, with hair that looked so perfectly tousled he'd probably spent an hour on it, Shaun Gilmore did not exactly look like an expert in anything but mousse and accessorizing.
"A duct tape ex - whoa," Jubilee broke off as she turned to look at him. Damn, but when people said the X-Gene made for seriously hot guys, they weren't kidding. This guy was totally boy band pretty, and that shirt...
Except staring was seriously uncool, so she pulled her eyes away from the way his shirt accentuated what was obviously a really fit chest and shrugged. Totally casually, because she was awesome at that. "Confetti canons," she explained. "Except the duct tape's supposed to hold the balloon on, and the balloons won't stay on long enough to be taped, which is seriously slowing down the production process. Which, y'know, definitely problem, because deadline? Enough before midnight to pass them out."
"Then serendipity has found you, my dear, because this is precisely why Shaun Gilmore is here," he proclaimed. He was blessed with a deep, rich voice that made almost anything sound exciting and a little bit dangerous. "My X-Gene expresses itself as a fantastic facility with the manual arts. Including party supplies."
Gilmore folded his legs and dropped (semi-gracefully) to the floor across from the girl, then opened his hands with a beatific smile. "Please. Allow me to use my powers for good."
"Hold it," Jubilee said, tilting her head. "I know you. You're the guy who did the snowball launcher a couple of weeks ago, right? That was like, seriously amazing. I mean, not an expert at snowballs, because they're not a thing you run into a whole lot in California? But that thing could throw." She hadn't gotten a great look at him, then, but she recognized the voice. She held out the confetti-canon-in-progress and grinned. "So, what can you do to a confetti canon? Seeing as you're using your powers for good and all."
The moment Gilmore got his hands on the parts, he knew this was simpler than child's play for him, and he just couldn't leave well enough alone. He gave the various pieces a good glance over, then looked up with a grin for his co-conspirator. "I'm delighted that you're already are familiar with my work. These are hand-operated, hm? What if we soup them up a little? Rig them to all go off at midnight?"
"Dude. That'd be epic," Jubilee agreed. "What else do you need? Because I'm so find-random-stuff-girl. I'm just not, y'know, stretch-balloon-evenly-over-tube-girl."
Gilmore studied the parts that he had, and let his innate senses take over. Possibilities that he could almost actually see were laid out before him, and he only had to select the items off his mental shopping list. "Something that turns at a reliable rate. An analog clock would be best, of course, but I could make do with a can opener. As much string as we can get, rubber bands, and a handful of thumbtacks." He reviewed this list, then smiled with a flash of very white teeth.
"And a Coke for each of us. This is thirsty work."
"On it!" Jubilee bounced to her feet. "Will elastic bands work? Because I've got like, a jillion or so of those, but I can find rubber ones if I need to."
Once more, Gilmore glanced up at a blank bit of space, as if reading something written there. It was only for a second, and he might not even realize he was doing it. "That will work nicely. Economical, environmental, very good, my dear assistant... it's Miss Lee, isn't it?"
Jubilee watched as Shawn seemed to stare at nothing for a second, her forehead furrowing. "Jubilee," she corrected. "Pretty sure there's nothing there," she pointed out. "Unless you see things I can't, which, y'know, would be pretty awesome? But I'm not sure how it'd fit with the building really amazing stuff thing," she mused.
"Hm? Oh... no-no-no. It's just that all this--" Gilmore made a fluttery-fingered, swirling gesture to indicate... something? "-- is all quite new to me still. I find it tough to put something instinctive into words. It's a little like... like knowing that my body needs to drink water, but asking you to find a couple of hydrogen atoms I can bond with oxygen. I'm not sure if that makes any sense," he added with a wry smile.
"Dude, I get that. It's like when the Professor asks how I know what kind of pafs I'm making when I do it. I mean, I just know, right? But no clue how to tell him - I mean, the ones that are just lights are just, y'know, not the same as the ones that have heat, or that are going to explode stuff, and mostly I make the right ones." She held up her hand and fired off a few harmless lights from her fingertips and grinned. "Anyway, no clue where I'd find hydrogen items - maybe medical? - but I can find string and stuff easy. Be right back.!"
Gilmore's grin lit up, not nearly as bright as Jubilee's fireworks, on seeing such a delightful display of mutant ability. Bright lights, bright personality -- they two of them were going to get along wonderfully. "I hang upon the moment of your return," he called after her pleasantly, then set to work assembling the cannons in the way he needed.
Suuuuuure he did. SO full of it. Nonetheless, Jubilee found herself laughing as she waved over her shoulder and bounced off, her mind already on her scavenger hunt list. It wasn't so very long before she returned, either - with a plastic grocery bag full of the items he'd requested (though bummer, she hadn't been able to find an old clock) and an old fashioned, crank operated jack in the box she'd found in a box in one corner of the attic. "Will this work?" she asked without preamble as she plunked it down in front of him, then plopped down cross-legged. "I mean, I brought a can opener too? But I thought this might be better, seeing as it stands on its own."
By the time Jubilee returned, Gilmore had assembled an array of cardboard and duct tape, and looked very, very pleased about it. When he looked over the raw materials he had to work with, he brightened up into absolutely delighted. The entire intricate mechanism was already unfolding, origami-like, in his head. Gilmore just had to let his hands catch up to the plan. "Oh, this is perfect. My god, these things are terrifying, don't you think? Who ever thought startling small children was a fun playtime activity? We're going to put this to much better use," he assured her as he started to unwind, unscrew, and refit the various pieces together. His hands were dark and elegant, confident in every swirling flourish.
"Now, tell me, Jubilee, is this festive soiree your doing? Are you our party maven here at Xavier's fine institution?"
Jubilee watched, fascinated, as Gilmore started doing...whatever it was he was doing. He knew, that was obvious, so that was the important thing. "Me? Nah. Shen's the official party planner, I'm pretty sure - you know, the girl with the wings? Except I guess that describes a couple of people," she mused aloud, "but she's got the brown wings with feathers, and the feet that turn into bird feet, which is pretty awesome, if you think about it, because if you're gonna be able to fly like a bird, you should seriously be able to land in trees and stuff, right?"
"It makes absolute sense, and gives me some hope that the X-Gene actually knows what it's doing," Gilmore confirmed as he worked. "I've met Shen, and I admire her endlessly for her pro-mutant activism. I didn't realize she was a party planner as well? Remarkable. But then you had this delicious idea to shower us all in color and joy at the moment we leave this ridiculous year behind. If I had a hat, I would tip it to you."
She was not blushing. Noooooo. Because she did not blush, end of story, thanks very much. Jubilee shrugged as casually as she could manage. "Yeah well, the Prof said no fireworks inside," she reasoned. "Gotta do something, right? Otherwise it'd be all boring for everyone not kissing everyone in sight, and I'm really not the kiss everyone in sight type, y'know?"
Gilmore glanced up, and with a very pretty and knowing smile, gracefully shook his head. He did not know, because he was that type. "Who, and how many, you kiss is entirely up to you. Anyone who objects or otherwise rudely points out your choices is a boor and beneath the worth of your attention."
Jubilee laughed, but shook her head. "Nah, it's all good. Just saying, people who don't get into the whole random kissing thing need confetti in their lives, amIright? I mean, people who do, do, too, but they're not as likely to notice it until they're trying to get it out of their hair."
"Everyone needs confetti in their lives," replied Gilmore with entirely overblown solemnity, and widened dark-brown eyes. "And in their hair. Those who live unaware of this need will be educated," he added, with a flourish as he finished linking up the devices, "at midnight!"
"Alright!" Jubilee held up her hand for a high five. "So they're just all gonna go off by themselves? Or do I need to push a button or anything?"
Shaun high-fived with gusto, and morphed it into a a bow and an open-handed presentation gesture worthy of the Wheel of Fortune lady. "The exuberance will occur at precisely midnight, without any intervention from you," he promised. He was mostly sure that was true. Briefly, he explained the Rube-Goldberg-esque connections of can opener, jack-in-the-box, and rubber bands that worked as a remarkably accurate timer, proven by the seconds counting down on a timer app on Gilmore's phone.
"You are free to enjoy the festivities, and the shock and wonder on the faces of your friends when they are showered in color and glitter later in the evening," he finished with a grin.
"You're the best," Jubilee replied, because seriously, he was, right? She'd known people who could do some pretty cool things, but this...yeah. Total league all its own. Or maybe sharing a league with that MacGuyver guy from TV, but Shaun was actually real. "Is there anything you can't build?"
"Well, if you'd brought me chicken soup and a picture frame, I wouldn't have gotten very far with this project," Gilmore chuckled, not at all modestly. "I haven't had the chance to test the limits of what I can do, but as far as I can tell, if I have the materials I can create anything I put my mind to."
"Dude, I can find you whatever materials you need," Jubilee promised, not doubting her ability to do just that however unlikely it may have been. "I like, hold a gold medal in shopping. If stuff's out there to be found, I can find it." She grinned. "Probably on sale."
Gilmore's grin brightened in return. "Now that is a talent I can put to use. I suspect you haven't heard the last of me, Jubilee. I am always in search of sources."
He stretched out his arms to crack his knuckles in satisfaction, and surveyed his handiwork one final time before turning back to Jubilee. He offered her his arm, gentlemanly. "For now, however, we have a party to enjoy, and I refuse to be the last man to reach the cupcake plate. Shall we go and toast our success?"
Jubilee laughed, but slipped her arm through his and nodded. "Seems like the only valid thing to do, right? I'm always up for cupcakes."
"Affix the balloon to the bottom of the paper tube with duct tape. Not a problem." Jubilee rummaged through the bag she'd brought with her to the party for the duct tape one-handed, as her other hand was simultaneously holding her phone and the tube she'd stretched a balloon over one end of.
Confetti canons, she decided, were definitely needed at this party, especially since the Professor had pointed out to her, unasked, that fireworks inside were not a traditional way to celebrate the New Year. Which sucked, but okay, he maybe had something of a point, and setting off fire alarms or sprinklers would totally suck. But something had to go up, and she hadn't had time to make the confetti canons before the party, so she was sitting cross legged on the floor at one side of the room.
At least she had the confetti all ready, by virtue of having talked Dr. McCoy into putting colored paper through the paper shredder in both directions. It was something.
With her tongue protruding slightly in concentration and her glittery top hat askew on her head, Jubilee started applying the duct tape. She could totally do this. Right?
Gilmore had wandered over partly because someone was sitting on the floor of what was supposed to be a party, but largely because he'd heard the familiar sound of a tear of duct tape and somehow, he knew he was needed. The closer he got, the clearer it became. He even gulped down the rest of his soda, abandoned his cup, and tightened a couple of the leather bracelets he'd laced all around his wrists in preparation. He crouched down carefully in his skin-tight jeans, and offered out a hand to the girl.
"My dear, at the very least, allow me to hold the instructions for you. Duct tape is a job for two hands. Often more. Trust me. I'm an expert."
In a very fitted purple t-shirt and casual scarf, with hair that looked so perfectly tousled he'd probably spent an hour on it, Shaun Gilmore did not exactly look like an expert in anything but mousse and accessorizing.
"A duct tape ex - whoa," Jubilee broke off as she turned to look at him. Damn, but when people said the X-Gene made for seriously hot guys, they weren't kidding. This guy was totally boy band pretty, and that shirt...
Except staring was seriously uncool, so she pulled her eyes away from the way his shirt accentuated what was obviously a really fit chest and shrugged. Totally casually, because she was awesome at that. "Confetti canons," she explained. "Except the duct tape's supposed to hold the balloon on, and the balloons won't stay on long enough to be taped, which is seriously slowing down the production process. Which, y'know, definitely problem, because deadline? Enough before midnight to pass them out."
"Then serendipity has found you, my dear, because this is precisely why Shaun Gilmore is here," he proclaimed. He was blessed with a deep, rich voice that made almost anything sound exciting and a little bit dangerous. "My X-Gene expresses itself as a fantastic facility with the manual arts. Including party supplies."
Gilmore folded his legs and dropped (semi-gracefully) to the floor across from the girl, then opened his hands with a beatific smile. "Please. Allow me to use my powers for good."
"Hold it," Jubilee said, tilting her head. "I know you. You're the guy who did the snowball launcher a couple of weeks ago, right? That was like, seriously amazing. I mean, not an expert at snowballs, because they're not a thing you run into a whole lot in California? But that thing could throw." She hadn't gotten a great look at him, then, but she recognized the voice. She held out the confetti-canon-in-progress and grinned. "So, what can you do to a confetti canon? Seeing as you're using your powers for good and all."
The moment Gilmore got his hands on the parts, he knew this was simpler than child's play for him, and he just couldn't leave well enough alone. He gave the various pieces a good glance over, then looked up with a grin for his co-conspirator. "I'm delighted that you're already are familiar with my work. These are hand-operated, hm? What if we soup them up a little? Rig them to all go off at midnight?"
"Dude. That'd be epic," Jubilee agreed. "What else do you need? Because I'm so find-random-stuff-girl. I'm just not, y'know, stretch-balloon-evenly-over-tube-girl."
Gilmore studied the parts that he had, and let his innate senses take over. Possibilities that he could almost actually see were laid out before him, and he only had to select the items off his mental shopping list. "Something that turns at a reliable rate. An analog clock would be best, of course, but I could make do with a can opener. As much string as we can get, rubber bands, and a handful of thumbtacks." He reviewed this list, then smiled with a flash of very white teeth.
"And a Coke for each of us. This is thirsty work."
"On it!" Jubilee bounced to her feet. "Will elastic bands work? Because I've got like, a jillion or so of those, but I can find rubber ones if I need to."
Once more, Gilmore glanced up at a blank bit of space, as if reading something written there. It was only for a second, and he might not even realize he was doing it. "That will work nicely. Economical, environmental, very good, my dear assistant... it's Miss Lee, isn't it?"
Jubilee watched as Shawn seemed to stare at nothing for a second, her forehead furrowing. "Jubilee," she corrected. "Pretty sure there's nothing there," she pointed out. "Unless you see things I can't, which, y'know, would be pretty awesome? But I'm not sure how it'd fit with the building really amazing stuff thing," she mused.
"Hm? Oh... no-no-no. It's just that all this--" Gilmore made a fluttery-fingered, swirling gesture to indicate... something? "-- is all quite new to me still. I find it tough to put something instinctive into words. It's a little like... like knowing that my body needs to drink water, but asking you to find a couple of hydrogen atoms I can bond with oxygen. I'm not sure if that makes any sense," he added with a wry smile.
"Dude, I get that. It's like when the Professor asks how I know what kind of pafs I'm making when I do it. I mean, I just know, right? But no clue how to tell him - I mean, the ones that are just lights are just, y'know, not the same as the ones that have heat, or that are going to explode stuff, and mostly I make the right ones." She held up her hand and fired off a few harmless lights from her fingertips and grinned. "Anyway, no clue where I'd find hydrogen items - maybe medical? - but I can find string and stuff easy. Be right back.!"
Gilmore's grin lit up, not nearly as bright as Jubilee's fireworks, on seeing such a delightful display of mutant ability. Bright lights, bright personality -- they two of them were going to get along wonderfully. "I hang upon the moment of your return," he called after her pleasantly, then set to work assembling the cannons in the way he needed.
Suuuuuure he did. SO full of it. Nonetheless, Jubilee found herself laughing as she waved over her shoulder and bounced off, her mind already on her scavenger hunt list. It wasn't so very long before she returned, either - with a plastic grocery bag full of the items he'd requested (though bummer, she hadn't been able to find an old clock) and an old fashioned, crank operated jack in the box she'd found in a box in one corner of the attic. "Will this work?" she asked without preamble as she plunked it down in front of him, then plopped down cross-legged. "I mean, I brought a can opener too? But I thought this might be better, seeing as it stands on its own."
By the time Jubilee returned, Gilmore had assembled an array of cardboard and duct tape, and looked very, very pleased about it. When he looked over the raw materials he had to work with, he brightened up into absolutely delighted. The entire intricate mechanism was already unfolding, origami-like, in his head. Gilmore just had to let his hands catch up to the plan. "Oh, this is perfect. My god, these things are terrifying, don't you think? Who ever thought startling small children was a fun playtime activity? We're going to put this to much better use," he assured her as he started to unwind, unscrew, and refit the various pieces together. His hands were dark and elegant, confident in every swirling flourish.
"Now, tell me, Jubilee, is this festive soiree your doing? Are you our party maven here at Xavier's fine institution?"
Jubilee watched, fascinated, as Gilmore started doing...whatever it was he was doing. He knew, that was obvious, so that was the important thing. "Me? Nah. Shen's the official party planner, I'm pretty sure - you know, the girl with the wings? Except I guess that describes a couple of people," she mused aloud, "but she's got the brown wings with feathers, and the feet that turn into bird feet, which is pretty awesome, if you think about it, because if you're gonna be able to fly like a bird, you should seriously be able to land in trees and stuff, right?"
"It makes absolute sense, and gives me some hope that the X-Gene actually knows what it's doing," Gilmore confirmed as he worked. "I've met Shen, and I admire her endlessly for her pro-mutant activism. I didn't realize she was a party planner as well? Remarkable. But then you had this delicious idea to shower us all in color and joy at the moment we leave this ridiculous year behind. If I had a hat, I would tip it to you."
She was not blushing. Noooooo. Because she did not blush, end of story, thanks very much. Jubilee shrugged as casually as she could manage. "Yeah well, the Prof said no fireworks inside," she reasoned. "Gotta do something, right? Otherwise it'd be all boring for everyone not kissing everyone in sight, and I'm really not the kiss everyone in sight type, y'know?"
Gilmore glanced up, and with a very pretty and knowing smile, gracefully shook his head. He did not know, because he was that type. "Who, and how many, you kiss is entirely up to you. Anyone who objects or otherwise rudely points out your choices is a boor and beneath the worth of your attention."
Jubilee laughed, but shook her head. "Nah, it's all good. Just saying, people who don't get into the whole random kissing thing need confetti in their lives, amIright? I mean, people who do, do, too, but they're not as likely to notice it until they're trying to get it out of their hair."
"Everyone needs confetti in their lives," replied Gilmore with entirely overblown solemnity, and widened dark-brown eyes. "And in their hair. Those who live unaware of this need will be educated," he added, with a flourish as he finished linking up the devices, "at midnight!"
"Alright!" Jubilee held up her hand for a high five. "So they're just all gonna go off by themselves? Or do I need to push a button or anything?"
Shaun high-fived with gusto, and morphed it into a a bow and an open-handed presentation gesture worthy of the Wheel of Fortune lady. "The exuberance will occur at precisely midnight, without any intervention from you," he promised. He was mostly sure that was true. Briefly, he explained the Rube-Goldberg-esque connections of can opener, jack-in-the-box, and rubber bands that worked as a remarkably accurate timer, proven by the seconds counting down on a timer app on Gilmore's phone.
"You are free to enjoy the festivities, and the shock and wonder on the faces of your friends when they are showered in color and glitter later in the evening," he finished with a grin.
"You're the best," Jubilee replied, because seriously, he was, right? She'd known people who could do some pretty cool things, but this...yeah. Total league all its own. Or maybe sharing a league with that MacGuyver guy from TV, but Shaun was actually real. "Is there anything you can't build?"
"Well, if you'd brought me chicken soup and a picture frame, I wouldn't have gotten very far with this project," Gilmore chuckled, not at all modestly. "I haven't had the chance to test the limits of what I can do, but as far as I can tell, if I have the materials I can create anything I put my mind to."
"Dude, I can find you whatever materials you need," Jubilee promised, not doubting her ability to do just that however unlikely it may have been. "I like, hold a gold medal in shopping. If stuff's out there to be found, I can find it." She grinned. "Probably on sale."
Gilmore's grin brightened in return. "Now that is a talent I can put to use. I suspect you haven't heard the last of me, Jubilee. I am always in search of sources."
He stretched out his arms to crack his knuckles in satisfaction, and surveyed his handiwork one final time before turning back to Jubilee. He offered her his arm, gentlemanly. "For now, however, we have a party to enjoy, and I refuse to be the last man to reach the cupcake plate. Shall we go and toast our success?"
Jubilee laughed, but slipped her arm through his and nodded. "Seems like the only valid thing to do, right? I'm always up for cupcakes."
