Rolling Thunder

Dallas: Sun Aug 07 20:41:19 2005
Location: Rollar Rink

Characters:
joaquim_icon.jpg abbey_icon.jpg todd_icon.jpg

Angry skies loom over Dallas with a dramatic show that consists of blinding flashes of light to punish the eyes that are chased through the canopy by hair raising growls which rumble across the city to vocalize nature's wrath while it spews a thick curtain of fat drops to pummel anyone foolish enough to remain out in the storm. At first, Joaquim was that person, wandering about aimlessly, but as he was passing the roller rink a tide of children swept him up and carried him on inside. He was a willing victim, pushing past the wager earner at the door with a bright sodden smile while placing his hand on the top of the nearest tot to indicate some sort of ownership. Waved on through, he migrates with the tiny crowd, shedding rain drops on any near, like their own personal rain storm.

Abbey is already inside the skating ring, she knows the owner so is able at times to get in early so to speak. She is leaning against one of the tables at the moment, sipping at a glass of something that looks like soda of sometype. Her pale gaze drifts towards the small group of people coming in while she shifts in her spot to merely watch.

It's clearly a children's birthday party that Joao is caught up in, rolling with the inconsistent waves as they take in what is to be their abode for the next couple of hours. All the young man can think about is cake, freeeee cake, and maybe he'll be able to skim off one of those little packets of goodies they always hand out at these sorts of parties. One of the mother's has caught onto his presence and gives him a leery hairy-eyeball, whispering to her friend, "Is that someone's brother?" The other shrugs, "Never seen him before."

Abbey looks utterly amused at the party, well more to the one that doesn't belong it seems.. Which is what the catches from a whisper from the two woman that arn't that far away from her. A slight shake of her head is seen as she merely turns walking over to a trashcan and tosses out the empty cup before she makes her way back towards the rink and skates back onto it.

Abbey is seen, distracting the tall lean boy long enough he loses his miniature crowd while slowly swiveling around to watch her skate off. In the mean time another woman gets into the action, though for a totally different reason. She crowds in with the other two and asks, "Is that someone's dad? He's hot." The other two glower at her and vocally express their abhorrence to her preferences, "You're sick, he looks all of 17!" Shrugging, she wanders over towards the youth, dropping a comment to the other females, "Okay, so someone's older brother," obviously not catching onto their disgust. Coming up behind Joao, she says, "Hi, I'm Beth. You with the party?"

Abbey skates with rather ease around the ring, she's gotten a lot better over the past few months when it comes to skating. Though it isn't a real surprize as she has rather good balance. Clothing wiseshe has on a gray tshirt, black jeans and of course skates. Her thick red curly hair is pulled back out of her face. She passes the 'party' while on the skate rink, catching he look she gets from the boy and she peers back at him curiously. She caught the scent, a shifter it seems..

One Todd Landers is present at the skating rink, but he's not here to skate. In fact, he's wearing a similar uniform to the other workers, though at his age he's slightly out of place among the teenage college-student crowd. Still, on this stormy night, he's definitely being kept busy with a mop and a bucket. Before long, he is attracted to the river of water Joaquim has shed in his wake, and with a crease of concentration on his brow, he carefully and meticulously starts mopping it up. He starts at the front door, but of course, as he progresses, the trail will be leading him gradually toward Joaquim.

Joao rotates back around to face Beth once he realizes she's speaking to him. Oh yea, cake! Now he must decide between Abbey and cake, and apparently it's a close call because there's actually a moment when his green gaze traces a path back to the skater in deep contemplation. In the end Abbey wins out, though some would debate the 'winning' part on her accord. "No, I'm with her." A finger points to the redhead. Immediately Beth is crushed and with a little defeated shrug, she says, "Oh," and wanders off. A wolfish grin is turned back to watch Abbey make her rounds, not yet noticing Todd.

Abbey doesn't catch the comment on how Joaquim is with 'her', not that she'll complain mind you. His not a bad looking guy after all. Another lap around the ring as she comes to a stop, though at the other side of the ring away from the party. She pulls out her cellphone and peers at it curiously before flicking it closed and puts it back into her pocket. As for Todd? Well.. She catches sight of him and looks over curiously.

Todd is about as focused on the mopping as it is possible to be on such a task. More so than some people might think is possible, really. And he does a pretty terrific job of it. There's something about his single-mindedness on the task that allows him to do a better job than most people would do in the same situation. Of course, eventually, the trail leads him right to Joaquim's feet. He frowns at the feet in some puzzlement, and eventually follows the feet up to the body that they belong to. He blinks, shifting to surprise, as he announces, "I'm sorry, mister…but are you aware that you're all wet?"

Abbey's stop way across the rink brings creases to Joao's forehead, but this only lasts as long as it takes for him to notice the mopping worker, and then every sign of dissatisfaction is promptly replaced with excitement. "Todd!" The emerald eyes spark and ignite, expressing just how damn enthusiastic he is about the older man's presence. "I've been hoping I'd run into you!" Reminded of the wetness, he merely tosses back, "It's raining squirrels and ferrets outside!" The residual grumble of thunder rolls on overhead. "Crazy light show. It's free too!"

Abbey makes her way around the ring, and thus over towards where Joaquim happens to be, along with Todd now as well. She pauses once more, pale gaze resting on one then the other before she lifts a hand and waves. "Hello Todd." Is offered with a friendly tone, as for the Thunder she doesn't seem to even pay attention to it.

Upon finding that not only one but two people know his name, Todd's expression lights up. Especially in response to the look of excitement from Joaquim. They must be best buddies or something! "Oh, hi! Um. Well, you didn't run into me, but that's okay. I don't much think I'd enjoy being run into." He waves to Abbey as well, in his usual happy, friendly way. "Hi! Are you all here to skate?"

"Nah, I was here for cake, but then saw something much tastier." A grin sparkles in Joao's eyes as the joke is shared between Abbey and Todd. "I brought you something for your book, buddy," is passed to the male, and then to the female he announces, "I'm Joao, Todd's best friend." That is said with such sobriety either he thinks its true or he is the best con artist on this side of Waco. A piece of raggedly folded paper is pulled out of a wallet that is slipped out of the inside pocket of the long green duster that looks to be made out of the same textile they make army bags from.

Abbey shakes her head slightly as she hears Todd. "Naw.. Just here to skate." She looks towards Joaquim a moment, a faint ah escapes her. "I see.." A slight smirk is seen. A faint Irisha ccent is picked up the more she talks. "So Todd.. Where is Wayne off hidding at?"

Todd grins cheerfully at Joaquim, quite happy to know that he has a best friend. "Oh! Well, thanks. What is it?" he wonders, already pulling out the notepad befoer Abbey asks her question. "Hm? Oh. Ah? I'm not sure. Hold on." He holds up one finger in a classic 'wait, please' gesture, then starts flipping through his notebook in search of this Wayne person.

Abbey's response to Todd elicits a blink from Joao and for a long moment he's blatantly staring at her as if trying to work something out. Whatever it was is filed under an empty header until a name is presented, thus loosening up his sharpened features for the return of the animated grin. Then focus does a bunny-leap back to the notepad and the piece of paper, which is promptly unfolded and smoothed out on a dry leg that comes out from the depths of the long coat. When it's presented one can see a printer copy picture of the presenter and typed writing underneath that reads: Good buddy, Joao. Then beneath that a pronunciation key is printed. "My friend Terry did it up for me."

Abbey hums softly as she watches Todd. "Wayne.. he owns the skate rink.." She offers to see if that migh thelp Todd any. Her pale gaze turns back to Joaquim and she leans over to try and look at the paper curiously it seems.

Todd continues flipping through the notepad, holding up a finger in that same 'wait a minute' gesture when Joao tries to talk to him. He eventually flips to Wayne's picture in the section devoted to people, and brightens. "Oh! Wayne. Yeah, I work for him," he tells Abbey, as though that should answer her question. He glances back to Joao, belatedly notices the piece of paper, and suddenly beams. "/Oh/! Is that for me? That's /wonderful/!" He leans over for a closer look, and utilizes the pronunciation guide, "Ja-ow. That's so helpful!"

Joaquim kindly corrects, "Zha-ow, like Zsa Zsa Gabor." This is said in such a routine way it's obvious he's quite used to it and not at all bothered. "This way, when you forget me, you can remember me again real quick!" This too he doesn't seem bothered by. It helps that he can have a little fun with it and be someone different to Todd every time they meet. Today it's best friend. Checking out the uniform now that it's mentioned, his lush brows knit, "New job?" Then to Abbey the gaze returns. "You got a name? Or are you one of those nameless sorts?" There's a half-joke there.

Abbey nods slightly as she watches Todd and then glances back to Joaquim. "My name is Abbey.. An what is yours?" She questions whilesmirking slightly. "An what are the one of them nameless types mean..hum?"

Todd nods a little, cheerfully, and says, "That's what I said. Ja-ow." He carefully folds the paper, and tucks it into his notebook before putting the notebook back into his pocket. He glances to Abbey, and announces, "His name is Ja-ow." There's a slight pride as he says that. He knows that one! "Mine is Todd," he adds, just in case she doesn't know it.

Joaquim does that staring thing again at Abbey. Assuming since this is the second time she's seemed to have heard wrong or hadn't heard at all, he assumes she's somewhat deaf and so speaks louder and slower, "/My/ /name/ /is/ /Joao/," echoing Todd Though for the next bit it's spoken in the regular fashion since she apparently heard that part just fine. "The sort that keep their names all shrouded in mystery so folks will think they're all the more badass cool." A single dimple appears as a lopsided grin forces that part of his face to crowd together. "Todd is the coolest cat in town and he loves telling people his name."

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