Dazzling Night (zania, open)

[heroesdreamer]

Alison was taking an uber to one of the newest clubs in New York, she and Firestar had finally made plans to get together and have some fun. To play it safe, since she was well known as Dazzler, she had simply braided her blond hair, though she couldn't resist putting some sparkly rhinestones in the plait, and she was wearing a short skirted party dress instead of her famous jumpsuit. She just simply wanted to have fun tonight and forget about being a musician, though she did intend to dance a bit, and of course, catch up with her friend about everything that had been going on.

As they pulled up outside the club, Alison smiled at how busy it seemed and at all the people waiting in line to be let in. She paid the driver well, leaving a nice tip, then stepped out, looking around for her friend and hoping it wouldn't take long to get inside the club. She kind of wanted to try their tequila sunrise, as she'd heard it was a slightly different recipe, and of course she was curious as to whether they'd be playing her songs. Just then she moved closer, thinking she saw what could be her friend, and called out a friendly greeting.

[zania]

Angelica honestly never thought that she'd be going out for the night, much less to one of the newest clubs in New York City.

Her normal idea of a night out on the town was much more reserved . . . going out to a nice, quiet bar for a few drinks with people she knew.  Something simple where they could just shoot the breeze and relax.  After all, trying to balance life between being a superhero and personal obligations was hard enough as it was.

Still, she didn't want to disappoint Alison especially with the friendship they had forged.

When she had arrived at the club, there was a huge line to get in already.  The mutant known as Firestar wore a colorful dress that seemed appropriate for the venue that they were visiting.  Her green eyes looked around as she tried to spot Alison, but also wondered internally if they would be able to get in with how long the line was.  Or did Alison have connections with her status that would allow them to bypass the line?

She would find out soon enough as she saw a car pull up and Alison emerge from it.  Angelica waved, hoping that she would be able to spot her . . .

[heroesdreamer]

Allison waved back at Angelica, excited as a smile crossed her face, and hurried over to her. "Hey, Angelica! Hope I didn't keep you waiting" she greeted her friend as she glanced behind her at the line. It was pretty long but maybe she could get in by whispering her name to the bouncer? But then again, that wouldn't be fair to the other people who'd been waiting who knows how long to get inside? "The line's a bit long, huh? Are you okay with waiting, or should we start off at that cozy little bar down the street and come back once it's a little less chaotic?"

I mean, she hadn't thought much about how noisy it would be in there, though part of her really wanted to dance and have fun. But she also wanted to spend time talking with her friend and not having to worry about being interrupted. Don't get her wrong, she loved the attention and the fans, but maybe they could do both? She smiled at Angelica and waited to hear what her friend would decide.

[zania]

That light shone through
Like that fire star
This time not a light from afar

---

It didn't take long for the two friends to connect and Allison to find Angelica. She had come over to where she was in line and hoped that she hadn't been kept waiting. The mutant mistress of radiation smiled and shook her head slightly. "No, I haven't really been waiting that long," she admitted before glancing behind her at the line. "It seems like it the line got a lot longer since I got here."

Allison had also commented about the length of the line and asked if she was okay with waiting, or if they should go to a bar down the street and come back when it might be a bit less chaotic. That was really a hard question to answer with how long the line kept getting.

If they stayed in line, they were certain that they'd get in as others left the club. It might take a while, but at least they'd have a fair chance at it.

If they got out of line and went to the bar, it really depended on the people who were ahead and behind of them at the moment. If they were nice enough, they might be willing to hold their spot in line for them, but that was taking a huge chance. If they weren't, they likely wouldn't hold their spot and that would force Allison and herself to the back of the line again if they wanted to get in. Since the club was only open until a certain time and they only seemed to be letting people in as others left, there was a strong chance that if they lost their place in like they likely wouldn't get in at all.

There was also the matter of the bouncer, too. If they saw the two of them get out of line, there was a chance that they wouldn't let them back in line even if people were kind enough to hold their spot. It definitely was going to be taking a risk.

Since Allison was the one who had asked her to join her for this, it was only fair that she decided as she didn't want to disappoint her friend. "It's really up to you. We could either wait here or go to the bar, but if we do we may not get into the club tonight."

---

It was a heavenly glow
From the angel's eyes

[heroesdreamer]

Alison nodded at Angelica as she thought the line had gotten longer and she replied "This club is popping tonight, super busy!" Again she considered using her fame to get them inside, but then she noticed that the bouncer was letting small groups of people out every few minutes, so it's possible that there was a maximum space issue. Once Angelica gave her permission to decide for them, she smiled and said "Let's stay in line then, cause you're right. We can't expect others to hold our place in line and if it gets too full, I'm sure they'll let us know."

Alison settled in line, her sparkly sunglasses sitting perkily on her nose, and she smiled at her friend. "So how have you been?" she asked, sliding her hands into her pockets as she shifted from side to side, a mannerism she'd picked up from being on tour which, in her mind, helped her interact with multiple audience members. "Anything exciting happening?" she asked, kind of wanting to hear the latest gossip but at the same time, she didn't want them to get yelled at. There were still people who didn't seem to like people with powers and even though it was fairly noisy, she wasn't sure if she wanted other people to overhear them talking about the Avengers or X-Men.

[zania]

That light shone through
Like that fire star
This time not a light from afar

---

Angelica listened as Alison affirmed how busy the club seemed to be getting, and also how the line still seemed to be moving . . . even if slowly . . . due to other people leaving. They were likely letting others in as people left, which strongly suggested a capacity limit. Still, Alison seemed to agree that if they got out of line, others may not hold their space plus it was the best way to find out if they got to maximum capacity and couldn't let anyone else in.

Alison seemed to settle into place in line and smiled, stuffing her hands in her pockets and shifting her weight, asking how she had been and if anything exciting had been happening. She knew what she meant by that, but the red-haired mutant was still highly protective of her identity in spite of being registered. It was something the government agreed to when she agreed to register . . . so she could ensure that her father was kept safe and would not be endangered by any villains finding out her identity if it was public.

"I've been doing okay," she responded with a bit of a smile. "Now that I've graduated, I've been keeping busy with creating physics classes at an exclusive school. Hopefully they'll be able to apply what they're learning out in the real world." She was referring to teaching at he Avengers Academy as physics impacted everything they did, both with and without powers.

She paused for a moment and then decided to ask. "How have you been doing?"

---

It was a heavenly glow
From the angel's eyes

[heroesdreamer]

One thing that Alison liked about Angelica was that she was a very good listener, so she smiled at the chance to hear how her friend was doing. She nodded as Angelica mentioned graduating and helping with classes at a school, she knew it wasn't the same school she taught at, but she wondered if it was at the school that Mercury had told her about, or at least had mentioned the friend she'd made who said he went there. "That's really cool, I bet you've met a lot of interesting people there" she said, the question in her voice even if she couldn't come right out and ask if they had powers.

Suddenly they moved again, much closer to the bouncer, and Dazzler could overhear him talking to someone inside. She smiled and quietly said to Angelica "I was right, they are letting small groups in at a time. We should be part of the next group." She then heard her friend's question and nodded. "I'm doing pretty well" she said, "the new album is coming along smoothly. Hoping for a May release date, and then I should get busy again. Can't wait to tour again, though I'm always glad to get home afterwards!" she admitted with a smile. Then she got an idea. "Why don't you come with me for part of the tour? Now I'm not sure where all we're going yet, but is there anywhere you've always wanted to travel to?" That would be fun to have a friend along, they could go explore, especially when the band just wanted to chill in the hotel room.

[zania]

That light shone through
Like that fire star
This time not a light from afar

---

Angelica listened as Alison commented about how she met a lot of interesting people. That caused her to nod, her red hair flowing around her shoulders as she did so. "Yeah, you can definitely say that. They do all come from different backgrounds and experiences, but I'm confident that I'll be able to help improve their knowledge and how it applies outside the classroom," she added, very careful not to mention exactly what she did or where she worked. The last thing she wanted was for someone to pick up on her secret identity.

Thankfully it seemed as if the line was moving, which Alison pointed out. "That's good. Hopefully it shouldn't take too much longer then, but it might depend on how many leave first," she acknowledged. Capacity limits were always a tricky thing, which was part of the reason why bouncers stood at the door of certain clubs in order to monitor and control the flow of people entering in and out of a club.

Alison then mentioned how her new album was coming along smoothly and they were hoping to release it in May. But then she asked a question that Angelica hadn't expected. She asked her to join for part of the tour and asked if there was anywhere she always wanted to travel to. She was honestly stunned by the offer, if not a bit overwhelmed.

"I would love to. I've always wanted to go to Paris, or visit London, but I'm afraid that going there would take me away from my teaching when I'm so new to it and it'd remind me of Vance. Those were always places that I had hoped to visit with him someday," she pointed out somberly. If she didn't have her responsibilities to the Avengers, she might be tempted to go even if it maybe visit another city that she hadn't considered before like Jerusalem, Athens, Tokyo, or Cairo.

---

It was a heavenly glow
From the angel's eyes

[heroesdreamer]

Alison just grinned as Angelica talked about her students, she seemed to really enjoy teaching, and she replied cheerfully "That's great!" She didn't pursue any further questions at that time, but she tucked it away to remember to ask later, instead they talked a bit about the line moving. "Yeah, hopefully we won't have to wait much longer" she said, excited as they moved just a bit closer, enough to see the DJ playing the songs. "Wonder if I could get him to play one of mine" she said with a wink and giggle before asking if Angelica wanted to join her on her tour.

She nodded as her friend responded, that made a lot of sense! Fake slapping her forehead, she laughed a bit and said "Yeah, totally makes sense! I didn't even think about your new job, of course you wouldn't want to leave!" Just then a large crowd of people left and the line surged forward, just enough so they were right up at the bouncer. Dazzler waved while handing over her ID and the well built guy waved them on in. Excited, Dazzler grabbed Angelica's arm and leaned down to talk in her ear. "What should we do first? Get drinks, a table, or go dance?" she asked, her toes already tapping to the rhythm.

[zania]

That light shone through
Like that fire star
This time not a light from afar

---

Angelica listened as Alison expressed the hope that the DJ might be able to play one of her songs. She nodded slightly upon hearing that and mentioned, "I'm sure they will once they see you in the crowd and recognize you. If not, I'm sure that it's always possible that a security guard or the bartender could pass that request along as well." Truthfully, she wasn't sure if that was the process to request a song to be played, but it seemed like the logical way to ask for such a thing. That likely didn't guarantee that a song would be played, but it was worth a shot either way.

When Alison mentioned about how she didn't think about her job and not wanting to leave it, Angelica nodded slightly. "I hope you're not upset that I can't join you. It's a big commitment and until I can better know what free time I can get, I don't want to say yes to something that'll take me away for too long."

They got closer to the door once others left and that prompted Alison to ask what they should do first . . . to get a table, drinks, or just start dancing. She thought about it for a moment and then responded, "Let's play it by ear. We can see if there's any available tables, but if not we can just go dance for a bit and then grab drinks a bit later once a spot opens up at the bar or a table clears that we can grab."

---

It was a heavenly glow
From the angel's eyes

[heroesdreamer]

Alison nodded as Angelica mentioned a couple of ways to pass on a song request, adding "Or I could just ask the DJ", grinning slightly. "He doesn't look familiar, but a lot of places do take requests" she mentioned, listening to her friend ask if it's okay to not come along on her tour. "Of course it's okay!" she exclaimed, "I completely understand, we'll just have to get together when I get back."

Once they got inside, she gave Angelica a thumbs up at her suggestion, then began to look around at the crowded room. "There's a table!" she said, carefully pointing before making her way over to a secluded area. "How's this look?" she asked, grinning as she said "Look, there's even two menus for us!" She sat down, beginning to read what drinks they had, her feet still tapping to the beat of the music. She then began looking at the bar, as well as if there were any drink servers wandering about before turning to Angelica and asking "What are you going to get?"

[zania]

That light shone through
Like that fire star
This time not a light from afar

---

Angelica listened as Alison mentioned that she could just ask the DJ about the song request. The firey red-haired mutant nodded slightly and agreed, "Yes, that's very possible. I don't go to a lot of clubs like this, but I'm sure that they wouldn't say no, especially if they knew who was making the request."

Thankfully, when it came to the question of joining Alison on the tour, she understood why Angelica had to decline. After all, most jobs would frown on someone taking time off up front right after a person started, and they had already been gracious enough to allow her to complete her studies and take time away from her service with them to do so.

Thankfully, once they got inside, they were able to find a table right away which contained two menus. She made her way over to it and smiled a bit. "This is perfect! We can see everything from here, but it's still a bit out of the way," she stated.

She then started looking over the menu when she was asked what she was going to get. She had an idea in mind already even before entering into the club, but she wanted to see what they had first before making up her mind. "I think I'll go with a martini. It also looks like they have a snack mix, so that might be good to get as well so we have something to munch on in case we get hungry with all of the dancing." She paused and then asked, "Do you know what you'll get?"

---

It was a heavenly glow
From the angel's eyes

[heroesdreamer]

Allison blushed as Angelica stated that she was sure the DJ would take her request, but focused on getting inside and finding a good place to sit. Once that was acquired, she smiled and nodded at her friend's comment about the table. "Yeah, it's perfect!" she said, taking a look around before seeing the menus and sitting down to read. Once Angelica mentioned getting snack mix, Allison beamed and said "That's a great idea! It's also better to have something to eat while we drink." Then she blushed cause surely Angelica knew that.

When she was asked what she would get to drink, Allison said "Probably a strawberry daiquiri, but now that you mention a martini I might go that route instead." As if on cue, one of the waiters walked over and said "Welcome, ladies! What can I get you tonight?" Allison made a decision and said "I'll have the strawberry daiquiri please and can we get some snack mix for the table?" before turning to let Angelica get her order in.

[zania]

That light shone through
Like that fire star
This time not a light from afar

---

Angelica nodded as Allison agreed to the thought about getting a snack mix. Sometimes having something to much on would prevent someone from gouging or over eating if they were to possibly stop off at a restaurant for a late night meal after their time at the club. Besides, a night of dancing could definitely cause them to work up an appetite.

The waiter approached the table and Allison started by sharing what she wanted. Once she done so, the red-haired mutant then chimed in, "I'll take a vodka martini with two olives. Shaken, not stirred."

After the waiter left, her green eyes looked around the club. A lot of it was just trying to take in the surroundings . . . their environment. It was a new club, so why not admire the set up and the decor? But another part of it was her holding out some kind of hope that maybe, somehow, she might run into Vance. It had been ages since they separated and called off their engagement. She had needed time to grow, but also to complete her studies. And now that was done, she needed to try and fill that void in her heart that was left by their split.

Turning to Allison, she asked, "So how did you hear about this place?"

---

It was a heavenly glow
From the angel's eyes

[heroesdreamer]

Alison smiled as Angelica ordered then she simply sat, looking around the crowded dance floor and enjoying being in the moment. She noticed her friend doing the same thing, so didn't speak for a while, though her foot was tapping and she was really wanting to get up and dance. But with that ran the risk of getting recognized, which in itself wasn't bad, but she did want to spend some quality time with Angelica.

When her friend turned to her, asking where she'd heard of this club, Alison smiled and admitted "I filmed one of my music videos here, the owners are so nice and worked with me and my team!" She giggled a bit as she said "I remember one of the camera operators kept flirting with me, it made the shoot a lot more fun!" Turning to face Angelica, she asked "Have you seen Vance lately?", she was curious as her friend had been dating but she knew they had broken up. She was curious about her friend's plans now but also just wanted to support her friend.