The X-Project

Hope runs into Kyle after a business meeting and ends up having a night of fun.

"I am well aware it is going to be a challenge. And it will not work for everyone. But we will not know till we try it." Hope shook the woman's hand with a gracious nod before heading down the hall of the community center.

Just before turning to head the exit music Hope hadn't heard in years caught her attention and a thoughtful look flitted over her face. After a quick check on her phone for the time, she shrugged and quietly pushed open the door it was coming from.

Their usual door-and-tickets guy was out with the flu, and Kyle was a good stand-in. He leaned well, he menaced bigots well, and he knew most of the regulars and enough of the community to try to make people welcome. His head perked up as the door opened - a little after opening time, but there were always one or two people who showed up late due to the train or bus. He didn't quite expect to see elegantly done dark hair and perfect makeup and clothes, but he knew the face and that was welcome enough. "Oh god, wow, hey!" He straightened up from his lean against the ticketing table. "Hope, yo, welcome to X Coast Swing! I didn't know you danced?"

"Kyle?" Hope's eyebrows lifted just a little bit in surprise. "I have to admit, I had not expected to see you here when I heard the music. I was here for a different appointment when I recognized the music and became curious."

"Swing dance is my jam. I got into it back in high school, and it's like..' Kyle came around the table with a slip of paper in hand. "It's a good physical outlet without being violent, you know? Anyway. You sticking around? I've got friend vouchers." He held the paper out, showing the "One free admission" printed on it. "We paid for Maya to take like eight weeks, so I got two freebie nights, been sitting on them for a while."

"I don't know..." Hope demurred. "It's been years since I really did any swing dancing... it must have been dancing class in sophomore year with Mr. Sefton." She studied the dancers for a moment and without thinking her foot started to tap, easily following the beat. "Most dancing I have done since then has been the basic ballroom you come across at galas and those kinds of things."

"I mean you brought yourself in here." Kyle said, with a grin. "Besides, it's beginner class, and you're pretty much dressed for it." He waved at Hope's skirt and shoes. "I mean, what do you have to lose, besides I dunno, half an hour of time and maybe a couple bucks for a bottle of water."

Hope studied the dancers for a moment, then quickly glanced at her watch. "You know... why not? I have been going from meeting to meeting all day, so this should be interesting." She tucked her coat and tote in a safe place, quickly checked if her bun was still secure and pulled off her blazer. "This should be fun. I guess it was the right decision not to wear a pencil skirt today." She added with a little wink.

"Cool, cool cool, cool." Kyle dropped one of his vouchers in the admission box, and handed the other to Hope. "If you like, hate it for whatever reason, you can give that back or give it to someone else, but it's a good place to be like, openly a mutant and not worry about stuff, you know? And it's fun as heck.'

"Just one question before I join them... is just East Coast Swing you're covering tonight?" Hope asked after taking in both the dancers and music for a little longer. "Or do you also cover the West Coast? I learned a bit of both, but after so long I do not wish to get them confused."

"Mostly East today. Juno, they're our program director, they like to mix it up, East Coast, West, Little bit of electro-swing usually at the end of the night, but it rotates. There's a ... hold on." Kyle pulled out his phone and tapped at the screen several times, and then Hope's phone buzzed. "There's a calendar, which I just sent you. Sometimes people might mix it up but mostly we stick to what's on the calendar unless someone's showing off something."

"Wow, you are holding evenings like this more often than I thought. I never would have guessed District X for a place where swing would be popular." Hope commented after quickly looking over the schedule.

"We get a lot of kids from the colleges too." Kyle explained. He waved a hand towards Juno. "J's doing, I dunno, rocket science over at Columbia. We're known for being not judgey and accommodating. I mean, Maya's in here and the only real questions anyone had were if she spoke ASL and used her hearing aids at the same time, and if she wanted to dance with the bass all the way up, and the dance pairings aren't on gender lines. More like height, like, I almost always lead, but mostly because I'm tall. You short people get to decide what you like to do best, lead, follow or both." He grinned. "My secret goal is to talk Pyotr into coming here just so I've got someone who can flip me over their shoulders for once instead of me having to do that to everyone else."

Hope couldn't help but picture that for a moment: "So you want a tall, dark handsome Russian to fling you around? Let me know when that happens. I'll be sure to be here for the show." And she might just make sure to bring her phone.

Kyle's grin was wide and easy. "Hope, I will -pay- you in, I dunno, I will bring you an entire fancy bottle of wine picked out by Terry if you get video of that."

"Better be careful... for a bottle of good wine, I might just show up with a video of the two of you in the Danger Room then." Hope quickly tucked away the schedule, peeking up mischievously: "From the stories I have heard there is quite a bit of flinging going around there as well."

"Molly threw me butt first into a giant frog robot once." Kyle explained. "At this point, there's just no shame left. Come on, I'll go introduce you around, my table relief's heading over so I don't have to sit and play ticket guy anymore."