When The Moon Hits Your Eye (IC)

[Heritage]

Estelle's new home near Hanover Square. Wednesday, December 29th, 2010. 6:57 pm

Standing in the middle of her brand-new kitchen, the blonde heroine known to the world as Gossamer was in heaven; the move was surprisingly painless considering it took place right in the middle of the holidays, and she was looking forward to hosting a splendid New Year's Eve bash to formally christen the place. But before all that madness, she was mostly looking forward to dinner tonight with Greg.

They’d been dating steadily since October and things were going very well; physically they were compatible, enjoyed each other’s company immensely, and the regular patrols together gave the whole thing some extra spice. On their first real date, Estelle had promised to make Greg a homemade pizza, but she’d been putting if off for weeks, mostly because she wanted to do it at her new place; however various aspects of the remodel kept pushing back her move date, much to her frustration. It wasn’t until the week after Christmas that she was able to move in, but now that she was finally here, it was well worth the wait.

Per her design, the kitchen with its massive brick oven was the heart of the home, quite literally since it was smack dab in the center of the building; the former warehouse had a thirty foot ceiling and an open plan, but Estelle had devised various ways to create more personal and intimate spaces. The kitchen was open on three sides, but surrounded by a horseshoe-shaped counter that also served as a bar, complete with red leather barstools; spread around the horseshoe were a formal dining area, a living room area with two sectional sofas and entertainment center, and a casual hangout area for jam sessions, complete with inexpensive sofas, neon bar signs, two pinball machines and a pool table.

Behind and above the kitchen was a raised loft, with Estelle’s library and sleeping quarters, and below the loft were a small workout room and a full-sized swimming pool. Lastly she’d added a small enclosed recording studio to one corner of the loft, which she planned to use herself as well as make available to local artists. Over the whole of the space was suspended a tangled mass of pipes and odd metallic shapes, which served as both artistic decoration and an acrobatic arena for Gossamer to practice her hair-swinging moves. Chinese lanterns hung down from the rafters, spreading a warm welcoming light over the entire home, supplimented by various table lamps in the socializing areas and track lighting over the kitchen.

For this occasion, Estelle was dressed down in jeans, faded AC/DC T-shirt and apron, her braided hair covered by a bandana as she rolled out the dough with a marble rolling pin, her hands and most of her face covered in fine flour as she hummed along with an Offspring song playing through her iPod docking station.

[Lone Star]

Gregory knocked on the door. He wore a blue winter overcoat, and a striped scarf. He tapped his toes against the floor in anticipation. Behind his back was a huge bouquet of flowers- sunflowers to be exact. His past few weeks with Gossamer had been amazing. She was beautiful, smart, and very sexy. He blushed as he thought of the fun they'd had at his place and hers. Gregory looked back and forth, making sure no one was approaching down the hall, then checked his breath. He hesitated for a moment, and popped a Tic-Tac in his mouth. Perfect.

[Heritage]

At the sound of the knock on her door, Estelle checked the small flatscreen monitor in the kitchen and saw it was Greg on the security cam. Grabbing a hand towel off rack, she wiped her hands as she made her way to the foyer, then casually tossed the towel over her shoulder.

"Coming!"

She unbolted the inside door and stepped through what she thought of as the 'porch', a fairly comfy place for smokers to hang out, complete with patio furniture and ashtrays. She peeped through the peephole out of habit, and then opened the door, a breathless smile on her face.

"Hey, you made it!" She gave him a warm kiss that tasted of flour and cinnamon lips gloss. "C'mon in! I hope my directions weren't too confusing." She led him into the main loft, and gestured dramatically at her surroundings. "So, what do you think?"

[Lone Star]

Gregory closed his eyes and smiled beneath her kiss. "Damn." was the only thing he could say. She had decorated the place with her own style- that was evident. What surprised him so much was the relatively short time in which she put the place together, although he was sure her animated hair would fill in for movers quite handily. He put an arm around her waist, then spun her into his arms, where he held her as a salsa dancer would. "It's fantastic, Estelle. As are you." Gregory smiled in delight as he kissed her passionately, stroking her long hair with his free hand.

[Heritage]

"It's fantastic, Estelle. As are you."

Estelle kissed him back enthusiastically, and her hair rippled at his touch. "Mmm, how was work? Did you save the lives of countless kittens and puppies?" She barely waited for him to respond before resuming the kissage, maneuvering him back towards the kitchen area, giggling between each kiss.

"All right, before you ravage me, I think it would be wise if we had a bite to eat; as tasty as you are, and no doubt packed full of nutrients, I've been working up an appetite all day." She playfully nibbled his ear before tearing herself away and heading back behind the counter. "And your ardor for me will doubt increase once you see how I make a pie."

After wiping her hands once again on the towel over her shoulder, she dusted her lump of dough with a pinch of semolina flour, picked it up and slapped it from hand to hand, and then with well-trained ease hefted it up and spun it in the air, again and again.

“God, I love doing this; best thing I learned out of seven years at Harvard! Oh, do you want some wine?†She indicated an open bottle nearby next to two glasses, one of which was currently in use. “It’s a lovely Barbera, with notes of black cherry.â€

[Lone Star]

Gregory smiled and watched in awe as she flipped the dough with careless ease. "Some wine would be wonderful, dear." Gregory sighed, and watched her work. "Work went just fine- just a few basic check-ups. Nothing really major. My thoughts were on tonight, though. I've really been looking forward to this, you know." he said with a sly smile. While he was talking, he was slowly making his way behind her. As she kneaded the dough, he put his hands above her waist. "And you're right, this is pretty exciting to watch!" Gregory kissed her neck, laughing. He had never felt so strongly about someone as he did with Estelle. There was no one who had such a joie de vivre, such passion for living life. He was in love.

[Heritage]

"And you're right, this is pretty exciting to watch!"

Estelle laughed and nearly dropped the dough when Greg kissed the ticklish back of her neck; her braid swung up and playfully swatted him as she wriggled out of his grasp.

"Do that again and it's no pizza for you, 'Mad Dog'!" She set the dough aside and wrapped her arms around him, the braid also coiling about his waist like an affectionate pet anaconda. "Ha-ha! Now I've got you were I want you; prepare to die, Mister Matthews! And from lack of oxygen, no less!"

Here began a delightfully life-threatening situation that lasted for several minutes. ;)

[Lone Star]

Gregory broke the kiss, his hands in her beautiful thick hair. "You're incredible. I mean that. You're so awesome, Estelle." He held her close, and rested his head on her shoulder, being that they were around the same height. "I think we should probably make pizza before we make anything else." Mad Dog moved around to the opposite side of the bar, and sat on his hands. "I'll be a good boy and keep my hands to myself. For now."

[Heritage]

Gregory broke the kiss, his hands in her beautiful thick hair. "You're incredible. I mean that. You're so awesome, Estelle."

"Awww, well, thank you; you're not so bad yourself." Though she acted as though the compliment was no big deal, her smile and the color in her cheeks spoke volumes.

"I think we should probably make pizza before we make anything else." Mad Dog moved around to the opposite side of the bar, and sat on his hands. "I'll be a good boy and keep my hands to myself. For now."

"Oh sure, you say that now. All right, the crust is ready for sauce and toppings; so, what do you want on your Tombstone?"

She began to laddle on sauce from a nearby saucepan, spreading it around in ever-widening circles; judging from the many containers and bags of ingredients strewn about the various countertops, she was serious about doing everything from scratch. The dough and sauce both smelled wonderful, and the heat from the brick oven, which was currently burning actual wood (though it could also run on gas), evoked a classic feeling of home. Estelle absently wiped the back of her hand across her forehead; dressed down and wearing minimal makeup, she may never have looked lovelier.

[Lone Star]

Gregory smiled and put a hand under his chin. "Hmm...I like a good pepperoni and mushroom pizza, if you have those ingredients." He found himself looking into her eyes. She looked incredible when she was dressed up, but he found himself drawn more to her while she was dusted with flour and working hard. "So I brought a few movies with me. Do you like Ridley Scott?"

[Heritage]

"Hmm...I like a good pepperoni and mushroom pizza, if you have those ingredients."

Estelle gave her handsome boyfriend a withering look as she shook her head in mock-outrage. "'Do I have those ingredients'! Hah! Dost thou question my culinary arts? I have three types of mushroom and no less than four pepperoni to chose from!"

At this, she let lose some of her hair, which carefully ran itself under the tap. "I don't normally use my hair when I'm cooking for others, due to certain negative mental associations people have between hair and food, but since my hair isn't like other peoples, and doesn't actually shed, I assure you this is quite sanitary."

She formed two separate multi-branched tentacles, which then stretched out to grasp knives, graters and several other cooking implements, as well as fetching the spicy sausages, mushrooms and three types of cheese. While she poured Greg a glass of wine and refilled her own, the golden tendrils went to work like a pair of Benehana chefs on speed, cleaning, chopping and sorting the toppings into neat piles with bewildering efficiency. Estelle sipped her wine as she oversaw the proceedings with what looked like only casual interest.

"So I brought a few movies with me. Do you like Ridley Scott?"

She pondered the suggestion as she took another sip of wine. “Mmm, I like a lot of his films, but must admit I haven’t seen them all; which did you bring? Oh, but please, no Alien. I know it’s a classic, but not for a romantic evening; I don’t want to be eating pizza when John Hurt’s chest suddenly goes-"

And here she did a rather clever impression of the famous chestburster scene by sending a thick tendril of hair down the back of her T-shirt and having it pop out from behind her apron.

“Ahhh, kill it! Kill it with fire!â€

The mock alien writhed around a bit before she bopped it over the 'head' with her wine glass and it slunk out of sight, returning to her regularly scheduled hairstyle.

[Lone Star]

Mad Dog raised his eyebrows. "Now that was pretty cool. No, I actually brought Blade Runner. I brought a few others if you're interested, just from different genres. I don't believe we've ever discussed our own personal tastes in film. Or, we don't have to watch a film at all! I'm sure we're both more than capable of entertaining each other." He smiled slyly and stripped off his winter coat, revealing a tight muscle shirt beneath. He winked at her and flexed. "I haf been vorking on mah biceps, check it out!" Gregory said in his best impression of the governor.

[Heritage]

"I haf been vorking on mah biceps, check it out!"

The blonde heroine laughed as she fanned herself. "Oh, Mister Wolfcastle, I've seen all your films; McBain is my favorite!"

As she continued speaking, she set the timer as her slender extra limbs slid the stone with the pizza into the brick oven.

"You do raise a good point about movies, though; I must admit I can get a little pretentious in my tastes. I love documentaries and foreign films, but at least I'm not one of those complete snobs who refuses to watch Hollywood films." Wiping her hands on a towel, she joined Greg in a friendly embrace. "I love period films and films about real people; in general, I find most romantic comedies to be boring and predictable, though I do have a soft spot for Sandra Bullock."

A thin tendril snagged her wine and brought it to her as she rested her chin playfully on her new boyfriend's well-muscled chest, her sparkling blue eyes gazing up into his as the fingers of her free hand kneaded the fabric of his shirt.

"I love Woody Allen and Mel Brooks, at least their early films, and my favorite film of all time is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which I tend to quote ad nauseum. I cannot abide Adam Sandler, Will Farrell or Jack Black, and I think Jim Carrey is the spawn of Satan and a glob of Silly Putty." She chewed her lip thoughtfully as her eyes wandered. "Annnnd I find Johnny Depp, Russell Crowe and Bruce Willis terribly sexy. So, there you go..." She smiled ruefully. "Sadly Blade Runner puts me to sleep; I blame the Vangelis score and the glacial pacing. What else have you got?"

She took a sip of wine and looked hopeful.

[Lone Star]

Gregory grinned as she held him close. "I wouldn't bring my favorite cult movie by itself- I know they're not for everyone. Let's see..." He looked over at his coat, and decided to get them in a moment. This was far too nice to have her let go. "I brought some films that are generally accepted as good/great. I brought The Godfather, Silence of the Lambs, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Airplane, and...The Empire Strikes Back. I wasn't sure which genre you preferred, so I picked from a lot of different genres. What's your pleasure?" Gregory winked at her and kissed her sweetly on the tip of her nose.

[Heritage]

"I brought some films that are generally accepted as good/great. I brought The Godfather, Silence of the Lambs, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Airplane, and...The Empire Strikes Back. I wasn't sure which genre you preferred, so I picked from a lot of different genres. What's your pleasure?"

She giggled at the kiss on her nose, then drained her glass and set it aside across the room as she resumed her earlier position, her delicate chin nestled against his sternum. "Hmm, guy movies..." She met his eyes and looked mildy apologetic. "Good guy movies, granted, but guy movies nonetheless..." Her face screwed up in thought as she gently bounced her chin on Greg's chest. "Um um um, let's go with Airplane...and more wine."

She lifted her head up and peered over at the timer by the oven.

"Actually, how about this; I am in desperate need of a quick shower, so why don't you make yourself at home on the love seat-" She indicated the small sofa opposite her 36" flatscreen with a nod. "Acquaint yourself with the remotes, enjoy the wonderous offerings of satellite TV and such, and then I will join you shortly, wearing nothing but a damp robe and five feet of wet hair." She adjusted his shirt and gave him another kiss. "We can watch a bit of satellite until the pizza's done, then slice it up, set up the TV trays, press play-" Another kiss. "Get plastered on good Italian wine and enjoy ourselves. Sound like a plan?"

[Lone Star]

Gregory smiled, and adjusted his muscle shirt a little. "Both of my brains say yes. Especially the spare one I keep below my belt." He held her tight, and suddenly kissed her with great gusto. "That should last me until you get out of the shower." He said, stroking her long hair. "Next time you pick the movie!" he said, somehow already on the couch. It was a guy thing.

[Heritage]

"Both of my brains say yes. Especially the spare one I keep below my belt."

At this, Estelle rolled her eyes and snorted with amusement, but she was still very receptive to Greg's kiss.

"That should last me until you get out of the shower."

The blonde heroine chuckled as she affectionately rubbed the vet's rock-hard bicep. "I'll try not to take too long; the new shower system I designed makes it a lot faster while still using less water than a traditional shower, but it still does take a little while to get this much hair lathered."

She have him one more quick kiss, then her shimmering locks rose, wrapped themselves around the railing of the sleeping loft and effortlessly hoisted her up and over; once she got there, she raised her arms over her head, and her T-shirt slid off as if by magic, offering Greg a quick peek at her black lace bra as she walked away.

"If the timer dings before I'm done, just pull the pizza stone out and rest it on top of the stove to cool!"

"Next time you pick the movie!"

From just inside the bathroom, she called down, "We can always do a Die Hard marathon some night; that way be both win!"

From down below, Estelle's newfangled shower sounded quite odd, more like a series of torrential indoor rainstorms than a steady stream of water; between cloudbursts, she could be heard singing Zeppelin's 'Misty Mountain Hop' in a loud, somewhat off-key voice before being drowned out (almost literally) by the next deluge.

"Why don't you take a good look at yourself and describe what you see,

and baaaaby, baaaaaby, baaaaaby, do you LIKE it?â€

(sploosh!)

“Woo ooh ooooooh!â€

[Lone Star]

Gregory smiled and plopped down on the couch. Estelle was quite a woman- romantic, smart, and incredibly lovely. He couldn't have met anyone better. Gregory clicked on the television, having an instinctual sense of how it worked due to his gender and knowledge of the televisual arts. He laid down on the couch, incredibly comfortable. As he listened to her sing, Gregory thought he'd tantalize her a little bit more. He stripped off his shirt, throwing it near his bag, and laid out for her, so when she came out of the shower, there he'd be! However, just as he got comfortable, the timed sounded off. Gregory quickly hopped to the oven, and brought the steaming hot pizza to the top of the stove.

[Heritage]

At last the strange shower noises and squeaky Robert Plant impression stopped; a few moments later, Gossamer stepped to the railing, wearing a nice full-length terry cloth robe, with what looked like an iceberg balanced on her head, but was in fact her wet hair piled up and wrappedf with several towels.

"Did I hear the alarm go off? Did you get the pizza out okay?" Then she got a look at the shirtless Greg standing in the kitchen, and she laughed. "Oh look, the plumber's here! And it's so darn hot in the kitchen, he had to take his shirt off!" She played a little sexy air base to 'set the mood'. "Ba-dum-dum-dum! Ba-dum-dum-dum!" Then she stopped and rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Actually, I should probably get a camera..."

All kidding aside, she finished toweling off her hair and then lowered herself back down to the ground floor, her damp darkened hair wrapped around her shoulders a few times like a silky soggy shawl. Estelle padded over to her lover's side and rested a wet chin on his shouder. "Mmm, it smells delicous! We should probably let it cool a bit more, to avoid scalding the roofs of our mouths."

[Lone Star]

Gregory wrapped his strong arms around her, and held her close. "That sounds like a good idea. We don't want things to get too hot." he said with a wink. "Want to start our movie? Or maybe a little pre-movie entertainment?" Gregory said as he moved his hands (which were on her waist) a little lower. He patted her there and moved in for a passionate kiss, his hips moving against hers. "Mmm. You look great all fresh out of the shower." "But what am I saying? I'm flirting way too much...maybe I haven't had enough wine." Gregory said as he reached for his glass and took another sip.

[Heritage]

"That sounds like a good idea. We don't want things to get too hot."

"Want to start our movie? Or maybe a little pre-movie entertainment?"

Estelle leaned her head back against Greg's shoulder, laughing at his suggestion. "You always say that, and then we never end up watching the movie! Not that I mind a nice distraction, but I would like to actually see a film from time to time." She kissed him playfully on the nose. "That being said, you are going to love the sleeping loft. Two words: Working. Fireplace."

"Mmm. You look great all fresh out of the shower."

"But what am I saying? I'm flirting way too much...maybe I haven't had enough wine."

"You can never flirt enough, though you may be right about the wine." Looking over her shoulder, she fetched the bottle and her glass with but a thought, her damp tresses depositing them in her hands. Then she slithered out of his grasped and flopped on the loveseat, indicating the cushion beside her with a nod as a lazy tiger's smile spread across her face. "Come, sit."

[Lone Star]

Gregory smiled and walked around, still shirtless. "Yes, movies are nice to watch from time to time. It's just so, tempting, you know?" Gregory said, resting his head on her shoulder. He kissed her cheek lovingly. "You look great just out of the shower, Estelle." He picked up the remote and clicked on the DVD. "These past few months have been wonderful. You're amazing, Estelle."

[Heritage]

"You look great just out of the shower, Estelle." He picked up the remote and clicked on the DVD. "These past few months have been wonderful. You're amazing, Estelle."

And now the blonde heroine's face went bright pink as she seemd to become very interested in refilling her wine glass; she leaned forward slightly as she took a sip, and her hair shifted a bit, providing her with a small amount of 'cover'.

"Well, yes, they certainly have been pleasant; you're quite a remarkable young man yourself, Greg." She winced just a smidgen when 'young' tripped off her tongue, and then conviniently remembered dinner.

"Oh, let's see if the pizza is cool enough to eat!" She quickly rose and scampered back to the counter, and noisily rummaged through the drawers looking for the pizza cutter. "Yes, it looks ready; I'll cut it up and bring over two plates!" She suddenly felt very awkward and foolish.

Get a hold of yourself, you stupid girl! He's not that young!

[Lone Star]

Gregory watched her suddenly run to cut the pizza, a concerned look on his face. "Estelle, what's wrong?" He quickly slipped his shirt back on and walked towards her. "I mean, is it too soon to say that? You're great, Estelle. You're intelligent, funny, and just- well. Passionate about life. I've never felt so strongly about anyone." He turned her towards him, and held both of her hands. "Is that so bad?"

[Heritage]

"Estelle, what's wrong?" He quickly slipped his shirt back on and walked towards her. "I mean, is it too soon to say that? You're great, Estelle. You're intelligent, funny, and just- well. Passionate about life. I've never felt so strongly about anyone." He turned her towards him, and held both of her hands. "Is that so bad?"

The lovely blonde shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut in frustration. "No no, of course not; any woman would love for a man to tell her those things." She opened her big blue eyes, which sparkled with tears that made them twinkle, and sighed deeply. "Sometimes I just get...a bit self-conscious. You have to understand, Greg, that I was brought up very properly; as much as I love my parents, they've always been a bit distant, and then there were nannies and boarding school..."

She squeezed his hands tightly as she tried to find the words to explain her feelings, then laughed at the irony of the situation. "That's actually sort of the problem, isn't it? I'm not usually at a loss for words..." Forgetting the pizza and the movie for the moment, she led her lover back to the sectional sofa, and sat down facing him.

"You see, I'm actually very fond of you, Greg, but that doesn't keep me from experiencing the occasional twinge of doubt, the sort of doubts women get from time to time when...they're older than their boyfriends." Estelle shook her head in embarrassment. "And I know I'm not really old at all, even in a country as obsessed with youth as ours, but that doesn't mean that I don't get scared now and then, especially when I'm so happy."

She daintily wiped her eyes with her hand.

"Oh dear; too much wine, I think..."