Singing in the Hurricane - Luke & Ingrid!

[INGRID LOS ROSAS]

i coulda danced on the sun,

but my world came undone.

It was raining. Pouring, actually; the raindrops were so big and so warm, Ingrid could imagine a crowd of giants standing over her, crying. Lifting her face, she let her dark eyes close, feeling the downpour drench her hair and run down her neck like kisses.

She'd decided to run off some steam about twenty minutes ago, when the sky was clear except for a few wispy gray clouds. Heavy thunderheads had rolled in behind her as she ran, though, and now the sky was nearly black, rolling and weeping in the most beautiful ways. There had been none of that buildup nonsense, where the rain began as a drizzle and then ended in a torrent. A wall of water had fallen on Ingrid's head, and she'd stopped mid-sprint on the final stretch of her second mile, taken by surprise.

It just so happened that she'd stopped outside the creepy old abandoned playground not too far from the high school, where she sometimes came to lay on the merry-go-round and revolve slowly while she thought. She'd never seen it drenched in such dark rain like this, and strangely, she loved it. Puma running shoes sliding in the doused grass, Ingrid bounded over to the slide and scrambled up the ladder, sliding down laughing the whole way, carried down all the more quickly by the seemingly endless rain.

Thunder growled at her from the horizons, and lightning pulsed far away, and Ingrid ran back around the slide for another go. By the time she slid off the bottom, she was doused, eyes shining, thick black mane of hair clinging to her back; the water coursed down her olive skin in living rivers, pulsing a new kind of life into her veins. She'd never felt so beautiful.

There was something about storms.. The way the sky twisted, and lightning hissed like snakes, and she could taste the earth in every breath. When she got home, her father would probably ask what made her think she was so invincible that she could risk a lightning-strike, but she wasn't considering that at the moment. Putting one foot up on the merry-go-round, Ingrid held on with both hands and pushed herself to a decent spin, then jumped completely aboard and sat on the bar, enjoying the rain and wind rushing against her.

"I wish you well, I hope you survive. I hope you live, oh baby, so I can watch you cry. 'Cause I know in time you'll see what you did to me, and you'll come running back.."

She started singing without really thinking about it, her rich, beautiful voice pouring out into the storm like a flood of color into a gray-scale world. When she sang, something changed; she went from pretty to alluring, tossing her water-darkened hair and dancing without restraint, pouring her heart into every word of the song. She sang relentlessly, her voice and presence exuding passion and power and something darker that seemed to draw peoples' eyes like a magnet.

Leaping from the merry-go-round like a gazelle, Ingrid twirled and pirouetted through the thickening rain, her voice climbing the lines of the song with a skill and manner that couldn't be learned; Thinking she was alone, she swung her hair around fearlessly, finishing the song with a flourish of her arms and an exaggerated bow. When she straightened up, though, Ingrid found out that she was not, indeed, alone.

header lyrics from "Laura" by Flogging Molly; the song lyrics are linked to the Youtube video for it so you can listen. (:[/font]

[LUKE ROUZATA]

Oh the rain. Evaporated water from the Earth that has been condensed and reused to quench the dry Earth. Luke had planned to be caught out in this thunderstorm which was odd because most people ducked for shelter at the hint of rain...or thunder.

Yet here Luke was head lifted to the clouds and arms outstretch, as if he was inviting the rain to come to him. Maybe he was because the rain was said, back in the ancient times, to was away the evil that consumed you. Rain was said to be blessed and distributed to the people that showed most worship to Zeus.

As Luke was pelted by the "Blessed" rain, he was slowly making his way to the abandoned playground. Luke had many memories here, but only one made Luke freeze in place. All his thoughts about cleansing rains and loving the rain had drained from his mind. The only thought that seemed to scream at him was the odds of him getting struck by lightning....again.

He felt the urge to run, just to run all the way home and forget about any hopes of walking through the rain again. His thoughts were interrupted by a voice which was so beautiful that it could of been the voice of a siren. *Why do I keep referring to ancient mythology?* Luke thought, before the voice mesmerized him.

Luke could feel his feet drifting towards the source of the voice. When he found the source, he was not disappointed. Luke watched her spin on the merry-go-round, then gracefully jump off. She began to twirl her deep brown hair, which lead to the end of the song. It was accompanied by exaggerated arm movements and a bow.

Luke clapped once with the clap came a loud whistle and ended with a slight smile.

[INGRID LOS ROSAS]

Hearing him clap and whistle, Ingrid blushed, unsure of what to do or say. She had honestly not known he was there, and she couldn't help wondering how much he'd heard.. And seen. She sang for a living, yes, but not much dancing was involved. It wasn't that she was awful, but she was a little bit shy to let people see her dance, especially with such total abandon.

Forcing away her stunned nervousness, Ingrid smiled at him, white teeth flashing through the darkness and the rain. It was hard to see him, actually, but after a few minutes of curious, unabashed staring, she realized that she knew him. He was in her grade, and some of her classes, too. She'd never had a serious conversation with him, but he'd seemed nice enough.

"Luke?" She asked, still a tiny bit unsure about his identity. Taking long strides, she closed the distance between them a little, blushing even darker when she saw that it truly was him, and he seemed even handsomer than usual. Luke Rouzata went for walks in the rain, too? Maybe he just got caught outside by surprise, like she did. But then again, she really doubted that he lived at the abandoned playground.

"I.. Uh.." Ingrid clasped her hands in front of her, wondering awkwardly how she could try to explain to him what she was doing. So far as she knew, he wasn't even aware that she could sing, and she hadn't necessarily imagined having him catch her by surprise while she was dancing. "I was going for a run earlier, and then the storm started and.. The slide's really, really fun when it's wet."

[LUKE ROUZATA]

If you could pin words to a person, Tactful would be no where near Luke. It wasn't like he he couldn't filter what he said, just that his filter didn't stop the occasional hoot or...whistle. And he obviously did something inappropriate from the stance the girl had taken.

But you could always be wrong about what someone is thinking. Add darkness and a wall of rain you will find it impossible to tell how someone is reacting. Luke took a cautious step forward when he saw her...smile? The girl didn't move though, she just seemed to be standing there, smiling, and staring. Luke couldn't help but grin.

Luke hadn't noticed her begin her walk towards him. So he was taken back when he DID finally notice her approach to him. Luke squinted his eyes to get a clearer look. She looked familiar, but Luke's eyes couldn't focus completely with the rain attacking his eyes.

"Luke?"

That voice! It had to Ingrid."The one and only!"

He could see her cheeks acquire a shade of pink to them, when she finally stopped and got a good look at him. She obviously was skeptical of his identity, even though she had good instincts. Luke gave her one of his famous smiles which was accompanied by a wink. "Now tell me What the hell are you doing out here?"

"I.. Uh.." Luke raised an eyebrow, as Ingrid clapped her hands together. "I was going for a run earlier, and then the storm started and.. The slide's really, really fun when it's wet."

Luke burst with laughter at Ingrid's explanation, which was more reasonable than his. "Well, we wouldn't want you to get sick and ruin that voice of yours." Luke stated with a wink before adding, "The slide? Well, I've never thought to slide when it rains."

Luke stole a glance to the clouds, and felt a shiver run down his spine. It was as if he could feel something big about to happen, as if fate had lured Ingrid and Luke to this spot.

[INGRID LOS ROSAS]

When he laughed at her, Ingrid had to laugh, too. It probably seemed totally absurd, but what else could she say? She couldn't figure out a better way to explain why she'd stopped here, in stead of turning tail and running for home; because although the slide was fun, now that she was looking at it in retrospect, she began realizing that something about the park had sort of just.. Drawn her in.

"Well, we wouldn't want you to get sick and ruin that voice of yours. The slide? Well, I've never thought to slide when it rains."

Shaking off her semi-creepy notion about the park, Ingrid just grinned at him when he mentioned her getting sick and ruining her voice, shrugging a tiny bit to kind of hide the little tremor that went through her belly when he winked at her. He did it a lot, though, right? So it could just be a habit or something. Something less nerve-wracking than the idea that he found her attractive.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll be fine. It's warm enough that I shouldn't have to worry.. And you should try it sometime. Definitely." Ingrid grinned at him playfully, beginning to slowly relax. "What're you doing caught out in a storm like this?"

There wasn't anything that should be making her tense, right? Nothing at all should be bothering her. They were just two people caught out in the rain that happened to find each other. That didn't mean that anything bad would happen.

A peal of super-close thunder roared, startling her, but she tried to ignore the weird clash of logic and bad feelings. "So.. Do you come here often?" Ingrid asked him lightly, to try to ease the tension that she could kind of feel building around them. Maybe she was imagining it. At least, she hoped she was.

[LUKE ROUZATA]

With Ingrid joining in on the laughter, Luke felt at ease. The cold chill that rolled down his spine had faded to a slight uncomfortable pang of needless fear. But fear of what? What could Luke fear in an abandoned playground with a gorgeous girl? Well, a few things popped in head at the thought of him and Ingrid...

Ingrid kept a smile on Luke's face. She seemed so nervous around him, but she was on the same level of 'Hotness' as Carly. Ingrid, however, could sing which was a boost on the 'Hotness' scale.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll be fine. It's warm enough that I shouldn't have to worry.. And you should try it sometime. Definitely."

Was Ingrid flirting? Luke played into her grin by tilting his head towards the ground as if to stop her from seeing him blush.

"What're you doing caught out in a storm like this?"

Luke was stumped by her question because he had no real reason. "Well, you see, I love thunderstorms and rain. So I always find a way to be caught in one. Strange?" Luke laughed at his confession, but quickly added, "Oh don't tell anyone that I do that. I gotta Rep to uphold."

The roar of thunder sent a wave of new fear down his spine and it also startled Ingrid. Taking a big gulp of air, Luke smiled uneasily.

"So.. Do you come here often?"

Luke focused his attention back on Ingrid, "Yes. This playground has all my childhood memories. It is nostalgic. So how about we try out the slide?"

Before Ingrid could answer Luke ran over to the slide. The stairwell leading to the slope seemed to loom over Luke. He began the ascent taking each step with caution, but with every step came another wave of fear.

Luke fought his way to the top and when he reached the top thunder roared. The sudden roar of thunder forced Luke to hurry down the slope. Luke made it half way down the slide when two bolts of lightning struck both the ground at the end of the slide and Luke.

Luke could feel his eyes burning, his body felt like needles were stabbing his all over, and his voice muted. But Luke wouldn't lose consciousness, as if something was keeping him 'awake.' He felt his body falling?....soaring? He ended up in laying on marble flooring. He couldn't open his eyes, but he could feel the cool surface as if it was intensified ten-fold.

Luke slowly rose to his feet and stood there unsure what to do while in his blind-state.

*Just walk forward, Idiot!* The voice was booming and could of literally knocked Luke on his ass. *I said WALK!*

Luke's feet started to take steps towards the source of the voice.

*Hand.* Luke's hand lifted and touched something granite. It was a statue, but of who? *Me. Zeus, God of Gods!*

Luke gulped, but the voice continued. *I won't keep you long. Seeing as you friend is in a panic. I will be locked in your mind, but be warned, as I grew in strength. YOU shall be the one to be a faint whisper in the back of MY mind.*

Luke wanted to object, but he felt the intense feeling of falling again. He landed on sand, which had completely covered him. He opened his still burning eyes and found Ingrid.

[INGRID LOS ROSAS]

"Well, you see, I love thunderstorms and rain. So I always find a way to be caught in one. Strange? Oh don't tell anyone that I do that. I gotta Rep to uphold."

Ingrid smiled, shaking her head a little bit when he mentioned his rep. "I've never found someone who loves storms like I do before." Was all she said in a soft voice, with a small, warm smile that promised she wouldn't tell anyone about anything they spoke about. That was just the sort of person she was.. If it wasn't someone else's business, she didn't tell them about things that happened between herself and someone else. Gossip was tacky, and she wasn't concerned about her social status enough to stoop to that.

"Yes. This playground has all my childhood memories. It is nostalgic. So how about we try out the slide?"

"Uh, Luke?" Ingrid started to protest, but he was already scrambling up the slide, jumping on as thunder roared right over their heads. "LUKE!" She screamed, a millisecond before lighting struck him, blasting her with a wave of heat that knocked her onto her back. A rock or stick sliced a gash in her cheek and her left arm and leg were smeared with mud and playground sand, but she didn't feel it.

Stunned, Ingrid rolled to her feet and ran to Luke where he had fallen into the sand, only a few inches from where the second lightning bolt had melted some of the wet sand into glass. Kneeling next to him, she reached out to him without thinking, and was zapped by some leftover static electricity that numbed her whole arm. It was like the time she'd stuck her hand in the electric fence her grandfather had installed around his horse pens; she could move her fingers, but she didn't feel a thing.

The next time she touched him- only an instant later- nothing happened. Sliding one hand under his neck, she lifted his head into her lap, her other hand feeling along his chest for his heartbeat. For a second, she didn't feel anything, and it was like all the blood had just fallen out of her face and into the pit of her stomach, leaving her nose and cheeks cold in the ever-thickening rain. Then, against her cold palm, she felt his heart jump, and his eyes opened, and he looked right at her.

"Luke.." She whispered, her hands unconsciously grasping at his shirt, running through his soft, wet hair. "Sweet fuck, Luke, you scared me.." Ingrid could feel her own heartbeat in her fingertips, and accidental tears scalded her paled face, mixing with the cooler rain. She probably looked pathetic, leaning over him all shiny-eyed, and it was probably creepy that she was holding him, but she didn't care. All that mattered in that moment was that he was looking at her.

[LUKE ROUZATA]

Luke's eyes felt as if small sparks of electricity were pulsing in them. His body felt full of energy, as if rejuvenated by the near death?....rebirth? experience. His mind was focused on the new presence in his mind that was keeping eerily silent.

"Luke.." Hearing his name escape from Ingrid's mouth, Luke's eyes, which were now sky blue with small explosions of yellow-white, found Ingrid's deep brown eyes. His panic was washed away by the comfort of Ingrid's embrace, which was kind of rough yet calming. She was holding him like the people on tv hold someone they care deeply about. Strange?

Luke wasn't sure if he could talk so he just smiled. Ingrid spoke again, "Sweet Jesus, Luke, you scared me.."

Something Luke hadn't noticed was how shiny Ingrid's eyes looked, almost as if she had been crying. "Oh, you can get rid of me that easily." The voice that came from Luke's mouth was scratchy and unfamiliar. "Maybe, the slide wasn't such a good idea." Luke added with a weak smile.

Luke strained to lift himself, while doing so his hands found Ingrid's. "Look I am fine. The only thing that is still bothering me are my eyes." At the mention of that, the dormant force stirred.

[INGRID LOS ROSAS]

"Oh, you can get rid of me that easily. Maybe the slide wasn't such a good idea. "

"Good. And, no, it definitely wasn't a good idea." Ingrid sighed, relieved, although she was still worried about him, no matter what he said. His eyes were different, and his voice was rough and different, but she was just happy that he seemed to be his normal self. She wasn't entirely sure what these new changes meant, but she had more urgent things to worry about. Like the fact that he was trying to sit up.

"I think you should probably stay laying down.." She said softly, blushing unconsciously as his hands covered hers. The forgotten cut on her cheek ached, and her heart was thumping wildly in her chest, but Ingrid didn't take her eyes or hands from him. She hadn't ever even bothered to imagine being alone with Luke (she hadn't let herself hope that he'd ever be interested in her, because she probably wouldn't help his reputation any) let alone have him be so close to her. It would've been wonderful, if she wasn't so damn worried about him.

"Look I am fine. The only thing that is still bothering me are my eyes."

Ingrid nodded slowly, but she was still frowning a little, clearly not put at ease by his reassurances. She wasn't too sure, but it seemed logical that a person who just got struck by lightning would have worse pains than and eye ache. "Well, is there.. Anything I can do to help?" She asked softly, weaving her fingers through his, gentle as could be.

Just by the way she was looking at him, it was obvious that no matter what he said or did, she was going to worry about him for quite a while. Ingrid may have been soaked, muddy, bleeding, and completely confused, but she was still looking at him with the same intensity. It was probably the strangest situation she'd ever been in, but it didn't really matter. A part of her- no matter how small it was- was overjoyed just to be this close to him.