riverviewlogs | It's a party, ya'll

Entry tags:

It's a party, ya'll

who: Everyone's invited!
what: That potluck he mentioned
when: Saturday afternoon
where: The park
warnings: None so far!

[True to form, Remy pulled out all the stops for this particular potluck. He has it on good authority that Rogue's bringing cornbread, but he's got what seems to be a wireless two-burner setup that he's brought along to the park, one of which is dominated by a very large pot of fragrant and spicy gumbo, and the other by a very large pot of cooked white rice, on warm. There's a small table with plastic-seeming (but totally biodegradable) bowls and utensils, two large coolers (because people might be bringing drinks), two big folding tables (for all the things that might be brought) and a big expanse of the park to cop a squat in and have some good grub, place some outdoors-y things, and have some fun! The park as a grill too, if someone wants to fire it up!]

(OOC: Feel free to post your own starters and have a ball! This is meant to be fun, after all. If you want Remy specifically, let me know! He'll be wandering around.)

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My parents allowed the demon to be created then didn't know what to do with her afterwards.

[She's honestly not sure what's worse. She doesn't remember much of the time before the experiments and the time after she definitely does not care to remember too closely.

She nods at the rest, stretching out a little.]

Yep. All that good stuff that comes with a solid dose of feline DNA.

[And plenty of the bad stuff but she won't admit that.]

[He's right. Being a grown ass woman gave her the right to make all sorts of terrible decisions. Staying to enjoy the weather, his company, and the delicious food despite what felt like a cold sneaking up on her isn't the worst decision she's made.]

You tryin' would end up one hell of a spectacle. [ Dinner and a show would be served. She grins at his question, placing her free hand dramatically on her stomach. ] Oh ah came prepared. It's been quite sometime since ah've had some of your gumbo.

[His cooking was always a slice of home, even more so here and now.]

[Rogue couldn't help but chuckle at that comment, nodding her head in agreement.] Ain't that the truth.

[If she notices the forced nature of the smile, the other mutant doesn't say anything by it. There could be several reasons why mentioning her friend causes a reaction Shalimar doesn't want to show her, a relative stranger. Regardless, her eyebrow raises slightly at the next comment.]

Depends on if they're friend or foe. [She'd rather the Red Skull not show up there.] But you're right, it's good to meet new people most of the time.

[She smiles at Shalimar so that she knows she's part of that most category.

The mention of someone disappearing jolts a strong dose of reality into the situation and her attention shifts to Remy again from across the potluck. It's evident that Rogue doesn't want to lose the man again. She returns her gaze with genuine sympathy joining her own personal worry.]

That a choice he made or one someone else made for him?

[Steve treats the technical ownership of the event like he treats a mission. Remy is the man in charge because he was the one that sent out the invitation, and to Steve that is enough to give him the role of command. Even if there isn't really anything to command, the blond always wants to know who to turn to. Identifying the lead is old habit to him.

He catches the ball with his fingertips and dribbles it, testing it out. He hasn't held a basketball in over a year and the feeling is good. Being able to break away from his routine gives Steve a better sense of being at home in the Quarantine.]

You know, I'm reasonably confident that I can figure things out. At least enough to get the job done. You just put this into that, right?

[It's a joke that will never die. Steve finds that he doesn't really need it to, either. He nods toward the hoop, putting on his innocent face for show.]

Freya thought about that for a moment. "How about this. I'll let you use my oven, if you teach me how to cook." It was the communal buildings oven and she's already started like five fires in it. It wouldn't really be a chance if Freya was cooking with a blind girl.

"What do you say? I think I get more out of it because I really suck at cooking but it might be fun." Her grin widened. "If we catch something on fire, well that's fun too."

She's a fan of interesting situations and activities.

[For a minute, Alex just laughs, and her cheeks color a little bit of pink. It's funny, the question about hers and Strand's relationship is one that she fields fairly often, and she normally just brushes it off as being friends and that was easy. 'We're just good friends' and let fans do what they want with it. But now there's an entirely different barrier than the one that they should simply have a professional relationship.

So, she leans in and confides softly:]

He hates the term boyfriend, but that's what he is. We're in a relationship.

[That glance to Remy as they discuss the chance of someone disappearing doesn't go unnoticed. Doesn't take much to join the dots there, and Shalimar's not sure her answer's really going to help.]

Hard to know, considering I didn't really get to talk to him before he vanished. But that's enough to make me think he wasn't really given much of a choice either way.

[Brennan's not someone who would have taken an out without letting her know about it, which guides her theories somewhat.

But she doesn't want to dwell on that, nor does she want Rogue to dwell on the possibilities. So she'll focus on a positive, if one she's partly joking about.]

His loss, though, if it means he's not here for this. Means I don't have to worry about the lectures if I don't behave myself.

You don' look too demonic ta me, cher. [And he smiles. He's known his fair share of mutants who felt that way.]

Feline, eh? [He smiles.] I worth with a man who's got heightened senses, reflexes, rapid regeneration. Nasty temper, but dat probably comes from bein' short...an' a sourpuss. Name's Logan, but professionally, everybody calls him Wolverine. Yo' much more personable, for de record.

Dat right? [He chuckles, crossing his arms in mock defense.] I got my ways, Rogue, and you know it.

[At least ways to throw her off, but this was neither the time, nor the place.]

Tres bien. If de lady would follow me, lunch is served.

[One day, Remy is going to have Steve trained to understand not everything is like a mission, and not everything needs to be compartmentalized as such. That sometimes, a man had to let himself unwind. Maybe, you know, if he continues to care enough to try.

Grinning, Remy chuckles and nods once.]

Dat's de general idea, Cap. I'll even let ya slide on traveling.

[He chuckles, as much at the conspiratorial nature of her admission as to the situation. He knew the feeling and he sympathized with the girl.]

Thought that's what that smile was all about. [He grins.] Well, glad you got him around. Maybe I should introduce myself.

I don't discriminate.

[He felt that doing so would be shortchanging anyone's education and knowledge of the subject. There was no way that you could fully understand something without having a full understanding of it.

Remy's response was more interesting than his question. On and off would imply that other things needed addressing at that time, or maybe he just chose to take time off. Either way, it wasn't much of something that Richard was worried about. After all, he didn't know this man and didn't plan to. Or at least not on a deeper level than having to see him now and again from being dragged out of the apartment.]

Haven't you thought of looking for something you like more?

[That makes Alex laugh again, and she just shrugs for a moment. She's amused that someone she doesn't know called her diplomatic honestly. She takes a sip of her drink again, but a smaller one than she had prior. After all, she doesn't want to get wasted, she just wants to be a little lighter than normal. Social things like this aren't normally a problem, but it's a little different when you've dragged someone along.

Her eyes sparkle a bit and she raises her cup.]

So you're suggesting that I find more of this excellent whiskey and see if that works, then?

[He knew that she could, and would question him. It was Alex's nature to do so. Keeping them there was only a minor reprieve, and only because she didn't want to get into it here. He was well aware of how much she dictated how much she pushed, but she wasn't in control of how much he gave, and he'd already given up enough. She didn't need to worry about what was going on back in reality. Just here for now; he'd keep the rest as guarded as he could, to protect her. Not that he didn't think she could handle herself, he simply didn't think she should have to.

Thomas Warren had already toyed with her enough here.

In response to her grudging agreement, he leaned in, letting a light kiss fall over her ear, and quietly spoke.]

This, it doesn't change, I promise.

Honestly? Me too! [Alex just sounds happy and relieved. She looks around for a minute before she adds softly:]

I honestly just thought that it was all unrequited, but... [But they were here together and Alex felt the happiest that she'd felt in a long time. After a second she laughs and warns him:]

He can be kind of an ass sometimes, but I love him anyway.

[His promise definitely settled down more than a little bit of the worry that she had about the unknown and what it could mean. Honestly, the worst part about the unknown for Alex was the way that her very creative imagination could fill it in with the worst possible scenarios, telling her all of the wrong conclusions about what could happen that lead them to Geneva, and what she'd found in those missing weeks of searching.

Alex may have been reckless, but she was never stupid and she knew that things were building up to something. The story had more forward momentum than it ever had had before, even than before they had ended the season last time. More than that, Alex and Richard were more on the same page than they had been before, even if he still thought that she was jumping to all sorts of conclusions. But her gut had been telling her that Oneda was important, that the kids looking like Sebastian were important, and that they were all from the East Coast was important as well. She was onto something, even if she didn't know exactly what it was yet.

But she trusted him, and that what was between them wouldn't be screwed up by this, so when he kissed her ear, Alex just wrapped her arms around his neck and burrowed her face in his chest for a moment, holding onto him before she murmured:]

Okay.

[When she wrapped her arms around him, it wasn't hard to do the same to her in return. To pull her close and bury his face in her shoulder. There had been too many times in the course of the last few months when he'd resisted doing just that. Knowing that she wouldn't want it, that it would cross a line that they could never uncross. Knowing the act would have irrevocable repercussion on her professional career.

That night she'd been the one to cross it first, to offer her hand to help him over that line, and here, that line felt as if it were a million miles away.

Kissing her shoulder lightly, he murmured into her shoulder.]

You should enjoy the twenty minutes left of your picnic.

[The muffled tone held slight amusement. Richard hadn't forgotten the deal he and Alex had made, and he was counting this as part of it.]

[When he crosses his arms, she takes the liberty of pinching his side several times before loosening her grip and slipping her hand from his waist, dragging her fingertips along the low of his back.] You know better than to start a war like that in a place like this Cajun.

[Not in public when both parties are competitive as all get up.

She motions for him to lead the way, the knowing smirk still solidly curling on her lips. It's clear that despite her tiredness, Rogue's damn excited about eating his cooking again.]

[When he buried his face in her shoulder, Alex just closed her eyes, entirely contented. Well, as contented as Alex Reagan got with a secret in the back of her brain, but contented enough for her. She let out a soft sigh, because just doing this wasn't something that she'd ever really allowed herself to consider. Yes, Alex hugged everyone she worked with to an extent: Nic most of all because he was her oldest friend. You could always tell how tense things were between them as reporter and producer when there wasn't any hugging going on.

But Richard Strand wasn't something that would be considered huggable in most universes by most people. If anything, most people considered him anti-huggable. When Alex had been interviewing people about him, he'd been described as everything from an asshole to a bastard to heartless. It was part of who he'd needed to be to protect himself, and well, hugging didn't make good armor unless you were one Alex Reagan. So, the closest that she'd come to hugging him before he arrived here was simply to place her hand on his arm for comfort before he'd come back for Italy, and then on his hand after.

Now, however, she was enjoying it before she just laughed against his tie.]

Are you seriously holding me to that, love?

[Drawing back from his chest just enough to look at his face, Alex's eyes sparkled with amusement.]

She frowned. Using the oven wasn't the issue, it was that she was unable to tell the temperature except through holding a hand out, and that was just as dangerous; to say nothing of using the timer or even being able to see if a recipe was done.

On the other hand, perhaps if she had supervision.

Then she caught what she said afterwards and frowned. "Fire in the kitchen is nothing to laugh at. If you were to get scared and panic, both of us could trip and fall and the fire would get even worse."

Her brother was already sulking from the attack and her father would never not worry about her; neither would feel any better if a fire started in the homestead.

[Turning his head in toward her neck, he lightly brushed his lips against it before pulling his head up to look at her, smirk mirroring her own. His brows, however, were raised.

If for one moment she thought she was going to get away with staying for the whole picnic, then she was delusional inside her delusion. There was no way he was staying any longer than he had to at this place. Even if he'd just spent a significant amount of time with her, he could do that much more comfortablely at home then here. At home where they were alone and could have a nice cup of tea and coffee; where he could read, and she could rest. It was a far better plan than staying out here where she couldn't. Especially when people like her friend Elizabeth were worried about her lack of sleep.]

I'll accept less time, if that's what you're implying.

[Strand was Strand was Strand, so of course he wasn't going to let her get away with staying for the whole picnic. Of course that didn't mean that Alex wasn't considering doing a little bit of renegotiating for more time. Or at least she might have if he hadn't kissed her neck. It was a little odd as to what counted for things and what didn't, but she still wasn't going to push him on it. After all, it was enough that she'd told someone that they were together, even if she had needed to use the dreaded 'boyfriend' title to do it.

In the end, Alex just rolled her eyes and made the patented Richard Strand sigh that belonged to him and him alone. No one else ever really deserved it as much as he did, especially like right now.]

You are incorrigible, you know that? Yes, yes, twenty minutes. Grab food while I make rounds?

That's cause you've caught me on a good day.

[There's a hint of a tease to her voice because it's not as though she tends to be bad tempered too often - but that's not to say she can't have a temper on her at times.]

The rest's mostly the same, though. Not sure I'd go as far as regeneration but I shake most things off pretty quickly. Doesn't come without its quirks, of course, but that's true of most things.

I'm saying it wouldn't hurt to try. At least if they turn it down, you've got something to console yourself with.

[She's joking. She thinks. She's not really sure how any of this works but anything that sees quality product not going to waste can only be a good thing, right?]

Maybe not right now, though. No sense dragging work into what's supposed to be a relaxing time if it can be avoided, right?

[Which she isn't always successful at, given her job both here and back home. But that isn't to say she isn't planning to give it a damn good try.]

Tres bien. Always thought it was interesting myself, non? Lots of different cultures, all of 'em with similar beliefs, even before they ever met. [He looks thoughtful.] Maybe ya wonder about human nature. [And then he cracks a smile.] Though I reckon dat's de point of yo' class, eh?

[He laughs at Richard's question, because the answer was yes, and recently more often than not, though there was something keeping him around, and it was more than just obligation. If he could put his finger on exactly what it was he'd probably have a lot fewer restless nights.]

Oui, I have, but I do like it, even if I got saddled with it 'cause nobody wants ta teach mutant kids except other mutants.

[And that word was spoken like any other minority may refer to their race, not as though it were a slur or a fiction.]

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It's a party, ya'll

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