[Homeplot 2009] Decompression

[forhawkeye]

See, what it all boils down to is simple: it’s been a very long twenty-four hours. Between the invasion and my own personal drama, it’s something of a relief to just relax, even if it’s only for a little while. There are still too many unanswered questions -- Why am I back? Why did they come with me? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? -- but there’ll be time to answer them later.

There are about twenty different kinds of pizza lying around -- ranging from pepperoni and cheese to some ridiculously organic vegan thing -- and the amount of junk food piled on the kitchen counters could feed an entire college dorm for at least a semester. Despite all that, Felix insisted on making enough of his 'famous chicken cardarelli' for everyone. Admittedly, it’s sort of nice having some real food to balance out everything else.

And as for Alice, well, I sent Tommy to go get her some bunnies.

It’s not a party by any means, but that’s just about the last thing we need right now, anyway, especially for the people who got a crash course in war yesterday. Copious amounts of alcohol, maybe, but a party? Yeah, not so much.

"I'm federal agent Jack Bauer, and today is the longest day of my life," voice overs Kiefer Sutherland from the episode of 24 playing in the background.

"Yours and mine both, Kief," I mutter under my breath. "Yours and mine both."

Comments

[forhawkeye]

I'm sprawled on the couch, one leg draped over the armrest, and I'm holding a piece of pizza -- my fourth -- in a napkin. I'm exhausted enough not to care about what I look right now, in an oversized Dazzler sweatshirt left behind by one of the old Avengers, and with my hair tied back into a messy bun. At this point, though, I don't think anyone's going to begrudge me my happiness, even if said happiness includes looking like the personification of Sloth.

And if they do, I'll reintroduce them to my sword.

[halfscarlet]

Billy sits down next to Kate uninvited. She's had a lot to explain amongst all the craziness and while Billy still thinks her story's a little crazy, the tagalongs Kate's brought with her are sort of proof.

But Billy's only interested in one of them.

"Talk to me," is all he really needs to say, and he takes a large bite of his own pizza.

[forhawkeye]

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say you don't mean you want a recap of the last episode." Tilting my head back and to the side so I can see Billy out of the corner of my eye, I ask, "What do you want to know?"

[halfscarlet]

"Everything," Billy replied, but that was probably stretching things a bit. She'd already told them everything, but it wasn't what Billy really wanted to know.

And if he knew Kate, she probably needed to talk about it without realizing she did. That's what Billy was around for, honestly.

"This Nate guy, tell me about him."

[mutant-gi-jesus.livejournal.com]

Given that Cable had yet to have any kind of long term relationship, either social or professional, that didn't include either physical violence or screaming matches, you would think that he'd be very good at apologies and reconciliations.

He wasn't. Normally when he upset someone, the next time he would see them they'd be trying to kill him.

Cable didn't really want that to happen this time. It got old fast.

So he sat down in the couch next to Kate's and held out a can of beer for her to take.

"According to their customer services," he told her, "Walmart don't actually sell Time Machines."

"So you needn't worry about suddenly fading out of existence."

[forhawkeye]

I snort, and wave off the beer -- not because I don't appreciate the gesture, but because I'm really more of a Red Bull girl. Setting down my slice of pizza for a sec, I turn to face him, drawing my legs to my chest, and resting my chin on my knees.

"Is that what you were on the phone about?" I ask, arching an eyebrow. With a weary sort of smile I add, "I'm pretty sure I had enough of the whole fading in and out of existence thing when we took down Kang the Conqueror, anyway."

[mutant-gi-jesus.livejournal.com]

When she turned down the beer he shrugged and cracked it open so he could drink it himself.

"I imagine the novelty wears off very quickly."

[oscaroscaroscar.livejournal.com]

"Kate, you look terrible!" Felix exclaimed, making a beeline for her as he entered, fresh from a stint spent busying himself in the kitchen. Aside from a few bruises and a general battered air about his person, he himself looked meticulous, of course, having taken full advantage of every amenity that ultra-modern life had to offer as soon he'd had the opportunity. "I mean, I understand it's been a strenuous day, but honestly! You have company over!"

[forhawkeye]

I slowly look up at him, and blink once. I believe the term for my current expression is colloquially known as bitchface. Otherwise, I don't move.

"Felix," I say, my voice deceptively calm. "Do you really want to nag me right now?"

[oscaroscaroscar.livejournal.com]

As epic as her bitchface most certainly was, Felix barreled right on, seemingly unperturbed. "I never want to nag anybody, but these things need to be said!" he said firmly, pausing to clean up some garbage from the other end of the couch. He'd never understand why some people (all right, most people) seemed so averse to simple helpful courtesies.

"I was just trying to be helpful," he added, trying not to pout.

[like-arrows.livejournal.com]

As weird as it is to be in what was once the home of the Avengers, it's been a while since I've been so relaxed. We're all safe, at least for now, if a little the worse for wear, and it's been way too long since I had actual honest to goodness pizza, the greasy delivery stuff they can't make in some weird little jungle pub.

Curling up on the couch in front of the TV, I settle in with a plate on my lap and a soda in my hand. It might be the little things in life, but indoor plumbing and a hike to the shower that's under five miles aren't little by a long shot.

[forhawkeye]

"So, our HQ is totally more awesome, right?" I ask with a grin, settling down beside her with a bag of chips. At the rate I'm scarfing down junk food, I really hope there isn't another emergency -- I'm not sure I'll be able to fit in my uniform.

[like-arrows.livejournal.com]

"Well, it's not underground," I observe, looking around as I consider the pros and cons. "So you've got that in your favor. Plus you can still stay in yours." Last I knew of California, Iron Douche was kicking us out. Just because we had a contingency plan doesn't mean I liked picking up and leaving all the time.

[mutant-gi-jesus.livejournal.com]

While Kate and the others were relaxing, Cable still had things he wanted to do.

He had managed to get hold of a mobile phone, which was admittedly something of a downgrade for him, and so spent the best part of four hours deep in conversation in one language or another.

If anyone was trying to listen in, and was well versed in multiple languages, they would hear detailed discussions of contingency plans, politics, money, technology, weapons and information to be leaked to the press, a few death threats, a rather awkward apology and one conversation about the merits of facial hair in porn.

He felt that had been a decent enough start and so had put his phone down for a little while while he started on a pizza and some beer.

He had missed this.

[asinglechange.livejournal.com]

The bunnies are kind of cute. Then again so are calves and lamb and that doesn't stop them from being delicious.

Holding one of the bury (http://mfrost.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2009/02/08/leap_bunnies_rer.jpg) in her hands, she wiggles her nose at it. "Are you just the cutest, most delicious things I've ever seen?" she murmurs to it.

It isn't exactly cougar, but finding one of those that isn't working her way through her fourth husband would be kind of a stretch.

[sink-nor-swim.livejournal.com]

"I can't believe you're actually eating those," Mikal says, wrinkling her nose a little as she takes a seat beside Alice, though there's a wide smile on her face. She'd known already about her, of course, and she can hardly have a problem with what Alice can't help. "Good?"

[asinglechange.livejournal.com]

Sniffing the bunny in hand, Alice makes a quiet shushing noise before taking a bite out of the tiny thing. The simple act causes her to feel filled with a delightful sort of warmth and she feels the best she's felt all day.

Pulling the now-deceased rabbit from her mouth, she nods. "It is. I kind of missed this," she admits guiltily, wiping the sides of her mouth.

[forhawkeye]

"So, did Tommy have good taste?" I ask, settling down beside her. My own food is distinctly of the not rabbit variety, but if they started making bunny flavored chips, I'd probably be more grossed out than Alice eating them live. "Because if he didn't, I can send him back out for something else."

[asinglechange.livejournal.com]

"Delicious. I love them nice and fast on their feet," Alice giggles, nuzzling the rabbit against her cheek before taking a nice hearty bite out of it. Wiping her mouth when she finishes, taking care to lick her teeth.

"It's not cougar, but it'll do."

[oscaroscaroscar.livejournal.com]

It was none of his business, Felix knew that. He'd had the situation explained to him quite thoroughly, that it was just her nature, that she couldn't really help what she was, and that the alternatives were far more unpleasant. But now, sitting in a sofa across from Alice and openly staring at the gruesome spectacle before him, he knew he had to take action. She was eating bunnies. Not commercially slaughtered and processed rabbit meat (an ingredient he was something of a master with, if he did say so himself), but tiny, adorable, floppy-eared, hoppy-legged, twitchy-nosed little bunnies!

He wouldn't be able to save them all, but he had to make the effort. Just look at them, so sweet and innocent and unsuspecting before they were savaged. Rising quickly to his feet, Felix took a few unsteady steps over to her before opening his mouth to speak. However, when he attempted to make some sort of protest, all that seemed to come out was an incredulous, horrified, high-pitched "How?"

[asinglechange.livejournal.com]

Alice stares at him for a moment. Just for a small moment and then she out and out laughs. It's his twitchiness and the fact that all of the thoughts running through his head making and unmaking half a dozen futures is positively hysterical.

Perhaps she should offer him an apron or something.

"Easy. I just hold them and bite. How else do you eat something? A straw is impratical."

[throw-it-off.livejournal.com]

Okay, so it wasn't a trendy bar on the Upper East Side, but that was really the last thing Nate wanted just then. A shower, some borrowed clothes, some aspirin for his arm and two fingers of Jack for his head. That was all he needed. And some pizza.

Except he couldn't get his stomach settled enough to eat more than a few bites. Nate was not made for this kind of stuff. Maybe he could be, if he had to deal with it all the time, but he didn't and he didn't want to. So he collapsed on a couch, working his way through his drink and thinking. It wasn't a party and he didn't have to be in the middle of things.

[forhawkeye]

Resting my hands on Nate's shoulders, I lean over to press a kiss to the top of his head before I hop over the back of the couch and settle down next to him, ignoring the twinge of pain that accompanies the sudden movement. I'm also ignoring the glare Eli's giving me from across the room. I've kept them away from each other for this long, but I only have so many evasive tactics left up my sleeve. But I'll take care of that that when I have to. Right now I have one boyfriend who's seen better days to deal with.

"You look awful."

[throw-it-off.livejournal.com]

He gave her a half smile, a little wry but true, and slipped his arm around her shoulders. "Gee, thanks, babe. Love you too," Nate replied dryly. Shaking his head slightly, he just said, "I'm tired. That's all. How are you feeling?"

[oscaroscaroscar.livejournal.com]

Balancing several discarded pizza boxes in one hand and clutching an armful of empty pop and beer cans in the other, Felix was running himself positively ragged trying to keep up with the godawful mess that was threatening to completely engulf the house. He was sore in places he hadn't even known existed, but the action of cleaning up after a group of slovenly teenagers (and their menagerie) gave him something simple to focus on beyond the pain.

"My good God, people! You're superheroes, not barbarians!" he cried out, attempting to scoop up a discarded napkin with one foot and raise it high enough to grab without bending over and dropping everything he was already carrying.

He'd never admit it, but he'd actually sort of missed this type of thing.