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Amara couldn’t quite pinpoint what had endeared her to Ripley at first, but whatever it had been, a bond had been formed. Perhaps it was because she spoke her mind, or perhaps the other girl reminded her of someone long ago she couldn’t quite recall. Her childhood memories weren’t quite the happiest or clearest of memories. Sure there had been moments, but it wasn’t like she had been the favorite. Sure she’d been the baby of the family, but Phoibe had always been the golden child of the family.

Still, whatever the reason, Amara had took a liking to Ripley and they quickly became best friends. She was helping her assimilate to everything, and slowly, how to have fun. This brought them to Lachlan’s room. Apparently she was supposed to dress up for Halloween. Amara could vaguely remember children doing so when she was younger, but it was never something her family had participated in. They were better than that. Or at least it was what her father had said on the matter one year.

So one could imagine Amara’s surprise upon learning that not only did full grown adults dress up on Halloween, but this party they were going to was a costume party and she was expected to dress up herself. She’d chosen the don her dampening bracers for the moment as they made their way to Lachlan’s room. Ripley knocked on the door and Amara raised an eyebrow has he didn’t answer immediately. “Maybe he’s busy.” She said with a meek little shrug.

Crossing her arms, Amara turned and leaned against the wall next to the door to observe those bustling about the halls while Ripley knocked again. Hearing the man’s voice on the other side, Amara turned to look as he answered the door. Looking at him, Amara noted that he appeared to have just woken up as he asked what was going on. “Apparently you wear a costume on Halloween, and she wanted a male opinion I guess.” With a shrug, Amara followed Ripley inside the room.

Hovering near the door, Amara watched as Lachlan went about making his bed. “I’ve seen worse.” She stated simply as the man apologized for the state of his room. The mess didn’t really bother her, so she didn’t see why it should bother him, but some people were different she supposed. As Lachlan gestured to the Keurig machine, Amara followed his gesture. “Sure”, the woman stated simply as she once again leaned against the wall. She recognized that it was apparently the social thing to do. Why she didn’t understand, but she didn’t want to be impolite.

(OOC: Let me know if something needs changed.)




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▓ At this Location: In the Amazon ▓ Thinking About: Cheese ▓ While on Team: Venture ▓


As Cam was picking up the peppers that had ripened and fallen, a familiar voice came from behind. A slight cheekiness in her voice, and a smile to match were present as he turned around. "What if it is, and I'm just trying to get into practice and character?" Cam said, standing up and taking off his gloves.

"Want one?" Cam asked sticking his tongue out slightly as he held a couple of tabasco peppers out to Farren. The tiny little peppers didn't pack much heat, maybe more than a jalapeno, but not too much spice otherwise.

The book folded back down revealing a slightly confused look. "No, he's not stuck on a stick." Katiria responded. This strange woman came up asking preposterous questions. Everyone knows that scare crows are mounted on sticks, and clearly her father wasn't.

Her head cocked slightly like a puppy's when interested in something. This woman knew about her? Who was she? Her thoughts quickly fizzled as her Halloween costume was brought up. "It's a secret.. but since you're my dad's friend, I'll tell you." She said, leaned in after looking over her shoulders as if someone were trying to sneak up and eavesdrop. "I'm gonna be a tiger ballerina." She said with a big toothy grin.

"They're yummy!" She exclaimed, her grin turning into a cheeky smile that spread from ear to ear. She reached for one, grabbing it by the green and held it out to Farren. "You can have one," the little one offered, "And it's 'I Spy,' Daddy says it helps build pifferal (peripheral) vision if you practice staring at one spot and trying to see them without looking at it. But it's just too hard! So I look at them like a normal person." The 6 year old answered, smacking her forehead dramatically as she expressed her troubles. She reached for another strawberry and looked back to the kinetic absorptionist. "What are you going to be? Are you going to be a scary monster or a something else?" Kat asked Farren.

Cam watched as Kat and Farren conversed about Halloween. "You know, this little garden is free grab for anyone to eat what's there as they leave some for me to pick for Kat." Cam explained.

Daylia couldn’t help but laugh slightly. Food was a very important thing, something they both craved and needed. She shook her head after a moment, Gracie proclaiming that she didn’t care if she pruned. "Yeah, well I do. It’s an odd feeling." Though as the hex witch went on, Daylia sighed. She felt for Gracie, she really did. The obsessed man she was told about was ever the thorn in her best friends side. "Yeah well, eventually you won't have to worry about him damn it." One way or another, and God willing Daylia would help Gracie see to that.

"I guess having someone bringing you food could work… But I don’t know if I would want to eat in here with the smell and stuff." The smell of chlorine was strong what with the large pool and jacuzzi in the same room. "Yeah no, that and I think I would miss my bed too much." Daylia said with a content sigh. "But hey, I’ll at least visit you every once in a while as you live the life of a relaxed fish."

As she sat there fidgeting with her top, Gracie spoke up again, claiming that she had tied it enough that even the worst trickster in the world wouldn’t even be able to undo it. "Uh huh, with our luck, you accidentally pointed at it and it’s going to start unraveling at any moment." She said with a laugh. It would just be their luck. She couldn’t help but imagine the scene in Aladdin where Jafar cursed the poor magic carpet. She looked up from her fidgeting as a brow rose in question of Gracie’s actions. "Good what?" She asked, not understanding quite what was going through her besties mind.

D shifted the conversation to the party that was going to be happening later that night, asking about the other woman’s costume and admitting she hadn’t really settled on one for herself. "Preach girl, preach!" Daylia said as she tilted her head back to shout the words. There were too many sexy versions of things, almost to the point that it was just out of hand. "And that is why I like to stick to the more scary s**t." Not that scary stuff was lacking in the aforementioned sexy versions.

The basket that went along with the red riding hood costume would be quite useful. "Hell yeah, booze and snacks." She said before a slight pause. She pushed out her bottom lip into a begging little pout "You-you are bringing enough to share with me, right?" She asked. Upon hearing the costume that Gracie was going to use, and idea stuck D, one that could build upon her besties. The hex witch seemed to agree that it was a good one.

However, even if she now had a costume idea, she still wasn’t sure if she was really all that into the party idea. She mentioned them going somewhere, but had forgotten about Bruce, and that deep-seated fear that he would pop up at any moment to make his move. "Psshh, nothing to be sorry about dude. s**t happens." She said shrugging it off. There was no way she would leave Gracie behind to go hang out by herself. There would just be no fun in that. "I vote dead." D interjected quickly. For everything that he had put the young woman though it was the least he deserved. "Ehh, without you there wouldn’t be any fun to be had. Plus we can just make our own fun here... Really? Like I’m really that fun on my own? Please, most of the time I just sleep and eat."

What would an academy party be without a fight or two? Especially between mutants? Gracie seemed to enjoy the idea of watching them go down. "Yeah, I guess they can be pretty entertaining. Not to mention we can give s**t to the loser for a while about it too." A small grin crossed her face. Not that the pair ever really needed a reason to give anyone s**t.

"Oh yeah, always sooo much fun." She said as Gracie mentioned people wanting to train. It was always some of the more boring s**t they did at the school. Not that there was really anything wrong with it, getting better at controlling their powers was why they were here, but some seemed to always want to take it too far.

Before they could continue with their sarcasm and musings about the party, the quiet whirl of the revolving door caught their attention. And for good reason. The hunk that entered was quite pleasing to the eye, something D made known with a simple comment, one that Gracie added to. "Do you even like sour cream?" She asked, a small smirk on her face.

Gracie threw in her own invitation as well towards the new guy, although being a little more direct than the molecular manipulator had been. D scooched around, trying to make a little more room so that no one would be too cramped. Leaning towards Gracie she lowered her voice so that the other woman would be the only one to hear her. "Easy girl. Don’t want to give it all up at once." She winked at her. Playing coy was sometimes helpful. Or so she had heard.

She laughed at the man's response, one that made him seem like an excited puppy. She looked to her bestie as the man got ready and entered the water. His outburst elicited another laugh as she shook her head. "Guess that means we’re not frigid then." At least not yet. She didn’t miss the fact that he had chosen to sit a little closer to her rather than Gracie. It was something she found a little odd, and probably something he would regret in the future.

Gracie was the first to ask if all the new kids were cut from the same cloth, and Daylia couldn’t help but study him, wondering the same thing. Maybe it was just a mutant thing, the mutant DNA just blessing them all with good looks. "Sounds like someone might just be a little full of himself." She said eyeing him yet again. "I’m Daylia." She said, half tempted to introduce Gracie as well, but figured she should have the honors.

With the addition of another new face alongside a completely ridiculous question, D couldn’t help but open her mouth and say something off-color to him. She didn’t miss her besties snicker, tossing the girl an amused smile. He shot back a quip, or what she thought was supposed to be a quip but it fell flat. If it was supposed to be funny, she found no amusement in it."Right." She said, her voice flat and empty. Whatever joke he was trying to make was just in poor taste.

Her attention returned to her other companions as he began to swim. She nodded stiffly. "Yeah, I think I have to agree on that one." She said to Gracie. She giggled again. Gracie was was always quite forward. "Maybe, but uh..." She began as she looked from Gracie to Darius then back again, shrugging in the process. "Ehh."

A brow rose in Darius’ direction. "There is certainly nothing wrong with shopping around, if you didn’t you’d end up stuck with s**t you don’t like." And hey, if men could do it, so could they. But as he went on, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes, a wide grin still on her face. "Alright, simmer down now, you’re going to waste all your good s**t in the first five minutes." She said playfully.

It wasn’t long before the other kid was finished with his swim and made his way over to their hot tub party. He introduced himself as Gabe. A brow rose on her face as she gave him another once over. "Daylia, Gracie, Darius." She said, pointing to each of them in turn. She couldn’t help but sigh as he went out. "Around campus, you just said it yourself." Man this kid wasn’t bright, but at least he was okay to look at?

But did that really make up for the lack of brains? Again her eyes looked him over, trying to decide the answer to that very question. This now mixed with the quip he made earlier, she was going to have to say no.



Location:❀Jacuzzi
With:❀Gracie, Darius, Gabriel
Thoughts:❀Party or nah?

""

Location: James’ Room
Company: James, Roland, Aurelie

Quintin got out of the uber after it pulled to a stop in front of the mansion. He was wearing thin grey long sleeve shirt and a pair of jeans and simple sneakers on his feet. “Thanks for the smooth and enjoyable ride.” He said as the car door was shut. Slinging his duffle bag on his shoulder made his way inside.

It had been a long couple of weeks on the road for him. As one of the recruiters for the school he often gets sent out to talk to perspective mutants found by cerebro. Sometimes the job was easy just stop by and hit them with the spiel and present the options from there. Other times the mutant in question could be more hostile at times or the Brotherhood could show up as well. Then who knows what would be the outcome of all that mess. But Quintin luckily was charming and tenacious so he tended to stick around and make sure people fully understood what was being offered. And as much as he hated it if they chose willingly to go with the Brotherhood then he had to back off.

But usually after a recruitment assignment he would look into potential leads of his family. This time like many others came up another dead end. Despite all that Quin won't ever give up hope on finding his answers.

Turns out he returned on a pretty busy time. Later that evening would be the Halloween party. It was up in the air on if he would attend. Part of him wants to just relax the other would like to go unwind and have a good time. Another thing about the party was Quintin hadn't gotten a costume while out. But there was a chance he would have an old one in his closet or maybe some clothes he could throw together to make some kind of look. Oh well those are thoughts for later. First he would need to go and turn his report into Blake, the head of the recruiters. Thankfully it was a simple one stating the perspective mutant would be contacting the school to see about enrolling.

And the first stop on his search for Blake would be the man in questions room. It didn't take long to get there. He could hear two voices beyond the large man occupying the door way to Blake and James' room. It wasn't hard to pick out James' voice coming from the inside along with a female voice beyond the door way. And given there weren't many people that large at the academy and despite said man only being there a couple months Quintin knew immediately who it was. There was also the fact that they were roommates that would help some as well.

“Pardon me Roland I need to get by.” Quintin said his Irish accent clear as day coming from his lips.

Once he could actually see into the room it was clear Blake wasn't there. “Sorry to intrude James and company.”

He didn't know the blonde in the room as she wasn't around long or often. It was hard to tell in many cases. “I am looking for your roommate to deliver my report.” Pulling a folder containing said documents from his bag.

Passing them to his other hand still holding the strap to his duffel he extended his hand to the unknown blonde woman in the room. “Sorry don't believe I have had the pleasure. I'm Quintin.” Said with a charming smile gracing his features.

((OOC: First post I have written in a long time. Hope you all enjoy it.))

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx█ █ █ - - - B l a k e - T a n n e r
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx[ A T L A S ] _______________ ;
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxwith Lucianna, just ending a training session, and then... with June, Kerri and Felix in the hallway in front of the guys' dorms.

Grinning cheekily, he couldn’t disagree with Luci’s assessment about the Kardashian family’s talent or, rather, the lack thereof. “You just have to be willing to do a sex tape.” He said in regards to what he believed had propelled them to fame. Right? Maybe. He hadn’t honestly paid attention to the tabloids to know the “real” story. Rather, he actively tried to avoid any of the trashy articles written about the rich and famous. And he certainly didn’t need to know if the rumor about the scandalous videos had even a fraction of truth to them.

She said the “p” word that many tended to steer clear of in his company, voicing her surprise that they were able to get involved with only half a brain cell between the lot of them. “It’s definitely not something I would think of when their names are brought up.” He remarked, completely dodging the chance to insert his own opinions into the conversation. Though he trusted Luci not to go blabbing his political philosophies to anyone else, it was his habit to stay tight-lipped any time someone said something of that nature, just in case ears might hear and report back.

Luci’s query about his costume for the night’s festivities elicited a bit of dark humor, and he found himself chuckling as he tried to imagine the reality tv stars preparing for space. “Probably not. They’d be looking to see how to take the suit out so they could fit their implants in more comfortably.” The Texan didn’t miss the tinge of pink swirling in Luci’s cheeks when they shared a laugh, but he barred himself from making anything of it and simply continued the conversation as though he hadn’t noticed.

On the subject of sexy costumes, she countered his statement about showing a little leg with the suggestion that he shave his. “I don’t think the shaving of legs is a requirement for firefighters.” He said with a laugh, his smile growing even wider as Luci’s cheeks deepened in color. With her flustered state, the hallways started to smell of flowers - a tell of one of her poisons gearing up, but he continued walking, believing that the best way to slow the poison was to keep her from getting more worked up.

Rather than focus on it, he inquired about Luci’s dress plans for the evening and then offered up some props to go with the magician’s suit she bought. “Oh he definitely was….” Blake reminisced about his former roommate. “But he eventually figured it out and found a gal to settle down with.” As the words left his lips, he couldn’t help but think how bizarre that must be, to be so young and expect a partner for life. “I think she’s got a little one on the way.”

They reached the locker rooms and Blake gave her a small nudge of encouragement, hoping that she wouldn’t get disheartened over the slow trek ahead of her. “Training is a marathon… not a sprint. Just remember that and we will get you there.” He said before disappearing to shower.

**

Making his way back toward his room, an icy sensation overtook his stomach when he spied a very pissed off Kerri. At least it’s not me she’s set that glower onto. He thought, tempted to turn into a molecular cloud and ghost them. Coward. He hadn’t been back on campus long, and since their incident last year, he’d done a great job of avoiding the woman altogether. He still might have done it despite his inward chiding, but the conversation he heard caused him to chuckle, completely blowing his ability to sneak around them undetected.

Of course Felix had messed with the women’s showers.

Lifting his chin to signal a silent hello, he kept his features void of any emotion beyond his initial amusement. Whatever he and Kerri might have been, the ship had long since sailed. They couldn’t be awkward about it forever, hopefully. “Afternoon.” His voice drawled slowly, taking in Kerri’s stained visage. “You outdid yourself this time, Felix. I think it’s better than the bloodied heads in the staff fridge last year.” And while he might have been able to guess how the speedster had rigged the showers… he wasn’t about to deny his friend his fun.

“It’s a nice look for you Ker. At least it won’t stain your hair the way it would June’s here.”




xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx[ Amarillo ]

Location: Spa Day, Basement Jacuzzi with Daylia, Darius and Gabe


At the thought of pruning, Gracie hardly seemed phased, stating loftily that she would rather have wrinkles than impress certain people in her life. She heaved a long sigh at Daylia’s optimism that eventually she’d be free of her past, but the way her frown mottled her features said she didn’t have the same outlook. So long as Bruce continued to be able to control everyone around him, she would remain in hiding.

Daylia cited the smell as a deterrent to eat in the hot tub, and she begrudgingly agreed. “Perhaps I can point at myself and make it so that I no longer have to eat.” She suggested, a wry smirk touching her lips. “Turn myself into a mermaid. But not a fish. I need to be majestic as hell.” Holding up a pair of fingers toward the ceiling, she paused. “A very relaxed, majestic mermaid.”

Her roomie fidgeted with her top as though she were paranoid that it was going to fall off at any given moment. Despite her own assurances that she’d tied that sucker good, Daylia remained unconvinced. “Oh if I had pointed at it, you’d know.” She said with a suggestive dance of her eyebrows. She cited that not even Felix Anderson would be fast enough to get it off, but as soon as she said his name out loud, she glanced around, afraid that speaking it would call him, much akin to Beetlejuice. Only… he’d likely take it as a mating call. “Just checking to make sure he didn’t hear his name and come running.” Gracie muttered, suddenly on edge. If he only knew how he got under her skin for all the wrong reasons.

She’d better not tell him, lest he think it encouragement.

Shifting the conversation to the party, Gracie dished pretty easily on her costume, perking up rather quickly from her last bout of speedster paranoia. “See, and I’d go with something terrifying… but I think my day to day self scares the hell out of a lot of our school anyway..” She said, her words completely contradictory to the dulcet southern belle accent that she had never quite shaken. The corners of her lips pulled toward the skies in a devious sort of way when she mentioned having the picnic basket already packed. “Well who else would I share all the goodies with?” She asked, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Though Daylia still seemed shaky on the whole party idea, the hex witch lamented that perhaps next year’s plans could be a little more extravagant. So long as she couldn’t fully protect herself from her would-be ex husband, she hesitated to leave the mansion’s perimeter. “I vote dead too.” She said, pausing only long enough to apologize to her grand-mammy in heaven for wishing such awful things about someone. “He deserves it though, grams.” She whispered.

A cocked eyebrow spelled out the brunette’s own disbelief when her best friend voiced doubt that she was fun at all. “Uh, as the person who considers you her main source of entertainment… I’d say you’re plenty of fun.”

After some speculation of what all might take place at the X-men’s gathering, they both seemed satisfied with the idea that they could tease the loser of any brawl for a long time to come. “If we’ve stopped by Christmas, I’ll say we’re losing our touch.” If she had to guess, the Georgia native would have placed money that one of the new kids would be the one to pick a fight, and there were plenty to choose from. Apparently, recruiting had been hard at work, amassing Professor X’s army.

She might have said more, but just as she opened her mouth to, one of the newer recruits asked to join them. Daylia named a food, and Gracie responded in kind. “Do you even like sour cream?” She asked, and her features settled into something deliciously wicked.

“Nope. But I might today.”

Moving over so that he could have a spot in the hot tub, the words came out before she could stop it - something that her best friend didn’t miss. While reminding herself that impulsive decisions regarding men had landed her as Gray Malkin’s prisoner, D teased her for it. “Oh, my daddy would kill me.’ She whispered back, though her grin hadn’t yet disappeared. “So dead.” Still, it certainly didn’t hurt to look at him. Straightening her back to appear prim and proper, she lifted her chin just a hair in defiance. “Besides, you know my vow.” Both of them; the marriage ones that she had stupidly made while being puppeteered, and the one to swear off men completely because of the prior.. She wasn’t about to make it easy for this… man sculpted by the gods on a really, really inspiring day… tempting as it might have been.

But, before she could let the teasing go, she had to poke fun at herself as well. “Though being coy doesn’t always work, you know. Last guy I gave it up to ended up marrying me.” She said in a matter-of-fact tone, doing her best to look away as Darius took off his shirt. As if she needed to add that to the list of reasons why she should stare…

Darius sucked in a breath when he stepped into the jacuzzi, and D’s reaction was priceless. Elbowing her inn the side, she couldn’t stop herself from correcting that. “Well you know what they say… frigid in the streets… freak in the…” Pointing at her best friend with four fingers, she seemed to suggest that Darius should focus his attention on her. Her hazel eyes flashed with a message to her roomie, as if to say, “treat yo self.” Because dear gods.. One of them definitely should.

Musing aloud, she couldn’t help but wonder if all of the new students were as cut as him. If so, she might rethink that whole training remark from earlier. “Maybe.” She murmured in response to both Darius saying he was top shelf quality, and D’s guess that he might be a bit full of himself. “Guess we’d have to have him prove it to us, then.”

He asked what to call them, and a few fun ideas immediately came to mind, but Daylia’s straightforward answer bade that she do the same. For once, she’d behave. “Call me Gracie.” She said, preferring her middle name these days.

“All I can do is window shop.” Gracie pouted, but her dainty features once again curved into something more coquettish and playful when Darius said something about them looking like a pair of snacks. “I hope you’re hungry then.” Wow, forward much? I have got to stop this.

Thankfully, D knew exactly what to say to ground her, insisting that he simmer down before he used up every line he had too early in the game.

Gabe came back and asked if he knew them, and Daylia didn’t give him much indication, but Gracie tilted her head and thought about it. “I think you were in the kitchen the day the uh… the cake exploded.” Yeah… that had to have been it. “Or was it the wall of lime green jell-O…” He wasn’t the guy she’d accidentally stuck in the gigantic blob, was he?

Shrugging as Aurie mentioned he didn’t have to hang up, it was no big really. He would talk to Gabby again. “It’s alright, what did you want?” Of course he had expected it had something to do with the party, but it was best to hear it from the source first. “I suppose, I don’t usually go to the school halloween party. Still, might as well.” As she brought up the primary reason for her coming, James nodded in agreement.

It wasn’t a big deal to help his friend pick out a costume given everything she was going through.

Assuring the blonde that she would make friends in no time, she seemed to believe that to be not true apparently. She cited how long it’d taken them to do anything outside of sessions and James smiled. “That wasn’t because I didn’t like you. You were a pretty girl and if you remember, I was pretty shy those days. I liked you immediately, you were nice.” With what he hoped was a reassuring smile, James made to reach for the first costume.

They were Halloween costumes, and James was mostly accustomed to seeing little kids on Halloween, so he had no reason to suspect they would be slutty versions of the pics on the front. Aurie remarked that they looked fine, and a passing Roland made a remark just as James dumped the bag out. The costume inside was not what he’d expected and therefore missed Aurie even asking who had spoken.

Aurie seemed just as dumbfounded as she snatched the bra up and looked it over. Picking up the panties, James tried to imagine exactly why anyone would be caught in such an outfit outside of a bedroom, James wasn’t sure. Hearing Aurie sputtering about something, it took his mind a minute to register she’d said it was fitted for her. So he was holding a pair of what were essentially… Dropping the underwear immediately, James cleared his throat and instantly reached for the next one.

Mentioning the next one being better, as he dumped it’s contents out, he found that he couldn’t be more wrong. “Huh…” Trying not to think about it too much, James commented on the shorts. Aurie gave her opinion, and James wasn’t sure how she was supposed to do any of these costumes if they looked like these two. Remembering his sister’s costume, he asked if she’d considered a fairy. Listening to his friend, she mentioned reminding her next year not to ask her sister for help. “Uh… Yeah, will do.”

The thought of her hanging onto him while wearing something like this was enough for James to rethink going. She mentioned not embarrassing him, and James was entirely sure that wasn’t the issue as he felt a light push on his shoulder. “I wasn’t worried about you embarrassing me…” James mumbled out as she mentioned going as Marilyn Monroe. Well he definitely couldn’t go as a certain president now. Not that he had been planning on it, but still.

“Right…” She scooted the gift bags away and James looked towards the doorway in time to see a shirtless Roland stuck in the doorway. Or at least a partially shirtless Roland. Aurie asked what he was going as, then asked about Roland. “Uh, I hadn’t decided and well…” Gesturing to Roland as he started to speak, James was glad for the distraction.

“Apparently.” James replied to the first bit of what Roland had to say. The telekinetic shrugged at the mention of eavesdropping. It didn’t bother James, it was really Aurelie that probably cared if any. “Eh, the door was at least cracked, you can’t be completely at fault for overhearing.” James knew the big guy’s name, but he couldn’t say he was too familiar with him beyond that.

Roland mentioned a costume contest and James raised an eyebrow. “Is that a usual thing for a Halloween party?” James wasn’t looking forward to a costume contest, but he imagined Aurie was even less so. “You don’t have to participate.” Hearing a familiar voice asking to get around Roland, James greeted Quintin with a wave. “I see the prodigal son has returned.” Waving off his apology, at the mention of Blake, James was entirely uncertain.

“You know… I think he might have been in the danger room maybe? Or… Well, you know I’m not entirely sure.” As Quintin addressed Aurie, James stepped to the side so they could introduce themselves. Once that was out of the way, he figured he might as well ask the question. “You two going to the party? And if so, what are you going as? Wouldn’t want to go as the same thing or anything.”