[hr][hr][center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/SR52k84p/54b4e63d635603b22d80f72a4ba2be54.png[/img][hr][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019b10d8-f60a-7779-a640-2ab9620bf297.webp[/img][hr][@Achronum][@Blizz][@Forsythe][@Kirah][@PatientBean][@Trainerblue192][hr][h3][color=AC3EFF][b]Evening - Thr. December 16th, 2038 - New Orleans, Louisiana[/b][/color][/h3][/center][hr]

Over at the adult’s area at the bar, Casper was watching the events the kids had going on with some interest. Everything was messy and dramatic - and he couldn’t help but smile fondly, remembering the shenanigans he and his own friends had gotten up to as kids, and even later in the Underground. He didn’t know who the new kid was who seemed to have upset Percy - and Dorian too, given the Polter-bomb - but James and Max had it handled. Casper’s responsibility was to sit and look pretty - a responsibility he took incredibly seriously! He hadn’t wanted to upstage Danni though, so he toned things down a bit, wearing a Morticia Addams-esque gown that concealed the shibari his husband had so lovingly tied him in. 

He watched as the baby trans kid, though, went up to approach one of the other newcomers, a kid Casper was mostly certain they weren't responsible for taking care of - but he couldn’t be sure. Ben sometimes took kids home with him who hadn’t been placed anywhere for foster care yet, she could have been one of his. And then, as the kid delivered an incredibly bold yet terrible pickup line, Casper scream-gasped… 

… Only to immediately find James’ hand covering his mouth. 

[color=DBA1DE]“AwwwJamesyyouknowbetterthantocovermymouth!” [/color]

Casper licked his husband’s hand, and held his tongue there against it. 

Ben rolled his eyes a bit at Casper’s antics, as he headed over to the bar area. He’d been in the restroom as everything had happened, and he noted the chaos he had left behind. Silverware and dishes were all over the ground near Andy - and a slumped over, unconscious Percy. He did a quick headcount and noticed that his son, Dorian, was nowhere to be seen. 

[color=gray]“Where’s Dorian? Everything okay?”[/color] He then turned back to look at Andy, his tentacles shooting out of the pit in his stomach as they quickly set to work picking up the debris, stacking them nearly onto an unused table. 

Sunshine was present, but was currently in the restroom with her wife, Marrow. Dominika was also going to be present, but was running late - a call with her (soon to be ex) wife had turned explosive in the hotel room. She-Hulk had trapped Magneto in a lengthy conversation about the precedent established that age regression caused a person to no longer be guilty of crimes they’d committed in a UN trial a few decades back - a conversation Magneto desperately wanted to exit. He’d brought a gift for Andy - a set of custom metallic knuckles, constructed from scrap metal he had found at the arena. 

As for the newly arrived adults, David was currently flickering between personas to have fronting - he tended to let one of his other personalities out when he was around the Kingston-Grays, and he knew their discomfort with telepaths. Eventually, his others decided on who to have front, as Legion suddenly became super strong and super durable, as Brunhilda took control. “Ah! Arm wrestling! Shall we have a bout?” Brunhilda smirked, eyeing Harry. “Or are you too weak to face me?” she taunted. 

Val was quiet for a moment, visibly tensed as she took in their surroundings. Things were simultaneously chaotic and calm. She didn’t like that things had gone flying, that there was clear tension between some of the kids here. She’d grown up at Xavier’s, and she’d managed a cell of the Underground. She knew how quickly things could go wrong when emotions went high and powers were added to the mix. She kept her shields at the ready, prepared to throw them around her friends and loved ones at the slightest provocation. There was a bit of a haunted look in her eye. 

At Millie’s question for introductions, it seemed Danni had that handled better than she would - so instead Val preferred to observe and brace. 

As for the kids, Gideon went over and lounged next to Andy. She glanced at Percy’s suspended body with some curiosity. “Think Ghostie would kill me if I drew a mustache on him?” She had absolutely no idea who Millie was, but she noticed Eva immediately. What were the odds?

Tommy was huffing and pouting at the lack of interest in his food eating completion. “What’s the point in stealing my food then man, if you’re worried you’re gonna get puffy?” he sulked. He was too focused on his food to notice the pop stars.  

Teddy and Billy had gone off to the open area, where the music had started to play and the two of them danced. They were joined a moment later by Cassie and Kate, the two pairs swaying to the beat. 

“Don’t look now… but Harry Simmons, Eva Moore, and Millie Broadway just entered!” Billy whisper shouted to Teddy.

As for Eli and America, they were thrilled to be in the company of their new best friend, Danni. Eli didn’t mind the way Danni crawled into his lap, or the way he felt up his biceps. Billy used to do that all the time. He put his arms securely around Danni to keep him from falling, and as he inhaled, he tilted his head slightly. “What scent is that? It’s nice. I like it.” He listened as Danni rambled, and he wasn’t going to be able to respond to everything as it was a veritable verbal onslaught, but at the question about workouts, his eyes lit up. “You wanna hit the gym with me, bro? I’d love that. I’m in a cross fit era right now - lot of lifting, too, America and I have some friendly bets going on. You’ll have to keep up, though, we go fucking [i]hard[/i].”

“Oo, that sounds like so much fun!!! Idk when we are going to go deal with the Mother, we gotta put the calendars together ‘cause a bunch of us have some vacays we wanna take - and I know Tommy wants to drop out of school like a looooser so we gotta see when works for everyone. But we should def do that!! Also, if you hit the gym with us, I’ll send you a link that helps you figure out when and where you’re supposed to do stuff - the school will even pay for personal trainers, you just don’t ask for permission first and they’ll do it, since it would look bad on them if they don’t. That’s how we do most stuff tbh - just don’t ask.”
	
[hr][hr][center][h3][b][color=ed1c24]Percy[/color][/b][/h3][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019b29ec-87e6-745e-afed-c64ed081c458.webp[/img]
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Percy didn’t fight it as his soul was ejected from his body, and his boyfriend took them both into the astral plane. He had been incredibly thankful for Andy’s intervention, and if he hadn’t been reduced to such a mess he would have told her. She hadn’t known his history with Chase - no one did. The only person who knew was his mothers, and even they didn’t know the full story - even they didn’t know how the bullying and the violence had begun. If Andy hadn’t stepped between them, if Dorian hadn’t pulled him to the astral, Percy didn’t know what he would have done besides [i]run[/i] - run as fast and as far as he could, teleport without aim or destination, any careless action he could take to increase the distance between him and his shade. 

At Dorian’s question, Percy shook his head helplessly. He wasn’t okay at all. And the frustrating thing was, he’d been doing better. He’d spent a few hours in quiet darkness in the Kingston-Gray house, sleeping on and off, and the feelings that had threatened to overwhelm him had begun to dissipate and fade. He’d felt up to going with everyone to dinner - felt up to being around people, even if he hadn’t been keen on being particularly social. He’d felt a little bit like a person again. And one touch from Chase had been all it took. One touch, one reminder of the first boy he’d ever liked, and the first person to ever raise a hand to him, that had been enough to break him - to shatter him along the mended fault lines he called scars. 

He buried himself in Dorian’s chest, as loud, agonizing wails ripped out his throat. Even if his eyes had been open, he wouldn’t have been able to see through the thick, heavy stream of tears. He could scarcely breathe through his pain. He curled up as much as he could, trying to be as small as he felt. 

[color=ed1c24]“C’est lui, c’est lui, c’est lui,”[/color] Percy sobbed. He hadn’t had a meltdown like this in a year. [color=ed1c24]“Ma brute, mon premier béguin.”[/color]

[hider=Translations]French - 

C’est lui, c’est lui, c’est lui = That’s him, that’s him, that’s him 
Ma brute, mon premier béguin = my bully, my first crush[/hider]