Color me interested!
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Dragonbunny
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- Kirah 12 yrs ago
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Trainerblue192
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11 yrs ago
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Bio
I am bad about keeping this updated
RP's (Updated 2/13/25)
Upcoming:
Northwood - A slice-of-life horror rp
Currently Running:
Château de La Lune
Camp Lava Lake
Currently in:
Avengers Academy
Strange Academy
An incomplete and in no particular order dead or ended RPs I have participated in:
Most Recent Posts
BLISS!! I've missed you <3
Andy didn’t spend a lot of time alone, but Zari was working on her tech. Andy didn’t really understand it and there wasn’t much she could do to help. As such, she had decided to go for a walk. Genosha felt huge. There were always people milling around in one place or another. So many mutants in one place. Andy expected something to go awry. Something always did. But so far nothing had. It was late July, maybe July 22nd. Well past her birthday but not yet August. Andy had had tea with Magneto and he had adopted her. That was something so bizarre Andy wasn’t sure how to handle it. She went to the apartments that the Mutant Underground lived in and went looking for her stuff. There wasn’t much. Andy hadn’t had much on her when she had been turned into a popsicle. But the few things that had been on her were things she cared about. Now that she had a new place to lay her head, a place to call home (she honestly wasn’t ready for that word, it was much too big), she wanted to gather her scant few things and take them to that house.
Max had been making his way through the building. Checking the wards he'd placed up against its walls to ensure they were still intact and operational. While Genosha as a whole felt safer the more the days went by, he still had a lingering sense of dread and anxiety about it all. As if the other shoe would drop at any moment. Selene may have been mentoring him and the other mages amongst the Mutant population of Genosha, but something still didn't sit right with him. That in combination with Sinister, Frost, and the Cuckoos, Max felt it important to protect those he'd grown to love and care for. He waved his hand as magic flew off it and towards a marking placed on the wall, fixing a rather sloppy symbol from his first casting. Andy had stepped into view, drawing Max's attention away from his work, allowing the wards to fade from vision slowly. "Hey, wasn't expecting anyone to be back so soon.”
Andy flinched a little startled by Max. "Oh, sorry. I wanted to get a couple of things I left here.” She admitted. "Sorry,” she said again. Andy had the air of someone who had been kicked while down too many times. She was confident in her abilities as a fighter, but she seemed ready for something terrible to happen at a moment's notice.
"Sorry? For what? This place is as much a home to you as it is to me or anyone else here. So there's no need to apologize.” Max said as he crossed his arms and looked at the young girl before him. He realized it'd felt odd to him to call it home, with how many times the Underground has displaced him, it felt like everytime a place was about to allow him to settle, some new big threat would occur. His eyes darted to Andy's side, unsure of how to proceed with her. He could only imagine how she was feeling.
"I sort of moved out. Without much fanfare or telling anyone.” She shrugged. She didn’t dare mention she didn’t even know what home meant. Not really. How could you when everything you had considered home had been taken or destroyed over and over. "I don’t know if...you were...mad.” Countless times Andy had run away and whenever she had been picked up again she got in trouble, and often the ‘parents’ thought she wasn’t worth it and had sent her packing to a different home.
Max quirked an eyebrow at her. "Mad? I'm happy for you Andy. I mean, it would've been nice to know so we could've thrown you a little going away party. Maybe had some cake and balloons or something but…I wouldn't say I'm mad.” He spoke as he moved across the room slowly, pulling a chair to the side and sitting halfway on it. "You found somewhere you belong, someone who you can call family…if you want. Eriks not too bad either, I've lived under the same roof before. He's a bit intense but his hearts in the right place always.”
"Intense is one way to put it.” she says mostly under her breath. ”He is nice. He, uh, you weren’t there, but he went to great lengths to get his daughter back. I had never seen someone do that before.” She told Max. He hadn’t been there when Magneto had come for Polaris. Tearing down the MU headquarters to get her free of Havok. She had fought because that was what she did, but she didn’t blame him. Even if he had temporarily stolen her jacket.
Max wondered if she'd been talking about Wanda. He still had her spellbook and journal from when he was away. They felt close, even when they fought it had a sense of just a larger scale family argument to him at times. Why else would she build a whole world just for her father to rule? For her brother to be reunited with? ”I'm sure he'd do the same for you now. It…must be nice. I'm still looking for that, for a family of my own.”
Andy shrugged. It was small. "Maybe you’ll find one here.” She was surprised. He was part of the MU right? He had them. She frowned, and bit her lip. "I thought...you were close with them.” She gestured around the empty room as if there were people gathered there.
"Close, yeah. I just…maybe it's me getting into my own head honestly. After what my family- my…parents, did. It feels like a cursed word. I'm afraid if I get too close, too attached to them, they'll disappear somehow.” Max didn't make eye contact with Andy as he spoke. Deciding instead to conjure a drink between his hands and focus on that.
Andy snorted a little. "Sorry. That’s, just, exactly how I feel.” She admitted. "I...I grew up without any parents at all. Totally alone. And everytime I thought I had something I could call a family it didn’t work out.” A massive understatement.
"Well as someone who had them…you didn't miss much.” Max said half heartedly trying to make a joke. He instantly regretted his choice. "Sorry, I guess I'm still a little sore about them. Not every parent would sell you out to Purifiers. I know no one here would its just…having that happen, then seeing how quickly Sunshine got attached to Erg only for the Morlocks to be obliterated…it's hard. But we aren't alone, we have each other and I'm always a portal away.”
"I can’t do magic.” As fantastic as superpowers were, magic was something else. She had flinched at the mention of Purifiers. Once the first bit of fear passed anger flared. She hated Purifiers. They had cost her the one thing she had thought would be there forever. The one family who hadn’t been paid to keep her. ”I don’t know who Erg or the Morlocks are.” She admitted though she frowned a bit. ”Wait, weren’t we in a Morlock tunnel or something when you rescued us?” She had remembered thinking about The Time Machine when Veil had said where they were going.
"I think so yeah, they were a group of mutants, ones with visible mutations that made it hard for them to blend amongst the people. So they hid in their tunnels, the sewers. Using their powers to stay off the radar and away from Purifiers. Those without visible mutations could take a mark, an M branded onto them. They helped a few of us out while we were on the run, but trouble came and…” Max had a bit of a far off look as he stared down his drink. "The way Selene makes it seem, I think anyone can do magic if they've the mind for it. Though I suppose there's a difference between what I do and what Strange does. James always makes it seem so much more fantastical than it is. To me it feels…chaotic, half the time it doesn't work, and for all it does I can't bring people I've lost back…but if you wanted to I'm sure you could learn.”
The idea of learning how to do magic is intriguing. If anyone can really learn how...
"That would be neat to learn. I only have lightning in me. We'll, that and I've got good reflexes. I'm not a true speedster. But hitting me is hard.” She smiles a little.
"Lightnings not a bad start.” Max said with a chuckle. "If this was D&D that would be considered a form of evocation magic. After all it has to come from somewhere I assume. If you want, I could work on a bit of a how to for magic? Based on the teachings I'm learning here as well as my own experiences. See if maybe you can do more than lightning.”
"You’d do that?” Andy is surprised by the offer. She’s been burned by people so much in the past it is weird when someone is kind to you. Even after her time with the Drummonds and learning that altruism did exist, she didn’t expect it.
"Yeah. Why not? If you want to learn magic you'll need to start somehow and from somewhere. I'm not sure Selene would be a good mentor if you're looking to get your footing, but maybe after you have she'd let you in too. But before all that you need a how to, I've got Wanda’s spellbook around here somewhere, I'm sure I can use it to see if she had any instructions as well, after all the more sources I can pull from the easier it'll be to help you out.”
”Thank you, Max,” Andy said. ”I am interested. I don’t know anything about magic at all. But anything you can teach me I’d appreciate.” She didn’t know who Selene was, but maybe if Max got her to show some potential Selene would let her learn at the magic area. That’d be neat.
”No problem.” Max said. He didn't want to have Andy leave empty handed however, especially since she was making her way towards a new home, new family. She'd need a housewarming gift. He tried to think about what Andy might like. She tended to stay on the road, never had too much on her and everything she did have was in her bag from what he could tell. Whether that was a necessity of how life had treated her, or just the way she liked to live he didn't fully know. So, he made her something simple. Max crafted a book out of his magic, something that would match her aesthetic. Inside was a single photo, a group picture of the Underground as she knew one. The rest of the pages were blank, spots for her to fill with more photos of her future adventures. ”Here, a housewarming gift.”
Andy opened the book and smiled. She appreciated the gift. "Thank you.” She knew the people in the group seemed to care about her. They had been kind, mostly. She didn’t care for Havok. They also had treated her like an interloper. They all had so much history together. She had only known them for a day when they fought Stabberson. "I look forward to adding pictures to it.”
"I look forward to seeing them in the future. See what adventures you get up to.” Max said with a smile. "Now go gather your things before I start to cry” He said with a bit of a laugh.
Andy smiled and gave a small wave to Max. She carried the photo album with her to the room she had spent only a couple of nights in before Magneto had adopted her. There wasn't much there. But what was hers, she gathered. It took only a few moments. She didn't look back at the room. It had no nostalgia for her.
7:00 PM - Thursday, July 17th, 2025 - Château de La Lune, France
@PatientBean@TheMaster99@KazAlkemi@Morose@Trainerblue192@kittyluna45@KTostada
"Seems fantastical." Renee shrugged. "If they exist, they can’t do much; otherwise, we would have noticed them in a more real way. If they don’t exist, it doesn’t hurt anyone to look. At least I don’t think it does.” She was thankful that the conversation had moved away from Lawrence. She didn’t want to talk about him. She relaxed into her chair and looked at Lena. Lena didn’t seem to notice, or maybe she didn’t care. She was typing again.
Time passed. Chatting continued. Elenore watched those in the room. Saw the cracks in the groups, saw the cliques that had started to form. She sipped her drink. She listened. Slowly, the La Lunes start leaving. First, it was George. Then it was Richard. Leaving Elenore as the oldest and only member of the oldest generation of La Lunes in the room. Then it was Elizabeth who left, the only one of the middle generation. This left Elenore and the three young members of the newest generation of La Lunes. Lena was being non-social in the corner, even surrounded as she was. Gabrielle and Jeanne were avoiding each other. And when the clock on the mantel chimed the hour, Jeanne was the first of them to flee even before Elenore stood.
“Alright, everyone, it has been an interesting evening. I feel I shall retire now, too. Feel free to stay here, or gather in the guest lounge, or even head to bed yourselves. My understanding is that it is starting to storm, so I don’t recommend any excursions outside. Goodnight.” Elenore said and exited through the door that led into the library that all the other La Lunes had left through. Gabrielle followed. Now the nominees were basically alone—just them, Leon, and Lena.
“If anyone wants a drink, feel free to ask. I’ll be here for a while yet,” Leon said. He had a shift. He would be there if anyone wanted a drink. Lena didn’t say anything, didn’t look up from her computer, and didn’t seem to care that the rest of her family had already left.
Ralph
Location: Château de La Lune: Rec Room
Skills: N/A
Ralph sighed. It was a strange feeling having most of the La Lunes out of the room. It made it feel less like he was being watched. Like he was being judged. They had learned a lot in the last thirty minutes, and he decided he didn’t want to care. He just wanted to enjoy himself. Have another drink and spend time with Sam. Maybe he will do something interesting tomorrow during their free day. He didn’t care about winning suddenly. Sure, the money would be nice. Everything would be so much easier with it. However, this weird game wasn’t worth it. So be it, he would have fun. That’d be enough. A nice weekend somewhere different. It had been paid. More money than he would have made in the days he was missing.
Ralph leaned against Sam. "Yeah, another drink sounds nice. Then we can go somewhere else, somewhere private." He smiled. "Leon, can you make me something fun? Don’t care what."
Leon nods and starts mixing a drink. A lot of fruit juices go into it. If it had more alcohol, it’d probably be a tiki classic drink, but there is just enough alcohol to make it something ‘fun’. Leon tops it off with an umbrella. “Enjoy, monsieur.”
6:30 PM - Thursday, July 17th, 2025 - Château de La Lune, France
@PatientBean@TheMaster99@KazAlkemi@Morose@Trainerblue192@kittyluna45@KTostada
There had been three of the La Lunes in the Bar: Elenore, Lawrence, and Lena. Lena had taken her seat back in the corner, her laptop already open, and she was typing. Lawrence had taken his seat at the bar, a drink in hand. He was scowling. Obviously irritated from the scene at dinner. Also, just as drunk as he had been when he had left the dining room. Elenore was sitting on a comfy-looking armchair at a low table. The other La Lunes filtered in. Richard and George arrive together, speaking French. George looked resigned to the conversation. Richard seemed to be trying to pressure George. The pair get drinks and stand near the billiards table.
Gabrielle is not far behind them, her head held high. She gets a glass of wine and sits in a different grouping of chairs than either Elenore or Lena. Neither Agatha, who has yet to show her face, nor Nathan appears. Beatrice and Elizabeth are sisters with a wide age gap of almost ten years, but they share a look of unspoken conversation. They go their separate ways. Beatrice to Lawrence, where she says something in French, hushed and rushed. Lawrence rolls his eyes. Elizabeth goes to George and Richard. “Enough politics,” she tells them in English. “We aren’t here to talk about that. Mingle with the visitors.” She waves a hand at Leon, who, even though he is mixing a drink for Beatrice, nods acknowledging her order. Despite her not saying anything, Leon pours her a glass of red wine; he knows her order.
Jeanne is the last of the La Lunes to make an appearance. She glances around the room, looking a mix of irritated and disappointed. She flops into a chair in the same small grouping as Elenore. Elenore raises her eyebrow at her. Jeanne shrugs.
Richard has switched to English. “If we don’t take the offer, we are doomed.” He has shifted his attention from George to Elizabeth. George takes advantage of it and joins Elenore and Jeanne.
“Did Nathan find her?” Elenore asks. George nods. “Usual spot?” He nods again. Elenore sighs. “Why today? Why this weekend?” George can tell the questions are rhetorical and doesn’t respond.
“Nathan said the weather has turned bad. It started to rain while he was out there. The wind really kicked up during dinner.” George said instead.
Renee enters the room, taking in the gathering groups. Measuring the cliques of the family. She had missed some things, but from the isolation of Lena and the way Gabrielle and Jeanne kept an eye on each other, but also stayed as far apart as the room would allow, she could tell that the current youngest generation of La Lunes did not like each other.
Ralph
Location: Château de La Lune: Rec Room
Skills: N/A
The room had become full. He was surprised by how big the room was and how much it filled up with all of the La Lunes and all of the nominees in there. He scanned the room, his fingers still intertwined with Sam’s. His heart started racing a bit. He was suddenly very nervous. There were groups of chairs, much like the upstairs lounge.
Even more surprising was Lawrence sitting at the bar. He had assumed that Lawrence would have gone to bed rather than stick around. Ralph started toward the bar, but decided better of it. It has gotten a bit crowded. There are only four seats at the bar, but the others around the room are around tables.
”Where do you want to sit,” he asks Sam? As he does, Renee has reached the bar and leans over to ask Leon for a drink. Leon, even though he is busy, nods. Ralph watches as Lawrence leans over into Renee’s personal space. His body trapping her against the bar. Lawrence says something to her that Ralph can’t hear from across the room, but those near the bar hear him tell her.
“You know, everyone just votes for who they nominated. If you make it worth my while, I’ll vote for you.” She had tensed when he had trapped her, but now she moved. Her head went back, slamming into his face. His nose, freshly set by Doctor Stonzetto, made a sickening crunchy sound. Renee slid out from under Lawrence and took several steps away. The La Lune’s standing nearby had shocked looks on their faces. Lawrence started yelling; at first, it was in French, a string of curses, his voice once again sounding stuffy. He pointed at Renee. “Fuck you.” Then he looked over at Lena, who had lifted her head and was watching the exchange, her face contorted into a look of disgust. “And fuck you for inviting her. She’s dead. I’ll never vote for her now.”
“Better someone who is doing some damn good in the world than whatever casting call bullshit you thought was a good idea,” Lena yelled, closing her laptop. He stormed out of the room, leaving through the door by the bar and into the Library beyond.
Elenore sighed heavily, a look of profound disappointment on her face. She glanced over her shoulder. “B, go keep an eye on him.” Beatrice nodded and left the room, leaving her drink. “Miss Tanner,” Elenore said, standing and going to Renee. “Are you alright? I apologize for my son’s behavior. I assure you that he will not bother you the rest of your time in our house.”
"Is this his normal behavior?” Renee asked after nodding that she was alright.
“I will not make excuses for him, but this last year has had some major changes that I do not think he was ready to handle.” Renee sighed, took her drink, and went to sit near Lena. She didn’t say anything, and neither did Lena. Renee’s leg shook up and down, but her hands were perfectly still holding the mixed drink in her hand.
Ralph watched the whole exchange, his hand trembling slightly in Sam’s. What was wrong with these people?
5:50 PM - Thursday, July 17th, 2025 - Château de La Lune, France
@PatientBean@TheMaster99@KazAlkemi@Morose@Trainerblue192@kittyluna45@KTostada
Dinner concluded. Elenore stood, “Thank you all for that, interesting dinner.” The slight pauses before and after interesting added stress to the word. She didn’t seem upset by it, a small amused smile rather than anything resembling the anger she had been showing during the early part of dinner. Maybe the wine she had been drinking had cooled her mood.
“We shall reconvene in the bar across the foyer at 6:30.” Elenore then swept out of the room. As soon as she was out, George leaned over to Nathan and whispered to him in French. Nathan frowned and asked a question. After George’s response, Nathan stood and nodded. He patted George on the shoulder and left the room.
Renee leaned over to Richard, ”Thank you for sharing the sauce with me.” She winked and stood. ”Oh, and Sam, if you’d like to talk more about allowing children to have knives, let me know.” She grinned as she left the room wondering what she would do while waiting for the next event.
The other La Lunes stood and dispersed, either heading straight to the bar, or upstairs to their room. Beatrice was an outlier by entering the kitchen, and Jeanne entered the solarium carrying her last glass of wine.
Ralph
Location: Château de La Lune: Dining Room
Skills: N/A
Ralph felt stuffed with food and like he had drunk too much wine. He hadn’t even finished all the glasses, but that last one hit harder than the others. He stood a little wobbly-legged. ”Meet me where we met.” He whispered to Sam. First, he needed to swing by his room. He wanted to tell Sam what he had learned from Miguel during dinner, but he also really needed to pee.
As Ralph left the dining room, he saw Nathan grabbing a jacket from the hall closet and heading outside. From the brief flash of outside that he saw, it looked dark and windy. Ralph hoped that it wouldn’t get any worse than that. He hurried up the stairs to his room.
5:40 PM - Thursday, July 17th, 2025 - Château de La Lune, France
@PatientBean@TheMaster99@KazAlkemi@Morose@Trainerblue192@kittyluna45@KTostada
The group only had a few minutes with the cheese plate. Then came the desserts: individual servings of Tiramisu, perfectly layered in glass cups. It was beautiful.
A new wine glass was placed in front of each diner. This one was filled with a dark port. The port was called Lune Royale. The aroma was of dark fruits—blackberries, black cherries, and plum—intertwined with spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, and a delicate trace of chocolate, creating a decadent nose that promises indulgence. Upon tasting, the palate is full-bodied with a smooth, velvety texture. This wine envelops the senses with flavors of dried fruits—fig and raisin—and a slight nutty undertone of almond and hazelnut. The richness is perfectly balanced by a touch of vanilla, making the mouthfeel satisfyingly round and luxurious. The finish is long and warming, with a gentle sweetness that lingers, followed by a subtle note of oak. This wine’s complexity is enduring, making it the perfect companion to the indulgent finish of a meal.
@PatientBean Millicent will notice that Nathan seems a little sad that he couldn’t continue the conversation about sailing, which had started.
@TheMaster99 Tony and Constance will be caught between Beatrice and Elizabeth discussing different cheese pairings and other items on the plate. If he copies any ideas, he will find them quite delectable.
@KazAlkemi Lena looks slightly horrified. “You do that?” Nathan looks over at Lena, surprised to see her participating in a conversation beyond answering questions.
@Trainerblue192 ”Well I don’t know how it is in American schools, not really. But my program is fully government-funded. I did have to fight a bit to get my little project off the ground. But it has made a few families comment about how much more confident their kiddos are now. One parent told me they got a whole kid-sized setup following my model, which was very sweet. She told me that when the kid outgrows it, she plans to donate the set to another school.” Renee seemed excited to talk about her school and the program she had started.
@kittyluna45 Elenore did not seem upset about the refusal to eat the cheese plate. It was quickly whisked away by Felix, who handed it to one of the maids. She asked him something in French, and he nodded assent. The maid disappeared with the plate and went into the kitchen.
When Felix brought the dessert to Constance, he offered it; if she rejected it, he would immediately take it away.
Ralph
Location: Château de La Lune: Dining Room
Skills: N/A
Some of the tension had lifted as more people talked about stuff. He lifted his head slightly at the mention of fish in the lake. ”Is it good for fishing?” He asked generally in Lena’s direction since she was the one who mentioned that the lake had fish.
However, it was George who answered. “Ah, yes. I spend a fair amount of time there. If you find yourself wanting to fill your time with some fishing, come on over, and I’ve got a rod you can borrow.” The older man said. “It is usually just Nathan and me; we’d love to have someone join us.”
“If the weather doesn’t turn as nasty as it looks like it might,” Nathan says. “I was out there for a bit just before dinner. The lake is dark, and so is the sky. It looks like it might be a nasty summer storm.”
”You don’t get, like hurricanes or anything like that here, do you?”
The older man laughs, “Oh, nothing as dramatic as that. We’ll keep an eye on it, though. I hope it doesn’t get too bad.” The man frowns, looking concerned. “Hopefully, it just passes over through the night and doesn’t hang around. It would be awful to be stuck inside the whole day tomorrow.”
Andy Lee Phillips
When: October, 2018
Where: Rochester, New York
The days had started to get shorter and colder. To Andy’s memory, she had never seen snow. The closest she had ever been to snow had been at the school in Colorado. But she had run away, had made it onto a city bus, and from there to a Greyhound. She had stolen, but she didn’t care. Getting as far away from that hated school as fast as possible was all she had cared about.
After the Greyhound...Well, she didn’t want to think about that either. Now she is in New York. Not New York City. Something inside her was afraid of that city. Instead, she had followed a pull to this town. The shelter that she stayed at required her to be eighteen. She’d be put back into the system if she were under that. Andy couldn’t stand the idea of that. The system had let her down. Every home had let her down.
She was bundled up in an alley. Tonight, she didn’t plan to go back to the shelter. One of the people was starting to ask too many questions. Andy didn’t look eighteen. She was undersized for her age already, and at only fourteen, there was no way she could keep up the lie.
A door slammed, and she startled, looking up. A man was throwing a bag into a dumpster. Their eyes met.
“Oh, sorry for scaring you.” He had a soft Scottish or Irish accent; Andy didn’t know which. The man paused for a moment longer and then put the trash away. “How old are you?”
“Eighteen,” Andy said automatically. The man dusted his hands on his pants.
“Liar. Try again.” It wasn’t accusatory or mad, just a gentle reprimand. Andy chewed her lip.
“Fourteen,” she said softly. The man nodded.
“Better. When was the last time you ate something hot?” Andy shrugged in response. She wasn’t sure. “Come inside. I made a pot roast. We always have leftovers.”
Andy didn’t move, but her stomach rumbled. The man sighed and went inside. A few minutes later, a woman came out carrying a plastic bowl.
“I’m Ash, my husband, Jamie, said you were hungry. If he says something, I believe it.” The woman’s voice carried the same accent, a little softer. She held the bowl out for Andy, but she set it down next to her when she didn't take it. “I’ll be back in an hour for the bowl. I expect it to be empty.”
Once she was gone, Andy didn’t wait a moment longer to eat the food. She had had a moment of fear that maybe they would poison her, but she didn’t dare let that stop her. The food was hot and smelled so good. She almost cried at how good it tasted. Her tongue was a little burned, but she didn’t care. Andy scraped that bowl clean.
She decided it would be best not to be there when they came back out. If Jamie or Ash called the cops and used the food to keep her there until the cops came, she didn’t want to be arrested. Arrested meant so many scary things. So she left the bowl on the back step of the building and went to find a new spot to hide for the night.
A few nights later, Andy had been chased from two spots and was back behind the Drummond’s Gym. She was almost asleep, and the door slamming startled her again. This time, Jamie was there.
“Oh, good. I was worried you’d gotten into some trouble. You hungry, kid?” Andy gave a slight nod at his question. “Can I convince you to come inside?” She shook her head at this question. “Thought as much. Ash said you seemed like you’d been through a lot. I’ve seen people with that look in their eyes. People who have no control over anything take what they can. Lots of those people come here. It’s a good place to find that control. Stay put, I'll get you some dinner.” He disappeared back into the Gym. He returned with the same bowl and water bottle a few minutes later. “Tamales. Ash bought them from the lady at the store right out of the trunk of her car. She says that’s the best way to get your Tamales. Have you had them before?” Andy nods. She had lived in San Francisco and had lots of Mexican food.
“Ash is right. That’s the only way to get your tamales.” Jamie grins as Andy speaks to him for the first time.
“She’ll love to hear you think that. Do you like hot sauce? I can bring you some Tapatio.” Andy nods. Jamie goes back inside, and she can hear some murmuring. He comes right back out with the bottle of Tapatio. For the first time, Andy takes it directly from him instead of him setting it down and her picking it up. “I’ll be back in an hour for the dishes.”
He goes back inside. Andy eats the food and considers whether she should move on again. This is risky, but they seem nice. Her heart hurt. It ached from so many things. She didn’t want to let this hurt her, too. She left. But instead of going far away, she hid and watched. At the hour mark, Jamie comes out and looks around. His shoulders slump a little, and he picks up the dirty dish and sauce. He goes back inside.
The next night, Ash came out with the dish. She walked close to Andy, but stopped short, just as Andy’s heart started to race, then took a step back.
“I’m Ash Drummond. You don’t have to tell me your name, but it’d be nice to know.” She set the dish down and pushed it close to Andy and another bottle of water. It looked like potatoes and meat. Andy thought for a moment and then softly told Ash her name. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Andy. Tomorrow we have an open house for the Gym. Trying to bring in new people. If you come in around eleven, there will still be some snacks and juice, but the biggest rush of people will have passed until after lunch.” Ash stood up and went back inside. Andy didn’t hide this time when Ash came to collect the dish.
The next day, Andy went inside the Gym through the front door. There were a few groups of people of various ages. A table with food and drinks was set up. She grabbed a muffin and some coffee. God, she loved coffee. She hadn’t had any in a long time, and this was hot.
Jamie waved her over, and she shuffled over slowly. This Andy was not sure of herself. She was weak and could only trust that her touch could protect her; the lightning that lived inside her was her only power.
“Andy, this is one of my employees, Kyle.” Jamie gestured to a tall black man. “He works with the teens that come through. I’ve asked him if he’d work with you.”
”Work with me?” Andy asked. Her throat was feeling dry, so she took a sip of coffee, hoping to clear it.
“Yeah, I help first timers learn what styles they’d be good at.” Andy’s face apparently clearly posed her next question as Kyle smiled. “Martial arts styles. Like Judo, boxing, and so forth. You know those, right?” She nods a little.
”I played Mortal Kombat a few times. And I had this...I’ve seen some wrestling.” She told him. Cutting herself off from talking about a family that watched WWE together.
“Exactly. I help assess what you might be good at, and once we get you started, the trainer that is best for that will take over.”
”I’ve never done any fighting before, except some scrapping school yard fights. Those don’t end well.”
Kyle smiles easily and shakes his head. “Don’t worry. Experience is not necessary. I prefer people who have no experience.”
”Why?”
“It is easier to assess someone with no experience fighting; if someone has too much of an idea in their head of what they can do, they focus on that, and not on all the possibilities.”
”I meant, why teach me?” Kyle looked at Jamie and waved him to answer.
“The streets are not safe for anyone,” Jamie said softly. “I can see you’ve been through a lot, and you need to be sure of yourself and capable of protecting yourself. We can teach you. Ash and I have discussed it, and we want to offer you a job here. As payment, you’ll get room, board, and training.”
”What is the job?” Andy felt like a trap might be closing around her. Something dangerous, but Jamie exudes kindness. Kyle too. She didn’t trust easily, not anymore. But she was willing to work if it would get her something in return.
“You’d be cleaning. We have a lot of equipment that needs to be kept clean. You’d help move equipment as needed. We also have a lot of little kids who sometimes need an eye kept on them while their families are busy. Do you have experience with any of that?”
Andy gave a slight nod. ”I’m not great with kids, but I’ve been around them. Never been responsible for them.”
“We’ll work up to that then. Start with cleaning and helping out. You can grab stuff and make sure everyone has water.”
Andy chewed her lip, thinking. It wasn’t difficult. ”Where would I be staying?”
“Our basement has a few unused rooms. Ash has cleaned one out and pulled an old mattress in there. She’s been pretty determined about it. I’ll let her show you. If you want.” He smiled, reassuring her. Andy looked over at Ash, who was shifting her weight from one foot to the other, half paying attention to some conversation with an adult and their teen. Her eyes were looking at their little trio. Ash smiled when she saw Andy looking at her.
”Are you sure,” She asked? A small bloom of hope, but fear of cops and worse kept her ready to run. She’d have to be careful. Be secretive and do not let it slip that she is a mutant. That was dangerous. But maybe she could get food and a bed for a while. There had been no promise of money. That was her biggest concern. If she couldn’t make money, she wouldn’t be ready to run again if she needed to. As if reading her mind, Jamie spoke again.
“Of course, we are sure. We wouldn’t offer if we weren’t. And we will pay you a bit under the table. Just minimum wage for hours worked. Any time spent in the gym training won’t count.” Andy nodded.
”Alright. I’ll stay and work for you.” She agreed. Jamie threw up a thumbs-up for Ash to see. Ash extricated herself from the conversation she was having and came over.
“I’ll show you around.” Andy let herself be led around.
5:30 PM - Thursday, July 17th, 2025 - Château de La Lune, France
@PatientBean@TheMaster99@KazAlkemi@Morose@Trainerblue192@kittyluna45@KTostada
Miguel took a sip of his wine, his eyebrows shooting up at Gabrielle’s comments. “Can your grandma even read?”
Gabrielle rolled her eyes slightly at Miguel. “Probably better than you,” she snarks back. At that moment, Felix and the maids started collecting empty plates and bringing out personal plates of cheese.
There were several types of cheese on the plate: hard, soft, and medium cheeses, all at room temperature. That was the best way to serve cheese to appreciate its full-bodied flavor. These were paired with crackers, bread, a little pot of honey, fruits, and nuts. There seemed to be no attention paid to whether people had allergies to such things as lactose or nuts.
Conversations had started to dwindle. Was it because people were enjoying the food, or had they all become so paranoid that they didn't want to risk sharing more information than necessary? The chef, in the other room, certainly hoped and believed it was the former.
Unfortunately, Miguel started to feel ill. It might have been the idea of eating room-temperature cheese that hadn’t been microwaved. It might have been his in-flight meal. Or maybe he had had too much wine and had discovered that the tannins in red wine made him sick. Whatever the cause, he politely excused himself and hurried to his room. Woe to be his bathroom mate.
A new wine was poured for the cheese plate. A resling called "Lune d’Argent". The aroma was fragrant, with notes of ripe peaches, green apples, and citrus blossoms, along with subtle hints of honey. When one takes a sip, it is lightly sweet, slightly dry; the flavor of stone fruits carries through, ending with a vibrant mineral edge that feels sharp and clean.
Ralph
Location: Château de La Lune: Dining Room
Skills: N/A
Ralph wasn’t sure what to think as the conversation had dwindled. It made him want to squirm in his chair a little. The seating arrangement seemed almost to force the oddness of it all. There had to be a better way to have arranged this group. Between the gap created by the missing members, something he couldn’t fault anyone for failing to plan for, and the almost flat conversation several of the La Lune’s provided, it was hard to make this work.
Gabrielle, for example, was being quite rude. Not as rude as Lawrence had been, but she was snippy. Ralph couldn’t figure out the cause of this. Her and Jeanne didn’t seem to like each other. Were those everyday family issues, or was it more? He had no idea what any of the other people were thinking.
He did listen as he heard the doctor asking Elenore something. Ralph wished he could hear better what was being said at the end of the table. Would a round table have been a better idea? Then maybe everyone could have better access to the conversations.
Now there was another empty seat on his side of the table, as Miguel left. It felt like a strange countdown. He sighed and finished his food, letting the plate be removed to make way for the cheese plate. He was very fond of cheese so he was excited to see a whole course of the dinner was focused on cheese.
5:20 PM - Thursday, July 17th, 2025 - Château de La Lune, France
@PatientBean@TheMaster99@KazAlkemi@Morose@Trainerblue192@kittyluna45@KTostada
For the first time that anyone had noticed, for a brief moment Lena seemed interested in something that was happening. However, she had smiled at the brief moment when Miguel had punched Lawrence, her uncle, her mother’s twin. That had brought her brief joy. Lawrence was high on her list of hated family members. The list of hated family members was quite long. If she thought about it there were precious few that weren’t on the list. Lena went back to her food bored. It did not seem that the woman next to her was interested in computers. “Hack” was such a basic question.
Jeanne, her eyes had gone as wide as saucers, but she did her best to hide her reaction. Focusing on the food being brought out. She had a shit-eating grin on her face during the meal. She snorted when three dishes were brought out for Miguel and tried to keep a straight face during all of his very awkward interactions.
Gabriel sat ramrod straight, eating her food almost mechanically. She sat as far away from Jeanne as possible. Close as possible to the person on her other side. A nominee, a useless, pointless person who was taking a seat from someone who deserved it. This year's nominees were lacking. She only had heard of one of them. Most of them seemed to be performers of some sort. Gabriel hadn’t paid attention to the list, and now she regretted it. Elenore would complain later if Gabriel didn’t try to make some small talk. Had her grandmother put these three men in front of her on purpose? She wondered.
“You’re both YouTube people?” she asked. Her eyes skipped over the man sandwiched between what must have been the most awkward situation of his life. Though he seemed to have forgotten that staring was rude as he looked at the now shirtless man. How Elenore hadn't snapped was beyond Gabriel's comprehension. If it had been just the family, surely one of them would have been reprimanded by now. Gabriel looked over, with just her eyes, at her grandmother. She could see the anger seething there. “I’m surprised that qualifies. Makes me wonder if Grandmother even looked at the nominations this year or if there was such a dearth of options she went with anything that came in, not just the bottom of the barrel.”
Jeanne stiffened beside her cousin. Her face was suddenly hot. “Did you nominate someone? Or hope that someone you thought deserving would fall out of the sky?” She snapped. The family was allowed to nominate. That wasn’t against the rules. It never had been. But the short list was decided by Elenore. Had there been so few nominations that hers had gotten through? Jeanne had to resist looking at Miguel.
Ralph
Location: Château de La Lune: Dining Room
Skills: N/A
”I am not on YouTube.” Ralph said, somewhat oblivious to the snipiness and interplay between the two cousins. ”I’m a pilot. I don’t know who nominated me or why. The letter was vague about that. Can we find out who nominated us and why?”
“Well, no, technically it is supposed to be private. We don’t want people trying for the award. We want it to happen naturally,” Jeanne answered. Ralph nodded.
”I suppose that makes sense, but I think knowing why someone is up for an award would make it less...odd. I almost didn’t accept. I didn’t know who you all were, like, she said.” He gestured to Rihannon. ”It was all very, uh, suspicious.” Ralph had been very nervous about the whole thing. He still was. Thank goodness, at least Sam seemed like a reasonably normal human, and Miguel was growing on him.
“It’s supposed to be a general award. For up-and-comers. For people who need a little extra attention to become the success we know they are capable of.” Gabriel shrugs. “The community, or if one of us has noticed someone and wants them to succeed. To become the best that they could be. That’s what gets them nominated. Maybe you didn’t do something specific, maybe someone just thought you could use the accolade. Great-Grandfather made sure to pick people who just needed a little something extra—the why is not important. Neither is the who. It is who you are.”
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