august rushes by like desert rainfall | open, with starters

[wrathfulkhan]

Characters: Eyebrow Squad Gene, Jackie, Deon, and you!
Date: Throughout August
Location: Keeliai and the rest of the shell
Situation: August interactions for Eyebrow Squad.
Warnings/Rating: None initially, but subject to change.

A. [Gene] House Iron Dragon | backdated to July 18 because I'm a rebel and I can do what I want | closed to Pepper and Tony

Gene is quite intimately familiar with Tony's birthday - being that that's the date he'd accidentally the alien apocalypse, and all. He's determined to get Tony a better sort of present this year now that they are on speaking terms (and considerably more than that). And he has enlisted Pepper to craft a small surprise party for Tony, because he has had absolutely zero experience with birthday parties whatsoever.

So he has a present, but he's a bit at wit's end trying to deal with this strange animal known as a 'party'. Luckily, Pepper's got his back.

B. [Gene] Sky Sector | early August | open

Gene's seemed pretty preoccupied as of late - though with things in Keeliai being how they are, who could blame him? His mood's brightened considerably since leaving Zeshora in their wake, though, and he's back to being as chipper as he usually is. Which is to say, not especially, but at least he won't bite your head off if you look at him the wrong way.

He's taking down notes from time to time, but if you try and read over his shoulder, you may not be in luck. Unless you can read Mongolian script, of course. Hey, some people here can read Chinese, and a whole lot can read English. There are some notes he'd rather keep to himself instead of sharing with any nosey parker lurking somewhere over his shoulder.

C. [Gene] House Iron Dragon | mid-August | closed to Tony

Oh look, an arrivalversary party.

Gene just can't seem to avoid the damn things these days - birthday parties and now a (small, personal) party to celebrate the anniversary of his and Tony's arrivals in Keeliai. Tony arrived a year ago (or two) and Gene arrived two years ago (or three), and as a result Gene at least is one of the longer-tenured Foreigners around.

He doesn't feel very special as he sits at the table in the kitchen, waiting for Tony to wake up.

D. [Gene] Raine's House | mid-August | closed to Raine

Anton's advice had been welcome, but Pepper was still...well, Pepper. And Raine knew more about Gene than almost anyone, so he'd decided to pay her a visit and beg ask for advice. He's arrived at the home she shares with Solomon, and hopes the necromancer isn't in, mostly because he just does not have the mental energy for dealing with Solomon right now. He knocks, a little unsure all of a sudden.

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OOC Note: If you want another starter, please hit me up over at Chatvert and I'll pull something together for you! :>

Comments

C

[highprofilerichkid]

Tony had worked late last night, and as a result has now slept in late enough that Gene's already gotten up and disappeared downstairs. Since the bed now contains neither Gene nor breakfast, while the downstairs contains both, Tony is dressed and headed for the stairs in reasonably short order.

Gene's sitting at the kitchen table when Tony walks in, and Tony chirps "Morning!" and smiles. "You had breakfast yet?"

[wrathfulkhan]

"Not yet," Gene says, getting to his feet and turning towards Tony, and smiles back. He hadn't been hungry upon waking, and as much as he'd have loved to stay in bed beside Tony, his brain wouldn't let him go back to sleep. Nor would it let him stay in bed once he was awake. If he was up, then he was up. That was it.

"How'd you sleep?" he asks, and pecks Tony on the cheek.

cw: utterly banal domesticity

[highprofilerichkid]

On his way to the coffee, Tony's arms briefly encircle Gene, and he repays the peck with a playful kiss on the neck. Drive-by canoodle! "Great. You?"

it was just so banal. just really banal.

[wrathfulkhan]

Hey! That's not fair and you know it, Tony.

"Fine," he says with a shrug. 'Fine' means 'anywhere in the realm of 1-3 nightmares'. Tony probably knows that by now, but Tony also probably knows he has little attachment to sleep.

[highprofilerichkid]

In their relationship, sometimes 'didn't wake up screaming' is as good as it gets.

"Want some coffee? Toast?" Toast is, fortunately, something he has mastered over the last year. "Is Pepper up yet?" If she's around, he'll make enough for all of them.

[wrathfulkhan]

And in their relationship, sometimes 'screaming while awake' is a good thing. You follow.

"I'll take toast," he says. He doesn't need coffee, not after that night he'd had. "And if she is, she left early. I haven't seen her yet." And he's not dumb enough to go check and end up with a shoe to the head.

[highprofilerichkid]

"Okay. Guess she's on her own." She's probably happier making her own toast, anyway. Although he has proven that he's now capable of some basic staples, he's generally not trustworthy in the kitchen.

To tide himself over while waiting for the coffee to brew and the toast to toast, Tony grabs a piece of fruit and sits at the table to peel it.

"Got any plans today?" Small talk!

[wrathfulkhan]

Even allowing Tony to make toast is a symbol of how much Gene trusts him. At least the Breakfasterator 9000 or whatever hasn't tried to make a comeback. Yet.

"Haven't thought of anything," he says. "I'm off today, no classes to teach. Though with the Chihuelans coming, I don't expect that to last."

[highprofilerichkid]

The Eggomatic 9000 was awesome, Gene, shaddap you face.

"I've got the day off too," Tony says, perking up. "Some pipe busted at the College lab and they're cleaning it up. I was going to just mess around in my lab, but if we're both off, why don't we go out?" Then he smirks and adds, "Or stay in." Ifyouknowwhathemeans.

[wrathfulkhan]

Ooh mister Stark, ooh.

Gene smirks right back at him, and says, "Going out sounds like a great idea."

#DENIED. (For now.)

And then he stops and thinks for a second, and laughs a little. "I don't believe it."

[highprofilerichkid]

"Anything fun going on in town?" Maybe there's a street festival they can check out. Or... maybe something indoors, given the heat. Too bad they don't have movie theaters in Keeliai.

When Gene starts laughing, Tony looks bewildered. Did he say something funny? "...What?" are you making fun of him, Gene >:|

[wrathfulkhan]

"Not that I can think of, but I just realized," Gene said, smiling, "that I've been here three years, almost to the exact day. Which means we missed your one-year anniversary. Or two years. However we're counting it."

It sure hasn't seemed that long. To Gene, it hasn't even really seemed like the two years he'd spent conscious here.

[highprofilerichkid]

"Oh." Huh. Fancy that. "I guess you're right. I hadn't even thought about it."

Time had been so weird, between the Dreaming year and everybody's different pull points, that Tony hadn't been keeping track of that sort of thing. He'd been taken off-guard by the birthday part last month, too. Speaking of which: "Yeah, it was right after my birthday, wasn't it? Er, obviously it was on my birthday— I mean, the dates almost match up here."

[wrathfulkhan]

"It was," Gene says, and nods. "Lucky you; I was about a month off." So when he goes back home, if he ever does, and if he still remembers things...is he going to be older or younger? Time is weird.

"I guess we should take advantage and celebrate, or something."

[highprofilerichkid]

"Gee, you sound so excited," Tony teases. "We should celebrate. It sucks that we don't know how to get home - but a lot of good things have have happened to us here. Don't you think?" He grins, and pokes Gene with his elbow.

[wrathfulkhan]

"I can't contain myself," Gene says in a monotone, but he's grinning. He doesn't agree that it sucks to be stranded; Keeliai's been better to him than Earth ever had. "I'd say so," he says, and pokes Tony back.

[highprofilerichkid]

Tony laughs and leans over to kiss Gene on the cheek. "So what should we do?" he asks, handing Gene a segment of the fruit he's just finished peeling.

nerds

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene accepts the fruit and takes a bite, using the time to think a bit. After a little rumination - though not literal rumination - he says, "Want to go and walk around in the Sky Sector? Maybe find something nice for each other?"

[highprofilerichkid]

"Shopping? Yeah, sure." He totally has no idea what to get for Gene. But, hey, maybe figuring it out will be the fun part.

He pops a segment of the orange-ish fruit into his mouth and chews thoughtfully for a few seconds. "Are we gonna shop together, or go separate and get surprises?"

[wrathfulkhan]

"Surprises can be fun," Gene says, "but I think I want to spend time with you."

And while Tony is (hopefully) flattered, he reaches over to nab a segment of the fruit. Haha!

[highprofilerichkid]

Tony smiles. "Me too." And he doesn't mind sharing the fruit, so he doesn't try to stop Gene's not-at-all-subtle thievery.

"Why don't we mix it up?" he suggests, his smile widening. "Check out one store together, and then we each have to go to some other random store and find something in ten minutes. Like a scavenger hunt. And switch back and forth."

Together time and secret surprise gifts! Turning a shopping trip into a goofy couples game seems like it would be fun. It's certainly not the worst date idea he's ever had.

[wrathfulkhan]

"Deal," Gene says, smiling. This isn't the worst idea Gene's had, either. Not by a long shot.

"Though you know I'm going to win."

[highprofilerichkid]

"Oh, what, it's a contest now?" Tony asks, grinning. when isn't it with them, honestly. "Alright, you're on."

The toaster pings, and by the time he's finished buttering and be-jamming the bread, the coffee has brewed, too. He pours himself a cup, and brings the two plates of toast to the table.

Tony takes a sip of his coffee, and smirks. "So if it's a contest... what does the winner get?"

[wrathfulkhan]

"We'll just have to work that out," Gene says, his smile turning into a smirk over the rim of his not-quite-orange-juice.

He picks up the toast, and makes a big show of thinking about it for a moment. "I suppose...we could...find a prize that would be acceptable to both of us."

A beat, and then solemn nodding. "Piggyback rides."

[highprofilerichkid]

Tony coyly raises an eyebrow at Gene's suggestive musing— and then snorts at his actual suggestion.

"Deal. Loser has to give a piggyback ride home."

Though he's sure they'll think of other ways to reward each other once they get home.