Time for a big ol' Nexus Block party

[sumarusfinest]

On a sleepy summer morning a wonderful smell begins to waft throughout the Nexus. For those familiar with this place there can only be one explanation but for those new faces to the nexus this may be a strange thing: seeing so many people flocking toward the sweet and savory scents perfuming the Nexus.

There are a few tables set out this morning in the Plaza in front of a small cafe loaded with several carafes of coffee, a myriad of pastries from more than a few different worlds and cultures, and a large pan of eggs and sausage kept warm over a chafing dish. On either end of the table are disposable plates, cups, and cutlery as well as a few welcome pamphlets in a small container. Along the front of the tables is a hand made banner.

Meet and Greet

Manning the tables is Katsuya Suou, red apron on and a cup of coffee in hand. He looks far too cheerful for how early in the morning it is. It's always satisfying to put one of these on and see the throngs of different people stuck in line together to get their food and find a place to sit among the tables and couches nearby.

"Right then, is anyone hungry? I've got more than enough here for everyone so please mingle among yourselves or feel free to ask me anything you'd like."


((OOC: This thread is ALL ABOUT threadjacking and hopping. I encourage folks to tag on each other's comments and mingle rather than to reply only to me. This is a huge opportunity to have your characters interact with people they wouldn't have talked to before. Branch out! Meet new people! Scheme new schemes! Steal the last chocolate croissant!))

Comments

Adia and Caspar

[chiron_survivor]

Wanting to show support for Katsuya's efforts, Adia and Caspar have shown up, but it will be a little while yet before either of them attempt any mingling. For now, the couple is sitting at a table near the periphery of the action. Adia is dressed for a day of research in her lab; Caspar is wearing one of his typical summer suits.

Both of them have cups of coffee and plates of food in front of them. Adia has not taken too much, not wanting to overindulge, although she might come to Ice Bear later and ask if she can bring any leftovers back to the children on Atlantis.

Caspar has even less on his plate. Every so often, he sneaks a bit of egg under the table to a small piglike creature when Adia isn't looking.

[losthunter]

Hunter spots the couple on his way towards getting another cup of coffee. He smiles.

"Hello Adia. Caspar. Good to see you both!"

[chiron_survivor]

Having seen Hunter's new look (or very old look?) before, Caspar doesn't react much other than to wave hello. Adia, however, has a difficult time not staring. Caspar had filled her in on Hunter's situation, but it's still a surprise to see her friend with hair on his head and ink free skin.

"Hi, Hunter," she says. "How, um, how are you..."

"It's rude to stare," Caspar mutters to her teasingly. How many times has she had to tell him that in the Nexus?

"Would you like to join us?" she asks, blushing a little.

[losthunter]

"I am doing good. Thanks for asking." Hunter grins.

"Thank you. I will." He sits down nearby.

"How are you both?"

[chiron_survivor]

Caspar and Adia exchange a look at that question. What exactly is the emotion for having helping to defeat a malevolent god and create an alternate timeline?

"Good," Adia answers lamely. She bites her lip before adding, "A lot of stuff has happened lately, but we're good."

"How about you?" Caspar asks, steering the question back to the artist. "Any new leads on the witch's sister?"

[losthunter]

Hunter frowns in concern. He gets the feeling that he missed something major.

And so he will take the redirect to his own situation. "No. Honestly I have not gone out searching for her again."

"Our last meeting was turbulent and a little painful for me."

[chiron_survivor]

It's not so much that Adia is unwilling to talk about what happened, she simply doesn't know where to start. So it's a relief that Hunter talks about his situation, even if the news isn't great. "Caspar let me know what happened," she says in concern. "I'm sorry that meeting her was painful. Could you find someone to be a third party to the situation?"

"Like what, a magical conduit?" Caspar asks.

"Yes, or even someone who can act as a liaison for you. It doesn't sound like she has any idea about the magic she's holding."

Meanwhile, the little pig-like creature under the table is getting bored of waiting for Caspar to give her another treat. She pokes her head out from under the table and looks up at Hunter curiously.

[losthunter]

"Since I don't know a lot of magic-users... besides Hermione and she is extremely busy right now... I was thinking about Caspar's suggestion to ask the Nexus in general."

Hunter looks at the pig-like creature. "Hey you." He is very used to have Kneazles around, with Hermione and then Jim.

"Who is your friend?" He asks Caspar.

[chiron_survivor]

"You told him to ask the Nexus for help?" she says to Caspar in surprise.

"Suggested it," Caspar replies, averting his gaze as if embarrassed. "There are plenty of magic-users around here, surely someone has heard of this problem before."

Adia smiles softly at the Cylon before adding, "I, um, I've read up on some magic. I can look through my notes, see if there's anything that applies."

The piglet comes out from under the table completely. "Tep!" she says cheerfully, wagging her springy tail.

"That's Princess," Caspar says, not bothering to hide the smile on his face. "She's a Tepig, a kind of pokémon. I'm training her on behalf of Professor Madrone. Figured I'd bring her to the Plaza since I'll be working with her later."

[gorogorogoro_chan]

"Oi! You two! Long time no see!" Majima says, wandering up to their table. He holds a pastry in one gloved hand and dusts a snowfall of powdered sugar off his snakeskin jacket. "How's it goin', lovebirds?"

[chiron_survivor]

Caspar looks up at the familiar voice, his gaze lingering on the snakeskin jacket. That's... a fashion choice. "Hey," he replies casually, feeding another bit of egg to the little pig at his feet. "Not bad, all things considered."

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" Adia says with an apologetic smile. "Where've you been? Working hard at your club?"

[gorogorogoro_chan]

Majima's sartorial choices are a very far cry from his old tux: gaudy jacket, no shirt, leather pants and gloves.

"Nah. Had to skip town, but Harley's still keepin' an eye on the joint. I'm back in Tokyo these days. Gettin' some new business ventures off the ground," he explains, keeping details notably vague.

He pulls off a bit of his beignet and tosses it to the strange pig. "Atlantis still treatin' ya alright?"

[chiron_survivor]

The old tux was a little pedestrian, in Caspar's opinion, but Majima has managed to overcorrect his course. That, combined with his vague answer, has him frowning thoughtfully. He hasn't forgotten the previous conversation that they had. The one about murder? Yeah, that one. Great reason to skip town.

The little pig gobbles up that beignet morsel like it's nobody's business. "Hey," Caspar says, his thoughts derailed momentarily. "Ask first if you can give her a treat. She's a Tepig, not a garbage can." He moves his plate towards the center of the table, much to the pig's disappointment. "That's enough human food for now, Princess. Sorry."

"Pastries are a sometimes food," Adia explains apologetically. She has clearly missed all subtext in Majima's earlier answer. "It is, yes. We're having a wonderful summer. Congratulations on starting a business. Is it another club?"

[gorogorogoro_chan]

Majima catches Caspar's frown, but doesn't appear perturbed. He can make of it what he will.

He's definitely not accustomed to pet etiquette. He hasn't dealt with a lot of pampered creatures -- mostly strays who are happy for a handout. He grimaces at Caspar's reprimand. "Pigs are nature's garbage cans. They can eat all kinds of trash. Besides, she likes it!"

Majima pops the last of the pastry into his mouth and chews thoughtfully, swallowing and clearing his throat before answering Adia's question.

"Nah. Got out of the hostess business. Changin' it up a little: runnin' security, logistics, and some light gaming." Euphemisms for protection rackets, contraband, and gambling dens, respectively. "Managin' ladies was way easier than the staff I got now, I'll say that. Bunch of young dipshits tryin' to throw their weight around. Feels like I'm runnin' a daycare."

[chiron_survivor]

"Not to be a pedantic asshole, but she's a Tepig. Not a pig." Never mind that yes, Princess did indeed love the beignet and is already plotting ways to get ahold of another one.

Caspar's frown intensifies -- not a disapproving one, he's simply thinking over what Majima really means underneath all those delightful euphemisms. He stays silent, leaving Adia to hold up their end of the conversation. "This is why I never wanted to manage a lab. Or a daycare," she adds with a soft laugh. "Have you tried team-building exercises with your staff? Or social activities? It might get them to settle down."

[gorogorogoro_chan]

"Tepig? Is this one of those poke-things?" Majima still doesn't fully understand Pokemon. Animals? But not animals? Not normal ones, anyway. "They should know how much they can eat. Harley's dog-thing was smart enough to text me."

Majima laughs at Adia's suggestion. "Team building, huh? ... Like trust falls and stuff? Nah. Nah. Ya gotta be tough with these punks. Lay down the law. The business is still real fragile. Can't have 'em fuckin' it up. Makin' us look bad."

[chiron_survivor]

Caspar twists his mouth in response to that bit of logic. "Yes, she's a pokémon, and yes, she's smart, but she'd also eat nothing but sweets all day if she could get away with it." He leans down and scratches the piglet between her ears, hoping the show of affection will make up for the lack of treats. Princess oinks softly, forgetting about her beignet quest for the moment.

"Um, well, I was thinking a little more mundane than that, like working on projects together, but you know your staff best." It doesn't sound like Majima likes them very much, which is too bad. He seemed to have a lot of platonic affection -- Harley excluded -- for his staff at the hostess club. "Are things going well otherwise?"

[to_the_wolves]

It's late in the morning, after most people have gotten through the line and or socialized with Adia and Caspar, that a certain couple are inevitably going to run into them. To be fair, all the blame can go squarely on Jeff, whose not paying attention to his surroundings. He's trying to hold a conversation with Marie, who's clinging to his arm, but also dig around in the shoulder bag he's carrying.

"You grabbed everything from the house, right? I would hate to make a second trip..." Marie is calmly talking to Jeff, as he's double checking the contents of his bag.

"Yes, I brought all of our day trip supplies. Don't worry about it." Jeff walks forward and is about to collide with Caspar's chair in three...two...

[fiveofnone]

It's only Caspar and Princess at the table; Adia has already gotten up to throw out their plates and cups and visit with Ice Bear and his brothers. Caspar isn't looking up, scrolling through the pokêdex that Professor Madrone lent him and reading up on fire types, his guard down for the first time in a long while.

Naturally, this is when the Nexus decides to make him regret it.

His chair is knocked hard enough to jostle the device in his hands. "Hey, watch it," he says sharply, looking up for the oafish culprit, but whatever sarcastic comment about manners he had planned dries up in his mouth. That's Jeff.

That's Jeff and Marie.

His jaw tenses noticeably, but otherwise his expression gives nothing away. It's Princess who breaks the silence, peeking out from under the table and oinking curiously. Unlike Caspar, she doesn't remember their fateful run-in at Madrone's lab. Who are these two people?

[to_the_wolves]

The Nexus has a terrible way of making interactions work out, especially with this specific group of people. There's no escaping this interaction at the moment, but thankfully there's no liquids being spilled on Caspar. Jeff still hits the chair in true clumsy fashion, but Marie manages to catch his arm.

"Hey, are you okay? This is why I was telling you to not walk and check your bag at the same time." She doesn't sound condescending, since it was a genuine accident.

Jeff, however, shifts his eyes from the ground to Caspar. "Sorry about that. You're not hurt, are you?" He doesn't notice the Tepig until he hears her oinking near the base of the table.

And both of them just smile and awww at how cute Tepig is. Marie even bends down, extending one hand to the Pokemon. She's so adorable!

"Is this your Pokemon?" Marie asks curiously, wanting to pick up the piglet so badly right now.

[fiveofnone]

If he had gotten liquid spilled on yet another suit, he would have been angry at Jeff whether he remembered him from before or not. As it is, it's taking all of his willpower not to stand up and go for the other man's throat. Who the frak does Jeff think he is, slamming into him and then apologizing all innocently? How dare he come along here all... all normal, all cutesy rom-com with his girlfriend, without a clue of the torment he had caused Adia?

How dare he put his girl through hell and get a second chance without even trying?

Slowly, he takes a breath and wills his hands to stop shaking. He almost wishes Jeff didn't sound so genuinely concerned so he'd have a reason to go off on him. "I'm fine," he says flatly, glacier-like. He scoops Tepig up when Marie gets too close and holds her protectively. "Yes, she is," he replies, not bothering with his typical splitting hairs that he's training her on Professor Madrone's behalf.

[to_the_wolves]

"...Oh." Marie's a little surprised by the sudden cold nature Caspar has towards her, especially when Tepip gets scooped up so quickly. Then again, it would be rude to pet another persons' Pokemon without permission, so she can see why Caspar is so protective. It's his tone of voice that raises her alarms and she notices that Jeff is already nervous about this interaction.

"Once again, I'm sorry." He's already apologizing again, feeling even worse about the accident now.

Marie reaches over and tugs on his arm. "Come on, Jeff. We should go." She waves goodbye to the pig Pokemon. "Nice seeing you, Tepig. Keep working hard with your trainer, okay?" She doesn't expect a response, but smiles and starts taking a few steps forward.

However, Jeff can't stop staring at Caspar with a confused look on his face. He knows this man, right? Marie quickly tugs on his arm again to break the trance. Finally, the sickly-cute couple walks away from the table.

[fiveofnone]

Caspar's gaze shifts to Marie and doesn't soften in the slightest. He hasn't forgotten your role in all of this, missy. Doing deals with a serial killer, not bothering to warn Adia or anyone else who Jeff had targeted.

What would you think if you knew the truth? he wonders. Would you be so quick to forgive him?

Fortunately for all of them, Marie takes the initiative in ending the awkward interaction. Princess oinks goodbye, but Caspar stares back, silent and unrepentant. Jeff may be unsure if he knows the Cylon or not, but Caspar certainly knows him. He watches them coldly while they walk away until they are out of sight.

"Tep?" Princess asks, looking up at Caspar in confusion. He's acting awfully funny just now. Why was he so mad at those two people?

Caspar lets out a long sigh. "It's complicated," he tells her. "They haven't done anything wrong, technically, but I don't trust them, and neither should you." He sets her back down on her hooves and stands, tugging at the cuffs of his sleeves until they're properly aligned. "Let's find Adia, it's time to go."

[icebearforpresident]

Only time will tell how Marie feels about the whole thing, if she ever learns the truth...For now, conflict between former serial killer and accomplice has been avoided this time.

--

At least Adia's probably faring better, as Ice Bear (with some help from Panda) is at the buffet, packing up lots of different containers full of food for Adia to take back with her. He's even sneaking in some chocolate croissants that Katsuya baked.

"What other things should Ice Bear pack for the children? Does Adia want any additional treats?"

Panda is also happy to chirp in suggestions as well. "Ms. Adia, is there anything we can get for the children in the future? Coloring books? Toys?" The older brother is also being very supportive at helping the residents of Atlantis.

I was hoping you'd tag with them :)

[chiron_survivor]

"Oh, Ice Bear, thank you. This is already plenty, I can drop it off at our school and the children can all have them for a snack afterwards." She'll figure out how to explain where she got all of it later.

As predicted, Adia has taken to Panda immediately, finding a kindred spirit in the shy, nervous bear. "That's so thoughtful of you. I think they'd like some crayons and paper most of all. I don't think they miss toys all that much, to be honest. The island itself is so much fun to explore, they've been using their imagination instead."

Time spent with the Bears always puts her in a great mood, so when Caspar marches up, Tepig on his heels, it's a bit of a shock to her system. "What's wrong?" she asks immediately, recognizing how upset he is, even if he's doing his best to hide it.

Caspar starts to reply, then glances at the Bears -- in particular Panda, who he has not met yet. "...ran into you-know-who," he says simply. Adia startles and he adds quickly, "Nothing happened. He doesn't remember me. Neither does Marie."

Adia sighs softly. Their conversation about this went only a little better than when she spoke with Madrone. She's proud of Caspar for keeping his cool, but worried, too, that this accidental meeting has opened old wounds for him, too. Reaching out, she takes his hand and gives it a warm squeeze. "I'm glad you found me," she says quietly, before gesturing to Panda. "This is Panda, Ice Bear's other brother. Panda, this is my boyfriend, Caspar. And that's Princess, his Tepig."

Princess oinks hello to Ice bear and the soft-looking Pangoro.