SUPER BARBECUE SUPER BARBECUE SUPER BARBECUE [open as heck]

[hugling]

Who: SUPER HEROES!!!!!
Where: Ernest E. Debs Regional Park!
When: Sunday!
What: SUPER BARBECUE
Warnings: Superheroes...



It's a pleasant evening at Ernest E. Debs Regional Park, just a couple miles from downtown LA, which can be seen through the haze. Late March means spring is just arriving in LA and the trees are just starting to bud. Unfortunately, the grass is still kind of dead and dry.

The barbecue and picnic area isn't too busy, though the park does have the usual assortment of joggers, dog walkers, and cyclists. There are some balloons tied to picnic tables, and strung between two trees is a very homemade "SUPER BBQ" banner, courtesy of Hulkling and Starbreaker. There's still glitter glue on Milly's apartment floor. There's another posterboard with the rules written on it in big bold sharpie letters nearby, just in case anyone forgets:

• Don't be a jerk!!!
• Keep your weapons holstered please.
• Do not trash the park!
• ABSOLUTELY NO FIGHTING
• Anyone caught fighting will be asked to leave!
• Really don't be a jerk!

[OKAY GUYS!!! mingle! have fun! maybe some THINGS WILL HAPPEN, whoooo knows!]

Comments

[thelittlemerman]

He takes a moment and tilts his head with a smirk, as if he hadn't really thought about it. Of course, when he approached Jon today he was mostly looking to mess with him, but if they're going to do real talk then he can work with that too.

"I just want you to know that I'm not looking to cause any problems here. We have to work together, after all. I wouldn't want you wasting any time worrying about where my allegiance lies."

Finnick pauses, observing Jon thoughtfully. The quiet types are always so frustratingly boring, but he knows most of them have quite a lot going on under the surface, so it's worth poking and prodding until something reveals itself.

He makes a face as if just now remembering something else, then adds, "Oh, and I want you to know that I forgive you for that sad attempt at tricking me when I first arrived. Not one of your greater skills, I'm afraid."

[hellacold]

Jon shrugs, doing his best to seem casual and nonchalant, but he's a little nettled, and it shows.

"Mockingjay trusts you," he says. "I don't have a problem with you."

He has not, in fact, spared that much thought to Finnick or his allegiance, but this is making him a little suspicious. He trusts Katniss and her judgement, though. She can take care of herself.

"It might've gone easier for you with Celestia," he adds, deadpan.

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick holds back a comment or two about Katniss' trust. She shouldn't trust him - he did lie to her, even if he's not lying now. At least she's not telling her new friends what an awful liar he is, turning them against him just to make his life harder.

"CONDOR wasn't all that bad," he says. "And unless Celestia can read minds, without the Mockingjay's word no one has any reason to trust me."

[nailsandglass]

Matilda lets out a small squeal of surprise when he sneaks up on her, but then laughs when she sees who it is. She makes a grab for his arm, trying to hold onto it.

"Thank you! Aña made it all. I really like it." Maybe it was a silly thing to be so happy over but well. Matilda was.

"All I need now is a name!"

[scribes]

Di hadn't even thought of that. It was still a little strange to separate the Orion in front of her from his real body. While she remembered this avatar was not his true form it was hard to really get that it wasn't anything really. Just a solid image that could appear and disappear at Orion's whim.

"He knows of your decision to trust the Autobots, I assume?"

[bigfuckinggun]

"You are wrong," hisses Megatron, looming over him. "You are blinded by your naive desire not to acknowledge how much things have changed!"

[crotcharrow]

He lets her grab his arm, but lifts it, in the hope that if she had a good enough grip she'd get lifted into the air.

"She's good at making that stuff, I'll give her that," he says with a grin, swinging her around a little. "I'm better at names. I mean, c'mon. Mine's Speed. How cool is that?"

[deadpartners]

Surprise shows clear on the avatar's face as she blinks back at him. She knows she'd gotten through to him somewhat last time they'd spoken -- that he'd seemed to really believe her, for the first time, but...

"No one's asking you to fight," she says softly, her lips twisting slightly. Her expression is somber as she steps in a little closer. She knows Rodimus would disagree -- that they need Orion in the fight -- but she'd meant what she'd said about not forcing his hand. It'd be a disservice to him. "Not that we couldn't use your help in any capacity you were willing, but...are you sure?"

[bombsheltered]

"Whoa, hey!"

The shout she lets out is a little alarmed, but not entirely unamused. With a little grunt of effort, Milly rockets through the air to catch the frisbee, just managing to grasp it with the tips of her fingers. She almost fumbles it but manages not to drop it, laughing.

"Hey, you wanna play serious frisbee, you better watch out," she says, grinning, a taunting tone to her voice. She winds up to hurl the frisbee, arm poised. "I used to play softball -- yaahhh!" She throws the frisbee back in his direction, the disc turning to little more than a blur of color in the air.

[thanksoptimus]

Orion takes a step back, flinching. He looks away for moment, his stance deflating.

"Perhaps I am," he says quietly.

[thanksoptimus]

He's quiet for a moment, considering that question seriously. It takes a moment for him to come up with an answer.
 
"...No," he says. "But I suspect there are some things we can never truly be certain about. And I know that you and the other listen to what I say...while Megatron will not."
 
It's hard to get used to, that. They were each other's sounding boards for so long, the way that his words barely make a mark on Megatron now...it's all too much. It's useless.

[thanksoptimus]

He nods, looking uncomfortable about it. He still isn't sure in some ways, but there seems to be nothing for it.

"I think I have made that much apparent," he says, carefully. "He was all too willing to write me off for as much."

[deadpartners]

Arcee's relieved, even if just a little. Maybe he hasn't figured out things for himself yet, but the fact that Orion wants to do something -- anything -- for the Autobot cause...that's something. It's a bittersweet victory, though, knowing that it comes at the expense of his trust in Megatron, something that had long corroded away for Optimus, but it's fresh and new for Orion, and Arcee knows that can't be easy.

"Of course, Orion. Of course we'll listen. Look, I don't want to ask you to do anything you're not comfortable with, but...I'd be lying if I said we couldn't use all the help we can get right now."

[scribes]

It was hard to counsel Orion in this matter. Logically she knew the best thing to do would be to tell him to not approach Megatron--at least not now. Maybe under safer circumstances, he could reach out to him, but when things were so uncertain and potentially dangerous Orion had to mind his safety as well.

Yet saying that would feel awfully hypocritical, considering how she was handling her own with Signless. She understood Orion's wish to handle this situation as peaceably as possible, and his wish to not lose someone who was so close to his heart.

"Perhaps it would be best to see how the day plays out. Wait a little, see if he notices you, and go off what his reaction is. For the most part though it might just be best to wait for another day."

[hellacold]

Jon shrugs again, the corner of his mouth tilting up a little.

"She might've given you tea."

[alienheroes]

This time the frisbee makes contact with his palm with a solid smack before he gets a proper grip on it, but he doesn't show any sign of it hurting; Fourarms has pretty thick skin.

"Must've been some pretty intense softball!" He tosses it back just as hard; he's quickly confirming that superhero frisbee is way more fun than regular frisbee. Also potentially a lot more dangerous, but that's part of what makes it fun, of course!

[thelittlemerman]

"You're right," Finnick says gently with a wry smile. "I should have just turned myself in."

Indicating his new costume, he continues, "At least it turned out alright."

[starscheme]

He sees her coming, making a beeline for him despite his brilliant disguise change. Scrap.

Don't panic, don't panic.

"Can I help you with something, uh... young lady?" he says confusedly, eyes flitting about nervously for some means of escape or alerting backup if it becomes necessary.

[thanksoptimus]

He nods, stepping a little closer to her. It still feels strange interacting with a form that isn't really his own, and it's more so when he realized that the woman he's speaking to is the same two wheeler he's spoken to so many times now.

"What would you have me do?" he asks.

[thanksoptimus]

"Perhaps," he says wistfully, though his eyes still linger on the man across the field for a few more moments before turning back to her. He's going ot lay off for now, but that probably won't last indefinitely.

[bigfuckinggun]

Megatron stares down at him as if to silently say no shit. The camera zooms in on his face, just a little, as his lip curls in disgust, and, slightly, disappointment.

"Your avatar," he says with gruff disdain, "is leaking."

[thanksoptimus]

"What does that mean?" Orion snaps, his voice tight and his fists curling into balls. He has no idea at first what Megatron is referring to, there. Leaking, most frequently, is associated with the idea of bleeding out energon in his head, and he's pretty sure his avatar is incapable of that. "I-"

And then, unexpectedly, his face is wet. He touches a hand to his cheek, and suddenly he understands.

Oh.

He just stares at Megatron for a few moments, wide eyed and stunned, and then turns on him out of some kind of frustrated humiliation. He storms off into the palm trees.

[10thingsihateaboutme]

Karkat frowns. "What, like, in their labs?" His ears twitch back. "Did they get her out?"

[nitrodamus]

"I dunno how it happened we never really talk about it," Sollux says, shrugging rigidly. "Some shit just went down and he escaped I guess. Kind of...like what happened with me." He swallows. "I never really knew what actually...let me get out. I...I..."

He finds himself practically shivering just thinking about it in those terms, thinking about how he'd been kept and how he had to escape. And wow, suddenly, that's all he can think about.

It's been a little while since he felt like this so strongly, and it catches him by surprise. Some part of him was convinced, maybe, that he was okay again after having gotten his powers back. Like that had fixed things somehow. But it hits him hard, and leaves him staggering.

He suddenly really doesn't like the feeling of having that mask over face, but he can't just pull it off or everyone will see him. Karkat is standing right there, but-

"I-I need to go...do...uh..." The words never quite happen, but he starts trying to skitter away regardless.

[deadpartners]

"Whatever you're willing to." The avatar seems to shove her hands a little deeper into her pockets, shoulders slightly hunched as if poised to shrug it all off. She huddles a little closer to Orion's avatar, though, not all that eager for any unwanted ears overhearing this conversation. "There's plenty we could use help with that isn't fighting -- gathering information, maintenance, looking for resources...we're spread pretty thin right now."