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

[nitrodamus]

"Maybe." He sits back. "But you can't just go at them, they don't like to share their...um...bodies. You would make them feel bad like it would make me feel bad if you went in me. I don't like it."

He's firm in his assertions there. He knows she loves robotics, but she's gotta respect their space.

[hellacold]

Fortunately Jon's bandanna hides at least half of his gormless expression. He takes her hand, grateful that this one thing to do has presented itself so obviously.

"Jon," he says.

[10thingsihateaboutme]

Karkat pulls a face.

"... Kind of," he says. "I mean, not really. I found him in an alley covered in blood? I think this dude is legitimately messed up. But then he got up in my face about how I needed to die again..." He pauses, and pulls a different face, shooting Sollux a sort of suspicious look: "Keeping your eye out like keeping an eye out for clone guy or keeping your eye on me."

[nitrodamus]

"Uh," Sollux says. "Well you're the only lead I actually have on him here. What else am I supposed to be watching?"

Okay so maybe that doesn't sound like he'd hoped. Oh well, his point stands.

[scribes]

It was nice to focus on this. Simple. low key, but without the loneliness that accompanied so many of the solo activities she tried to distract herself with as of late.

With Orion here and the noise of so many others around them it was a rare moment in which Di almost felt completely at ease.

When the frisbee hit him right on the head she couldn't hold her laughter this time, especially with the way he didn't even acknowledge it.

"You alright there?" She turned in the direction that he was looking to see what had distracted him so much.

[liberaition]

"Oh." Well. Okay. That's reasonable enough. "What if I only talked to them with my mouth and not my brain?"

Though the urge to mindmeld with an alien robot will be strong. She'll have to fight it.

[nitrodamus]

"They maybe like that better," he says. "Maybe ask before. But. I'm not tell people. So...hmmm."

[thanksoptimus]

He turns to look at her, blinking.

"Excuse me?" he says, obviously distracted. He reaches up a few moments later and touches his forehead, as if wondering what that strange residual feeling is.

[bigfuckinggun]

Megatron, as his outfit would suggest, is more here to try to get a first-hand look at what kind of individuals this world's 'superheroes' are than to scan the crowd for Autobot avatars. It's hard not to notice the apparent troll watching him, though. At first he doesn't make the connection: what Cybertronian would choose a non-native lifeform as their avatar, when it could only inhibit the goal of blending in and gathering information? But there is something familiar about the expression, and with that noticed it's hard not to see there's something familiar about the horns – and he has to laugh as he realises that Orion Pax, who is frustratingly honest, and terrible at lying, would choose a non-native lifeform.

He doesn't announce what he's observed to his underlings, just excuses himself and makes his way over to the supposed Alternian.

"I could not help but notice your... lingering attention." If Orion still had any doubt at this point, it can take a hike: Megatron sounds, unsurprisingly, exactly like Megatron, albeit without as much towering metal gladiator for the sound to resonate around in. "I take it you have heard of my exploits – perhaps I can offer you a signature?"

[thanksoptimus]

Oh no.

It's definitely Megatron, that much is clear. What isn't completely clear is if Megatron has recognized Orion, or if he's simply being...well...Megatron. Unfortunately, the avatar is wired in for maximum emotional realism, which means he has the worst possible reaction to this - a reaction he is completely unfamiliar with in his metal form - he blushes.

It's a faint jade over grey skin, and he doesn't even realize it's happening on account of the fact that it isn't really something that occurs to robots. He immediately averts his gaze and tries to make and exit, being sure to shift his avatar's voice a little further from his own before speaking.

"I...no. That is...alright."

[bigfuckinggun]

Fortunately Megatron has no idea what blushing is either. He has never seen an organic life form blush before, ever. Pretty much nobody in the universe blushes when confronted with Megatron. Perhaps this is some kind of fear response? Hmm.

"Oh, but I insist." He grins. There are no fangs involved at all. It is sort of uncanny. "I recognise a fan when I see one."

[thanksoptimus]

At that, Orion can't help but pause and stare for a few more moments, marveling over how strange a world where Megatron has normal teeth is. Also, where he's human in general, he supposes.

After a bit too much gazing, his eyes rise to meet Megatron's. His lips form a thin line. He must know. Does he?

"I am sorry, but you are mistaken," he says. "I am no 'fan' of yours."

[bigfuckinggun]

His smile stills; his joke suddenly slightly less funny.

"No," he says, rather more soberly. "No, I suppose you are not." He straightens up, his eyes a little narrower behind the mask as he looks contemplatively down at Orion. "A shame. But I had not expected to find you here – in this or any guise."

[thanksoptimus]

Megatron may have sobered, but Orion is still coasting on his own flash of anger at that mocking attitude. He had expected anger, perhaps, or aggression - but not this casual teasing, like this is supposed to be some kind of game between them.

"I hadn't known you had such an interest in toying with me," he says rigidly, his stare sharpening. "Though I suppose you must have developed one by now."

[deadpartners]

"I didn't mean to startle you. Sorry." Arcee glances over in the direction Orion had come from, arms crossed over her chest -- less confrontational, more guarded. She knows they're not the only Cybertronians at this party, and even though her avatar's just a projection, she feels oddly exposed here. "I met your Alternian friend there the other day, and I've been keeping an eye out for other holomatter projections. Wasn't that hard to put two and two together."

She looks back at him, studying the unfamiliar face that she doesn't have much trouble recognizing all the same. Last time they'd met she'd given him a lot to think about, and she knows things can't have been easy for him. "How are you holding up?"

[bigfuckinggun]

Megatron frowns, his voice clipped: "I had no intention of toying with you. It was merely a joke. I had anticipated you might find it entertaining – clearly I was wrong."

[scribes]

She makes her way towards Orion, eying the man he had been looking at curiously. Whoever that was, they certainly stood out but Di knew it had to be more than that.

"Is that someone you know?"

[starscheme]

Okay, so Starscream might not have weird Orion Pax specific gay-dar like Megatron has, but he does know his master's creepy quirks and habits unfortunately well. So when he slips off towards an unidentified avatar without so much as a word, there's really only one logical conclusion as to who the mystery bot is.

He waits a while after Megatron returns watches for Orion to be sufficiently out of sight from the rest of the group before slinking off on his own to engage him. Normally he'd stay away, but they haven't seen each other since they were both locked in a sweaty metal jail cell together, after all, and his curiosity is piqued.

He sidles up to the troll casually, keeping an eye out for any other autobots in the vicinity and making sure Megatron isn't getting wise to to what he's doing.

"That's an interesting choice in avatar that you've chosen there," he says conversationally. "Isn't the idea to better blend with the local life forms?"

[starscheme]

Starscream doesn't seek Milly out necessarily, but being in the same vicinity, it's sort of inevitable that one of them will at least see the other, whether they end up engaging or not.

He catches sight of Milly when he's walking back to the group from harassing Orion, and at first he feels a thrill of cruel amusement. He'll have to point her out to Knock Out, he thinks; perhaps they can scheme something horrible up.

Then it occurs to him that he used this avatar as bait to confront her that one time and swiftly begins to panic. He needs to adjust his appearance, immediately, before it's too late--

When he's certain no one is looking, he changes his hair color to jet black and his suit to a slightly darker grey. Genius.

[thanksoptimus]

Well MISTAKE NUMBER ONE, Megatron...

But Megatron speaking to him in that tone instantly derails the more stern approach Orion has been taking. He honestly hadn't expected the bot to sound upset...based on their previous conversation he had assumed that he would be angry at him, not trying to make weird jokes.

"...I thought you would be angry with me, given our last conversation," he says. "...Not trying to poke fun."

He's eyeing Megatron cautiously, but his tone is a little bit warmer now. He is confused on several levels.

[thanksoptimus]

He's genuinely wary and confused for a moment, but the voice gives who it is away fairly quickly. He doesn't know how to react to that. He's been on generally good terms with Starscream, so far as he's personally concerned anyway. BUT WHAT NOW.

He doesn't understand anything.

"I found that deception was not easily within my ability," he says, after a moment. "Better to at least be honest about my state as a cultural outsider."

And all that complicated social justice stuff, but he's not getting into that.

[thanksoptimus]

"Knowing how to use my holomatter avatar has made my time in the city considerable more enjoyable," he says, getting himself together enough to smile a little. He has her to thank for that, among other things. "It has also allowed me to gain some...perspective, in regards to Earth culture."

He glances over in Magdal's direction fondly.

"Magdal's companionship has been an enormous asset as well."

But besides the good news, inwardly speaking, seeing Megatron has done a lot to remind him how unresolved everything still is. His smile fades a little.

[starscheme]

"Indeed. I'm impressed you still have a taste for interacting with these locals on any front at all. Any interest I had was burned very shortly after arriving here." He smiles placidly. Starscream is probably the only one of all of them whose bluffing abilities are actually improved by the avatar, since he is short a huge pair of mood telegraphing slabs of metal jutting from his back in this guise.

[thanksoptimus]

He glances at the man one more time before focusing on Magdal. He looks contemplative. He isn't entirely sure yet, but his gut reaction was unmistakable.

"...Perhaps," he says. "Perhaps someone very important."

[thanksoptimus]

Orion regards Starscream for a moment thoughtfully before speaking.

"Did something happen?" he asks. "I have found my interactions with the natives to have been nothing but pleasant."