I'll follow behind you on rainbow road

[paragon]

Who: CAPTAIN AMERICA WANTS YOU
Where: The Baromanogerneson Residence (i.e., 5031)
When: May 9th
What: Mario Kart and subversion, two great tastes that taste great together.
Warnings: Please warn in subjects as needed!
[Open]

The thought had formed pretty much as soon as he'd opened the box that was left on the front porch. The people here need a way to talk. There are two rooms in the house where they would be free to do so. He'd come home one day — not long after the body had disappeared from the upstairs bathroom and all the cameras he'd ripped from their wiring between there and the garage had been put back in place in their absence with a friendly maintenance note left behind that all fixtures in need of repair had been seen to, along with a bill for the expenses — to find Natasha sitting on the bed, writing a note in Sharpie. He'd leaned against the door frame and watched her hold it up to the cameras and make a deal: Steve wouldn't break any more cameras, if they give them the privacy of their bedrooms. As there had only been the three of them at the time (despite the insistence in his head that the house has always been filled by his teammates, just as he remembers of the last few years before Wayward Pines), that had meant the master bedroom downstairs, and Bucky's upstairs.

It had actually worked, though Steve wouldn't have trusted the word of whoever's behind the cameras himself if it weren't for Natasha's daily inspections, and so far the deal's held.

But it's not — can't be — a luxury only afforded to them, for their own sakes. He's told others here and there, and he knows his friends have, too. It's not enough, but nor does he have a way to get people over without arousing suspicion. But then there's the Nintendo system. A little unorthodox, as far as his own methods go, but he'll work with anything he has.

He doesn't put it down anywhere in writing, letting news of the party travel by word of mouth and hoping that's enough to keep it out of the wrong ears. At least for now. There's a chance — a good chance — that it will eventually get the Sheriff's attention, but by then it will have had the effect it's supposed to and given the people here the chance to speak to each other truthfully. And if that comes down on anyone, it's gonna be the people prepared to deal with it.

The day of the ninth is a rainy one, a good day to stay inside and play games with friends. It also provides a good excuse to use the master bedroom just off the end of the foyer as a temporary coat room. Straight ahead in the living room, Mario Kart is all ready to go, and in the kitchen next to that, snack food and drinks are available.

((ooc: THIS IS A MINGLE POST. While I will be tagging around with Steve a bit, this is mostly to give people a chance to chat with each other without the cameras watching. Per Natasha's deal with the powers that be, the cameras in the master bedroom and Bucky's room upstairs have been removed. Natasha will be greeting people at the door and taking them on a "tour" (i.e., to the master bedroom to explain the camera situation, why the party's really happening, and that they are not to discuss the lack of cameras while elsewhere in the house). Feel free to wander in there any time for a chat, or simply enjoy some Mario Kart and refreshments! Commenting around is encouraged, and please note in your top-levels whether they're open or closed. If you have any questions for me I can be found on plurk (jeeps) or discord (jeeps#9644).))

Comments

[volitaunt]

[ He shifts his arm enough to stop her, opening his eyes. ] Don't apologize.

[ Poe turns a curl of her hair between the fingers of his other hand, wishing this could be simple, wishing he could kiss her without the risk of it meaning something. Except it already does. There's no way this ends in anything but hurt, and that's what gets him to let go of her hair, to sit back, to stand up.

He offers his hands to help her up off the bed. ]

[coy]

[ Once she's stepped away from this charged moment, she'll feel slightly frustrated that she didn't think to tell him that she could take care of herself, that she can make her own choices and isn't made of glass. However in this moment, she's a little dazed and confused.

She takes his hands so he can help her up and uses them to pull herself up off the bed with his help.]

[volitaunt]

[ He draws her right up against him. It isn't--

Okay, it is what he meant to do. He just wants to hold her for a minute, rest his face against her hair, feel the way they fit.

Now he's not being fair, and he knows it.

Poe draws back enough to look her in the eye, tracing the curve of her lower lip with the edge of his thumb. ] We're not very good at this.

[coy]

I'm very good at this and I remember you being pretty amazing too. [ Yep, if he's going to keep playing unfairly, so is she. She looks at him, feels the gentle press of his thumb just beneath her bottom lip, her own expression is heated.

He keeps saying that he doesn't want to hurt her but she thinks that this Sam and Diane, back and forth, will-they-won't-they might hurt her worse in the long run, once it stops being frustratingly fun.]

I'm a big girl, Poe Dameron. I can make my own decisions. [ There, she said it.] And I'm pretty sure that I could kiss you without it hurting me.

[volitaunt]

[ That makes one of us.

Which puts things in the perspective that he needed. He's been so preoccupied with the thought of possible future hurt that he forgot the present danger.

He's not sure he can do this without it meaning something later.

Though that's his problem, isn't it? If she wants this, if she's sure, then he can give her the moment. Poe relaxes against her. He brushes a few stray bits of hair back from her face, an excuse to touch her cheek. ] All right.

[coy]

[ The thing is, she doesn't want him to 'give her the moment', she wants it to be a two way street. And his two muttered words do not instill a confidence that he isn't just placating her in some way. It lacks the enthusiasm, the heat, she's seeking in this moment.

Seriously?

So instead of kissing him hot and heavy, she simply leans in to press a soft kiss to his lips, when she pulls back, she taps his chest playfully.] See? A-okay.

[volitaunt]

[ He laughs breathlessly, following her lips when she pulls back, keeping them centimeters apart.] All right.

[ This time, it's quieter, husky, and when he kisses her it's not soft. It's fingers-tangled-in-her-hair, arm-tight-around-her-waist rough. ]

[coy]

[ That's better.

She barely manages to smile triumphantly before he is kissing her. And it's more than just a little peck to her lips, it's full-on, stop someone on the street to tell them about it later, kissing.

Her mouth meets his with a pleased sort of hum, her hand lifting to hold the back of his head as she shifts in his arms so she's pressed closer. This is a fool's errand, probably, but she thinks that this far from the most reckless thing she's ever done.

Fingers curl into the hair at the base of his neck as her other hand moves to grab at his shoulder and pull him into her.]

[volitaunt]

[ He can feel every spot they touch. It's one of those phenomenon that fascinate him, in moments like these, the way the mind shifts to process the pang of sore muscles and injured nerves and the underscore pleasure of her grip on his shoulder.

He folds against her obediently, feels the brush of her shirt where his has rucked up, and hooks his arm down under her butt to lift her up and turn them around so she's got her back against the door. He breaks away to whisper in her ear:] This feels familiar.

[ He kisses his way from her jawline to the top of her shirt, barely brushing her with tongue and teeth. (Poe is an expert at not leaving evidence behind.)

Then it's back to her lips. ]

[coy]

[ Much, much better.

If he thinks he can feel every spot they touch, she feels it in about hundred more intense ways. She can hear his heartbeat, she can sense his pulse, she can feel very ounce of heat that his body presses into hers. The perks of being a vampire: heightened senses.

And that also means that she's a lot more sensitive to... well, everything. So when she's suddenly pressed against the door, her legs wrapping instinctively around his waist, she can't help the soft sound of pleasure that erupts from her lips when his mouth finds her throat. And she laughs breathlessly at his words.] Just a little.

[ When his mouth finds hers again, she kisses him back with an equal fervor, her hand burying itself back into his hair, tugging just a little, to be playful.] Feels better this time.

oh so content warning for heavy makeouts I GUESS THAT SHOULD BE A THING

[volitaunt]

[ That tug sets off electric prickles that run from his scalp to his shoulders, a trail of sensation continuing down to his groin. One arm stays supporting her; the other takes her free hand and grips her wrist, pressing it to the door over her head. ] It was something like this, I think.

[ He shifts forward, very purposefully, spreading her legs a little further and rolling his body so his waist grinds against her thighs and teases at more private places.]

AYUP

[coy]

[ This escalated quickly and Caroline's too wrapped up in it to really care. It feels good, it feels familar. And her impulse is to keep that feeling going. She hums softly into his mouth, the sound greedy as his hand presses hers to the door above her head.

And when he presses himself between her thighs, pressing himself closer and giving her friction, there's a soft moan that erupts from her lips.]

I think so...

[volitaunt]

[ This is Poe's favorite part of this kind of... activity. Mapping his partner's reactions like points on a star chart, experimenting to see what garners the best response.

Some people might think of it as unromantic, analytical, but he just thinks of it as fun.

Poe twines his fingers through hers, shifting to kiss her neck again. That seems to be a favorite. This time, it's not just mouth and lips. He hovers just over her skin instead, breathing a trail of light contact up to her jawline and taking her earlobe very delicately between his teeth. ]

[coy]

[ The neck has always been a sensitive area for Caroline, however since turning, it's become beyond that, it's one of her best erogenous zone, if you want to be technical. So yeah, when he does this thing, he definitely gets the best reaction from her, a panting breath and a shudder, her body arching into his enticingly.

And when he takes her earlobe between his teeth, she makes another soft, pleasured sound, her eyes fluttering open.] You're making it really hard for me to want to stop you. [ Because they could get caught any moment and this was definitely not either of their rooms or even their house.]

[volitaunt]

[ He laughs, a little regretfully, easing his arm out from under her butt slow enough that she can unwrap herself from his waist without falling. Her hand is still tangled with his, and he hasn't withdrawn from his position by her face. Instead, he rests his face against her neck, feeling a twist of longing that normally would tell him it's time to reaffirm any short-term promises made.

Except there were no short-term promises here. This is just a big unplanned mess of emotions. ]

Do you want me to? [ He pulls back then, bringing his hand down, hers still held in it. ]

[coy]

[ And she is quick to make him understand, her voice soft, her legs staying wrapped around his waist until he can get the message.] Only because this is Steve's house. [ Which means, she doesn't want to stop and she knows it's dangerous not to but... she also feels a strange going all the way in her not!brother's room.] But no, not really. [ She answers it honestly, a smirk curving her lips. Her hand slides over his hair again, moving to slide down his back and tug him back into her.]

[volitaunt]

[ He rests his forehead against hers, then leans in to make the action into a kiss. The break is enough to bring him back to his senses, somewhat.

How can I miss this when it isn't real?

Poe runs the fingers of his free hand lightly through her hair. He wants to apologize for what memories say he did. He wants to point his ship's nose toward another galaxy and get away from this.

Instead he just exhales a little. What he needs is a cold shower. ]

[coy]

[ It's confusing for Caroline too. Her head is spinning with memories. There are good ones and there are ones that hurt. There's the voice in her head that reminds her that this isn't real. There's memories of back home, of kisses with other boys, of feelings that she tries to bury.

He touches her hair and she bumps her nose with his, gently. He wouldn't want you if he knew what you were she reminds herself, the thought sobering. Exhaling, she smiles at him, trying for playful but it's more rueful.]

At least I probably look properly tussled? [ Her hand squeezes his, thumb running over the back of it. She doesn't shy away from looking into his eyes, if he's even looking at her.] If we do... whatever it is we're doing, I think we need to go slow. [ Her voice is soft.] We need more time to... figure out how these memories make us feel. [ She kisses him sweetly, briefly.]

So we take it slow because otherwise, I'll feel like I'm taking advantage of you. [ Says the girl happily pinned to the door.]

[volitaunt]

[ He laughs quietly. He is looking at her, right at her, which makes not kissing her easier and harder at the same time. Easier and harder still, after that tiny kiss. ] Taking advantage of me. That's a first.

[ Maybe it's not the best place to go after what they were just doing, but he draws Caroline back over to sit on the edge of the bed. ] Listen, Care--Caroline.

[ No nicknames, not with what he needs to tell her, not with going slow. ]

That moon we went to? Two years before I was born, it almost got blown up by a weapon called the Death Star. It was a battle station the size of a moon itself, and it could destroy whole planets. The Galactic Empire had already destroyed one, called Alderaan. They murdered two billion people to prove a point.

[ His grip on her hand tightens for a moment, sick at the thought, tension humming in his bones at a contextless memory: red lights, streaming across a daytime sky, punctuated by star-bright explosions. ]

My parents fought that Empire. They were part of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, and I barely knew them the first two years of my life. I don't really remember that time, anyway. But they fought to bring the Empire down, with only a small hope of winning, and they did it. My mother flew that ship you saw in defense of the freedom of the galaxy. My dad was commended and honorably discharged with a recommendation from General Han Solo himself.

[ He pauses. ] Y'with me so far?

[coy]

[ He draws her from the wall and she's equal parts disappointed and relieved. However, whatever disappointment she might feel before she disappears when he starts to talk, sitting them both on the bed and holding her hand.

She listens intently, following most of what he's said. It sounds... intense vaguely familiar although a part of her thinks that it explains quite a bit about him, the honor that seems to be so deeply ingrained within him. She sees where it comes from now, although as she connects the dots from what he's said before--]

Yeah but... from what you've told me... it sounds like the battle didn't end completely? [ Because it sounds like he's fighting another war.]

[volitaunt]

Most of the Empire got stamped out. But there were--are--people who still...

[ Disgust steals his focus for a moment, and he can't look at her, not when what she would see on his face would so obviously be hate.

Steady, Dameron.

She's so easy to talk to. He could tell her what he remembers of his mother, her faith in the goodness of the universe, her steadfast belief in people, in the future. He could tell her about that conversation with his father, when he was nine years old, the fear that followed Poe all the way to enlistment. "What are you afraid of now?" he'd asked. He could even hear the words in his father's voice: "That it was all for nothing."

He could tell her that sometimes, in guilty moments that quickly pass, he's glad his mother didn't live to see the First Order's rise.

Instead he says: ]

They came back. New name. New leaders. Same monsters. I was a New Republic pilot by then, and I tangled with them a few times. The First Order. The Republic wouldn't do anything about them, even when they hijacked civilian ships. [ Even when they blew one of his own subordinates away. ] So I joined General Organa and the Resistance. That's what's waiting for me. That's what I have to find a way back to.

[ He squeezes her hand between his. ] All I have is in that fight, until it ends or--

[ Or he does. ] I can't let what my parents fought for die. I can't let my father see the rise of a new Empire. I won't.

[coy]

[It's weird how familiar this conversation feels and yet, how utterly foreign. He speaks about space ships and rebellions, of generals and republics and of his parents, of the things they did and the things he seems to want to honor; it feels so big, like a huge weight on his shoulders.

She feels the urge to tell him then, to be honest with him, to tell him what she is, about the things she's been through, the people she's lost, the her struggle to stay alive and keep her loved ones alive. But she's a coward in that moment. She may justify it as not telling someone else's secrets, risking the exposure of the rest of the Mystic Falls crew but she was about to tell Steve the very thing she wasn't going to tell Poe.

Steve's rejection was going to be hard enough, she didn't think she could handle Poe's in the same day (or ever). And somehow, right now, what he's saying feels almost the same in tone as what he'd said in their false memories.

Her expression, somehow, stays measured and even as she nods, although she averts her gaze for the first time.] We'll figure out a way to get you back home, [ she says quietly, remembering that conversation and yet, somehow the memory morphs between Poe and Tyler.

Then stay. Just be the love of my life, Just love me more than you hate him than you need to fight.

Don't you dare walk away from me. I swear to God, Tyler Poe if you take one more step, we are done, okay? No more surprises, no more excuses, no more chances. We are done.

Her fingers flutter to her forehead as it furrows, the memory slamming into her brain. She's not in love with Poe, she doesn't need to say those things, she doesn't need to threaten him. She won't have to feel her heart shatter when he walks away.]

I understand. I get it.

[volitaunt]

[ He presses a kiss to her temple, the motion somehow chaste even after what they were doing only minutes ago. ]

I'm not abandoning anyone here. If I go home, you're going home, or with us if you can't. [ Us-- Cassian, Jyn, Rey, General Organa, BB-8. ] I'm not leaving anyone who doesn't want to stay.

[coy]

[ She looks at him after that kiss, after those words. Her eyes meeting with his and she offers him a sad smile.] You're right, I have to go home too. [ There's a brief pause before--] I have my own battles to fight. Not rebellions or wars but... I have people who need me.

[volitaunt]

[ Somehow, he didn't expect that to hurt.

He didn't realize there was a part of him that hoped she would want to come with him--them. He steps on it, hard, with that constant reminder: He barely knows her. He doesn't know her world at all. He has no idea what's waiting for her, and no right to expect she'd leave it. None whatsoever, no matter what memory tells him. ]

Then we'll figure out a way to get you back home. [ He rests his forehead against hers again, this time not moving for a kiss. It's just for the contact, the solidity of someone else who's in this place, this mess, just like him. (Just like Jyn said.) ]