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

[ceoinstilettos]

[ pepper didn’t pick up a controller and join in the go karting fun, because she wasn’t looking to embarrass herself. video games weren’t her forte and while it seemed like the person in last place always got the best items she figured she’d be chastised for using the accursed blue shell over and over. so, instead, she found a seat by ana and watched as she tore up the track. ]

[ she smiled, cheering her on when she was in first and giving her words of encouragement when she wasn’t… and maybe even chuckling when she did get hit with a shell. Sorry! ] I had no idea you were such a gamer.

[seeyaduke]

[Ana didn't mind when Pepper chuckled, she just gave her a mad sort of grin over her shoulder and metaphorically picked herself up and dusted herself off. After all, she was trying to keep a low profile, or at least she should be. Of course that shell made her want to work quicker and actually beat whoever had dared hit her with it, but that was neither here nor there. Instead she just smiled at the comment, but it was a sad one.

At least Rex was still there in both of her memories, though hopefully the girl who had lived here (lives here?) wouldn't have her brother show up under the guise of the Doctor and of course attempt to mind control her. Or did mind control her.

There was a little brush behind her ear for a second, and Ana could feel the light pulse of the nanomites that always seemed to come to the surface when someone touched them.]

I used to play with Rex.

[ceoinstilettos]

[ she couldn't blame her for wanting to toast whoever had struck her with the shell. she had been going strong the entire race, slated for first, and then, bam!, out of the blue. pepper shook her head. it was crazy how one item could turn the tide of an entire race. for a moment she wondered why steve had taken this thing out, because it seemed more aggravating than anything. ]

[ but when she caught the sad smile ana threw her way she felt her own expression start to falter. ] That's a memory from... home, right, [ her eyes briefly lifted to where the cameras were supposed to be, but because they had been removed they could talk freely. ] Your brother? [ if she remembered right. ]

[seeyaduke]

Well, they were lovely enough to actually give me the memory of losing him here as well. [There was a spiteful edge to those words that she couldn't keep from herself, even though she may have wanted to. It was like a doubled wound having both Rexes having died in the same fashion.. Well "the same fashion" hopefully the memory Rex wasn't actually a monster who had faked his own death. And of course that was something else that Ana worried about when it all came down to this place: what they might decide to pull with things.

However, she just sounds tired when she admits the truth of who he was, a bone weary exhaustion that no amount of sleeping or running seems to be able to cure.] Yeah, he's my brother. Was my brother, maybe. [A gallic shrug as if that part didn't seem to matter, which tense she used about him, even though of course it did. It couldn't not when he had done everything he had done.

When she had done everything she had done as well.]

[ceoinstilettos]

[ and of course ‘they’ would do something like that. she doesn’t know if the memories they have about their other lives are intentional or accidental, but it seems like all of them have had a great impact on them… for better or for worse. reaching for ana’s shoulder she gives it a small, if but reassuring squeeze… hoping she can, at least, reminder her that no matter what she’ll always be there for her. ]

He’s your brother. [ she didn’t know all of the details surrounding her and her brother’s rocky relationship, but she could tell that he meant a lot to her… no matter how she spoke about him. ] Did you want to take a break… [ her gaze flickers to the tv as she gets to her feet. ] How about a drink? [ and they can go somewhere a bit more private to continue this conversation. ]

[seeyaduke]

[Ana can't help but smile at that squeeze. If there's anything that she's grateful for here, it's the joint memories of Pepper being her family; it staved off some of the feeling of being so damned alone. So did the party, and so did just having something as stupid as the ability to say Rex's name aloud.

Passing the controller off to whoever had called next, Ana nodded to Pepper.] I think a drink sounds like a great idea. [And then she smiled, because she was Ana and Ana was occasionally the Baroness and the Baroness couldn't have her feelings so show easily to everyone else here.] After all, can't win every game.

[There, nothing to do with dead brothers or anything else.]