2013-01-26 Hot Heads, Cold Pizza

It is a glorious sunset near the lake at the back of the Xavier Estate, the colors reflecting on its frozen surface, and the remnants of snow forts and an epic snow battle litter the snow covered field. Most students have headed in for hot chocolate, to warm themselves by the many fireplaces, or to get some hot food. The snow warzone is at peace for now. These, however, are neither the case for the littlest Brood, his mind in turmoil as he sit besides the lake. While he does have a semi-crushed looking thermos, looking like some giant bird left its talon's impressions in it, steaming hot chocolate emitting its heady aroma from the open top, Broo is not drinking it, but instead staring at it with some apprehension... almost wait to see if something happens.
Snow war. Snow war never changes. John Allerdyce is here to survey the blobs and patches of snow scattered across the field, the young man apparently having decided to excuse himself from the masses of student huddling around fires and finding warm things to put themselves beside. Pyro can make his own fireplaces as necessary. His passage toward the lake is accompanied by periodic gouts of flame, snow bunkers in his path melting to puddles as he proceeds. He's off to the lake, though there's a brief pause when he notes someone actually in that direction.
Sometimes it's better to drive than to fly. Like when one is making a special delivery. Carol went by Guissepe's Pizza Den and got a couple pies. Sure, it's a bit of a drive out to the mansion, but she figures they can cook them there. They're frozen in a cooler in her trunk. She knows how much Broo likes pizza, so it's just a friendly gift for fun. She didn't even tell Broo she was coming. Sure, she told Piotr or Scott, or whomever answered the call that she was going to visit. But she asked them specifically not to tell the little Broodling she was coming.
So here we are, a couple hours later, without maniac metahumans blocking her path, and she pulls into the driveway at the school before parking and getting out to stretch arms and legs. Now... if she were a mini-brood-mutant, where would -she- be hiding at? Hrmmm... she fiddles with her friendship bracelet and lets her eyes roam the grounds. Maybe this -is- a time for aerial recon... so she lifts straight up and starts spinning slowly about to get a bead on things.
Despite most of the students heading inside, or perhaps because of it, a lone student walks along the lake, a few impetuous strands of auburn and white hair escaping her hood and blowing in the wind. Rogue's eyes are cast down, her attention locked on her own thoughts instead of the gorgeous sunset. In fact, she is so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hardly notices Broo as her walk leads her by his spot. The unmistakable scent of the cocoa catches her attention, reminds her of something, and she comments to him without looking, "That smells good, but do ya think it's so good you'll want to freeze out here drinking it?"
Slowly glancing up, Broo smiles sheepishly from beneath his own hood, "Technically I can't even freeze in the vacuum of space, so I highly doubt this -7 degrees celsius or 20 degrees fahrenheit if you prefer will be even sufficient to cause me much discomfort were I not garbed in semi weather appropriate apparel." he tilts his head, and sniffs, "That is odd... you smell... like a Kree?" he pauses and sniffs again, "Actually you smell like Carol? But you are not Carol, there are many differences, are you her younger sibling or do you share a single progenitor?" slowly standing up as his eyes trail up and down Rogue's form.
John, once he's cleared the remainder of his path through the snow, also seems to notice that Broo has treasure. He keeps an eye on the crushed thermos as he makes his approach, hands stuffing back in his jacket, hiding away the lighter he'd been using as impromptu flamethrower. There's a short glance between the two, and he asks, "Are you going to drink that?" He doesn't seem to care about butting into conversation. He's more focused on ground than sky, so Carol isn't noted quite yet.
Ah, people over there. Maybe... oh hey look, there's the little guy. Carol drops out of the sky again. She's not in costume, just street clothes of course... as well as her lucky (And ugly) hat. She plucks the pizzas out of the back seat and goes trapsing off towards the lake with a smile on her face. Strut, strut, strut... and she turns a corner, coming into sight, "Hey Broo!" she calls out, "I brought a surprise!" she adds as she hefts the pizzas in her hand.. the frozen pizzas, but hey, we got a fire guy to cook right?!
Rogue is taken aback by Broo's words, her heart jumping into her throat as she tries to find an explanation, "Ah, um, . . . maybe we use the same perfume. And, don't you know it's impolite to ask a lady about how she smells?" Even as she says the words she thinks them over in her mind. Do they wear the same scent? Did she choose it because she likes it or because Carol did? 
She reaches up to pull the hood further over her features as she grabs on to the escape line of John's words, flashing him a half-smile as she says, "Ah like the way the man thinks. You may not get cold, but ah reckon' the two of us could use something warm. Ah'm Rogue, by the way. . ." And then she hears the voice, something strange but all too familiar. "Her? Here?" she mutters under her breath.
As Pyro comments about the hot chocolate, Broo looks back down at it. He ponders a moment, considering if he deserves the beverage, if he has any right to act if he is a good being anymore after what he did and what he almost did. After a moment of thought he holds it out, and removes the little cups from in the lid, "Go ahead, enjoy it." He smiles meekly, looking to Rogue, "It seems something deeper then simply fragrance applications, perhaps it is just a confluence of genetics, an odd anomaly of some sort. I am Broo, it is nice to meet you Rogue." he starts to offer a little clawed hand, but then hears Carol and spins around, his wings extending, and he rushes at a modest speed, hugging Carol enthusiasticly, "Carol!" he clings a moment and then sniffs, "Your scent, it is even more like that of Rogue over there... you have far less Methylcarbinol aroma... almost none at all?" seeming confused as he looks between the two
"Us? Who said us?" John's tone is wry, a half-amused little smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. It's hard to tell if he's kidding or not, but Carol's appearance and Broo's sudden lunge toward her gives him a small start before he can help himself to Broo's drink. He pulls back for a second, turning to stare over at Carol and her offering. It takes a second for him to digest, but when he does he offers: "Nice hat." It would be hard to sound any more insincere.
"It's lucky." says Carol with a nod of her head before Broo virtually slams into her. Were she human, that might bowl her over. As it is, she just manages to keep the pizzas from crashing to the ground and wrap one arm about Broo. "Huh?" she asks, her face going almost totally expressionless as Broo mentions.... her eyes flicker past the little guy and she spies.. oh her. Those blue eyes narrow a bit and she takes a deep breath. "Yes Broo, I quit the drinking. Someone helped me to figure out that it was time." Her eyes don't leave Rogue though, and she lets her words trail off before she starts moving forward again, "Broo, let's keep this... civil. By that I mean, let's not ask about the scent similarity just now, okay?"
Rogue's gaze focuses on Carol for a moment and she tenses and closes her eyes, as if bracing for an impact. Three, two one. . .she lets out her breath and slowly opens one eye first and then the other. She's not been knocked into orbit so this is going better than she imagined it in her head. "So, y'all know each other?" Even as the words come out she realizes how awkward and inadequate they are and so she quickly adds to Carol, "And, um, Ah agree with Sparky. That's a right nice hat." Of all the mutant powers in the world, she now wonders why eloquence wasn't in her genetic lottery.
Still clinging to Carol a little while longer, as if her presence makes him feel extra safe, Broo looks up, "Oh yes, the multitude of colors in splended. I love how Terrans can get so many pigment variations into a garment. Shi'ar are also good at it, but all Kree and Skrull attire has so dull of single shade colors, it is somewhat depressing." since he has been asked, he lets the matter of scents drop, but he pauses, and frowns a bit, looking up at Carol a bit concerned, "You are not here to destroy me for my rampage when I was temporarally made into a full grown Broodling, are you Carol? I tried to control myself, but the sudden instinctual feelings were so overwhelming. I tried to be good."
Words like 'destroy' and 'rampage' cause Pyro's eyebrows to arch upward, the boy's lips pressing into a small line as he peers between Carol and Broo. Then he seems to realize that nobody has grabbed the thermos yet, so he quickly reaches down to scoop it up. He eyes the pizza too, though he doesn't seem terribly keen on interrupting this conversation. Instead he sips, making just small comment of, "John. Not sparkly."
"Glad you like..." begins Carol, but just as certain keywords cause a reaction in John.. so do they in Carol. She blinks... and then slowly turns her head to Broo, "Say that again?" she asks. "You.. huh? Full Brood?" She shakes her head. Too many mental haymakers at once for her to keep up maybe. Heck, one other person here can likely feel the headache building in Carol's head. After all, she has similar thought patterns.
"No one's about to be destroyin' anyone, Broo," Rogue says finding a bit more confidence as she turns her attention outwards, certain words clicking memories in her head, "What happened? You don't look like you'd be hurtin' anyone."
Sighing, and slowly releasing Carol's legs, Broo slumps a bit, "I was holding my sign on the street corner, looking for work, since I want to be able to pay Carol and other back for the money they loaned or gave me to help me out. Joshua Foley was busy looking at a female and did not see me, tripping over me and knocking me into the snow, mud, and gunk in the street gutter. Since he had felt guilty, he thought perhaps he could trigger an increase in my height, so I would not be so lilliputian in stature. He took my claw. The growth was however not just in my overall size, but he triggered essentially a near instantanious maturation to physical adulthood, causing my extra limbs to come out, my tails to elongate to more then nubs and develop full barbs, increased strength and resistance to injury, higher speed and senses, neuroparalytic capacities, salivatory toxicity and corrosiveness, and the intense craving and instinctual savagery." he frowns, "I nearly ate someones face because they'd recently consumed chocolate and the aroma of terran flesh with chocolate was seemingly irresistible." he looks about to cry, "It was terrible... I... never want to grow up."
John just sort of stares blankly at Broo as the alien relates his story, his face becoming progressively more incredulous as it goes on. Another swallow of the hot chocolate is taken, and then it's offered out over in Rogue's direction. There's about one whole sip left in it, but it's the thought that counts, right? Maybe. Either way, he mutters, "That's....not good." Which is probably an understatement.
"No, it's not." agrees Carol. Her eyes flicker back towards Rogue and she smirks just a bit. It's that wordless communication that really only Rogue would get. She's likely made that face before.. the.. we'll talk later.. look. Then she gently puts Broo down on the ground and holds the pizzas out towards Pyro, "John is it?" she asks. "Can you hold these? I think I need to have a word with this Josh. I -told- him that he was playing with fire. I told him that he was a presumptuous little turd. Now I need to go -explain- it to him. Nobody screws with -my- friends like that." she says as she turns to start towards the mansion, her clothes (and hat) being replaced in a single moment by her new blue and red costume... and the gold highlights, but still the sash, duh!
Taking the thermos lid, careful not to let even her gloved hand brush against John's, Rogue looks down and the remaining sip and finds a bemused grin, "That you much, John. Yer truly a gentleman," she quips with sarcasm. 
As Carol transforms into her uniform, Rogue rethinks her earlier understanding of the situation, and sets the warm beverage aside. "Ah think ah know that look and that walk. Ah take it back. Someone might be gettin' destroyed. You boys think we oughta go after her?"
Normally John might complain about being used to hold things. This is different in that these things are food, and Professor X doesn't usually order out for pizza, so it's a treat. "Yeah, sure." The food is taken in short order. His eyes follow Carol as the woman makes her retreat, the magic costume trick apparently something new. Rogue's comment draws a quick smirk in the woman's direction, a reply of, "Should have been faster." Her suggestion, though, gets a short nod after he considers it a moment. "Yeah, sure." Violence is fun! There's a pause when Broo attempts to put the kibosh on that.
Well, Carol isn't hung over, and the pizzas aren't cooked. Unrelated details indeed, but they are both true! The fact that she's sober and cleaned up means that Carol is more likely to be reasonable when she's not PISSED. The fact that the pizzas are still frozen means that in anyone else's hands, they might stay that way for a while.
Carol isn't listening at first. She has this streak of fierce protectiveness, almost like a big sister type thing. Hrm... how many times has Rogue gotten more angry... not to mention more effective in a fight, after a friend got hurt? Well, there's some of Rogue in there too, it's not all Carol after all! However as Broo keeps talking, she slows down and then stops with her fists clenched at her sides. One... two.. three... oh skip it. She turns her head to look at you all and takes a slow breath before letting it out. As the breath goes out, the clothes change back.. and look! The lucky hat is back! "Okay then.. why don't go inside? I figure the three of us can share a pizza and Broo gets his own. After all, we need to cook'em properly."
Free of anything encumbering her, Rogue shoves her hands deep into the pockets of her hoodie and starts to walk towards the mansion with the group, "Ya hear that, John? Share. That means ya leave some for the rest of us," she says teasing the man in an attempt to lighten the mood as they make the trek to warmer environs.
Happy that Carol has given into reason, and that there is pizza, Broo smiles and leads the way toward the school, doing the cabbage patch dance, and singing, "I get a Pizza, it will be yummy, when I eatza, it goes in my tummy. Hanging with Carol, and new friends John and Rogue, we eat the Pizzas, cause it's in vogue." flitting around, doing little barrel rolls, flipping upside down, flying backwards, and doing the cabbage patch the entire time.
Well, so much for the plan to abscond with the pizzas. John flashes a quick, toothy grin over at Rogue when she calls him out on it, offering a grudging reply of, "Yeah, sure. Let's go." Broo's cheer brings only instant regret. But it's too late to go back now, and he's not abandoning the pizza. "It's easier than trying to cook it myself." Which would probably end terribly, and with something on fire.
"That's what ovens are for." remarks Carol as she walks calmly now, Broo's cheer has her cringing inwardly, but... it does distract her from the pent up anger and frustration. "Hey Broo.." she calls out as she steps it up a pace to catch up to the guy. "I need to apologize to you." She smirks a bit and says, "You don't get to tell me not to either. It's something I need to do. You met me when I was in... a bad way. I'm not drinking anymore and I wanted to say I was sorry for... well, a lot of things but mostly, for being an unreliable drunk." There, she's said it out loud...
Rogue catches herself smiling as she watches Broo's song and dance, "If only it was so easy for all of us," she comments more to herself than the group. She inclines her head when Carol apologizes, surprised that a woman like her would have to apologize-- but unwilling to press her luck, she lets the moment pass for now and instead says, "You cook, John? Ah can't say ah would have guessed that."
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