(no subject)

[pullsneedles]

The house is nice and clean and there's cider simmering on the stove. The table has a small buffet setup with curry and make-your-own-riceballs.

With how cozy the house is, it'd be hard to guess that four people could have ever lived comfortably here, especially when two of them were young boys. There's a big bed with a blue pillow and a dresser with a mirror, a scrap of red cloth, and a little blue shoe.

Outside, Wess, Lighter, and Fuel are all waiting with Boney and the sheep. There's a fence, a doghouse, and a small stable.

Each person is easy to tell from the others. Wess is clearly the oldest, somewhat short with white, sparse hair. Lighter is tall and muscular, stubble on his chin and a 2x4 on his shoulder. Fuel looks to be about the same size as Lucas, the light still in his young eyes. All three are bundled up, with Fuel running around with Boney.

"Welcome to my house," Lucas says as he brings everybody in.

Comments

[basic_powers]

Beauford's got some funny puffy marks on his face, as he steps through the door into Lucas' house, at least they're different from the way he looked when he gave Lucas all the food tonight's party, which he's looking at with a big grin.

"Cozy place."

...and his voice is a little raspier too, come to think of it.

[pullsneedles]

"Hey Mister Beauford," Lucas says, getting some fresh water for Boney.

Boney, meanwhile, is sniffing along at Beauford, the dog being followed by another young boy.

"Is his face supposed to be puffy?" the boy asks.

"Fuel, you shouldn't ask that," the boy's dad says. "Sorry about him. I'm Lighter."

The tall, muscular man offers a hand to shake.

[basic_powers]

"I don't mind, kids asking questions is just how they learn things." Beauford rasps, reaching out to shake Lighter's hand with a small grin. "Beauford Tannen, pleasure to meet you both."

Beauford glances down at his leg and smiles a little at Boney, reaching down to let the dog sniff at his freehand. It'll smell like drinks, soda, chemicals, powder and a little bit like...beef jerky.

"No Fuel, I just had a little accident at work. One of the girls I worked with was a little bit off with the aim of her perfume the other day, and it turns out I'm a little bit allergic to something in it."

[pullsneedles]

Fuel can't help but snicker at the puffiness while Boney curiously licks at Beauford's hand.

"Where do you work?" Lighter asks, as those sorts of accidents aren't a potential hazard in his work.

Lucas brings the water bowl over and Boney goes to get a drink, a break before he goes to sneak morsels from everybody.

"You can go ahead and help yourself," the young host says, going back to the stove so that he can get Beauford a mug of the cider he provided.

[basic_powers]

"I work serving food and drinks at a late-night restaurant back home." Beauford answers, smiling at Boney before the dog goes to get himself a drink. "Lilly, one of my coworkers, was just a little bit over-excited about the gift her beau had gotten her for her birthday."

[pullsneedles]

"Ah yes," the old man says, finally speaking up. "That's only natural, I think. Flint and Hinawa were much the same way. People would say the birds in the trees were jealous of them."

Lucas smiles and tries not to think too hard about Wess talking about his parents.

[basic_powers]

"Yeah, I don't fault Lilly one whit for being excited, 's only natural after all." Just next time, be careful with the aim. "I'm looking forward to getting a good look around Tazmily later on, Lucas has been telling me about how much it's been changing."

[pullsneedles]

"You gonna see the train, too?" Fuel asks.

"And we're gonna show him the flowers and the memorial," Lucas adds.

[basic_powers]

"Yeh, I'm going to see the train too." Beauford smiles at Fuel. "First though, I'm going to stuff myself on some of that curry."

[raptorcanaria]

Dinah would ask if she should see the other guy, but she has to remember not everyone fights the same sort of people and things she did.

"What happened to you?" She's already putting a drink in his hand.

[basic_powers]

"Coworker at the bar. Lilly got a new perfume from her beau, got very excited, didn't aim the nozzle right, and I had my mouth open. That's when I find out I'm mildly allergic to something in her perfume and had a fun little trip on the weee-woo machine." Beauford replies with a small smile and a wince, and gestures to his face "Docs said I was lucky, and that this'll clear up in a couple of days."

[raptorcanaria]

Dinah also winces, out of sympathy in her case.

"Please tell me the 'wee-woo' machine is its actual name."

[basic_powers]

Snrrrrk.

"Yeah, Jasil's car was a police car in a former life, so, 'weee-woo machine'." Beauford chuckles. "Beat having to ride in an ambulance. He's one of the few decent drag-queens who works the bar."

[raptorcanaria]

Dinah laughs, though partly at herself. "Now I'm disappointed. I thought it was a machine of alien heakling technology."

She has different ideas about what's normal.

[basic_powers]

"Nah, nothing so grandiose, though the velvet interior IS something else."

Normal? What's that?

[raptorcanaria]

"Velvet interior?" Dinah laughs. "Never seen that in a police car."

[basic_powers]

"Jasil got the whole thing done years ago, purple velvet, and I'd make a very off-colour joke about where he got all of that, but there're little ears present." Beauford sips some of the cider up. "How're your 'identity papers' coming?"

[a1enzo]

"Dude, you okay?"

No, he doesn't recognize the man. Why, should he?

[basic_powers]

No, he shouldn't. Not with that raspy voice and the puffy face at least.

"Accident with a co-workers perfume. Found out I was mildly allergic to something in it when she accidentally gave me a faceful." He smiles at the kid asking him the question. "Don't believe we've met before.."

[a1enzo]

"Ouch. I'm Enzo. I'm, uh," he lowers his voice so the natives can't overhear, "usually not human, so I won't look the same in Milliways."

[basic_powers]

"Beauford, nice to meet you Enzo." Beauford nods and winks. "I'll keep that in mind."

[a1enzo]

In a more normal voice: "So, where do you work? And can you get comp for that?"

[basic_powers]

"Got a little bit of compensation for it, Lilly promised to cover all my shifts and give me half the tips since we're mostly there to make the drinks and be a pretty face." Beauford smiles. "My night job is tending bar at a nightclub in downtown Seattle. Sometimes I help serve the food too."

[a1enzo]

"Hmm. I think I've seen you tending at Milliways, too, haven't I?"

[basic_powers]

"Yeh, I grab a Happy Hour when I can to earn a little extra cash. Never hurts to have a little nestegg for emergency-whatever."