Gretchen Wagner (indigogirl) wrote in marvel_nextgen,
@ 2010-09-28 04:58:00

Entry tags:

inactive - braddock lebeau, inactive - gretchen wagner

Not Taking Kindly to Serious
Gretchen looked around at the Other New Orleans -- she couldn't help thinking of it that way; things still seemed so alien here -- and wondered how Rose and Anastasia were doing. And there was a twinge as she remembered what Braddock had said about Anastasia's father. It still didn't seem possible that there could be a traitor at their Xavier's. They were all family. She kept hoping Brad's parents were mistaken.

So she stood there, skin soaking in the streetlights in the twilight, and reached to get Brad to hold her closer. That was never difficult.

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	princeofthieves 2010-09-30 03:56 am UTC (link)
	"I didn't mean to offend, Gretchen. I won't say it again." he says, smiling at her. Pause. "Can I still call you 'My Princess'?" he asks. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	indigogirl 2010-09-30 04:01 am UTC (link)
	"Oh, there's no stopping that, I'm sure," she says with a smile, then takes a breath. "I could also be fairly comfortable being 'your lady'... or maybe 'your girlfriend,' if we can decide that doesn't sound too juvenile." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	princeofthieves 2010-09-30 04:39 am UTC (link)
	"I would like it if you'd be my girlfriend, Gretchen. I don't want any other girl at all. I promise. I know I've been a rascal as long as you've known me, but...I always end up with you." he smiles. "And I like that most of all." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	indigogirl 2010-09-30 04:49 am UTC (link)
	"...Okay. Differences in sensibilities aside, I trust you, Braddock. And we have to, if we're going to be each other's." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	princeofthieves 2010-09-30 05:03 am UTC (link)
	"I trust you, too, Gretchen. You know where I come from and don't judge me harshly for it. That was always something I could never get from Rose and Ana, even though we were friends." Brad says. "There are millions of things I like about you, Gretchen. Someday, I'll make you a list." he smiles. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

indigogirl
2010-09-30 08:23 am UTC (link)

"They care about you," Gretchen's quick to say. "If they take your situation a little harder, it's because they're so committed to the work of the Institute, way more immersed than either of us got to be. And Rose... Rose works so hard at reining herself in." Gretchen felt it was important, despite the other things to deal with at the moment, to make this clear. Rose was like a cousin to her, considering how much Dad and Uncle Logan loved each other. "It's not that she couldn't understand something like.....what happened earlier." Gretchen ignored the sick feeling within her at what had happened, locked it away like she did unpleasant political realities. "It's that she could understand it so well people'd be concerned for her soul."

That matter, important as it is, done with, she mentally puts it aside, she pulls him into a kiss. "I like you, too, Brad. So much."

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	princeofthieves 2010-10-01 12:33 am UTC (link)
	Brad kisses Gretchen, letting his worries disappear in that moment of perfect connection between them. He holds her close, her words echoing in his mind. Ana and Rose had been his friends for a long time, despite their parents' wishes, and the wishes of his own parents as well. "You're the wisest person I know, Princess." he says, smiling down at her. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	indigogirl 2010-10-01 12:53 am UTC (link)
	She enjoys the kiss. "Thank you. Now, does anything need doing here tomorrow?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

princeofthieves
2010-10-01 02:12 am UTC (link)

"Not that I can think of. There's another card tournament at the Casino Monday night and I /might/ have a backer lined up for the high stakes buy-in." he tells her.

"I've...also been thinkin' about approachin' the Thieves Guild and seein' what they've got in the way of work, but if you want to go back to New York, it can wait. I'll have to get back down this way eventually, but it's best that one of us see our family before too long."

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indigogirl
2010-10-01 02:19 am UTC (link)

"I'd really like to check in with them, if we can manage. Besides... assuming there's nothing horrible happening in New York--" This New York, anyway. She still can't get the 'real' one and the dangers their Xavier's might be facing out of her mind easily. But she can try. " -- I can try to finagle a movie night. It's been far too long since the three of you were forced to watch a historical film. And I'd bet my sister'd like it."

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	princeofthieves 2010-10-01 03:13 am UTC (link)
	"Okay, as long as it's not something on London, I'm good. I don't hate London, but if I hear how amazing the British Empire is one more time, I may scream. Loudly and forever." Braddock says, half-jokingly. "Have you tried calling them yet? Let 'em all know we're coming back?" he asks. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	indigogirl 2010-10-01 03:27 am UTC (link)
	"No London. Lots of Strelsau and Zenda." "Not yet. Haven't called much at all; mostly I've written. I'll call in the morning." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	princeofthieves 2010-10-01 03:54 am UTC (link)
	"Okay, that sounds good. In the meantime...what do you want to do? Are you hungry? Tired? Do you just wanna talk?" he asks. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	indigogirl 2010-10-01 03:57 am UTC (link)
	"I am tired, Brad. It's going on two in the morning. ... I just don't want to be alone." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	princeofthieves 2010-10-01 04:42 am UTC (link)
	"Then I'm stayin' with you tonight, Princess. You take the bed and I'll get comfy on the chair over here." he says, pointing at the chair near the window. "You just have to call out if you need anythin' at all." he says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	indigogirl 2010-10-01 05:31 am UTC (link)
	She squeezes his hand, the other going up to touch his face. "Sweet of you." She'll linger next to him as the lights start to dim without anyone going near a switch. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	princeofthieves 2010-10-02 06:41 am UTC (link)
	"I like it when you do that." he murmurs, leaning in to kiss her. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

indigogirl
2010-10-02 07:05 am UTC (link)

And she'll get very, very thoroughly involved in that kiss. "Glad to know. It's good for my health, you know." She leans against him afterward and reflects on... a lot of things. Including a bit from one of her favorite fictional heroines: 'Persons before principles; throw your lot in with an immortal human soul over an abstract set of rules.'

She had to admit, she seemed to have long since decided she was following that advice.

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princeofthieves
2010-10-02 07:28 am UTC (link)

"I must keep my lady in good health and spirits. I mean, what does that say of me if I don't let her bask in the light she so richly deserves?" he asks rhetorically as he holds her.

She's the kind of woman that would make a thief go straight and an assassin lay aside his blade. Braddock thinks.

Five full minutes go by before he realizes the thought that just passed through his head. He was glad she wasn't a telepath, but even more appreciative that his parents weren't around right now.

He's pretty sure they'd flay him alive for thinking such a thing.

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	indigogirl 2010-10-02 07:39 am UTC (link)
	"You make all the professional flatterers at court look like amateurs," she says, chuckling against him. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	princeofthieves 2010-10-03 02:29 am UTC (link)
	"Do you remember when I tried to create the office of First Flatterer to the Princess? Your father didn't look pleased, but we could both see that your mother was doing her best not to laugh me out of court." he says. "Of course, my being there wasn't exactly sanctioned, but still." he grins. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	indigogirl 2010-10-03 02:46 am UTC (link)
	Gretchen laughed. "It's sometimes a testing point for Dad that he's supposed to wear his sword to functions like that." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	princeofthieves 2010-10-03 05:54 am UTC (link)
	"I'll never understand how he lives with all of the politics and insanity on a daily basis. All the listening to people whine and try to jockey for position in the court /has/ to be maddening after a time." Brad says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	indigogirl 2010-10-03 06:01 am UTC (link)
	"One of several reasons he and Mom still insist on getting their thorough daily workouts. To avoid screaming." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	princeofthieves 2010-10-03 07:36 am UTC (link)
	"You know, we should have a ritual like that, so that we don't scream at people or each other. I'm surprised there weren't more reports of pages bein' skewered because they walked in your parents during their fencing matches." Brad says. "Now, I can't fence, but I do know Kendo. Maybe we can make it work." he says with a smile. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)