Timelined May 5th
<Cecilia> Cecilia leaned on the counter causally watching her mother stir the pot of brown rice and glancing shiftily around the room before reaching over and sticking the fingers of her left hand into the pot.
<Cecilia> "So how did you say that happened again, sis?" Miguel asked from the card table in the kitchen, wiggling the fingers of his right hand.
<Cecilia> Cecilia frowned as her mother gave her hand a gentle slap with the serving spoon. "I didn't," she said flatly, licking the spices off her fingers.
<Fabian> He really should have asked Cecilia how much she was wanting to share about what had happened. There was an awkwardness about knowing the answer and not being sure if he should share things or not. Her mother was off limits for that knowledge, he was sure, but surely some would be good to share.
<Fabian> So he drummed his fingers against the card table a bit, just keeping quiet for the most part.
<Cecilia> Miguel raised his eyebrows at Fabian knowingly as Carmen came in through the back door. "Right, chicken's almost ready," she frowned at Vincente waving his arms animatedly through the window, "at least I think it is."
<Cecilia> Maria nodded. <"This is ready,"> she said, gesturing to the pot. <"Why don't we all grab a plate and sit down in the dining room?">
<Cecilia> "Hell yes," Cecilia said a bit roughly, grabbing her plate and going for the rice.
<Fabian> No, no, don't give that look, anything but that look. Fabian tried to dodge her brother's look in a rush to get food. "Everything looks so good, I'm not sure I ever remember looking at food and being so hungry." Food, food was a safe topic. Everyone liked food!
<Cecilia> <"It's just pollo frito,"> Maria said chuckling quietly. <"It's Cecilia's favourite dish from the island.">
<Cecilia> Cecilia smirked a little. "Ajagut en una mica gruixut, el meu amor, no et sembla?" She said, she knew Fabian well enough to know when he was avoiding something. "It is good though."
<Cecilia> ((Catalan: Laying it on a bit thick there, my love, wouldn't you say?))
<Fabian> "El teu germà m'està donant l'ull." Fabian explained quietly. "It smells fantastic." He grinned to Maria, plating his food up when it was his turn. "Homecooking is always a treat. I've still not exactly become a master chef."
<Cecilia> ((Catalan: Your brother is giving me the eye.))
<Cecilia> "Hauria d'estar gelós?" Cecilia teased, filling her plate and heading towards the dining room.
<Cecilia> ((Catalan: Should I be jealous?))
<Cecilia> Maria smiled. <"I'm glad you like it. If you like I can save some of the leftovers for you and Cecilia for when you leave,"> she offered, serving herself and Fabian.
<Fabian> Fabian just smirked and nodded to Cecilia. Hopefully they just assumed all the Catalan was them flirting or else it could go awkward. "No crec que això sigui necessari.." He thanked Maria and grinned back. "Oh, I'll take you up on that probably."
<Cecilia> ((Catalan: I don't think that's necessary...))
<Cecilia> "Such a ladies man," Carmen laughed, ribbing Fabian as she helped herself to some food. "Flattery'll get you everywhere, huh? Even into the heart of the girl who had a church named after her."
<Cecilia> "Not after me," Cecilia said, sitting down at the head of the table. "They just happened to be naming it St.Cecilia's and wanted to yank my chain."
<@Fabian> "My name is papal and also means bean. I can mock nobody for their own naming situations...however my name is fantastic...and I like to think I do know how to flatter." He smirked to Carmen, sliding back into his seat.
<Cecilia> Miguel snorted over his plate. "...bean."
<Cecilia> The door to the dining room opened and in came Vincente, carrying a tray that was emitting a great deal of smoke. "Alright, the legs turned out a little crispy, so sue me!" He put the chicken down in the middle of the table and took a seat. "Still, pollo frito is served."
<@Fabian> "Hush you, my name is delightful." Fabian jokingly threatened Miguel with his fork before looking to the smokey bird. "Nothing wrong with a bit of crispness."
<Cecilia> Vincente began doling out the chicken to everyone. "So how has your birthday been so far, Celia?" he said, sitting down and picking up his fork.
<Cecilia> Cecilia felt her eyes go a bit watery at that question. She looked down at her food to hide it. "Good," she said, forcing her smile somewhat. She glanced quickly at Fabian as if to warn him.
<@Fabian> If there was one thing Fabian was good at it was acting, his smile barely even wavered seeing Cecilia's face. "And this is a welcome break from school even if we're almost out."
<Cecilia> "Exams are done then?" Miguel asked, gesturing with a fork. "I've written technical ones and stuff but I've never actually had to write one about existential shit or whatever they make you write about in college."
<Cecilia> Carmen rolled her eyes. "Christ, Mig. They don't wanna talk about school." She turned to the two people in question. "Do you guys wanna talk about your exams or am I right?"
<@Fabian> "Oh, I've still got to sit anthropology when we get back. Cee opted out of that, soft science after all." He just smirked figuring the others would follow on that and not ask much in the way of questions. "I'm a natural babbler when it comes to writing such things so I can't say as I'm worried."
<Cecilia> "Actually I might take it next year," Cecilia said hoarsely, looking up from her plate. Normal life, just sitting and eating with her family, felt surreal to her at the moment. She felt on edge, like any minute she'd have to get up and run. "That and Italian, so save your notes."
<@Fabian> "...notes?" Fabian looked confused at the notion. "I'm not sure you'd find what notes I have to be useful but I'll be sure to."
<Cecilia> "You don't take notes?" Miguel asked, surprised. "Or are you one of those people that do shorthand?"
<Cecilia> Cecilia raised an eyebrow. "You do remember I speak Spanish and Catalan? If they're in a different language I'll understand them."
<@Fabian> "I took Italian for the easy mark though, hopefully they'll be of some use but a lot of the notes are side doodles on things that amused me at the time. There's a series of doodles of manta rays because Lukas was talking about wanting to have the ability to be his own blanket one day."
<Cecilia> "That's the Finnish guy, right?" Vincente said, sipping his beer. "Cee's told us a lot of stories about him. Apparently she suckered him into giving her a blood sample!"
<Cecilia> "That's the one you're gonna prank, right?" Miguel asked Cecilia, through his mouthful of food. "Ow!" He said as he was kicked under the table. "You told me you were!"
<@Fabian> "Now what are you going to do to poor Lu-never mind, Lukas always deserves it. Can I get in on it? Another foiling? Because if he has his 'helmet' that would be hilarious to foil."
<@Fabian> "But yes, that's one of the Finnish guys, Ankka I can't claim teasingly to be my pet Finn, though."
<Cecilia> "Nothing too bad," Cecilia said, raising her hand in an 'I surrender' gesture. "I'm just gonna make his alter ego official...in a manner of speaking." She smiled far more genuinely as she picked up her fork. "That and I'm gonna give him his very first emerald green push-up bra, 'cause his tits are fabulous and he should make sure they stay that way with proper support."
<Cecilia> Miguel choked and coughed on his beer. "Wait, I thought Lukas was a guy?" he said, pounding his chest.
<@Fabian> Fabian just looked completely unfazed. "He is."
<Cecilia> Miguel just looked confused. "...so he has man-boobs?"
<Cecilia> <"Miguel! Don't be so rude!"> Maria exclaimed as Cecilia burst into sudden, uncontrollable laughter. <"What's so funny?">
<@Fabian> "He has a limited shapeshifting ability, gender and age." Fabian was just trying not to crack up at man-boobs.
<Cecilia> "Man-boobs!" Cecilia snorted, answering her mother, who know looked vaguely distressed at the thought of boobs anywhere on a guy. "Yeah, he can shape-shift into a female form, he scared the shit outta me a few months ago. I'd never really seen his female form up close and I thought he was a new student."
<Cecilia> "Oh my God!" Miguel laughed. "Cee - no offense - but I'm so glad you can't turn into a man."
<Cecilia> <"Miguel!">
<@Fabian> "I am, too." Fabian admitted, chuckling along. "After the whole Trask thing was especially interesting there."
<Cecilia> "I'm not sure I can't already," Cecilia said wryly. "I already have more balls than most people on the team - seriously, some people need to nut up, the amount of bitching I gotta put up with..." Cecilia shook her head.
<Cecilia> "You guys didn't have anything to do with that dungeon being uncovered in an abandoned subway station, right?" Carmen asked, studying the two X-Men. "I gotta few colleagues on that case - they said it was straight outta 'Silence of the Lambs.'"
<@Fabian> "Was it Mayday that was a part of that patrol?" Fabian looked to Cecilia, deciding to at least use the chance to build up their lie between the two of them out in the open. Carmen would be difficult to lie to but he had a feeling it was for the best.
<Cecilia> Cecilia's gaze was distant. "No...it was Mel," she said, the image of her limbs being torn off one by one flickering across her vision. She dropped her cutlery abruptly and wiped her mouth with her napkin. "Anyways, is it cake time now?"
<Cecilia> "Patience, patience!" Vincente teased, getting up to get the dessert anyway since everyone was done. "Miguel, why don't you get the presents while I handle the cake?"
<Cecilia> "Sure," Miguel said, getting up and giving Fabian yet another knowing look as he did. He might be a bit of a loudmouth at times but he wasn't an idiot.
<@Fabian> Damnit, there was the eye again. He wasn't going to be safe unless they managed to make an unexpected exit. That...was just not going to happen. "Need any help with the presents?" Maybe this was the better way to go.
<Cecilia> "Yeah, actually, thanks Fabian." Miguel said, motioning him to follow. "They're upstairs for secrecy's sake."
<Cecilia> Well, that was easy, Miguel thought, and here he thought he'd have to corner one of them and pry it out.
<@Fabian> Fabian soon fell in step behind Miguel, waiting until they put some good distance between themselves and the dinner party. "It's been a hell of a semester."
<Cecilia> "No shit," Miguel said, yanking the door to his room and pulling a few packages out from under the bed. "She's got the fucking thousand-yard stare. I heard things were stressful with that policer officer found on campus, but I didn't know she took it that hard! Christ..."
<Cecilia> "What do I not know?"
<@Fabian> "I'm not sure I can cover everything. We'd be gone for too long." Fabian started to check off the highlights, if the could be called that, of the semester, however, still keeping his voice low as he gathered the presents up.
<Cecilia> Miguel shook his head, his dog-tags jingling. "Jesus Christ...I knew about everything up until the decapitated head...that's when the phone-calls started getting shorter and shorter." He studied Fabian. "She's omitted the truth to Vincente, Carmen and Mom before. I knew that, but she's never done it to me."
<Cecilia> Miguel sighed. "I don't know why she did that - like we don't have the same damn problem," he said, gathering things up. "Like I wouldn't know how shitty it feels."
<@Fabian> "It's a bit fresh, I mean, we still haven't had the funerals even, they're next week before we let out." Fabian wasn't exactly sure what kind of shit levels Miguel was talking about though. There were shit levels and then there were 'I discovered a crapton of mutilated corpses in six months'. He kept his mouth shut, however.
<Cecilia> "I've been on more than one tour in Iraq," Miguel said, stopping at the top of the stairs. "I'll talk to her, see if she'll open up...are you alright, man?" He asked, turning to look at Fabian. "You went through the same thing."
<Cecilia> ((*six months.'))
<@Fabian> I worked with crazy people trying to take over the world for mutant kind's supreme survival. "I'm okay." He answered uncomfortably truthfully. He didn't want to think about what that said to him that he was probably one of the more okay of the group.
<Cecilia> "If you're sure..." Miguel said, looking more than a little concerned. Not much effect there...he wasn't sure what he thought about that. He took the stairs down two at a time. "One more thing? If this Eddie Brock guy ever comes near my sister again, I'm gonna shoot him myself for beating on her."
<Cecilia> "Presents!" Miguel said, putting on a grin and dropping the packages onto the table. "Enjoy sis!"
<@Fabian> "In line." Fabian smirked a bit to Miguel, following him on down and holding his boxes aloft before sliding them in beside. "Presents and cake, all in all a good day indeed."
<Cecilia> Cecilia smiled a little brighter as cake (with no ice cream) and presents were handed out and 'Happy Birthday' was sung to her. She smiled at the candles, watching the flames for a moment, trying to think of a wish. "...I don't want anything," she admitted. "Nothing that can be done at any rate...so, I wish for a hundred purple balloons!" she joked, blowing out the candles quickly.
<Cecilia> She picked through her presents. "Here Fab, this one's for you."
<@Fabian> "Why am I getting gifts on your birthday?" His brow furrowed a bit in confusion but took the box nevertheless. "You all didn't have to get me anything."
<Cecilia> <"Why not?"> Maria said. <"You're family.">
<Cecilia> "Your birthday's not that far off and since we weren't sure we'd see you on the actual day we thought we'd give you it today," Vincente said. "That way everyone can see you open it."
<Cecilia> Cecilia smiled, grabbing an edge of the wrapping paper on the gift Fabian had given her. "On three? One, two, three!"
<@Fabian> Fabian tore right in, playing into Cecilia's excitement as he ripped open his present, laughing and really quite surprised as he pulled out the compass. "This is fantastic, you really di-even engraved." Fabian turned it over to read, smiling a bit. "Well, I usually stumble on home one way or another but this will make the trip much better."
<Cecilia> Cecilia laughed as she unwrapped a stuffed seahorse. "Haha, Fabi-" she blinked at the photograph of a fish tank in her dorm room as well as pictures of seahorses. "Holy shit! Fab...I can't believe..." she tried again "...this must've cost a fortune!"
<@Fabian> "It's funny, absolutely worth it. It's not every day I buy someone seahorse children." Fabian just grinned, quite pleased with himself although the grin wasn't his usual smugness as he was quite pleased with his gift as well and still offering profuse thanks. "It's not that big of a tank, just enough that the ones we get will be able to swim about happily."
<Cecilia> Cecilia leapt up and threw her arms around Fabian. "Thank you so much! They're great, Fab!" she pulled away, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "So I guess we'll have to name our babies when we get back, yeah?" she teased.
<Cecilia> <"We're glad you like it. Vincente thought of it to go with the presents Cecilia's giving you,"> Maria said, getting up and giving Fabian a hug. <"If I don't see you before then: Happy Birthday.">
<Cecilia> "Happy Birthday to you both!" Miguel said, raising his glass. "And what's with the seahorses?"
<@Fabian> That was a lot of hugging and Fabian actually quite enjoyed it. "It goes with it, hmm? Well now I am intrigued. Thank you again, I'm sure it will be." Oh crap, now he had to explain the seahorses in a way that didn't go 'so I was high on acid having sex with your daughter'.
<@Fabian> "I fell asleep in the recroom after a patrol, exhausted and just punchdrunk and apparently I'd been mumbling on even before I passed out about how I was going to be pregnant with Cee's seahorse babies, I've no idea, sleep deprivation is an interesting thing."
<Cecilia> Miguel snorted. "If you were drunk you can say so, man. It's not like I haven't done it. Hell, I woke up in the barracks in a dress after a barcrawl and didn't have time to change outta it before a roll-call. So no judgement here!"
<Cecilia> Carmen smirked. "What's funnier though is before his commanding officer tore him a new one he called him the prettiest princess in the unit!"
<@Fabian> "I can honestly say I wasn't drunk. Not that I don't have some interesting drunk stories but this is sadly not one of them. I had one very interesting dream once I got to sleep then too, terrifying seahorse birthing dreams."
<@Fabian> "I'm sure you were a lovely princess, though."
<Cecilia> Miguel chuckled. "Still don't know how Lt. Jenkins got the pantyhose on me...I'm gonna get him for that," he vowed, taking a long pull from his beer.
<Cecilia> Carmen stood up, smirking slightly. "You do know that the drinking age in this country is twenty-oneand that you just admitted to underage drinking in front of, ah who am I kidding? I used to sneak beers from my old man in high school. You're alright by me," she said laughing, teasing Fabian.
<@Fabian> Fabian wondered just how much he should admit around Cecilia's mother...oh, screw it, it was funny. "But did you ever get drunk and decide it was a good idea to take an industrial sized roll of bubblewrap?"
<Cecilia> Miguel chuckled. "Did you ever get PT'd until you've thrown up? Nah, I haven't done that...or I would've been doing what I just mentioned...and I have done that, for a different reason though."
<Cecilia> "They don't run the team exactly like a military operation," Cecilia said to Miguel. "Thank Christ too, or we'd all be PT'd until we died."
<@Fabian> "They just make our training strangely addictive with the Danger Room. Sometimes I wonder why we leave." That was a good question, some days. "But no, never actually had need to be punished for team anything and I think the closest you came to it was the Great Intervention with Darren, yeah?"
<Cecilia> Cecilia nodded. "Darren was surprisingly nice about the whole thing. He was a good boss...I miss him. Luckily though Mel's there to show us the way," she said, grinning.
<Cecilia> Maria, Vincente and Carmen looked a bit perplexed but Miguel just shook his head, muttering something about how everyone was lucky he didn't get leave to attend family day.
<Cecilia> "So who's up for a game?" Vincente asked, changing the subject. "Cee? Any preferences?"
<Cecilia> Cecilia smirked. "Mad libs. I've always wanted to see what Fab would do in that game."
<@Fabian> "You're just trying to get me into trouble, now." Fabian complained happily, actually quite looking forward to this. "Shall we then?"
<Cecilia> "I'll try not to make you say too many horrible things," Cecilia promised, laughing wickedly.