Pre-barbeque

[24d_245t_tcdd]

Even aggressively under-socialised heroes with virtually no external hobbies or entertainments have certain chores which they must do, regardless of inclination, time, or other pressing matters. Chores such as the utterly mundane need to go shopping. For food. Plain, ordinary, food.

So, of course, Agent Orange is not dressed as himself, but rather as his secret identity, which is rather more secret than most. He is wallpaper; about as ordinary as it is possible for a man to get with virtually no feature standing out sufficiently to be a starting point for a description should he be witness to or suspect in something.

He was standing in the vegetable section of the store, a Whole Foods because he found the price an equitable trade for the quality of foods, doing meal planning for the week as he judged the benefits of asparagus versus those of bok choy.

Comments

[24d_245t_tcdd]

"I will need to stop by my house." he said simply, looking away from her, "I assume that this is the mandatory barbecue outing?"

[futures_of_ash]

"Do you mind if I follow you there?" She had to ask! After all, his world, his home, his...safety zones. She could wait elsewhere easily! "And you know, if you drop your voice just a little you can make it sound like I'm holding hostages against your attendance or something."

[24d_245t_tcdd]

"You may come with me." he stated, putting the bok choy in his basket and the asparagus back in the bin, "This was the last thing I needed to pick up."

She got a confused look at her comment regarding hostages.

[futures_of_ash]

"Thank you." She did prefer not to be hanging out staring at odd things instead of hanging out with him? Ah, confusion. She wrinkled her nose at him waved toward the lines. "It's not a funeral. It could be fun. I've heard more excitement about the world coming to an end."

[24d_245t_tcdd]

He shrugged and said, "Social activities are not exactly my thing, Rachel."

[futures_of_ash]

"Social activities are necessary for social creatures." She shrugged easily. "Which humans, and human bases, are." She was not acting inhuman in the store at least? Or even glowing!

Just arguing, gently, with a friend!

[24d_245t_tcdd]

"I am coming." he pointed out, "As soon as I have my groceries at home." He just didn't see the point in pretending to be excited about it.

[futures_of_ash]

"Maybe be excited about something else then?" She sighed and traced fingers over the glossy pages of the newspapers at the checkout line. "Seeing my home? Or part of it at least. The woods are nice. And the lake." And now...she didn't know how she felt. She knew it was bad for him to continue on as he did but...bad for forcing him. She was forcing him wasn't she?

Damn.

[24d_245t_tcdd]

"I am pleased to see your home." But, no, not particularly excited. It would be better, in his mind, if it was just the two of them and he didn't have to attempt to be social with strangers.

[futures_of_ash]

She sighed and laid a hand on his shoulder, trying to be reassuring. "They're good people." The ones at the barbecue were anyway! "And they don't tend to be pushy. If you get tired we will leave." As simple, and as easy, as that.

[24d_245t_tcdd]

"Thank you, Rachel." he paid, and headed out to his car (about as nondescript as he was) before driving towards his home.

It was nice, if not particularly outstanding. Just a little one bedroom place in a quiet suburban neighbourhood. "This is my house."

[futures_of_ash]

Rachel was...well, she would never get a driver's license. She had no shame in turning her head and peering at anything that caught her attention as they passed. She hadn't seen Seattle before after all, why not stare and tilt her head and crane around?

His house, once they'd arrived and she'd taken a grocery bag so she was helping, was eyed. Carefully. In that way that meant she may not be only looking at the paint. "It makes you feel safe," she noted after a moment.

[24d_245t_tcdd]

"Yes. It does." He agreed, opening the door. It was Spartan inside, with only a few prints on the walls and very little colour. Safe, but not warm. "Just leave the bag on the table and I'll put things away, then we can go."

[futures_of_ash]

She strode through the door and house to find the kitchen and set the bag down gently. Then? Oh then she was stalking through the livingroom, peering at the prints and tilting her head over things. Because, really, why not look around a person's house?

"What do you do when you're here?"

[24d_245t_tcdd]

"...Eat, sleep, and meditate." he said blankly, "Sometimes I read, if I am too sore to go out at night."

[futures_of_ash]

"Ah," no wonder it didn't feel incredibly supportive? It was a place, and a safe one, but not precisely...a home? She didn't know. She would have to ponder it. "You're not sore now are you?"

[24d_245t_tcdd]

"No, thank you. It has been a fairly low key week." he said with a shake of his head. He started to put groceries away, rapidly and without having to think about it.

[futures_of_ash]

"Oh good. I'm not a healer." Best she would manage would be pain dampers on the nerves and some teke on bruising! "I could help a little if you were hurting...but better that you're not."

[24d_245t_tcdd]

"I do not use healers." he said with a small shrug, "It is too likely that I would get used to it. Depending on others powers isn't wise."

[futures_of_ash]

"Maybe, but if you had access and they liked you and wanted you to NOT BE IN PAIN, well..." she shrugged. "Anyway, done in here?"

[24d_245t_tcdd]

"I still wouldn't use them." was the simple response, "Depending on someone else would be foolish. Yes, I am done."

[futures_of_ash]

"Sometimes you have to." She gave him something a bittersweet smile then reached upward to part the air in a shimmer of reality. "Trust me, I know."

[24d_245t_tcdd]

He didn't bother arguing, just stepped through the shimmer with only a faint hesitation. However...he wasn't going to go into the area where he kept Agent Orange's life. Not even in front of Rachel.

[futures_of_ash]

She didn't expect him to really. She just...knew people needed people. Often. The shimmer led to a brief, blasting warmth and a sound like a falling bird before his foot landed on firm ground. Firm, wooded ground. They were near a clearing where several people were talking and such as people did.

"Welcome to New York." She offered from behind him. "Upstate. We're in a clearing on the far side of the lake, away from the mansion."

[24d_245t_tcdd]

He nodded and turned to take in the surroundings, watching them with an eye towards cover and the best places and ways to hide.