2949/Cajun Pool Party

Cajun Pool Party
Date of Scene:	16 August 2020
Location:	Swimming Pool / Patio Deck
Synopsis:	The Cuckhoos, Hope, and Remy Le Beau chat out by the pool and share a meal.
Cast of Characters:	Remy LeBeau, Hope Summers, Stepford Cuckoos

---

Remy LeBeau has posed:
It's hot, it's humid.

It's one of those sticky, icky, icky days that remind Remy LeBeau of home and when in Nawlins, you do as the Nawliners do.

The grill is out and hot and filled with a handful of different Cajun treats as Remy battles as best as he can with a spatula. Barefooted, he wears a simple pair of swim trunks and a colorful button down, patterned t-shirt that's unbuttoned way too far. The sunglasses he wears are the style of aviators you could swipe from any gas station. Not saying he did, but he did.

Hope Summers has posed:
Hope isn't usually much of one for parties or relaxing, but...the last few days of helping with things in Genosha have been a little bit rough. So with the smell of food drawing her out, she makes her way down to the pool in a sporty two-piece that looks like it's probably standard issue for gym classes.

"Smells good," she says as she gets close enough, leaning over to get a look at the grill.

Remy LeBeau has posed:
"Course it does, chere," Remy replies as he flips a few things and then closes the lid. "Cajun food always smell de best."

Le Diable Blanc turns his head to peer at Hope for a long moment before plopping down into one of the reclining lawn chairs. "Dun think ole Remy ever had de pleasure, love." He reaches for a plastic cup, whose contents are not clear. "Name's Remy Le Beau."

Stepford Cuckoos has posed:
A small group of students follows a bit behind Hope, headed for the pool as well. Well, at a distance, it would look like a group of students. Maybe they're heading out for a class or activity or something, because even at said distance, it's obvious they're all dressed similarly, in athletic/competition swimsuits. But it quickly becomes obvious it's not exactly that.

There's five of them, and in these sorts of outfits, they're absolutely indistinguishable from one another. Their blonde hair is even done up in identical styles, utilitarian ponytails for whatever they're planning to do. The assembly approaches the pool area, and all tilt their heads in a synchronized fashion when they notice some others there ahead of them. They look around amongst one another, but don't speak. The one at their lead shrugs.

After that, they all walk to the edge, and begin stretching.

Hope Summers has posed:
"No, I don't think we have," Hope agrees with Remy, not the least bit shy about reaching out to taste test...well, anything she can reach without seriously injuring herself. Food is important.

She looks over her shoulder as the Cuckoos arrive, brows rising. "There are...five of you," she says. And though it's probably not an entirely surprising statement, there's something slightly different about the way she says it. Like she's not surprised by multiples, but by the specific number of them. "That's new."

Remy LeBeau has posed:
"Five times de fun, n'est-ce pas?" Remy reasons. "If you ladies are hungry, it'll be done in jus' a bit." He watches the Cuckoos with some intrigue, apparently enjoying the idea of a handful of replicas all marching in formation. Eyes on them, but his words to Hope, "You gun tell me your name, chere or 'mah gun have to drag it outta ya."

Stepford Cuckoos has posed:
The group, mirrored though they appear, does have a pecking order of sorts, or at least there's one that seems to be the spokesperson, the same individual who walked at the head of their assembly as they arrived. She turns toward Hope to answer: "Yes. We are the Five-in-One. Hello. We will not crowd the facilities, will we?"

While she speaks, the others go through their little preparatory routine, and here their precision snychronicity does break down a bit: one touches her toes, another sits down to do a hamstring stretch. Two more pair off, to help each other, standing back to back and alternating leaning backward and forward, pulling the other in the process. There are some advantages to having built-in partners!

While this occurs, the lead Cuckoo glances from Hope to Remy. "We are not here for entertainment." There is also a very slight furrowing of her brow, but no comment to go with it. "Perhaps after our exercise, we will require nourishment for muscle recovery."

Hope Summers has posed:
"Nope, totally cool," Hope assures the Cuckoos, looking around the spokesperson to the rest of the group in a curious manner. Five. Huh. Looking back to Remy, she tips her chin up in his direction. "Sorry, it's Hope," she introduces herself, moving to sit on the edge of one of the folding chairs nearby. "You //really// don't want to be creepy in their general direction," she advises him, nodding toward the Cuckoos. "They can one hundred percent melt your brain. And not feel bad about it after."

Remy LeBeau has posed:
"Entertainment?" Remy says looking just a tad let down, "Sisters, dat be bout de lionshare of what Remy 'bout." Undeterred he sits back and sips on his drinks, watching the five go through their warm up routine.

"Y'evah scene a synchornize' swimmin' team? Figure dats what we're bout to see?"

"Creepy?" Remy says, tilting his head. "Ah'm gun g'head and preten' you didn't say dat. Ole Remy ain't been creepy a day in his life."

Stepford Cuckoos has posed:
Hope's announcement of their powers does not seem to surprise the Cuckoos, nor do they argue the point, although one of them (the one on the poolside doing leg stretches) does smile very subtly at the suggestion of 'brain-melting,' another deviation in behavior from her sisters. Meanwhile, the 'leader' smiles and dips her head when it's indicated they won't be an unwelcome crowd. "Thank you."

With that settled, she goes to join the others, and they rotate through their stretching routine a bit, being very thorough. Being that they all look the same, it's very apparent that they're more than pretty faces, all adhering to what one might assume is someone's idea of a physical ideal, athleticism included.

Soon enough, the warm-up is completed, and they approach the edge before diving in one after another in an impressive sort of 'wave.' They remain under a moment, before various blonde heads pop up from the surface. Here they do glance toward Remy up on the poolside. "It is one of many sports we practice."

As for his creepy thoughts? "He is not /particularly/ more sexually fixated than most, given these circumstances." It's hard to tell if that's a criticism or a compliment!

Hope Summers has posed:
"Mmmm, I don't know about never." Hope grins over at Remy, leaning back into a chair herself. "But I'll take the ladies' word for the current levels." She folds her arms behind her head, looking up toward the sky.

"So, Remy. I haven't smelled Cajun cooking out here since I've been here at least. You a new arrival, or coming back from a mission or something?"

Remy LeBeau has posed:
Behind his sunglasses, Remy goes wide eyed as one of the Cuckoos looks directly at him during the brain-melting comment. He may have gulped.

"Thank you," Remy says as he gets confirmation from one of the young ladies as he gets some sort of vindication.

"Recent convert, chere," he replies to Hope. "You?"

Stepford Cuckoos has posed:
After that... they in fact start putting on a synchronized swimming routine, complete with various formations, 'eggbeaters' (where they tread water in a powerful way that causes their torsos to rise high in the water), upside-down kicks, and even a lift of one central member (it's hard to tell, but it would be easy to imagine it's the prior 'alpha'). To say that they could give any Olympic team a run for its money is an understatement. Of course, the synchronization here is not a matter of practiced timings and carefully studied routines, but of actual motor coordination between multiple bodies.

And that's probably a violation of some IOC rule or another.

Still, it's something to see.

Hope Summers has posed:
"In and out for the last few months," Hope answers Remy. "Before that's...complicated. But. I've been helping out with the Genosha refugee stuff some. And doing a lot of research on things and places. People." It's hard to explain how there are entire cities and important people that just never existed to her before.

She tips her chin down to look away from the sky and back to the synchronized swimming, still looking like she's trying to wrap her head around what's going on there. "What brought you out here, if you're a recent convert?"

Remy LeBeau has posed:
Remy watches in surprise as to how well the girls are able to react in unison, but not so much surprise that he doesn't make a note to Hope, "Toldya."

"Ya tink dey just naturally good at dat, or do you tink dey gotta work at it?"

When Hope asks him about his past his shoulders shrug and a hand comes up, "Aiee. Same reason as 'lot of dese kids, Remy imagine. Protection'." From whom or what, he doesn't seem to answer.

Stepford Cuckoos has posed:
The routine continues a while, showing off a few more tricks, before they vanish beneath the water completely and swim back to the edge. Here, the teamwork breaks, as those closer reach the edge sooner. Once they begin climbing out, the little collective seems to break down into more of a mix individuals again. One comes out and just flops on her back, legs dangling in the water, and breathing heavily. Another sits on the edge beside her, but upright. A third goes for a pile of towels and brings them back to hand out to her remaining sisters, who spend a few moments toweling off.

And one walks over to where Remy is grilling.

She smiles, although it's hard to say if it's quite the same way as the one who seemed brain-melting inclined. "This does smell good," she offers. "So you are not an instructor?"

Hope Summers has posed:
"The swimming, definitely practice. The doing it in synch, that comes natural," Hope muses to Remy. Why she thinks or knows that, she doesn't clarify. But she sounds sure of it. "Protection, huh?" she arches a brow. "You seem like the sort of guy who usually doesn't look to anyone else for protection."

As one of the Cuckoos comes over, she takes on arm out from behind her head, gesturing at the grill. "The things on the right are really good," she advises. "Careful though, they're hot."

Remy LeBeau has posed:
"No, love. Simply un habitant," Remy replies. "T'old for de school and t'young t'teach. Ole Remy somewhere in between."

He nods to the grill, "Take as much as ya wanna. Ah made plenty. Remy find de best way t'make friends is tru people's hunger." He nods to the side of the grill, "Dere plates and what not ova dere."

"Ole Remy got in a bit deep, Hope," he replies, still being cagey. "Rogue helped out, so I figure ahma help out just as much, if ahm able."

Stepford Cuckoos has posed:
"Too young? I believe there are instructors younger than yourself." This clarification does not come from the Cuckoo who has come over to sample the goodies (so to speak), but from one standing back closer to the others. "The qualifications to teach here have little to do with usual academic credentials. It seems to be a matter of experience, expertise in the use of one's powers, and so on."

The one who HAS joined them by the grill takes up Hope's suggestion and carefully snatches something in her fingers, and takes a bite.

One of the others back by the group sighs, and turns to walk over, collecting a plate to begin assembling portions for everyone else. Evidently some of them are better team players than others, despite, well, the obvious. "Strength in numbers," she comments. "A sensible reason to remain here."

Then the first to come over pipes up, "Oh you know that's not why he's-"

"Quiet! Remember last time?"

Hope Summers has posed:
"Well that's nice." Hope nods to Remy, filing that information away for later. This school is inevitably full of people with stories. Keeping them all straight is the hard part.

She glances over at the disagreement between the Cuckoos, but she doesn't comment on it. A little dissent in the ranks isn't...entirely abnormal, right? "How about you guys?" she asks the nearest Cuckoo. "Have you been here long?"

Remy LeBeau has posed:
"Dat could be true, chere," Remy replies to the new Cuckoo, "But prolly none less educated." His head tilts at the information about academic credentials. What would he teach, he ponders. Perhaps not anything the administration would want the kids learning.

Remy tilts his head, "Oh, why ya tink ole Remy's here" he says with a grin as one of the Cuckoos lets something slip.

Stepford Cuckoos has posed:
"It is a breach of privacy," one explains.

"To share things we sense. This caused an unfortunate incident previously."

They do not comment further, although the one who came to eat on her own now looks a little... annoyed? By something. Soon, however, this disharmony is seemingly subsumed into the group as they gather for the food to be passed out. There's an efficiency here, in plates being constructed and passed around to the rest of the group without crowding the grill. The 'secret' is given no further discussion.

"We have only joined the school recently, in the last year," one explains, indeed a voice who hadn't spoken up on her own previously. "But we're- I'm enjoying it. We get to study so many different things."

Hope Summers has posed:
"Yeah, the school part is...not really my speed," Hope admits, looking back toward the building. "I was never much of one for sitting in one place and listening to lectures. Not that I've got anything against learning, just...I'm not a sit in class kind of person. I get by though. I can read. Write. Do math. The rest all seems to change often enough I'm not sure there's point in learning it."

Remy LeBeau has posed:
"Y'll find dat ole Remy is a hard man to get on de bad side of, ladies," the Cajun says with a smile. "Seems like a nice place. Hopin' t'stay a while?"

"Been my viewpoint f'r years, chere. Dun learned enough t'get by and don't want some pencil neck tellin' me to do bunch of tings I dun feel like."

Stepford Cuckoos has posed:
"The basic topics are unecessary. We were given significant education in all the necessary basic topics during our creation." This is probably the leader speaking again, although the dip has mixed them up a bit. It's also likely not much of a shock to hear them refer to themselves as something, well, artificial: the identical bodies certainly suggest cloning or some similar less than wholly natural process, even if 'identical quintuplet mutant children' wouldn't be /totally/ impossible.

And one has to wonder what 'basic' covers, for them.

"So it is not necessary to sit through any of that sort of material. However, we find..." And the softer-spoken one who originally answered hope picks up here, "...it nice to learn alongside others, and to be exposed to things we would not have otherwise. I am able to study music, and there are other artistic courses. It's very relaxing."

Hope Summers has posed:
"I'm more interested in the training facilities most of the time," Hope admits. "But that's me. It's good to see the place thriving, either way. Safe, and intact, and full of kids and adults who've got a chance to be who they want to be. That's something."

She sits up a little straighter, getting off her chair to check on the food on the grill. "Also, there's always food, which is a major plus in my book."

Remy LeBeau has posed:
Remy smiles at the leader and her self assuredness, "Couldn'ta said it bettah on my own, lady." There's a smile on his face as he stands back up out of his chair and finishes off his drink. He'd heard once that if you just put some food on the grill a lot of times you can end up with some new friends. Looks like Tante-Marie knew what she was talking about. "Likin' your attitude, Red." He motions towards his drink and begins heading towards the mansion to get a refill. It is, apparently, the only thing he forgot.