3807/A Beastly Birthday

A Beastly Birthday
Date of Scene:	14 October 2020
Location:	Harry's Hideaway (Bar)
Synopsis:	If the measure of a man are those who love him, then Beast's birthday party shows he is indeed a great man. And Beast.
Cast of Characters:	Kitty Pryde, Remy LeBeau, Samuel Guthrie, Rogue, Henry McCoy, Nadia Pym-van Dyne, Carol Danvers, Kurt Wagner, Gabby Kinney, Douglas Ramsey

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Kitty Pryde has posed:
An few tables at Harry's were set aside with a reservation to make sure there'd be enough room for a party for one Henry McCoy for his 30th birthday. The rest of the bar is still open to other people though, and overall the place has a fairly festive air tonight as people are enjoying the cooler October weather and the changing of the trees in upstate New York.

Kitty Pryde carries in the last of her supplies, which is a birthday cake under a protective plastic shell. There are boxes with some various decorations in them, helium balloons wishing a happy 30th Birthday, some banners and the like. "Ok, this is the last of it," she says as she sets the birthday cake down on one of the tables in a safe spot that should be out of the way until it's time to get it out.

Remy LeBeau has posed:
"Now den a party is just what we need to take mind off dem long days of work and worry." Remy is walking in with a large gift in his hands wrapped up in bright pink paper."I hope de big man likes dis gift." His voice warm friendly as he walks forward, now moving swiftly into the area. Setting the gift down as he beams at the room."The party is now a real one. De Remy is here!" His hands are thrown wide into the air as he does a quick two-step, with a twirl.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie has made sure he got here early as he did not have classes today of course. He offers help in carrying and putting any banners or such up. Sam is the helpful sort, and while he may not have made the plans, he does try to do as much of the manual labor as needed.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue is already at the bar, she's seated on top of a chair, with her feet on the seat and her butt on the back of it. She's got a drink in her hands, not a beer, just a red fruity drink that Harry was willing to let her have even if she flirted him up to try to get something better... he's a stone cold thug, that one.

She sips from the drink and smiles at the others. When Remy arrives she blows him a kiss with a gloved left hand before grinning at his box. "Nice wrappin' paper." She comments, before motioning to the blue and gold wrapped box she had for Hank to open. "He's gonna be so spoiled after t'night, turnin' thirty is a big deal, ya know. Officially means you're old as dirt."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde grins at Sam as he helps put up the decorations. "Thank you, Officer Guthrie," she says, putting emphasis on the title. Or someday title to be. She looks over the results and gives a little satisfied nod. "Looks good," she says now they have the string with the dangling letters that spell out Happy Birthday hung up, with another one beneath it that adds his name, just a simple "Hank".

Kitty turns as she hears Remy come in. "Monsieur LeBeau. Thank you for making it," she says, moving over to offer him a quick hug and an air kiss on the cheek. "You can set the gift right over there," she says, motioning towards a table where a few other gifts have already been placed.

She looks towards the bar and Rogue with her drink. "Wonder if she was able to manage something other than a virgin drink," she comments. Then Kitty holds up a hand in a 'stop' gesture towards Remy. "Don't say it!" she says with a laugh, beating him to the punch.

Henry McCoy has posed:
Lo and behold, the birthday boy does make an appearance! He's wearing a purple and white aloha shirt, khaki shorts and open-toed sandals. Comfortable fit for the Beast - too many layers can be stifling. He pauses just inside the threshold of Harry's, certainly looking touched by the number of people who have arrived - good friends indeed. A tired, but happy smile spreads over his face, the blue furry man offering a wave.

"Am I on time?" Can one be late to their own birthday. "You all didn't have to go to all this trouble - I'm touched." He says, a hand going over his heart. "How is everyone?"

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie grins a bit and says "Just part of the job ma'am." He jokes a bit and once things are set up, he will turn nodding in greeting to both Rogue and Remy. He will call out Happy Birthday," to Hank as the other comes into the room.

Remy LeBeau has posed:
"But dearest my rogue is pure as snow, everything is virgin about her." Remy chuckles with a wink at Kitty as he moves towards the presents, dropping it down with a purple bow wrapped around the pink box."Now then, where does one get the good times a rolling." With that, he is head right for rogue. His leather hand is offered towards her as he bows."Milady, care for a dance?" His eyes move towards hank."Only once do you turn old, we have to give you gifts, before you forget them all. Happy birthday, it's depends."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue is up off of her chair when Gambit approaches her to offer her a hand, she hears a bit of what he and Kitty are exchanging to which they both get a smirk. "Ha ha." She says back, laced with a sarcasmic undertone!

A smile is given to Sam too, along with a wave. "How's the police academy?" She asks of him. "Are ya arrestin' people yet?" She adds with a grin before Hank arrives and she takes a moment to go to him to offer him a hug! She's got her leather jacket on and a tshirt on beneath that, so she's safe! "Happy Birthday, Doctah Maaa-Coooy." She draws his name out, nice and teasing-like, then points at the presents. "Look it, stuff!" A big smile is given before she falls back to Gambit's side.

"Dancin' huh?" She asks him then.

Nadia Pym-van Dyne has posed:
Slipping into the bar is an otherwise unobtrusive teenaged girl. She's not too tall, chin length brown hair, and is dressed simply enough in a red and black plaid skirt and a black T-shirt with pink lettering that reads 'Just A Girl Who Loves Hornets' with a picture of a pink wasp in the center. Under normal circumstances it'd probably be easy enough for her to go unnoticed, particularly around here far from her usual haunts. That is except for the fact that her face was all over the news during the efforts to restore Mutant Town and Genosha.

Once inside the bar Nadia looks this way and that, clearly searching for something or someone and once she seems to have found it she makes a bee-line walking straight towards Hank, as much as other tables and intervening obstacles will allow anyway.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty pulls out her phone, and as if on cue to Remy's talking about getting the good times rolling, a song comes on the jukebox.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BDBzgHXf64

She grins and then rests a hand on Sam's back up by the shoulder. "Glad you were able to get back to us tonight for it," she says of the birthday party. And then Hank is arriving and Kitty is breaking out in a big grin. She hurries over to him and once Rogue is done, tosses her arms around the bigger blue mutant to give him a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Happy birthday!" she tells him brightly. "You're absolutely on time. We're just getting started," she tells him warmly. "We've got the karaoke setup if you wanted to do that," she mentions. "And the pool tables are paid for all night."

Kitty sees Nadia arrive, and while not familiar with her, she flashes her a smile as the girl seems to be approaching Hank directly. "Friend of yours?" Kitty asks Hank as she motions to draw his attention to the teen.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks over and says "No not yet, but as he begins to say more, his phone rings, and he looks over to them. "Well seems I need to go handle this, I should be back shortly.

Remy LeBeau has posed:
"Indeed, dance, of course." Remy eyes on rouge his hands in a pair of leather gloves as his hand touches hers twirling her to the music with a wink at Kitty."Kitty was good enough to play for us."

With that, he is leading her to an empty spot on the floor, as he starts to dance with her with a soft, content sigh. His hand is waving towards Nadia in a friendly greeting. But his eyes only for his dance partner.

Henry McCoy has posed:
Henry McCoy grins, nodding to Gambit. "You got me adultwear diapers... you shouldn't have." He nudges the Cajun, shaking his head as he offers a dance to Rogue. "Hey Sam! Nice seeing you tonight, officer." He too is proud of the title for Sam. Priorities and all!

The hug from Rogue is accepted, careful regardless. No accidents tonight! "Thank you, Rogue. And yes, stuff... though honestly people showing up is the best present I could have." He offers over honestly. "Now go cut a rug."

There's a smile as he spots Nadia. "Nadia! How are you? Glad to make it out!" He nods, before looking to Kitty. "Karaoke is a fantastic idea, as well. And yes, this is a daughter of one of my associates. This is Nadia - I'll let her introduce herself, properly, if she likes." He winks.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde turns as Hank greets Nadia and gives her name in doing so. "Hey Nadia, great to meet you. I'm Kitty Pryde," she offers, reaching out to offer her hand to the girl. "Glad you could make it. Hank deserves all the revelry we can give him," she says, turning her head towards Henry McCoy to give him a warm grin. "I was just going to grab a soda from the bar. Want me to grab you something as well?" Kitty asks. "The food and drinks are all covered for all of us," she says.

That's new. Open bar? Kitty hadn't said anything about taking up a collection for it either. Those who know she recently landed a pair of contract jobs might suspect she's making it part of her present to Hank.

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol ducks into the bar in upstate around town icognito mode, her usual well loved flight jacket, baseball cap, distressed jeans, and a faded Nirvana band t-shirt that looks about as well loved as that jacket really.

She glances around and smiles spotting a slew of familiar faces over yonder and heads that way. She does have a small gift tucked under her arm, wrapped in subdued wrapping paper.

When she gets over to Hank and crew she says cheerfully "Hey old man.. happy birthday" knowing damn well that while she may look in her mid-twenties tops she is much older than Hank.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue is out on the dance floor with the Cajun now, speaking to him and smiling up at him, dancing to the beat of the music. She does look over to see Nadia, and Carol, offering them both a wave before she looks back to the man leading her in the dance to the lively music.

Remy LeBeau has posed:
Remy is dancing with rouge. As the song is winding down, he is heading for the bar, to lean against it with a chuckle."Now then, shall I buy you a drink? I need something to wipe the heat of that passion from me." His hand is ordering a beer, as he winks at rouge ordering a Shirley temple for her."Soon you may consume, the nectar of the gods, but not for now."

Nadia Pym-van Dyne has posed:
Nadia walks right up to Hank, completely unaquainted with the concept of shyness. She smiles back at Kitty and returns Gambit's wave despite having no idea who he is, just very friendly. "Dr. McCoy!" Scientists must be greeted with appropriate titles. She reaches into her purse for a moment and comes out with what appears to be a small metal box, with what appears to be a button on top, "This is for you! I made it myself. Uh don't push that until you're ready to set it up it's kind of large. A new electron microscope!" This is how birthdays work right?

"Hi. What he said, I'm Nadia, nice to meet you!" She returns Kitty's greeting "Hank is one of my favorite scientists!" There's a list, possibly a long one. "Also an Avenger and I'm like half an Avenger? Well my parents are Avengers, oh hi Carol! I was hoping to see more Avengers here. I wonder what's keeping Janet and Other Hank..." Her attention pivots on a dime before resuming. "...anyway I just learned what birthday parties are recently, so I wanted to come." She is certainly not wanting for energy and enthusiasm.

After a short pause she asks, "...what's a karaoke?"

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde watches Rogue and Remy out dancing together, giving the pair a soft smile. The introduction from Nadia gets a warm grin from Kitty. Also a bit of a confused look about just recently learning what birthday parties are.

The Jewish girl doesn't ask though, just rolls with it. "Oh, Janet might be coming? I hope so. She's so much fun," she says with a grin. "I'm working on an IT contract for her company," Kitty comments to Nadia. "Um, as for karaoke, you know how people like to sing along with a song? Well, they have recordings of just the music without the vocals. And then you can sing along with the music without the original singer's voice there. And there is a monitor with the words on it for you," she says.

Kitty motions over towards the setup. "People usually either love it or hate it, depending on how much they are ok with those of us with poor voices trying to sing like we were rock stars."

Carol gets a grin from Kitty, and when she's free, Kitty moves over to offer her a quick hug of greeting. "Great that you made it," she says warmly. "So, have you been around here lately, or out saving the galaxy?" she asks with a grin. Because asking that and knowing there's a chance the answer is 'yes' is so cool.

Henry McCoy has posed:
A grin and a nod of thanks. "Thank you Nadia... I'll make sure there's clear space in my lab... thank you." Henry is all sorts of cautious with the likely Pym-miniaturized tool. "I look forward to seeing your father up on the Karaoke machine." He grins, impishly.

A glance over to Carol, and a laugh. "I'm the old one? I'm hurt! Thirty is the new twenty, or some such." The Beast grins. "Come on in, have some food and drink. It's a party!" He offers to everyone. "I'll make sure Harry's team is well tipped."

Those who know him, might sense a lingering sadness around him - but he's doing well at keeping a stiff upper lip. "A beer would be lovely, Kitty. A big one." Metabolisms being what they are, and all!

Rogue has posed:
Rogue follows Remy back to the bar and just smirks at the man's words. "As if I need this place t'get me alcohol. I got connections, ya know, 'inside' kinda connections. I know people. I'm a big deal." She places a gloved hand against her chest and smiles sweetly at the man with the red eyes before she looks over to the others. "Hank, open my present!" She shouts over the sounds to make sure she's heard, and because... well she has a bit of a diva complex.

Remy LeBeau has posed:
Remy LeBeau chuckles softly handing that virgin drink to Rogue."Of course. It is called me and I will hook you up on the dl, as the kids say, no." His voice is teasing, as he lifts that cheap beer to his lips taking a long swallo,w as he turns to watch the room."No you love me more Hank, open mine before hers, no."

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol returns Kitty's hug "Little of column A... little of column B?" she notes with amusement. "Nothing too serious though. Also a surprising amount of paperwork with soem work projects." that she absolutely can't talk about. It might be an odd mental picture of Captain Marvel doing lots of paperwork though.

"Also get back to me when you hit forty I suppose... I thought thirty was rough but woo dawg." she offers her present wrapped to Hank.

A smile and nod to Rogue when she gets over with the rest of them there "Hey sugah." okay yeah she couldn't resist.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty grins a nod to Hank but waits to hear any other drink orders before heading over to the bar to get them. Which lets her hear Rogue telling Remy that she's a big deal. "Listen, Mrs. Big Deal. You got another problem. Remy always figures out the truth. Always."

She knows Rogue probably won't get the Star Wars quote. But Kitty will make sure to make Rogue watch the movie with her one night and needle her when Han delivers the line to "I'm a big deal" Finn.

Nadia Pym-van Dyne has posed:
"Oh you're working for Janet? That's great, she's my mom now." Nadia has a knack for just casually mentioning the oddest things not attaching much pretense to any of it. She listens attentively when Kitty explains karaoke, "That is genius. I didn't know other people enjoy doing that, I thought it was just me. So... how many songs does it have? I don't know too many, growing up all we had was one Dazzler album and a lot of ballets. Things from 'The West' were mostly forbidden."

Hank is flashed a big smile when he takes present, "Wait my father sings Karaoke?!" She seems shocked by this revelation, "I can barely get him to go to a party... which might explain why he isn't here." A look of mild annoyance crosses her face at that thought. Though even as she remains standing close to Hank and Kitty, her eyes wander a bit to the other, Rogue, Remy, Carol, and the mysterious karaoke machine.

Henry McCoy has posed:
The Beast chuckles as he takes the present from Carol, smiling as he does. "Forty, eh. Still, plenty of energy in one's body for that sort of age." A wink. "I doubt I'll run out of steam for some time - always something to do, something to keep me active."

"Am I opening presents now? Before the singing?" He wonders, looking to all. He looks a bit sheepish, as if he shouldn't be getting presents on his birthday. "You all are too kind, by the way - I wasn't expecting anything like this. You all are too good to me." He says, nodding graciously.

Remy LeBeau has posed:
"Indeed, present first and then singing. Ice cream than steak, it is the proper way of things. On your birthday, no." Remy beams at Beast as he does a little shimmy, lifting his beer high towards the man with a wink."Also, Remy is no singer. I'm a lover and a dancer, fighter but no singer." His hand is wrapped around Rouge waist, as the other toys with that ring around her neck, with a little chuckle."We need to find a way for you to wear dis, and not zap da world."

Carol Danvers has posed:
"Thanks. I totally credit my diet for my youthful exhuberance and energy." which Hank knows a bit about after all, her diet that is.

"Anyhow... I think it " she was about to agree with Hank about the order, then Remy chimes in. "Well as the Cajun scoundrel says, life is short, eat dessert first." encouraging lawlessness and chaos now.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde grins to Nadia at her reaction to the karaoke explanation. "Oh, it's got a hard drive so holds... I don't even know. Hundreds of songs certainly. Don't know if it breaks the thousands mark but it wouldn't surprise me," she says. "And yeah, a lot of people like it. There's kind of two crowds. The serious karaoke lovers are good singers and it's sort of their chance to fulfill their dreams of singing a career of sorts. Then there's all the rest of us, mostly drunk people, who have fun laughing with, or at, their friends for their bad singing," Kitty says with a laugh.

"Hey, fire it up if you'd like. The menu is pretty self explanatory. Just find a song you like and click on it and it'll cue it up. Microphone is right beside it on the table," Kitty says.

She grins over to Hank then. "Nothing wrong with opening the presents now. People like to see your face when you do," she tells him with a grin. Kitty motions to the others then. "So this is Rogue. Or Anna-Marie but most people call her Rogue. And you probably know Carol? And that's Remy over there. Smooth talker, be forewarned. And Sam Guthrie, he's in the police academy, he's floating around somewhere," she says.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
*Bamf*

It is a glorious night to be out and about and the autumn nip to the air is welcome indeed. And it is that much better, knowing that they are celebrating an important milestone. One more circling on the usn for one Henry McCoy. How could they not all gather to celebrate?

For Kurt it is a little hop, skip and jump from the mansion to make it into town and one of the crew's favorite hang-outs and while he could have just as easily teleported directly inside, Kurt instead emerges just out back where he is not likely to startle anyone with his sudden appearance. Or to leave the lingering scent of brimstone in the air. He's just courtesous that way.

With gift in hand and grin on his face, the fuzzy blue elf slips into Harry's, having no trouble spotting the gathered crowd. They are a distinctive bunch afterall, few more distinctive then the birthday boy of course.

Except maybe himself.

Nadia Pym-van Dyne has posed:
Never one to shy away, Nadia gives Kitty a big smile and walks right up to the karaoke machine to begin poking at it and figuring out how it works. The machine is rather intuitive in its layout and it doesn't take her long until she is scrolling through the song, most of which she has never heard of. Something about growing up in a Soviet Bunker.

She's just finished picking a song when a fuzzy blue elf walks in and she almost drops the microphone. She should be used to weird by now between travelling to a parallel Earth, battling Dire Wraiths, helping stop Brainiac's invasion and Warworld, yet somehow it never gets old hat, her reaction is more an eternal sense of wonder that never seems to diminish no matter how many amazing things she encounters.

But she can talk to the fuzzy blue elf afterwards, for now she has a song to sing and she steps up to sing it.

The song she's chosen is one of Dazzler's from maybe five to six years ago. Nadia's performance isn't perfect by any stretch. It's lacking on the technical merits, she is not a trained singer by any stretch, though what she lacks in training and ability she makes up for with sheer enthusiasm as like everything else she does, she pours her heart into it.

Henry McCoy has posed:
Henry moves over to the presents, grinning and setting the ones down received from Nadia and Carol. He glances over, picking up the present from Rogue - opening it carefully. Within the box, is a case of Happy Amish Beard Butter. The Beast laughs, grinning over to the young woman. "Are you suggesting I need to smooth out my fur?" He snickers.

The man picks up the box from Carol, looking up as Nadia starts up with a Dazzler song. And she's doing it! That's the important part - training or not. He pauses, giving her a round of applause.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue raises up her drink from the side of the bar and smiles at Beast as he opens her gift. "I wouldn't dream'a it! I got ya the stylin' butter, t'keep yourself lookin' super fine in your old age." She says, a big grin showing for the good Doctor.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde hears the opening notes of the Dazzler song start up from Nadia on the karaoke machine, and she claps as she recognizes it. "Go Nadia!" she calls out encouragingly before the lyrics start up.

A grin is given as she listens to the teen sing, though she splits her attention to go greet Kurt as he arrives. "Kurt, glad you made it," she says, going over to offer him a warm hug. "The drinks are flowing and family and friends. No surprise those who turn out for Hank would be a good time, is it?" she asks.

She turns back to clap for Nadia at the appropriate moments. "See, that's the kind of energy that makes people love karaoke," she says with a big grin. "We're going to have to get Carol up there next. Though I don't know if they have any Kree songs in there," she says.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
Traipsing over to the ground with a grin, Kurt adds his present to the collection that have been piled up near the birthday boy, glasping him on the shoulder as he passes. "Happy Birthday Hank," he offers up quickly and quietly, though otherwise not interrupting the show being put on up on the stages, a grin cast up towards the unfamiliar performer before he picks his way around the table that most of those seem to have gathered, offering up little waves.

"I would not miss it. Though I never promised I would not arrive a little late!" he says exuberently, returning that hug before he straightens once more. "But I see I was not too late for the entertainment portion of the evening. Excellent," he says, those bright yellow eyes gleaming.

Hey, he grew up a performer. It's in his blood.

"Mmmm, if I were to guess I would imagine that Kree music would sound suspiciously like industrial metal. That doesn't usually feature highly on the typical kareoke machines, but perhaps they can dig something up," he muses, the corners of his mouth twitching.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
It took Gabby awhile to get here if only due to the fact that she was carrying a rather large box. Not heavy--Just large. Peering around the side of it she inches her way into the bar careful not to bump into anyone, or anything. The fake moustache she sometimes wears when in here has gone a bit lopsided from the staple in her upper lip holding it on coming loose. When you don't feel pain, who needs spirit gum to glue things on? Fft.

A bright grin crosses her face as she spots the familiar faces and resists the urge to wave (hold the box dangit!) so instead she pipes up with, "Happy birthday, Hank!" Before shushing due to apparent karaoke going on. "Oops. Uh, here, I made you a thing."

The unwrapped box is carted caaaarefully closer to set on a table where it's obvious the sides were taped in such a way that the tape could easily be pulled off so all the sides fall down to reveal whatever it is inside. "You can share if you wanna but you don't have to."

Henry McCoy has posed:
His foot taps to the Dazzler rendition from Nadia, Henry clearly enjoying himself. He's got a beer, food, presents and more importantly, his friends. A smile is given to Kurt, nodding. "Nonsense, you are right on time. And thank you, friend." He offers to the other blue man in the room.

As Gabby sneaks in, he winks to her. "The moustache is a nice touch - but I think un-needed tonight." He offers over to her. "Grab some food, and thank you." He offers, taking the boxes from both Kurt at Gabby. "I'll likely share?" He guesses, grinning to the latter.

The boxes are set down, with Carol's gift opened up next. Eyes go wide, the man looking to her. "Are you sure? What is it?!" He grins, looking at the high-tech alien scanner.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde has a soda waiting for Nadia when she finishes up the song. Kurt's comment about Kree music has Kitty looking thoughtful. "Now I /really/ want to hear something of theirs. Shi'ar music was very beautiful. That instrument that sounded like a harp but looked nothing like a string instrument?" she says fondly, but keeping her voice down to not broadcast the thought across the bar.

Gabby's entrance gets a grin from Kitty. "Glad you made it, Gabby," she says. She stands by to help Hank get the gifts to the table so he can focus on opening more. "There's cake and ice cream still to come," she says, though doesn't plan to interrupt the other good times until people are ready for it.

Kitty moves over to Rogue, slipping her arm around the other's waist and giving a careful sidehug before letting her go. "That's a great gift. I wish I'd thought of it," she says with a grin.

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol glances over when Gabby comes up with a present and is about to say something, but looks back to Hank as he starts to open the gift. "I'm sure.. I mean it is a puzzle to me. Picked it up at...uh.." she looks thoughtful. "Well I guess the closest way to explain where I picked it up would be an alien flea market. That about approximates it. I'm not actually sure what species technology it is but I figured you would get a kick out of it and trying to figure out what it does or is. Picked up something similar for Fitz for a present and he was thrilled so I figured this couldn't go wrong Hank?"

She looks back to Gabby and gives her a friendly smile and nod. Then well eat drink.. she goes to get herself a beer.

Nadia Pym-van Dyne has posed:
Nadia grins from ear to ear at Kitty's encouragement as she sings and the eventual applause. Once the song is done she puts the microphone back and hops down off the stage, "You were right, that is really fun, I like this 'karaoke'!" She informs Kitty before looking up at Kurt, "Hi, I'm Nadia. Are you from Asgard?" She seems genuinely curious as she addresses the blue furred elf, likely confusing him with the Dark Elves in one of Thor's stories.

But then Hank is opening Carol's present and pulling out a high-tech alien scanner, which draws Nadia's eyes in the same way a black hole draws... well everything. "Oooh what's that?!"

Kurt Wagner has posed:
Collecting a little food of his own along with a drink, Kurt does flash a grin Kitty's way when she mentions the alien instruments. And while Harry's might be welcoming enough for all the inhabitants of the Mansion, there's no huge need for them to broadcast any more of their differences then absolutely necessary. Like the fact that yes, they occasionally visit far flung space empires. Their lives can get a little strange.

When Carol's gift is unwrapped and explained, those brilliant yellow eyes begin glinting mischeviously once more. "That must make shopping for presents awfully convenient. There has to be almost no chance that someone else is going to give the same gift as you. And what are the chances of anyone saying 'It was a lovely thought but I already have one'.?" the fuzzy blue elf asks impishly, if rhetorically.

Turning towards Nadia, the corners of his mouth twitch slightly once more and he dips his head towards her in greeting. "Lovely singing," he praises. "And I am Kurt. I am not from Asgard, but I am from Germany which is even better. Though admittedly we do not have anywhere near as many magical hammers laying about."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney grins at the greetings, and reaches up to tug the moustache off. "Yeah I didn't have time for the full disguise," she admits with a small shrug as the bit of moustache that was likely made from a clipping of her own hair is tucked into a pocket of her jeans. A quick look around is given to Nadia, to Kurt, and Kitty and Rogue as well before she sneeeaks over to snag some food. It's actually not sneaking so much as being small and wiggling her way up to the table to snag a snack.

"Oh are we doing singing? I've never done that before." A thoughtful look crosses her face as she contemplates, but is soon distracted by the gift Carol got Hank. "Oh sweet! That's awesome! If you need someone to help test it, I'm your gal!" Even if she has no idea what it does.

Henry McCoy has posed:
He's fascinated by the alien tech in his hands, nodding to Carol. "I will endeavor to riddle it out, thank you Carol." A grin. As Nadia asks, he motions to it. "A puzzle and a tool. It's going to be a challenge sorting out what it is for, and how to work it." There's the click of his own brain into place again - thrilled at the prospect of SCIENCE!

Next on, he moves over to the box Gabby'd brought in. Opening it carefully, he grins at what is inside - a bear shaped cake, made of Twinkies, whipped cream frosting and a lot of attention to the making of it. "Gabby, this is amazing. I will need to share, lest I fear diabetes." He beams. "More cake! Made of Twinkies - my favorite!"

Rogue has posed:
Rogue, beside Kitty now, turns away from the Cajun who's been going on and on about some big story toward her and some of the others are the bar. She smiles to Kitty and waves a gloved hand toward Gabby. "You throw the best parties, Kitkat." She tells the l337 hacker girl. "You gonna throw my twenty first for me?" She asks. "It's gonna be here before we know it. Remy here, suggewsted mud wrestlin, but I think I'm too classy for that sorta crap."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde oos as she sees the gift that Carol gave Hank. "I think Carol just won the gift-giving," she comments. "Though Gabby surely knows the way to Hank's heart is through Twinkies in his stomach."

She grins over to Rogue and says, "Your 21st? Absolutely. Maybe we can get Clarice or someone to take us over to Europe or somewhere like that? You ever been?" she asks Rogue. "Great thing about that is we can start the party there, then come back and it's just getting to be happy hour again," she says with a laugh.

Kitty pats Rogue's back and nods about the mud wrestling. "We'll figure out something you'll enjoy," she agrees. "Speaking of... we should go visit the Carsteads and see about borrowing their wagon for a Halloween hayride," she says, speaking of the family who own a farm nearby to the school.

Kitty flashes Gabby a warm grin. "That's a great job with the cake, Gabby. Did you want to give the karaoke a try?"

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol looks over to Kurt and grins. "Pretty much my thought exactly. It works for more than just the science nerds as well. The gun nerds get blaster pistols. The sword nerds get swords. It is sharp all around really. Well especially the swords."

"I feel like space Oprah there for a minute..." she shakes her head and gets a second beer. Seems very friendly with beer.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney beams a bright grin at Hank's own enthusiasm toward the Twinkie-bear-cake. "Thanks! I can't really cook but I'm glad you like it!" There were alternate gifts she could have gotten but none could beat a Twinkie-bear-cake. At Kitty's question she tips her head side to side in thought. "Nah. I don't really know any songs to begin with. I'm still learning a lot of them."

Henry McCoy has posed:
The Beast chuckles at the Space-Oprah comment from Carol, grinning. On to Kitty's present - a smaller box. Inside, a older framed photo - the first class of Xavier's students and the professor himself. There's a soft oh of approeciation, his finges tracing over the frame. "This is wonderful, Kitty. Thank you.... where did you dig up this photo?" He grins.

A wink to Gabby. "The cake will be perfect, I am sure." A chuckle. "And regardless of your gifts, I'd rather not turn you into a test subject - ethics and fondness for you and all." A nod of his head.

No commentary about mud-wrasslin.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
Unsurprisingly Kurt's eyes glint merrily at the mention of space swords. "Weeeelllll... as it so happens I like swords. And my birthday is only a couple of weeks away. So if you happen to find a lightsabre or really any olf laser sword while you're flying around space, I'm just saying. Best birthday present ever," he points out with a grin for Carol. Hey, he has no shame. And who could say no to a begging fuzzy blue elf?

"A most excellent present Gabby," Kurt echoes as well as he peers at the twinkie cake. There should be no shortage of sweets about for the next few days. But this is certainly the month for it, no doubt about that. "Mmmmm, and yes, do pick Europe for your birthday Rogue. There are no shortage of suitable venues. No matter what your taste. Probably even for mud wrestling," he teases.

But as no one else seems to be in a hurry to do so, he hops up on stage, quickly moving to the karoke machine, making his selection and grabbing the mic. The lively music starts up and Kurt immediately starts belting out the lyrics, his voice not bad, but far more interested in having fun then anything else. "Well I remember every little thing as if it only happened yesterday, walkin' by the lake and there was not another car in sight..."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde gives Rogue a pat as she moves away and over to Hank as he opens up her gift to him. She smiles at his reaction. "Was digitizing some old photo albums in one of the store rooms, and saw this one," she tells him. "And I figured you might like a copy of it. So young and gallant in it! Now you're all... older and gallent," she teases him with a playful grin.

The girl slips her arm about Hank and gives him a side hug. "Happy Birthday, old friend," she tells him before letting him go. Kitty's beaming and looks around at everyone. "I'm so glad to be back here with you all," she comments softly, thinking about her own time in the UK that had her away from the school, perhaps. Before returning, back here to her family.

Kitty grabs her drink as Kurt goes up and starts singing a Meatloaf song. "Oh my. Rogue, he needs a woman to do the lady's part," she says, trying to encourage the Southern belle up there.

Nadia Pym-van Dyne has posed:
"That's so cool!" Nadia is briefly mesmerized by Hank's new alien tech before Kurt's introduction pulls her back to reality. "Oh, Germany. Of course." Germany has furry blue elf people, who knew? "The magic hammers are pretty cool. Nice to meet you Kurt! What does Germany have, if not magic hammers?"

She peers at Carol, "What's a Space Oprah, or well an Oprah. I know what space is." She looks at Hank laughing trying to figure out what joke she missed.

She peers at Rogue and Remy for a moment, "Why would you want to wrestle in mud?"

Rogue has posed:
Rogue raises a drink up to sip from it, before her eyes go to where Kurt is. She grins at him. "I'm not mud wrestlin'! I'm a classy lady, that's the kinda stuff rednecks do!" She says back to him before she turns back to Kitty only to hear Kurt's song selection over her shoulder which makes her smile. She looks back to watch him start the song, then shakes her head as she shoulder bumps in to Kitty's "Get up there an' sing it then, sugah. Kurt doesn't wanna duet with his sister, he wants t'duet with a hot young eligible bachelorette."

After another sip of her drink, and a word spoken over to Gambit, Rogue looks to Hank and smiles at him, that... suspicious / ornery kind of smile of hers. "Hose it feel bein' middle aged?" She asks him, before Nadia's question makes her smile to the other. "/I/ don't. He wants me too." She hooks a finger over her shoulder at the Cajun gabbing to other people in the bar. "And it's cause he's a big giant perv!"

Carol Danvers has posed:
There is a chuckle as she almost snorts some beer. She looks at Kurt. "Well I wasn't going by space flea markets in the next couple of weeks... It may need to wait until space christmas Kurt." she shakes her head amused.

"Talk show host miniwasp that gives her audiences lots of presents.. I was making fun of my own rambling there. Be sure to let me know what you want for space christmas Nadia."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty gives Rogue as sigh as she won't go up there. "Fine, not going to leave him hanging," she tells Rogue, before turning to head over to the little raised area where the karaoke machine is set up.

She grins at Kurt as the young woman picks up the second microphone, turning it on and very gently tapping the top to make sure it works. She dances along beside Kurt as he sings the man's part all the way through the chorus.

Then it gets to the woman's part and Kitty jumps in. She won't be a professional singer, but doesn't have a bad voice at least. "Baby don't you hear my heart, you got it drowning out the radio. I've been waiting so long for you to come along and have some fun. Well I gotta let you know, no you're never gonna regret it. So open up your eyes I got a big surprise... It'll feel all right, well I want to make your motor run!"

Kitty covers up her face and laughs then at the lyrics. "You picked the song!" she tells Kurt softly.

Henry McCoy has posed:
Kitty is released from the hug so she can join on stage. "Everyone says middle aged, I do not think thirty is the mid-mark of my lifespan." Henry sticks his tongue out, so dignified. His foot is definitely tapping to Meatloaf. He was born for this music!

A shake of his head over to Rogue. "I feel great! All sorts of alive. Am I turning gray, yet?" He teases back.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
Ahhh, poor Nadia. She missed out on Oktoberfest or else Kurt could have shown her first hand what Germany has to offer. Of course some people would probably take the magic hammers over food, beer and dance. To each their own. The fuzzy blue elf knows what he prefers certainly.

There might not be a laser sword wrapped up for him on his birthday, but Kurt doesn't seem too distraught over that particular fact, simply flashing a grin to Carol as he sings up on stage. He has to lower the microphone for a moment, chuckling as Kitty and Rogue argue about who is going to join him, and again when his duet partner has to cover her face at the lyrics. "It is good you can still get embarassed about such things," he teases before quickly picking back up the song before too many of the lyrics scroll by on the screen.

Dueling back and forth, the fuzzy blue elf belts out the conclusion. "I couldn't take it any longer, I thought I was crazy when the feelin' came up on me like a tidal wave, started swearin' to my god and on my mother's grave that I would love ya 'til the end of time, I swore that I would love ya to the end of time. SO now I'm prayin' for the end of time..." concluding the song with a deep bow, grabbing Kitty's hand and raising it in the air before dropping the mic and hopping down off the stage.

Nadia Pym-van Dyne has posed:
Nadia gives Rogue a curious look while nodding her head a bit, "Oh okay." a pause, "What's a perv?" This seems to be a completely serious question.

She makes an 'Oh' expression when Carol explains what Oprah is, she has heard of these 'Talkshow hosts'. "I see. That makes sense. When Carol mentions space Christmas though, Nadia's eyes get a bit wide, "Wait is Space Christmas a thing? I just learned about Earth Christmas!" She points in Hank's direction in response to the question of what she might want, "Cool alien tech!"

Rogue has posed:
Rogue is taking a sip of her drink and enjoying the show of Kurt and Kitty when she hears Nadia ask her that question. It makes her very nearly spit-take her beverage before she has to lower it down and then dab at her lips with the napkin on the bar that came with her glass. "Uh, well, ya know... Imean..." She looks around. "Carol, help me out here?" She asks, a desperate look on her face.

Quickly she averts her eyes to Hank again and smiles at him. "Not a gray hair t'be found on that beautiful blue'a yours, Doctah!" She says right back at him, changing the subject. She glance sin Kurt and Kitty's way, shouting out. "Do the Dirty Dancin' song now!"

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde joins in with Kurt, singing the ending lines together about how they are stuck together till the end of time. She's laughing by the time the song is over, setting the microphone down and giving her hand to Kurt so he can raise it in their triumphant display.

She follows off stage. She missed what caused Rogue's spit-take, though did see it. A glance between Rogue and the teen and a faint grin. "Only if you and Hank enact the dance," Kitty counters to Rogue. "You'd be a natural for him to lift up, between his strength and your... talents," Kitty says. Not sure how much Harry knows about Rogue's abilities.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
Kurt will be very disappointed to have missed the discussion about Space Christmas. He is always up for a good holiday celebration, but that sounds extra awesome. Making a beeline for the table and his waiting drink he takes a long pull, wetting his whistle as it were. Like jsut about anything else he does, the fuzzy blue elf certainly doesn't hesitate to throw his full self into his singing efforts. And he certainly doesn't seem to care that he will never be a vocal master. It's all about the /fun/!

"Sold. You do the dance, I will happily sing whatever you'd like," Kurt says without hesitation, that grin lighting up those faintly demonic features once more. "That would be worth the price of admission." Which could be taken many different ways since there was definitely no cover charge tonight. "Consider it your present to the rest of us!"

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol tilts her wrist there and a holodisplay appears, she taps it a few times and makes a note "Cool alien tech for Miniwasp." then flicks her wrist turning it off now.

She looks over to Rogue "I'm not sure why it is my job to bail you out Anna-Marie." it is said ever so sweetly and then she grins over to Nadia "Space christmas is the same day is earth christmas... turn on word Nadia so you need to wait that long too."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
    Doug has arrived late - he stopped at the bar long enough to get a drink, and now he's leaning against the wall with one shoulder, his feet crossed at the ankles, still dressed for work. He takes a sip and looks up at the stage, before he looks at the others, and smiles. "I, ah- brought a gift for the birthday boy." He says, before he holds up a copy of 'Shakespeare, Not Stirred'. "It's for the type of guy who likes to get truly classy cocktails."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde looks over at Carol's holographic-emitting bracelet. "I don't suppose those are on the birthday gift registry? Mebbe?" Kitty asks the blond heroine. "Please?" She grins at Carol, obviously realizing what the answer would be.

And then she hears Doug's voice and looks over to spot him leaning there so casually. "Doug!" she says in a joyous voice, hurrying over to smother her old friend in a big hug. "I was worried you weren't going to make it," she tells him, relinquishing the hug so he can give Hank the gift. Also? Breathe.

Henry McCoy has posed:
The Beast chuckles. "Is she lifting me, or am I lifting her?" He asks of Kurt and Kitty. A wave is offered to Doug as he arrives, the man clearly enjoying his night. He finishes his beer, looking to the Karaoke machine. "I suppose it's my turn, then? I can't deny the allure of being on stage again..."

Hank moves over to the stage, and hops up with no difficulty. The microphone is picked up and dusted off, carefully. A moment browsing the song selection, and he has his choice.

Brassy horns start with a thrumming bass - and acoustic guitar. Henry steps into the music, his deep voice belting out smoothly. "Love, is a burning thing...
And makes a firey ring...
Bound by wild desire...
I fell in to a ring of fire."

Nadia Pym-van Dyne has posed:
Nadia peers at Rogue's pecular reaction and looks from her to Remy and back to Rogue again as she tries to pass the buck to Carol before changing the subject.

"Did I ask something weird?" She asks Carol before adding. "I shall look forward to Space Christmas!"

Kurt Wagner has posed:
Sinking back into his seat, Kurt continues to sip greedily at that soda, only occasionally laying it aside to snack on the food laid out on the table. Performing can work up quite the appetite. When Doug arrives he gets a lifted hand and a grin as well and when Hank goes to take his turn the fuzzy blue elf pounds on the table enthusiastically.

As the newest song comes on, Kurt grins and hollars out "Oh my stars and garters, you're suppose to be the man in blue, not hte man in black," he teases before falling silent to let the birthday boy have his chance to put on a show.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde claps for Beast as he goes up and begins to sing. She grins over to Doug and says, "Want a drink, and some food? We still haven't cut the cakes yet. Gabby made a twinky cake for him." The latter part gets a grin from Kitty at the girl's sheer genius.

She motions to the table and returns to it to take a seat next to Nadia. Kitty sips her soda and then tells Nadia, "Glad that you made it out. Hank is such a great person, just love seeing him surrounded by friends," she says to her.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue's eyes drop down to her phone and she starts to tippity tappity on the screen with her thumbs, then raises her phone up and spins it around to show the big screen zoomed in on text.  A word definition.
           __  __   __    __
          (  )(  ) (  )  (  )          
.------------------------------------------------------.
|                                                       |
|    Pervert: (noun)                                    |
|    A person whose sexual behavior is regarded as      |
|    abnormal and unacceptable.                         |
|                                                       |
|    Pervert: (verb)                                    |
|    alter (something) from its original course,        |
|    meaning, or state to a distortioN  or corruption   |
|     of what was first intended.                       |
|                                                       |
|                                                       |
`-------------------------------------------------------`
                                   (__)

Rogue then draws her phone back to herself and shakes her head.  "I don't do dirty dancin's without extensive practice behind closed doors, lots'a practice is how ya make it perfect, ya'll." She says with a big grin.

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug returns the hug, warmly, and then lets go, before he holds up his drink. "I've got a drink, but I haven't eaten yet. It's a long drive out of the city, and as yet I don't have a good alternative for it.

He strokes his chin. "I could go for a piece of cake."

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol, on her like third or .. hmm how many beers has she had. Still at least three, peers at Kitty "Is what on.." then she ohs and glances at her jackets wrist.

"I mean maybe, holo tablets aren't rare... this one is built into my suit though which is pretending to be this outfit right now because I scrambled it's molocules but .. " she stops herself.

"Sure Kitkat I will see what I can do about a holowatch computer, I will not load it with the Kree databases though." she notes.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
"Perfect, pfffft," Kurt retorts to Rogue's reasoning with that amiable grin etched on his indigo-furred features. "Perfect is boring. Be perfect with strangers. We're family and friends here. Just a little less than perfect makes for the better story, better memory," he teases. Oh, he's going to get her to dance. If not tonight then maybe on that upcoming twenty-first birthday. Stories will definitely be needed in the aftermath of that particular evening.

While Hank sings, that Twinkie cake does get a good eyeing. But it is the birthday boys afterall, and it's only fair that he get the first piece. The fuzzy blue elf settles for another drink, flashing a grin over in Carol's direction. "You're getting quite the shopping list. Maybe you better bring us back a space ship too. Something to haul all these goodies in," he suggests oh so innocently. "Maybe something sporty."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde gives a soft aw at no inclusion of the Kree database. Still, a holographic interface isn't something she's ever gotten to work with before. The Danger Room, and Image Inducers, yes, though mostly programming the latter, and the former's tech can be pretty hard to follow.

She smiles to Carol though and says, "I was mostly kidding. I mean if you wanted to, I wouldn't stop you, of course," she says with a warm laugh, and reaching over to give Carol's arm a soft squeeze.

She moves over to the cake, getting it out and putting a pair of candles in it in the shapes of a 3 and a 0, so it'll be ready for Hank when the song is done. Though for now she's tapping a foot in time to his singing. "Fire marshal said no to actually having 30 candles, apparently," she teases. She'll get the candles lit at the appropriate time for the birthday boy. "Kurt, you get to lead Happy Birthday," she says to the resident singer.

Henry McCoy has posed:
Man in Black, Man in Blue - Henry doesn't care. He makes a show of it, doing an admirable job of getting the country twang of Johnny Cash down pat. He finishes up the song, setting the mic back in the stand and taking a bow. With a front flip off the stage, he heads over to the foods!

"Cake! I can smell that treat Gabby made." He laughs. "I am hungry... I need more carbs before more beer. Ratios are important." The man nods sagely. Kitty gets a hip-bump, teasing after the candles joke.

Nadia Pym-van Dyne has posed:
Nadia looks at Rogue's phone and her expression becomes one of realization, "Oh it's just short for pervert, why didn't you say so?" She apparently knows what the word means and just lacks a familiarity with slang.

Sitting at the table, she smiles at Kitty, "I'm just glad I could be here, Dr. McCoy is really cool and I don't get to see him around Avengers Mansion much." She oooohs quietly at the holographic displays, seemingly easily distracted by interesting pieces of technology.

Kurt gets a grin at his suggestion of bringing back a spaceship, "I've been thinking of building one of those, so many threats seem to be coming from space these days. It would be really useful to have a function FTL capable long distance ship." The teenaged girl sipping her soda seems completely serious about this.

She enthusiastically applauds the various karaoke performances, particularly the birthday boy's most recent act.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue draws her phone back toward her after Nadia reads it, and shrugs her shoulders inside of her leather bomber jacket. "I dunno. I'm slow." She answers with a smirk, a quick drink taking from her VIRGIN SHERLY TEMPLE and she just glances over at Kurt. A finger is twirled through her hair as she just smiles at the blue-fuzzy-brother. 'You're too wise for me, sugah. I can't keep up with that kinda proper train'a thought. I'm too busy bein' all off in my own world, lost in my own madness." She states, dripping with playful fun.

Her gaze quickly shoots at Carol, her expression super serious now. "Carol!" She says, like she just noticed the woman here for the first time tonight. "Carol!" She says her name again like she's worried she didn't hear her the first time.

"Janet Van Dyne wants t'set up a meetin' with me, Avengers-stuff. I don't wanna go without you there. Ya gotta be there... ya /gotta!/"

When Beast walks by, he gets a gloved pat on his backside. "Nice song, B-Day B-Boy." She tells him too with a sly smile.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty gives applause as Hank finishes his song. And an extra cheer for the flip as he departs the stage. "Yep, we're ready to go," she says, motioning to the cake with the burning candles.

She looks over to Doug, inviting him to join them around the cake so that old classic Happy Birthday song can be sung. She even pulls out her phone and uses it to control the karaoke machine to play the music for it as they sing along.

At the end she makes way so Beast can blow out the candles. "Make a wish. And you already got a new electron microscope, so probably not that," she says with a grin towards Nadia.

Kitty will be ready to cut the cake after, serving up the first slice to Hank and then handing them out to everyone after.

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
    Doug loosens his tie, and finds a seat, perching on the edge of it with his elbows on his knees and his hands tucked under his chin. "I would do a song," He says, "But I didn't come prepared with any in mind." He looks up at the rest of the gifts already laid out, and then says, "Looks like people are having a great time, though. That's nice."
    He makes his way up with the rest of the crowd, and gamely sings along.

Henry McCoy has posed:
Hopping after the backside pat from Rogue, it's clear he's blushing under his fur. Henry tsks, moving over to where the candles are lit. There's a pause, the man considering his wish. A quick puff of air, and Henry blows out the candles.

He takes the first piece of cake with a smile. "Come on over all, dig in. Two cakes to choose from." He motions to the Gabby-baked and the Kitty-provided! "Please, be happy and have fun. It's what I want most for my friends. A good time, with good memories to share after."

Carol Danvers has posed:
"Okay you're incouragable and no I will not be bringing you all back a space ship. Way too difficult to sneak into upstate New York and stealth ships are a lot of creds." breaking Kurt's heart.

Also she had a lot of beers. She honestly thought Rogue was trying to get her to answer awkward questions with Nadia not something else.The Carol though gets her attention this time now. "What... Janet wants what now." she looks puzzled and then nods. "Sure Rogue, I'll be there for you. I'm pretty sure it isn't a trap and Rodgers is really nice too. Tony.. bit of a dick sometimes but he is proud of that I swear..."

Kurt Wagner has posed:
No sweet, sporty space ship in Kurt's future. It looks like he will be sticking to travel by *bamf*. Ahh well, there are worse fates. Still, he flashes those hurt, puppy-dog eyes Carol's way before laughing once more. "Well apparently we can do without your foreign, extraterrestrial imports if our young friend here can hook us up," he says, grinning Nadia's way. "And if you can make sure that it has racing stripes I will be your best friend," he suggests.. Incorrigible? Him? Noooooooooo.

Those glinting yellow eyes turn Rogue's ways, the corners of his mouth twitching this time. "Madness, hmmmm? Well, I don't know if I can complete with that. But don't think this is the last you've heard of this," the fuzzy blue elf promises before he joins the crowd to get his slice of cake. Or two slices in this case. It's only fair to sample both right? Just good manners.

Henry McCoy has posed:
Mmmm cake! "I didn't ask for anything Carol. Please take note of that." Henry raises his fork. "That said..." He winks, mischeviously. A glance to Rogue, canting his head. "An Avengers Trainee?" He grins, watching the other woman for a moment. "I am intrigued."

He settles in at one of the booths, relaxing. "I enjoy Steve's company - he's a good man to talk to, and a fantastic teacher for hand-to-hand combat." He offers over.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue stands up to go get her cake, glancing over at Gambit who is deeply lost in a conversation with Harry (Bruce Willis look alike for some reason). She grins at Carol and nods once. "Glad t'hear you'll help me out. I wanna make a good impression, and well, just in case that whole ya know... Golden Gate thing gets brought up!"

She sticks her gloved hands out then for a plate of cake. "Two please, an' thank ya." She asks in a kindly southern hospitalities sort've way.

A smirk is fired back to Kurt then. "Don't be bitin' off more than you can chew there, Fuzzy Buddy." She chides him! And with her two plates of cake she twirls back around and gives one to the Cajun, then plucks a plastic fork up off the bar where some were stacked up.

She forks the cake, she puts it in her mouth, and she lets some of the icing fall down her chin while she nods her head. "Thishf ishf gooodf!" She says.

Was her drink really a VIRGIN?! It's anyone's guess.

Nadia Pym-van Dyne has posed:
"Ooh racing stripes. I like that." Nadia agrees with Kurt.

Rogue gets a big smile, "Don't worry, Janet is really nice. I'm sure it will be fine."

Carol Danvers has posed:
"Yeah well water under the bridge Rogue." did she actually just.....

"And yeah Hank. Steve is the best of all of us." she smiles and leans back watching Rogue maul that cake like a bear with a picnic basket at this point. "Glad I came, happy birthday Hank."