2025-04-07 - You Can Hold the Camera

After busting her asses, literally, doing inspections and minor repairs to the park post-event, Chase finally gets to enjoy a well-earned day off. However, that doesn’t mean that she’s spending it lounging around in bed. Mainly because said bed is currently unoccupied.

Instead, she is in the kitchen making breakfast for more than just herself. After all, one of her roommates had a rather eventful and audible evening, and Chase is pretty sure that whoever was ringing her bestie’s bell is still behind the closed door. And given the decibel level, he (or she) has likely worked up an appetite.

Clad in a pair of black leggings and a gray t-shirt, with her hair piled into a messy bun on top of her head, Chase bounces back and forth from the stove to the oven. Bacon and eggs accompanied by a pan of fresh blueberry muffins.

Occasionally, she cuts her gaze over toward Avery’s room with an amused smirk on her face.

The door does eventually open, but it isn't Avery on the other side.

Washington Warner looks pretty good in just a pair of boxer briefs, though he's lacking his usual assortment of jewelry --rings, necklaces, bracelts-- and his hair isn't wrapped up in a fashionable manbun or ponytail, but rather a full-on mess on his head. He squints a little --it's a lot darker in the room-- and says, "Hey, Chasers," as he barefoot-pads his way to the box sitting just next to the apartment door.

He bends over to rummage in there --a box with the word's 'BAM'S SHIT' scrawled on the side in Sharpie, Avery's handwriting-- and eventually he pops back up holding a large ziploc bag with coffee beans inside it.

"Score. Hey, you got a coffee grinder?"

Avery was pulling a larger plain t-shirt over a pair of black workout/bootie shorts when Wash had made the decision to leave her room. Hearing the door, smelling the distinct smell of bacon frying and blueberry muffins baking. Her head was just poking through the hole of her shirt when she tried, "Wash wait-"

Nope. Toooo late, he was already out the door.

"Shit." Avery groaned.

Walking out of her room, and saw Chase in the kitchen and Wash padding toward the kitchen. So, this was happening. Avery chewed on her lower lip, and watched on for a second or two. While Wash got the coffee out of the box. Oh gah, the box was still out there!

There was only one thing to do and that was... to press on.

Clearing her throat, Avery steps away from the doorframe and toward the kitchen. Her hair was a mess, it had that look of a rumpled night's sleep combined with falling asleep with it still wet from a recent wash (pun intended).

"Coffee grinders in the bottom cabinet to the left of the fridge." Answering Wash on her way over to the kitchen bar, "Morning, Chase."

The opening of the door does catch Chase’s attention, and the emergence of a form that is not Avery is captured in the corner of her eye. Instead of immediately turning to look at the individual, however, the mechanic slips on a single quilted glove splattered with the remnants of desserts gone by, and pulls the muffins out of the oven.

And nearly drops them when she’s addressed by a not completely unfamiliar voice. Head whipping Wash’s way, she stares first at his face, then down at his minimal attire, and then back up to him.

He is, quite literally, the last person she expected to emerge from Avery’s room.

The question about the grinder gets a dumbfounded blinking in response. Seems Chase’s brain is in a reboot cycle. Fortunately, Avery is not far behind to answer for her. She nods in agreement as she sets the delicious smelling pan down and nods in the direction of the small cupboard.

Pulling off the protective mitten, she turns and leans against the counter, arms crossed over her chest. Her gaze swings from one guilty party to the other.

“So, who would like some breakfast?” Then her eyes drift over to her roommate as the corner of her mouth curls up amusedly. “Or a confessional?”

Wash shakes the bag full of coffee and shimmies past Chase with a smile so he can reach down and retrieve the grinder. Her question gets a short, barked laugh. "Smell's really good, and I don't confess on an empty stomach, so." He plugs the grinder in, pours some beans in there, and then caps it.

VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

"Mugs mugs mugs mugs," he murmurs, snooping while he looks. Whether he finds some or someone finds them for him, he'll get one, setting about making some coffee that smells like a Turk just decided to invade Christiandom.

"Cannot believe he left the coffee," he murmurs, off-handedly. "Win for meeeeee..." Does he always talk to himself? Maybe he's used to mornings with his twin, and they have these sort of weird passive conversations? Anything's possible with a Warner, really.

Avery looks from Wash to Chase and back again.

She opens her mouth to speak just as the grinder starts, and it gives her another few seconds to just stare at Chase and offer an attempt of an innocent smile.

The kitchen was too small for a lot of people to be in there are once, but Avery steps in it anyway, slipping between Chase and Wash to open a top cupboard. Pushing up on her tiptoes, she reaches up and grabs a mug for Wash and sets it on the counter beside where he was working, getting his coffee ready.

"The muffins smell great," leading with that. "I could eat. I didn't get a chance to have dinner last night." As far as the confessional?

"So, you two know one another?" Avery looks back at Wash and then back to Chase and just starts to laugh.

Chase nods when Wash admits that he isn’t going to confess anything on an empty stomach. The grinder makes short work of the beans, and while it’s pulverizing them, she sends a look at Avery that practically screams that a full accounting of the previous evening, and all that it entails, will be had once they’re alone.

Grabbing a trio of plates from the cabinet, she scoops some eggs onto each, adds a couple of pieces of bacon, and finishes it off with a single, still steaming, muffin. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee gets an appreciative sniff before she places the plates at the bar counter and adds utensils.

“We’ve run into each other a few times,” Chase admits to Avery’s inquiry. “But not like the way you seem to have run into him.” The smirk is impossible to miss. “I almost, almost, treated your mystery guest to a Twin Surprise. Just because I thought it’d be funny.” She picks up one of the muffins, fingers dancing around to keep from getting burned.

“I don’t need to ask how the evening went. It was plenty obvious to me. And the people in the units next to ours.”

"Aw, I couldda gotten a Twin Surprise? I've always heard two Chasers are better than one." Wash looks momentarily put out as he pours three cups of coffee, and sets one in front of each woman. "I dunno how much sugar or whatever y'all take. It's strong, though. That shit'll wake you up." He doesn't seem to want any sweetener or anything; he just takes a big gulp of the steaming hot bean juice and then shakes his head a little, hair flailing. "Whew."

Chase's other comment gets a grin and he looks over at Avery, while still talking to Chase: "Bit of a screamer, your roomie."

"He probably would have liked the twin surprise, considering he is one."

Avery clears her throat again. Those allergies were something this time of year, or maybe it was from all the screaming. A subtle pink colors the woman's cheeks as she takes her coffee and opens the fridge to get some half/half creamer out and adds it to mug. The beans had come out of his Brother's stuff, so there was a fair chance she'd had this coffee before and knew just how strong it was.

"I wasn't that loud." She took her coffee over to the breakfast bar, taking one of the seats up there. Food was dished out and set down for her. Looking back at the two, "Ok, maybe I was. Not like it was all my fault." Giving a pointed look at Wash. This was not something she was going to apologize for.

The coffee mug gets set down beside her plate so that she can pick up the muffin and open it. The steam burning her fingers in the process "Shit, that's hot."

Looking up from the muffin, she meets Chase's eyes, "Yeah, so... That happened." Glancing at Wash and then back to Chase, "And probably will again, fair warning."

Chase laughs. “Yes, that is true. But he already knows I can do that trick, so it loses a lot of its shock value.” The warning about the coffee gets a single nod in response. “Good. Because I’ve got the day off and I don’t plan on sleeping through any of it.”

Part of the muffin is tossed into her mouth to keep from having to respond to Wash’s comment and Avery’s protest. When she says that there may be future repeat performances, Chase grins.

Swallowing, she chases the pastry with some coffee (which is definitely strong) and grabs a slice of bacon from her plate.

“Consider me duly warned, A. I’ll either toss on some noise-cancelling headphones, pop some popcorn, or call someone over so we can have a contest. Depends on my mood.” The bacon is crunched between her teeth and follows the trail of the muffin.

“Did either of you get any new gifts or surprises during that surge? I’ve heard whispers that some folks’ magick got a boost.” She grins mischievously. “I was hoping for triplets.”

"And again, and again, and again--" Wash is saying, and then looks up. "Sorry, was thinking of last night." He gives them both a big smile and then grabs a muffin, bouncing it between one hand and the other before he takes a bite. "Ah ah ah burn so good ah ah..."

He finishes chewing and then smiles at Chase, and then looks at Avery. "Could always use someone to hold the camera." Then he flashes Chase a wink and takes a long gulp of his coffee. "Nothing new. But we haven't really been hit by any of that. I mean there's a lot more spirits around now. But other than that." He shrugs, taking a spot leaning against the kitchen counter next to Avery.

Avery chose the wrong moment to take a bite of her muffin. Choking as a blueberry is sucked up too quickly into the back of her throat when Wash goes on about 'again and again...'. Coughing, she reached for her coffee and took a long drink of if despite the temperature of it being freshly brewed.

In the process of this happening, they're talking about having an audience for the next performance, either outside the room with popcorn, Chase in direct competition for who could out do the other, and then of course the suggestion for Chase to hold the camera in the room. Leading one to believe that a camera had already been used.

This was totally normal breakfast conversation.

"I felt my magic stronger when I got back to the park," going onto a more simple topic for the moment, "I haven't explored it yet; it just feels...different. Like an electricity under my skin."

“Good,” Chase says as she winks at Avery. “I can rest better knowing my girl’s needs are being well taken care of. Repeatedly.” Sure, there’s a hint of jealousy there, but nothing malicious. Avery really is, to Chase, her “sister from another mister”. At least one of them is getting their itches scratched.

Wash’s offer for her to hold the camera gets a laugh and a shaking of a half-finished piece of bacon in his direction. “You do know it’s possible for me to both hold the camera and participate, right?”

She waggles her brows at the two of them and shakes her head. “I’m going to have to pass, my dude. Not only do I not want a front row seat to my inadequacies, I don’t think Avery’s completely gotten over walking on me with myself.”

However, the other girl’s confession that her abilities have changed since the surge gets the playful expression to vanish from Chase’s face. “Stronger? Like you feel you might be able to actually cause a snowstorm?”

Wash just smiles. "I do, actually. I do realize." Beat. "Could always just toss the camera," he admits. He looks at Avery when Chase mentions her not having 'gotten over' something. "I dunno, she's pretty resilient." His hand tickles Avery's ribs a little bit, and then he takes another gulp of his coffee. "If you're gonna be starting snowstorms, test it outside," he suggests.

The blueberry had made it down her throat with the helpful aid of the coffee. Avery grinned over at Chase with affection, she was always so supportive of Avery's needs getting met, and this time was no different, with no passing judgment. Much like how she would be with Chase if the role was in reverse.

"I'm over that," waving a hand dismissively just before Wash tickled her ribs to the point that she squirms with a shift of her body and giggle.

Taking another piece of her muffin, hesitating only to make sure no further things that might make her choke are being discussed, yet. "I am," resilient that was. "Besides Chase, if I was going to include anyone in that room to hold a camera or otherwise, you'd be on the list." Even if Chase just said she'd pass to Wash.

As for as snowstorms? "Yeah, Kinda." rolling her eyes at Wash, "Really? I was thinking of rocking havoc right here right now." shaking her head, she looks back at Chase, "It's something I'd like to explore. What about you?"

When Avery rolls her eyes and gets sassy, Wash grins and gives her ass a sharp smack. "Brat." Then he finishes his coffee and sets the mug in the sink. "I gotta pee." And maybe put a shirt on. Maybe. He heads for Avery's room, and thus the bathroom.

Chase grins at Wash’s suggestion for ditching the camera. “She is. She’s a lot tougher than other people give her credit for. That’s my ice princess.”

Avery’s insistence that she’s gotten past walking in a Chase on Chase situation gets a shrug. “I’m just teasing. Though you did have the funniest expression on your face when you realized what was going on.”

She uses both hands to make a heart symbol when the other girl reveals that she’s on a bedroom list. “Same, girl. Same.” Wonder if that’s got Wash’s gears really spinning with the imagined possibilities.

“Yeah. I think that would be a good idea. Better to know your limits now, rather than in a crunch. But your boy toy is right. Outside is a much better choice. Unless you want to try the experiment in Flee’s room?”

Avery's body jerks at the smack to her ass, the name calling just get a laugh, "I know," she says back. Watching him take his mug to the sink and then make his announcement before leaving the kitchen. Turning her head, she watches him walk away and then looks back at Chase, her grin broadening with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

The heart symbol is given back to Chase, moving from her chest and out toward Chase like a pumping heart. There was no doubt in her mind, that the subject of them both being on each other bedroom list was not only heard by Wash but caused his mind to go in several directions.

"I'm not taking a chance that I mess up where Flee sleeps, she'd kill me if she couldn't get in her room and sleep." No doubt the other roommate loved her sleep, there was no denying that. "With it getting warmer, I was thinking about maybe seeing about renting a boat? Away from anything I could hurt or destroy. But what about you? Have you felt different? experience anything different?"

Chase laughs at Wash’s comment about her roommate’s predilections to being difficult. “Believe me, you don’t know the half of it.” Then he’s gone and it’s just the two of them. “Good point. Flee would kill you for messing up her room and then she’d kill me for being an accomplice. Or for not stopping you. Maybe outside would be better.”

“We could.” Rent a boat that is. “As long as you don’t destroy the boat and send us into the drink, I think that would be the best place to test your upgrades.”

She shakes her head and finishes the muffin. “No. I tried to see if I could control more machines or something. Nothing new there. And I wasn’t kidding about triplets. I bilocated and then each of us tried to bilocate again. Nada.”

She laughs and picks up the mug of coffee. “Which is probably a good thing. Can you imagine an infinite number of me running around? Not sure the park would survive.”

"Hey!" Avery says to Chase, "You're not wrong... But still give me some credit in front of the guy I just boinked, wouldja?" Not that Wash hadn't probably figured that much out already. "At least me look a little."

Leaving the muffin behind on her plate to pick up bacon. "Ah! Yeah... There is that. There are enough ships down there that have sank and are at the bottom of the lake, not like it couldn't happen or has happened before." Biting down on a crispy bit of Bacon, "When I went down there, did I tell you what I saw?" asking the question but she was pretty sure she hadn't, "Duddddeee, There is something control these little machines. This weirdo steampunk looking contraption came out and was repaying this whole orb area. It's something straight out of a scifi book down there."

Shrugging a shoulder, "AT least you'd get your work done faster," Avery laughs, "Sorry you can't have a multitude of yourself though. A Chase army would be terrifying."

“If Wash hasn’t figured that bit about you yet, then he’s not paying attention. You practically exude Brat Energy. But that’s okay, because brats are adorable.” Chase grins and leans against the counter. “Is it weird boinking Bam’s brother? Or are you just ignoring that factoid?” She holds up her hand. “You know that I am not judging you at all, babe. I’m all about sexual freedom, you know that. Just call me curious. Like, I know you have had to compare them.”

Then the conversation switches to something else that occupies Chase’s thoughts almost as much as bedroom activities. Mechanics. “What? No, you didn’t.” She leans closer to Avery as the other girl describes the steamwork creature. “Wait. So there was a machine, a weird machine, performing construction? I wonder if I could talk to it the way I do the microwave?”

The grin on her face widens. “An army of Chases. Dear god, that is terrifying. I’d be happy with being able to split into ten at the most. I could knock out my tasks with incredible speed at that rate.”

She glances from Avery to the closed bedroom door and back, smirking. “You should probably go check on him, girl. He’s either having trouble dressing himself or he’s climbed back into bed to wait for your return.”

She gestures at the stove. “I’ll clean up here and then hop in the shower. With the radio on really, really loud.”

Avery knew the question was coming, and she knew that Chase wasn't judging her; she was just curious. Who wouldn't be? This was a situation that begged for curiosity questions. She also suspected there would be much more to come. Her heard turns to look towards her closed bedroom door, "I thought I'd have a little bit of guilt or something, that like I would regret something or feel like..." sighing, "I don't know what. What I do know is that it's not weird, and I regret nothing."

Bitting her lower lip hiding a smile that was forming there, "Of course I did," She compared them. Maybe because Wash was still just in the next room, she didn't want to get into a full PowerPoint presentation about the complete comparison, but she would give Chase something. "He's different. A lot more open to things. God damn, Hot. Last night was... better than I've had in a long time."

Just thinking about last night was distracting Avery, and she had to focus on anything else. "What?" blink blink blink. "Oh! Maybe! I didn't even think of that. Can you scuba dive? Its a long way down, I had to turn myself into water to get down there. That was weird being a liquid is so strange."

It had been a minute, way longer than any real pee needed to take, Avery grinned over at Chase, "I'm kinda hoping for the latter." Hopping off the stool at the breakfast bar, "You're the bestest roommate and unbiological sister anyone could ask for, Chase Donovan." and with that, Avery skips over to her bedroom door and opens it slowly, disappearing seconds later.