xp_logs | Crystal and Garrison - Talking the Night Away (Reply)

Stopping by the Winter Ball, Garrison starts up a chat with Crystal and the two discuss a variety of interesting topics, such as invasions by evil, demonic, and/or alien entities, a useful battle strategy, and culinary delights. Garrison does his best to get Crystal to laugh, but, well, read and see for yourself.

Crystal nodded as a server replenished the food in one of the many chafing dishes displayed on the food tables. Everything was going great. She had been more than a bit concerned upon discovering that the staff members had chosen the previous day as the perfect time to beat each other senseless, but as long as no demons or lunatics decided to pay the mansion a visit tonight, everything would work out just fine. Hopefully, the world would not need to be saved tonight. Who really needed fully conscious, bruise-free chaperones under Crystal's watchful eye anyway?

Garrison popped his head through the doors. Unlike the others, only his groin had taken a beating last night, and he'd been off for work with the Bureau for hours. He'd finally begged off and had arrived to see the signs of the Winter Ball for the kids. Well, he was already in a suit, after all.

He walked in, nodding to Haller who was comtemplating whether or not his future involved pasties filled with some green and possibly prawn-like, and took a quick look over the floor. A couple of the kids waved, and Garrison grinned back. He liked most of the teens; they were collectively arrogent, oversensitive and dumb in the way only teenagers and Jean-Paul are ever able to accomplish.

"Crystal." He said with a smile as the teen walked by. "You look lovely this evening. How's the big shindig going?"

"Thank you, Mr. Kane," Crystal replied with a smile. "Your suit is very nice. Everything seems to be going just fine."

"Garrison. My father is Mister Kane, assuming anyone could ever find him." Kane loosened his tie a little, glad that he'd remembered to take off his identification badge before coming in. Having the 'Feds' at the party might have dampered things. "Are you having fun?"

"I am having a wonderful time," Crystal told him, still smiling. "The dance is running smoothly, people seem to be having a good time, and no evil beings, demonic or otherwise, have invaded the school."

"See, I told you taking Magneto off the mailing list would work." Kane riposted easily. After all the various things these kids went through, a nice night was something important to them. "Now, since I'm officially old at the ripe age of twenty-five, what's the top gossip? Who danced with who that had everyone shocked and talking about, eh?"

Crystal resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He thought he was so funny, didn't he? "You will have to ask someone else in order to obtain that information," she said politely. "I have been busy and have not had the time" or the desire "to inquire about the intricacies of tonight's ballroom-related gossip."

"That's a shame. It's a vital part of social dynamics, you know. The transfer of information, shifting alliances and influence, the tribal aspects of dominance." Garrison grinned. There was a reason he'd enjoyed his psych degree. "Makes me completely not miss high school even for a second, really."

"Hearsay, unfounded rumors, and potentially damaging allegations," Crystal returned calmly, "the same things that one can find in tabloids. Thank you, but no. I do not believe everything that I read or hear."

"Actually, you can find that in the New York Times as well. Personally, I perfer wikipedia. It's likely wrong, but at least it's wrong as a community effort. It's like a group of farmers getting together to help raze a barn." Kane was quite pleased with that pun.

"Yes, of course," Crystal said with a nod. Newspapers tried to give the truth, well, whatever certain people perceived as the truth, anyway. People who put out tabloids simply didn't care about trying to give any form of truth.

Well, word games were out. Despite having shared a weekend with Crystal, he'd never pierced the almost icy correctness that she wrapped herself in. It made sense, considering an upbringing where you were always on display, no matter what. But still, Garrison knew he was likeable. His sister would point out half the girls in Peterborough could say the same, which is why he didn't mind the fact she was in another country.

"Heading back to Attilan for Christmas?"

"On Sunday, Medusa and I will be returning to Attilan," Crystal replied. Winter break had already started, but Crystal, Medusa, and Blackagar weren't leaving right away. "We will return before classes begin again. Are you going to stay here, or maybe visit your sister?"

"Nah, I'm going to cover for some of the guys at the office. Most of them are married and have kids, so better if they get Christmas day off." Kane said lightly. Since his mother's death, he'd been less interested in the holidays. "Besides, I'll bet Christmas merits an alien invasion or something in this place, and who wants to miss that, eh?"

"I would be very interested in witnessing an alien invasion," Crystal said, a serious look on her face. "I do not believe that this is something that has happened here before. I would come back right away if I knew that the school was under attack by aliens."

"If that's the case, I'll swap with you. You can try and fight off the ramming ovipositor acid creatures, and I'll officiate the royal Christmas." Garrison snatched a pastry off the table and popped it into his mouth. "Because frankly, I'd look fabulous in that black number."

He spoke while his mouth was full. How utterly charming. Ew. "Unfortunately, I believe that here, a black leather uniform is the required outfit one must wear when attempting to save the world from acid creatures," Crystal said. "Personally, I would rather fight them off while wearing comfortable clothes."

"To each their own. I'd rather fight them off by walking slowly behind Cain myself." Garrison shrugged. "I'm pretty sure he's acid proof."

"Hopefully, the mansion will not face an attack requiring you to hi, I mean, fight behind Mr. Marko," Crystal said, finally allowing a hint of a grin to be seen.

"No, that was hiding. See, I come from the noble tradition of law enforcement, which is based around hiding behind things until you're got whatever you have to fight completely outnumbered, and only then do you apply the circle boot of justice. Cain is sort of a mutant version of a SWAT team in that case. At least he's the size of the van they arrive in." Kane pointed out.

Why hadn't anything exploded yet? Surely something should have blown up or at least been set on fire by now. If that happened, Crystal could politely excuse herself and go take care of that. "I am sure that Mr. Marko would be pleased to know how highly you regard him," Crystal responded.

"As a mobile blockade? I think he knows." Garrison took a look at his watch. "And I hate to eat and run, but I do have some work to get done for the Bureau and the school before tomorrow morning. Congratulations on your party, Crystal."

"Oh, you are not going to speak with any of the other students about the latest gossip?" Crystal queried. "Would you like me to have some food packaged for you to take with you?"

"They'll find me later. They already know that I pay well for the good dirt." He said. "You enjoy the rest of your party. I'll scrounge my own leftovers later. Those little meatballs really need a good five hours congealing in the fridge before they're how I like them. Thanks for the offer though."

If he was trying to get her to make a horrified expression, it was a wasted effort. "Thank you for coming," Crystal said with a gracious smile. "Please enjoy the rest of your evening. I will set aside some meatballs for you. They should be very nicely congealed by morning."

Kane mentalled scratched off 'sarcasm' from the list as well. "Not many hosts would be so gracious. Good night." He said lightly as he left.

Crystal made her way to another table and, after making sure that Garrison was really gone, faced the wall and started laughing. Wanting to fight aliens and saving meatballs to congeal, indeed! She'd save some food for him, properly marked with his name, and see what he would do. Regaining her composure and putting on her best "proper hostess" smile, Crystal turned around and began making her way through the ballroom.