Housewarming

[Immortal Methos]

The way Phoenix glanced at Mac and Gaston (not to mention himself), Methos got the gist: too many swords and long lifelines in a narrow place. Really, if he didn't know his companions as well as he did, he wouldn't have been very comfortable either.

"Well, I'm glad you could come by for a while, anyway," he said. "Can I get you a drink?"

Joe, who had been leaning on his cane nearby listening to the cheerful chatter of Maurice at Mac and Gaston, gave Phoenix his charming Texas smile. "Evening, Phoenix."  

[Immortal Ghost]

There was a slight pause for consideration before she shrugged, "Sure, why not?" Besides maybe then she wouldn't feel as silly just standing around, sje might have said something else, at least to Adam, but she hadn't really noticed Joe before. So maybe her smile to him was a bit more comfortable, but then there was something she wanted to say to Adam but really didn't know how to approach it, Joe was much easier to deal with.

Oddly she even went to hug him, hey it's been several months since she'd since him, and he hadn't ever been anything but nice to her, which was rare, so he got a hug. Not to mention he felt somewhat safer out of everyone there as hopefully he wasn't armed, and if he was she didn't want to know. It was a short lived hug, mostly because it had been random and hey she had no idea if he was the hugging type or not. Stepping back, with another smile she answered back verbally, "Hi, did they drag you out?"

 

[Immortal Methos]

Methos ducked away to pluck one of the sparkling ciders from Gaston's buffet spread, pouring some into one of the waiting goblets. He seemed to recall Phoenix being very light on the subject of alcohol, and decided on something without. For himself, there was the thoughtful bottles of beer on ice, and he snagged one by the neck.

While he was gone, Joe received Phoenix's hug with surprised pleasure, giving her a gentle one-handed squeeze before she stepped back, keeping his other hand on his cane.

"Didn't have to drag me too hard," Joe chuckled. "Mac seemed to think I was going to turn into one of my own bar stools if I didn't get out of Joe's for at least a few hours. Don't tell him I said he was probably right. I'd never hear the end of it."  

[Gaston Marceau]

When the subject of Maurice coming to America comes up, Etienne self consciously ducks out of that part of the conversation briefly, and does a quick round to everyone saying he's glad they're here and such.

"I am now semi-retired." Maurice answers, pointing at Etienne. "I met this one in Paris two years or so back...he and some friends of his caused quite a ruckus in the club you know! Even though he and his friends paid to have the place remodeled, it was quite and inconvenience."

Sure Maurice's words are carrying back to Methos and Joe, Etienne adds only. "The other guy started it." Sure...anyone who's read his file knows how often that works out...

Meanwhile, Maurice continues. "Etienne contacted me several weeks ago, offering me a position within his new company. It's only part time, and he funded my move, so I decided it was high time I take some for myself, yes?"

After checking the galley, Etienne stops back by Phoenix and company. "Food's ready...I hope y'all like Creole." The buffet table is now loaded with gumbo, dirty rice, alligator steaks, shrimp etouffe, and a huge portion of bananas foster. Yum!  

[Gaston Marceau]

When the subject of Maurice coming to America comes up, Etienne self consciously ducks out of that part of the conversation briefly, and does a quick round to everyone saying he's glad they're here and such.

"I am now semi-retired." Maurice answers, pointing at Etienne. "I met this one in Paris two years or so back...he and some friends of his caused quite a ruckus in the club you know! Even though he and his friends paid to have the place remodeled, it was quite and inconvenience."

Sure Maurice's words are carrying back to Methos and Joe, Etienne adds only. "The other guy started it." Sure...anyone who's read his file knows how often that works out...

Meanwhile, Maurice continues. "Etienne contacted me several weeks ago, offering me a position within his new company. It's only part time, and he funded my move, so I decided it was high time I take some for myself, yes?"

After checking the galley, Etienne stops back by Phoenix and company. "Food's ready...I hope y'all like Creole." The buffet table is now loaded with gumbo, dirty rice, alligator steaks, shrimp etouffe, and a huge portion of bananas foster. Yum!  

[Gaston Marceau]

When the subject of Maurice coming to America comes up, Etienne self consciously ducks out of that part of the conversation briefly, and does a quick round to everyone saying he's glad they're here and such.

"I am now semi-retired." Maurice answers, pointing at Etienne. "I met this one in Paris two years or so back...he and some friends of his caused quite a ruckus in the club you know! Even though he and his friends paid to have the place remodeled, it was quite and inconvenience."

Sure Maurice's words are carrying back to Methos and Joe, Etienne adds only. "The other guy started it." Sure...anyone who's read his file knows how often that works out...

Meanwhile, Maurice continues. "Etienne contacted me several weeks ago, offering me a position within his new company. It's only part time, and he funded my move, so I decided it was high time I take some for myself, yes?"

After checking the galley, Etienne stops back by Phoenix and company. "Food's ready...I hope y'all like Creole." The buffet table is now loaded with gumbo, dirty rice, alligator steaks, shrimp etouffe, and a huge portion of bananas foster. Yum!

(Sorry for the double post...no idea how it got sent to the top of the thread instead of the bottom.)  

[Immortal Ghost]

Which over all was very considerate of Adam considering that she really wasn't fond of alcohol at all, anything that could fuzzy a mind she avoided, she had enough issues all on her own.

"You would have made a very interesting bar stool though I'm sure." Still she understood what he meant, that was almost like why she was out, to much time half hiding in her room. "Oh, hey, off topic, but speaking of him, er Mac as you call him, why does Luana....dislike him?" So maybe that was an odd question to ask, but that hadn't ever stopped her before.

Really the only response she gave to Gaston's mention of the food was to make a face, so she wasn't eating anything here, that was good to know, meant she didn't even have to walk over and look.

 

[Immortal Methos]

[OOC: I hope they fix this glitch soon -- it's very annoying!]

Methos was returning with Phoenix's cider, a scotch for Joe, and his own beer, catching the last bit of Phoenix's question. As he passed the drinks, he glanced at Joe expectantly, eyebrows raised.

Joe ran a hand over his beard, then reached for the scotch. Phoenix's question had caught him off guard, and his mind went back over what the Watchers knew of Luana's past: violent, full of death to those she felt wronged by -- she had even killed her first Watcher, ensuring that only well-seasoned agents were permitted to follow her since then.

But until Luana had shown up in Seacouver, neither she nor MacLeod had any record of crossing paths. Carefully, worried for his friend, Joe answered, "I wasn't aware that she disliked Mac. He seems to be okay around her. Why?"

Meanwhile, Mac was laughing with Maurice. "That seems to be Etienne's preferred method of introduction: mass destruction of property."

The handsome Scot waved a hand in acknowledgment to Gaston about the readiness of the food. Maurice, originally a free-loading pest, had long ago been graduated to Clan MacLeod status as Duncan grew fonder of him. Methos found he could never lecture Mac on the dangers of picking up "strays" and taking them under his wing -- the world's oldest Immortal was one of those lost mutts, after all.  

[Immortal Ghost]

A shrug on that, "Just wondering really, she tends to either not mind people, like them, or barely tolerate them, don't understand why he falls in the last reasoning." Another shrug, didn't make sense to her personally, but hey wasn't really her concern in the long run either. It wasn't like she knew Duncan so go either way on the matter. "I mean she's not going to wig out and go all violent, and I don't think she hates the guy, maybe just finds him annoying?" Or maybe she was reading into it too much and needed to shut her mouth, so since she had a drink now she took a sip.

 

[Gaston Marceau]

Honestly, Etienne is just happy to see that Phoenix has recovered enough to be out and about and speaking again. (This is all beside the point, but he still intends to kick a little butt when he finds out who messed her up in the first place.) However, when Phoenix makes a face as he describes the menu constitutes an insult to Etienne's honor, and he only has one recourse...

...he sticks his tongue out at her.

Maurice chuckles along with Mac. "Indeed...I'll never understand how or why I tend to attract such types. After all, I do try to live well and mind my own business." he casts an eye across the deck at Etienne. "If that one regularly engages in such antics, it's a wonder he's not in more trouble."

---
Paris, France - 2004
A Downtown Nightclub

It's relatively early in the evening, and Maurice is taking the time with his waiters to visit the patrons of his little jazz club. After personally delivering some of his best wine to an attractive young redheaded woman, Maurice heds back to check on the kitchen...

...when suddenly, glass shatters as a man is thrown through his front window to roll to a stop in the dining area. The man crawls to his feet, brushes shattered glass from his duster, and faces the redhead.

"Sandra Marshal?"
"Er...yes?"
"I'm Luke Skywalker...I'm here to rescue you."
"What?!"

The man opens a wallet, showing Sandra some credentials. She rolls her eyes upon recognizing the man, and begins to gather his things. "My, you're a bold one."

The Immortal then known as Gaston Marceau grins. "Just a little bit." His next words are cut off has a burly man almost twie his size leaps through the window and wraps him in a bear hug. Gaston elbows the man in the gut, gives him a few short jabs to the face once the hug is broken, and slams him through Sandra's table. Noting movement outside, Gaston reaches into his coat, draws a beretta pistol, and fires three rounds out into the night.

Sandra is rubbing her forehead in frustration and embarrasment when Gaston asks. "Shall we, my dear?" As the two start to leave, Gaston meets the appaled gaze of Maurize Lalonde. As if noticing the damage for the first time, Gaston winces and produces a credit card, which he sets down nearby. "My apologies for the mess, monsieur."
---

Back in modern times, he looks back to Methos and Phoenix. "OK, if you don't trust my all out Creole-ness, at least try the gumbo. It's relatively tame."  

[Immortal Ghost]

Well she couldn't very well ignore Gaston, though it was almost tempting really, "Try what?" So she had no idea what he was even talking about, but hey she stuck to simple foods, mostly cheap and simple, mostly. Not that she really needed to, most like if she didn't know what it was it was likely she wasn't going to try it. "Couldn't you do hotdogs and hamburgers like a normal person?" Had to ask, even if her tone was playful.

 

[Immortal Methos]

Mac tried not to bust a gut laughing as Maurice described himself as someone who minds his own business. Memories of Maurice's laundry hanging on multiple lines strung throughout his barge, a nearly depleted wine collection, paper take-away debris on every spare surface -- even the defilement of the Highlander's very own toothbrush! -- came to the forefront. Having to shoo the little man away from portholes when Amanda came to visit... the list went on.

Wiping tears of amusement from his eyes, Mac patted Maurice on his back. "Let's try some of Etienne's cooking, shall we?"

Methos caught Joe's eye, assured with a nod that the grizzled Watcher would talk to Duncan about Luana, just so he would be more careful. To Gaston, Methos said, "I can't speak for Joe, but I intend to dig in to your spread. I didn't spend all that time in New Orleans to not appreciate fine Creole culinary art."

Joe snorted, as if deeply affronted. "'Can't speak for Joe,' eh? I'm a jazz musician, Adam. I bleed gumbo."

"That explains the blackened catfish in your bathtub," Methos snickered, turning toward the table of food.  

[Gaston Marceau]

Etienne tries to explain gumbo or Phoenix's benefit. "Think of it as Louisiana's response to Campbell's Thick and Chunky...I got me chicken and sausage, the holy trinity of veggies, and the finest Nawlins roux of the past two hundred years. Goes great over a bed of white rice. You'll love it, chere."

The thought of it sets his mouth to watering as he gives Adam and Joe affectionate shoulder pats. "You two have no idea how gratifying I find it to be living this far north, and finding so blessedly few with Yankee-centric palates."

Etienne moves on to make sure the two co-ed types are enjoying themselves...opening a bottle of wine for them, just to make sure...and makes sure everything is laid out nice and neat on the buffet table.

Maurice laughs along with MacLeod, following a step behind. "Yes yes...I'll`never quite understand what these Colonial types do with their food, but they do know their spices."  

[Immortal Ghost]

She was proud of herself for not making a face, but her staying put had to still give away her feelings on gumbo since it seemed everyone else was going for food. Really she was good just sipping on the sparkling cider, besides it wasn't like she ate a lot to start with anyway. Course that left her by herself so she glanced around a moment at least only to remember that yes she was still on a boat, which halted her brief urge to explore.

 

[Immortal Methos]

Methos rolled his eyes at Etienne as Mac happily loaded his plate with a juicy gator steak and rice, smothering all with a ladle-full of gumbo.

In his long life, the former Horseman had vivid memories of being desperate enough to fight vultures and hyenas for dirty, grey, maggoty scraps... There was, in truth, very little in this life that Methos could not stomach. Being able to enjoy what he was eating was always a plus!