Hunger (Open)

[Deleted]

As soon as Craig entered the room, he didn’t even take time to take the features before he took the bed and lay in it. He looked up at the ceiling for a bit as he breathed out a melancholy sigh. He then closed his eyes for a bit. Really, he didn’t want to be in such a sour mood. He was in New Orleans for the first time ever – he should have been excited. But, that was thing about Craig. It takes a lot to bring him down, but when he’s down, it takes quite a bit of time to bounce back. He couldn’t bounce back quickly like Fi could – a quality that made him a bit envious of her.

He didn’t doubt that there were people who were getting irritated of him.

Because a small part of him was.

‘Ey, my man! This is your subconscious speaking right now. Are you done being in your feelings?

Craig eyes opened up.

Look, I get it. You got your ribs crushed, ended up in the infirmary, then woke to find out that hostages got killed. It’s a screwed up situation, I know. But… it’s been a few weeks, homie. I’m going need to you to perk up.

Craig blinked as he frowned a bit.

Come on – you’re in New Orleans, and it’s Mardi Gras. New surroundings, new cuisine straight from the source… and a chance to get a better look at youknowwho…

Craig blushed slightly at his own thoughts.

Come on. Let’s get up and make the most of this. And let’s start by grabbing some grub.

Craig sighed as he sat up. He then looked reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He then went about composing a text before sending it out to the rest of the people on the trip.

Ey, I’m gonna grab sum grub from The Bistreaux in a few. Stop by if u want. I could use some company.

Once that was text was done, he turned his body before standing up. After looking down at his clothes, he made his way out.

An elevator ride and a walk across the lobby later, Craig was seated at one of the tables as the waitress walked away with his order for Orange Juice.

[RAVEN DARKHOLME]

Mystique walked into the Bistreaux. The place was more packed than she expected. She ordered a beer and paid for it. She took a swig and then spotted an African American teen sitting at a table alone. He seemed to have gotten there shortly before she did. He seemed to have gotten the only free table as well. She didn't want to stand for awhile and figured maybe he'd be one of the easier people to convince to join him at the table. Most of the tables were full that she could see. And the ones that weren't well probably wouldn't let her join them. They had things on the seats like they were saving seats or just didn't want someone to sit next to them. So she walked up to the table and smiled at him.

"Hello. Would it be alright if I joined you? I came alone to Mardi Gras and I'd rather not just eat in my room. I came here to have fun after all." said Mystique.

She paused for a moment taking another swig of beer.

"But if you've got other plans I respect that. I could just find some other place to sit. Or just eat later." said Mystique.

She was hoping she was convincing him. She was often good at reading people. And he didn't seem like the type who would tell her to go. Unless he had plans. So she was giving him an out but trying not to be too pushy. There were other places she could go if she had to. This was just one of the closest ones and she was hungry.

@craigpierre

[Deleted]

As he looked over the menu, he was trying to decide what he wanted to eat. It was during this time that he noticed how crowded the place was. Internally, he scoffed at himself, wondering how far up his rear end his head was.

Makes sense, he thought to himself, remembering what time of year it was. He never been to The Big Easy before, but one had to live underneath a rock not expect the restaurants in the area to be full of people.

He looked down at the menu once again before he heard a voice asking to sit with him. He didn’t answer at first, thinking that the person was talking to someone else. He then looked up with a look of realization when he realized that the source of the voice – a woman with brown hair – was talking to him.

“My bad, I thought you were speaking to someone else,” he said somewhat quickly. He smiled before nodding to the chair. “Please, sit.”

Nobody from the people that he came with wanted to eat with him. He didn’t take it personally. He figured that they were busy doing other stuff that didn’t entail looking up at the ceiling going while having angst over a mission that happened weeks ago.

Yup… Craig could be rather self-deprecating, as anyone who can take a joke tend to be.

“I’m rolling around solo at the moment as well,” he said somewhat quietly. “I had people with me earlier, but they’re off doing their own thing.” After that, he brought his hand out. “…I’m Craig.”

RAVEN DARKHOLME

[RAVEN DARKHOLME]

Mystique smiled as he looked up realizing she was speaking to him.

"So I'm the first stranger to want to sit next to you here? Well that's their loss then." said Mystique.

She smiled as he said she could sit as she pulled out a chair and took a seat. She listened to him speak again.

"So you came with a group who all split up to do their own things? Such a shame." said Mystique.

She smiled as he held out his hand and introduced himself as Craig.

"I'm Susan." said Mystique, shaking her heand.

She'd used one of her many aliases. She doubted anyone aside from herself knew every alias she'd used over the years. Which came in handy when she wanted to go in disguise. She then looked at Craig curiously. He was a bit young but when you're over 100 years old everyone was practically young compared to her.

"Well this isn't my first Mardi Gras but I did come alone this year. If you don't have any plans maybe we could hang out. At least for awhile. Safety in numbers after all right?" said Susan.

She was trying to play the tourist card. And well she didn't know him that well. But they could get to know each other a little bit. And even if he said no she at least made an effort. She didn't want to come off as suspicious just in case he ended up being a SHIELD agent or something. She didn't want to end up a fight with anyone today. She just wanted to have fun.

@craigpierre

[Deleted]

Craig smiled. “Maybe you’re right,” he said in quiet tone. When she remarked on the group splitting to do their own thing, he shrugged slightly. “I’m sure they had their reasons.” He went quiet for a bit. Did they though? Sure it didn’t help that he was a little bit in my feelings for a few weeks, but…

No, he thought to himself. I can’t hold that against them. He shoved those thoughts into the back of his head. It wasn’t the time to have bitter thoughts.

When she – Susan – introduced herself and shook his hand, he smiled as he tightened his grip gently. “Pleased to meet you, Susan.” As he withdrew his hand, he got a good look at her. She seemed older than he was, but that wasn’t a hard feat. He was 18 years old, barely old enough to join the military and buy cigarettes in certain states if he ever wanted to - which he didn’t. If he had to take a guess on her age, he would say that she was in her mid-twenties to early thirties.

Of course, unbeknownst to him, he was off by several decades.

When she offered a chance to hang out with her, he thought about it for a second. He never been around the city before, and being around someone who knew their way around town would be nice. But, he DID send a text out to everyone. However, no one answered back. Should he wait for them?

…NAAAAAAAH!

“I’d like that,” Craig said with a nod. “I’d like that a lot.”

RAVEN DARKHOLME

[RAVEN DARKHOLME]

"I'm sure you can meet up with them later." said Mystique.

She nodded.

"I'm sure they did. Doesn't mean you want to be alone here. Not much fun in that." said Mystique.

She grinned as he shook her hand.

"I'm pleased to meet you too Craig. I didn't expect someone so pleasant here. Usually people I meet here ignore you because they're wrapped up in their own fun. Or they're just rude." said Mystique.

She watched him send out a text. She guessed to the people he came with. She smiled.

"Good. We should probably eat something before we go off to explore. I'm not sure where all the restaurants are. And some of them are probably more packed than this one." said Mystique.

She smiled as a waiter came over as she got herself a beer, gumbo and rice. She then glanced at Craig.

"You want anything?" asked Mystique.

She didn't know him too well but she liked to. She was going to be hanging out with him for awhile. And it wouldn't hurt to get better acquainted. Even if chances are she'd likely never see him again after this vacation. And she wasn't sure when the next vacation would be. The Brotherhood had been forced to move locations several times thanks to HYDRA and Ultron's attacks. Sure Ultron was gone but HYDRA could still be a threat. And then the dangers of the Superhuman Registration Act as well. Something she hoped they were able to get rid of for good. But it wouldn't be easy. She shrugged focusing back on today not wanting to think of other problems for awhile. She just wanted to have fun today.

@craigpierre

@craigpierre

[Deleted]

Craig nodded in agreement when Susan said that it wouldn’t be fun by himself. While Craig did have his moments when he wanted the quiet, he was more of the social type, even if he was kind of quiet on first meet.

As he withdrew his hand after the handshake, Craig tilted his head briefly before. “Unfortunately, people can be like that sometimes.” Or worse, he added internally, as he briefly remembered his past experiences that led him to the Xavier Institute.

When she suggested that they eat before they hit the town, Craig nodded. “Yeah, I’m all for that,” he said with a smile. Of course, that was easy for him to say. As a person who loved eating, he preferred eating sooner than later on most occasions. Once the waiter came by, Craig took a moment to look over the menu. Once Susan asked if he wanted something, he took one last glance over the menu before he looked up at the waiter.

“I’ll take the BBQ Shrimp an Grits,” Craig said.

“Alright. We’ll have your meals for you as soon as possible.”

“Thank you kindly.”

As the waiter nodded and took the menus, Craig grabbed the glass of orange juice and took a sip from it. As he set down the glass, he took a moment to observe his surroundings. He then looked at Susan and smiled. He wanted to get to know this woman. So, he decided to initiate the small talk.

“So… where are you from?” Craig asked. “…If you don’t mind me asking.”

RAVEN DARKHOLME

[RAVEN DARKHOLME]

Mystique nodded.

"Yes. But then there are the good people you can meet like you. Who talk to a stranger and let her join you. You don't know how many times I've been rejected for not sitting at a table. And half the time the man or woman didn't have anyone coming to join him." said Mystique.

She chuckled at that. People could be very annoying at times. Mutants too. But she tended to forgive mutants more for their faults than humans. Once they agreed to eat she heard him give his order. The waiter soon took their menus and left to start cooking their food. She kept sipping at her own drink.

"A little town from up north. I don't remember the name of it. I wasn't there very long. My family traveled around a lot. And then I did after I left them. I guess I'm kind of a modern nomad. An explorer if you will. I travel a lot. Going to new and exciting places. Some places most people never go see. Some are just content to live in their own little town or country. But I want to see as much of the world as I can. And coming to fun parties like this is great too. I can't always come every year but I do make it down here when I can." said Mystique.

She smiled taking another sip of her drink.

"What about you? Where are you from?" asked Mystique.

She was curious about this man and wondered what his life would be like. She wondered if he was human or mutant but many times itw as hard to tell. Well unless you were a telepathic or had some kind of sensing power. But those seemed quite rare. At least not many had those powers in the X-men, Brotherhood or Hell Fire Club. That was aware of. Of course things may have changed in the past couple years as she wasn't up to speed with any newer members in the X-men or Hell Fire club. But whether Craig was human or mutant she found him intriguing enough to at least talk and hang out with for awhile.

@craigpierre

[Deleted]

Craig smiled slightly, a bit surprised by that. It was Mardi Gras. Being social was encouraged – practically required even. “I guess some people don’t like mingling with others no matter where they go,” Craig mused with a slight shrug. But why, though?

“Seems like their lost,” Craig responded. People could be stupid at times. That was something that was cemented in his mind ever since his powers became active. Whenever he heard mutants having disdain for non-mutants, he understood. He never carried that disdain, but he was pretty sure that was due to his family sticking by his side through it all. The way he saw it, had it not been for his family, he would have turned out bitter towards non-powered humans.

The teen remained quiet as he listened to where Susan. He couldn’t help but tilt his head when she said she was from a town that she doesn’t remember the name of. He then nodded in a way that said “Ooooh!” when she explained that her family moved around a lot.

“So you’re an explorer?” Craig said. “That’s awesome.”

She then asked where she was from.

“I reside near New York City, but I was born and raised in Florida, near Fort Lauderdale,” Craig said. “A school there wanted me, and certain things around that time that made me want a change of pace. So, I ended up going there.” Of course, Craig was telling his story in broad strokes. While he did believe in peaceful relations between mutants and non-powered humans, he wasn’t naïve to think that the woman would automatically look past the fact that he was a mutant if he revealed that fact. Besides that, Craig wasn't exactly the most open of books on first contact.

“So, what do you like to do for fun?” Craig asked, reaching out for his glass of orange juice before picking up the glass and taking a sip from it.

RAVEN DARKHOLME

[RAVEN DARKHOLME]

PMystique chuckled.

"I guess so. Of course some people just like to be alone and I can understand that. There are times I like to be alone." said Mystique.

She grinned at his reply.

"And your friend's loss for not hanging out with you tonight." said Mystique.

Mystique nodded.

"Yes it is fun. I love it." said Mystique.

She listened as he explained about his life.

"So up and down the east coast? Guess you've done some exploring of your own huh?" asked Mystique.

She chuckled and took another sip from her drink. She raised an eyebrow at a school in New York.

"So a private school? New York has some of the best private schools. It's a good choice to go there." said Mystique.

She grinned as he asked her a question.

"You mean besides talking to random people in bars doesn't?" joked Mystique.

She paused for a moment considering it.

"Well when I'm not exploring I enjoy a good game of pool. I also love to swim and Chinese takeout is one of my favorite foods. When you're on the move a lot you end up eating at restaurants or tv dinners a lot." said Mystique.

She grinned at him.

"And what about you? What do you like to do for fun?" asked Mystique.

She sipped from her drink hoping the food didn't take too long. She was hungrier than she realized. But Craig was interesting company so at least she wouldn't be bored while waiting. She had a feeling this would be fun of her best experiences at Mardi Gras.

@craigpierre

[Deleted]

Craig tilted his head in acknowledgment. He couldn’t act like he didn’t quite understand it. After all, when he was down, he tended to be withdrawn from everyone. Heck, it was barely about a half hour ago when he was in his room sulking. As he took another sip of his orange juice, he smiled when Susan said that it was their friends’ lost.

I suppose it is, he thought to himself.

When she mentioned travelling up and down the east coast, Craig shrugged slightly. “A little bit. I didn’t see much of anything between Florida and New York on my way up. I did step foot into Philly, Connecticut, and New Jersey a few times, and I did stop in Georgia once when I was younger, if any of that counts for something.”

After smiling at her joke, Craig listened as she listed off the things that she liked to do, as well as favorite thing to eat. The thought of Chinese food made him even hungrier. Please don’t rumble on me, Stomach, Craig thought to himself.

After nodding, he took a moment to answer Susan’s question.

“Well, I like eating, so trying and cooking new dishes is fun for me,” he began. “I like watching and playing sports, wrestling including. I also like listening to music, playing video games, and reading.” Yup, that was quite the mix. Bu that was Craig in a nutshell – part jock, part scholar, part geek… and part superhero.

Of course, that last part was something he kept under wraps for the most part.

After taking another sip of his orange juice, he thought of his next question. After a few moments, he figured he might as well go the opposite way. “So what are your dislikes?”

RAVEN DARKHOLME

[RAVEN DARKHOLME]

Mystique smiled glad he wasn't too upset about his friends doing other things. Or at least he was able to hide it well. She figured they'd have too much fun for either to worry about their problems. At least for one night.

"So you didn't stop much then? Well that is a shame but I can understand that. Your family probably was eager to get to their new home." said Mystique.

She paused getting an idea.

"You know if you ever get the chance you should do some exploring of your own. Take a week or two off and go for a drive. Even if you don't leave New York or just go a state or two over. It's such fun. Seeing new and exciting places. And not just the famous landmarks. There are some great places people have forgotten about or almost forgot about in time. Like great ice cream shops or a good diner." said Mystique.

Mystique took another sip while listening to Craig talk about his interests.

"You enjoying cooking? I'm sure you could get some good recipes here. New Orleans food is unique. You can't find much like it anywhere else." said Mystique.

She heard his regular hobbies. Sports, wrestling, music, video games and reading.

"What kind of music do you listen to?" asked Mystique.

When he asked her about her dislikes she thought about them.

"Olives. Oh and onions. I don't mind adding them in for flavor but if there's big pieces I usually just take them out. I also don't like bullies. I've been bullied too many times when I was younger. And I often try to stop it when I see it." said Mystique.

That was true. Although it was mostly bullying against mutants but Craig didn't need to know that. Especially if he wasn't a mutant himself. She took another swig and smirked.

"I guess I don't like most music either. I usually just listen to classical and jazz music. And New Orleans has some of the best jazz music in the world. Shame Mardi Gras can't be more than once a year though." said Mystique.

She pause for a moment and smiled.

"So what about you? Any major dislikes?" asked Mystique.

@craigpierre

[Deleted]

“Yeah,” Craig said with a tilt of his head. Of course, his situation wasn’t exactly as Susan detailed. He wasn’t with his family – well, not his biological family. There was no ill will there. Though they wanted him out as soon as possible, that was for the sake of him finishing his education at a place where him being a mutant wasn’t going to be an issue.

Either way, stopping along the way wasn’t in the books. His folks wanted him there as soon as possible, and Craig wasn’t one to go against his parents’ wishes.

He continued to listen, internalizing her ideas as he nodded in consideration. He wouldn’t mind a week for himself. Heck, he’d even take someone along with him if it meant that he could, proverbially speaking, let his hair down. “I do want to see what Lexington, Kentucky has to offer,” Craig mused.

Then the topic of recipes came up. Craig nodded with a smile as he thought about the many ways he cook up meals with the New Orleans flavor…

…And that was when his stomach finally rumbled. Craig looked downward at his stomach as he pressed his lips together, almost as if his stomach was the one person that he’d never invite to hang out for fear of public embarrassment. He looked back at Susan and gave her a sheepish smile. “…Well, my stomach definitely agrees with that idea.” He said this with a slightly nervous as he raised his eyebrows

When she asked about his taste in music, he smiled. “I listen to practically any genre, though I tend to lean towards Hip-Hop, Rock, and Electronic music.

He then listened to Susan’s dislikes. Olives and onions? Well, that was understandable. Craig didn’t mind either one for the most part, but to each their own, right? He smiled when she said she disliked bullying. Craig wasn’t fond of it either. Of course, that was to be expected when one had a thing against mutant-haters. At that, a part of him couldn’t help but be saddened by the fact that there was a possibility that Susan would immediately hate him if she knew he was a mutant.

He shoved that thought aside as he noted her musical taste.

“You definitely came to the right place for that,” he commented.

Then came the question about his dislikes.

“Well… I don’t like getting sick,” Craig began. “I know that seems like a given since that’s not something people usually like, but I hate having to be sidelined. I don’t like the cold weather – ‘perks’ of being a Floridian. And… I also hate roaches.” He shook his head. “Like, I can’t think of bug I hate more than roaches. They just creep me out, you know?” He left off the part about him hating mutant-haters – for obvious reasons – and the fact that he hated a disloyalty.

RAVEN DARKHOLME

[RAVEN DARKHOLME]

Mystique nodded.

"I might have to pay a visit myself one day. It's a good choice. I guess I haven't visited much places in the US lately. Mostly other countries." said Mystique.

She smiled sheepishly as his stomach growled.

"Sorry. I guess it's not a good idea to talk about food when you're hungry." said Mystique.

She listened to his music styles.

"Very good choices. I do listen to other brands but I only have maybe a few good songs in other branches of music. So I tend to stick to the ones I like." said Mystique.

She nodded.

"Yes. This place is kind of like the birthplace of jazz music in a way. So much jazz music is a part of New Orleans and its culture. I look forward to coming to Mardi Gras when I can. I don't always get to make it but I do when I can. I guess it's a shame they don't have more parties like this all year round. At least with music." said Mystique.

She listened as he spoke again.

"I guess I was lucky. I never seemed to get sick. Not even a cold. I don't know if there was something I ate or if it was just good genes." said Mystique.

She paused as he spoke.

"Yes. I prefer warmer weather myself. Although not too hot. Somewhere down the middle would be the perfect temperature for me." said Mystique.

She nodded again at the mention of roaches.

"I can understand that. I'm not a fan of them either. Most people don't like bugs in general. I guess I'm glad we have animals like birds and spiders who prey on them or we'd have too many of them." said Mystique.

She sipped from her drink glancing over not sure how long it'd take their food. It had been awhile since she'd come to Mardi Gras after all so she wasn't sure if they were faster cooks or slow cooks. She then glanced back at Craig.

"So what kind of things do you like to do here? Or is this your first Mardi Gras?" asked Mystique.

@craigpierre

[Deleted]

“A trip out of the country… that’s also something I have yet to do,” Craig stated as he thought about it. He had to take a moment to remind himself that he still had time to do that. After all, he didn’t even attend college yet. Bu Craig was indeed eager to do a lot with his life – outside of superhero-centric activities, which was here to stay.

“It’s fine, really,” Craig said with a chuckle. “I… I’ve been known to have a large appetite. So, every now and again, my stomach likes to say hello.” He said that last part jokingly as he winked at her.

When she stated that she stuck to the music that she likes, Craig nodded in acknowledgment. Sometimes people music varied. Heck, there was quite a bit of songs within Craig’s preferred genre he didn’t care for.

When she said she never got sick, he couldn’t help but a feel a bit envious. Being sick, to him, was just crappy. As such, he put a strangle on his tongue to keep himself from sarcastically saying “Lucky you!”

That would have been in bad taste.

Fortunately, for him, she shared his distaste for roaches and preference for warmer weather. He wished they all died. But knowing him, the granting of that wish would screw up the ecosystem because… nature. As for the inbetween temperature… he wasn’t quite sure what that would be for him. Maybe 75 degrees?

“This is my first time here,” Craig said. “So… other than eating, I’m not so sure what else to do here.” As he said that, he looked past her, seeing the glimpse of their server. “Speaking of which…”

RAVEN DARKHOLME