indigogirl:

Gretchen and Rose hadn't really had time to talk alone since Rose came back. And gosh, did they have a lot to talk about.

So they'd found a little place on the grounds.

"Thanks for coming out with me."

wild_rose:

Rose always had a good head for dates.  When you planned on living as long as she probably would, it was probably important to have one of those.

Besides, this one was easy.  Annie was practically a sister to her, though she'd also admit that Frosty was kind of supplanting her in the best friend department.  No slight to Annie, but while Annie was the friend who would bail her out of jail, Frosty was the one who'd be in the cell with her.

Never the less, there were few people she was closer to.  Rose had gotten her a new leather jacket and the promise to get her a fake id so they could go drinking.

indigogirl:

As soon as Alternate Uncle Logan got home, Gretchen found him. The lights in the room started to dim a little, more from agitation than her usual concentration or blushing triggers.
"We need to talk, sir."

son_of_discord:

Three days after Rose’s disappearance, Joey Allerdyce is a worried man. Coming home from Misha’s and finding out that she didn’t come home worried him a little, but he knew Rose could and would take care of herself. If she’d called during the first or the second day, Joey would have just chalked it up to Rose wanting a bit more time and space to sort out her own head. He would have given her as much time as she needed as long as they could set some time to talk.

( Read more... )

indigogirl:

It had been great seeing Rose and Ana and Mina and Alt-Dad, and Alt-Aunt-Jimaine over the holidays, but there was something Gretchen had on her mind now.

In some out-of-the-way corner at Xavier's, she drew Braddock aside. "Hey. Can we talk about stuff?"

nextgen_holiday:

Christmas. Yule. Saturnalia. Dies Natalis Solis Invicti. Many cultures have celebrated and still celebrate a winter festival. There have been many names for it over the millennia. No matter the name it is a time to come together and celebrate with feasts and gifts with friends and loved ones.

Each culture has a legendary figure who would deliver gifts to children during this time. In Russia and some Slavic cultures he is known as Ded Moroz, Grandfather Frost, and comes not on Christmas but on New Year’s along with his granddaughter Snegurochka, or ‘”Snow Maiden”. In the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe he is known as Father Christmas. In the Netherlands and Belgium he is known as Saint Nicholas or “Sinterklaas” and in France he is known as Père Noël. In the United States we know him as Santa Claus.

No matter the name or who is delivering gifts, it is the season of peace, joy and togetherness. It is the season for thinking about loved ones, friends and those less fortunate. It is a time to witness the goodness and generosity the human race is capable of. It is a time for peace on Earth and goodwill toward man.

indigogirl:

Gretchen had called ahead to let Rose and Anastasia and Mina -- and the rest of Xavier's, for that matter, she supposed -- know that they were hoping to come up. It was a long trip, and she as glad to get there.

Place was still very Uncanny Valley, though. Just familiar enough to be uncomfortable.

indigogirl:

Gretchen looked around at the Other New Orleans -- she couldn't help thinking of it that way; things still seemed so alien here -- and wondered how Rose and Anastasia were doing. And there was a twinge as she remembered what Braddock had said about Anastasia's father. It still didn't seem possible that there could be a traitor at their Xavier's. They were all family. She kept hoping Brad's parents were mistaken.

So she stood there, skin soaking in the streetlights in the twilight, and reached to get Brad to hold her closer. That was never difficult.

princeofthieves:

The Big Easy was treating Brad & Gretchen better than he'd hoped for. A few picked pockets here, a few poker games won there and soon, the Prince of Thieves and his Princess were staying in one of the nicest rooms in one of the better hotels of the French Quarter. He also secured new dresses and other clothing for the Blue Beauty, allowing her to chose her personal garments for herself, of course. While Braddock was definitely a gentleman, his thoughts of Gretchen lately were less and less platonic.

When favored him with her kiss, he felt himself catch fire inside.

Coming home from another busy day at "work", Brad knocks on Gretchen's door, holding a small box in his hand.

"I have something for you, Princess." he says, offering it to her when she opens the door.

indigogirl:

Gretchen had very specifically not asked about the car.

This wasn't like sneaking into Old Town Strelsau to hide in dark labyrinthine alleys and watch him do card tricks. She knew that. It was hard to gauge precisely what sort of ride she was along for.

And that, considering how sideways the world was, was fine.

"So what happens now?"

indigogirl:

Gretchen needed it. She really needed it.

So she'd asked around among the Alternate-Xavier's kids (she should probably keep trying to stop thinking of it like that), touched on all the conversational points that made Rose more likely to go along with something, and was currently seated in a lovely little establishment that reputedly had great Asian barbecue as well.

Gott in Himmel, they had everything. Even the LeBlanc cover of the song she was looking for. That was good. She liked the more upbeat tempo, although she tended to sing the original, cleaner lyrics.

So the lighting near the little 'stage' area dimmed a bit as Gretchen strutted up for a very enthusiastic rendition of "The Lord Knows I'm Drinking."

kidfuzzy:

So, apparently, she had a sister.  Well, a second sister.  There was already TJ, though she wasn't exactly sure what had happened to her.

The sheer size of the Mansion and various demands had kept Mina from meeting with her until now, but everything had finally lined up.  She'd thought about the best way to do it, and finally had left a message with Gretchen to meet her down in the gym for a time honored Wagner tradition: fencing.

Mina possessed a fair amount of skill at it, or at least she thought so, and besides, what she lacked in skill, she made up in quantity.

indigogirl:

Gott in Himmel, this was so weird. Rose had barely gotten a chance to introduce her to anyone yet, and she was already a bit bemused by the foreignness of it all.

But there was another familiar face, once she actually found him.

"Brad! So you <i>are</i> here!"