What's a little paint between friends?

[Riley Grace]

"Good thing I've got her favorite coffee beans in the pantry, then...you can make her coffee and bribe your way back into her good graces."

Riley grinned as she nudged Antonio with one of her wings. She gave up trying to keep herself from blushing, and simply accepted the fact that she was likely going to have rosy pink cheeks for the rest of the day.

Turning to look over her shoulder, she motioned toward the wall with her head. "Come on, T...just a little more wall."

[Taya Robbins]

Taya nearly doubled over laughing at Antonio's display of pathos. "Oh, stop. Stop. Ack, no more of the puppy dog eyes. You don't know what those do to a girl."

Or maybe he did, which, Taya thought as she looked back at her blushing roommate, was probably trouble in the making. She tried smiling her way through the verbal slip-up.

"Don't worry, we're still friends, Antonio. No bribery required."

[Antonio Fernandez]

He grinned at Taya, and turned to Riley, halting the rolling of paint as he did so. "The boss lady speaks, and I must obey." Antonio sighed dramatically and then got back to work. Soon enough the walls were finished and the painting supplies left for clean up later as the three friends divvied up the pizza on the balcony.

'Tonio sighed contentedly, kicking up his feet on the fourth chair of the girls' set. "Now I, of course, accept all sorts of bribery," he said, bringing up the previous conversation.

[Riley Grace]

She sat back in the chair, wings folded behind her as she nibbled on a slice of pepperoni pizza. Vincent and Boris sat perched just over her shoulder on the balcony railing in the late afternoon sun, becoming resigned to the fact that they were not going to have any pizza.

Riley dangled a bottle of beer in her fingers and eyed Antonio speculatively. Half a dozen things came to mind, and none of them at all fit to be voiced in polite company. Or any company, she mused, averting her gaze and dipping her head to hide her smile.

She really did need to talk to him about what had happened earlier, else she was going to drive herself crazy just contemplating it.

Tilting her head back up, she looked at 'Tonio and grinned, in an effort to dispel her racing thoughts. "You're easy to bribe. What was it you once told me? 'Gimme booze or a blonde and I'm yours'? Or was it booze and a blonde?"

[Antonio Fernandez]

"Blonde beer," he said without a pause. "I love me some fine, pale ales."

Antonio took a swig from his bottle and added, "But of course, I'm underage. State of California says I can go to war, but can't drink a beer." He pointedly took another drink. "Canada has the right idea. Maybe we should ..." His voice trailed off and he stared out at the view.

[Riley Grace]

"Yes well. Don't tell California I gave you that."

Riley polished off her pizza and took another long sip of her beer. Tilting her head, she gazed at Vincent and Boris, then out at the view.

"We'd have to take my car. My wings wouldn't fit in Taya's. Or on an airplane."

[Antonio Fernandez]

He laughed, "You could just fly yourself there. Anyway, I don't have a passport. It's one of those things though. Don't like what the government is doing? Move to Canada. I guess Mexico is closer though, but I hear the treatment of mutants is even worse down there.

"But yeah. Canada. No registration looming there." He finished his beer and reached for another slice of pizza.

[Riley Grace]

"I could. But I'd be too tired to have any fun when I got there."

Riley grinned back and shook her head, polishing off her beer in short order as she reached for another.

Her smile faltered slightly at his mention of the registration. She sighed and flicked the top off the fresh beer in irritation, tossing it over the balcony which prompted Boris to go diving for the shiny toy.

"It's going to make things messy in LA." Riley muttered.