Mystique; Hotel
As the sun climbs past noon and into afternoon, unfamiliar vehicles have taken up residence at the Timberline Lodge. One of these is an SUV, overflowing with bits of home-improvement hardware - a few new tools, electrical supplies, drywall and nails and putty. Beside it, a cool blue sedan sits with its back bumper crumpled and loose. Mystique stands between them, frowning down at the damage.
It's not long before Toad is drawn to the new activity, curiosity getting the best of him as he slips to the cars and starts making a long circle around the cars and finally up next to Mystique. "Bloody 'ell," he comments off a long sigh. "Wot 'appened?"
"A child rear-ended me in the Midtown Tunnel," Mystique answers, slips twisted in displeasure.
Toad snorts, eyes sealing up in amusement. "Did you get his insurance?" he jokes.
"Ha." Mystique answers, although there is no amusement whatsoever in her voice. "He barely looked old enough to have a license. Not terribly smart, either."
Toad waddles closer and crouches, pressing a hand to the twisted metal of the bumper. "I can fix it!" he decides after a firm nod. "If, yer know. You get me a new bumper." He stands back up, focusing his attention more on the cargo inside the SUV.
"I was counting on it," Mystique allows, and there is a brief sigh before she turns toward the SUV. "We should have enough to keep us busy for the next week or two, at least."
"Week 'r two?" Toad repeats with large, blinking eyes at Mystique. "Try longer than that, luff! You got replacement windows, righto? An' Wood filler? Insulation?" His fingers wiggle with excitement as he pops the back trunk door up and open.
"No," Mystique replies with lifted brows. "We got necessities - the windows and insulation can wait. The weather won't trouble us for a good while."
Toad lets out a dramatic sigh. "Fine, fine. Dry wall an' tools. Can make enough due wit' that, I wager." He leans forward, starting to hoist stuff out of the back.
"One step at a time," Mystique encourages dryly. "We should have everything we need for the major problems, at any rate."
Toad wrinkles his nose as he grunts under the heavy stuff. "Yeah, yeah. Yer just lucky I do this fer free."
"Free?" Mystique queries dryly.
"Dun' exactly get a pay check in the mail now do I?" Toad says with a dull laugh.
"Nor do you pay for your food, supplies, housing--"
Toad sets his hands on his sides and takes a deep breath after a large bit of dry wall material. "Eh? You stopped by the pet store an' bought Toad a snack, did'jer?"
"The woods aren't quite plentiful enough, hm?" Mystique wonders, but there's dry amusement in her gaze and she steps forward to swing the car door open to reveal a box - the sort with airholes.
Toad grins back at Mystique and doesn't reply right away as he shuffles after her. "Eh?" he grunts with interest.
Mystique remains silent, stepping away to turn back to the SUV and leaving him to his unappealing tret.
Toad makes small, happy noises as he holds the box close and cracks the lid. "I owe yer!" he tells her, heading around the car to crawl into the recently cleared space and play with his new found snack.
"Is there anything in particular you want the others to start on?" Mystique wonders, tugging the SUV's trunk open as she firmly ignores Toad's glee over small critters. "You'll be left in charge of repairs when Victor and I leave."
Toad is busy watching the small things run over his hands in terror. "Mm? Oh. Masia's got the dry wallin' down. An' would mind gettin' started on those broken floor boards in the back." He turns his hand, popping the small fuzzy thing into his mouth a moment before he looks up suddenly. "Wiv'or?"
"You might want to take another look at the roof as well," Mystique suggests, for no particular reason, before she lifts her brows in silent query. 'What?'
There is no response about the roof. Toad spits his prize back out, the poor little gerbil now green and gooey and still alive. "Victor," he repeats again.
"Sabretooth," Mystique reminds. In case Toad has forgotten.
"Yeah," Toad murmurs, scooting forward and glancing around at the yard. "He actually stuck around for this long? I had a good bet pool goin' that'd he would 'ad run off by now."
Mystique's jaw tightens as she studies Toad. "Did you?" she wonders coolly.
Toad had clenches around the rodent. It squeaks. "An' since when does 'e rank above /me/ after runnin' off on 'is own? Specially 'bout repairs. The bloke breaks more 'en he fixes. yer know." The little man grunts and sets himself on his feet outside of the car, the box under his arm and the lucky picked gerbil still in his hand.
"I have just told you that you are in charge of repairs," Mystique reminds, and she turns to face him, expression still cool. "Nor is he running off on his own. We are taking a trip."
"But you said after you an'--" Toad blinks slowly and twists a foot into the dirt. "A trip," The little mutant scoffs. "Suppose that's all ye'll be tellin' Toad about it."
Mystique does not acknowledge anything that might resemble pouting. Her shoulders roll back as she continues, "We are going to France. Victor, you might recall, speaks French."
"Oh, aye. He's a real class act," the little man grumbles. Toad sets an eye into the terrified little rodent's dark, black beads.
Mystique's gaze narrows irritably on Toad. "You cannot honestly tell me that you are upset that /you/ are not going to a country where you cannot speak the language."
Toad clicks his tongue and starts to wander off. "'Course I ain't. Sittin' in a small space wit' a cranky kitty cat across a whole ocean? This Toad dun' 'ave a death wish." His throat vibrates with laughter as he leaves the scene of the still packed car.
There is a mild sound of exasperation as Mystique shakes her head, and she bends to the task of digging into the SUV as Toad stalks off.
It's not long before Toad is drawn to the new activity, curiosity getting the best of him as he slips to the cars and starts making a long circle around the cars and finally up next to Mystique. "Bloody 'ell," he comments off a long sigh. "Wot 'appened?"
"A child rear-ended me in the Midtown Tunnel," Mystique answers, slips twisted in displeasure.
Toad snorts, eyes sealing up in amusement. "Did you get his insurance?" he jokes.
"Ha." Mystique answers, although there is no amusement whatsoever in her voice. "He barely looked old enough to have a license. Not terribly smart, either."
Toad waddles closer and crouches, pressing a hand to the twisted metal of the bumper. "I can fix it!" he decides after a firm nod. "If, yer know. You get me a new bumper." He stands back up, focusing his attention more on the cargo inside the SUV.
"I was counting on it," Mystique allows, and there is a brief sigh before she turns toward the SUV. "We should have enough to keep us busy for the next week or two, at least."
"Week 'r two?" Toad repeats with large, blinking eyes at Mystique. "Try longer than that, luff! You got replacement windows, righto? An' Wood filler? Insulation?" His fingers wiggle with excitement as he pops the back trunk door up and open.
"No," Mystique replies with lifted brows. "We got necessities - the windows and insulation can wait. The weather won't trouble us for a good while."
Toad lets out a dramatic sigh. "Fine, fine. Dry wall an' tools. Can make enough due wit' that, I wager." He leans forward, starting to hoist stuff out of the back.
"One step at a time," Mystique encourages dryly. "We should have everything we need for the major problems, at any rate."
Toad wrinkles his nose as he grunts under the heavy stuff. "Yeah, yeah. Yer just lucky I do this fer free."
"Free?" Mystique queries dryly.
"Dun' exactly get a pay check in the mail now do I?" Toad says with a dull laugh.
"Nor do you pay for your food, supplies, housing--"
Toad sets his hands on his sides and takes a deep breath after a large bit of dry wall material. "Eh? You stopped by the pet store an' bought Toad a snack, did'jer?"
"The woods aren't quite plentiful enough, hm?" Mystique wonders, but there's dry amusement in her gaze and she steps forward to swing the car door open to reveal a box - the sort with airholes.
Toad grins back at Mystique and doesn't reply right away as he shuffles after her. "Eh?" he grunts with interest.
Mystique remains silent, stepping away to turn back to the SUV and leaving him to his unappealing tret.
Toad makes small, happy noises as he holds the box close and cracks the lid. "I owe yer!" he tells her, heading around the car to crawl into the recently cleared space and play with his new found snack.
"Is there anything in particular you want the others to start on?" Mystique wonders, tugging the SUV's trunk open as she firmly ignores Toad's glee over small critters. "You'll be left in charge of repairs when Victor and I leave."
Toad is busy watching the small things run over his hands in terror. "Mm? Oh. Masia's got the dry wallin' down. An' would mind gettin' started on those broken floor boards in the back." He turns his hand, popping the small fuzzy thing into his mouth a moment before he looks up suddenly. "Wiv'or?"
"You might want to take another look at the roof as well," Mystique suggests, for no particular reason, before she lifts her brows in silent query. 'What?'
There is no response about the roof. Toad spits his prize back out, the poor little gerbil now green and gooey and still alive. "Victor," he repeats again.
"Sabretooth," Mystique reminds. In case Toad has forgotten.
"Yeah," Toad murmurs, scooting forward and glancing around at the yard. "He actually stuck around for this long? I had a good bet pool goin' that'd he would 'ad run off by now."
Mystique's jaw tightens as she studies Toad. "Did you?" she wonders coolly.
Toad had clenches around the rodent. It squeaks. "An' since when does 'e rank above /me/ after runnin' off on 'is own? Specially 'bout repairs. The bloke breaks more 'en he fixes. yer know." The little man grunts and sets himself on his feet outside of the car, the box under his arm and the lucky picked gerbil still in his hand.
"I have just told you that you are in charge of repairs," Mystique reminds, and she turns to face him, expression still cool. "Nor is he running off on his own. We are taking a trip."
"But you said after you an'--" Toad blinks slowly and twists a foot into the dirt. "A trip," The little mutant scoffs. "Suppose that's all ye'll be tellin' Toad about it."
Mystique does not acknowledge anything that might resemble pouting. Her shoulders roll back as she continues, "We are going to France. Victor, you might recall, speaks French."
"Oh, aye. He's a real class act," the little man grumbles. Toad sets an eye into the terrified little rodent's dark, black beads.
Mystique's gaze narrows irritably on Toad. "You cannot honestly tell me that you are upset that /you/ are not going to a country where you cannot speak the language."
Toad clicks his tongue and starts to wander off. "'Course I ain't. Sittin' in a small space wit' a cranky kitty cat across a whole ocean? This Toad dun' 'ave a death wish." His throat vibrates with laughter as he leaves the scene of the still packed car.
There is a mild sound of exasperation as Mystique shakes her head, and she bends to the task of digging into the SUV as Toad stalks off.