Post by Jessica | Rémiel on Jan 2, 2018 18:13:53 GMT -5
REMI FONTAINE
Chapter 1-2 CD Remix: Tactical. Espionage. Action!
West Coast Genesis Crossroad: Ascension
Third Person View!
“Oh no, the party’s only twenty-one and up?!”
Remi Fontaine’s emerald green eyes widen as he looks over the advertisement for the Kimoto Rooftop Garden Lounge New Year’s Eve Party. He scrambles to put on his dark-framed glasses just to make sure he’s reading the fine print. The sigh of frustration that follows doesn’t change the result.
“This can’t be happening! Dad!”
His father Quentin walks up the stairs of his younger sister Xaria Karloff’s penthouse and makes his way over to the second guest bedroom, often considered Remi’s bedroom, where Remi’s parked his laptop on the desk. He removes a pair of his own glasses from the protective case and slides them on, then he reads over the details with a soft “hmm”. His left hand reaches up and scratches his beard.
“Oh, that can’t be good. I already purchased the tickets and made plans with the staff. There’s no going back, Remi.”
“Shit…”
Remi feels his father’s eyes on him immediately and he clears his throat. “I-I mean shoot. Shoot! Can’t they make an exception to the rule? All I want to do is record the moment!”
Jesse leans up from the floor, propping on both elbows to allow the Batman comic drop to his lap. He arches a brow quizzingly tuning in to the conversation. “Popular joints don't make exceptions. Especially on holidays when places will be packed…” Jesse squints thumbing through the thin pages of his comic book. His voice now very quiet. “Could get us fake IDs.”
“!” Remi picks up on this.
So does Quentin. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t want either one of you to get into trouble.” He regards his son with a smile. “Why not ask your aunt to record it for you?”
“Because that’s no fun…” Remi groans and leans back against the office chair. It carries his weight and pressure very easily.
Jesse squints, parting his lips as if to speak then nods. “We can figure out something…” One hand lifts up his comic again though he isn't reading. “Could ask about letting us in.”
Quentin takes a moment to consider this and he scratches his beard once more. “Well… that might work. You only need to record for a few minutes and then you’ll be back here.”
“Exactly!” Remi quips up and rises to his feet. He turns around towards them, only to look at his father and fold his arms. “Dad, seriously… The beard?”
“What? Ari likes it…” Quentin lowers his hand and sheepishly grins.
“Could use a little bit of a trim.” Remi sticks his tongue out. “Come on, it’s after six o’ clock! You need to get ready!”
“The party doesn’t start until nine. There’s plenty of time.”
“There’s never enough time, Batman!”
Jesse waves his comic. “He has a point.” Finally the brunette rolls to his stomach then pushes up to stand. For being so young it seemed weird that he was this sore.
“Alright, alright. I’ll trim, take a shower, and groom myself.” Quentin chuckles softly. He’s far more nervous than he appears to be.
Jesse waits for Remi’s father to leave the bedroom before smirking. “We should use fake IDs. It's New Years.”
“Absolutely.” Remi flashes a grin. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Dad and Ari have been dating for over a year and they’ve lived together for over six months. Tonight, the marriage proposal is their destiny and we’re not going to miss out!”
He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. There’s a look of starry hope in his eyes. “Ari is family. She might as well be my mother because…” There’s a faraway look of deep realization.
Fifteen years without a mother in his life.
Remi fishes from his left jeans pocket a red string with a small loop tied by a knot. It was part of an art project for one of his classes, one that connected the closest people in the student’s life. He decided to revolve his project around the Japanese culture, the Red Thread of Fate, and looped them around the left ring fingers of himself, his father, his father’s girlfriend, his aunt, his little cousins (which was difficult but plausible to manage for two-year-old Pénélope), and his boyfriend. This particular loop belongs to Ari.
“...Mom would want this for us. I know that in my heart.”
Jesse appears thoughtful. He smiles, looping an arm around Remi’s waist and offering a small squeeze to his hip. “Of course… Family wants what is best for each other.” His expression hardens as he bends enough to bury his face into the crook of Remi’s neck. “Tonight is going to be wonderful.” His breath is warm and humid against Remi’s neck, causing a shudder. Jesse laughs.
“T-that feels weird and tickles at the same time.” Remi slightly blushes, but he tilts his head just enough to capture Jesse’s lips in a sweet kiss. After it breaks, he smiles awkwardly and clears his throat. “So, uh, how are we supposed to procure fake IDs in a short amount of time?”
Jesse seems in a haze keeping his lips close to Remi’s flushed skin before clearing his throat. “Well… I already have one. My friend knows a guy… he can get it to us fast.”
“Please tell me your friend is in NYC.” Remi blinks, a bit surprised by how sensually close his boyfriend is. The blush on his face still remains as he places a hand on his face. “Jesse, are you okay?”
“Hey sis, where is the shaving cream? I forgot mine at home.” Quentin calls out from the first-floor bathroom.
“Hmm, Martin always leaves it in the top drawer of the sink. Let me go get it for you.” Xaria answers with a cheerful tone.
Jesse turns in the direction of the voices as if it is snapping him out of his trance. “Oh, yeah. He is staying here for New Years… so I will be able to call him. He works quick.” He smiles taking a step away from Remi.
“Sweet.” Remi smiles, takes a step forward, and kisses Jesse’s nose. He blushes a little more before he makes his way towards the closet. “Come on, let’s get ready. We’ve gotta be fancy too!” He collects a couple of clean towels and tosses one of them to his boyfriend. “If you want to take a quick shower, the bathroom’s just down the hall.”
Jesse pauses for a moment looking down at himself. “I'm good. Showered this morning after my run, but I'll go change.”
“Alright, I’ll take a quick shower, then!” Remi smiles and Jesse watches his boyfriend leave the bedroom.
They have reconnaissance to prepare for.
“IDs please.”
It’s the bouncer’s usual protocol. He’s a pretty large framed Japanese man with jet black hair and eyes. Black leather jacket emphasizes the intimidation factor. Even with the tickets to the NYE presented to him, he wants to make sure. He’s thorough. Jesse is right on Remi’s heels having nothing but casual attitude hinting that this was not the first time he had used a fake ID. One of his arms instantly coils around Remi’s waist keeping close to him. Remi offers the bouncer a confident smile and they present their IDs as if they were real. The bouncer examines them carefully before he nods.
“Alright, gentlemen. Welcome to the Kimoto Rooftop.”
The once-intimidating man returns Remi and Jesse’s IDs and grants them entry. Remi allows Jesse to take the lead and he follows through with the video camera in his right hand. Outside, Xaria waves from the driver’s side of the large family vehicle. Her little angels wave from their respective car seats and they giggle aloud. She smiles and calmly drives away. They can Uber home safe and sound after their reconnaissance mission ends.
Remi checks his watch and looks around. “They’re probably on the rooftop. We should lay low until it’s almost midnight. Dad said he was going to propose before the fireworks go off.” Suddenly his stomach growls and he looks down with a pout. “First things first. Do you want anything? I’m pretty hungry.”
Jesse’s eyes roam across the room weekly observing their surroundings before he nods. “Sure. Honestly, I want a drink.” It had been a long year for Jesse. “But should probably grab food before I start that.” He lazily grins slowly wandering over to the bar.
Scratching the back of his head, Remi chuckles and follows him. They both sit down in front of the bar and Remi grabs the food menu. He opens it up and looks over the options. “The Darkwing Duck roll? That sounds hilarious and amazing at the same time. Pair it with the crispy spring rolls and I’m game.”
Jesse idly flips through a menu before him not really reading it because his eyes are on a TV set against the wall. Slowly, his head goes left to right allowing him to refocus. As a bartender slides over finishing up a previous conversation, “Can I have a double whiskey sour?” Jesse orders snapping the menu shut and tucking it back with a few others. Quickly he adds, “Oh and a double order of crispy spring rolls.”
“Add one order of the Darkwing Duck roll and…” Remi quickly glances through the drink menu and one of the signature cocktails catches his eye. “...one Dragonite, please. Let’s get dangerous!” He attempts to mimic the voice over for the popular Disney character. It goes over decently as the bartender chuckles and takes their orders.
He seems to be capturing the adult mindset pretty well. There’s no one here that he recognizes from high school (because he’s sure other students do this) and no one believes them to be suspicious. Remi folds his arms across the bar top and smiles. He looks over to one of the wall-mounted TV’s and raises an eyebrow as a double commercial for NGW’s Homecoming and WCG’s Crossroads: Ascension airs. He’s relieved when the only time he’s shown in the commercial is for a brief moment when he lands his “Rebellious Wings” finisher on Izzy Roxx. “Heh, that was a pretty awesome moment.”
Jesse props an elbow on the bar then he rests his chin against it. His eyes linger on the screen though it has long since changed to a commercial on car insurance. He leans against his palm more to eye his boyfriend with a smile. “Yeah, it was. I’m proud of you, babe.” Jesse fidgets. “I still need more training before I even attempt to do any of that… Are you looking forward to the next match?”
“Yeah! I beat Izzy at the last Unscripted and I’ve faced C.J. Lorson before. I know he’s defeated me, but this time I’ll be ready for him. Aunt Xaria’s been teaching me how to face adversity with increased alertness. Hell, on the last session, she and Martin teamed up to double my experience.” Thinking about it makes him sore. That session was literally this morning after they arrived in Manhattan.
“Eyes on the back of my head…” Remi sheepishly grins. “The fact that I can lose the match without being pinned sucks. That’s why I have to be on my guard at all times. The winner of the match might be considered for a title shot! Can you imagine, Jesse? Remi Fontaine, WCG Long Beach Champion! Or WCG South Bay Champion! Or the best of all, WCG West Coast Champion!” His excitement is almost child-like, it’s adorable. Catching himself, he clears his throat.
“Uh, I mean… that’s so badass.” Nice save. Smooth.
Jesse is laughing adjusting so the hand that was holding his chin now is reaching over to gently shove at Remi. “You're too cute to be in a fighting sport.” This seems to dull his mood slightly until two drinks are set down. He grabs his lifting it towards Remi.
The young European man smiles and shyly takes his drink. He raises the Dragonite parallel to the double whiskey sour and nods. “To our future. May we live long and prosper.” With his other hand, he forms the Vulcan salute and a big grin crosses his face.
“To our future.” He smiles. Jesse takes a hefty gulp of the liquid showing no signs of distaste for that bitter burn from liquor. He does give a satisfied ‘ahh’ with a sharp suck of his lips. The glass gently rests back on the bar. “You’re such a nerd.” This term is used with great endearment.
Curiously, Remi takes a sip of his drink. The Bacardi Rum, Aperol, lychee, lemon, and mint come together very nicely. He smiles in satisfaction and takes another, longer sip with a content sigh. “And you love this nerd.” He sticks his tongue out.
The clock reads 11:55 pm.
And this time, the video camera is rolling.
Remi can feel his heart pounding against his chest as he and Jesse take the elevator up to the rooftop. He may very well be as nervous as his father is about the marriage proposal. He softly chews on his lower lip as the elevator comes to a stop and the doors open to the wind chill of the outside. Just another night in Brooklyn. “At least it’s not raining or snowing.” Remi steps out with his boyfriend and embraces the heating areas of the rooftop garden lounge.
He takes a look around, his camera moving with him. The lens captures people of formal attire, some gentlemen with black ties, some ladies with fanciful dresses. There’s even the brief imagery of a blonde-haired woman with soft blue eyes and a beautiful indigo dress holding hands with a dark-haired man with vivid blue eyes and a matching indigo suit and tie. At one of the corners of the rooftop, Remi spots his father seated next to his girlfriend Ari, a lovely woman with sun-kissed skin, deep brown eyes, and beautiful dark hair. He’s lent her his navy blue suit jacket to stay extra warm on this romantic night. With a grin, he moves in quietly, keeping his distance while being close enough for the mic to pick up their audio. He zooms in to capture the moment better on video.
“It’s almost time, ma cher.” Quentin smiles. Suit jacket aside, he’s wearing a white dress shirt with a navy blue tie, a pair of matching-colored slacks, and black dress shoes. His soft brown hair is neatly gelled and combed hair and his beard is nicely trimmed -- as expected of him. He raises his champagne glass and holds it at an angle so the moonlight captures it. “I can’t wait to explore another new year of hopes and wonders with you.”
Ari smiles with an obvious, quick, laugh. She is twisting the fluke of her glass between thumb and index before hoisting it upwards. “It’ll be better than the last.” With confidence, the beautiful woman replies clinking her glass against nothing but air before sipping carefully to not smudge her lipstick. “It is still so fucking cold up here,” Ari complains, scooting closer to Quentin.
Quentin wraps an arm around her and brings her as close as they can be. “It’s not too bad. The Kimoto keeps the rooftop nice and heated. This would only be a problem if there was rain or snow.” He chuckles playfully before he takes a sip of his own drink. Extending his right arm, he sets the glass down on the small table before them and looks at his watch. He then moves his free hand to the front pocket of his slacks and a subtle movement brings out a small velvet jewelry box.
His heart is loftily beating against his chest. Keeping the box hidden in his right hand, he rises up from their lounging couch and smiles. He extends his left hand out to her. “Ari, when I thought there was no hope for an older, single father like me, you walked into my life and rescued my heart. My teaching credentials could not prepare me for the amazing, wonderful, funny, smart, and passionate woman you are, but here I am before you, your boyfriend for over a year… and I want to take your hand. I want to continue the evolution of our relationship in 2018 in a way I haven’t done in over eighteen years.”
‘Oh man, this is it.’ Remi can feel his heartbeat in his ears. His heart is pounding against his chest as he tries to keep himself steady. He glances over and gestures Jesse to move behind him. He presses his lips together and breathes in slowly through his nose. Once Jesse is behind him, albeit unsteadily from the alcohol, Remi takes in a deep breath and holds the camera absolutely still.
Ari’s expression dissolves into utter surprise, happy surprise judging by how she gasps with a large smile. She hovers a hand over her mouth, blinking rapidly. No verbal response as her head nods quickly. “Yes— Of course— yes!” She exclaims offering her right hand to him.
Her eager reaction takes Quentin by surprise, but pleasantly so. He stifles a chuckle before he takes her hand, gently pulls her to stand up, and slowly he lowers himself down to one knee. He reveals the velvet box and opens it to the beautiful, sparkling engagement ring inside. At this point, the patrons on the rooftop are viewing the marriage proposal with anticipation and suspense in the air.
“Tu es l’amour de ma vie. You are the love of my life. Signorina Arria Rohr, will you marry me?”
“I said yes!” Ari is nearly jumping in place using her other hand to wipe her tears before they have a real chance to drip down her face.
Quentin can’t help but laugh. “I know! I still wanted to be traditional, ma cher.” Kindly taking her left hand, he removes the ring from the box and slides it on her ring finger. Their small audience applauds and cheers as he rises to his feet and kisses his fiancée lovingly, his right hand on her face, his left arm wrapped around her waist. They’re right on time as the clock strikes midnight and the fireworks go off in the Brooklyn night sky.
Using the fireworks, cheers, and applause to cover him, Remi loudly whistles in sheer excitement and the camera shakes a little. “She said yes! Elle a dit oui! Lei ha detto sì!” He beams in all three of his native languages, and as he turns around, Jesse pulls him in for a deep, passionate kiss! Remi’s eyes widen in shock, but they lull shut as he returns the kiss with as much passion.
It’s their very first New Year’s kiss. Their sweetest kiss yet.
Chapter 1-2 CD Remix: Tactical. Espionage. Action!
West Coast Genesis Crossroad: Ascension
Third Person View!
“Oh no, the party’s only twenty-one and up?!”
Remi Fontaine’s emerald green eyes widen as he looks over the advertisement for the Kimoto Rooftop Garden Lounge New Year’s Eve Party. He scrambles to put on his dark-framed glasses just to make sure he’s reading the fine print. The sigh of frustration that follows doesn’t change the result.
“This can’t be happening! Dad!”
His father Quentin walks up the stairs of his younger sister Xaria Karloff’s penthouse and makes his way over to the second guest bedroom, often considered Remi’s bedroom, where Remi’s parked his laptop on the desk. He removes a pair of his own glasses from the protective case and slides them on, then he reads over the details with a soft “hmm”. His left hand reaches up and scratches his beard.
“Oh, that can’t be good. I already purchased the tickets and made plans with the staff. There’s no going back, Remi.”
“Shit…”
Remi feels his father’s eyes on him immediately and he clears his throat. “I-I mean shoot. Shoot! Can’t they make an exception to the rule? All I want to do is record the moment!”
Jesse leans up from the floor, propping on both elbows to allow the Batman comic drop to his lap. He arches a brow quizzingly tuning in to the conversation. “Popular joints don't make exceptions. Especially on holidays when places will be packed…” Jesse squints thumbing through the thin pages of his comic book. His voice now very quiet. “Could get us fake IDs.”
“!” Remi picks up on this.
So does Quentin. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t want either one of you to get into trouble.” He regards his son with a smile. “Why not ask your aunt to record it for you?”
“Because that’s no fun…” Remi groans and leans back against the office chair. It carries his weight and pressure very easily.
Jesse squints, parting his lips as if to speak then nods. “We can figure out something…” One hand lifts up his comic again though he isn't reading. “Could ask about letting us in.”
Quentin takes a moment to consider this and he scratches his beard once more. “Well… that might work. You only need to record for a few minutes and then you’ll be back here.”
“Exactly!” Remi quips up and rises to his feet. He turns around towards them, only to look at his father and fold his arms. “Dad, seriously… The beard?”
“What? Ari likes it…” Quentin lowers his hand and sheepishly grins.
“Could use a little bit of a trim.” Remi sticks his tongue out. “Come on, it’s after six o’ clock! You need to get ready!”
“The party doesn’t start until nine. There’s plenty of time.”
“There’s never enough time, Batman!”
Jesse waves his comic. “He has a point.” Finally the brunette rolls to his stomach then pushes up to stand. For being so young it seemed weird that he was this sore.
“Alright, alright. I’ll trim, take a shower, and groom myself.” Quentin chuckles softly. He’s far more nervous than he appears to be.
Jesse waits for Remi’s father to leave the bedroom before smirking. “We should use fake IDs. It's New Years.”
“Absolutely.” Remi flashes a grin. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Dad and Ari have been dating for over a year and they’ve lived together for over six months. Tonight, the marriage proposal is their destiny and we’re not going to miss out!”
He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. There’s a look of starry hope in his eyes. “Ari is family. She might as well be my mother because…” There’s a faraway look of deep realization.
Fifteen years without a mother in his life.
Remi fishes from his left jeans pocket a red string with a small loop tied by a knot. It was part of an art project for one of his classes, one that connected the closest people in the student’s life. He decided to revolve his project around the Japanese culture, the Red Thread of Fate, and looped them around the left ring fingers of himself, his father, his father’s girlfriend, his aunt, his little cousins (which was difficult but plausible to manage for two-year-old Pénélope), and his boyfriend. This particular loop belongs to Ari.
“...Mom would want this for us. I know that in my heart.”
Jesse appears thoughtful. He smiles, looping an arm around Remi’s waist and offering a small squeeze to his hip. “Of course… Family wants what is best for each other.” His expression hardens as he bends enough to bury his face into the crook of Remi’s neck. “Tonight is going to be wonderful.” His breath is warm and humid against Remi’s neck, causing a shudder. Jesse laughs.
“T-that feels weird and tickles at the same time.” Remi slightly blushes, but he tilts his head just enough to capture Jesse’s lips in a sweet kiss. After it breaks, he smiles awkwardly and clears his throat. “So, uh, how are we supposed to procure fake IDs in a short amount of time?”
Jesse seems in a haze keeping his lips close to Remi’s flushed skin before clearing his throat. “Well… I already have one. My friend knows a guy… he can get it to us fast.”
“Please tell me your friend is in NYC.” Remi blinks, a bit surprised by how sensually close his boyfriend is. The blush on his face still remains as he places a hand on his face. “Jesse, are you okay?”
“Hey sis, where is the shaving cream? I forgot mine at home.” Quentin calls out from the first-floor bathroom.
“Hmm, Martin always leaves it in the top drawer of the sink. Let me go get it for you.” Xaria answers with a cheerful tone.
Jesse turns in the direction of the voices as if it is snapping him out of his trance. “Oh, yeah. He is staying here for New Years… so I will be able to call him. He works quick.” He smiles taking a step away from Remi.
“Sweet.” Remi smiles, takes a step forward, and kisses Jesse’s nose. He blushes a little more before he makes his way towards the closet. “Come on, let’s get ready. We’ve gotta be fancy too!” He collects a couple of clean towels and tosses one of them to his boyfriend. “If you want to take a quick shower, the bathroom’s just down the hall.”
Jesse pauses for a moment looking down at himself. “I'm good. Showered this morning after my run, but I'll go change.”
“Alright, I’ll take a quick shower, then!” Remi smiles and Jesse watches his boyfriend leave the bedroom.
They have reconnaissance to prepare for.
“IDs please.”
It’s the bouncer’s usual protocol. He’s a pretty large framed Japanese man with jet black hair and eyes. Black leather jacket emphasizes the intimidation factor. Even with the tickets to the NYE presented to him, he wants to make sure. He’s thorough. Jesse is right on Remi’s heels having nothing but casual attitude hinting that this was not the first time he had used a fake ID. One of his arms instantly coils around Remi’s waist keeping close to him. Remi offers the bouncer a confident smile and they present their IDs as if they were real. The bouncer examines them carefully before he nods.
“Alright, gentlemen. Welcome to the Kimoto Rooftop.”
The once-intimidating man returns Remi and Jesse’s IDs and grants them entry. Remi allows Jesse to take the lead and he follows through with the video camera in his right hand. Outside, Xaria waves from the driver’s side of the large family vehicle. Her little angels wave from their respective car seats and they giggle aloud. She smiles and calmly drives away. They can Uber home safe and sound after their reconnaissance mission ends.
Remi checks his watch and looks around. “They’re probably on the rooftop. We should lay low until it’s almost midnight. Dad said he was going to propose before the fireworks go off.” Suddenly his stomach growls and he looks down with a pout. “First things first. Do you want anything? I’m pretty hungry.”
Jesse’s eyes roam across the room weekly observing their surroundings before he nods. “Sure. Honestly, I want a drink.” It had been a long year for Jesse. “But should probably grab food before I start that.” He lazily grins slowly wandering over to the bar.
Scratching the back of his head, Remi chuckles and follows him. They both sit down in front of the bar and Remi grabs the food menu. He opens it up and looks over the options. “The Darkwing Duck roll? That sounds hilarious and amazing at the same time. Pair it with the crispy spring rolls and I’m game.”
Jesse idly flips through a menu before him not really reading it because his eyes are on a TV set against the wall. Slowly, his head goes left to right allowing him to refocus. As a bartender slides over finishing up a previous conversation, “Can I have a double whiskey sour?” Jesse orders snapping the menu shut and tucking it back with a few others. Quickly he adds, “Oh and a double order of crispy spring rolls.”
“Add one order of the Darkwing Duck roll and…” Remi quickly glances through the drink menu and one of the signature cocktails catches his eye. “...one Dragonite, please. Let’s get dangerous!” He attempts to mimic the voice over for the popular Disney character. It goes over decently as the bartender chuckles and takes their orders.
He seems to be capturing the adult mindset pretty well. There’s no one here that he recognizes from high school (because he’s sure other students do this) and no one believes them to be suspicious. Remi folds his arms across the bar top and smiles. He looks over to one of the wall-mounted TV’s and raises an eyebrow as a double commercial for NGW’s Homecoming and WCG’s Crossroads: Ascension airs. He’s relieved when the only time he’s shown in the commercial is for a brief moment when he lands his “Rebellious Wings” finisher on Izzy Roxx. “Heh, that was a pretty awesome moment.”
Jesse props an elbow on the bar then he rests his chin against it. His eyes linger on the screen though it has long since changed to a commercial on car insurance. He leans against his palm more to eye his boyfriend with a smile. “Yeah, it was. I’m proud of you, babe.” Jesse fidgets. “I still need more training before I even attempt to do any of that… Are you looking forward to the next match?”
“Yeah! I beat Izzy at the last Unscripted and I’ve faced C.J. Lorson before. I know he’s defeated me, but this time I’ll be ready for him. Aunt Xaria’s been teaching me how to face adversity with increased alertness. Hell, on the last session, she and Martin teamed up to double my experience.” Thinking about it makes him sore. That session was literally this morning after they arrived in Manhattan.
“Eyes on the back of my head…” Remi sheepishly grins. “The fact that I can lose the match without being pinned sucks. That’s why I have to be on my guard at all times. The winner of the match might be considered for a title shot! Can you imagine, Jesse? Remi Fontaine, WCG Long Beach Champion! Or WCG South Bay Champion! Or the best of all, WCG West Coast Champion!” His excitement is almost child-like, it’s adorable. Catching himself, he clears his throat.
“Uh, I mean… that’s so badass.” Nice save. Smooth.
Jesse is laughing adjusting so the hand that was holding his chin now is reaching over to gently shove at Remi. “You're too cute to be in a fighting sport.” This seems to dull his mood slightly until two drinks are set down. He grabs his lifting it towards Remi.
The young European man smiles and shyly takes his drink. He raises the Dragonite parallel to the double whiskey sour and nods. “To our future. May we live long and prosper.” With his other hand, he forms the Vulcan salute and a big grin crosses his face.
“To our future.” He smiles. Jesse takes a hefty gulp of the liquid showing no signs of distaste for that bitter burn from liquor. He does give a satisfied ‘ahh’ with a sharp suck of his lips. The glass gently rests back on the bar. “You’re such a nerd.” This term is used with great endearment.
Curiously, Remi takes a sip of his drink. The Bacardi Rum, Aperol, lychee, lemon, and mint come together very nicely. He smiles in satisfaction and takes another, longer sip with a content sigh. “And you love this nerd.” He sticks his tongue out.
The clock reads 11:55 pm.
And this time, the video camera is rolling.
Remi can feel his heart pounding against his chest as he and Jesse take the elevator up to the rooftop. He may very well be as nervous as his father is about the marriage proposal. He softly chews on his lower lip as the elevator comes to a stop and the doors open to the wind chill of the outside. Just another night in Brooklyn. “At least it’s not raining or snowing.” Remi steps out with his boyfriend and embraces the heating areas of the rooftop garden lounge.
He takes a look around, his camera moving with him. The lens captures people of formal attire, some gentlemen with black ties, some ladies with fanciful dresses. There’s even the brief imagery of a blonde-haired woman with soft blue eyes and a beautiful indigo dress holding hands with a dark-haired man with vivid blue eyes and a matching indigo suit and tie. At one of the corners of the rooftop, Remi spots his father seated next to his girlfriend Ari, a lovely woman with sun-kissed skin, deep brown eyes, and beautiful dark hair. He’s lent her his navy blue suit jacket to stay extra warm on this romantic night. With a grin, he moves in quietly, keeping his distance while being close enough for the mic to pick up their audio. He zooms in to capture the moment better on video.
“It’s almost time, ma cher.” Quentin smiles. Suit jacket aside, he’s wearing a white dress shirt with a navy blue tie, a pair of matching-colored slacks, and black dress shoes. His soft brown hair is neatly gelled and combed hair and his beard is nicely trimmed -- as expected of him. He raises his champagne glass and holds it at an angle so the moonlight captures it. “I can’t wait to explore another new year of hopes and wonders with you.”
Ari smiles with an obvious, quick, laugh. She is twisting the fluke of her glass between thumb and index before hoisting it upwards. “It’ll be better than the last.” With confidence, the beautiful woman replies clinking her glass against nothing but air before sipping carefully to not smudge her lipstick. “It is still so fucking cold up here,” Ari complains, scooting closer to Quentin.
Quentin wraps an arm around her and brings her as close as they can be. “It’s not too bad. The Kimoto keeps the rooftop nice and heated. This would only be a problem if there was rain or snow.” He chuckles playfully before he takes a sip of his own drink. Extending his right arm, he sets the glass down on the small table before them and looks at his watch. He then moves his free hand to the front pocket of his slacks and a subtle movement brings out a small velvet jewelry box.
His heart is loftily beating against his chest. Keeping the box hidden in his right hand, he rises up from their lounging couch and smiles. He extends his left hand out to her. “Ari, when I thought there was no hope for an older, single father like me, you walked into my life and rescued my heart. My teaching credentials could not prepare me for the amazing, wonderful, funny, smart, and passionate woman you are, but here I am before you, your boyfriend for over a year… and I want to take your hand. I want to continue the evolution of our relationship in 2018 in a way I haven’t done in over eighteen years.”
‘Oh man, this is it.’ Remi can feel his heartbeat in his ears. His heart is pounding against his chest as he tries to keep himself steady. He glances over and gestures Jesse to move behind him. He presses his lips together and breathes in slowly through his nose. Once Jesse is behind him, albeit unsteadily from the alcohol, Remi takes in a deep breath and holds the camera absolutely still.
Ari’s expression dissolves into utter surprise, happy surprise judging by how she gasps with a large smile. She hovers a hand over her mouth, blinking rapidly. No verbal response as her head nods quickly. “Yes— Of course— yes!” She exclaims offering her right hand to him.
Her eager reaction takes Quentin by surprise, but pleasantly so. He stifles a chuckle before he takes her hand, gently pulls her to stand up, and slowly he lowers himself down to one knee. He reveals the velvet box and opens it to the beautiful, sparkling engagement ring inside. At this point, the patrons on the rooftop are viewing the marriage proposal with anticipation and suspense in the air.
“Tu es l’amour de ma vie. You are the love of my life. Signorina Arria Rohr, will you marry me?”
“I said yes!” Ari is nearly jumping in place using her other hand to wipe her tears before they have a real chance to drip down her face.
Quentin can’t help but laugh. “I know! I still wanted to be traditional, ma cher.” Kindly taking her left hand, he removes the ring from the box and slides it on her ring finger. Their small audience applauds and cheers as he rises to his feet and kisses his fiancée lovingly, his right hand on her face, his left arm wrapped around her waist. They’re right on time as the clock strikes midnight and the fireworks go off in the Brooklyn night sky.
Using the fireworks, cheers, and applause to cover him, Remi loudly whistles in sheer excitement and the camera shakes a little. “She said yes! Elle a dit oui! Lei ha detto sì!” He beams in all three of his native languages, and as he turns around, Jesse pulls him in for a deep, passionate kiss! Remi’s eyes widen in shock, but they lull shut as he returns the kiss with as much passion.
It’s their very first New Year’s kiss. Their sweetest kiss yet.