Remy and Piotr kept staring at each other until 7:00. They were going until
one of them laughed. Piotr was naturally serious, and Remy wanted to win.
They stood there so long they had to call a couple of truces, once to sit
down, and a couple of times to go to the bathroom. By seven, each one had
the other burned into their retinas.
St. John felt well enough by that point that he risked coming out. He had puked a few more times, drunk the water from the bowl, and taken some Pepto- Bismol, so he was good. He looked for the other two in the living room first, and only found his Las Vegas towel on the floor. He tried the kitchen and found them glaring at each other silently.
"Ummm...Whatta you mates doing?"
"Staring contest," Remy answered.
"Ah. Blinking or laughing?"
"Laughing," Piotr said.
Pyro stood and watched for a moment, then _he_ had to fight off laughter. He snorted and put his hands up to cover his mouth. Both Remy's and Piotr's lips started twitching.
Piotr took a calming breath. "Pyro, shut up," he cautioned him.
"I'm tryin' mate," St. John giggled.
Remy tried concentrating on a serious subject: poker in Las Vegas, and he was bluffing his way out of a pair of twos.
"I swear, St. John, be quiet, or I'm goan..."
That had the opposite effect. A loud HAH! Managed to escape John's hands. Then he just couldn't hold it in any more. He guffawed and chuckled and giggled and snorted until both the competitors were fighting not to join in. Finally, Remy's lips drew up, then Piotr, thinking that he'd won, let out a soft laugh.
"Hah! De champion wins again!" Remy yelled, busting out laughing.
"No. You laughed first," Colossus challenged.
"Uh, no, mon ami, _you_ laughed first," Remy contradicted. "Dese lips smiled before dey laughed. I win."
They turned to look at John expectantly.
"Whatta you looking at me for? I didn't see?"
"Fine, truce," Piotr opted.
"Good enough," Remy agreed. "Now, it's seven. Dere must be sumn' t' do in dis town."
St. John felt well enough by that point that he risked coming out. He had puked a few more times, drunk the water from the bowl, and taken some Pepto- Bismol, so he was good. He looked for the other two in the living room first, and only found his Las Vegas towel on the floor. He tried the kitchen and found them glaring at each other silently.
"Ummm...Whatta you mates doing?"
"Staring contest," Remy answered.
"Ah. Blinking or laughing?"
"Laughing," Piotr said.
Pyro stood and watched for a moment, then _he_ had to fight off laughter. He snorted and put his hands up to cover his mouth. Both Remy's and Piotr's lips started twitching.
Piotr took a calming breath. "Pyro, shut up," he cautioned him.
"I'm tryin' mate," St. John giggled.
Remy tried concentrating on a serious subject: poker in Las Vegas, and he was bluffing his way out of a pair of twos.
"I swear, St. John, be quiet, or I'm goan..."
That had the opposite effect. A loud HAH! Managed to escape John's hands. Then he just couldn't hold it in any more. He guffawed and chuckled and giggled and snorted until both the competitors were fighting not to join in. Finally, Remy's lips drew up, then Piotr, thinking that he'd won, let out a soft laugh.
"Hah! De champion wins again!" Remy yelled, busting out laughing.
"No. You laughed first," Colossus challenged.
"Uh, no, mon ami, _you_ laughed first," Remy contradicted. "Dese lips smiled before dey laughed. I win."
They turned to look at John expectantly.
"Whatta you looking at me for? I didn't see?"
"Fine, truce," Piotr opted.
"Good enough," Remy agreed. "Now, it's seven. Dere must be sumn' t' do in dis town."