[closed] alcohol is a misunderstood vitamin

[heiroglyphs]

WHO: Vera, Dante, Ari, Alison, Yin, Arlene, Pen, Freya, Minako, & Lucy (also being crashed by Prompto and Terra)
WHERE: Pen's place
WHEN: Afternoon/Evening of 7/1
WHAT: 4th of July Weekend Party!
WARNINGS: Underage drinking, recreational drug use and potential PG13 acts

It's Saturday afternoon in the dead of Summer, where the grey grass burns under the bright sun, and you can never quite be sure if it's going to rain or not because the sky is always grey too. This whole colors situation can be pretty depressing if you let it get to you, so a group of college buddies decided to get together and throw a big ole bash to bring everyone's spirits up. Better yet, with the holiday around the corner, they can make it into a cookout to celebrate the old Red, White, and... Grey.

I. - Afternoon
There's plenty of ways to keep cool in the summer heat. The fridge is stocked with beer and spirits, along with tea, soda, and lemonade. Outside, the group work in shifts to cook up a mountain of burgers and dogs. Pen's big back yard offers all the room you need to stretch out and relax, either at the table, or on a blanket on the lawn. Someone brought some Cornhole to play, and eventually someone has the good idea to set up some Beer Pong tables.

So come mix yourself (or someone you like) a drink, grab some grub, and come play some games while the sun is still up!

II. - Evening
The sun goes down and the bugs come out, meaning the party has moved indoors. Not that things have slowed down at all. In fact, with the buzz setting in, things are just starting to warm up. Leftover food is sitting in the kitchen, and the booze still flows.

Everyone's gathered in the common room, telling stories and catching up. A game of Never Have I Ever breaks out, leading into Truth or Dare. Time to show the others just how confident you really are.

III. - Night
Things are starting to wind down, but before everyone conks out for the night (or heads home in an Uber-- Vera's not letting her friends drive home drunk), there's one last surprise. It took a bit of effort setting up, and an ample amount of drunken fumbling, but a display full of imported fireworks has been diligently assembled in the back yard. Though guests are welcome to do more than watch! There's also firecrackers and sparklers for anyone who wants to have some explosive fun of their own. Just don't aim them at anyone else, okay?

After the show, everyone is more than welcome to stick around. Some citronella candles burn outside, keeping most of the bugs at bay. Now might be the perfect opportunity to get close with that special someone, maybe watch the dark clouds roll by, or stare at the big bright moon in the sky. It's amazing how beautiful life can be when you stop long enough to notice it.

Comments

That Person hiding in the back room playing with the cat all night

[long_live_the_queen]

[Lucy didn't have a party-friendly temperament, it was true. She insisted on coming anyway, though. It seemed like the right thing to do. Penelope helped her, she could at least make an attempt at being sociable. She didn't immediately dart away into a corner behind Freya, even.

It took about...twenty minutes for her to decide she'd had enough People and retreat into a room with less or no people. She'd come out eventually (she was thirsty and/or hungry and/or bored), just. People.]

I.

[Occasionally Lucy can be spotted outside making off with the...salt shakers? Particularly when Freya is anywhere near the grill. She doesn't go far, just whisks them out of sight behind a solo cup or potted plant for awhile.

Um.]

II.

[It was substantially harder to sulk in a corner when the party moved inside, though. Lucy spent much more time in the kitchen instead, staring speculatively out of windows (was that a firefly?) or rifling through the fridge for something to drink. She usually timed walking into the room when she didn't hear voices, but with all the noise from the living room she didn't always get it right.]

III.

[Lucy sightings were much more common by now, especially when things spilled back outside again. There was more space, and more things to watch. Like the moon, or the fireworks, or people making questionable decisions with said fireworks.

Currently, Lucy was sitting on a railing near the door remarkably steadily, with a good view of the fireworks to come. There's a little shimmer in the air a few feet away from her, and a firefly rather quizzically buzzing around it. It lands, flashes its tail, then interrupts itself to hover in a circle before repeating the process.]

[complementing]

[Because Rayne couldn't pick a prompt she would've checked in on Lucy multiple times over the night, and her internal clock says it's about time to do it again, Minako wanders the house, calling for her roommate.]

Lucy? Luuuucy. I have some watermelon to share with youuu. Unless you don't like watermelon, in which case I'll eat both slices, but I still wanna see if you're okaaaay.

[long_live_the_queen]

[There were a few things that came to mind here.

One, most obviously—was Minako calling for her like a cat??

Watermelon sounded nice, though.]

I'm over here.

[And Lucy emerges! From what seemed to be a laundry room. She'd been sitting on the washer fiddling with her phone.

...what?]

[complementing]

[If Minako is calling her like a cat, the alcohol is to blame.]

Hi!

[No comment from her about being in the laundry room, because she hasn't judged Lucy for anything and she's not about to start now.]

So, do you like watermelon?

[long_live_the_queen]

[At least she wasn't shaking a treat bag!

Lucy pauses a little as she usually does when offered something, blinking a moment.]

I do.

[She's grateful for the lack of judgment, really. She just has an awful time expressing it, or...any number of things.]

[complementing]

Here you go!

[She offers the slice, wrapped up on the bottom with napkins to catch...most of the drippage.]

Is there enough space in the laundry room for me too?

[long_live_the_queen]

[Lucy didn't spend forever dawdling, she just took the slice of watermelon with its already slightly wet napkins. She was getting better!]

Uh. I think so?

[The dryer and washer were side by side, but they were kind of small. She could always just stand.]

III.

[seeker]

[She rarely has occasion to drink, and knows the best way to avoid the hangover she knows is on the way is a lot of water and fresh air. Besides, there are fireworks on the way, she's heard, and she likes fireworks.

She's expecting not to be all by herself on a balcony when a party is going on, but this is someone she's barely seen during said party. Her gaze follows the firefly, curious, and then she speaks up.]

It seems to like you.

[long_live_the_queen]

[Lucy turns her head just enough to look at the unfamiliar person with one eye.]

I think I'm confusing it.

[The shimmer remains still for a moment, the ripples almost forming...fingers? The firefly even perched on one, and it started to flicker cheerfully.]

[seeker]

[She's tipsy, but she's not drunk enough to hallucinate, and so her gaze sharpens when she notices the shimmering starting to take shape.]

Are you doing that? With the light.

[long_live_the_queen]

[There wasn't any resistance this time, or any stubborn objections that Lucy wasn't crazy.]

Yes.

[The translucent fingers wiggle, dislodging the firefly again.]

I'm a magician.

[...Lucy]

[seeker]

I'm just drunk enough to believe that, so sure.

[She takes a cautious step closer.] You're making it solid. Giving light a weight. That's fascinating.

[long_live_the_queen]

[Lucy snorts, looking up at the shimmer in the air.]

I've never thought about how heavy they are.

[She leaves the poor firefly alone, and she thinks...downwards? Was it even a thought? Or like moving her body around? She wasn't sure.]

I can do this, too.

[The spectral hand shimmers downwards, connected to a jointless and similarly near-invisible arm. Careful investigation will find it disappears somewhere between her...shoulder blades? Gross.

The hand picks up a discarded plastic cup on the ground, though it applies a bit too much pressure at the rim and crumples the plastic. Lucy lifts it the rest of the way up to eye level anyway with a frown.]

II

[mincingminuet]

[As things move outside, Pen lingers a little to make sure she's getting a chance to catch Lucy. It's a little awkward, with Vera having blasted something she'd sorta wanted to broach quietly with Minako and Lucy.

When the younger girl wanders in from...wherever she'd been lurking, she'll find Pen waiting patiently.]

Hey Lucy. Was wondering if I could talk to you a minute?

[long_live_the_queen]

[Lucy slowed a little when she noticed a Person in the kitchen, but didn't stop and back up when she recognized Penelope. She had an empty cup (formerly lemonade) in hand and was nonchalantly scratching her face.

Nothing...nothing wrong here, nope.]

Okay.

[mincingminuet]

[Pen hops up and heads to the fridge, immediately digging out a pitcher of lemonade and offering to refill the cup.]

I...wanted to tell you about Freya and I tonight. Vera's just an asshole who can't keep her mouth shut sometimes. Didn't mean to startle you.

[long_live_the_queen]

Er.

[Now Lucy did stop, and kind of...awkwardly broke eye contact. She didn't immediately pick up her refilled cup again, and her hand spent an inordinately long time at her face before she put it down. Also awkwardly.]

...I didn't notice anything. Before. Before—today.

[mincingminuet]

Well we...haven't exactly been going out that long. A big longer than a week. And you haven't seen me in that time.

[Sitting back down, giving Lucy the space she deserves...]

There wasn't a whole lot to see, anyway. I hope it doesn't bother you that we're interested in each other.

[long_live_the_queen]

[It was odd. Lucy wasn't...upset, exactly. But she wasn't calm either. It was startling to hear that, yes. She liked Freya, but that seemed like something she had no business learning.

She shook her head, still awkwardly avoiding eye contact.]

It doesn't.

[A shuffle of her feet.]

I won't be seeing you much, then.

[Penelope seemed like a nice person. Lucy didn't know her very well, but it still made her a bit sad to think about. People who liked each other didn't have much time for anyone else, that was...all.]

[belligerentwarrior]

[Freya quietly comes to lean up against the railing a couple feet from Lucy, a cup of water in her hand. She watches the firefly for a little bit.]

Glad you stayed for the whole time.

[long_live_the_queen]

[Lucy glanced over Freya's way for a moment, but doesn't startle at her presence. She goes back to staring across the yard.]

Weren't so many people this time. And I wasn't going to leave you here. Or Minako.

[The firefly landed on what seemed to be the shimmer's edge, apparently sitting in midair. The insect seemed not to care, cheerfully blinking away.]

[belligerentwarrior]

[She shrugs half-heartedly, still curiously watching the little bug.]

Good of you. She needs someone to watch her after how she took to her drinks in that game.

Numbers aside, you seem to be doing better. It's hard to tell with you, whether you actually want to be around or not.

[long_live_the_queen]

[Lucy didn't know if she should be disgruntled at that or not. It was true, yes, but it should have been obvious. To Lucy.

Maybe not others so much.]

Am I?

[The vector hummed softly, startling the bug away from whatever made its stage vibrate.]

...I didn't want to be alone right now.

[belligerentwarrior]

[Freya's brow furrowed a little, tilting her head to try and locate that weird hum a little better.]

Well, sure. I thought you did wanna be alone, sitting by yourself the whole time.

[long_live_the_queen]

[Lucy's shoulders stiffened up a bit, a more familiar posture.]

I was around enough. Just. Not so close to all those people.