isleofavalon | open-ish / it's never too late to get down and party

Entry tags:

open-ish / it's never too late to get down and party

🧙 WHO: Kate & her adult CR (and anyone they might want to invite!) / people who work at the Roost?
⚔️️ WHAT: It's Kate's birthday and she wants to make the most of it, so the obvious solution is to rent out the Phoenix Roost for a night of getting drunk.
🕒 WHEN: 15th August
🗺️ WHERE: Phoenix Roost
⚠️ WARNINGS: Probably excessive alcohol consumption, hopefully some sinning.

( have you met Kate? are you over the age of eighteen? then, at the beginning of the month, you'll receive the following text; )

Party. 15th. 9pm. Phoenix Roost. Wear what you want. Bring who you want.

( yeah, that's about all the details you're getting. so why not grab a friend, a significant other, or your worst enemy, and find out what's going on?

the Phoenix Roost is as it ever is, except for the fact that the only people there have heard about this party in one way or another. there's nothing to suggest that this party is for reasons other than Kate simply wanting to host one, but if you're here, you might know her well enough to guess that to be untrue.

but, hey, does that matter? there's alcohol flowing freely and music playing, so grab a drink, talk to a stranger, make bad choices! just try to avoid murder for a night, thank you. )

( ooc; I might be busy on the 15th, so I've thrown this up now! It's a mingle log, you know how this works. Post your own top levels, warn for anything that needs warning, be good to each other. If you're not sure whether your character would be invited, just poke me at

exits / exits#8071 and we can chat! )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( when the last few people filter out, Kate's still in the basement, hopped up on the bar with a glass of water in hand. not that drinking water is going to counteract the amount of alcohol she's had tonight, but all things considered, she'd rather not throw up ~~until the morning~~. thankfully, the drink mats are also quite useful in stopping her ass from sliding all over the counter in this satin jumpsuit, so her choice in seats isn't about to land anyone in the hospital despite it all.

it's been a good night. a change of pace to her usual ones in Avalon, and even the ones back home. when's the last time she was the one to suggest and host a whole bash like this, as opposed to letting Ainsworth sort the whole thing out? she's not sure she ever has been more than just the attendee, willing to participate but never actually initiating such things.

her eyes — far from their usual brown, instead matching the rest of the cat features she's been cursed with this month — are relaxed, half-lidded and following Rei as he does whatever he's doing. she taps sharp nails against her glass and crosses one leg over the other, resting her elbow against her thigh. )

Need a hand?

( ... probably not advisable to say yes, really. )

[Rei's got staff on hand for most of the cleaning-- does he look like a man who would do all that himself?!-- but he's still putting things back together here and there, resetting the music system, rolling up extension cords and such.]

Not from the birthday girl, I don't. [He might have overheard a thing or two earlier... and holding onto information until he can drop it at the most opportune time is so terribly Rei.

He looks pleased with himself, but the smile he gives when he pauses in his movement to address her is at least halfway genuine despite it.]

How was it?

( well, he wouldn't want to break a nail, right? p.s. don't eavesdrop, that's rude.

unfortunately, the word eavesdrop is a bit too much of a tongue twister right now, so instead, Kate settles for a simple, single-finger gesture to accompany the narrow eyed glare she tosses his way.

besides, by now it isn't technically her birthday any more. not that she's sober enough to consider that point, either.

she drains the last of the glass of water as he asks that question, handing it to one of the guys cleaning behind the bar (and likely not too happy with the fact that she's treating it like one of Princess' perches, cat hair probably getting onto the surface from the sleek grey tail which curls around her) before her fingers fiddle idly with the ends of her hair (it's not as poker straight as it had been when she got here, but eh). )

... Different. ( not bad. but that's certainly the first word to come to mind. different. another reminder that this isn't home. not just because it was her job to get this shit together, but because she actually likes the people who turned up (well, that Kitten kid... they're a new and strange presence).

how long has it been since she could honestly say that? )

Haven't been out like this for a while.

( which is a true enough statement to leave it at. )

Oh yeah? Here I thought you went out all the time.

[Kate paid more than enough for the right to sit on the countertop, it's fine. As he finishes resetting the sound system Rei will join her, claiming a bar stool at her side.]

Though I guess... [He lights a cigarette, thinking aloud.] ...it was a bit constructive, on your part. Is that it?

( she does, wym. )

Nah. Never do that.

( that's a first. feel #blessed that she chose this place for it, Rei. )

Since I've been out with more than one person.

( she's definitely had nights where she's run into multiple people, or made one off bonds with equally drunk strangers, but a big group of people going out to get drunk together?

(the feast doesn't count, that was mostly about the food.) )

You don't say. [Rei is a little surprised, actually! Kate seems the party type-- and judging by her reaction here... maybe she still is? Knowing what he knows about her.. maybe Kate has just never had a chance before.]

You should do it more often, then. [and, because Rei cannot give genuine advice without ruining the atmosphere:] I wouldn't say no to taking more of your money, anyway.

( you really think she's going to put party hosting effort in for the hell of it? no. that's way too much like telling people she likes spending time around them. easier just to let Ainsworth drag her into big nights out.

besides, you've already talked her into spending money on a business license, don't try to wheedle out more. )

I'm skint.

( close enough, anyway. go chainmail curse some cash out of people instead, old man. )

Too bad, too bad. [Rei laughs easily at her rebuttal-- and laughs more at the way her cat ears twitched to match.]

Still. [He puts his free hand on her knee, giving her a brief, friendly squeeze.] Glad to see you having fun instead of just biding your time for once.

( if the twitching ears make him laugh, the irritated flick of her tail that accompanies the jerk of her knee when he squeezes it might just be hilarious.

platonic touches are still strange territory, honestly. )

... Did you?

( she could argue that she has fun, sometimes. but instead she asks a question, one with a tinge of genuine interest as opposed to her usual, flat affect. as though the answer actually matters on levels beyond simple curiosity and silence filling. )

What, me? How nice of you to ask after an old man. [Okay, even Rei can admit this joke is trite deflection. His smile softens just slightly.]

Yeah. It was good.

[With all the tenseness between Rei and his teammates, it's nice to focus on something else--someone else-- for a change.

That said...]

You know quite the group of people, Kate-chan.

( well if Rei prefers, she can just kick him for being a prat. but he thankfully gives a real answer before she does. and while she has wondered just what became of whatever had him in such a mood on the roof a while back, that's something she won't ask about just yet.

partially because that last sentence leaves him way too open; )

Includes you, y'know.

( she shifts slightly on the bar, folding a leg under herself and rocking back onto her hands. )

Everyone's weird here.

( that's been her experience, anyway. must be necessary if you're going to save the multiverse or something? )

Me, weird? I don't know what you're talking about.

[Riiight. scam artist/business owner/rapper, totally not abnormal at all.]

Guess it's good for something, though. If we've all got that in common...

( mmmhm. she's, once again, choosing to answer that with nothing but a raised brow. thankfully that is one skill that hangs around even after too much booze.

but that does remind her... ah, shit. what was it he said...? the words are just at the edges of her mind, and she frowns, trying to clear the mental fog by tapping too-sharp nails against the bar. )

That 'nd... ( that was it. ) bein' adaptable, weren't it?

Ah, that's right. Guess we've had this conversation before.

[There's a pause in his thoughts as he takes a drag from his light. Adaptable... certainly, from an evolutionary perspective; the broader lens on humanity points to as much. Especially with the awareness that the multiverse apparently reproduces humans over and over again despite Who Knows What happening in those worlds.]

Humans are funny things, aren't they.

( she said it was a conversation for more than one beer, and that holds true. there's something about booze that loosens the tongue even when it fogs the mind.

easier to talk like this, when the filters have been switched off, she supposes. )

Funny how?

( cause there's a lot of shit about people that can be funny, whether that's haha funny or just plain strange. )

Funny in that we're such a mess.

[Trauma. Petty fights. Individual circumstances. Struggles both large and small.]

And yet, here we are.

( that... actually gets a laugh. it isn't one with a lot of humour, and nor is it more than a second long, but it's an audible sound. more than just a snort and a shake of the head.

maybe we'll blame the drink. )

S'pose that's fair.

( she knows plenty of people who would qualify as "a mess" ~~don't look at her like that, she's Fine~~, so there's no arguing. humanity got further than you might expect if you're look at the individual level.

that thought gives Kate a moment's pause, to ask for another drink from the bartender as he finishes what he can (alcohol this time, but just something light and in a bottle), and take a sip. however many fucking millions of years it took to get to where her world is now, and who the fuck knows if it'll be there tomorrow? )

Y'realise we could cause that to end?

( they're kinda working blind here, and sure, things have seemed stable and fine in Avalon, all things considered, but who the fuck knows whether the effort being put in will pay off? they might not even wake up tomorrow.

no warning. the worlds, gone.

her brother? gone. Ainsworth? gone.

sometimes she wonders who the fuck chose her — chose half of them, really, from Caster's breakdown to half the shit that gets posted on the network — in a bid to save the multiverse. )

Sure. Real easy. Ain't it always?

[Rei thinks of the war back home, of the loss of one billion people, of a life's stability gone in a flash. Same shit.]

But it doesn't matter. [Whether doom is near or far, Rei does what he has to.] I'm not about to lie down and die ahead of time.

[He stops to look her in the face.]

And neither are you. Right?

( that's true. one little order. one moment. it's so easy for the people in charge to bring everything crumbling down around them without the slightest regard for the consequences.

as long as their pockets are lined.

the bottle is halfway to her lips when Rei turns towards her and Kate pauses, stilling but for a single blink.

that's very pointed, excuse you. )

... I don't plan on dying. Not here. ( not for Camelot's foolish decisions, anyway. she doesn't want to be a hero for this world, hardly thinks she's suited for a job like that anyway. heroes do the right thing, follow hearts instead of paycheques and orders.

there's only one reason worth playing along with all of this, one thing that keeps that resolve burning: ) Marc's counting on me.

( not that he knows his life hangs in the balance of all this shit, when he's back on Earth, stuck as one of this world's hostages. but he is. and it's always been her job to keep him safe.

she cannot let Avalon be her failure. )

[Kate always gives him the flattest of looks when he pulls shit on her. Rei laughs, pleased.]

Well, nothing says you can't take a load off, too.

[His smile quirks with something genuine, just for a moment.]

Happy birthday, Kate.

( his brand of shit pulling has, so far, been mostly harmless but annoying. a bit like a fly getting in through the window. it can be handled, mostly because there are times when he's less annoying and actually kind of pleasant to be around.

(but you didn't hear that here.)

she does, eventually, decide to give the poor bartender a break and hop off the bar so he can finish wiping it down, claiming the chair next to Rei's and knocking the side of her leg against his, a half-hearted attempt at a kick. )

You being sappy?

( she sees that smile. gross.

but, cough. let's change the subject... sort of. at least, let's deflect it away from her because she can feel that heat creeping up her cheeks and the back of her neck, like an ant under a magnifying glass in the sun. )

When's yours?

( provide personal deets, old man. )

[Rei opts not to comment on Kate's self-defense beyond a chuckle, flicking the ashes from his cigarette into the tray with a practiced hand.]

January.

[Saburo's has to come and go first, in December, his brain reminds him.]

The twenty third.

[And Jiro's is after that, in February. And you just missed Ichiro's last month. And--]

What, you gonna surprise me with something?

( if she were sober, she still probably wouldn't notice anything was off, honestly. she throws back some more of the drink (the morning is going to suck, but isn't that part of the point of nights like this?) and snorts at that question.

is she even going to remember the date when she wakes up? who knows. )

I'm shit at gifts.

( not entirely untrue. she's shit at gifts when the day is fixed, when there's the pressure to find something good. it's easier to just find a good bottle of booze and call it done.

but there are times, days that have no other meaning, when something catches her eye and screams that it would be perfect for someone.

in those moments, she can be pretty good. )

S'pose I could treat you to a drink.

( at least he isn't the type to be against that. )

[He laughs dryly. The buzzing in the back of his mind goes quieter, distracted by the amusement at something that is so very, very Kate.]

Then it's a date.

( see. she's good at this distraction shit. even when she isn't necessarily trying to be.

there's a brief lapse into silence, a moment where she just drains her drink and hands the bottle to the long suffering bartender before the cat tail she's currently stuck with twitches and she shifts, sliding off her seat and onto her feet.

still impressively coordinated, even after drinking enough tequila to finally understand Red Wine's explanation of Tierran geography. )

You locking up?

( or is he leaving that to the hired help? because it is probably time to let herself out either way. )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

open-ish / it's never too late to get down and party

end of the night because i can do what i want.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Definitely not throwing you tags while in the queue at kfc, nah

kate fried ctags

spray emoji

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

ok this got real dark real fast

kate/rei threads do be like that sometimes (most times)

gently laughs in future canon updates

dramatic irony intensifies.....

uu

I HATE IT WHEN THEYRE CUTE 😤

Sounds like a challenge 🙃

no subject

it's a good job i cleaned my DW inboxes today because i sure didn't get an email about this