Gathering: Summer Party

[concierge]

Outside of the Nexus Hotel, waiters and hotel staff had begun to set up the umbrellas and the tables in the middle of the day. Soon, it became clear that something was happening in the shadow of the Nexus. White tablecloths were draped on the tables and drinks and food were brought out with the help of several waiters and servers, staffing tables with hot and cold foods beside bartending stations. Summery drinks in bright, neon colors are laid out one by one and soon, the afternoon light casts a radiant look on the scene.

Music plays faintly in the background and a note at the front desk invites all the Nexus guests to head outside and join in on the summer party, which promises to continue going as long as there are people to stay and continue keeping the warm atmosphere rolling.

On the lawn, social games had been set out -- lawn bowling, croquet, and tables were set up with chairs for anyone who didn't quite have the will or the spirit to get into such games. Soon, a small number of people had begun to mill around, but as with all parties, there's always room for more.

Comments

[vampire_shield]

Bella shrugged. "I'm not really sure about mine. I don't remember much about before I came to the Nexus. I know my human memories were always a little murky, but now? There's not much there. I remember Jacob, and that he's my best friend and that the pack mate he has here, Leah, hates me, but I don't remember why."

[armedagainstlove]

Athos thinks that no matter what he imbibes, provided it's alcoholic he will be well-suited to it. He can feel the edge of sobriety and painful memories hit him and he gives Chiana a nod. "I believe it's time for the blue stuff," he agrees. "Let it not be said that my boundaries cannot expand."

[seeorseem]

Eames lifts onto his toes as if to show that he's perfectly there. "Mission accomplished," he says, reaching out for another drink since he does really need them to cope with the garden party. "Honestly, this is all so dreadful. I keep expecting a sea of white clothing."

[powerof_water]

"I don't know how anyone could hate you." Adam is completely incredulous about that. Bella was pretty much the anti-vampire, considering the lengths she went to in order to control her bloodlust and he couldn't imagine her getting on the bad side of anyone.

[vampire_shield]

'Yeah, well, she really, really does," Bella shrugged. To the point that if I sense her around a corner or something, I'll do pretty much whatever I can to stay out of her way. Even if that means ducking into a room somewhere."

[nebaritralk]

"Now I like the sound of that," Chiana tells him with a wicked smile, and turns to lead the way towards the blue stuff. There are glasses laid out on a table of different drinks, and she reaches for two of the blue ones with gloved hands, turning back around to Athos. "I'm Chiana, by the way," she adds as she hands him a glass.

[powerof_water]

"I would say that I would do something about that but using magic to make people miserable is always a bad idea," Adam said, grinning at her. "It usually backfires and you end up worse off than you were before you started."

[vampire_shield]

Bella raised on her toes to kiss him softly. "That's okay. This is definitely one of those times where it's the thought that counts."

[whattingawhat]

Buffy's expression gets obviously thoughtful and she takes a deep breath. "But she's able to make her own decisions and she knows the risks, that sort of thing?"

Because Buffy might not agree with it, but she also has a scar on her neck that's old and faint, but still obviously a vampire bite from a vampire that she willingly fed (goaded him into it even). She understands why someone would make that decision.

[powerof_water]

"I would do bad magic on the girl who hates you except not? I think it's better as a thought, too," Adam said, kissing her back. "But I still don't see how anyone could hate you. You...you're a gift, Bella. Truly."

[malachai]

Nick looked about as sheepish as any overprotective demon could look. "Yeah, so she's told me about a dozen times since she dropped her little bombshell on me. Doesn't stop me from wanting to keep an eye on her, and Eric. I figured another pair of eyes wouldn't hurt anything."

[vampire_shield]

Bella chuckled, worry completely out of her face now that the talk of her non-existent memories had passed. "And I think you're a little big biased, Adam." Another light peck, her tongue flicking out to touch his lips. "But I'm not complaining."

[shes_biochem]

She's fairly sure that Captain America can cause feelings of patriotic service and devout friendship in anyone, but she's also one of Coulson's agents and his stance on Captain America is hardly a secret. "Well, I think that your duties are every bit as important," she says firmly. "Perhaps even more so, given that I doubt you have a serum running through your veins."

[the_allmother]

Ah. A friend who knew both Loki and Thor. She knew that such people had to be small in number, and that it was likely, even know, that this young woman was more a friend of Thor's than Loki's -- and yet, that was still certainly intriguing. There were few people that both of her sons saw fit companions. She reappraised the young woman standing in front of her -- there were certainly some parallels to Sif, especially in the way she held herself, but there was something that was also more quiet about her. Something more aloof. Something more like Loki.

"I hope they have both been gentlemen to you," Frigga answered, maintaining her warm smile.

She turned her attention momentarily to Loki when Natasha accepted his offer of a drink, her approval obvious.

"Are you also acquainted with Captain Rogers then?" Frigga asked. Her knowledge of Thor's time on Midgard was still limited, but she knew that Steve Rogers had also been among her son's companions during his time there.

[weighted_reality]

"If I see so much as a white hat, I'll give the signal." His voice is so perfectly flat that Eames could take Arthur's joke for seriousness again. "Go running into the woods at full speed."

[on_your_right]

"Yeah, I'm just me. Well, and the suit," Sam says, grinning at her. "You know, I took some damage when I landed and wound up here. I don't know if that's your thing, but do you think you could fix my wings?"

[divinestsense]

The expression on Sirius' face soured again. "I've not caught the scent of greasy hair and unwashed drawers, so he must not be here," he replied, and then motioned to the glass again. "It'd be a double waste, that. Perfectly good whiskey put in pumpkin juice and then given to Snape. You've become a sadist, Potter."

A drunken Snape might be worth the loss, Sirius thought, but he was meant to be minding himself these days. Better not to have the temptation than have to deal with Remus' inevitable look of deep disappointment.

[sixsciencecredits]

Darcy wasn't quite drunk yet, so his explanation of his current situation allowed for a bit more reflection than it might've had he waited to appear four drinks later. It struck her as entirely strange that there were such things as 'corporate ladders' as far as demons were concerned, but she supposed there were bound to be power plays in any species. That she happened to be talking to the fellow that had climbed his way to the top just then was also interesting. Might've explained the sharp suit. Dress for the job you want, right?

"What's a crossroads demon?" She asked, figuring her own ignorance on the types of demons was the best place to start in terms of understanding whom and what she was speaking to. "I'm a bit shady as far as my demon types go. And an occultist? Really? Damn. Here I was hoping I was talking with someone famous."

[votecrowley]

"Oh, I wouldn't call myself a parasite," Crowley replied, easily. He wasn't offended; he disagreed with the term not out of any pride but, rather, he didn't think it was entirely suitable. "A parasite siphons something off its host, depends on it for survival, and its host needs to be alive. I'm wearing this body. I don't need it; mostly, it's convenient."

It was clear she wasn't from any place that used the same jargon he did, so he tipped his head to the side, considering the other part of the question. "Do you believe in souls, where you come from?" he asked. "Spirits. Living essence. Things like that."

[votecrowley]

"Really?" he asked, unfazed. "I don't know what world you're from, mate, but that's pretty much the song-and-dance where I come from. There used to be days when no one knew what a demon did, much less how to get rid of them. Now everyone seems to have a demon-away kit in their backseat. There's a lot for demons to complain to each other about, now."

[votecrowley]

"Well, my dear," he said, because this was definitely not the first - though hopefully maybe the last, since he'd left the role of a salesman behind, or so he'd hoped - time he'd talked about this. "Say you want something - no, you need something. Your very existence seems to depend on it. You head out to a crossroads - one that isn't paved, so hard to find in this age of technology - and you bury a little box of voodoo, and the next thing you know you've summoned a crossroads demon."

He motioned to her with his glass. "Each human body houses a soul," he said. "They're very valuable. Hell will pay almost any earthly price for one. Your crossroads demon makes most of the deals. It's the stuff of all the good horror movies and urban legends."

Finally setting aside the glass, he added, "And I definitely mean to brag when I say I am famous, but alas, I've yet to inspire a good song."

[armedagainstlove]

"Athos," is his even introduction. In drunker times, he has made odder friends (how else does he explain Aramis and Porthos, after all?) and so he doesn't think much of the woman's skin or her accent, though both are things he keeps in the back of his mind as something to notice. "And are you a consummate drinker of this ... blue liquid or will this be a first for yourself, as well?"

[seeorseem]

Eames presses his hand flat against the small of Arthur's back as he feels himself settle in, still a bit odd for thinking of Arthur mentally as his boyfriend, but pleased to have him at his side for events like this. "That means you earn a drink," Eames says. "Anything you like, darling, I'm buying."

[shes_biochem]

"That's more Fitz than me," she admits, the bittersweet manner of saying it hitting her harder than she expected. "He's engineering. I'm biochem," she says, a faint echo of how they'd been introduced to Ward all those years back. "I'm no slouch. I can always take a look, but Fitz is the one you want for repairs of that nature. At least, when he's in fighting shape."

[weighted_reality]

"I'll try not to choose anything too genteel for you," Arthur promises. He adjusts his posture to accommodate Eames' (his boyfriend's?) hand.