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

[malachai]

Nick looked, blinked, then blinked again. "Dr. Jones, I presume," he said, a smile pulling at the bored edges of his mouth. "Yes, it has been a while. I was sure you'd gone back home."

He hadn't seen so much as a glimpse of her since February and after three months without a sighting, he'd become positive that once again, island/hotel fuckery had played it's hand in the game of his twisted, fucked up life.

[legendthatwas]

"There and back again, to borrow a turn of phrase," said Martha, looking sheepish. "My stays lately have been kind of short--I'm really sorry." Brow furrowing, she pursed her lips around the straw in her drink, because she'd never got used to this kind of thing, not like the Doctor was--going in and out of people's lives, barely a blink or an apology.

[malachai]

"No offense, but hobbit is absolutely the last word I'd think of when you come to mind," Nick grinned back. "Don't worry about shit you can't control, Martha. I've heard a lot of people mentioning trips home that seem to last months but no time here seems to have passed, some that are gone home as long as they're gone from here. Just another slice of fucked up with place offers like cake at a party."

[seeorseem]

"It's more that I think my mother is going to end up popping out of the woodwork and shout at me for not calling her more often," Eames remarks with a slight degree of genuine fear that monsters in dreams and men with guns haven't been able to evoke. Then again, Eames has been ignoring his mother for months, now, and he didn't get his ability to handle himself from his Dad.

He does grin, though, for the way Arthur's taken his hand. Eames squeezes it and tugs him along. "She'd probably hit me with the bloody mallet."

[whattingawhat]

Buffy catches sight of Nick at the party and wanders over with a smile. Lawn parties aren't really something she's got much experience with, but this one is harmless enough and she's trying a new thing where she does the socializing. It's only going so-so, mostly because she forgets to actually do the socializing.

In any case, she's here. That counts for something. Right?

"Hey. Long time no see."

[legendthatwas]

"One thing I've learned is to never underestimate the free cake," Martha drawled with a wink. "But...yeah. I should have come looking for you, when I was here before. But when I did, I didn't seem to get very far." She kicked out her legs a little, kicking off her shoes so she could scrunch her toes up in the grass.

[shes_biochem]

"I'll have you know that while I might have two doctorates, I also learned how to hold my drink at the Academy," she says, quite proudly, lifting her chin and her drink in tandem, as if showing off the accomplishment that she hadn't quite earned a degree for. "I've been...well, I've been simply okay. Still struggling with finding a place, not to mention trying to help Fitz get better."

[malachai]

"Hello yourself," Nick commented, thinking he was hearing that a lot tonight. "Did you bring your dress stakes for the party or are you off duty?"

Really, it wouldn't be that horrible to have someone else with a deep dislike for all things vampire keeping an eye on Eric.

[malachai]

"No one should. Free cake is free cake," Nick agreed with a sober nod. "It's fine, really. I still haven't managed to find my way back through to a home that's anything but a shell of the one I normally live in, and to be honest, I'm not sure that's such a bad thing. I don't think I'm ready for it yet."

[weighted_reality]

"Fair," Arthur says, grimacing. He doesn't dare consider how long it's been since he called his parents. If they ever knew he'd ended up in Chicago (voluntary or otherwise), he'd have been for a long earful of guilt.

"I can only imagine you got your fire from somewhere."

[powerof_water]

Adam couldn't help but be a little pleased by that. Bella was going out of her way to come to the party even though she couldn't partake in any of the food or drink just because he was going to be there? That kind of thing definitely went to a guy's head.

"Yeah? Well I think I can try to make it worth your while, if you want."

[royalunderachiever]

"Bad," Adrian admitted readily enough. "Aunt Tatiana was talking to me." Adrian had never been particularly close to either of his parents but he was incredibly close to his aunt and she often manifested when Spirit got bad. It was good in some ways because he missed her but he was just sane enough to know she wasn't really there.

[on_your_right]

"How's that going?" Sam guesses that if she's drinking this much, maybe it's stressful and not going well but that's an assumption he's not willing to voice out loud. Jemma might be small but she wasn't weak by any stretch; Sam is pretty sure she could run circles around him in most things that weren't physical.

"Good so far? Do you need any help?"

[vampire_shield]

Bella raised a single eyebrow then her mouth turned up to match it. "Oh you can, huh? And what did you have in mind? Because I really, really like the direction you're thoughts are going."

[sage_alchemist]

Sydney remembered, only too vividly, the first time she'd encountered Adrian when he was gone on Sprirt so much he'd told her about talking to his Aunt and the near arrest, near break up that night. She couldn't stop the shudder that passed over her.

"All right," she said at last, and took the bottle from his fingers, "but maybe we can slow it down a little?"

[prongsdefiant]

James had found that the hotel was a nice little escape from the pressures of a growing war and now that 7th year was done and he'd started training to become an Auror, an escape was always warranted and needed. Perhaps it was a bit childish but he thought if the entire Order had the opportunity to take the occasional holiday from mayhem without affecting everyone else, they would.

Time didn't seem to pass the same in the hotel as it did out in the world, after all, and the few times he'd ducked out, James had returned to find no time at all had passed back in England. It was as perfect a solution as any.

If only there was a way to simply herd the entirety of Wizarding Britain through the doors and to safety, then there would be no need for a war at all. As there wasn't, he settled for the occasional break and leaned against a table, tipping firewhiskey into a glass of ice cold pumpkin juice.

"I'm of age," he said to the first person who passed him by. "Back home, anyway."

[powerof_water]

"Maybe just hanging out? I didn't really think this through," Adam admitted sheepishly. "So I don't have many ideas aside from 'Look at Bella sparkling in the sunlight,' but if you've got something you want to suggest, feel free. I'm open to any and all suggestions on how to make this party better for you."

[royalunderachiever]

"Slowing down means it comes back," Adrian reminded her plaintively. He refused to take anything that would get rid of it permanently, the way Lissa did, because he needed Spirit for his art and to make sure that Jill and Sydney and everyone else was safe. What if Sydney was injured and she needed him to heal her? What if she was far away and he could only reach her in his dreams.

"Hey, do you think it's night in Ancient Rome yet? We could go. You and me, right now?"

[vampire_shield]

"You could start by kissing your sparkling girlfriend hello," Bella suggested primly, an impish smile on her pale face.

[sage_alchemist]

It made her sad, sometimes, when she saw him like this because she could remember the even, controlled Adrian not driven to wild extremes by the curse of his magic. She thought, not for the first time, that there must be some way her magic could counter his. To level the effects without taking away the things he wouldn't give up - namely, his ability to protect her should there be a need.

But that wasn't something she'd be able to think about tonight, apparently, because there was no way Adrian wouldn't be going to Rome...and there was also no way he'd be going without her.

"We can always go look. But if you think you're getting me into a toga...."

[powerof_water]

Adam laughed and cupped her cheek before leaning in and kissing her softly. Her lips were cool to the touch and her cheek was like marble beneath his palm but it didn't matter. Bella was still the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen in his life and Adam thought he was pretty damn lucky that she did things like refer to herself as his girlfriend.

Pretty, amazingly lucky.

[royalunderachiever]

"Oh come on, Sage, you're no fun. When in Rome," Adrian said expansively, gesturing toward the empty air. "We should totally both wear togas. I can put something together from our sheets, right? High thread count, gorgeous color..."

[vampire_shield]

Bella made a little sound of happiness against his lips and let her body press in close to his as the kiss went on, and she savored every second of it. "Now that's a perfect start, but I'm hoping not the only kisses I'll be getting tonight?"

[legendthatwas]

"Definitely. Though always ask why you're getting it," said Martha with a wink, though she was pretty serious about that. She always looked in the horse's mouth. "I'm really sorry, Nick. But you're right, home is sometimes...bigger and harder than it should be."

Sometimes she wished she could end up off travelling again just to avoid the expectations.

[sage_alchemist]

This time, Sydney was smiling. "You did have a rather interesting reaction to the last time I wore a toga, or something like it, back in Palm Springs, remember?"

Sydney did, because it was the first time he'd told her she was beautiful. It had made her a little uncomfortable at the time. Now, though, it warmed her heart.