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

[armedagainstlove]

Athos blinks as he wonders whether he has found a suitable amount of alcohol that can be drunk that will sap the colours from out of the body with such effectiveness that it leaves only a palatte of grey behind. If so, he has found that magical place as he discovers himself staring at the example of such a thing before him. "I'm quite partial to wine," he confesses. "Brandy," he continues. "Whiskey," is added with a curt nod to the side. "And any other fine spirits available. Port, while sweet, is a rather delightful thing."

He clears his throat, aware he has perhaps said too much. "I fear if I were to mix red wine and blue ... things, it would be disastrous," he notes, his English careful.

[nebaritralk]

"Or purple, anyway," Chiana supplies, and flashes him another quick smile. She lets go of his arms, but doesn't step back; she doesn't mind physical proximity. (The other sort, now that's something else altogether.)

"But I don't know your alcohols," she goes on, shifting slightly, head tilted to the side as she looks up at him. "I've tried the red - wine, is it?"

[malachai]

That pulled his mood from borderline brood to full on laugh with his head thrown back. "I have to say, that is the first time I've ever inspired anyone to fish and seaweed."

[malachai]

Nick nodded and filed away the information, making a note to find out the guy's name and description at least, in case he ran across him.

"There are two others here. One, Adrian, seems harmless enough from what I've heard. Bella's met him and said he's pretty benign, or at least as benign as vampires get, and he's got a human girlfriend and she's as straight arrow as they come. The other one. Eric."

He said the name like he was spitting out some thing foul.

"Eric is a different story."

[sixsciencecredits]

"You're not wrong," Darcy said, her tone easy and dry as she took another long, cool drink and neatly crossed one leg over the other. She had no idea if he was making an attempt at insulting her, but she didn't care enough to bother with getting worked up thinking about it. What was the point?

"You look like someone's rich, weird uncle," she said, hoping at least the 'rich' part were true as his having nieces or nephews somewhere out there had absolutely no bearing on whether or not he could offer her some choice booze. "Nice suit."

[weighted_reality]

"If I ever need to break your spirit, I know what to do." Deciding to play the part, he asks for a mint julep and glances toward the food and entertainments.

"I suppose there are worse places."

[armedagainstlove]

Athos inclines his head with a nod, giving a quiet murmur of agreement. "Yes, it is my drink of choice, if given one," he says, as the wine has a habit of lulling and dulling all his senses until he no longer must concern himself with emotions or the memories that go along with them. "There is much here of brighter colours, though I have not perused them. Are they drinks of the future, do you know?"

[seeorseem]

"Continuous besiege with manners and order," Eames concurs, though there are times in which he actually rather likes the idea of it, but those are the times when he's been home for a very, very long time and he's effectively forgotten how painful it could be. "You seem to be perfectly content in this sort of environment. Perhaps we could trade families, hm?"

[legendthatwas]

Martha laughed as well, unable to keep from doing so at the sound of Nick's amusement. "Only the first time?" she asked. "Well, I blame you for using the wrong kind of metaphors. Or maybe the right kind."

[malachai]

"I'd say it depends on whether or not you're hungry when the metaphor is used, or if you like sushi. Lots of variables in there," NIck quipped back, smirk still on his face.

[votecrowley]

Crowley opened his mouth to say something to that, then shut it again so that he could mull that remark over. It was always a little surprising when a human came out and had you pegged in a second. He guessed he'd gotten too used to hunters (who he was, lately, uncle-ing about like a creature who was supposed to eat its young but didn't feel like it anymore).

"I do believe you've summarized my entire existence," he mused. "On Earth, at the least. And I don't purchase bad suits, though the good ones tend to get messed up no matter all of my efforts. What's your name, hellion?"

[votecrowley]

"Oh, true, but there's plenty of that everywhere else," Crowley said mildly. "I don't believe existence has ever had any shortage of it."

It did get tiring after awhile. At least the hotel was quiet.

[votecrowley]

Crowley gave her a look. Being a demon (who ran Hell, at that) he could tell she didn't have the sort of soul he could snag. Most people in the hotel didn't, to be fair; they were of no use to him unless they were made in his particular realm and he seemed to be alone in that. But that, plus her somewhat unorthodox appearance, made him inspect her curiously.

That, and she was talking about Hell like he'd been referring to Omaha (which was sort of close...). "Not originally," he said. "You have to die in order to get there, usually - and also have done some naughty things first. But it's home. What about you?"

[nebaritralk]

"I don't think your future and my future have much in common," Chiana points out, because he's likely another one of the humans that seem to mostly populate this place. It still feels like being in Sebacean territory, but the humans seem a lot less... peacekeeping. "They're not anything I'm familiar with, I can tell you that much."

[nebaritralk]

That sounded like the kind of place she was in no hurry to visit (because of the dying) - or, mostly, like a myth designed to keep people away. Maybe it was a metaphorical death he meant. Whatever the case, she sips her blue drink before answering, "Not anywhere I'd recommend visiting." If he had to ask, then he didn't know Nebari Prime, given how clearly Nebari she looked; probably another human. They seemed not to have gone very far beyond their own planet, these humans. "Not unless you enjoy living a very bored, obedient life, anyway."

[malachai]

"Never quite got that, myself. Some just aren't happy unless they have something to bitch about." Nick shook his head at the memory of a few he'd known back in New Orleans, mostly growing up, who never seemed fully satisfied.

"So. Besides the lack of wailing and garment rending, how've you bee filling your time here?"

[powerof_water]

"It would find its way back," Adam said with a smile. "I charmed it so it should try to stick with you, otherwise it wouldn't be very good at protecting you. Benefits of dating a witch, I guess."

[royalunderachiever]

"Is that a yes? Let's blow this place and get our history on," Adrian said, looping an arm around Sydney's waist without caring who was watching. "I'm prepared to be educated."

[on_your_right]

"I think he could make anyone love America. Maybe even a Nazi," Sam teases. "It definitely didn't take much for him to recruit me to the cause, that's for sure. I'm glad to work with him. It makes me feel like I can make a difference."

[vampire_shield]

"One of many, I think. Including being resistant to frostbite," Bella said, and added a teasing wink into it before looking at the stone again. "And now I feel like a complete jerk because I don't have anything for you."

[sage_alchemist]

"That's a yes," Sydney agreed then, after a pause, "and you'd better pay attention because there may be a test later."

She tried to dart out of reach, but was pretty sure she was going to fail utterly at it.

[legendthatwas]

"I'm hungry and I do like sushi," Martha replied, and winked. She reached over and squeezed Nick's hand once more. "I take it you don't play croquet or lawn bowling or whatever sort of Alice in Wonderland stuff that's going on?"

[armedagainstlove]

"I assure you that most of my time is spent quite in the past." Athos has been back home, but it had only been to more of Paris' antics. Marsac's return had been enough of a worry, but as ever the ghost of his thought-dead wife continued to lurk and haunt him. "This, alone, is almost more than I can cope with. I would hate to imagine a time even further."

"So perhaps we are alike, then, in the unfamiliar."

[shes_biochem]

She remembers that feeling. She's fairly sure it's still there, buried under several layers of worry and regret and anger, but it's there and she thinks of how Agent Coulson had pushed her to feel that way. "How did that happen?" she asks. "I mean, I saw the news coverage, clearly, but I don't think I recall how you two wound up allies."

[sixsciencecredits]

"It's what I'm here for, the summarizing of existences," Darcy said, though she smiled. "No use in buying shitty suits that I can see, but I dunno if I'd come to a party like this wearing something that slick. You're just asking for someone to spill bbq chicken on it or some shit."

She patted the seat next to hers, offering it to him silently, and said, "Darcy. Are you an alien? I only ask because you keep saying 'Earth' and I happen to know a few aliens. They also talk like they're about to come in and have a nice cuppa with the missus."

The last line, of course, was delivered in a shamelessly bad English accent, but she thought the point would've gotten across one way or another. Both Thor and Loki had smooth accents, as this fellow did, and she wondered if it was some sort of galactic conspiracy or if aliens just liked to sound aesthetically pleasing.