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    COTY

    Assailant -- Year 226

    QOTY

    "But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura


    The First Annual Scortoni BQ BBQ.
    #11
    Cursing and mature content ahead!


    ”Shit!” he curses underneath his breath when hearing the dulled – yet still overly loud – music coming from the parking lot. Why the fuck had he agreed to do this? Nuage is still standing in front of his crappy too small mirror as his hand reach for his cell, typing a quick message to Nihlus. Blindly he tosses the device on his bed again, eyes moving to the mirror once again. Fuck, fuck, fuck! This won’t do. For the nth time that day Nuage strips himself out of his clothes, these – too – wouldn’t do. A pair of dark grey skinnies, though Nu makes sure they not too tight (something like not shocking the in-laws too much), and white tee has to do. ”Curse you, Nih.”

    Two minutes, that must be a new record. It is not a secret to both that he is always late. Not overly late, just an average five to ten minutes, max. He simply cannot help it, a last glance in the mirror would always have him at least change something about his appearance, never was it good enough, or more like, Nuage always feared he was looking like an idiot. He had long ago stopped to ask Nihlus, as the guy usually would sneakily remark that he looked the best naked. And that was definitely not an option today.

    He is quick to hurry around the truck and slips almost silently into the chevy. Well, except for the loud slam, but fuck you Nihlus, for making me do this. A kiss it all it takes for Nuage to throw all his reservations out the window. ”You’re so cheesy,” he mutters as if he is complaining, barely loud enough to be audible and while he glances away flustered. Nih always did that, shutting him up and making him forget why he was annoyed in the first place, and Nuage kept falling for it over and over again. Not that he is complaining, Nihlus’ lips just are fucking amazing. Even with the horrible taste of the cigarette still lingering, but he – they both do – knows he would never tell the other male that he should quit smoking.

    The question is met with another huff, a roll of his eyes and a prompt shift to stare out of the side window. ”Whatever, just let’s get over with it..” He is so not looking forward to this, but he has to admit, Nih makes up for a lot of the shit he was about to face. The touch relaxes him, simply knowing – feeling – that his boyfriend is there put him at ease, a little.

    Ease that is quick to go away once they drive into the parking lot. Nuage’s eyes widen and his mouth is close to dropping open. These aren’t just a few cars, the goddamn parking lot was practically full with cars. ”Fuck you!” Nuage spits at a grinning Nihlus, slamming the door of the truck way harder than was necessary. He is almost stomping as he moves around to meet the taller man in front of his car, hands on his hips as his eyes are staring up at Nihlus angrily. ”No, you li-“ The kiss shuts him up completely, and effectively silences his angry rant.

    Even when they walk into the house he’s still gooey, somewhat lightheaded too, but nevertheless cursing Nihlus in his mind. Cursing himself, too, for letting the Nih influence him like this. His hand is clam and sweaty in Nihlus’, and Nuage wants nothing more than pulling himself free of the hold. Fuck this shit. He wasn’t ready for this, and there were too much goddamn people here. He grumbles another curse directed at his boyfriend while presses closer against Nihlus’ side, kind of wanting to hide himself into the taller and broader male.

    So fucking contradicting. And Nihlus is to blame for all.

    His free right hand quickly slips into his jeans’ pocket, in an attempt to hide how much it is shaking. He silently follows along, allowing Nihlus to guide him though the gathered crowd, and never really looking up to meet anybody’s eyes. Thankfully Nih didn’t bother to introduce him to everybody, and although Nuage felt incredibly uncomfortable, the large amount of people kind of made him able to hide between them.

    The only time Nuage looks up is when Nihlus lets go of his hand. His eyes widen in shock, searching for the gaze of his boyfriend to silently question him, but Nih doesn’t have eyes for him. Instead he focusses on a man called Brennen. A quick glance is enough for Nuage to look away again, he had no fucking interest to watch hís man so close and comfortable with another.

    Nuage tucks his left hand – suddenly cold now it is not being held anymore – into his pocket too. He stands there silently, though making sure to stay close to Nihlus. His eyes are downcast, and he only occasionally glances around to skim the mob of people around him. He’s so lost in thought that when Nih’s hand suddenly claps   his own again, he is startled by it. Instantly Nuage jerks his head up, eyes wide as he looks up to Nihlus’ face, only to want to be able to sink into a hole in the ground right after.

    Uuuh. Fuck. ”Uhm, hi..” he mumbles as his face is paling, eyes flashing from one unfamiliar face to the next, unable to hold any of their gazes. They’re only being kind, or so he tells himself, showing polite interest. His cheeks are flushed, and Nuage practically pushes himself into Nihlus’ frame. ”It’s.. nice to meet you all too” he manages to reply, the corners of his mouth curling up into a weak smile. Well, congrats Nu, that’s the best introduction ever. Well done. Not.

    He is thankful to be pulled and guided away from Nihlus’ family, only now realising how much his clammy hand is shaking. With both his hands free now he crosses them in front of his chest, leaning back against the counter while watching Nihlus work. ”Yeah right..” he mumbles unimpressed, knowing damn well that he was one fucking disaster. Why did Nih put up with him in the first place? Not that Nu would ever question him out loud, too fucking scared of the idea that the other man might leave him.

    Just when he thought the worst was over, Nihlus of course has to prove him wrong. For a second Nuage stares at the redhead, then lifts his glass to take a big gulp from the mix Nihlus made him. Instantly the alcohol burns in his throat and Nu has to blink his eyes a couple of times to prevent them tearing up. Damn, that was strong. Nih must have done that on purpose. Anyway, the rush of warmth did feel good, and Nuage is thankful as he presses himself into Nihlus’ side. ”Hi man” he greets his brother-in-law and extends his free hand towards him in a man-to-man greeting. Something he baffles himself with, yet he finds himself more at ease this close to Nihlus, with booze in his hand and less people in the room.

    Once they are alone again, Nuage grands Nihlus a ‘thank you’ by elbowing the taller man in his side. ”What the fuck was that for?” he grumbles underneath his breath, turning to half-heartedly glare up. His lips are pressed in a line, but the flush still more than clear on his cheeks. Yet, he knows that there is no way he can stay mad with Nihlus long, so why fucking bother?

    ”Since we’re here now anyway, care to show me around?” Because, secretly, Nuage is pretty damn excited to explore such a prominent place in Nihlus’ life. And, hopefully, there would be plenty of little dark backrooms for them to enjoy themselves in too.

    OOC: I warned you :|
    [Image: Nuage.png]
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    #12
    In all honesty, the invitation was a surprise. She'd only been aware of Scorch's - her mother's - existence for a couple of months now. It had come out of the blue, although it wasn't entirely unwelcome - ever since her father's nightclub, Oasis, had burnt down along with him and most of her friends and family inside it, she had been somewhat of a loner... living in isolation in her modest apartment, paid and provided for by the insurance payout. That money was quickly running out now, and the unpaid bills and missed rent payment notices that piled up on her counters were testament to that. But, more significant than the money, she couldn't remember the last time she had had a friend... Much less made conversation that wasn't a painfully awkward exchange with a cashier over a pile of frozen ready meals and ramen noodles. Oh, and alcohol, a lot of alcohol, as befits a child literally brought up in a nightclub. No parties anymore, though, but only because she had no fucking friends to party with.

    She had been conflicted on whether to go. On one hand, it was probably going to be full of relatives she had never met. Was that an appropriate setting to meet her birth mother for the first time? It was going to be awkward, and Volcan would have to be on her best behaviour. On the other hand, free food, free alcohol and... the prospect of meeting her birth mother was, well, she wanted it. She wanted to feel some connection to something, anything again. She wanted to see the life she could've had (not that her life with her father was terrible, it was filled with colourful people and important life lessons, and she had done a lot, seen a lot, learnt a lot). She wanted to start existing again.

    Which led to now - Volcan studied her appearance critically in the full-length mirror in her bedroom. The dress she had on, an elegant, high-necked affair that accentuated her curves and exposed her fair, toned back... She looked like hot shit (if she did say so herself) but it didn't feel right. Frustrated, she humphed and fell back on her bed dramatically, kicking her feet up in the air.
    Woe is me, life is so hard, etc. etc.

    She eventually settled on something she had bought just before her dad had died; a pale green semi-sheer maxi dress cut low at the front, almost to the waist. There was no way she could wear a bra with it, but she figured she didn't need one anyway - again, hot shit. With her makeup done and her curls in place, she set off in the cute convertible that she definitely could not afford to buy today.

    ----

    "Shitting hell." she mutters, as the door opens (opened by a stranger - she could not tell you who if she tried).
    It's packed. How much family did she have? She was not prepared for this. Was she late?
    Nobody was drunk. Was she a bit late and a bit early at the same time? Christ.

    She acted cool - nobody knew how nervous she was. Nobody could tell by looking at her that she wanted to crawl into a hole and expire in peace. To them, she was just a graceful long-legged creature with a marvellous figure and the sense to show it off. Nobody would figure it out, right?

    Regardless, she headed straight for the drink. The smell of burgers drifting through the mansion reminded her that she had lived off nothing but frozen food for two weeks. She could kill a man for a good bit of meat. Drink first, food later. She grabs one of the cups, fills it with the punch. That first cup disappears in about ten seconds. One refill later, she is wandering around the mansion wondering how on earth she would recognise her mum.

    It's easier than she thought. With the same red hair as her own (although Volcan's is more auburn than Scorch's ginger), the same freckles... It's unmistakable. She ducks into another room, wondering why on earth she was doing that. Come this far only to spend the day avoiding her mother...

    She heads outside, following the smell of burger, past the swimming pool (reminding herself, best behaviour no skinnydipping although at the rate this punch was going down she soon wouldn't have much choice in the matter...).

    She watches the water quietly, trying to compose herself.
    sorry she hears @[Cagney] mutter, and she turns to face him quizzically.
    "Sorry, what?" she says, frowning. "You okay? Were you talking to me?"
    God, was talking always this hard? Maybe she should've eaten today before coming over. The punch had gone straight to her head.

    She shook her head to shake off these thoughts and looks at Cagney for a moment. He is rather handsome, and the only thing stopping the redhead from going full-on flirt is the fact she might actually be related to him. That.. was not a path she was prepared to go down just yet.

    "How do you feel about shots and causing a scene? It's a bit quiet, isn't it?" she asks him with a grin.

    Because somehow that was preferable to actually having to talk to her long lost mother.


    ooc: volcan is recruiting people to her cause pls shots and skinnydipping and fighting guys
    ....sorry children
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    #13
    Leilan hadn't exactly been late.
    I mean, if you count living on the same island as living in the same house, which, with Scorch, it basically was and to be honest was only bearable just because said island and accompanying mansion and summer houses was, and were, in fact, HUGE... well, then he had been there for some time now.

    Not always, mind you. In fact he's just returned from yet another trip to God knows where and even Satan wouldn't tell you. And just like he's always done, the young man rather likes to watch from afar and spot the weak ones that he should play a prank or two on. He's been hanging around the garden, where fa has started baking burgers. INSANE Amounts of Piles of Burgers, I tell you. But all that is not important to Lei. He sneaks in a small stack of burnt wood between the meat and takes off, walks upstairs to unmake all the beds - suggesting that someone or some-two actually, have been in there before the guests arrive. Some rooms are skipped, of course. Can't do all of them. Just shock the occasional family-family man or woman.

    The good stuff comes next. He has a biiit of wodka... empties half the bottle in the one punch, the rest in the other drinks. Mushrooms may have to wait until later, he ponders - some of the older kids seem to have a taste for alcohol just like the rest of the family.
    He hears his mother greeting more and more people at the door, including someone who is introduced as Nihlus' new companion. Leilan pauses for a moment to take a look at the scrawny-looking fellow; he dóes have stunning blue eyes, but to be honest he's more interested in girls, himself. Still, maybe the guy has a sister... or a cousin. Somewhere. You never know.

    He pushes past the many people entering the kitchen for his readily spiced-up drinks, quickly striding through the room with his own long legs. Time to hit the garden - it's still heavenly quiet there as he exits the house into the fucking heat, and pretends to take a look at what Hestoni is doing. Lend a hand or something. You know. Family man stuff. Like he would ever be one.

    As Leilan bravely conquers the barbecue grills with the sticks and burgers provided, he cannot help but catch the new girl's words - she has a glass of punch in her hand but by the sound of her voice she must have downed one of the heavier ones already. He pushes his black lock sideways (the rest of his hair being blond and likely ashen by now) to look at her and Cagney, awaiting his answer. He grins. It's going to be a fun night after all.
    Two things I know I can make: pretty kids, and people mad.
    |
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    #14
    Ea had been dreading the barbecue the second she’d seen the invitation. Scorch had been talking about getting the family together for weeks, of course, so she’d known it was coming, but seeing the physical invitation filled Ea with anxiety. She and Ramiel had to go - they live close enough, anyway, and their son Kha had been staying with Scorch and Hestoni over the summer. Allure and Grim were away at their year-round boarding school, but Sela and Sabrael had chosen to stay with her parents. Ea didn’t mind - Sabrael was a quiet, independent boy and Sela had always been her favorite child, though she’d never say it out loud. She just had a lighter presence than the others, and god knows Ea and Ramiel could use some light.

    She walks over to her bathroom, opens up the cabinet and grabs a pill bottle, shaking out two Xanax and swallows them dry. She reaches to put the bottle back in the cabinet but then, knowing herself, shoves the bottle into the back pocket of her ripped boyfriend jeans. Closing the cabinet, she catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror and stops, sighing. She’s naturally gorgeous, objectively so, with her high cheekbones, green-hazel eyes and thick, wavy brown hair. She has small streaks of silver throughout her hair - she’d dyed it while she’d been a public figure, trying to present a youthful appearance, but since her and Ramiel’s retirement from the public eye she’d let them grow out. He’d always liked her gray streaks, anyway. It made her looked dignified, regal.
    She threw on some basic makeup, and considered changing out of her comfortable jeans and tucked in, loosely fitting blouse and into something more formal but decided against it. She knew her mother would be in a basic tank top to show off her tattoos, Noori would be wearing some ridiculously revealing shirt, and surely there would be some type of drama, so she assumes no one would be looking at her anyway. How refreshing.
    She walks into her chef’s kitchen (as if Ea would ever cook her own food - their normal sized kitchen had never been touched except by the maids), expecting to see Ramiel or one of the children, but finds it empty. She presses a buzzer on the wall - one of several, this one labeled driver - and speaks into it: “Victor, we’ll be ready for the car in thirty minutes.” She doesn’t bother waiting for an answer, and presses another, this one labeled bedroom 2: “Sela?”
    “Here, mom,” the eighteen-year-old says from behind her, and Ea turns around, inspecting her appearance. Sela never wore makeup, but she didn’t need to - she’d inherited her mother’s easy good looks - and today wears a simple, loose maxi dress and stylish sandals. A basic outfit, though it had probably cost in the thousands of dollars altogether. It was lucky that Ea’s family had seemingly endless amounts of money - none of them would know how to live on a budget. She nods in approval.
    “I don’t know where your brother and father are, but I’ve called for the car. Might as well get this over with,” she grumbles, grabbing her clutch from the kitchen counter, discretely removing the bottle of pills from her back pocket and tucking them into the clutch.

    Eventually, Sabrael and Ramiel find them, and Ea instantly relaxes in her husband’s presence. She greets him with a quick kiss and an affectionate squeeze on his arm. She’d always been a private person, preferring to reserve her affections for when she and Ram were alone together. It’d been engrained in her from an early age to be careful of the image she presented to the rest of the world and she’d been ever-vigilant since.
    The car ride over is pleasant enough, the children chatting excitedly about seeing Kha and the rest of the family. Ea reaches for Ram’s hand and squeezes it gently three times.
    They reach Scorch and Hestoni’s house - Ea is the last to get out of the car and pops another Xanax. She takes a deep breath, exhales, and walks in.



    (feel free to powerplay Ea within reason)
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    #15

    WATCH THE FLAMES CLIMB HIGH INTO THE NIGHT

    Well, if she had thought that the hard part of this weekend would be setting up the house, Scorch knew now that she had been SORELY mistaken. Just massively so. Her house, in a matter of minutes, was about to be less of a house, and more of a hurricane - why she had even bothered to dust, and decorate, and flush the cushions AT ALL was beyond her. Everyone was just going to be drunk everywhere anyway.

    But! She was going to be one of those drunk people, so the pros and cons of this shit show leveled out.

    @[Nocturnal] and her gang were the first to push through Scorch's front door, a raucous group who either slunk off to respective corners of her houses, or bum rushed her so ferociously that she nearly toppled over. "Hey Iri, hey Sol," she chuckled to the toddlers, tousling their long locks before straightening to wave at Noct. "Long time no see! I'm glad you brought the family. Is @[Quark] going to make it?" Her green eyes glimmered hopefully at the prospect of seeing one of her predecessors, and her friend, too.

    "Oh, and Nish!" She exclaimed, pushing through the puddle-soon-to-be-sea of people. @[Tarnished] stopped obligingly at her call, and she wrapped him in a bear hug, smiling happily. "Can't forget to say hi to my favourite cousin. How've you been??"

    There wasn't much time for her to listen though, as more and more guests began pouring in. Feeling minimally (read: 1,00,000%) overwhelmed, Scorch mumbled an excuse and sprinted to the sliding glass door that lead to the backyard. "@[Hestoni], if you don't get in here right this instant, I will cry and you will have to peel my off the floor like spilled nail polish." Her threat was far from a joke, but when her husband accompanied her without hesitation (turning the barbecue on low), her anxiety dissipated almost instantly.

    She had barely stepped back into the storm of people when a hand gently clasped her tattooed arm. Looking to see who stood there, Scorch's eyes immediately filled with tears, and in the next moment, eldest daughter and long-estranged mother were warmly embracing. "Hey, Kaida," She muttered emotionally, feeling silly for crying so early in the night. "I missed you." Drawing back from the beautiful blogger, Scorch rested her hands on Kaida's forearm, smiling her biggest, most heartfelt smile. "Make yourself at home love, Noori should be here soon!"

    A tiny hand tugged at the hem of her black muscle shirt then, and Scorch released eldest daughter to look down upon youngest. Little @[Philomena] asked after Kha, and Scorch was about to reply when a grandson came swooping in to do all the answering. She smiled at Kori, snatching him to give him a wet kiss before he can run off with not one female companion, but two! Scorch laughed at the retreating children, and turned to greet who came next.

    Or rather, what came next. Fumbling with the wine and chocolates that suddenly appear in her arms, Scorch looked for their source, and grinned upon finding... "@[Brennen]!" The woman exclaimed, hastily shoving the gifts on a counter somewhere, where someone besides her would probably make good use of them. Her eyes roll at his half-flirtation, feeling Hestoni's arm wrap a little possessively around her waist. Ah, men. Reaching out (for the tension really was meaningless, and all parties knew it), Scorch exchanged a quick embrace with Brennen, ruffling his little granddaughter's hair on her way back. "Welcome to the house Kellyn! I don't know of any ghosts, but Kha tells good stories about ghosts." Winking both at her and at Brennen, she watched as the little girl ran off with Kori to find just that child. (WHAT IS CHRONOLOGY? I CAN'T).

    "Well, make yourself at home Brennen," Scorch grinned. "Maybe take a shot or two. You really don't know how to relax." She reached out and pushed his arm amiably. "The hooligans will take care of themselves tonight."

    Speaking of hooligans, some strangers wandered into her house then, but with a glance to Hestoni (who keeps better track of these things than she does), she returned her attention to those around her. Her grandson Nihlus was proclaiming his relationship with a terrified looking boy, and Scorch only smiled knowingly, nodding a silent greeting to the newest member of her family. Ah, young love.

    Without warning, yet another presence demanded her attention, but Scorch didn't mind - she'd literally asked for this, after all. And when she realized just who it was, she cared even less. "Oh god @[Hestia], you're a fucking life saver!!" She said under her breath, grinning at the goods hidden inside her co-worker's expensive handbag and returning the double-cheeked kiss. "I'll be there to down that with you before the hour's up, swear-to-god," she laughed, clearly a little shaken by the amount of people bombarding her. But Hestia does her own part in shoving off, going to take care of the flower's she'd brought (bless her). Scorch watched the beautiful woman meander down into a room, and she smiled to herself when she remembered just what lay in that treasure-trove. Ah, well. She wished Hestia the joy of it, and hopefully not too much of the nostalgic pain.

    A chill sped up the length of her spine then, and her head whipped to the sides, looking for the eyes that had caused the goose-bumps. But she's just a second to late to glimpse @[Volcan] sneaking around a corner and into a kitchen. Her brow furrowed, stumped at what caused her chill when the house was a fiery furnace with this many people inside. But no matter. Perhaps it would be easier this way, for the two of them.

    @[Leilan] bustled around the house too, and when Scorch eyed him about to go into the room that Hestia was in, Scorch darted to intervene, wrapping her son in a big hug before drawing back to playfully chide him. "I know what you're up to, and I hope you have your fun." She reached up and pinched his cheek, grinning, because she knew that it would piss him off just the right amount to make him all cute and huffy. "But do me a favour and skip this room." She kissed his cheek before allowing him to turn and scamper off, probably to go spike the punch or terrorize the family Gays. Who knew with that one.

    Exhaling shakily and tapping her hands against her running pants, Scorch tried to look inconspicuous and walked around for a while, gathering up coats and laying them all in the room to the side of the front entrance. Then she made a quick trip to the cellar, and shooed her granddaughters Sunfyre and Starfye up from its depths, issuing harmless threats about telling their mother (like Kaida would give a damn). She chatted for some minutes with Caw and Gendry, then those stranger's she'd seen before - Burnt and her little charge. After peeking out into the backyard and smiling at all the kids swimming in the pool Hestoni had slaved so diligently at, Scorch trotted back inside, and suddenly caught sight of yet another new face.

    "@[Ea]," she called softly, knowing that this scene was pretty much the opposite of what her politician-daughter needed right now - retired or not. Scorch smiled at her most successful child, and pulled her in for a quick hug, hoping that all her love could be communicated in such a short exchange. "I'm so glad you could make it, love. And the family," she said, turning to briefly hug Ramiel, as well as her grandchildren Sabrael and Sela. "If you're looking for a quiet place to hide, there's a living room on the second floor that's nice and cozy. I'll send @[Shahrizai] and @[Ilka] your way when they get here, too, and maybe Noori once you've all had a little wine." She smiles knowingly at her beautiful daughter. Her time in the public eye hadn't been the easiest on Ea, and it had left her a little shakier than Scorch could really handle without some guilt. Okay, a lot of guilt; she'd been the one to convince Ea to ever even do that sort of thing. But she tried to make up for it as much as she could, and she knew that her daughter could see that.

    When at last her front door closed and no one was speaking to her, Scorch allowed a long, shaky exhale. LORD. The night hadn't even begun. And then -- the front door opened again. With an internal (read: external) groan, she turned to greet whoever it was, probably smiling the second she saw their face.

    Scorch

    Once Khaleesi of the Amazon Jungle



    ROUND TWO, FIGHT. YOU HAVEN'T JOINED YET? WELL GUESS WHAT SCORCH IS STILL GREETING YOU BITCHES. MUAHAHAHA.
    [Image: scorch2.png]
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    #16
    Kellyn is sad to hear that there are no ghosts, but she doesn’t have long to pout about it. Another boy is there, tugging on Grandpa’s pants, asking for her to come with them. She turns to beg Brennen to let her go, meeting his amber eyes with her begging, I’m-so-innocent green ones. He hesitates but at Scorch’s urging, he puts her down and she grasps the boy’s offered hand and does her best to keep up as he goes running down the halls, and she does her best to run along behind and not get hit in the face with a wing.

    They must be annoying, wings, she knows that Grandpa has them sometimes and some of her aunts and uncles have them all the time but she wouldn’t want them. Finally they screech to a halt, gesturing for the girls to be quiet. Kellyn is almost always quiet, in fact she rarely speaks at all unless spoken to; the words to Scorch were an anomaly. Still, she jumps up and down as they yell to surprise this Kha, and she looks around the room with interest. It’s certainly dark enough for ghost stories, and she recognizes the gaming system even though usually the big kids don’t let her play at home.

    The 6-year-old climbs up onto the couch beside the boy who must be Kha, and hopes they’ll give her a controller.

    @[Trekori] @[Philomena] @[Kha]
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    #17
    He gives up control of Kellyn (though gods know he knows he’ll regret that later, and possibly end up giving Scorch and Hestoni some godawful amount of money to repair something irreplaceable or find someone lost in time or some such craziness), embraces Scorch, shakes hands with Hestoni, exhanges fond but manly greetings with Nihlus. He agrees to give the boy’s (ok, so he’s a man now but honestly, they’re all children to Brennen; and anyway, he HAD started at Ice when he was like barely old enough to be an intern) message to some coworkers but even now, he’s plotting how to get them to lure the bright young man back into the company, and getting a kick out of how terrified the boyfriend looks.

    And, the brilliant idea of having a few shots seems really appealing as he takes in the chaos, so he edges away from the entry hall and skips the kitchen altogether. Nobody is going to keep the hard stuff on the counter with the snacks they kids are all going to be invited to partake from; he’s looking for a room with a certain…panache. A study maybe, or a library, a sedate office? He tries a few doors on the main floor and then goes to the second floor and…bingo. A set of heavy double doors conceal an old-fashioned study (every mansion needs one) with some good whiskey and brandy on a shelf out of little peoples’ reach. He smiles to himself and picks out a middle-of-the-line vintage; something expensive enough to go down easy, but not so expensive that it’s a one-of-a-kind vintage (the kind for showing off and drinking after a funeral). There’s a cleverly disguised mini fridge unit with –oh bless all that’s holy – good granite whiskey rocks in the freezer. He knocks back a finger of whiskey to get started, and then pours a good three fingers over the rocks into a heavy glass to take with him, and after tidying up after himself he leaves the study to go for a wander.

    Looking for adult company.

    A glance outside the window as he passes shows him that the two middle children are in the pool already, and there appears to be a small gathering of fully adult men standing around the grill. It’s quick work to make it back down to the main level and out the doors, and head their direction, hoping he knows at least one of them.

    (Brennen is looking for adult company; pls help. @[Errant] @[Ramiel] @[Hestoni] @[Longclaw])
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    #18
    He isn’t expecting a response really to his apology, so his head jerks up in comical surprise when the –omg really pretty – girl who had spoken. “Oh, um, well I tripped and I was afraid I spilled on someone or something,” he says, and he has to remind himself not to stare at pretty girls. Also, he is suddenly reminded as he stares into her clearly-tipsy face that they’re probably pretty close in age. This is how he is supposed to act, he should still be that carefree also.

    A part of him screams NO NO NO to her suggestions. Shots and causing a scene is the absolutely fucking last thing he should be doing when he already knows he’s on thin ice with daddy dearest but he is also slightly tipsy already (he’s mostly done with the cup of punch and he hasn’t eaten since yesterday, when he had lunch with Kellyn before spending the afternoon and night staring at his comatose wife until the nursing staff, on Brennen’s firm instructions, had kicked him out). “That sounds great,” he says instead, grinning at the girl.

    Oh, this is a terrible idea, but that’s what makes it feel so right. Even as he is agreeing, his shoes are splashed with water as two of his younger siblings do cannon-balls into the pool. He struggles with the bit of his subconscious that reminds him Brennen has been asking and asking for him to set a better example, but he’s too far down the path of drink-to-forget to listen to his own little angel. The devil on his shoulder will probably have free reign tonight, barring Brennen’s interference.

    He knocks back the rest of his glass of punch and lets the cup dangle barely from the edge of his fingertips. “Do you know where the good stuff is for shots? All I found in the kitchen was this punch. I don’t really know where anything else is, my dad was the invitee and I just got dragged along. I guess he’s old friends with the lady who lives here.” he gestures grandly with his name-labeled solo cup. “I’m Cagney, by the way.” He looks up to the other young man staring at them, and extends a hand. “Hey, you want in too?”

    @[Volcan] @[Leilan]
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    #19
    They are in the pool, and suddenly Dagny needs to use the necessary room. Ugh. She climbs out of the pool and wraps herself in a bug fluffy beach towel, though in all of her 12-year-old devil-may-care ambivalence, she forgets to do any real drying off. Her twin, hurrying to catch up to her, is almost completely dry and wrapping his towel around his waist to run after her. He’s an odd little thing, almost a golden skin tone, pale hazel eyes and the tiniest nub of a horn peeking out beneath his flop of golden hair. A unicorn-child; and Brennen insists he’s too young to decide if he wants to have it removed, and it’s not obvious enough for the need of a magical amulet to hide it in regular society.

    “Dagny, wait!” he hisses, grabbing at her hand and missing. “We should ask for directions!” She’s ignoring him, hurrying along and poking at doors, until she pushes through an opening into the kitchen, where two boys are leaning closer and closer together and… “Ew! Hey get a room!” she shrieks with all the horror of a 12-year-old who still thinks all boys have cooties, dropping her towel on the ground to cover her face with both hands. So she’s really dripping now, everything from her blue-and-yellow hair to every inch of her, bathing suited and tan skin alike. It’s almost like someone just dumped a mini hurricane in the room.

    Ollie glances at the much older boys with clear embarrassment, using a foot and Dagny’s forgotten towel to mop up some of the water. “Sorry,” he murmurs, elbowing his twin sharply. “Dagny, they’re not doing anything. He knows enough to know that an arm slung over a shoulder could be quite innocent though he flushes a little because he guesses it’s … not. And even though Brennen keeps his (frequent) liaisons absolutely PG in front of his kids, he’s not really the kind of parent who realizes he should censor his kids in other ways, so Ollie has seen some questionable movie/TV footage and he is just starting to be curious.

    And they’re certainly all very pretty people.

    #I'msosorry #weirdtwinsbeingweird @[Nihlus] @[Nuage] @[Takei]
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    #20
    She's livid.

    Her hair has been sleeked back and tamed into a low bun, her silver eyes perfectly shadowed and lined, causing them to pop out against her black skin more than they usually do. A very thin black unicorn horn sprouts from her hairline and glimmers in the sunlight, freshly polished. Her nails were painted, black with diamonds at the base. She's dressed to the nines, in skin-tight black jeans, heals, and a blouse with a pure silver neckline, giving her an air of both money and fame. The whole outfit could easily be placed in the hundreds at first glance. And she smells amazing, too - a rare perfume spritzed across her wrists.

    She's standing outside the mansion, snapping at the valet to just wait a minute as she lifted her cell phone to her ear. "Dad, I swear to god if you don't get here in the next thirty seconds, I'm going to make you regret retiring." Xiah usually doesn't take this aggressive of an approach with her father Errant, but for Christ's sake, it'd been his idea to come to this party at all! She'd have been quite happy to stay at her house on Learrant Coast, ditzing around and being an absolute drag on her parent's fortune - not that that item ever seemed to be any worse for wear. But anyway! Her father had begged her to come, saying that all of his other kids had turned down his request -- and now he doesn't even show. Figures! She doesn't even know anyone here.

    Huffing and shoving her phone into her clutch, Xiah tossed her keys over to the valet, resigning herself to her fate. As she walked up the driveway, she frowned slightly at the broken tiger fountain, wondering at the story behind it. Probably some kids jealous of this family's money. She knew the feeling, anyway.

    There seems to be a lot of commotion at the entry way, so Xiah bails out. Hoping she hadn't been spotted, the long-limbed woman makes her way around the side of the house. There's no fence - the land being far too large to section off like that - and soon, she's right in the thick of it. There's kids racing, soaping wet, out of the pool, and a few groups of adults. Through the open sliding-glass door she spots a group of younger men, and even deeper in the house, just an absolute shitload of people. Thank god she hadn't come through that way.

    One of the gaggle of adults (more her age, though less her maturity level), talks loudly about shots, and Xiah jumps forward to join them. The other woman is dressed as nicely if not way nicer than herself, so she figures that if someone of her class is going to start knocking them back, well, she might as well too. Give Errant a drunk baby to scrape off the floor by the end of the night - serves him right, too.

    "Well, I have no idea what Scorch's got in there, and I'm not about to go in there and find out," She starts, having come in to join the group. "But I do have this." Her hand disappears into her clutch (small, yes, but her magician of a father had designed it to hold a hoarder's amount of Things and Doodads despite its size for just these occasions), and comes out holding a bottle of Kors Vodka 24K George V Limited Edition. It's a bit flashy, but if these people are anything like her (this was a pretty familial affair, after all, with each family head being its own public figure), it will only surprise them a little.

    Handing the bottle to the guy who introduced himself as Cagney, she dug into the clutch again and came out with four shot glasses. Distributing them, she then took back the vodka and administered it accordingly, finishing by laying it back in her magic bag. Then, with a gods-be-blessed smile curling her attractive lips, she raised her glass. "To raising hell, and looking good doing it." She tilted her head and slammed the drink back, cringing and shaking her head as the alcohol burnt on its way down. "Good stuff. I'm Xiah, by the way. Errant's daughter, if that means anything to you guys."

    She leans back to listen to them jabber on then, enjoying the sensation she is left with after the vodka. Her silver eyes meander over the scenery, and suddenly something catches them - or someone, rather. She turns back to the gathered three. "I'm just going to go say hi to someone, but don't do anything fun without me. I'll be right over there." Smiling and hoping they will oblige her (cause god knows she'd be lost without them), Xiah scurries over to where some men are clustered around the barbeque.

    "Brennen?" Her hand is on his arm as she comes around to face him, but she releases him when she confirms that it is indeed him. "It's good to see a familiar face around here. I'm Xiah, one of Errant's daughters. I spent a lot of time at Ice as a kid, not sure you saw me, but I saw you anyway." She glances around them, then lowers her voice and rolls her eyes. "I left dad a voicemail. He promised he'd be here. Maybe he got stuck in the fourth dimension trying to teleport or something." She scoffed, feeling the affects of that shot she'd taken. "Would serve him right!"

    @[Volcan] @[Leilan] @[Brennen] @[Errant]
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