Party Thread (because I'm so clever with names)

[riverfox-237.livejournal.com]

Who: Eeeeverybody!
What: Party time has finally arrived! Time for everyone to relax a little after all the recent craziness.
Where: Tifa's Bar
When: Friday, Aug. 7
Notes: Open log, thread however. Try not to break the bar.

Everything was ready to go. Seventh Heaven was sparkling clean for the occasion, tables and chairs spaced out nicely across the room. A table against the wall was loaded with a wide variety of food and drinks, both homemade and storebought, and another table held a stack of games in case anyone was in the mood. It was a pretty simple set-up, but everyone who had helped seemed to think that it was just right.

Jenn was nervous, and excited. Finally, she was going to meet all of the people she'd been talking to on the network this past month! She'd been eagerly waiting for this party ever since they'd started set-up (and the chocolate-chip cookies over on the snack table were Jenn Specialty). Now they just needed to arrive. Being the self-designated greeter, Jenn took up a position by the door and waited to point people to the snacks. She made a valiant effort not to look like an overexited geek.

Comments

[riverfox237.livejournal.com]

Jenn happily buzzed over, relieved to see someone who was familiar enough for her to feel comfortable talking to them. Meeting new people was fun but also raised her social anxiety meter up a couple of pegs, so she could use the relaxation.

Plunking down next to Aerith, she smiled at the pair. "Hey, guys, 'bought time you got here! Glad you came, Leon," she added, with a friendly grin. "I got the feeling you weren't too keen on coming."

Their conversation did raise the same question in the teenager's mind, and she shot a questioning look at Tifa. "Hey, where is Cloud? I thought he was here already."

[preminumheart.livejournal.com]

Tifa smiled a bit at the both of them. So she managed to make Leon show up after all. "Just a moment." She said, before getting their drinks. Keeping her back turned, she made their drinks, slipping something a little lemon-y into Leons water.

She tilted her head a bit, hearing both of their comments and laughed a bit. "He's hiding." She said, while serving their drinks. "Completely holed up in the back refusing to come out even."

[holylifestream.livejournal.com]

"He wasn't," she laughed, smiling up at him.

Aerith took a polite sip from her strawberry cantelope margarita, smile widening between everyone's words and the taste before she set it on the counter and stood, looking at Tifa. "Alright, where is he? I'll go get him."

[cuddlylion.livejournal.com]

Leon nodded to Jenn, his lips twitching in a small smile before he accepted the drink.

...Lemon water. Honestly, what was with these women and their inability to not put extra stuff in his drinks?

Of course he was distracted by Tifa's admission that, yes, Cloud was hiding. Snorting, Leon shook his head. "He can face Darkness itself, but a party sends him hiding in the back room."

He glanced at Aerith when she stood, but remained seated. He doubted he'd have anything to contribute to getting Cloud to develop social skills, and it had been a while since Aerith had seen the other man. Those two deserved their privacy.

[riverfox-237.livejournal.com]

Jenn was really grinning now. Leon actually smiled! Whoo! Goal accomplished and she hadn't even been trying. She didn't say anything about it out loud, of course, but the evening had just dramatically improved. Jenn relaxed against the bar, taking a moment to eat one of the cookies she'd snagged.

"I'm good," she told Tifa, holding up a glass of fruit punch from the snack table with a smile. "You guys should try some of the snacks we made. I highly recommend the chocolate-chip cookies," the girl added with a mysterious grin.

Snorting a laugh, Jenn shook her head in disbelief. "He's HIDING? That stinker, I was looking forward to seeing his pointy-haired head again. Tell him to get out here, no one's going to bite." A odd thought occurred to her, and she glanced at the others uncertainly. "...Unless I'm missing something." She grinned when Aerith stood up. "Well, if anyone can drag him out here, I'll trust one of you two to be able to do it."

[preminumheart.livejournal.com]

"He's hiding in the back" She said, pointing to the door behind her, before glancing at Leon. "I guess parties are more scarier than Darkness." She said, trying not to laugh outright.

"I'll make sure to try some later." Tifa told Riv, smiling at her, before it turned out into a full blown smirk. "And I'm really not surprised he is hiding." She said, thinking back to her hidden collection of photos.

[holylifestream.livejournal.com]

"It is Cloud we're dealing with," she chuckled, heading behind the counter. She strolled casually right up to the door and knocked on it before clasping her hands behind her back.

"Cloud," Aerith called softly. "Aren't you going to come out and join us?"

[not-asoldier.livejournal.com]

There was something about Aerith that could just punch through whatever walls Cloud built up, you could say he had a weakness for her. He had a weakness for both women, to be honest. And if both of them wanted him to join the party...

Cloud opened the door, and looked at Aerith, "It depends..."

[riverfox-237.livejournal.com]

Jenn watched the proceedings, amused at how Aerith and Tifa had to gang up on Cloud to get him to come to the party. When he opened the door, though, she gave him a big grin and waved cheerfully. "Hi, Cloud! Closets are really stuffy after a while, y'know. You should come out and try one of my cookies," she added enthusiastically.

What? They were good!

[preminumheart.livejournal.com]

Tifa tried to laugh softly at Jenn's comment, not wanting Cloud to overhear her.

"What if we promised to make sure there's nothing too crazy you need to participate in?" She asked, leaning against the counter.

[holylifestream.livejournal.com]

"I promise there's nothing too crazy this time," Aerith said sincerely. She smiled at him and stepped out of the way, gesturing for him to come out. "We're waiting for you, Cloud!"

[not-asoldier.livejournal.com]

"Tch, fine. But if things do start to go crazy, I'm leaving" Cloud replied and he went into the bar proper.

[riverfox-237.livejournal.com]

Jenn gave each of the four at the bar with her a puzzled look. SOMETHING had Cloud on edge, and she was getting the feeling that it had to do with more than just him hating parties. "Okay...I'm missing something here," she admitted. "Do you hate parties THAT much, Cloud, or is there something about past parties that I should know about?"

[preminumheart.livejournal.com]

Tifa smiled widely at Cloud, happy he was even willing to come out and join them before comprehending Jenn's question and almost visibly wincing.

"Ah..." She started, momentarily unable to come up with the words to explain.

[cuddlylion.livejournal.com]

Leon just shook his head with a knowing smile as he watched the two women disappear behind the curtain. In his head he began counting down.

Right as he hit zero Cloud emerged from the backroom. "Nice of you to join us Strife. I hope you weren't planning to leave me alone with these lunatics."

[holylifestream.livejournal.com]

Aerith grinned happily up at Cloud and walked back to her seat, taking a sip of her drink. "The cookies are over there," she told him, pointing at them on the tables. "They're good!"

She gave Leon a faux-annoyed look. "They're not lunatics, Leon," she scolded playfully.

[not-asoldier.livejournal.com]

He smiled back at Aerith, "Thanks, but I think I'll pass for now," Cloud said, then he turned his attention to Tifa "I just have the usual"

Cloud rolled his eyee at Leon and smirked, "What, you don't think you could handle them all by yourself?"

[riverfox-237.livejournal.com]

Jenn was starting to get a tad bit frustrated. Everyone kept alluding to something she didn't understand, and no one was answering her question! Tifa looked like she was considering it, but her hesitation was kind of exasperating.

The girl let out an exasperated noise. "Come on, guys, I hate being left in the dark. Seriously, who're the lunatics and why? I need to know these things in case there's something I'm supposed to avoid!" Hey, for all she knew, they were going to pull something really chaotic at the party that she'd want to be out of the room for. It would be nice to have some forewarning.

Jenn turned to Tifa, the one who seemed the closest to actually saying something. She put on her best mock-puppy-dog-look and tilted her head, saying pitiously, "Come on, Tifa, help a poor, confused little newbie out."

If it hadn't been said before, it could be said now. Jenn was nothing if not insatiably curious, and she wasn't going to let this one lie. It sounded way too interesting.

[cuddlylion.livejournal.com]

"Heartless and monsters I can handle. Rambunctious teenagers and twenty somethings are something very different. I have my hands full with just Yuffie," Leon replied, the corners of his mouth twitching.

Shrugging to Jen, Leon said, "Ask Tifa, she's the one with the pictures." Suddenly he stood up and said, "I'm going to grab food. Anyone want anything."