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

[fox_the_kitsune]

Fox wasn't really a party person. She was, however, the type to go where there was free food available. As a result, she tolerated parties, but didn't normally mingle.

In this case, though, she was looking for Roxas so she could tease him about his pet's tendency to make him look a fool.

[holylifestream.livejournal.com]

Aerith, having helped plan this party, was already on her way over. Of course, she didn't want any of her friends to miss out. She knew Tifa would take care of Cloud, and the others would show up on their own, but there was one person who needed a little convincing. He probably remembered the last party they'd had with the refugees, she thought as she pouted at him, hands on her hips.

"Leon," she said softly, "it's been a while since we've seen most of them. They've been out trying to figure out what's wrong again. We worked hard to get this together; they needed something to help them relax. And so do you. Some of them are your friends, too, right?" She walked over to him, and took his hand in hers. "Come on, Leon, just for tonight. It won't be like the last one, I promise." Gently, she started to pull him in the direction of the bar, hoping he'd go with her willingly.

[ariakitsune.livejournal.com]

Aria didn't particularly like parties. Yet, here she was lurking around with a camera ready but out of sight in case of photo opportunities.

[preminumheart.livejournal.com]

Being the one who was doing the actual hosting, Tifa had already been at the site. Taking care of a few little last second things, she smiled proudly at the bar. It wasn't too overly done but nice enough to be cozy. She had even made a few of the snack foods; stuff all her usuals seemed to love. Now. Time to deal with a certain anti-social blond hiding in the storage room...


"I hope you aren't planning on hiding back here forever." She said offhandedly, leaning against the door frame. "They're going to expect you to show up sooner or later."

[cuddlylion.livejournal.com]

Leon didn't want to go. Every time he went to one of their parties, the Refugees seemed to conspire to out do themselves when it came to embarrassing him. There was the spin the bottle, then the whole Halloween fiasco, and he wasn't certain he wanted to expose himself to another round of their twisted sense of humor.

In short, he really really really didn't want to go.

Unfortunately, Aerith did, and when she looked at him like that, Leon felt his resistance melt like snow before the morning dawn. That her words held more than a little truth also didn't hurt. The Refugees, as annoying as they could be, were his friends, and they all truly did need to relax. Was it enough to protect people's bodies, if he allowed their hearts to wither?

If he had any lingering doubts, the memory of what had happened to Aerith during the magical sickness squelched them. She wanted this, she deserved this, and he wasn't able to deny her.

Sighing, he shook his head and said, "Fine, but I'm not playing spin the bottle again." He still felt his face warm just a tad at the memory of kissing Aerith.

Of course, it was only after she started tugging him that he noticed their intertwined hands. When had she grabbed his, and why did the realization make a little charge run up his arm? While the questions were a little concerning, neither apparently bothered him enough to let go.

If anything, he tightened his grip a little as she led him towards the 7th Heaven.

[thirteenth_brat]

Roxas was not a party person. He was not overly sociable either. However, he was a teenage boy with s decided lack of funds and the typical teenage boy appetite, so really, he was there for the food... or so he told himself. The truth was that Sora and the others had dragged him along, very much against his will.

The fact of the matter was that dealing with the Refugees more than he needed to right now didn't seem to be a good idea. Only a few of them had ever really been civil with him, never mind nice. After suggesting that they might not be able to save Josiah... well...

Either way, it lead to him skulking around near the food stuff, staying as far out of sight as he could while enjoying the food.

[holylifestream.livejournal.com]

"You don't have to." She smiled brightly and led the way. Once they arrived at their destination, she released Leon's hand and walked straight up to the bar, taking a moment to wave to Jenn over to talk, if she wanted to. "The usual, please," she requested lightly, chuckling at the clear absence of a certain blond friend of theirs. "Cloud isn't hiding, is he?"

[cuddlylion.livejournal.com]

That smile drained away his reluctance, and following Aerith into the bar, Leon sat down next to her with a nod to Jenn. "I'll just have a water."

Leaning back, he smirked at Aerith's question and said, "I'd like to think Cloud has a little more dignity than to go into hiding. Not that I can't totally sympathize with him if he did."

[not-asoldier.livejournal.com]

"Well, then I guess they'll all be dissapointed" Cloud replied, not looking up from whatever it was he was doing back here.

Like Leon, Cloud really didn't want to go the party, mostly because he knew the Refugees would try to make him the butt of some stupid joke.

But it probablly wouldn't take Tifa long to realize that what he was doing was basically just an excuse to not go to the party that was in his own house. Tifa was the more business savvy of the duo, after all, and if Cloud tried to do it he would probablly mess something up.

[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."

[rakathtalyn.livejournal.com]

A figure wandered into the bar, which now seemed to be a party place. Timing was everything and all. So naturally he had to show up right when something or other was going on. Oh well, that was how things worked out, wasn't it?

His hair was hidden by a rather dashing hat, his eyes hidden by a pair of purple goggles, and his face obscured by the collar of his vest. However given the silk jacket UNDER the vest, the belt of ammo, and, well, goggles. Not really hard to guess who was under all that.

He took a seat near the door at a table, and pulled out a bottle of root beer from his back pack. He smiled as he got ready to watch the show of this party. He was hoping that even if this was a relaxed shindig it wouldn't be without some fireworks to amuse him.

[ariakitsune.livejournal.com]

Aria noticed Roxas trying to hide near the food when she went to get something to eat.

She looked at him from the corner of her eye as she tried to decide what to eat.

"You know," she started after a few moments. "If your trying to hide by the food isn't exactly the best spot."

[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."

[thirteenth_brat]

"It was working fine until you came over here," he replied, picking up a pork bun. He hesitated a moment before biting it, having never had one before. Apparently, he should have tried them sooner. He'd found a new snack he liked.

He really had no other comment.

[riverfox-237.livejournal.com]

Jenn was wandering the room again, basically trying to decide who she should pick to talk to. It was a habit of hers when she was floating loose in a party and everyone else was busy having a conversation. That's when she spotted someone she didn't recognize sitting by the door (which meant he must have just arrived, since she tried to say hi to everyone at least for a minute as they came in). Wandering closer, she got a better look at him and...

....Dude. The guy was wearing goggles. She'd NEVER seen someone actually wear goggles as a fashion statement outside of an anime. A brief pause while thoughts of geeky spazzing over the awesomeness of this whizzed through her head, and then she was calm again. Later was the time for being a geek about real people wearing her favorite cartoon clothing styles. Now was the time to at go over and introduce herself!

"Hi!" Jenn stood by the table, one hand on the back of an empty chair across from the stranger, the other raised in a slight wave. "I'm Jenn. Did you just get here?"

[preminumheart.livejournal.com]

She made a small sound that suspiciously sounded like a snort before walking over. "So what are you doing." She asked, trying to peer over his shoulder.

She wouldn't push it for the time being, and if she couldn't do it, there was always Aerith.

[ariakitsune.livejournal.com]

"I came over here for the food," she said, also deciding to have a pork bun. "And other people will do the same. You will be noticed a lot if you stay here."

She looked at the other snacks for a second before snagging a cookie and giving it to Pancake.

[rakathtalyn.livejournal.com]

"Hi there," the man in the goggles replied, he seemed a bit upbeat, "Did I just get here? I did and I didn't." He paused to himself, she was definitely from Earth, nobody reacted exactly like that to his outfit without being from Earth. It was an Earthy reaction to his crazy outfit.

"Sorry, I'm a philosopher, named Bruce," His grin grew wider with that comment, "I just arrived here, but I got here a long time ago. I have been away a while, figured I'd just stop by since I was around."

[thirteenth_brat]

No one else had spoken to him yet, so his reasoning had seemed quite sound. And what was wrong with hanging around by the food when it was the only reason he'd given in and let the others drag him to the party in the first place.

[not-asoldier.livejournal.com]

"Taxes" Was all Cloud said.

[hyperpsyche.livejournal.com]

Ren, like a surprisingly large number of the partygoers, wasn't too sure what she was doing there, either. She hadn't been sleeping well lately, and the effects of that were starting to catch up to her. Add in Ren's natural tendency toward the melancholic when a bad mood struck her, and that led to her quietly sitting off to the side, nursing a glass of water all by her lonesome.

Part of her was hoping that someone would come and drag her out of her moping soon, while another part (that sounded suspiciously like her mother) reminded her that she'd have a much better chance of having fun if she made the effort to be social, herself. And yet another part of her wanted to stay there and brood all night. (Maybe if she went ahead and had an actual drink, she could get at least one of the "voices" to shut up, she mused wryly as she looked into her glass.)

[harpie-siren.livejournal.com]

When Greta spotted Ren, she snuck over as quietly as possible and gave her a huge hug. She did promise to give her hugs once Ren was back in RG.

"Hey, you okay?"