A toast to that invincible bunch [OPEN]

[primogen_vampirate]

Who: Mina and YOU
What: A "thank God we're not dead" party
Where: Common Room, Valhalla Inn
When: Wednesday evening
Notes: Party log; please specify if you're tagging someone in particular, or if it's open season on your character
Warnings: Angering Mina probably results in unhappiness

There were two things Mina rarely did; over-indulge and wear dresses. Tonight, she decided, was a night to throw both inhibitions to the wind. And so, as she made her way up to the common room, she made her way in style, wearing a slinky crimson gown with no back and a plunging neckline. She looked good. Classy, as any society woman of her day. Well, the 1930s, anyway, since she would always consider her day to be the 1720s, really. The only drawback of the dress was that it left both her pirate brand and her Valkyrien Amazon tattoo uncovered, but at this point, Mina was fairly certain that no one would recognize or care about either marking.

The room had been arranged to her satisfaction. She enjoyed ostentation immensely, but opted for a more low-key take on the celebrations. The lights were pleasantly dimmed and there was jazz music playing out of some marvelous contraption that Mina had borrowed. Around the room, she had a few trays of food arranged. Since Mina had no sense of taste to speak of, she hired someone to take care of the food and drinks. The only culinary arrangement she had made for herself was a special mixed drink; store-bought blood (dreadful though it was) laced with ample amounts of rum. That was being kept under a table for now.

She glanced at her reflection in the mirror, adjusting the angle of her fedora slightly. There was no telling what to expect tonight. And frankly, given her experiences in Chicago, she probably should have known better to arrange for any kind of public affair. But Mina was in a bad mood and when she was in a bad mood, she tended to revert into her flippant, false persona to spare herself of too much thought. Besides, she was in the mood to dance with someone handsome.

Comments

[truthsandlyres]

True love, shmoo love.

He held out his hand to help Mina up. She hadn't been the best target, but he had every confidence that things would go better with the next woman. Women were just like sheep. Some were friendly and docile and some were skittery and ran away and some were like Cassandra and would bite your hand if you got too close.

He just needed to find one of the friendly, easy sheep.

[truthsandlyres]

Apollo remembered Jones as he spotted her. Oh yes, another one of the people he had met that night. The night with too many drinks.

"Come on," he said to Sebastian and pulled him along. She looked a little lost and lonely, she would probably appreciate the company.

"Jones, was it?" he asked, offering the woman his most handsome smile. "You look lovely tonight. Nice party, isn't it? Drink and music and drinks?"

He gently prodded Sebastian forward. "Have you met Sebastian?"

[heardmermaids.livejournal.com]

At Mina's speech about the power of True Love¹, Sebastian's expression shutters and he loses all traces of annoyance or any emotion other than a blank politeness. Merlin wept, it's been years since he's heard such sanctimonious pontificating and he'd have been happy to never hear it again.

"I'm sorry, but I've a bad leg and fear that I'd be poor support." While it may appear that he's shunning her for her earlier refusal to shake his hand, Sebastian is telling the truth. "If you'll excuse me."


------
[1] He can hear the capitalization.

[heardmermaids.livejournal.com]

Sebastian offers a wan smile and an earnest handshake. He is pleased to meet Jones, but Apollo's over the top behaviour and lack of moderation is really starting to grate on his nerves.

"Hello." He's unlikely to be put out if she chooses to decline the handshake -- Sebastian knows all too well that some people are uncomfortable touching his scarred hand with missing fingertips.

gender confusion is go go go

[indiscreet]

Well, he was handsome, no doubt about it.

How many bad ideas had begun with Anna telling herself exactly that? Still, she'd never been with a spade before, and she was curious. Not to mention a far more dangerous emotion: bored.

She begins a sauntering walk over, one hand already coyly at her hip, her beaded cocktail dress swinging (oh so scandalously) just above her knees.

"Hello, good-looking. I think you ought to talk to me."

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

"Oh? Why's that?" she says with a bit of a grin. Sure, it's nice to be greeted as 'good-looking', and for all she knows that's just how Baedalites talk, but Njoki has a sneaking suspicion that there's one or two unpleasant surprises in store for this woman.

/is good on my word :3b

[51stcentury]

Jack doesn't really know what he's doing there, at this party. He figures it would be a good idea to start making some friends within the city, other than the ones he has. He doesn't like that he's got basically no connections there. And so he finds himself hanging back to the room, looking over the crowd when he notices someone new to the room. Someone tall, imposing, and downright gorgeous as far as he's concerned. He steps forward, making his way across the room.

"Enjoying yourself here so far?" he questions, walking up to the person with a smile.

Come here. I smoosh your face.

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

"Something like. You?" Njoki's smile is bright and a bit too toothy, but her tone and body language say that she's amused rather than hungry.

[wandandsickle]

"Oh, you'd be—well! It's a pleasure to meet you in person at last, Sebastian." She takes his hand, and shakes it happily, without a trace of hesitation. If she notices the scars or missing fingertips, there's no indication. (For someone who's worked in factories before the creation of OSHA, it's practically normal.)

His discomfort, however, does not go unnoticed. She glances sideways at Apollo, smile turning somewhat more wry. "Good to see you more cheerful, Mr. Apollo."

X3

[51stcentury]

Ah, female. Jack can tell by the voice, there's just that hint of feminine tone that makes him smile wider. The fact that he had to wonder at all makes it all the more sexy. "I've been to worse parties," he says, with a bit of a shrug and a laugh. He holds his hand out to her to shake.

"Captain Jack Harkness," he says, introducing himself.

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

"Njoki Rainmaker, but Ki'll do if you can't manage it," she says accepting the handshake. Jack may notice that her hands only have a few callouses from a performing some sort of repetitive, physical labour and that her body temperature is a bit warm for a human. "And I'm from Earth, which is a bit strange to add to an introduction, but I'll go with it."

[51stcentury]

He does notice those two things. He's very perceptive when it comes to people. He flashes her another broad, matinee idol smile and repeats her name. "Njoki Rainmaker, huh? That's a name, there. Any idea why you'd feel the need to point out the fact you're from Earth, then?" he asks. "I mean. People usually do say where they're from, but usually it's more along the lines of Chicago or London..."

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

"You had a look outside?" Originally, Njoki had introduced herself as from Quebec, but now that she's starting to get a handle on how varied and unusual the local population is 'Earth' seemed a better choice. "Might as well start broad and narrow in. Although, if they don't know Earth, they won't know Chicago or London either, I guess. But I'm from Quebec. Montreal, even."

[51stcentury]

"Montreal, huh?" he asks, with a smile. "Canada. Gotta love Canada. Never got to visit for very long, but times I have been there..." He winks. "Priceless."

"I'm coming here from Wales. Cardiff, if you want specifics." He cocks his head. "You know, it's weird to say, but it feels good to talk to someone from at least the same planet you're from, you know?"

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

Oh, Jack, you should be very careful when you connect Montreal with Canada; it's far safer to smile and say something lovely about la belle province.

"Not that strange. Even if we're from different places or times, the odds are that we've at least a vague knowledge of how the other sees the world." Of course, Njoki could be stuck here with an elderly gentleman from mainland China in the 1300's. "And we're a friendly people, of course you had a good time."

[indiscreet]

The man's voice is a touch higher than she expected. A strange combination with the firmly muscled body, she notes.

It's easy enough for Anna to slip into what she thinks of as her "old self." Audrey's club hadn't been just a job, and Chicago hadn't been just a city, but this girl -- confident, a vamp and she knows it and she knows you want it -- is who she's happiest being.

Her expression is teasing -- somewhere between a pout and a grin.

"I don't have anyone to talk to yet. I imagine I could wait for some gentleman or other to approach me, but as it turns out, this evening I'm not in the mood for patience." She leans in conspiratorially. "Isn't that lucky?"

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

"I've never had much patience for gentlemen myself," she says with a small smile. "So I think you're in good company."

"Njoki, but Ki'll do if you can't manage it," she responds with a phrase that while earnest is said entirely by rote. No matter how often she introduces herself, Njoki never really expects anyone to get her name right. "And you?"

[truthsandlyres]

"Glad to be more cheerful," he said, grinning. "Sorry if I was less than charming that night--wasn't in the best emotional place. Better now."

He gestured around the room. "Nice party, isn't it? Do you know our hostess?"

[heardmermaids.livejournal.com]

"You too, Ms Jones." Sebastian relaxes a little when he realizes that Apollo isn't going to try the embarrassingly forthright salespitch he'd used on Mina. It's possible he might be able to get out of this party with what little remained of his dignity still intact.

[wandandsickle]

Jones smiles. "Mina and I go back a bit. Actually, only about a year, now that I think about it, but it was the sort of year that feels longer than it was. In any case, we knew each other before we got, well, here, and it's good to be keeping up." She shrugs. No, it's definitely not more complicated than that! Hahahahaha. Ha.

"Say, I don't suppose you mind if I talk shop a little bit, do you?" she says, turning to Sebastian—hoping it might be a slightly better topic. She's never been good at idle chat. "I know you said you're a bit of a handyman, yes? Do you get a lot of work around here?" She gives a bit of a wry smile. "Well, I suppose there's plenty recently, but regularly, you know?"

[51stcentury]

What can he say? He's not from around those parts. Or any parts to do with Earth, if he were to be honest about it, but he gets by fairly well, all considered.

"I try to make it a habit of having a good time wherever I go," he said, "although this place..." He trails off, his smile fading for a moment, before it's plastered on again like a brand new movie poster up. "It's definitely given me a go for my money already."

[heardmermaids.livejournal.com]

"A fair bit. I don't own my own tools yet, and I haven't been here long, but I've got a feel for how it works around here." Sebastian is more than willing to talk shop in the hopes that it bores Apollo and encourages him to go help some other lost little lamb. "The Guilds are a lot like unions, so it's a good idea to get in with one of them."

[wandandsickle]

Well! It seems like someone around here has at least enough sense to organize properly. That's encouraging. "Do you work for a particular unio—er, Guild, then? I've heard of a few of them, like, uh... the Guild of Battling..." She gives up on remembering the long name. "I think they call themselves Hellsing?"

[open]

[seal_clubs_you]

Mike -- who has been settling into a new place and not much seen since the raid on the inn -- arrives, for once dressed in neither fatigues nor scrubs, but nice jeans and a blue shirt. He's done suits in the past, and even does one on Sundays in Baedal now, but this seemed a lot less formal.

After getting food and drink, he starts circulating, paying close attention to names and faces. It's a good chance -- he hopes -- to learn more about the others in his Cohort.

Re: [open]

[seal_clubs_you]

Mike, of course, gives Eddie a friendly wave and a smile upon arrival. He's been largely absent since the whole raid on the inn -- finding a place of his own and looking for work -- so this is probably the first time either of them has seen the other since that day.