blow a kiss for all the hearts they gon drop

[gwynn]

Who: EVERYONE IN THE WORLD
What: When it's time to party we will always party hard.
Where: Megan's apartment, Howl Barrow
When: Sukkardi/Saturday night
Notes: Threadjacking is encouraged. Also, again, if you want to tag in but your character wouldn't just show up, feel free to assume Megan befriended them somewhere and dragged them over/invited them personally.
Warnings: Preemptive warnings for drug use, naughty language and sexual situations.

Megan's housepartment (it looks like a house to her, but the realtor assured her it is an apartment, okay, whatever) is a quaint little thing in the middle of a friendly, middle class Howl Barrow street that is deceptively tame by day and comes alive by night. Her neighbours are super chill, which is her favourite part of living here -- she asked around about a party, if the noise would be a problem, and nobody had any problem with it. Howl Barrow rules.

The inside's a bit furnitureless right now -- she's got a few mismatched chairs and a pull-out sofa, that's about it -- but she's already started decorating a little, hanging art on the walls and putting up nice curtains. (Nobody is allowed to puke on her new curtains.) She's well-stocked with a wide selection of alcohol, ranging from mid-price beer to hard liquor, and snacks, nothing fancy.

She's got her bong out too, yeah.

By 7, there's already a couple people milling about and drinking -- coworkers from the Vault, mostly. Music's playing from an old suitcase turntable set up on the kitchen counter, it's something Baedal-native, hard rock, and in an alien language.

For the shy and/or drunken Snow Whites, there's a friendly, fluffy ragdoll cat lounging around, casually draping herself wherever is most convenient for attention and adulation. Caution: do not give cat beer.

Comments

open!

[implying]

That short weirdo in the mask, despite everything, looks pretty at home here! He has a drink in hand pretty much at all times, and usually a second one for whoever he's appreciating (read: hitting on) at the moment. Vanadi is pretty much never without his wide, friendly smile, and just about bursting with compliments and charm for anyone he talks to.

Basically, Vanadi couldn't think of a better way to pass an evening if he tried, and it totally shows.

:V

[molotovmartinis]

It's his habit never to use anything but text on the network; he likes surprising people in real life, whether or not they're able to see past his human face. Vanadi is pretty easy to spot, but Balthazar takes his time to get to him. In fact, he's just about passing Vanadi when he leans in just noticeably and hisses, "I like your mask."

Probably a dozen people have said that to him tonight, but there is a certain weird intensity to it, and the way he almost immediately moves on (though if Vanadi wanted to, it's not like he's totally beyond catching).

:B

[implying]

People have said it to him, a few times tonight and more times than he can count before tonight, but it doesn't usually come out like that. It's mocking, or interested, or sarcastic, or sometimes apathetic. Intense? Not usually. So his attention is pretty thoroughly snagged, head swiveling to see just who was emulating that text conversation he'd had not so long ago (what else would it remind him of? it was decidedly odd), and finding only a retreating back.

He presses his nearly untouched drink into the hand of the woman he's talking to, along with a thorough and heart-felt apology and a promise to continue later, and then he's slipping after his attention span-less complimenter.

[molotovmartinis]

His passage is remarkably fleet; he's six feet tall but not terribly big, yet people seem to unconsciously accommodate a much wider berth. Then again, as soon as that impression might filter in, other people seem barely to notice him at all, passing very close to him and possibly impeding Vanadi's progress. Balthazar comes to pause by the table of food, and it's there that party-goers absentmindedly clear away, forming a small convenient space. He pours a drink and turns smoothly, offering it to Vanadi without any indication of surprise.

"Hello," he says with a faint smile.

[implying]

It's a struggle to keep up with him, but not one Vanadi minds. Curiosity helps a great deal with that. And then just when he's finally going to catch up, one hand nearly risen for a tap on the shoulder--

--He's being offered a drink.

The mask hides his surprised blink, at least, and he only smiles. Instinctive, easy. Charm is the best default he has. "Well, hello. Is this for me?"

[molotovmartinis]

"For one of the happiest people on the network," he says, deadpan, still holding out the drink. In a metaphysical sense, he is very still, keeping all of him wrapped up tightly. To Balthazar, Vanadi carries a tint of something not quite human, but it does not feel xenian, nor dead; merely, perhaps, absent. The closest comparison he can make to any experience from his own world is a golem, but there's no sense of magic, and much more vitality. Vanadi doesn't seem to see him for what he is, but then, that mask is hiding half his face.

The drink is, incidentally, some sort of terrible fruit punch and vodka, with a gummy worm floating in it.

[implying]

"I've never heard a clearer invitation than that." He accepts the drink with a nod of thanks, hesitating not at all to begin sipping. He seems to see nothing wrong, either with Baltazar, or with accepting a drink from such an odd character.

"So," he starts, head cocking curiously, tipping forward just slightly for a full sweep of the look of his company, "I suppose I'm not wrong to associate you with that short-lived textual conversation, not too far back. And in that case, it's a pleasure to address you more directly! May I ask your name?"

[molotovmartinis]

He smiles without otherwise confirming Vanadi's statement, though the entire time, he appears to be scrutinizing Vanadi's mask rather than trying to look into the darkened eye holes.

"It's a pleasure as well. I go by Blake." There's no offer of a hand to shake. Instead, Balthazar moves smoothly into the subject he's interested in. "Undoubtedly you've had many questions about your mask since coming here, let alone at the party itself. I have to say I consider myself slightly more informed about masks than your average soul. But I doubt you come from a world similar to mine... do you tire of such questions yet? Or might I tread the same old line of inquiry?"

[implying]

This man is stranger and stranger. Not that Vanadi minds the cold type of personality, no! He can come to like all sorts. It's just that they're rarely in places like these. But he smiles on, not at all put off by any of it.

"Please, be my guest! Although I'm sure you're a much more interesting subject, if I must wait for the pleasure of asking after it, I will." He gestures grandly with a roll of his hand. "Ask away."

[gwynn]

"VANADI!" And then suddenly, there is a Megan! No, really, suddenly: she teleports from one side of the room to the other. Why waste time, apparently? If he lets her, he's totally getting hugged (everyone is getting hugged, deal with it), provided she doesn't poke an eye out on that mask of his that in person looks like even less of a dick than it does over the Network, so whatever Kiden's smoking, she better start sharing. "You came! Hi!"

[implying]

Well, she definitely wasn't kidding about the teleporting. His mask neatly covers any kind of surprise, and then he's excusing himself with a light laugh from his current company to return that hug in full. Hugs! He likes them! And he's really good by now at not poking out eyes with the tip of that mask.

"I haven't yet, but I wouldn't be entirely opposed to the idea of it." Said just ever so charmingly, there's no way that's an inappropriate innuendo. "It's a pleasure to meet you in person at last, Megan! You have a lovely house, and a charming cat."

[gwynn]

Megan fucking loves hugs, all that ecstasy she did as a young teen was part of her intense hugging training regimen and now she is the reigning champion. She laughs at the joke even though that's terrible, Vanadi, and beams at him. "Thank you! You met Satan, then?"

... girl.

"I'm a terrible hostess, can I get you anything? Beer? Food? Bong rip?" GIRL.

[implying]

Well, he's going to assume Satan is the cat, helped along by the fact that he's sadly ignorant of any other notable figures by that name, and nods.

"Bong rip?" he repeats, sounding it out like it's foreign. Which it is. The phrasing, at least! But don't worry about the content, there's all sorts of educational depravity in his life. "What's that?"

[gwynn]

"What! You don't know what -- okay, that's unacceptable. Here, come here --" She grabs his hand and hauls him after her, but... this is Megan and Vanadi, what's actually going to happen is she's going to tug and he's not going anywhere unless he chooses to. She's not very strong. That's okay with her, though, she'll just pull until she gets her way.

[implying]

Megan may not be very strong, but Vanadi's utter willingness to go anywhere a pretty girl tugs him pretty well makes up for that. He'll even throw in a surprised stumble, just for effect. "You could just tell me, but-- well, I've always preferred more hands-on answers, I suppose, so nevermind that."

[gwynn]

"Telling is boring! Doing is better!" It's hard to argue with that philosophy, really.

She plunks her ass down on the couch and pulls out her bong and the tin she keeps her stash in; it's one of those old-timey lunchboxes for kids with comic book characters native to some alien planet on it, she just thought it looked cool. "Watch and learn," she says, just before packing and lighting the bowl.

[implying]

He brightens as soon as he sees that display, because really, there's just no mistaking that. It's not something he regularly seeks out, really, but not something he'd turn down either! Vanadi takes a seat at the couch next to her, smiling.

"Why, all you really had to do was clarify, my dear! I'm quite familiar with the substance."

[kryptonianclone]

Conner passes by on his way to get something to drink. He's not dressed as Conner Kent because this is an alternate universe and who's going to know who he really is anyway? People are from different worlds here.

He raises an eyebrow at the guy wearing a mask, wondering why when no one else really is, but doesn't say anything at the time.

[implying]

Fortunately for Conner, a raised eyebrow is really all the encouragement Vanadi needs. More than enough, if we're being perfectly honest. He quirks a smile at Conner as he pauses, but of course there's still a conversation to continue. But once that's reached a natural lull, several minutes later, Conner will find Vanadi meandering in from the side, a drink in hand and already proffered out.

"I'd recommend this, if you're not absolutely in love with what you've got now. It's quite good."

[kryptonianclone]

Conner looks away from the drinks to the one the guy is holding out. "Oh? What's in it?" Not that it really matters, being half Kryptonian.

[implying]

"Bit of dry vermouth, bit of blended whisky. I took you for a man able to hold his liquor, but feel free to inform me if I was wrong!" And with a smile that happily suggests this is a lie: "We don't want you drunkenly needing an escort home, now."

[kryptonianclone]

Conner takes the glass with a 'thanks', holds it up a silent 'cheers' way, then slams it back. He smiles once finished. "Somehow I don't think that's going to be a problem."

Show off.

[implying]

Well, clearly his guess had been right. The mask hides the arched eyebrows, and he wonders idly just how long whoever this is could keep that up. It would have to start showing sooner or later. "My. Did you even taste it?"

[kryptonianclone]

"Where's the fun in drinking if you don't get at least a little of the burn?" He finds a place to set the glass down and hold out a hand. "I'm Conner."

[implying]

"Vanadi." He finishes his own drink off in a similar display (the alcohol will only affect him for a few minutes at best, before his systems take care of it), sets the glass down next to Conner's, and gladly sticks out a hand to shake.

"A pleasure to meet you! Now, surely an excellent drinker came in the company of some young lady, ready to be impressed by your talent," he says, and glances around like he's expecting someone to leap out and make the claim to him. "She's somewhere around, isn't she?"