[open] t-t-t-taking over, teenage rebellion!

[furiousfists]

WHO: Adaine Abernant (furiousfists), Fabian Seacaster (maximumlegend), and YOU!
WHEN: June 3rd
WHERE: Apartment building's rec room
WHAT: Joint birthday party!
NOTES\WARNINGS: Underage drinking

It's only thanks to Aurora's message that Adaine has any idea what day it is. She looks at the text on her earpiece's readout and blinks, comprehension coming to her slowly.

Today is June 3rd, of the year 40██.

June 3rd...

June 3rd??

"Holy shit, it's my birthday!"

Adaine's birthdays haven't been much to shake a stick at, historically speaking. It's only in the past year, after she stopped living with her parents and moved in with Jawbone in Mordred Manor that anyone ever gave a crap or tried to give her anything for it. If it hadn't been for Jawbone, she might've been perfectly happy to let another year pass without fanfare. But now? She wants to at least acknowledge it. She'd be happy with just a slice of cake at the diner, but there's one thing that makes her think that perhaps that won't cut it.

If today is June 3rd, Adaine's birthday, then that means a few days ago it was May 31st. Fabian's birthday. And Fabian Seacaster is not one to let a birthday celebration be anything but maximum legend.

And, so it is that the two birthday Bad Kids set about throwing as raucous of a birthday bash as they can manage with such short lead time. The rec room in the bottom floor of the apartment building is decorated to the nines with balloons and streamers, with snacks, sodas, and even some alcohol to make mixed drinks set out on a table for all to enjoy. Anyone who the pair have spoken with is invited, but if anyone makes any comments about teenagers drinking alcohol, they're labeled a buzzkill and told to vacate the premises. Adaine manages to find a boombox somewhere with a CD, and plays some generic party music for people to dance to, should they feel so inclined.

All in all, it is a night of revelry, the likes of which Etraya has likely never seen before.

Comments

fabian | ota

[maximumlegend]

[ Fabian is the absolute life of the party. Who cares that this party is technically a few days late. Who cares that it wasn't even May yet back home, and they would have had to have spent a crazy amount of time in the labyrinth to actually make the time sync up with what he's used to back home. Fabian doesn't care! It's his birthday! It's Adaine's birthday! It's an excuse for a party.

Which means he can be found all over the party:

🅐 Maybe he caught you not having had a drink yet, which means Fabian will be moving up to you holding a cup of..

.. well, it's hard to say what it is. It looks like milk, but it doesn't.. smell like milk? In fact, there's kind of a strange hue to it.. ]

Here! You can't party without some bad baby milk!

[ The bad baby part is vodka. Just so you're warned. Fabian sure makes no indication of that though!

🅑 Or maybe he has instead spotted you not doing anything. Which clearly means it's time to have fun! Once the party music is playing and the mood is ready for dancing, he'll come up to you, holding out a hand with a winning smile on his face, asking: ]

So, may I have this dance?

[ Yes, he'll dance with people regardless of gender!! Dance killed toxic masculinity, don't you know!!

🅒 Or maybe neither is the case. Maybe you are instead the one looking for Fabian to wish him a happy birthday or talk with him about something else - in which case it's easy enough to spot him. Maybe you could approach him while he seems to be sitting down for a moment while taking a break from dancing? ]

a

[ontologically]

[She takes the drink, stares at it. Someone who spent nearly ten hours a day working in a hospital for two to three years gets used to the smell of alcohol. She stares at Fabian, too emotionally exhausted to even be annoyed - honestly, it's kind of funny.]

...This is just milk and vodka, isn't it?

[That sounds like the most insane combination she's ever heard.]

[maximumlegend]

[ Fabian grins from ear to ear, apparently completely unfazed by the fact that someone figured it out this quickly. It's not like it's really meant to trick anyone anyway - it's just that the name has definitely stuck at this point, and Fabian thinks it's a hilarious name. ]

Sure is! [ Hence why he admits to his crimes against humanity - because what else could that combination even be classified as, right - so easily. ]

It's what I served at the party that made me the most popular kid at school back home!

[ As.. insane and untrue as that statement might sound.. ]

I figured it could only do the same thing here! Come on, drink up!

[ontologically]

[Bad Baby Milk... she can see teenagers drinking this. In fact, she can vividly picture someone drinking this and having a vivid allergic reaction and her being called in the middle of the night to show up and pump milk out of their internal organs.

Gross.

She looks at Fabian as if she's trying to ascertain whether he's actually the most popular kid in school or if he's fully making shit up. He's a dancer, theater kid, he talks like a dandy, but he's good looking and friendly in that way that pushes past any barriers without care or thought. Either bullied severely or yes, popular.

The party and his own words makes her lean toward the latter.]

You're looking to be the most popular kid here too? Lofty ambitions.

[It's something she could never quite bring herself to give a shit about. Amy wasn't easy to like. She was popular in the Birdcage, but that was largely because she provided a valuable service and an extensive list of reasons to fear her. Prison and high school - they get compared, sure, but Amy found prison easier to navigate. No shadows for her to drown in.

The easiest way to succeed in high school is to give in to peer pressure at every opportunity.]

Fuck it. [She drinks the Bad Baby Milk. Takes a sip and her face scrunches up at the "taste." She swallows.] Eugh. Bad. That's fucking bad.

[redheadcarrier]

[ Asuka has been doing a bit of (underage) drinking, mostly mixed with a lot of soda to kill the taste. She's not sure she wants to be drunk - she remembers being disgusted by Misato - but the slight buzz is... kind of nice? Even if she's not sure she'd want to admit that. She's been a bit of a wallflower, her gaze a touch distance, but then-

Well, that's a familiar face.

And he's asking her to dance. Her cheeks feel like they're lighting up. ]

A dance? Are you serious?

[maximumlegend]

Yes?

[ Despite the audible question mark at the end of that sentence, the guy does seem certain enough of his answer. It's probably just that he thinks it's so obvious that he's serious about this that he can't help but put that question mark here. Like he isn't even sure why she's questioning it. ]

Of course! What else would we do at a party? [ And Fabian loves dancing.

.. and may not realise not everyone shares that passion as much. ]

And I'm sure you're thinking dancing with me sounds real amazing. It's alright, you don't have to tell me!

[redheadcarrier]

I don't know. Just - talk...

[ Her party experience is not vast. So he's got her there. She clears her throat, trying not to get too into the weeds in her own brain. ]

Well, maybe we can see just how good you actually are.

[ Not that she's done a lot of dancing at parties. And she's not about to back down, so... ]

If you wanna dance, fine!

a

[anciently]

[ She's just arrived, and is in the process of opening her mouth to wish him a happy birthday, but then he says bad baby milk and she's stopped in her tracks, brows lifting high on her forehead. ]

Without what? [ Surely she misheard. Either way, there's a little laugh and a wrinkled nose, and she accepts the cup, glancing down into its depths. ] Hmm...well, I guess the 'milk' part's easy enough. Not sure I want to know what the rest means.

[ 'Bad baby' because they're...maybe underage, and drinking something that clearly reeks of booze? Still. Not the best name in the world. ]

This hasn't made anybody sick before, right?

[ And she doesn't mean from drinking too much. ]

[maximumlegend]

Not in any way that drinks don't regularly make people sick!

[ .. or. Well, maybe it's happened? Last time around Fabian definitely served this at a party that way too large for him to check up on the individual results it was having.. Maybe there were definitely some kids puking in some dark corner of his house that he still hasn't cleaned up months later, who knows.

Fabian's intentions are very genuine though, as is the smile he's giving Aerith right now. ]

Trust me, it's the ultimate party drink. Everyone was having this back home! [ In fact, Fabian has another cup of it in other hand, and he does put that one up to his mouth, sipping from it..

.. so maybe it's okay?

Or maybe Fabian just has shit taste. Who knows. ]

[anciently]

Okay... But if this turns me into a frog or something, you'll be getting an earful.

[ With a Look, Aerith takes a sip.

...Hm. ]

Well, it's...interesting. [ And she laughs, looking dubiously at Fabian. ] Did you make this yourself? Back home, I mean.

[ Is it a Fabian Original? Or just something their group of friends picked up on for...whatever reason? ]

wildcard!

[stresstokens]

[ Riz had, of course, been thoroughly involved in planning the festivities. Not in choosing guests - did they really make friends already? it's been one month! - or in choosing the music or decorations, but he's helped fetch what's been asked of him, or hung up balloons and streamers where he was told to.

But in the midst of planning in a hurry (they couldn't have told them the date a little earlier?), he'd vanished altogether, only to resurface with a tackily coloured party bag filled with tissue paper that in no way suits the colour way. There's also a slightly squashed birthday cake for both Fabian and Adaine sitting on the counter, generously described as semi-homemade, using cake mix and icing out of a jar. ]

Hey man, happy birthday! There's not really a ton of stores around here, but... here!

[ Inside, he'll find a golden sheet made out of the finest material Riz was able to find at the market. It's nothing like elven made and was clearly made out of a large piece of fabric that Riz had hemmed to make sure it wouldn't fray at the edges. Beneath it are two eyepatches, one plain, and one stamped with the face of an owlbear. ]

Just to tide you over until you get your real one.

[ And extra eyepatches, in case he takes more stupid dips in the water. He very deliberately doesn't say that last part. It's his birthday, after all. ]

[maximumlegend]

[ Honestly, despite the way Fabian comes across, he really wasn't expecting any presents. He would've been fine without them. Even more so when you take the circumstances into account, which means he already figured that it'd be pretty impossible for anyone to find a real good birthday gift in a place like this.

.. and yet. He's Riz. With a bag. Due to the lack of expectations Fabian looks properly baffled when his friend hands said party bag over to him, and even more surprised when he pulls out what's inside. ]

Dude, you made me a battle sheet?

[ Sure, maybe Riz didn't have to do that much modifying. It's mostly just fabric. But Fabian knows it's not exactly like they sell battle sheet ready fabric anywhere around here. They really have to make do when it comes to material from back home they could really use. (Or maybe this place is just discriminating against bards, honestly. So rude.) So Riz had to put some real thought and effort into this.

It stuns Fabian, leaving him quiet for a moment after he asks that question. Then he momentarily wraps the sheet like a makeshift jacket around his shoulders and reaches in to grab the eyepatches out of the bag, looking those over as well. ]

You really didn't have to. [ --is what he says by the time he actually looks back over at Riz. But despite the words themselves, there's a big dumb grin on Fabian's face that he maybe doesn't even consciously realise is present there - showing his true feelings about this entire thing. Sure, Riz didn't have to, but the fact that he did it anyway is what makes this feel truly special. Especially when Fabian knows the other has been busy enough trying to help them prepare for the party, when did he even have time to arrange gifts like this! ]

[stresstokens]

Adaine said the exact same thing!

[ Riz punches Fabian's shoulder, ears pressed flatter against his head in pleasure as he takes in his friend marveling at a bunch of fabric, as though it's not made up of worse material than his bedsheets back home. Riz had been a little worried about that. Of the Bad Kids, his skill is deductive, not creative. The others would have been better equipped to make something out of nothing -- a song from Fig, some tinkered creation from Gorgug, Kristen's infamous friendship bracelets. But Riz is just Riz, and so he had to make do with his own limited skillset when it came to arts and crafts.

But Fabian likes it anyway, just like Adaine liked hers, as though she didn't even notice crooked bit of hem, the frayed corner, the human-made fabric. He grins. ]

You guys have some pretty low expectations for a couple of rich kids. Of course I had to! It's your birthday!

[ Your friends giving you presents on your birthday, as Riz understands it, is the bare minimum. ]

I'm not sure if it'll really work as a battle sheet? It's the nicest fabric I could find, but uh, eighty-thousand thread count, it ain't. [ Is that what most dance bards use? Riz couldn't say. He's never paid attention to dance bards before Fabian. ] But I figured -- you can still dance with it? So.

[ Riz had been relieved to find out that Fabian kept the dancing up, even well into their Junior Year. For all that he didn't get dancing, he liked watching Fabian dance; he looked so much freer and happier than he did before, and a part of Riz had been concerned that he'd shed it out of embarrassment once they returned to Elmville and he had to go around sharing it with more than just his closest friends.

But lo and behold, he's still dancing. It'd be a shame for that to change now that they're here. ]

a

[skaikru]

( after being outright called out via invite, clarke had set to task. the instructions had listed gifts as unnecessary, but in the two years between being yanked from her own home world the first time and this secondary venture into etraya, she's learned a thing or two about what some over the top, vivacious and ridiculous people expect in terms of gift giving.

that doesn't mean she's any good at it, but a modicum of effort was put forth. when clarke arrives she has two packages wrapped as neatly as possible in newsprint under her arm; one a big bulky and awkward, straining at the seams of the tape, the other in a prim square that crinkles in a way that indicates whatever's inside is very soft. she means to make a brief appearance, impart gifts, and make a quick exit — and the process is streamlined when fabian makes a beeline her way, host and birthday boy all in one.

only to shove the most awful looking drink into her sightline and pronounce it bad baby — what? )

...I'm lactose intolerant.

( she isn't — well, she is but it's a new term and who wouldn't risk stomach cramps for an occasional milkshake? a smidge of denial is key in all things, from occasional treats to turning down a bastardized white russian. )

[maximumlegend]

Aww. You're missing out on the best part!

[ There is obvious disappointment in his tone, but at least the guy isn't further trying to force the drink on her after hearing that. It's not like he wants to make anyone actively sick here, after all. Not even Clarke, despite what happened between them back in the maze.

.. honestly, if it wasn't for the reminder on the invite, it'd be hard to tell if Fabian even remembers what happened back there, he smiles, seeming just as jovial in front of her as he would be in front of everyone. Like they never had a kind of negative experience in the first place.

He simply puts the untouched "bad baby milk" back onto a nearby table, and then turns back to Clarke instead. ]

What do you got there though? Surely you're not going to tell me that's a present for the birthday boy, huh?

[skaikru]

( her lips curl in against her teeth, eyebrows raise, and clarke gives her best go at silently communicating i'll survive with a mere shrug of her shoulders as fabian turns to deposit the cursed milk drink on a table. she isn't above getting absolutely plastered, it's just that... here? in relatively unknown company? the paranoia runs deep enough that — while absolutely maintaining she'd had his best interest at heart, because she had — the easy brush off of their fraught (and ridiculous) first meeting seems unfathomable. he obviously hadn't forgotten, so why the enthusiastic welcome?

if clarke is feeling a modicum of social discomfort, she does her best not to show it. and that's easy, as fabian's already zeroed in on the packages. she even manages to loosen her lips enough to offer him a slight, tight smile. )

I am. This one at least.

( a mere moment of package juggling and fabian is presented with the larger of the two newspaper wrapped gifts; torso sized, creasing in the middle when the half she's not holding gives way and sags under the effects of gravity. )

Happy Birthday. You can open it later.

B

[politicallyinclined]

(The music is strange, but she doesn't dislike it. Seeing Fabian approach, looking so happy, has her smiling almost immediately. His request is too sweet to deny and she takes hold of his hand, laughing.)

I haven't danced in ages. (She didn't even dance at her own wedding! Now that is tragic.) Show me what you can do, Mister Fabian.

[maximumlegend]

In ages?

[ He sounds surprised, but in that sort of way where it's obvious that he's exaggerating his reaction for comedic effect, gasping for air and all.

After all, the idea of someone not having danced in that long is kind of sad when you really think about it. Maybe for some people it's just that they don't like dancing. But for someone who likes dancing as much as Fabian does, it feels like a tragic lack of it in their life, possibly caused by terrible circumstances.

Maybe that's why he doesn't linger on it for too long. He doesn't want to possibly remind her of said circumstances. ]

We have to fix that right away! [ Added, definitely a little overdramatic in its wording, even by Fabian standards: ] Then will you allow me to lead this dance, my fair lady?

[politicallyinclined]

I might be overestimating, but it has been awhile.

(His surprise shames her - just a little - and she smiles, guilty as charged. The overacting makes her laugh and she dips her head, trying to honestly remember the last time she danced and enjoyed herself. Political functions hardly count - unless Anakin could somehow sneak in, but they never would have been that open with one another.

Which is a shame. Maybe she will pull him into a dance here. Why not? As long as it's just them. She blinks and comes back to her companion, grinning.)

We really should and I was hoping you would offer. (Padmé steps closer to him.) It would look silly if I took the lead.

(She is awfully petite!)

B

[furiousfists]

[ Adaine's a few cups of bad baby milk in by the time Fabian circles his way around to her. She's been watching him socialize with all the new people he's met, feeling a little envious of how easily he makes friends. But, she's reassured that regardless of how many new friends he makes, there's a special spot in his dance card reserved for his old friends, too, when he comes to ask her to dance.

She laughs, blushing a little (if only from the alcohol), and she takes his hand, even as she's protesting with her words. ]

I'm just going to step on your toes, you know!

[maximumlegend]

Oh, you think I can't take that?

[ He meets her laugh with a grin of his own - something definitely a little cheeky about it, like he's taking all of this as a very playful challenge. It's not like Adaine could say anything to actually deter him from wanting to dance with her. He's been dancing with a lot of people tonight already, sure, but.. he can't skip out on one of his oldest friends.

Besides, Adaine deserves to have a little fun at her own party. And Fabian thinks that dancing isn't pushing someone less naturally social than him too far, especially since Adaine laughs at the invitation. ]

Don't worry. [ He says, gently tugging on her hand to lead her out onto the dance floor. ] All you have to do is follow my lead for this one. I'll make sure to let our birthday girl shine as she deserves to!

[furiousfists]

[ She sways a bit as she follows him to the dance floor— the bad baby milk lowering both her sense of balance as well as her inhibitions, but it's enough to stop her from protesting that she doesn't need to shine, she's perfectly happy to sit in the corner.

Maybe... Maybe just for tonight, she does want to shine? ]

Follow your lead. Okay, I can do that.

a

[equivo]

[ Krouse doesn't know what he was expecting.

That's a lie. He knows what he was expecting. It's just that one survey of this eminently normal looking teen basement party made him cringe to compare it to the mixture of Rivendell and My Super Sweet 16 he'd half-envisioned.

At least he's not underdressed. His unbuttoned grey shirt tossed over a black henley is even mostly unwrinkled, thanks to the trick of hanging it in the bathroom while he showered. Between that and the two brown paper bags he brought with him, he estimates that he's met his minimum initial party guest obligations past showing up.

Fabian apparently disagrees. Krouse accepts the cup he's being offered with a friendly smile and a nod, then raises it for a polite sip. ]

- man, what the fuck?

[ He laughs even while his face screws up in almost-pleased disgust, tilting the cup to inspect its contents. ]

[maximumlegend]

Oh, yeah! Now you're feeling it!

[ Fabian seems incredibly amused - yet approving - of Krouse actually accepting and drinking the stuff. Or, you know, drinking an initial sip. The jury is still out on whether or not Krouse is actually going to be brave enough to drink more bad baby milk than just that.

The guy grins so widely though that it's practically making a twinkle appear in his eyes, moving his hand to give Krouse a just slightly too hard friendly pat on the back. ]

First time?

[ First time partying? First time having bad baby milk? Who knows what Fabian means, he's not really giving an indication one way or another, leaving it widely up for Krouse to interpret. ]

[equivo]

[ Fabian's thump radiates through Krouse's chest and sends him rocking forward on his toes, bad baby milk almost sloshing up to the rim of the cup. He shoots Fabian a narrow eyed look that starts ambiguous and turns equally sparkling, smile slanting sharp. ]

Believe it or not, we don't do a lot of milk-based cocktails in Wisconsin.

[ A joke Fabian won't get without context, so: ] We have a lot of cows.

[ He doesn't know if this is a dare or a prank. Either way, he's never been one to back down from a challenge. Holding eye contact with Fabian, he raises the cup back to his lips and takes a long, deliberate swallow.

It's really not better the second time. ]