[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

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.

[maximumlegend]

[ Both of his eyebrows rise. ]

Later?

[ Fabian does take the present off her hands, if not just so she doesn't have to continue to awkwardly balance the two gifts. But he's definitely looking surprised as he holds said present. (He's not even touching it more than necessary to try and determine what it is, despite that being a totally childish and very Fabian impulse.

Maybe it's because he's so surprised and intrigued by what Clarke is telling him. ]

Why not right now? [ ... A moment of thought, and then: ] Is there something wrong with it?

[ Please tell him this isn't the second attempt on his life.. ]

[skaikru]

( oh dear, wrong vibes given. it'd be comical if clarke had any real capacity for chilling out, but humor is like an underutilized muscle in her body; atrophied and too tight to pull off light teasing.

instead, she just looks mildly alarmed at his question; a little scandalized, then a little offended. )

There's nothing wrong with it. Open it now, if you'd like. I just didn't want to distract you from your other guests.

( she has big intentions of slipping away as soon as the second parcel is delivered to adaine, but can't do that until she escapes conversation with fabian. surely there's someone else coming in soon who needs to be offered that awful cup of milk, and maybe someone who'd even drink it. )

[maximumlegend]

[ Honestly, he's curious enough that he does want to open it right now. But it's something about Clarke's words that makes him stop from doing so right away, the package still just resting, unopened. ]

You know, I wouldn't have invited you unless I wanted you to be here.

[ .. Which may still be a surprising statement, given.. how everything went down last time. But Fabian is saying it anyway, for whatever weird reason he doesn't seem to be elaborating on. ]

That means you're not distracting me. You're one of my guests too. I want to talk to you.

[skaikru]

( oh.

oh.

really? after all that? she wants to ask. even opens her mouth, then subsequently winces and clacks her teeth back together to bite it back. her skin is the sort of pale one would expect from someone raised in the confines of a space station, without ever having unfiltered access to sunlight. and for Some Reason when blood rushes up along her neck and ears, it curdles an odd, blotchy purple color instead of the expected reddish pink.

for the first time ever, clarke regrets not accepting the cup of spiked milk, at least that would have given her something to fiddle uncomfortably with instead of the edges of newsprint wrapped around the secondary birthday gift. but she is nothing if not excellent at tamping down emotions and compartmentalizing in the name of giving a diplomatic answer instead. )

That's really kind. Especially after I almost drowned you, which you didn't hesitate to mention in the invite. But I am not great company, and it's your birthday — you should open your gift, then go do something fun like dancing.

[maximumlegend]

[ There's a slight shrug at the mention of him talking about the drowning in the invite - Fabian will own up to that. But in his experience you can absolutely be petty at people without dislike them. Hell, he's petty at his friends way too often. They all are at each other. It's just a normal part of friendship to him at this point.

But it's not what he comments about out loud. He's abandoned the present on the table for the moment, figuring he can take a look at it later. Right now his attention is far more focused on her. His gaze glides over her skin, seeing that strange hue it takes on, before moving back up to her eyes.

Then, when he speaks up, it's just ask: ]

Why do you put yourself down so much?

[ It's a very plain question. And an even more direct one, really, considering he's just.. asking her that. Even though they're not close. But it's definitely a habit he's noticing, and it stands out enough to him that he can't help but just ask. Is it just because of their entire dumb first meeting, or is there something more going on here? ]

[skaikru]

( her mouth opens.

then snaps shut so abruptly that the clack of her molars is obvious. something pinches in muscles of her cheek — zaps across her whole fact, actually — only clarke seems to notice because she immediately forces her face to relax. mouth falls open again, her teeth part, but she still has no idea what exactly to say in response to that. a simple and direct question stuns her silent, hits like a punch to the gut out of left field. the best she can get out in order to counter the accusations is: )

I don't.

( she does. it's a learned behavior, because it's easier to preemptively let people down. but also like, that's a personal trait that's thus far gone unnoticed, and is borderline insulting to have plucked out and shoved directly in her face. clarke's eyebrows eventually recover from the express trip to her hairline, and settle back into a pinched, impassive mask as she calculates her escape from this conversation; it isn't life and death stakes, there's no reason she can't just cut the lining of questioning off at the heels. she does not shy away at a forced exit. )

Anyways, I'm going to go find your friend now. ( adaine. the birthday girl, for whom the other newspaper wrapped present is for, for whom he'd also thrown this party for. call it a hunch but clarke does not believe fabian would actively prevent his friend from the festivities of gift giving, even if it's from a stranger. and after she delivers the hastily selected scarf, she can leave.

will it suck to not see her own little stint at petty through to the end, and not get to watch fabian fumble through his thoughts upon unwrapping the lurid, hi-vi green life jacket currently challenging the containment of tape on the present in his hands? kinda. but she'll get over it.

and thus takes a full step back from him, and pivots to disappear back into the party. )

and that's a wrap! c: thank you for the thread!!

[maximumlegend]

[ Fabian's jaw absolutely drops.

Not even at unwrapping the gift - he hasn't even gotten to that yet, and it will likely cause another jaw drop the moment he does so in a few moments. No, the initial jaw drop is entirely just because of her swift exit. Clarke is gone before Fabian can even get a word in edgewise, and he's left staring at the spot the girl was standing on only a moment ago, having left him here alone with the gift and his glass of bad baby milk.

He doesn't even know what happened. Clarke is such a mystery to him, somewhere between their last encounter and this one. She bothers to show up at a party, bothers to give gifts, but then just peaces out? Just.. why? How even? Fabian is so confused!

The young man contemplates yelling something into the crowd and hoping that it reaches her, but then realises that's probably going to make him look real awkward at his own party. He can just talk to her next time he sees her somewhere, he supposes. Ask what her deal is. Not even in an unfriendly way, just a confused way.

Now, don't mind him as he takes a moment to himself to unwrap his gift and practically have the same reaction all over again.

What is it with Clarke. ]