Special Event: Pilot Ridge Holiday Bash!

[Anastasia van Drakke]

"Charmed," Anastasia breathed at the voice at her elbow, "A pleasure, so kind," to another behind her to the left. They were all so... so close, these people, all pressing with their body heat and breath and their feelings against her skin..

She should have convinced Ivan to come, she should have had him there to block them out, block out all the <anger/joy/lust/enjoyment/gratitude/neverendingwaves> that pounded her skin from rock to sand. She should have just set down some neatly packed nitroglycerin and blown the whole party into stardust.

She had, (and she shuddered even to think it), gotten sloppy.

There was Josh, (she waved and smiled and <encouraged> him to seek her out soon), there was Sean (her smile didn't so much as flicker), there was that angry little man (a small nod and let him feel a little <lift>), there was Ella (a much smaller nod), there were all these people, all eager and all feeling so much and all so open to some influence, there were the military here, she could start talking, start feeling her way in.... but.. but first she needed some air.

And maybe a valium.

The fresh air was as good as any champagne, and at this point the heiress welcomed both as she lent against the guttering with a sigh, pressing two fingers to her temples. The shadow of the hint of a headache, a real brain burster, was starting to lurk and this was NOT the time..

There was someone else already there, though whipping out her phone and sending a quick Put on a suit, I need you text took precedence over anyone else at this point. The moment passed and Anastasia looked up at the grey haired man who seemed to be sharing the refuge.

"Am I intruding?" the blonde asked after a moment. Her dress, a nice shade of emerald to be, well, festive when work with gold and rubies, was not made for warmth but the chill was welcome.

[Honor Sayers]

Upon her elder sister's insistence, in addition to her nephews and nieces begging, Honor had tried her hand in socialising. Sure, most of the socialising she did was not using her powers willy nilly and actually talking to people, but at least she was trying.

The formal was Hope's idea for Honor to fully integrate herself into the Pilot Ridge society. Honor didn't know how that was possible but she had long realised that even if she couldn't see any sad faces, the image of them being sad at all because of her was not something she was sure she could take.

So she let Hope dress her up in something she owned and even stepped into high heels. Sara, her nephew, did her hair up in a loose low ponytail and put on the lightest of make-up on her face. After sending their twins home to a baby-sitter, Hope and her husband picked Honor up and off they went to the bash.

After dropping off their toys for the charity, Hope left Honor to her own devices.

Clutching tightly to her cane, she moved through the crowd with little problem. A few people greeted her and she carved her lips into a smile as she gazed off their shoulders just slightly. She moved in the direction where she suddenly smelled...sunlight. She didn't know what the sun was doing out at night but she was just drawn to it. What was even weird was if you counted the fact that she hated the sun.

Bumping into the source of the smell, Honor excused herself with a simpering smile. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to hit you." She reached a hand out and touched the person's arm. It was only then that he seemed familiar. He was a Hammel staff. Morgan...wasn't it? He had that accident during the battle. Didn't he get blinded?

She could be wrong, though.

[Hart Kenney]

"Miss Jefferson." Hart's lips quirked into a grin at Vikki's enthusiastic dancing, giving his own hips an awkward, less than graceful shake. "I have to hand it to the DJ, fella knows how to put the crowd into the dancing mood." His glance cut toward the bar, crowded with people. "Or the drinking mood. Guess some people don't know dance music when they hear it."

He shook his head, smiling amicably to show that was a joke; the men at the bar largely looked older than himself, so perhaps there was some truth in his statement, that they wouldn't be interested in dance music that wasn't from their youth, but he was forty, and he rather liked current dance music.

Maybe he should be ashamed.

"So, Vikki, are you from around here?" He was curious and besides, he may as well talk to her while they danced; after all, hew could use a few more friends. Nothing against the few he'd already made.

[Tsukiko Aoki]

Kiko was not normally one to dress up. It wasn't that she disliked fancy dresses, but in her line of work it simply wasn't practical. Therefore the opportunity to get dolled up for the annual holiday bash was one she couldn't miss.

She'd swiped more mascara across her lashes than she normally used in a month, put on a slinky red halter-top dress (she'd bundled up in a faux fur coat; she wasn't going to sacrifice style for warmth entirely) and pearl earrings and heels.

She knew it wasn't humble, but Rome's proclamation did not surprise her in the least. "Thank you," She murmured in reply, leaning into his shoulder while she sipped her own eggnog, "I think it will be at least as fun as last year, don't you think?"

Dark eyes scanned the room not for faces but for plant life.

"Especially if they have any mistletoe."

[Gerard Mayburry]

With his hands clasped formally behind his back, Gerard looked over his shoulder at the voice addressing him. He shook his head and turned to face her fully, smiling cordially. “Not at all. I hope I didn’t ruin some alone time for you.” He joked, scratching the back of his head.

“The party is a bit much. Lots of people.” He remarked, tapping his fingers anxiously on the decorative banister surrounding the patio. “I’m surprised there aren’t more people out here.”

Gerard took solace in the fact that the opulent blonde appeared to be much more anxious than he was. He would have to point out to his children that there were, in fact, people who were more anti-social than he. Or rather, people who also preferred much smaller gatherings.

Absently Gerard wondered how she was staying warm in the gown she was wearing, as his own hands were starting to tingle in the cold. He was wearing a rather warm suit, and thought to offer his jacket, but didn’t want to seem forward (or even interested). “Aren’t you cold?” He asked instead.

[Victoria Jefferson]

"Maybe they just need the libation to get into the dancing mood. Being an adult is stuffy business after all," Vikki laughed, knowing full well she'd had a drink of her own before being asked to dance or doing it on her own. More often than she liked to admit, she would get caught up in the 'adult' life and forget to just let loose every now and then.

It kept a body young.

"Originally, no, but I did most of my growing up here. My sister attended the school. I moved away for a while, then came back when I got hired with a start up company here in town." No prizes for guessing what company that was. Pilot's Ridge and it's occupants were talking about the military and government based company that had taken up shop in an old dentist's office. "It's good work, and I'm really excited to be a part of it."

Sliding to the left and performing some bouncy arm wavy move, Vikki spun before resuming the wiggly dance that went better with the music.

"We hope to make things easier for graduated of the school. Open more options." And keep them from feeling like they had to hide. "What about you, Hart? Where did you grow up and is being an adult all you thought it would be?"

[Morgan Tonaya]

Morgan groped about for the bar stool, clambering onto it without much trouble once he finally got his balance up. He grinned broadly at Cobalt’s question. He was warmed that Cobalt spent so much time worrying about him these days, but really wished he wouldn’t. “I’m doing really well. Finally getting back into the swing of school and stuff.” He explained. “And Tory’s mom says I get to babysit.” He added victoriously.

He was still exceedingly excited that Midori had decided to include Morgan in the family of Darryl’s baby, even if Darryl was still adjusting to being a dad at all. “SO all in all I’m go—Oh! Excuse me!” He stammered in surprised when another body collided with his.

Morgan’s heart was beating quite quickly, startled as he was by the sudden collision. He felt a hand rest tentatively on his arm and cleared his throat. “It’s uh…it’s okay.” He said, tilting his head to try and figure out exactly where the mysterious woman was.

“Do I…know you?” He asked, chuckling awkwardly and hoping Cobalt would interject. At least with some sort of information about the person holding on to Morgan.

[Spencer Cox]

He wasn't too surprised that people were generally staying far away from him. He never claimed to be a dancer. Still, he was being pretty subdued on that particular evening. A few more drinks in him and it could have been so, so much worse. Actually, never mind that 'could' part. It would have been much worse, and he knew it. Which was why he was consciously telling himself that the drink in his hand had to last him a while. Which was going to be difficult because about three quarters of it were gone already. Typical.

As he scanned the room - height suddenly became an advantage - he became aware of someone talking to him, and he gave the other man a smile, as friendly as he could manage. But not overly friendly. Didn't want to give off the wrong impression. Be that the 'hi, I'm the guy who's going to follow you home tonight' one or the 'I've only just met you but already I want to be blood brothers' one.

"Oh, I don't, er, I don't really know, mate," he confessed, not really remembering too much of the traditions that took place outside of his studies - or his imaginationland . "But it is really impressive. I take it you're not from around here?"

[Dr. James Campbell]

James draped his arm over his husband's shoulders and smiled at him. "I love you too, Chase." It was easy to be in the Christmas spirit right now. They'd had a rough year, but earlier in December had marked one month of Niko officially being their son, and they really were doing better.

Perhaps it might have looked like James got dressed drunk--why yes, he did own a red velvet suit--but he was designated driver tonight, letting Chase let loose a little bit. He had some of the non-spiked eggnog in hand, and was scanning the room for people they knew. Granted, after twenty years in Pilot Ridge, he had seen pretty much everyone there before at least once. And while he only really knew the Hammel staff, there were enough people they didn't see everyday to talk to. "Want to go talk to Cobalt? I don't think he or Morgan will be dancing much." Neither would they, unless Chase decided he had enough alcohol in him. "Or we can go find Sean and Josh; I know Sean said they were coming."

Another glance around the room, and the recruiter had to smile. "Or we can go save Kiko. I think Roman just ordered another drink." Rome was his best friend, and James wasn't exactly the staunchest drinker, but even he knew the younger man was a lightweight.

[Honor Sayers]

The tinge of hesitance in Morgan's voice almost made Honor grin but she had to be wary of people who looked their way. She didn't even know Morgan was with somebody else.

His question had Honor tilting her head slightly and paused before realising the nod she was about to produce would be lost on the man. "If you're Morgan, then yes...well, we work together." Honor worked her voice to be soft and inviting.

"But we've never really spoken to each other, I suppose. I'm Honor. Honor Sayers." Honor let her smile come through in her voice. "I don't think I know where I am...am I at the bar?" She tilted her head, trying to figure if she was talking to Morgan or the chair beside him.

[Feivel Silverstein]

Esme was completely safe, or as safe as one could be when someone was flying her around. "Thought you'd like it." If he'd thought of it before, he'd have suggested she wear a hat, but he figured she'd think disheveled hair was worth it. The closer they got to the club, the higher up he flew, so when they reached the street where they could hear the music playing, he adjusted into more of a glide. "Hold on tighter. Landings can be a bit bumpy." Right beside the patio, he pulled up short and landed heavily on his feet.

"There we go, safe and sound." Feivel put Esme down and smiled down at her. "Your hair's a bit mussed, though." He ran his hand over his own hair, knowing it probably looked worse than hers, but he knew he could pull off the slightly-disheveled look. (Gideon could, and he didn't have any look other than disheveled.) He wrapped his arm around around the researcher and waved his other large hand at the older man and blonde woman standing on the patio. "So, ready to go inside?"

[Cobalt Weaver]

“Good,” Cobalt nodded with a fond smile, “Good, I’m glad.” Whatever else he wanted to say to Morgan was interrupted by another woman knocking into him. After listening to them talk for a moment, he ascertained that she was from Hammel and therefore safe enough. Now bereft of a conversation, Cobalt let his eyes wander through the now-crowded room, taking in all the people mingling and talking and dancing. He watched people cluster around their friends and family and he decided that, okay, this wasn’t so bad.

His eyes roamed over a particular cluster of people when he spotted Ben. A spike of nervousness shot through him as he watched Ben separate himself from the group of people he assumed was his family and wander a safe distance away from him. I should go talk to him. Cobalt was almost out of the seat before his brain caught up with him and he remembered that the last time he spoke to Ben, he basically told him he didn’t think Ben was right for him.

Now, he wasn’t so sure.

But enough was enough, and Cobalt was tired of letting his old words run his life. Taking a deep breath, he leaned over to Morgan and clapped the younger man on the shoulder, “I’ll be right back, okay?” Then he slipped off of the barstool and made his way towards Ben.

It seemed like the room had doubled in size while he was walking, but eventually, he caught up with the younger man. “Ben, hi, I need to talk to you for a second?” And although it was sort of phrased as a question, Cobalt tugged on Ben’s sleeve and led him somewhere out of the earshot of any potential eavesdroppers.

He took a breath. “You were wrong, when we fought that day,” He blurted out, saying the exact opposite of what he wanted to say. Terrified, he plowed forward, “Which is weird, because usually I’m the one ending up with his foot in his mouth because I can be kind of an asshole, but that’s not really what happened, so I didn’t know how to handle not being wrong for once which is why I said what I said the last time we talked. I didn’t know how to be on the receiving end of an apology like this and it still bothered me because I thought that I was broken, I just wanted to fix it myself but I’m really not.”

Cobalt paused then, on the edge of an epiphany, “I’m not broken. I never was, I was just hurt and messed up and angry but I wasn’t broken. Which is sort of weird, because I more or less thought that til this very moment, but you didn’t have the right to say it and you were wrong anyways and I didn’t know how to accept your apology even though I forgave you.” He looked up at Ben with wide eyes, “I forgave you. And I do think you’re a person who can accept me for who I am, but I think it’s going to take some work, which is fair, but you keep asking me to trust you when you don’t even trust me.” The words were tumbling out of his mouth without check, “Because you know what? I kissed Danny. Like…a week ago. Right on the mouth. And the only thing it did was make me realize that it didn’t feel the same as kissing you. And…and it made me realize that I don’t want to kiss anyone else but you, so there’s that. And…and…”

Cobalt took a breath finally, the rapid-fire of frantic words ebbing and what he just said finally caught up with him. “…And I feel this is going really poorly because…I said all that stuff for no reason and…you’re just standing there and… I…” Cobalt turned scarlet with embarrassment, “And I’m gonna go.”

[Kanda Shao]

The teacher was already on the floor dancing with a drink in one hand and her bag clutched in the other before the surge of arrivals. It wasn't really her kind of thing, this bash, but hey, there was alcohol. She wasn't planning on getting totally wasted, obviously. However this was one of those rare things in which she saw many opportunities - to be charitable, to let her hair down, and to eavesdrop on everyone else's conversations. Except, she wouldn't quite call it eavesdropping. More like 'taking an active interest in the local community'. That sounded fairer.

She'd been so excited about coming to such a popular event that she wasn't quite sure what she was wearing. She hated playing dress-up like this, and if she'd had her way she'd have been wearing a sweatsuit to the function. What was the point of parties? You get all dolled up and ruin your expensive cloth by dancing in it. Or, alternatively, you spend a fortune on an outfit you don;t get to have fun in because you're too busy being bored out of your skull. This was why she only owned a couple of fancy outfits, this being one of them. Maybe it was a bit cold for this kind of thing, but she was willing to make that sacrifice just to be a fly on the wall.

Or in this case, on the dancefloor.

With so many people she knew or recognised here as well, she couldn't think of anywhere she'd rather have been that night. There was no doubt in her mind that something interesting was going to happen. It had to; it was a 'holiday season' event.

[Benjamin Rhodes]

Having Cobalt suddenly appear and pull him away to a quieter corner, Ben started to worry about what he'd done wrong this time. Cobalt's opening sentence didn't help his worries and Ben just breathed slowly, trying not to freak out too outwardly.

And as Cobalt continued, Ben's worries multiplied and of course when Danny was mentioned, Ben's gut twisted and he barely heard Cobalt's previous words. All he thought was, "Yeah...I knew it."

Then, Cobalt's next words caught him by surprise and his previously twisted gut miraculously untwisted and mixed feelings started to mess around with his innards. Cobalt kissed Danny. But it made him realise Ben was the one he wanted to kiss. But he kissed Danny.

It took him about two seconds to realise Cobalt wanted to leave. "N...no wait no!" He panicked, shaking his head rigorously, grabbing Cobalt's sleeve and holding him there. "I...so...I..." a smile was fighting to materialise on Ben's face. "So I'm...you kissed Danny." He blinked and looked away before dropping his hand from Cobalt's arm down to his hand, pulling him closer and squeezing his hand gently.

"But you thought about me?" He smiled and shook his head in amusement. Ben squeezed Cobalt's hand one more time before releasing it. "It didn't go poorly at all. Thank you...for saying all that and...I know I was wrong. I'm going to work better at...trusting you. I will. To be honest, I'm probably the broken one." He wiped his face, suddenly looking more tired than he thought he was.

"And I do. I do accept you for who you are. I should have said that instead of...what I said. And I'm sorry." He leaned in and pressed his lips on Cobalt's cheek briefly. "Thank you for forgiving me."

[Cobalt Weaver]

Cobalt was so embarrassed. He didn’t know how to apologize because he wasn’t strictly sorry for what he said—he’d meant every word of it—but he didn’t mean to inundate Ben with all this information that Ben probably didn’t even care about anymore what in God’s name had he been thinking. He miserably stepped back to find somewhere to hide when Ben reached out and grabbed Cobalt’s sleeve. He stared up at Ben with wide blue eyes. His expression fell when Ben fixated on the one thing that wasn’t the point of that whole monologue, but when he smiled and took his hand, Cobalt gripped it back.

“Yes,” Cobalt said earnestly, “Only you. I mean, that sounds really intense and sort of…weird. But it’s…it’s true.”

Cobalt shook his head emphatically, scowling reprovingly at Ben, “No. No. Nobody’s broken, Ben. That’s…that’s not how things work; that’s not how people work.” He reached out and timidly took Ben’s hand again, “You’re not broken. There’s nothing wrong with you, you’re…there’s…” His words were running out, and affection was still hard, but he was trying, and he figured that would count for something.

The kiss on the cheek felt chaste enough to give him doubts about whether or not this was going the way he’d hoped. He didn’t know what Ben wanted, and he didn’t know how to ask. Finally, he opted again for honesty, “I-I don’t know what to do now. Whatever you like, I suppose.” He gave Ben a nervous smile.