BIG PARTY! [open to all]

[Caelum Mitchellson]

"Sorry about this, we'll only be a moment." He gave the guy Jen was speaking with a kind smile as he pulled his sister away and into the kitchen. At first he was going to be calm, let his sister explain things, but no. She had to go and catch an attitude with him the moment they were alone. Well that, and playing innocence. It almost sent him into a rage, and for that "almost" he was very happy he had started taking his meds again. 

"Jen..." Caelum's voice started out calm. "Why the hell would you do this?" The tone raised just a little, but not enough to make the guest feel awkward. "Ya know what? Don't bother trying to explain yourself. I'm sure deep down you thought this was some grand gesture. Some innocent little prank. It's not funny Jen." From the speed of his words, he was sure she could tell that she wouldn't be getting a word in. It was one of Caelum's (in)famous speeches. Ones that he would not stop until he was finished. "I'm all for a good prank, and I know I've pulled some on you, but really?" With that, he slammed one of the flyers down on the kitchen table. "I've NEVER once humiliated you, or made you feel bad or awkward about yourself. Why would you do it to me?" Pausing a moment, he caught his breath.

"You, my sister, should know I'm NOT the type of person for 'one night stand'. That's..." Caelum thought about what he was about to say faster than a bolt of lightening. His original words were "That's you.", but he thought better of it. Besides, that was way too harsh, regardless of how upset he was. "That's not who I am." That's what he continued with.  "Did you stop to think that this isn't just my house either? How my roommates would feel about this? Ya know what? I'm not just angry with you...I'm disappointed." With that he crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at her. "Now, since I hate being rude, I'm going to go back out there and attempt to mingle. If I were you, I'd stay as far away from me tonight as you can."

The silence. Caelum didn't stop to let her speak, at the moment, he didn't care. He was already stepping back out into the living room. Then, his heart sunk in his chest. Standing there, only a few feet away, were Zach...and Kai. For a brief moment, he considered slinking up to the safety of his attic, but as he watched Kai, something bubbled in him. Revenge. The moth man plastered on his signature smile and strolled straight over to his friend..and Kai. "Zach!" His voice was chipper and happy. Okay, he was genuinely happy to see Zach. "Heya buddy!" He added as he hugged his friend's shoulders. As he did, he whispered in Zach's ear. "For the love of god, do not leave my side, cause I may kill my sister if left to my own devices." He pulled back and turned his winning smile on Kai.

"Well hello Mr. Roen, you're looking well today." The smile was there, his polite and sweet nature was there and he planned on it staying. For now at least. Then he noticed someone new. "Well hello there handsome." Caelum beamed and held out his hand. "Name's Caelum. I'm the weird-o who's sister is throwing this party for." This was the guy he pulled Jen from earlier he realized. "Sorry for pulling her away, by the way."

[Jen Mitchellson]

Oh, he was enjoying the attention and Jen giggled in response. "Oh I bet there is!" She said with a smile and then shook her head. No, Jen! Focus! This was the guy who broke Caelum's heart! "Whatever." She added in feigned indifference. He then smiled and she bit on her lower lip as she saw that. Mmm, hmm mm! "Oh, yes he can." She said with a smirk. But Zach wasn't all that happy and she cleared her throat, losing the smirk. Yeah, it was probably best that she left.

Or maybe not. Jen shook, Brooke's, was it? Brooke's hand and smiled her big fake smile at her. And then she mentioned they were practice partners. "Oh, really?" Said Jen with the same fake smile, her eyes going from Brooke to Xun as he explained it was just in martial arts. "Oh, the ones you were going to teach me?" She asked with the same smile and forced cheerful voice. Brooke kept going though and it was pretty obvious whatever it was they were doing wasn't just practicing martial arts. Of course. He'd lied. Just like every piece of crap man she'd ever met. She turned to Xun, shaking her head in disappointment. And then the girl seemed to have either pinched, slapped or plainly grabbed Xun's butt, because he jumped away. "Well, you two have fun." Fucking liar. She sent him a glare and turned to Julien. Reliable Julien. He wouldn't lie, would he?

She'd been meaning to talk to him too, mostly about Zach's idea about acting, but she never got the chance to do so, because Caelum was already pulling her away. She followed him to the kitchen, still smiling innocently all the way. She'd been hoping for him to either laugh, appreciate the joke, or maybe get all angry and yell at her, then she'll be cute and they'll share a good laugh. That's how it worked, right? Well, she didn't get what she'd been expecting. Not even close.

"I-" She stuttered, but he didn't let her talk. Didn't let her explain or apologise or ANYTHING really. Jen stared at him with wide eyes. Why would he say she humiliated him? Just because of a stupid picture? Or a party thrown in his name? She just thought this was what he needed. Meet someone else, get over Kai. She hadn't known the jerk would show up with Zach!

"I- I didn't-" She started when he stopped for a second, but then he was going again. Her big eyes seemed redder then, starting to water but she refused to let the tears drop. Oh come on! Disappointed? She'd never heard him say that. She'd heard her father say it, to Caelum. And boy, did it hurt. It hurt a lot. He finished, telling her he was going to leave and she took a step toward him. "But-" No use. He was gone. She choked back a sob as she leaned against the counter, bitting on her lower lip. She'd never expected him to take the joke that harshly. She hadn't meant anything mean with it. He was exaggerating, right? It wasn't THAT bad. She figured if he made public some embarrassing pictures of herself, she would just roll her eyes and laugh it off... right? Wouldn't she? Well... YES! Of course she would! He was just being a jerk! An overly sensitive, PMSy ass! So- so fuck him! Actually that was why she'd thrown the party but- Whatever. She was here to party! If he wanted to be a jerk over a nice gesture then fine.

Jen turned to the shelves, opening them until she found what she'd been looking for. Medicine. Perfect! Well, not exactly medicine, but Jayson's medicine. Or more likely, Rayne's medicine. A big bottle of Vodka. Bless Jayson for replacing it. She grabbed it, quickly opening and gulping down a good amount until her throat burned. She coughed and felt her head spin, wincing at the strong flavour. Exactly what she needed.

She moved to leave the kitchen and turned to see Caelum talking to Julien. Great. Now she couldn't even finish her conversation with him. She then turned again to Xun and that slut Brooke and rose the bottle to her lips, taking a second big gulp. This party was starting to be crappy. So Jen moved to the couch she'd been sitting on previously, flopping down on it and taking another sip from the bottle.

Fuck Caelum. Fuck Xun. Fuck Everyone.

[Deleted]

"Nothing, just...why would I be...what would I say anyway?" he stammered, avoiding the question. Lord only knows how big Kai ego would inflate if he found out that Zach was actually.....showing off...his hot boyfriend. No, Kai didn't need to know about that. Besides...Jen was inflating his ego enough all by herself. Was she feeling his bicep? "Umm...." More than jealous, Zach was just downright flabbergasted at the exchange between his boyfriend and his good friend's little sister. Zach sighed and gave Kai a defeated glare. "Fine....whatever. Do what you want." The two showcasers could knock themselves out, Zach could....just do something else, he guessed.

At least he was spared from that torture when Jen left to go greet other guests. "I'd prefer that...." he muttered, turning his head to take Kai's kiss on the lips. "You're......" Zach smiled incredulously up at his boyfriend. "I can't believe you..." he said. Lovingly, of course.

Though maybe it would be better if they stuck around, considering how....well, Caelum was probably going to need them to hang out a while longer. At least until the party died down a bit. And....well, it helped that Zach knew some of the people who were here, that made it easier for him to....well, the introvert was a lot more comfortable that way.

Even though it was still fucking weird running into co-workers at a party like this, of all places... Zach shook his head as Kai started saying something to Julien, as if it was important. "What?" he said back to Kai when he nudged him. "Why? You think with the way you're acting, I'd want people to know I know you?" He turned back to Julien, snapping the cap off his beer and taking a small swig. "Ignore him," he advised. That what Zach was planning to do.

After a short while(presumably after chewing out his little sister), Caelum re-emerged into the main room to socialize, immediately coming over to the small crowd of men. Zach sent him a sympathetic smile and returned the embrace. "I was gonna call you....sorry," he whispered back. Of course he want going to leave his side. They didn't want any bloodshed, now did they? He stepped back to allow Caelum to meet their other, newly arrived companion. "Caelum....this...this is Julien, he's...we work at the newspaper...together." Yeey, introductions...

[Deleted]

Loooooool, just lookit how many conclusions this gal jumped onto! Soooo funny! Of course it was just martial arts! Anything else was just Brooke teasing Xun because he was just soooo tease-able! With the way he jerked and jumped all the time in the face of female attention, who wouldn't want to grope his tight little bum!? She giggled at Xun's reactions, and even more at Jen's. Poor girl, Brooke almost felt bad for her little prank.

Brooke shrugged, giving her tall, strong, and Asian friend a good pat on the shoulder. "Oh let her think what she wants, if she doesn't want to hear the answer, she i'n't gonna hear it no matter how plain ya say it." Just the fact that Brooke was there was no doubt enough to make her think weird shit about her and Xun's relationship, which by the way, was just a playful one of (twisted)friendship. They hadn't practiced together since Brooke graduated, actually. There were classes she could take at the university, so she didn't have to go track him down for that either.

Feeeeeh, Xun wasn't even trying to size up the man-prize of the party. Oh, well, she tried. Apparently, he was too wrapped up in this gullible girl that Brooke was trolling. "Fiiiiine," she said when he insisted on having the baijiu already. She grabbed Xun's hand again and led him to one of the sofa-chairs beside the couch where Brooke promptly unloaded the bottle and a couple small glasses onto the coffee table. "I brought shot glasses," she announced, opening the bottle and filling the small containers. Like she knew how it was supposed to be served, whatever, it was like vodka, right? So she served it as such. "Cheers!" she exclaimed, handing Xun his drink. Brooke giggled again. "And don't you worry about her, I'm pretty sure she got the hots for you too." It was obvious. Brooke sipped at the drink, getting a taste of it before deciding if she wanted to swig the little glass all at once. "Just seduce her," she suggested casually. Mmm...it was good! Brooke took it all in on gulp then promptly poured another helping.

It was about this time that the girl Jen re-emerged from the kitchen with a sour look on her face. Whoopsie, someone was having a bad day! "Hey, hey!" she called to the girl, turning on the arm of the chair and flapping her hand to get Jen's attention. "Wanna try this shiz?" she asked, holding up the bottle of baijiu. "This dork," Brooke thumbed to 'the dork', "says he'll only drink this stuffs. I'n't that weird? I gotta say, he's missin' out on a lotta the finer things'n life, bein' sucha stick-in-the-mud. Doncha think?"

[Deleted]

The ones you were going to teach me? “Yes! Well, no, well… Not really… Sort of…” Xun mumbled. “I didn’t teach her, we were both just… In the same club…” Why did he feel so guilty about this? It wasn’t like he and Brooke had done anything to be embarrassed about. It was just… The way Brooke was talking… Xun was sputtering, trying to think of something else to say to make this all better, but he lost his chance when Jen glared at him and walked away.

His heart felt like it shattered into a million pieces. That… That look she had given him… Like he’d betrayed her…

“Wh… What do you mean?” he mumbled to Brooke, turning his wide, innocent eyes onto the shorter girl. “I… I told her I’m not…. Like that…. Why wouldn’t she believe me?” Xun didn’t understand how Jen thought that men were liars. He was of the (rare) breed that didn’t like to lie at all (mostly because he couldn’t do it to save his life, but also because he usually didn’t have a reason to). “I don’t want her to be mad at me…” he whimpered.

He barely even glanced at Caelum; all Xun was thinking about was how he could apologize to Jen about… Whatever he’d done wrong. He stumbled along after Brooke as she led him to a couch, and waited for her to pull out the bottle and glasses. “That’s good,” he said, his voice still dejected. Xun took one of the full glasses and downed it without a second thought; it burned a little on the way down, but it was fruity and way better than any American drink he’d tried. “You… You think so?” he blinked, looking at Brooke hopefully. Wait. Did that mean he had “the hots” for Jen? What did that even mean? He just liked being around her, that was all…! “Seduce….?” he repeated, looking flabbergasted. “I don’t know how…. And isn’t that… R-rude?” He didn’t know how flirting worked. “I want another please,” he sighed, holding out his glass. Assuming Brooke filled it, Xun downed it too; his cheeks were going to start flushing from the effects in no time. It took very little to get the slender Asian boy drunk.

Jen! She was back! Xun perked up and watched the older girl as she came out and sat down, looking really upset. He shrunk in slightly, feeling his heart drop again. Was she that upset with him? “I-it’s really good,” he mumbled after Brooke spoke. Xun’s eyes lifted to try to meet Jen’s, and he tentatively shuffled over so he was sitting closer to her. “A-are you okay?” he asked quietly, nervously. “I’m s-s-sorry, I r-really didn’t mean… We’re not….” Not what? What was he even apologizing for doing? “You’rereallyprettyandIlikeyou,” he stammered out, then promptly blushed beet red and hid his face. Where had that come from??

[Malachai Roen]

Heh, this Jen girl was amusing. Kai grinned at her even as she walked away, already thinking of other ways he could keep getting on her good side. But, ahem, boyfriend, yes. “I don’t know,” he replied to Zach, rolling his eyes upwards and thinking, “I’m sure you’ve probably complained about something I did, right? Is that why she seems to hate me?” Zach seemed grumbly now (of course), so Kai chuckled and nipped his earlobe. “I only want to do you,” he promised in a whisper with a low chuckle.

He was mildly surprised when the writer took the kiss on the mouth, but Kai was pleased. “I would too, honestly,” he said with earnest. But Caelum needed them! He gave the older man a crooked grin. “Don’t worry, I promise I’ll have you screaming later.” Mm… But he was getting ahead of himself, they still had a party between now and then!

Kai laughed at Zach’s words, shooting his amused smile at Julien. “I guess that’s a fair point,” he agreed, taking another swig from his bottle. Mm, yep, he’d made a good choice, this stuff was good. “Hey!” he protested when Zach said to ignore him. “Don’t do that, babe. I won’t let you.” The hand around Zach’s lower back slid down to give his rump a tap. Sorry Julien.

And… There was Caelum now, and Kai didn’t realize he’d tensed up until after the moth-winged man gave his boyfriend a hug. He swallowed down the small bubble of jealousy that had appeared in his chest, and gave Caelum a smile when he turned his attention to him. Mr. Roen? What were they, coworkers? “Hey, Cales,” he replied, nodding his head and reaching back to offer him a beer. “You are too.” It wasn’t a lie – Caelum was a very attractive man, both with and without his clothes on… Ahem. Kai couldn’t think about that now, it was rude and unfair. “Here, I brought plenty,” he said as he handed a bottle to his friend. Caelum seemed distracted with Julien now, though, so Kai smiled a little to himself and tucked against Zach again. “Is Julien gay?” he murmured into his ear. “I really want Caelum to find someone for himself…” And not just for a one-time fling. Kai really wanted the guy to be happy, especially after what Kai had done to him… He still felt guilty about that whole thing.

[Jen Mitchellson]

Jen took another deep gulp from the bottle and turned as someone called her. Of course, the salt rubbing the wound. Jen forced a smile and turned to the girl, trying not to show her emotions. She was a mess though. Between being there, drinking that asshole's alcohol, her brother scolding her for the prank and Xun being there with... her, it was all too hard to stay civil. And what was she talking about? Oh, right. Jen's eyes went to the bottle and the memory of her previous encounter with Xun hit her. He'd said something about drinking just one thing, right? Some sort of Chinese or whatever alcohol.

"Well," She said with a venom filled friendly voice, if that was possible, "I'm finding out today that Xun seems to have pretty bad taste." Shots thrown! Ugh. She felt bad about that. This girl wasn't at fault for being involved with the guy. He'd been the one to pretend he was all innocent and virginal and had never even kissed a girl. Right. She turned and took another big gulp of vodka right out from the bottle. Keeping it classy and all. She just wanted to pass out. She'd been a mess as it was, thanks to Luke's call and Jayson's recent insult parade, and now with Caelum hating her and Xun actually turning out to be a lie, well, she was starting to crack.

Next thing she knew though was that Xun was sitting there, next to her and she felt herself blush at how close he was. What was she? Twelve? Seriously, the alcohol was getting to her faster than she first thought. Was she okay? Jen sighed and shook her head, thanks to the alcohol for the lack of inhibitions. "No." She whispered. "Not even close."

He started stuttering and she turned to him again. Wait- What had he said? He called her pretty and told her he liked her. Jen smiled gently, raising a hand to gently caress his cheek, touching the smooth skin with just her fingertips. He was so handsome, pretty like a doll. Her hand traveled up and she ran her fingers through his silky hair. Really handsome. She leaned closer, nuzzling the side of his head and moving to his ear to whisper.

"You shouldn't flirt with other girls in front of your girlfriend." She moved away, glaring again, and turned the other way, feeling too dizzy to get out of the couch. The night was just starting and she was already buried deep in self loathing. Cheers to Saturday nights.

[Deleted]

Xun wrung his hands together nervously, almost spilling his next shot of baijiu on himself. He didn’t know what was wrong with Jen, but he felt like everything was all his fault for making her look so upset, and he still didn’t really understand what he had done wrong. Was it weird for him to have another friend that was a girl, or something…?

He winced as Jen spoke to Brooke, a small whimper escaping past his lips. As the interaction took place, he downed the second shot, and then poured himself a third and took that one too. Three was plenty to make him drunk, and the effects would take a very short period of time to sink in. “You don’t have to drink it if you don’t want to…” he mumbled dejectedly. It looked like Jen had found something else to drink anyway….

He didn’t know what short spurt of bravery had allowed him to sit next to her, but Xun felt even guiltier when he saw how upset Jen looked up this close. Even more when she said no, she wasn’t okay. “C-can I do anything to help?” he asked anxiously. His head was buzzing already, but he would do what he could if it meant bringing back that smile and laugh that he’d enjoyed before.

But… What was this? She was touching his face, and smiling, and Xun smiled stupidly back, thinking he must have done or said something that made her feel better. He didn’t know what it was, but he was glad about it. Xun’s eyes closed, and he unconsciously tilted his head further into her touch. It must have been the alcohol that kept him from flinching away. His breath caught as she came in close, and then she said… She said….

“Eh??” he exclaimed, eyes shooting open as she pulled away and glared at him. “You th-think… You…!” Xun gulped and shot an alarmed look at Brooke before looking back and Jen and shaking his head rapidly. “Sh-she’s not my girlfriend!” he said earnestly. “She’s just… She’s touchy! She likes to touch people!” Did that sound weird? Was he helping his situation? “Jen, please,” he whined. “Please don’t be mad at me, I don’t want you to be mad, it hurts…” Xun held his hand up against his chest as his eyes watered; the baijiu was definitely kicking in. He didn’t even realize he hadn’t protested the fact that she’d said he was flirting; he didn’t know that he was, and wouldn’t do it on purpose. He just wanted her to smile again! “I’m not that kind of person… R-really…” His voice cracked.

[Jen Mitchellson]

Jen was feeling down, that was true. She felt a lot had happened far too close together, so maybe she was being a tad bitchy about things. Particularly with Xun. He'd asked if he could do something to help and she stared at him in surprise. No one's ever wanted to help her while she was down. Well... one person. She turned and took another big gulp of Vodka. "No." She said as the memory hit her. Bad things happened when she accepted help from others. Jayson had tried talking to her, and then finished the entire day with 'Cheap fuck' and threatening her with his powers. Why were men such dicks? Did having a dick automatically made you one? Seriously, what was up with that? She took another drink and figured her thoughts were going this way because the vodka was getting to her. Good, she didn't want to remember this night.

So she kept being a bitch to Xun. She teased him, and almost felt sorry for him when he closed his eyes and seemed to enjoy her touch. And right in front of his girlfriend too! What a- a cheating bastard! But then she played him. Oh, how she played him. Except... the outcome wasn't what she'd been expecting.

Jen stared at him with wide eyes when he claimed Brooke wasn't his girlfriend. Well, it had to be true, right? The girl in question was RIGHT THERE! Listening. So why would he-? Did she make a mistake? She flushed, thinking maybe she'd acted a tad jealous. Funny, because usually she didn't care that much about that. Especially when it came to men. She had her adventures, they had theirs. So why was Xun lying such a big deal? She lied too, all the time. Her smiles were most of the time lies. And then... Then he cried. No, seriously, he was looking at her with moist eyes and motioning at his heart. It hurt.

"Oh, no." She whispered as she felt her heart tug at her. He was like a sad puppy, asking for forgiveness... or a treat? She smiled gently, raising her free hand again and placing it on his cheek. He was so handsome... "Is that true?" She asked, still staring at Xun, but her question wasn't directed to him. "Brooke, was it? Is that true?" She smiled at the boy, bitting on her lower lip. So cute... Whether Brooke answered or not, Jen didn't stop to listen, because she was already leaning forward and kissing Xun's cheek, slowly, like last time. His skin was so soft under her lips and he felt so warm... Or maybe that was the vodka kicking in.

She let out a breath, nuzzling her nose against his cheek and then flopped back onto the couch, smiling as if nothing had happened, blush still in place. "Trade you?" She asked, raising the bottle of vodka, "I gotta taste that stuff you like so much." She wanted to get to know him better, and tasting his preferences was part of it.

In fact... she had just the person to get to know him right there. "Brooke, was it?" She asked at the girl, smiling easily at her. She smirked, knowing the girl had tried to mess her up now that Xun had said they weren't a thing. Oh, how she wanted to have some revenge. Xun first. "You must know LOTS about Xun, right?" She said, leaning over Xun and placing an arm around his shoulders, getting closer. "Know any embarrassing stories?"

[Deleted]

“D’awww…..yer so keewt when you’re tryin’ t’be catty~” Brooke would pinch her cheek if…no, she should pinch her cheek, and was well on her way to do it, but then….bleeeh, Xunie was in the way and shaking his tight widdle bum up, Brooke just didn’t have the heart to but in(see what she did thar?). So she…poured another shot of baijiu of course! Though watching those two was….she was practically squealing, but not really because she was just sitting like a boss on the arm of the couch and looking like she had not a care in the world, but her entire focus was on stealthily eavesdropping on the conversation beside her. She was about to roll on the floor laughing at her ‘girlfriend flirting’ comment, though. Oh, this gal was a hoot! Brooke definitely liked her.

And Xun’s reaction! He was so much more adorable than normal when he had a few drinks in him, but it was the same ol’ Xun freaking out and stuttering over his words over the concept of a little bit of female attention. Brooke downed her shot to distract her. That is, keep her from actually rolling on the floor and kicking her feet into the air with laughter. For now, taking the drink and doubling over, arms across her stomach, was enough. Yes she was laughing. Very loudly. So much loudly it sounded maniacal. Which wasn’t actually that strange for the feline-ish fiendish meta girl. But Xunie….d’awww, his whining and pleading was just too adorable….Brooke was tempted to pinch his bum again just to snap him away from his sorrow.

Brooke sent the girl Jen a sneaky smile. “Of course it is,” she replied, pouring another shot of baijiu for herself(and Xun) and downing it in an instant. Mmmm, she was starting to feel it now, wow that came up on her faast! “I didn’t lie. We….” she started slowly, slipping off the arm of the couch and setting the glass on the coffee table. “Are just what I said we were. Practice partners~!” Brooke gleed and put her fingers all kawaii-like to her cheeks as she sang out the answer. “And he didn’t lie, I’m just a touchy-touchy gal, i’n’t that right Xunie-baby?” With that she gave the flushed China-Wushu-Mushu another tap on his exposed bottom. Because if it was there, she wanted to touch it, of course!

“That’s the spirit!” she exclaimed when Jen asked for a taste of the baijiu. Brooke promptly poured another three drinks(regardless if Xun finished his last one) and handed one to Jen. “Bottom’s up!” And hers was gone again. Boy, Brooke hadn’t been able to drink like this since…since before starting college! She wondered if her tolerance had been affected much?

Brooke’s eyes glinted and her feline ears might have started to perk up unconsciously when Jenny(she’ll call her Jenny from now on) asked about stories. Her smile spread into something borne of the devil and she leaned in a little bit closer. “Tee-hee,” she tee-hee’d, covering her mouth modestly. Her tail flicked in excitement(yes, her tail had emerged by this point, she was too drunk to keep her shifting under wraps). Brooke pointed a finger. “Jenny! I can call you Jenny, right? Too bad.” Brooke went on. “I have sooooo many stories….whaddaya wanna hear?” She crossed her bare legs like the proper cat-lady she was and strummed her fingers against her knee, resting her chin in her other hand. “Hmmmm??”

[Julien Duval]

Julien stood around awkwardly when Jen disappeared and pulled the cap off of his own beer, nodding at Zach as he awkwardly introduced him to his....whatever it was that he was. Zach advised him to ignore him. Julien just shrugged in response as the figure who had pulled Jen into the kitchen appeared once more, introducing himself. Jen's brother? Interesting. "Oh, did you not want her to throw a party?" he asked. "And I'm Julien. I uh, know Jen from..." From what really? "We uh, met at a cafe." He just merely smiled back when Caelum called him handsome. He wasn't sure what else to do and it didn't really bother him.

His eyes drifted across the room for a moment, beer idylly in his hand, finally finding Jen on the sofa, looking annoyed. He was about to make his way over to her when Zach spoke again. "Oh yeah...Zach and I work on the newspaper at the university." He'd pretty much just repeated what Zach had said, distracted by Jen, who looked upset, and then his view of her was blocked when a guy and a girl seemed to crowd around her.

He tuned back in just in time to see Kai groping Zach's butt and tried to think of a reason to excuse himself, rubbing the back of his neck. Kai kept whispering things in Zach's ear and Julien just felt like he was smack dab in the middle of everything.

[Caelum Mitchellson]

Caelum smiled brightly at Zach and nodded, then ruffled the man's hair. It was his way of saying that it was okay that he didn't contact him. Maybe a little party was actually just what he needed to get over...things. He thought this and instantly felt bad for chewing Jen out. It really wasn't fair, the party itself was clearly out of love. The picture however, he could still be upset over. The moth man would figure out a way to make it up to her later. For now, his attention was turned back to "his" company.

His eyes barely noticed Kai as he offered him a beer, besides...he seemed far to occupied with Zach. Which he wondered how long that would last. Totally, uncool. He mentally chastised himself for even thinking that. From the way Kai was leech-locked onto the guy, things had to be better. In some way, this made Caelum very happy. It did not mean that he wouldn't be getting back at Kai. "Thanks." His words were soft, but there was a definite bite to them as he took the drink, opened it, downed a few gulps, and wanted to scrunch his face up. It was expensive beer.

The man did not like beer, and the more expensive kind made him think of Kai, and his father. Which was a very odd combination. So, instead of focusing on that, he let his mind be led to Zach and this...Julien person. "Ahh, It's nice to meet you. Any friend of Zach's is a friend of mine. Pardon the handsome by the way. Not that you aren't, it's just how I am." He offered an genuine smile to the guy and nodded. "And nah, I don't really mind the party per say. It was the way she went about doing it. Though, I'm assuming since you've at least met my sister...you know how she can be." The moth man was putting on his best charm, but he was sticking close to Zach. Using him as a crutch of sorts. Not literally leaning on him, but he was feeling an usual feeling. What was it?

Awkward! Caelum felt awkward? That was strange, to say the least. Mister outgoing, Mister Prankster, was feeling awkward. Yep, no doubt about it. First the picture, then Kai, now he could see Jen fawning all over some guy so his big brother side was kicking in. Yep, it was not perfect timing. The more Kai got into the Zach the worse Caelum was feeling, but in his typical fashion, he didn't show it. "So, since my sister seems....occupied. Would you mind keep us...er...me company? It's totally cool if you'd rather not." It was the only thing he could really think to say at the moment.

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“I…I don’t know!” he insisted. “I’m…I’m gonna start complaining about you thinking I’m always complaining next time!” Yes, he was threatening, oh so scary. Kai was surely going to leave him alone now. When Kai whispered in his ear….honestly, Zach wanted to punch him, but at the same time, he couldn’t help the blush that touched his cheeks. “Kai…! Not—!” He stared up at his lover, exasperated. He couldn’t that this tall, lunking and lumbering thing anywhere, could he? And Kai complained that Zach was uncultured!

Why did Zach like this guy again? And why did Zach turn his head, after all that scolding he gave Kai about his behavior. The kiss on the cheek was too patronizing, yes, that was it! Even….well, the fact that Julien was there was….it was awkward, but at the same time…well, Zach was pleased that he was at a party, for once, where he knew more people there than Kai did. The familiar faces made it easier for him to interact with people, despite him still wishing he’d rather be at home right now.

In fact, Zach was feeling like he needed to point that out to his needy, attention-whore lover, who seemed to be wanting to give Zach all the attention(for once) in front of so many people. Zach twitched slightly when Kai tapped his rump. He sighed, annoyed. “Are you done?” he asked. Probably not.

“I….I don’t know…I don’t think so, he went after my sister,” Zach whispered back to Kai, though even then he was jumping to conclusion on that assumption. He never actually heard from either that Julian was going after Kailin. Then he saw Julien eyeing them, looking very awkward and…. Zach shrugged Kai off his shoulder. “Oh my god, quit…hanging on me!” he complained, turning to the tall man. “You’re the one who wanted to come to this party and…and dragged me here.” Essentially. “And now I have people I can actually talk to and you’re just—Guh!” It was so irritating. “You’re a social person,” he pointed out. “So….social.” Zach waved his hand out at the rest of the crowd. Surely there were other people that Kai could peacock around, right?

Zach took a few breathes after that little tantrum, then turned back to Julien and Caelum. “I’m sorry, what were we, uh….talking about?” Yeah, he wanted to hang out with Caelum because they didn’t do that too often anymore, not since that thing happened, so excuse him for looking forward to spending time with a friend. And, oh no! Someone who wasn’t Kai!