New Year's Party

[Elaine Tonaya]

Elaine smiled at Riley as he offered to take her coat. "Yes, thank you." She took it off and handed it to him. "And thank you once again for inviting me. I hope this evening will help me to relax."

When she looked around the room again, she tried once more to remember everyone's face. Some people seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite put a name to the faces. Instead she decided to wait until she was introduced or reintroduced to everyone, and instead pass her time talking to the people she currently did know.

And on that note...

Josh stepped away, and Elaine caught Sean's eye. He gestured, and she heard him project, Do you have a few minutes to chat?

She nodded. I have some things I'd like to talk to you, she thought back, then went to the corner he had motioned toward.

"I wanted to talk to you about the holiday bash," she said in a whisper when they were both out of hearing from the rest of the party-goers. "It was those two people who were with Jake. I'm a little worried, because when I met Jake, he seemed...off, to me. Like he couldn't exactly be trusted. And those two, Oscar and his wife, or whoever they really are, well." She shivered, as just the memory of the auras sent chills down her spine. "I will describe this the best way I possibly can. I have smelled people who have done wrong things but still might be good people. For example, that beautiful young woman over there. She's killed someone, but she feels guilty for it, and she wants to help people. But these two, they hurt people on a daily basis, and they don't feel remorse. In short, those two at the party felt...soulless." And while it might normally seem strange that she would open up so quickly to someone who she didn't know all too well, Elaine felt confident that she was doing the right thing in telling Sean all this. Not only did he come with good recommendations from Morgan, but he smelled like a person who not only was good and wanted to take care of others, but was capable of doing so. This was someone who could help, and who deserved to have all the information she could give.

[Riley Adams]

A warm smile spread across Riley's lips at Elaine's thanks. "Please, it was the least I could do. I have much to thank you for." He squeezed her hand gently and let her go only to attend to Clarisse who asked if she could help, which of course he politely declined. "We didn't really get to know each other the other...night," he gave the delicate woman a sheepish grin. "I'm quite willing to rectify that tonight if you would be so obliging."

"Why don't you two help yourselves to the refreshments? I'll take care of the-" he paused when he saw Janice already slipping into the kitchen for the alcohol. He bit back a groan but maintained his smile in front of his guests. Should he have asked them not to bring any? Hmm...he should get over himself shouldn't he? He was an adult. There was just no way he could continue being in a social gathering without the patrons of the party not drink. Look at Stephen...wait, where was Stephen?

He gravitated towards Ben, the newcomer who was speaking to Josh and Cobalt animatedly, Ben and Josh already with drinks in hand. The party was going great so far and he was decently happy. Well, at least the awkwardness that had been the poker night hadn't deterred any of his guests to be amiable with each other. He gave a small wave to Leila who had started talking to the delicately featured brunette who came with her, Cobalt and Ben.

Riley felt his phone buzz and he wondered who it could be. He excused himself from his friends and pushed Janice to the center of the room so she could be pseudo host. "I'll be but a second." He smiled at Janice who easily mingled with everybody else. He looked down at the pulsating screen which read 'Stephen' and a sense of relief washed over him for a second. Maybe he was explaining why he was running late.

A few minutes later found Riley outside with his phone on the bed. Janice saw the look on his face and wandered over to him. "Hey, hey...what's up." Janice asked and Riley gave her a little strained smile. "Nothing big, Stephen got a call. From New Hampshire so he's driving down there now."

Janice patted her brother's back. "Cheer up old fart. You've got plenty of people here to keep you company. And I'll even let you slobber all over me come the new year." She squeezed Riley's arm and pushed him to his guests. Feeling decidedly a little better, Riley gave his little sister a smile before trying to engage in the conversation between Cobalt, Ben and Josh.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Once they were safely in the corner, and Sean had given one last glance at the other guests to make sure that nobody was deliberately listening, the telepath turned back to Elaine. They had as much privacy as they would have at a New Year’s party in an apartment as small as Riley’s. The psychiatrist kept his arms behind him at a mock parade rest stance and listened as she spoke. “I wanted to talk about the bash too.” While it was encouraging to see that they were on the same page in that respect, the knowledge made the situation all the more ominous. If the two of them with powers that kept them attuned to other people’s inner selves had noticed something amiss, then it was quite likely that something was amiss.

As he listened, the telepath’s expression shifted from one of mild relief that they could have their conversation to one of deep concern. So something was very wrong with that couple, and he couldn’t read the man’s mind and thus couldn’t have been apprised of his thoughts or tendencies. His “wife” – if she even was his wife - was also problematic, and they had managed to slip by without being caught. While he was sober. That didn’t bode well.

The insight into Jake Lawrence was also both appreciated and distressing. If the young man hadn’t turned himself around, then chances were high that he was still associating with Gabriel Underwood, since all of his behavior problems had stemmed from Underwood when he’d been a student. If that was the case, then Elaine was right to be worried about Morgan, because he was potentially at great risk.

He shook his head, not to deny what she had disclosed but rather as an expression of frustration. “I was afraid of that.” His arms dropped from behind his back, and he brought one hand u p to his chin, rubbing the stubble idly as he thought. “I’d keep an eye on your son if at all possible. I’m not a father in the traditional sense, but I wouldn’t want my son mixed up with people like that. Not with what can happen when metas go wrong.”

[Joshua Bernstein]

There were several reasons Josh was thrilled by Riley's invitation. One was that no matter how poorly previous gatherings had gone he still enjoyed the company of all the other invitees he knew. The other was alcohol. He'd been very obediently forsaking alcohol for the past several months, a fact he'd spent a great deal of time complaining about because it was easier to complain about lack of alcohol than it was to discuss his other concerns post-attack. Like the fact that he felt helpless around metas now. Not something he was going to burden his friends with, especially since most of them were meta themselves. I resent that I have to rely on you for protection wasn't the sort of revelation he liked making. Not that he wasn't grateful that they rescued him, but he wished he didn't need it.

So after greeting Riley and Janice and with a "Come get food?" to Cobalt he'd immediately followed Ben into the kitchen to find beer (he wouldn't uncork the champagne until time to toast 2011) and load up on the delicious appetizers their host had provided.

"Mmm. Riley's outdone himself." He shoveled a pile of hummus onto his paper plate. "Wonder if he'd mind if I brought some back for mom?" He mused as he wandered back into the living room.

"So any exciting plans for the New Year?" He directed this at both Ben and Cobalt, "What New Year's resolutions are you planning on breaking?"

He looked up as Riley approached, beaming jovially. "This is delicious. Next time I come up to visit my mother I am calling you ahead of time in the hopes you will take pity on me and make lunch."

[Benjamin Rhodes]

With Yulia off with a new friend [someone Ben hoped she would actually talk to this time] Ben was a free agent and he gravitated easily toward Cobalt and Josh, with whom he had spent the last few lunches with. The invitees were all in good spirit, including Cobalt which made Ben smile. And when Sean moved to speak to the golden haired woman Ben recognised from the Christmas party and also as Elaine, Ben had Josh's attention. And Cobalt's.

If he had noticed Riley's brief disappearance, he didn't say anything about it and with Riley's little sister wandering around making sure every one was with food, Ben thought this party was going pretty smoothly. He must show his appreciation to the host sometime tonight. But for now, his attention reverted to Josh's question. Laughing, he took a sneak peek at Cobalt before answering. "I never manage to make any because I practically break every one of them the next day." Ben took a bite out of his cheese breadstick and licked his lips at the crumbs. "Damn, did Riley make these? These are delicious." He grabbed a few more on to his plate when Riley came over.

"Dude, these things rock hardcore." He grinned up at Riley whose smile looked just this side of strained.

[Cobalt Weaver]

When Elaine came through the door, Cobalt had intended on greeting her immediately. And when he'd seen the look on her face, he knew right away something was wrong. Elaine was fairly good at keeping her feelings to herself, since it came with her self-appointed job of being everyone's mother and caretaker. But she never was able to get her smile to look right when she was upset. And Cobalt had known her long enough to see when she was upset. Instantly concerned, Cobalt wanted to ask her what was wrong, but she swiftly found Sean, and they began to talk quietly a ways from the others. Cobalt figured that she was telling the telepath about the couple at the party. Deciding to wait until she was done talking to Sean, Cobalt uneasily turned back to his friends.

He nodded easily and followed Josh to the food table, noting Riley's brief disappearance, but saying nothing about it. He laughed at Ben's reply to Josh's question about the New Year's and resolutions. "Yeah, same." Cobalt nodded, reaching for a plate, "I think it's silly anyways. If I was going to change things, I wouldn't wait for the New Year." He shrugged, grinning a little at Ben. "You got any resolutions, Josh?"

He snorted at Ben's opinion of the breadsticks. "You sound like a teenager. You talk like that to your kids?" He teased slightly, meaning Ben's clients.

When Riley returned, Cobalt noted that the taller man's smile looked strained as well. He gave Riley a questioning look, but chose not to call attention to it, instead saying: "This is all great, Riley. You did a great job. And I guess the breadsticks are good." He flashed Ben a teasing grin.

[Elaine Tonaya]

Elaine listened to Sean's warning and nodded gravely. "Thank you for the advice," she said. "I'll do what I can to make sure Morgan is being careful. Is...is there anything else I should know? About problems with bad metas?" She didn't want to know the whole story, as she was sure it was too big for her to do anything except worry about. She was just a shopkeeper and a mother, and her job was to keep every one of her children safe.

Speaking of which...she turned to scan the room and try to find Cobalt. He was over by the food with his friends, but the conversation was looking a bit strained. Still, there wasn't much she could do to help. Were she to go over there she wouldn't do anything except sneeze, which didn't stimulate conversation so much as make everything incredibly awkward.

"If you'll excuse me," she said politely to Sean, "I think I'll go. Thank you for the talk, and you should probably join your other friends." She smiled and went into the kitchen to pour herself a nice little drink. She splashed together a little mixed drink and took it out into the dining room, where she managed to swipe a few carrot sticks before wandering back out to the living room.

Everyone at the party smelled just fine (aside from the Josh-allergy) and so she wasn't worried about anybody getting hurt here. What she was worried about, however, was everyone feeling too awkward to do anything or talk to anyone. So she did what any mother would do in her situation.

She sidled up to Riley. "It might be a good idea to get everyone settled around the table for dinner," she said. "I'll start getting the food ready, and don't tell me no, because this is what I love to do. Don't deprive a woman her livelihood." Only a slight wince there as she thought of her store, then she managed to smile again. "Go have a seat with your friends and we'll get started on the meal. Once everyone has something in their belly and a good friend to talk to, this whole night will be over before you know it."

[Riley Adams]

Riley grinned before chuckling lightly at Josh's statement. It seemed Riley made an excellent choice coming over to join his friends as they spoke highly of his food. Cobalt's light teasing of Ben didn't go unnoticed by the landscaper, something which made him smile even wider. "I'm sure I can whip something up for you, Josh." He nodded with an easy grin.

"Thanks, Ben." He gave the younger man a slightly shy smile. Riley had to admit, his chronic shyness had to go away sooner rather than later. He was nearing fifty, he was in a working relationship and he was hosting a party for people he actually liked. Why the shyness still? Maybe he should ask Sean for advice. He seemed pretty awkwardly cool. He sure didn't have problems talking to people.

He continued on to thank Cobalt just as Elaine stepped up beside him, offering her services. He was about to protest when the blond florist cut him off with a barely noticeable wince. "At least let me help you locate things." He grinned sheepishly. The woman was younger than him yet he still felt like he was under his mother's stare when she smiled at him.

So, excusing himself from his friends, asking them to adjourn to the table he had extended just for the occasion, he led Elaine to the kitchen while Janice ushered everyone over to the table. The pair worked well with guests, it was a wonder why Riley was still so damn shy.

"How has your day progressed, Elaine?" Riley asked gently of the florist.

[Jacob Dalton]

*Well, this seems rather awkward*, Dalton thought to himself. When presenting a lesson before a class of students, or on stage before an audience, or merely chatting with a single person, Dalton was quite comfortable: but social settings with several strangers? Not so good. Especially given that shortly after initial exchanges, it seemed as if groups were forming into tense huddles for private discussions.

He took his time gathering a drink for himself, glancing about. Everyone seemed very focused, very sober. Even more than usual at such events, he felt less like a guest and more like an interloper. There was something about the atmosphere of this party which had become decidedly unpartylike. And wherever had Clarisse taken off to?

He found her in the small corridor between the bedroom and the front rooms, quietly looking over a few framed photographs on the wall. He grinned. “So: I’m not the only one who feels like a third wheel? How convenient: maybe we can make each other feel welcome.”

He gazed up at the happy, smiling images in the photos and shook his head.

“It has always struck me how differently people interpret a photograph. If someone were to ask me: ‘What does this face mean to you?’” He shrugged. “To our host, these images may be precious: they may represent the memories of so many aspects of his relationship with the person. And yet for me: nothing. And photos I might have would mean nothing to him: as if they are not conveying the feeling, but rather a key to unlock the memory of the experience…”

He shook his head. “Forgive me: once more I analyze instead of merely enjoying. Perhaps you see more here than I?”

[Clarisse Prideaux]

Clarisse had vaguely socialized at the beginning of the party, but there seemed to something underlying all of the conversations that she didn’t quite understand. She felt left out, but not left out enough to pout about it. She and Jake had just simply arrived a bit too late to include themselves in the conversation. Perhaps at dinner a new topic would open up and she could join in.

In the mean time, she made sure to slink away unnoticed, not wanting to seem like she was pouting. Heaven forbid she cause anyone trouble, It was a party after all; the guests should be having fun. Clarisse just needed to make fun for herself a little differently. Curiosity took over her and she began peering about the apartment. She didn’t open any doors, as she wasn’t sure which rooms were private and which weren’t, but she did have quite a relaxing time looking at the pictures on the wall.

Since her immigration to America, there weren’t many pictures in Clarisse’s home. She’d managed to rescue one of herself, Yves, and little Gui sharing a picnic in the park, but the rest were all too painful to keep or were lost when she fled. Since then she’d taken few pictures of her own and only appeared in a spattering of those belonging to others; not including, of course, the staff yearbook photo. Pictures were just something so…special. Clarisse had yet to find the exact occasion to take them just yet. Looking at them, however, was quite an interesting pastime.

She was so preoccupied looking at the photos that she didn’t hear Jake approach behind her and jumped slightly when he spoke. Chuckling slightly, she shook her head. He caught himself before she could admonish him for reading too far into things and she laid her hand on his arm. “I see a happy family. A good man. A friend.” She listed, gesturing to a different picture each time. “I see something that everyone should strive to have. Or to return to, if they’ve lost it.” She explained, looking up at him fondly.

“Photographs are very special, I think.” She confessed.

[Jacob Dalton]

He immediately realized what she meant: it wasn’t necessarily the specific face a stranger might select, but the theme.

“Thank you, Clarisse. Once more you open my sight.” He gazed at her fondly a moment. “They do say ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’ I should know: I am certainly beholding a beauty right now.”

He winked at her. “Please consider that my way of saying I think you should be in photographs quite often: and I daresay in those I shall have no difficulty finding all the meaning I could desire.”