And we had so much time to sit and think about ourselves

[nred]

Where: The Bronze
When: Thursday night
Who: Tina, Tamara, Faith, Bill, Gil, Mere, Nica, Carmen, Tamara, Gerald, Warren, Mandy



Tina sat at a table in the Bronze, playing with napkins and sugar packets.

Tamara was at the Bronze, dancing on the dance floor and having a good time.

Faith was hanging out at a nearby table, digging into a basket of wings.

Bill was with her, and looked amused.

Gil was keeping himself busy fetching sugar packets from other tables.

Mere was sitting in a corner table, watching the dance floor kind of wistfully. This time she's only drinking water. No booze for her!

Faith licked her finger, then looked at Bill. "What?"

"You amuse me." said Bill

Nica happened by Mere on her way back from the bathroom. "Hey ... how you holdin' up?" she asked.

Mere looked up at Nica. "Well, I'm not drunk tonight, so that's a step in the right direction, right?"

"Oh, I amuse you?" Faith asked. "Glad I'm entertaining, at least."

Nica shrugged. "Don't know, sometimes a good drink or three helps. But maybe you've moved past that stage."

Warren was lurking in the Bronze, sunglasses on, checking out the lay-deez.

"I could get a drink here, but, now that I'm actually thinking clearly, drinking in public in Sunnydale is a bad idea," Mere said.

Tamara headed on over to the bar to get a drink.

Carmen headed into the club, and headed to the bar. She looked a little annoyed.

"Hey Carmen," Tamara said. "How's it going?"

"Tends to be," Nica said. "I've been pretty much forbidden to drink outside the apartment until I'm at least thirty."

"It was going fine, but now, I am being annoyed." she sighed "I hate the law firm."

"Would you like to order anything else?" asked Bill, to Faith

"Honestly, it's probably a good idea, as boring as that makes life." Mere shook her head. "We need to all move in mass somewhere else."

"Thank you!" Tina smiled, and added more sugar packets "The castle is complete."

"Canada needs to be warmer," Nica said. "Then we could all migrate to Vancouver or somethin'."

"Why, what happened?" Tamara asked.

"We need to dance, later," Faith said to Bill, crumpling up her napkin and dropping it in the empty wing basket.

"Vancouver could be nice," Mere said. "I've actually never seen snow."

"Of course." Bill smiled

"They bring ghosts with them." Carmen frowned "And they see me, and bug me. It's very annoying."

"You're not missing much," Nica said. "City snow is gross, anyway. It gets all gray and slushy."

"Maybe like, rural snow would be nicer," Mere said, taking a sip of her drink.

Tina headed to the counter, to order grapes and toast. She left her friend Gil in charge of her sugar packet castle

Gil grinned. "Now that it's built, what do we do?"

"Maybe, but I don't really do rural," Nica said. "SO, um ... you want to be left alone, or do you want to come hang with some people? We have munchies and stuff."

Gerald wandered over to see what Tamara was doing.

Gil casually dismantled some of the castle and started building a pyramid instead.

"There you are," Tamara said, grinning, and putting her arms around Gerald when he got there.

Tina got her grapes and toast, and found that her castle was now a pyramid

"I could get behind hanging with people," Mere said. "I've been brooding too much anyway."

"Hello, Gerald." greeted Carmen

Nica smiled. "Okay, then ... come hang ... " She headed back towards the others and resettled near the Tina and Gil table.

"My castle has fallen." announced Tina

"Time bandits totally redesigned your castle," said Gil "I tried to stop them but they attacked me."

Mere followed Nica, sitting down beside her.

"Hello." Tina waved "You look broody." she said, to Meredith

"I'm feeling it," Mere said. "Break-ups are the suck."

"Have you tried drugs or alcohol?" asked Tina "They're self destructive, but I don't know any single guys that I can hook you up with, and I can't think of anything to help you."

"Hey, Carmen -- how's it going?" Gerald asked, and turned to hug Tamara.

"Mmm...tried alcohol, but it's dangerous to wander around drunk in the middle of the night around here." Mere looked down into her drink. "I'll be fine."

Gil waved. "Hi! I'm Gil. That guy must, um, he must just not dig girls, giving up on you like that. What a chump."

Mere smiled a little. "It's a little more complicated than that, but thanks. He's still a chump, though. Just for a different reason."

Gil grinned. "uh huh, suuuuure. You don't gotta stick up for him, you're the one that got dumped!"

Mere shrugged. "I technically did the dumping...I think. Yeah, I left him."

"The dead annoy me." said Carmen "It is good to see you, Gerald."

"Good for you," Nica said. "You're better off without him, anyway."

"Are you ready to dance?" asked Bill, to Faith

Gil nodded. "Good for you, sister. He sounds like bad news, no matter who got rid of whom."

"You need Ghostbusters," Tamara said.

"Yeah, he kind of changed on me. Incredibly lame, but what can you do?" Mere shrugged.

"Well, we're living," Gerald said, grinning a bit.

"Yeah, why not," she said, and stood up.

Bill took Faith's arm, and led her to the dance floor.

"Yes, you are living." Carmen smiled "And you aren't asking me to tie a million loose ends."

Gil frowned, and nodded. "People change when you least expect it, I guess."

Tina quietly nodded in agreement.

"I'm glad Mandy hasn't changed on me," Nica said.

"It happens, but it's not like I can change the past right now." Mere shook her head. "You're lucky that Mandy has stayed the same." Well, Mere supposed that Nica was lucky for that, anyway.

Faith followed along to the dance floor.

Mandy was currently doing as she was told, and writing down stuff in her journal. She was always the obiedient type.

Bill pulled Faith close to him, and led her in dancing. "Can you keep up?" he asked

"Can you?" she asked, looking him in the eye.

"Anyone want something?" Tamara said. "'Cause I want a root beer and some wings."

"Root beer sounds very good." said Carmen

Bill smirked, and averted his eyes. He could keep up, however

"Root beer, and yeah ... more wings," Nica said. "Mere, want anything?"

"So do wings," Gerald agreed.

"I'll have a coke," Mere said.

"I want to dance." said Tina, looking at the dance floor "But not with an old lawyer."

Tamara made with the ordering. "Three root beers, and a basket of wings."

Nica got up and ordered things that people had asked for.

Gil looked guiltily at his watch. "Oh, crap. I gotta go. I am so dead if I get caught."

"Hey Nica," Tamara said, waving to her when she came up to the bar. "How's it going?"

"Is it because I wanted to dance?" asked Tina

"Good luck getting home on time, then," Mere said.

"Good! Heya, Tamara. Hi, Gerald. How've you been?"

Nica said.

Gil nodded, gathering his homework into his bag. "Thanks you guys. Naw, Raincloud, I just gotta get home!"

With a final wave to everyone, Gil hurried out and headed home.

Tina watched Gil leave, and looked a lot like mean!Tina.

"Do you really think he had to be home?" Tina asked

"Do you have classes tomorrow?" asked Bill, to Faith

"I'm sure that he did. I bet that he'd love to dance with you if he didn't have to run," Mere said.

"I hope so." said Tina "I don't take rejection from friends very well."

"Like I said, he would totally dance with you if he didn't have somewhere to be."

"Eventually," Faith said. "In theory."

"Stay at my apartment tonight." insisted Bill

"You're pretty nice, Meredith." said Tina "Thank you... I'm certain that you'll meet a better person than your ex."

Mere smiled at Tina. "Thank you. I hope that you're right, but I don't think I'll really be dating anyone soon."

"I ... don't know if that's a good idea," Faith said. "Maybe this weekend."

"Stay." insisted Bill "I'll take care of any issues that would arise."

"Thought that was my job," Faith said, not batting an eyelash.

"You won't?" asked Tina

"Well, Ash was the first person I dated seriously. I didn't really like the idea of dating one person exclusively, but he prommised it wouldn't go bad." Mere sighed. "That's what I get for trusting someone."

"Dating doesn't always go bad." said Tina "And this is just one time... I'm sure things will work out in the future."

Nica returned and distributed stuff.

"Who knows? Maybe you're right. I still plan to take things very slowly." Mere pushed her now empty glass away.

Tamara snagged a wing from the basket and munched.

"We'll see," Faith said.

"Come back to my place before you go home." suggested Bill

Warren started sidling on over, mentally picturing a lioness stalking prey without realizing that technically he was the wrong gender for that sort of thing anyhow.

"That, I might be able to do," Faith said.

Bill smiled. "Very good."

"Slowly won't be too bad, I guess." said Tina "Just be careful."

"That's definitely the plan," Mere said.

Carmen put her forehead down on the table, muttering in Spanish. She hated how ghosts could pop in and out of her life at the most inconvienent times

Bill abruptly headed for a payphone, leaving Faith whereever she stood

Warren cheerfully slipped up behind Meredith and the table at large. "Hey, ladies," he said, swiping a wing.

"You're inside." said Tina, to Warren "And hi."

Faith wandered off to grab another soda.

"I know. So're you. Thus is the wonder of the roof established," Warren agreed.

"Hey Warren," Mere said, giving him a small smile. It was about all she could muster that wouldn't look too fake. She was at least glad that she came out tonight and accepted the invite to sit with others.

"I'm sure the sun won't appear inside of the building." Tina said "Unless the roof is removed, and you were earlier in the day."

Warren nodded to Mere, smiling back. "I'm sure the sun won't shine in here either, but there are some radiant people around."

Nica raised an eyebrow. "Do we need HAZMAT suits?" she asked.

"Sorry, not feeling incredibly radieat, but thanks anyway." She still smiled at him, though.

*radiant

"Is that the best you can come up with?" asked Tina "And I was referring to your sunglasses."

"Probably," Warren said to Nica. To Tina, he added, "No, it's the worst, actually. And I know, it's just more fun this way."

"Oh, then alright." Tina shrugged, and went back to her grapes and toast

Faith finished her drink and looked around for Bill.

Bill returned to the table a grin on his face. "Are you ready? I have a car waiting."

Mere started to pick at a wing. "So, what have you been up to Warren?"

"Working on a few pet projects, keeping busy." Warren grinned. "You?"

"I thought everyone knew my personal life lately," Mere said. "Last I heard, Ash set my hair on fire if I heard it right, or was it the mall?"

"Let's go," Faith said, and headed out.

She passed an elderly woman, who was at least the combined age of any other three people in the room, who was walking towards Tina.

"You're still here? There's things to do," the woman said to Tina. "We need to go."

"Actually, I missed that rumor. Mind filling me in before I leap to wild assumptions?" Warren inquired.

"I'm socializing." Tina frowned, and grabbed her grapes. :Goodbye, everyone."

Gerald looked bemusedly from Tina and grandma to Tamara.

Tamara looked up. "hm?"

"See you later, Tina," Mere said. "Ash threatened to burn anyone who got in his way of power. He's an ass."

Grandma was already on her way back to the door, not acknowledging anyone but her granddaughter.

Tina hurried after. Stupid elders

"There are days I seriously feel like the only normal and sane person here," Gerald commented to Tamara.

"Ah. So he's a jock," Warren summarized.

"I need to go." said Carmen "I'm sorry i was not better company..." She gave Tamara a hug

"But he's a jock who might actually burn people," Mere reminded him. "I'm getting tired of defending him, though. People keep making good points about his assiness."

Warren shrugged. "So he's a jock from Los Angeles."

Mere laughed. "Maybe that explains it."

"Give a man power over others, and only then can you see what type of man he truly is," Warren said. What that said about him and his secret girlbot project and the demonic winged monkey in their secret lair, he chose to ignore.

"That's what everyone keeps telling me," Mere said, taking a sip of her drink. "I think that it's only now starting to sink in."

Tamara leaned over and kissed the Gerald, because she could.

"Well... yeah, I think I'll just step away from that subject now," Warren nodded.

Gerald grinned and kissed back.

"Love you baby," Tamara said. Whatever else was wrong with the world, she was content.

"Not a terrible idea, if I do say so myself," Mere said, grinning.

"So, what are you planning on doing to take your mind off of the ex?" Warren queried.

"Love you too." Gerald grinned. "I swear, though, there's crazy people all over the place around here."

Mere arched an eyebrow at him. Aw, hell, screw it. Maybe going back to the old ways was best, anyway. "I hadn't put much thought into that yet." She leaned forward a bit. "Why? Do you have any ideas?"

"I can think of a few," Warren replied, smirking, "but most of them don't involve polite conversation."

This was too easy. "That so?" Mere asked. "Good, because my best talents do lay with talking anyway."

"Yeah, there always are," Tamara said. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"Still, at least there's some constants," Gerald replied, petting her shoulder.

"So go with whatever makes you feel better," Warren suggested, still smirking.

"You're right. I should go with whatever makes me feel better." Mere looked him over. "I never was much on talking anyway."

"How about we go find something with less talking to do?" Warren inquired, tilting his head vaguely exitwards.

Mere stood up. "Lead the way."

Warren grinned and started leading the way offwards without another word.

Mere followed him out.