Get This Party Started

[cynicalnevada]

WHO: Tifa, Elena, Rude, Dizzy, [Karen, Balthier, Zero?], Reno and whatever guests they decide to bring along.
WHEN: Friday night
WHERE: Reno's pad
WHAT: Par-TAY. well, just a get-together so Reno can catch up with everyone he lost touch with over the past few months and so Tifa can meet some more people.
WARNINGS: Bad movies, possible booze,

Comments

[imperial_ray]

Dizzy rolled up to the door of the apartment, familiar to her from that fateful event so many months ago. She had been eager to finally get a chance to not only hang out with Reno, but his new friend (love? Possibly. She hoped so, for Reno's sake) Tifa. Her own love said she might be along later, but did provide transportation for Dizzy none the less.

Dizzy gave a wave to Hisui and Kohaku as they drove off, turning to the door and shaking off the last of her jitters. She gave a ring to the doorbell and put on her best smile.

[foldedsteel]

Tifa hopped up off the couch at the knock, saved from having to find a suitably sarcastic way of telling Reno that none of those movies sounded any good. She didn't really like scary movies, but she didn't want to tell him that; he seemed really eager to watch B flicks and she didn't want to ruin that for him.

Pulling the door open, she tilted her head slightly and smiled at the girl on the doorstep. "Hey--Dizzy?" she checked, pretty sure it was her but not quite positive, since she hadn't met her in person before. "You're the first one here! ...I thought you were bringing friends?"

[imperial_ray]

Dizzy lit up and nodded rapidly to Tifa's statement. She blushed slightly at the mention of her friends though. "OH! They said they might be along later, but there was no way I'd miss Reno's homecoming party!" she said with a measure of excitement.

She wheeled past Tifa and gave Reno an excited wave. It had been awhile since she had been in here...it was much...cleaner? Yeah. Definitely cleaner. It was then, randomly, that she remembered something.

"Oh! If you check the bag strapped to my chair, you'll find some cookies I made for all of you! It's a special Swiss chocolate recipe!"

[cynicalnevada]

Reno pulled himself up over the back of the sofa and grinned at Dizzy with a wave. "Hey Diz!" he called, hopping up and over the back of the couch and approaching the girl to fondly ruffle her hair. "Lookin' good, kiddo; I hear you found yourself a girlfriend?"

Then his whole face lit up. "Oh awesome, cookies?" He reached around to eagerly pluck at the bag in question. "Most excellent, yo. Swiss chocolate is the best~!" He gestured at the sofa in the living room. "Need a hand or anything?" he asked. The living room was sunken after all. It was only about six inches, but Reno had never used a wheelchair (except for that one time he raced one down a ramp in the airport) and wasn't sure how it would take the drop. "Ma's making...something for us to eat, but there's some little sammiches in the mean time." He cast a look at Tifa, then at Dizzy. "So, what are your thoughts on cheesy horror flicks?"

[terrorist_chan]

Karen did not make friends easily. Most found her to be a little self righteous and critical, constantly bringing politics into ordinary conversations. Thus she was pleasantly surprised to recieve a party invitation from the new girl and her boyfriend.

She walked up to the still opened door and waved, sheepishly flashing a small plastic baggie from inside her pocket.

She'd brought party favors too.

[cynicalnevada]

Waving a hand to invite her inside--"Don't lurk in the doorway, kiddo, come on in, yo!"--he moved toward the door and reached out to close it behind her. "You're Karen, right?" he asked, sticking a hand out toward her enthusiastically. "Nice to meetcha, yo. Ooh~" He waggled his fingers at the baggy she had brought with her. "I see you took my invite to bring whatever you like. Ah, by the way, my mom's in the kitchen making food--don't worry, she's cool--but if you have any food allergies or anything you better go let her know, yo."

Reno really never had any trouble making friends; he was energetic and personable and...ridiculous, and for some reason lots of people were willing to put up with his more obnoxious tendencies in an effort to hang out. Go figure. Planting a long hand on Karen's shoulder, he steered her toward the kitchen.

"C'mon, I'm'a go grab drinks--who wants a soda?" he called over his shoulder, and then turned back to Karen. "And ah...there's some sammiches... Soda? Beer? What're ya drinkin', yo?"

[terrorist_chan]

Karen self consciously shook Reno's hand. The contact on her shoulder made her flinch, combative muscles ready to fire. She surpressed. "Thank you. I've got no allergies but i'm vegan...I'll take a beer." She said, glad to spot the familiar face of Dizzy Undersn.

[cynicalnevada]

Reno was impressed by the firmness of her handshake, but when he felt her flinch at his hand on her shoulder, her muscles tense and her whole body tight like she expected him to strike her, he quickly recoiled, discreetly holding his hands in a neutral stance, palms out. Wow...he knew this girl was a martial artist, but he wasn't expecting her to be so...tightly wound.

Easy, he wanted to say. He didn't know what had happened to her, but he certainly didn't want to exacerbate it. This was supposed to be a night to relax with friends.

He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ah, vegan eh?" he asked. "Okay, well...I think Ma has some tofu or something; maybe check with her to make sure she doesn't make anything you can't eat."

Reno gestured toward the kitchen, a little unnerved by Karen's aloof and almost hunted demeanor, but quickly brightened when there was a knock on the door and Elena poked her head inside. Turning, he grinned broadly at her.

[agentmoreau]

Elena almost didn't bother to knock, and then stopped herself with her hand on the doorknob. Tifa and Reno... were living together. Far be it for her to make Tifa feel uncomfortable.

So she compromised, knocking on the doorframe as she swung it open. "Knock knock, guess who stole her keys back from her mom," she said as she slipped into the apartment.

[cynicalnevada]

"Elena~" he called, his grin bright as he moved toward the door to extend a hand toward her as if to shake her hand. She took his hand, and he yanked her forward playfully, wrapping his long arms around her shoulders in an ardent embrace. "Glad you could make it, yo" he said. "You wanna beer? Soda? Ma's making food. Were gonna watch crappy gory horror movies. It'll be great, yo."

[agentmoreau]

Elena laughed as he yanked her into a hug and hugged back firmly before letting him go. "Beer? Reno, I'm surprised. I would think you would remember I'm a whiskey girl." She grinned and pulled a half-empty bottle out of her purse; the label was worn and half-torn, and it was plain she had been working on this particular bottle for a while. "Seventeenth birthday present from - well," Elena ran right over the slight pause in her words. "It's really good, if you want some."

She glanced over the rest of the people there, smiling and waving at Dizzy, plainly glad to see her. "Terribly horror movies sound fun."

[cynicalnevada]

He started to laugh as she withdrew the bottle from her purse, about to tell her he didn't offer whiskey because there wasn't any in the house--his mom didn't drink the stuff; said it was too caustic, and he himself preferred rum over most things, so they only stocked whiskey when they were having a big get-together, and he'd forgotten to ask his mother to buy some this time--but when she breezed through a pause in her explanation, Reno's smile faded abruptly and his eyes hazed with something haunted.

He waved his hand slightly, shaking his head. "Nah," he said, a sad smile on his face. "I don't really like whiskey..." That's not mine to drink anyway... He couldn't deplete the little bit of memory her sister had left behind

[piercedshades]

Rude couldn't remember the last time he went to a realparty. He was mostly used to his parent's brunches and small get togethers for the past couple of years so this would be a refreshing change of pace.

He arrived at the front door of their place giving the door a good sturdy knock, dressed in a black long sleeve buttoned down shirt and matching slacks along with his usual glasses and fingerless gloves. In tow he held a large tupperware container filled with freshly baked brownies...the 'special' kind. This was certainly something he didn't normally make but given the present company they'd probably go over well, if not he could find someone to pawn them off on so not to waste perfectly good food.

[foldedsteel]

With Reno in the kitchen, Tifa took it upon herself to answer the door; she was actually relieved to have something concrete to do in the midst of Reno's friends. She liked Dizzy well enough, and Karen was more her guest than Reno's--she liked Karen's attitude and pride. They made her feel stronger, just to be around her--but the instant Elena got there, Tifa suddenly found herself at a loss for what to talk about, so the few moments of polite I-don't-actually-know-you smiling were mercifully cut short by the knock on the door.

So she went to answer it, opening it to find Rude outside, looking incredibly snappy for such a small get together. It suited him though, somehow. With a grin, she invited him inside. "Hey Rude. You look swanky," she informed him, noticing the tupperware and breaking into a soft laugh. "You baked again? Awesome--c'mon in. Uh, Dizzy, Karen...Elena," she addressed after a flicker of hesitation (gods talking to the blonde was somehow nerve-wracking), "this is Rude. He's new in town too."

[imperial_ray]

Dizzy, however, was blissfully unaware that there was any sort of tension in the room at all and was simply all smiles. She passed around some of the cookies she had made, making certain everyone got at least some.

She gave a wave to Rude as he entered as well. She'd yet to meet the stoic fellow, but he seemed nice enough.

[agentmoreau]

Elena grabbed a glass out of the kitchen and poured herself a drink, tucking the bottle into an out-of-the-way corner where it wouldn't be knocked over. walking back into the room, she sat down on the couch next to Dizzy. "Hey there, Dizzy, how have you been? I haven't talked to you in a while."

She looked up at Tifa and Rude and waved, determined not to make things uncomfortable for the other girl. "Nice to meet you in person," she said, leaving the question of which one she was talking to ambiguous.

[KITCHEN]

[cynicalnevada]

Reno swaggered into the kitchen and waved to his mother, who was dancing about the kitchen attending no less than four pots on the stove. She was so silly...why would anyone be so excited about a bunch of highschoolers in the house? Although he supposed...she'd spent most of her life with little companionship outside of the two of them... She hadn't had friends in Vegas like he had; she didn't go out much. People asked about the bruises when she did.

Shaking away the troubling memories, Reno cast Karen an inquiring look, then leaned on the fridge. "So, Karen," he struck up conversationally, "Tifa tells me you're quite a martial artist, yo. Said you kick some serious ass. What forms do you study?"

He could tell she was uncomfortable, and he really didn't want that. He didn't know this girl really, but she'd been friendly on the network and Tifa liked her. There was something very strong about Karen, and Reno wanted to like her, too.

Re: [KITCHEN]

[terrorist_chan]

Karen relaxed a little bit, now on a bit more comfortable footing. "I did Judo and Thai Boxing under Kyoushiro 'Miracle Man' Todou...Took the Pan Pacific games twice in a row in the open weight class." Karen looked a little sheepish, rubbed the back of her neck, not wishing to appear to be bragging. Behind that shy smile, however, was a competitor whose signature move involved grabbing the back of her opponent's face and dropping down to plant them face first into the mat. "...It comes in handy when they send out the strikebreakers."

Re: [KITCHEN]

[cynicalnevada]

Reno whistled approvingly. "Wow, really?" he asked. "I did capoeira for a few years, and I've dabbled in a handful of other things, so I know a little about a lot, but never really found one thing I really clicked with." He grinned. "Maybe we could spar sometime," he suggested. "I don't usually spar with girls, but you and Tifa could prolly kick my ass anyway, so..." He laughed.

He wasn't sure if it was true...he'd never actually fought hand-to-hand for his life; he really didn't know where his limits were... But while he figured he was probably stronger than Tifa or Karen, they had experience and training he didn't. It would have made for an interesting experiment.

Then he quirked an eyebrow. "Strikebreakers?" he asked then, turning and tugging open the fridge to reach for a few drinks. "What, you do picket lines n' stuff?" He loaded a few sodas into his arms and then handed Karen a beer, grabbing one for himself and a few spares, since no one but Elena had really said for sure what they were drinking.

Re: [KITCHEN]

[terrorist_chan]

"You're welcome at our club anytime." She smiled, accepting the beer with a thanks, cracking it open and downing a good 40% in one gulp.

Reno struck her as rather nice and accomadating, if a little goofy. "I'm chapter president of the Black Knights Labor Union. We're not boss's men or mafia goons so our strikes are often called illegal and..." She realized she was starting to babble and led Reno back into the other room, catching the tail end of Tifa's sentence. "...Kujo. Jotaro Kujo." She said, setting the baggy down on the table.