[location: John Everton's House] [OPEN TO ALL!] BLOCK PARTY!!!

[aesthetic_mojo]

The time had come. Charlotte left John in charge of setting up the bar, giving him only the one request that he have a decent selection of beer, and did the work of dialing up the food. She knew she was going way over board. For all she knew no one might show up, even though she'd gotten a bit of a response to her invite. How could people

Comments

[before guests start arriving]

[fudgingkillyou]

Dean gets there early, since he's providing the music. As much as he hates the fact that he's using it, he's got an iPod full of mostly classic rock that he's intending on hooking up to whatever system Charlotte and John have got.

Plus, he may or may not have a bottle of Everclear stashed in his jacket, after a conversation he'd had with Brigitta. But shh, nobody knows about that except the two of them.

Grinning, he waves to Charlotte when he sees her, raising the iPod for her to see.

"Hey there. Ready for a good time?" He calls.

[before guests start arriving]

[aesthetic_mojo]

Charlotte leaned over the patio railing and narrowed her eyes to figure out what he had. When she figured it out, she burst out laughing. For a man who drove such a classic car, she practically expected an 8-track. She'd have to hit a port to get something that would connect to it. She waved him up onto the patio. "Always am."

[before guests start arriving]

[fudgingkillyou]

Hey, he would have preferred it, but y'know, he can't stop what he's doing every few minutes to change songs. So an iPod, to Dean's eternal disgust, will have to do.

He approaches the patio, and offers it to her, shrugging. "The best I could do with the hatch. Asked it for the least douchey thing it could come up with and this is what it gave me."

[before guests start arriving]

[aesthetic_mojo]

Charlotte smirked. He could have at least gotten the thing in black. "We don't have anything to hook it too, so I'll leave you to figure that out." She pointed out a hatch hidden away on the side of the house, clearly tacked on by their hosts. "I'm sure you can manage it."

The Bar

[lapsedsaint]

The only real qualification that John had to be the designated bartender was the amount that he drank. Of course, there were worse qualifications to have, like actually going to school for it. At least his knowledge was come by honestly.

He had two metal barrels filled with ice, one full of bottles of beer that he'd drank in his life, the other full of bottles of soda. He was keeping the hard liquor under slightly tighter guard. But he was ready for anything.

Except what Charlie came out wearing. He suddenly felt woefully under dressed.

The Bar

[aesthetic_mojo]

She was pleased with the job he'd done and all ready to show him her excitement, then she saw his expression. She looked down at herself, frowning. The outfit was simple, although she'd dialed up the best fabrics and cuts. "You don't like it? There's still time for me to change."

The Bar

[lapsedsaint]

He shook his head. "Come up here."

The Bar

[aesthetic_mojo]

She walked toward him slowly, swinging her hips a little. "Are you sure? It would only take me a minute.."

[emergentfaculty]

In due time, a slightly befuddled looking fellow with a tray of brownies arrives. When in doubt, bring dessert and smile, right?

JARVIS

[aesthetic_mojo]

Charlotte was disentangling a kitten from her hair when the man arrived with brownies. She held the squirming black furball out from her with a groan, then smiled at the man. "Hi. Welcome to the party." Al, the kitten, vanished out of Charlotte's hand, leaving her standing there like an idiot. "What've you got?"

Re: JARVIS

[emergentfaculty]

"Hello, I don't think we've been properly introduced, I'm Jarvis and I've brought brownies. I hope that's all right? I made sure they're the sort without nuts, just to be on the safe side." The tone and cadence of his voice is lovely, but there's still something fundamentally 'off' about his body language.

JARVIS

[aesthetic_mojo]

"That's lovely." Charlotte waved him closer. "Brownies are always welcome at a party. I'm Charlotte."

The oddness of him didn't strike her as dangerous, so she only watched him rather than putting up any wards. "There's food, drink, and comfy places to sit. Everything a party could need." Including, possibly, the first non-human, but Charlotte just wasn't sure.

[thirtyish minutes after sunset]

[diedwithit]

Cian arrives like he said he would, and - probably as expected - fashionably late. He's brought a bottle of wine with him to add to the general selection, not that he figures such a gesture is necessary in a place that gives you anything, wearing jeans and an untucked white shirt, sleeves rolled up. He looks fairly at ease, but also watchful.

[thirtyish minutes after sunset]

[aesthetic_mojo]

Charlotte had found a quiet corner out of range of the cats so she could catch her breath for a while. All the new people were overwhelming them, making them return to her and John often. She'd just returned to the bar to get herself a fresh drink when Cian walked up. She greeted him with a broad smile. "Why do I feel like I just won a bet?"

[diedwithit]

Cian smirks, bringing up the wine bottle. "I don't recall placing a wager, but here."

He senses something from her, or at least the area. Curious.

[aesthetic_mojo]

Charlotte took the bottle from him and looked over the label carefully. Not bad at all. "It was unspoken, which meant if I lost, I wouldn't have to pay up. Best kind." She let him over to the drinks table so she could open the wine. "Can I feed you?"

If she had any idea what she'd just said, she probably would have dropped the wine and fled, but she'd been enjoying the evening so much, she barely noticed the slightly cold feeling of him.

[hearts_of_gold]

Inara stared at the walls of her shuttle for a good long time before she decided, finally, all right.

There was no avoiding it. She had been living like a hermit for weeks, months really. And one of the only times she'd ventured out she'd nearly been killed. It wasn't a phenomenally confidence-stirring fact.

Still. There were people out there, a greater society, and she was at heart a social creature. It was difficult watching other people network and participate while she endlessly made herself tea and prayed.

Only shénshèng de gāowán did it have to be at John Everton's house? She rubbed her neck reflexively. He'd apologized in a very halfhearted way with no assurances that it wouldn't happen again, the entire becoming a monster of legend...thing. And nearly killing her. Was she insane to contemplate walking directly into his home? She already felt so stupid for it happening in the first place

[fudgingkillyou]

And over to your right, Inara, is a one Dean Winchester, who is very glad to be seeing you not... bleeding to death. He's got a beer in hand and is leaning against the wall, people-watching for now. When he spots Inara coming in, looking plenty nervous, it's vaguely confusing for Dean, considering he doesn't exactly know what John did.

But hey, that's not going to stop him from coming over to Inara and flashing her a grin, offering her a beer. No use in being shy.

"Hey. Good to see you."

[lapsedsaint]

Dean was there so maybe Inara wouldn't try to kill him or anything. For now he would just make a greeting and slip away. Maybe later they would talk.

"Miss Serra. Thank you for coming. Charlie's around somewhere." He offered her a beer as a peace offering, before clapping Dean on the shoulder.

"Now, if you'll both excuse me." He dipped his head before fading back into the party.

[hearts_of_gold]

"Hey..." Inara said to Dean with a brightening smile. He'd saved her life after all, and now here he was bearing gifts of beer, something she appreciated despite her supposed refined tastes...

And then there was John. To her credit she didn't stop smiling, even if it went a bit frozen and her body language stiffened. "Hello," she said with polite neutrality, but waved off his beer since she already had the one Dean had given her in hand as an excuse.

She didn't really start breathing again until he walked away again and she looked back to Dean with a slightly sheepish smile. "It's good to see you too. You know...I'm sorry that I didn't get the chance to thank you properly for saving me. I was considering a fruit basket but it seemed just a bit underwhelming given the circumstances."