(Untitled)

[patriotqueen]

Just as Guy added the last finishing touch to the celebratory decoration, the first guests walked into the party. Or perhaps they were just visiting the bar and had unwittingly ended up in the midst of the birthday boy’s party.

Guy had really made an effort this time. His best friend had just turned 102. Or 48, depending on what calendar one chose

Comments

[playingtheenemy]

Ainsley was stuck staring at the banner and wondering if Anthony had actually had any part in that or if he had simply let Guy reign free. Being that she wasn't entirely an idiot, Ainsley was fairly sure she knew which of those two options resulted in the party she was seeing. Still, if anyone had put her years on a banner, they probably wouldn't survive the day.

Just barely, she pushed herself away from staring at the banner to join the party.

[intrinsicworth]

"Miss Hayes," Glen greeted seeing the familiar face. "Good to see you again on yet another pleasant occasion. It's quite the thing they have here isn't it? Humor, it would seem is someone's strong suit. A card to play at every opportunity eh?" Glen chattered genially.

[playingtheenemy]

"I hardly expect anything else when it comes to Guy and Anthony, you know," Ainsley remarked, as if she had been mulling over the fact. "In fact, this is almost more demure than I would expect out of either of the men. I'm almost worried something is going to pop out of the shadows and frighten me with its surprise."

[intrinsicworth]

"The night is young, as they say. Although I do think that they are most likely to pull that sort of business with each other or some of their more flappable associates," he replied.

[bennet_beauty]

Jane had left Lydia to the care of Doctor Chase, feeling that he could medically keep her calm while she attended the party for a very brief amount of time. She did not wish to linger too long, but could not possibly forgive herself if she were to miss an event for a dear friend. She simply did not suspect it would look quite as it did.

The decorations were very odd, to say the least, but she supposed that they had simply done what they could.

[patriotqueen]

Guy walked up to Jane cheerfully. "Jane!" he greeted her cheerfully and kissed her on the cheek. Then he proudly looked around the room. "I've spent the entire afternoon on this. But it has turned out nicely, hasn't it?" He asked, casually forgetting he had had help with setting it up.

[bennet_beauty]

Jane regarded Guy with a longly critical eye but for a moment before it passed and she could not help a slight smile upon her face. "As with all things that you have a hand in, it is simply beautiful," she assured him, pressing a kiss to his other cheek in turn. "You must allow me to aid in your very next occasion, perhaps when Liddy is not fussing terribly with her spots."

[patriotqueen]

The thought of a Bennet girl helping blowing up French letter balloons, was too amused, and Guy laughed. "I will, I will," he assured. "Oh, but how is she, the poor thing?" he asked. Last time he saw her she had been covered. It was a sorry sight.

[poison_lipstick]

Saffron had been mostly upstairs, overseeing things there and occasionally acting as waitress, so she hadn't really had a chance to see how the jazz club had been decorated for Anthony's party. She was fairly busy as usual, but she wanted to go downstairs at least for a bit to check on the party and she would definitely make time for that.

The decorations they'd put up added a nice amount of flair for the party without being too overpowering, which Saffron appreciated. Then she got a closer look at the 'balloons' and burst out laughing.

[patriotqueen]

Guy knew what the owner was laughing at, but he approached her quite innocently. "I know, the poor man is getting old. But must you really laugh at him for it?"

Sometimes Guy Burgess was still a thirteen-year-old at heart and humour like this never ceased to amuse him.

[poison_lipstick]

Saffron turned toward him, adopting a look of mock guilt. "Oh, you're right, that wouldn't be too kindly of me on his birthday, would it?" she said, then leaned in a little with a sly smile and a wink. "Let's pretend I was laughing at your makeshift balloons instead, that way his feelings won't be hurt."

[patriotqueen]

"Please do, he's very sensitive about these things," Guy said seriously, and not quite taking into consideration that there was a giant sign saying just how old Anthony had got. "Let's drink to his health. It will make him feel better."

[alittleofboth]

That morning Guy had announced the time and place of Anthony's birthday party, had insisted he not show up a moment early, and had not offered a single detail more. It didn't matter if Anthony was in no mood to socialize, it didn't matter that forty-eight was far too old to be celebrating. Guy insisted there would be a party, and party there would be.

When he arrived in the Willows Room, he took in the banner, the decorations, the 'balloons,' and he sighed. The evening was going to be interminable.

But he had to smile. Guy had certainly put a lot of work into it.

[patriotqueen]

"Anthony! Happy birthday!" Guy said, cheerfully raising his arms in greeting, before walking up to him and giving him a kiss.

"How do you feel?"

[alittleofboth]

"Like you should get me a drink," he answered with a pointed arch of his brow. If he was going to have to put up with Guy's ridiculous sense of what a good party meant, Anthony was going to get something out of it, thank you.

[patriotqueen]

He was laughing inside, Guy was sure of it. Smiling at least. On the inside. Hiding it very well indeed. But Guy knew it was there and so he smiled back broadly. "Hold on, I had them keep it behind the bar," he said wickedly and came back a few moments later with half a bottle of gin and a whole bottle of tonic. Two bottles of gin had been part of his gift in January and he had hidden one away, to keep it safe until Anthony's birthday. The rest of his gift had been consumed already, but this one had therefore survived. Or half of it at least (but the night he opened the supposed gift he had been in dire need of a drink).

He showed them and passed Anthony a glass with a slice of lemon (no lime, sadly). "Here you go."

[scoobys_heart]

Xander really had no idea how Guy kept roping him into these things. They usually started off talking about something mundane, like the weather or how many condoms one could blow up in an hour and some how it ended up with Xander agreeing to strip for Guy's friend for his birthday. It was the accent, it had to be. Too distracting dammit

[patriotqueen]

The argument usually contained a 'but you are a stripper' and what did it matter where he stripped. It was only a stair-case away from his usual de-clothing location.

The tie in question had the Trinity colours and was therefore essential to the play.

"That was wonderful! Anthony loved it, I'm sure."

[scoobys_heart]

And Xander, if he had been thinking properly, was that he was only a stripper when on stage at the Catscratch. He'd never stripped anywhere else till tonight. And now he really wasn't going to think about it.

Xander blushed slightly, glancing through the crowd at the guest of honor. "I hope so...I think."

[patriotqueen]

"Of course he did," Guy said, and instead of calling Anthony for support of his claim, he called Kim. "Kim! Wasn't this just the thing for Anthony?"