Welcome to Gaia! ::

The brunette's hand was waving dismissively at the mention of Avery. "Somewhere." She gestured back in the direction she'd left the sassy brunette, but did not bother to look that direction to see if, indeed, it was the location she wanted to indicate.

"Quinn, hm?" Uuni's lips parted over white teeth. "Hi."

There might have been more to say, but there was a liveliness in Kesslan's party that couldn't be quelled now. Uuni's thoughts were mirroring what Kess said. She just might be mysteriously absent during Truth or Dare.

"I'll take one of those off your hands." There were plenty of candles to go around. If no one else was interested, there may even have been room to take two.

"May we have many more in the future," Uuni deadpanned, casting Haley a wink at the phrase. Quinn was welcome to think it was directed towards her, as well, if she so desired.

Though, one thing was off. "Why the hell would you make a healthy cake?" How else was she supposed to shave a few years off the s**t part of her life? Though, that cake might just shave off all of them.

-

To say that Liberty wanted nothing to do with the presence of marijuana in the living room was an understatement.

Thankfully, one of the bottles of alcohol had been completely depleted. Liberty moved her way behind the group, gathered the empty containers, and pushed her way through to the kitchen with a few 'excuse me's.

She only got to breath easy for a second. Then, a head of curly, dark colored hair was making her catch her breath.

Well, it wasn't Monday.

"Hey," she managed to recover. The redhead passed a friendly smile to both Avery and Vanya. "All alone back here in the kitchen?" The answer, of course, was obvious, but it was one of Liberty's famous segues. "Can I get either of you anything? There's sangria and other drinks on the back table. Snacks in the living room."

Her eyes caught on Avery's glass of wine. That was definitely not on the list of things Liberty had gotten at the store, and somehow Liberty didn't think Kesslan had a large storage of wine in her house. That was. . . strangely, extremely attractive.

Liberty dropped her eyes for a moment before nodding her head slightly toward the bottle and giving Avery a more private smile.

Liberty was depositing glass into a bin she'd set aside to be recycling. The freezer was open again, and she was sliding out its replacement. She set it on the counter next to Avery, tried not to think about how close it put them.

"It's hard not to," Liberty admitted with a laugh. Avery Hollister was everywhere in her life. If she hadn't enjoyed the woman's company so much, it would have been eerie. There was a term for this, that she didn't dare say.

Can I help you find anything?

"No, I--" Then she paused, thought about it. Did she need anything? No. But, had Avery really needed her to get the flyspray a month ago? Probably not. She opened the fridge, and pulled a bottle of chilled beer. "A bottle opener."

Sensing the time was just about right to show up Venice was your typical late but not too late attendee to a party. Although in fact she was just simply late due to her falling asleep on the bus over here (who wanted to drive if there was a chance to drink?) and had only woken when someone had started to sniff her hair she realised it was time to get off the vehicle and walk the rest of the way to Kess’s house. Two bottles of vodka in both hands (she might share) she kneed the unlocked door open with a bang and sprang in. Arms out wide she screamed her welcome to the growing group and proclaimed her understanding of this evening. When was this not a time to make a fool of yourself to embarrass a friend? Now, that’s when.

“LETS GET SHITFACED PEOPLE , WOOO---HOOO!!”

Bounding through the crowd she swerved to meet Kess and following Arilee’s lead by planting a kiss on her freckled cheek. Pulling away she smudged the red lipstick mark she had left behind and passed over a present which was almost positively vodka.

“Happy birthday twiggy! Looking gorgeous as always I see?” And it was true, only Kess could pull of shades indoors and still look cool and sexy. Last time she tried this look people were asking if she had lost her seeing-eye dog. Never again.

“Ha, who knew you had some many friends! And here I thought I was the only one that could stand your sheer amazing-ness I am shocked, and sober! Where’s your cups girl, this party isn’t going to get fun until you have me on a table doing the Macarena!” Her eyes floated over Kess’s friends and waved happily if she recognised one or two of them. She would be bothering them later of course. It was until she spotted Avery that she faulted and then shook her head. Surely not….

"Venice," Kess laughed, accepting the whirlwind of attention and vodka with an easy air. Sure, she was crazy now, but after everyone had a few drinks, the roller derby queen would fit in just fine. "There's a drink table over there, and if we're out of cups, my cousin is in the kitchen and should be able to help you out."

Of course, she was giving Venice an excuse to get closer to Avery, but, well, that wasn't exactly on her mind.

Speaking of drinks... Dark eyes caught on the DJ, Dustin, helping himself to a beer, which was all well and good unless he headed toward s**t-faced.... He was a bit young for that, and well, Kess made a mental note to kick him out partway through the night - just in case.

"Everybody needs a drink. Maybe even a round of shots?" Time to kick it up a notch. Maybe even play a drinking game...





-----


A bottle opener? Avery found it hard to believe that a girl like Liberty didn't have one on her, but that was entirely beside the point. Instead of digging through a set of drawers she wasn't completely familiar with, she reached out to gently snag the bottle from the redhead's grasp, and set her wine glass on the counter. "We do seem to share a few things." Like Kess. Or classes. Or the stables. Avery didn't mind.

The lip of the bottle was set just below Libby's belt buckle, the fingers of Avery's free hand hooking into the girl's belt and pulling it away from the denim. The cap caught on the buckle, and she twisted and pried the bottle up, separating metal from glass with a smooth, almost effortless motion.

Returning the open beer to Liberty, she rolled the cap between her fingers, hazel eyes flicking over the brand. A local brewery. Silent approval hummed through her frame and she reached for her wine again.

"You're cousins, right?" She laughed, "Reevers have that grin."

Venice didn't need any second bidding and as Kess told her where yo find the drinking table the girl was already walking away from the birthday girl, her mind focused on the clear liquid she was going to use kill her liver off. Pouring a strong measure to get the last of the enamel of her teeth Venice gave the attendees another look her eyes once again focusing on Avery. God dammit she knew that girl from somewhere but where? At a derby match? Back home in England...yes that seemed to hit a memory somewhere...but what...One hand holding her drink she grabbed for her phone, a sudden but horrifying thought running though her head. "Oh please don't be an ex that i crapped out on, please please please." Her fingers dashed through her contacts each conquests still saved in her data files with a photo but none matching Avery. But she knew this girl!! From....from a gig?

"Wait....nahhh...but.....she sortof.....Ho-ly sh-it...no" Her mind working double time she hit the internet search and posted in some key words, her palms sweaty with the possibility. Finding a picture she raised her hand to put her phone next to Avery in her line of sight, who was sadly talking to a pretty thing and unaware of what might happen in the next few minutes. The next image sealed the deal.

"O-H M-YYY G-O-DDDD. OH MY GOD! ITS YOUUUUUUU!!!!! OH MY GOD!!! EEEIIII! " Throwing her drink aside Venice raced towards Avery like a hysterical school girl on acid, banging into Liberty as she went and grabbing her arm to steady herself. This was her, THIS WAS REALLY HER!!

Liberty's initial panic was that this girl was having a heart attack, or delineating into a strange, abnormal sort of alcohol poisoning.

Expecting the woman to fall, Liberty immediately reached a supportive arm out, and around Venice's waist. It was probably at least, moderately appreciated, with how the Reever's arm was latched onto. The redhead cast a startled, confused look towards Avery Hollister.

Seeing the brunette's face, relatively calm, Liberty released her hold and gave Venice's right arm a quick squeeze.

Caught her? Liberty's eyes traveled once again to the girl.

"I'm sorry," she interrupted, eyes wandering between the people in question. "Do you know each other?"

Avery didn't seem to be forthcoming with any standard European greetings. A stalker? Liberty's face went white, and she decided a firm grip on Venice's shoulder was for the best.

Not much time yet four beers later, and Dustin was getting sloppy with the tunes. There was a reason he normally stopped himself from getting drunk while trying to work, but hey, the booze was there. He wasn't going to just not drink it. Unfortunately, the more Dustin drank, the more forgetful he got about the songs he had played, and the less flow he was able to create between the music.

He had replayed Azaelia Banks's "212" on three times that night, but it wasn't until he started to play last summer's hit pop anthem, Carly Rae Jespen's "Call Me Maybe", that he realized his taste was off. The tune could hardly get past "Hey, I just met you and this is crazy" before he knew he wasn't able to perform the job. He paused the music, robbing all listeners of learning just what was crazy.

Better to leave them in suspense, he thought. He was about to see himself out, but it was the birthday girl herself, Kess, who kindly relieved Dustin of his DJing duties for the night. Crap, fired, he thought. But he didn't even put up a fight, for once, knowing that it was probably for the best. He almost grabbed another beer on the way out - one for the road, but thought that'd be a douche move.

But hey, he was leaving, right? So he quietly grabbed one anyways, and tried to be careful not to reveal his swipe until he made it out on the street. He twisted off the cap, he headed out into the city, looking for whatever other troubles Destiny City could bring him.


-------------------------

As the party began to die down, it became increasingly obvious to Haley that nobody was going eat her beautiful mushroom cake, which had now shrunk and crumbled into what could be best and most accurately described as a gross piece of s**t. More offended than embarrassed, Haley dumped the cake into the trash, all of her hard work gone to waste. She only made a tiny scene out of it all, not wanting her passive aggressiveness to be too passive.

Disappointed and sulky, she spent the rest of the night mostly to herself, maintaining a quiet light buzz until it was time for her to head back home. Of course, by that time, the munchies were settling in bad and there was a strong craving for mushroom cake, and began to regret her decision to throw it in the trash.

"Great job Haley, ******** idiot," she mumbled to herself as she made her exit, wondering if she could whip something else up in the kitchen when she got home. And then it occurred to her: broccoli cupcakes.

No, Haley. No.