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With Kim's resurrection, it was not appropriate to bring back the side-lined plans of celebrating a successful mission to the center of attention. Which was why Joy sent a message to Seren, inviting her to the pod observation room to talk about the plans. She was considering expanding the invite list to include other people, given that they had more reason to party (Five Thousand reasons, baby!!!)
Aria -
Seren laughed when she got the text. Of all the places to plan a party, she would never have thought of the pod room, but it was where she'd first met Joy some months ago. She headed down after sending an agreement to Joy, lost in thought. This was the first time she'd seen Joy since she'd talked to Clyde, and she wondered how the hell to bring it to. Finally, she set it to simmer for the moment, deciding she'd find an opportunity during the talk. She walked in, and practically sang out "Helloooooo, Joy!" In a cheerful tone.
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The Moon waved at the Sun, glad to see Seren feeling much happier. "Yooooo~ wanted to run some ideas by you about the party. Like maybe combine it with celebrating Kim doing a Lazarus. Also Kai's such a sweetheart and insisted we use the remaining bonus money to make the kitchen fancier so it miiiiiight not be available once we start the renovations and stuff."
Aria -
Her face registered a bit of disappointment at the idea of not, maybe, having access to the kitchen. "Awww! I mean... Awesome on the kitchen improvements! Totally awesome! But damn, back to using the public kitchen for you." She'd been looking forwards to a nice kitchen, but someday! She'd promised to help out with the party for Kai's opening of his tat parlor after all... Or that's what she thought she recalled Joy asking her to do, that night. Some things were a little hazier then others.

"But yeah! That's a great idea. So invite more people? You wanna invite your friend Clyde too? Met him at the gym recently, and he seems like a nice guy... And the more the merrier after all!" She wondered how Joy would respond.
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"It won't be out of commission just yet, I still wanna throw a grand opening party for Kai's tattoo studio. So that should happen first." Joy said, trying to reassure Seren of the availability.

In spite of her wide ear to ear smile, there was brief, a very, very brief flash of dread in Joy's eyes at the mention of Clyde. It wasn't that she had issues with him or his presence but she had been avoiding him since that night. Which if she thought about it, was a stupid thing to do given how chill Clyde was almost all the time. The feeling passed quickly enough, "Oh you met Clyde? Sure, I can invite him, and we'll ask Kim and her boyfriend too."
Aria -
"Oooh! Awesome! How goes that? Does he have pricing issues sorted out yet? I'll still make cake and stuff for that... He mentioned he likes vanilla..." She grinned, glad to get a chance still!

The dread in Joy's eyes did not go unnoticed, and Seren had to control her responses with care. Had... Clyde only told her half the story? She didn't think he seemed the type, but she barely knew him, and Joy's dread worried her. She was silent for a long minute, then said "Sounds good... But Joy? He mentioned you were...a bit not yourself, and he had to put you to bed..." There was a very very brief pause. "He didn't do anything else, right? If he did... I'll... Find some way to pay him back, because that's not ok..."
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"Going really well thanks to the Atlantis Bonus, if I knew we'd get that much cash, I'd have taken an artifact myself!" she joked then thought about it a little more, "Oh wait, would that mean I'd be the dead one? Does Kim get a bonus? Shet pretend I didn't say that."

She was a little more prepared in managing her expressions, "Oh pfft, I had a little too much to drink. Usually when that happens it's where I can just crash. I didn't plan on getting locked out," she chuckled, brushing it off. "And don't worry. Nothing happened." She was still smiling but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
Aria -
Seren began to laugh in disbelief at Joy's ridiculous suggestion. "I think it's good you didn't! Oh my gods, Joy! That's a terrible idea!" She shook her head in disbelief. "And not if you didn't give it to the tree first. But no, Kim... I don't think she did."

Seren watched her response, and her reactions, and tilted her head, slowly. "I'm glad it didn't. You were drunk, after all... And therefore not able to consent. He DID say it in a way that made me think he felt the same... But I wanted to be sure. Some men will take advantage of a drunken woman, and that's just evil"
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"Uh, what exactly did Clyde tell you?" Joy asked, brows furrowing as she was starting to feel like she was missing something in the conversation.
Aria -
She sighed and said "He mentioned drunken confessions, and that you came in a bit strong, that's all. Nothing to be ashamed of. People get that way when drunk. What matters is what the other person, the sober one, does."
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"Drunken confessions? Is that what he calls asking for sex?" Joy sounded amused if not relieved that at the very least Clyde hadn't mentioned what she propositioned him for specifically. "Well he's got nothing to worry about, it's never happening again. I got the message."
Aria -
She blinked at Joy's blunt phrasing. "He definitely never said it that way. I think he was trying to be respectful, but I did get the idea. But I am not sure what message you mean? He told me you're very attractive, and if you were sober, he'd actually consider it. He was doing the right thing, not taking advantage of you."
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Joy leaned back into the chair, swiveling it somewhat in the process. "He said something about taking advantage of me and I don't really get how he would be. I'm still me sober or with a couple of drinks in. Maybe my legs don't listen as good, but it's not like my feet do the talking."
Aria -
"Joy... No! That's... no. What? Where did you get that idea?" She stared, baffled, at Joy. "Alcohol is a known inhibition lowerer. People do stuff, on alcohol, they would never do sober all the time! Can you honestly tell me that, sober, you'd walk up to Clyde and say 'I want to have sex with you?' Because I can't imagine you doing that! You definitely don't come across as a swinger, or a one-and-done, or any of that... I could be wrong, but... I just don't see you, sober and in full control, doing one night stands."
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The bafflement was met with incredulity, "It's always been like that? And being sober is when all the voices in your head are at their loudest telling you to not do things you actually might want to do. I mean, isn't that why booze gets called liquid courage? Because sober is when you'd be the most scared to do the thing."

All the terms Seren went on to use had Joy glad to be sitting down because she felt a headache coming on. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, deeply wishing the conversation hadn't turned in this direction. "But what's the big deal? It's not like I'm ever going to do that ever again. With Clyde or anyone else."
Aria -
"No! That's not it at all! Bring drunk turns off your ability to make rational, intelligent, and... This is key here... Informed decisions! Clyde turning you down because of that was the right thing to do... It's what good men and women, respectful and caring women and men, do! I'm glad he cares that much for you, as a friend."

She frowned at Joy, the frown of someone who cares and is worried. "Joy, it's because you sound kind of like you blame yourself. And you shouldn't."
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Joy stared back at the younger woman with the look of someone who still didn't understand or even believe what they were hearing. But rather than continuing the argument she just sighed, "Fine, whatever, I made another mistake according whatever rule book you're reading from. It won't happen again. With Clyde. Or anyone else. Can we get back to planning the party?"
Aria -
Seren put her head in her hands. "That's exactly the opposite of my point, Joy! You didn't! You did nothing wrong, you were in no state to MAKE a decision. If Clyde had accepted? He'd have been in the wrong." Her eyes were sad as she looked at her friend/sister. "The only thing wrong is any guilt you might be feeling, if you are, over it. You didn't do anything wrong..."
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"Then chill, because ain't no guilt here," Joy declared, "I feel some stuff about that but trust me, guilt ain't one of them. Hell, I'll invite Clyde personally to the party just to prove I don't feel guilty about asking him to make lo-" she corrected herself, "To have sex with me and that it's all water on the bridge."
Aria -
Seren just looked at Joy and sighed, hearing bravado and frustration in that. "Under the bridge, not on. On implies it's being drowned." She said, eyes focusing right on Joy's, trying to see if she could find something to connect to, to help her explain why this mattered.
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"On, off, under, same banana. Not like I'm burning the bridge when I get there," Joy was back to joking and dealing with things through humor. Whether she understood Seren's words or got her points, it wasn't something that would be internalized so quickly or easily. Things had to be unlearned slowly. "Eniwei," she said for emphasis, "Party, for Kim and Rhys. We gonna expand the guest list or what?"
Aria -
She laughed a little and set it aside for now... She'd have to see how things went. "Yes alright... So we got the three of us, those two... Clyde and Kai... Who else, do ya think?"
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"Hmmm, let's invite either one more person or three people. So that you don't get a third-wheel situation going on," Joy suggested, slowly relaxing now that they were on more neutral ground and less confusing territory.
Aria -
Seren leaned back, trying to think of who. "I don't... know who else to invite. I mean, I can list people not to invite, but... I don't know that many people who I can invite." She looked at Joy, thoughtfully. "You got any ideas?"
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"There's this real sweetheart I met! Fellow Filipina named Gabby! She's newly woken so she would prolly appreciate being invited to a semi-small gathering. I think I saw her at speed dating?" Joy wasn't sure, after having those cookies she'd sort of blurred out on the rest of the events.
Aria -
"Oh Gabby. Yeah I met her once, she's all right. Cool, we can invite her." Gabby was garrulous, but seemed nice enough, so Seren didn't mind. "She can meet Rhys, I suggested she ask him for some advice with work outs... She was trying to get my advice and I'm such a newb to it!"
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Joy couldn't help but give a quick bark of laughter. She knew why Gabby would ask Seren. Hell, she all but ordered the other Pinay to do so, but instead she said "Yeah, that sounds like Gabby all right. Rhys does got some great workouts." She gave Seren a wink.
Aria -
Seren laugh and then blinks, nodding. "He does... Why, you working with him now too?" She was curious and fighting the urge to feel jealous, not knowing they hadn't done that yet, and not trying to be possessive of a man she had no right to be possessive OF.
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"Now and again lang naman," Joy said, trying to sound reassuring to the other woman. "You're clearly his main client first and foremost," and that wide, wide suggestive grin all but lacked the elbow nudged.
Aria -
Seren went red faced and brushed a lock of hair off of her face. "Just cause I asked first, I'm sure, Joy." She sighed softly and shrugged. "So. We got a date we wanna do this? Cause I think we gotta good guest list, now we just need to pick a when, send out invites, and go shopping for supplies."
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Joy took out her phone and began scrolling for the calendar function to work out the details. "Okies, guest list is good. How's about..."(edited)
Aria -
Seren popped hers out, looking it over curiously, then peered over Joy's shoulder, and joked "We could do it on Halloween, make everyone dress up!" She joked, then said "But seriously, that day works." She pointed at one that showed clear on Joy's calendar, since it was clear on hers too. "Let's send out the invites by text, yeah?"
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"If we do go with a costume thing, I'm uh, just gonna be a sexy nurse." It was a cheap costume and she wasn't nearly familiar enough with Pokemon to realize what being a Nurse named Joy could entail. "And sure, we can text or deliver it in person. It'd be weird texting Kai about it since I live with him, diba?"
Aria -
"Well yeah. I'll toss out a text now, to Kim, and ask her to pass it on to Terry... I never got his number, ya know?" She paused, and said "And I'll ask Rhys tomorrow, when we go for our run. That should be good... You got Kai's number, and Clyde's, so that should split the invites evenly between us. Sound good? How about have 'em show up like 5ish?"
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"I'll send the invite to Gabby too, we tend to end up on the same chores. All the other deets sound good," she said.
Aria -
"Oh yeah, Gabby! Can't believe I didn't think who would invite her. I'm a dork. Awesome! Sounds good. All right, you think we got everything worked out? If so, I think I'ma go head off and start putting together a grocery list."
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And they continued to hash out the details until both parties were satisfied.