MINGLE | The "Everyone's Tired and Hungry" Post-Mission Pizza Party

[groupiedrifter]

CHARACTERS: Everyone! A free-for-all general chill-out time, thrown haphazardly together by a mad scientist.
LOCATION: The Mess Hall
DATE: Sometime after the mission. Y'all know.
CONTENT: The Orb Crew tries to relax for a hot goddamn minute.
WARNINGS: Likely drinking or drunkenness, the usual party antics. Very mildly image heavy, NSFW for naughty threads, properly marked.

It seems the party has been properly set up for you all! But of course, there's an exuberant amount of 'Newton*' flair added to it, and people can find all sorts of random things — markers for drawing on the pizza boxes (which he distinctly requested, super important) cover the tables, and it's clear by the one designed like a Pikachu and a dinosaur that he's already began scribbling on them. He's also made... board games literally comprised of pizza boxes as well, including Chess and Connect Four, which is lovingly set up side-by-side on a table and done with intent to annoy.

They've got one deck of cards for games, no chips; you'll have to just make some of your own out of pizza box cardboard. The most grand of all creation appears to be a normal-sized Skeeball table, made of flimsy material, with oranges for balls. It may or may not last the night, but it sure works for now!

There's a very strong bottle of liquor from their last mission open for everyone, and, well, it will get you drunk quite fast if you're not careful. But it's also a Bring Your Own Beer situation; hope you guys asked Viv for some to plan for the party!

Lastly, there's classic bar rock playing from an iPhone rigged to a speaker that looks very very cobbled together, from loose bits and bobs from the lab's many boxes. If you go fiddle with that phone's playlist, you may be able to find a small collection of songs that aren't rock, but are likely from the 90's or early 2000's.

And yes, there is a couch with a sign on it, designated specifically for people who wish to nap. If they'd like. Don't be rude, let people lay down when they're sleepy. (Maybe Newton just put that there for him, honestly.) There are 50 pizzas total, which is practically a whole-ass pizza per person, so enjoy! (And thanks, Viv!)

Feel free to bring your own flair to the party, if you'd like.

These are just a few things for a m b i e n c e.

(*If you mention him, he will appear like a terrible omen.)

Comments

III

[cruelyethuman]

[The noise spills out in to the corridor, dripping like poison in his ears as the Darkling walks past the open door and the crush of people coming and going to this... pizza party.

The organized chaos that faces him as he enters, is nothing like a party at all. It's various inhabitants of this station, talking too loudly to be heard over something that is not music and drinking from brightly colored cups.

He raises an eyebrow at Daisy.]

I wonder why that is.

[morethan084]

[Daisy's eyes light up in recognition before her expression falls.]

What? Do I smell?

[She's taken so many showers since they all came back to the station, after having not had a shower in what felt like way too long.]

[cruelyethuman]

Not you.

[He eyes the couch, not bothering to explain himself. The party is too loud, too strange and Daisy is a familiar face.]

You are very good at what you do.

[morethan084]

Oh.

[Well, that's one way to kill her buzz. She adverts her eyes down to her drink instead.

She really didn't need a reminder of the danger she put people in.]

[cruelyethuman]

[When her face falls and her gaze slides away, the Darkling doesn't apologise. But he does look down more pointedly at the couch.]

I saw the message about this- party. I suspect that this couch might not be as clean as it might appear.

[morethan084]

Is that what you're really concerned about?

[There's a hint of a smile on her face now, but she's still thinking about everything that happened on the mission.]

[cruelyethuman]

Yes.

[The couch, what might have happened on it before the rest of the station showed up. The mission. The names written in his own blood, scribbled across his skin.

Guilt, unwanted and cloying like cheap perfume.]

I can't think of any other pressing matters at the moment.

[morethan084]

I'm sure it's fine.

[Daisy says with a roll of her eyes, patting the cushion next to her again.]

[cruelyethuman]

[He came in for a reason, and the Darkling reminds himself of this, eyeing the crowd of people as the bass thrums through the stale air. It smells like tomatoes and grease, slick and uncomfortable, an almost physical presence.

The people are too raw, too human, and probably drunk.

He sits down on the couch, eyebrow raised as he holds out his hands a little-- tada.]

You made it back in one piece.

[morethan084]

[Smiling, Daisy rolls her eyes at his sarcastic gesture.]

See? That wasn't so hard.

[When he comments on her coming back in one piece, Daisy's smile falters a little.]

Mostly, yeah.

[Her arms are a mess, but they're covered by her leather jacket. Daisy gives him a once over.]

So did you. That whole thing was--

Intense.

[cruelyethuman]

This must all seem so normal to you.

[She doesn't seem to flinch at the loud music, or the colorful lights.

After his initial once-over, the Darkling looks mostly at the crowd of people. Watching them interact after a successful mission, thin pieces of bread in their hands and the ones who chooses to stay closer to the walls. His gaze cuts to Daisy.]

That is one way of putting it.

[morethan084]

What? Having a pizza party in space? Yeah, totally normal for me.

[Daisy smiles as she looks over to him at the same time as he looks at her.]

What word would you use?

[cruelyethuman]

I meant just the pizza party part, but if you insist. Is this something that happens a lot?

[It might be. Some ritual he doesn't understand and cares little for. The bustle of a party and the games being played in the darker corners. The sound of shrill voices singing along to the noise that cascades out towards all of them.

The Darkling holds her eyes.]

A reminder.

[morethan084]

Pizza parties, sometimes. It's been a while since I've had pizza though. As far as the having it in space? Not so much, no.

I'm guessing it's not, for you?

[Her amused smile fades when he describes what happened on that planet in a very accurate way.]

That works too.

[Frowning, Daisy breaks eye contact with him in favor of looking down at her cup and tossing the rest of it back.]

You have anything to drink yet?

[cruelyethuman]

But it has happened. It's not, no. I've never been farther from the ground than the highest mountains back in my own world.

[The Darkling tries to not think about it. About the vast expanse of nothing between the stars and the thin layer of metal separating him from it. The fact that it can fail and take the air with it.

It would feel like drowning.]

Also no, but thank you. I only came to see you, not to drink-[he gestures at the bottles and cups on the table, the sticky residue on the floor beneath it.] any of that.

[morethan084]

Oh.

[Daisy smiles sympathetically, remembering how overwhelming it was at first for her to deal with being in space. For a variety of reasons.]

You get used to it, after a while.

[Not that Daisy has taken too much time to think about all of the places she's been. Everything has been life or death for a while now. Lowering the cup from her lips when he explains why he's actually hear, she doesn't do a great job of hiding her surprise.]

Me? Is--?

[Daisy looks around before turning her body more towards him, lowering her voice so others can't overhear.]

Everything okay?

[cruelyethuman]

Is that a promise?

[It's a joke, and the Darkling's lips twitch up in a small smile, head tilting.] I don't even know your name, and this seemed like a way to find you.

[The smile grows as Daisy looks around, eyes darting as she builds something quieter between them. An old way to shut out unwanted listeners, by turning her body to his. The Darkling mirrors her, legs tilting towards her on the napping couch.] Everything is fine, except someone is trying to sing, and it's horrid. Is it that unbelievable, that I would want to talk to you.

[morethan084]

[Daisy's eyes drift upward as she thinks it over for a second. Holy shit. He's right, they don't even know each others names.]

I guess there's no time for introductions when you're fighting. I'm Daisy.

[Looking down at his knees when they graze hers, Daisy's concerned expression completely falls away when he brings up the singing.]

I've heard worse singing.

[She's definitely caught Davis singing and he was way worse. Shrugging when he asks her whether or not it was odd that he'd want to talk to her, Daisy's got a slight smile on her lips.]

I don't know. I thought maybe now that our heads aren't all messed up, people might've freaked out if they saw me--

[She's used to it. Having people be scared of her because of what she can do.]

[cruelyethuman]

Kirigan.

[With the lack of distance between them, there's no need to raise his voice to be heard above the din of the party and he speaks softly.] I have as well, but I've never heard it this loud before.

[All which were true; Ivan did go through a phase where he would drink too much kvas, start singing and then pass out in the nearest tent. Fedyor had put a stop to that. Mostly.

The Darkling smiles, holding out his hands between them. It's mostly shielded from view of the other party goers, he twitches his fingers slowly and shadows pool in the palm of his hand. Like smoky, black water.

Another flick, and they're gone.]

Why would you- [there's a pause, his brows narrowing] freak me out. I've already seen what you can do and it's magnificent.

[morethan084]

[Daisy smiles, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes as he makes a point to show that he also has powers. They were impressive and she hasn't had the chance to ask him if he's always had them or not.]

Yeah, well, that's not even my full strength.

[She doesn't say that with the intentions of bragging either.]

Sometimes it freaks people out.

[She's just going off an assumption here--]

But I don't think I have to tell you that.

[cruelyethuman]

We have a word where I'm from. [The Darkling keeps his voice low, just barely above a whisper and leans in to be heard.] A name for people who fear us. Who - freak out, as you say, about what we can do.

otkazat’sya. It means the abandoned, those who do not hold the connection that binds all things. The connection that you have.

So, no. [he smiles] you do not need to tell me. But you can.

[morethan084]

[Daisy eyes him when he leans closer, but she doesn't pull back away from him. It is pretty hard to hear anything with all of the music and singing. Frowning when he explains the meaning, Daisy isn't sure how to feel about that.]

Do most people where you're from have powers?

[And is that why there's a word for those who don't?]

[cruelyethuman]

No. Most people can't yield the Small Science, and even fewer to the degree that I've seen you do it.

[Flattery, but it's honest. Daisy and her hands splayed out, the ground shaking under their feet in battle. The power radiating from her fingers and vibrating through the world at her will.]

In my world, we are rare.

[He blinks, looking away to where a few of the others are playing some kind of game that involves a lot of hand waving and shouting.]

Grisha. That's what they call us, named for the sankt Grigori of Elbjen.

[morethan084]

Oh, I’m not—

I don’t have the small science.

[What does that even mean? Daisy smiles a tight smile when he brings up that her powers strength was rare.

She straightens up when he looks away, pressing her lips together as she looks at the people playing charades.]

Were they the first to have powers?

[cruelyethuman]

But- [The Darkling glances at her hands, before his eyes flick back up to catch hers.] what you can do. We call it Small Science.

You can move... is it the air? [All it would take is one touch and he would know, whatever power she might hold would leap up to meet his and the Darkling slides his hands back to rest in his own lap.

Too used to wearing gloves even in the summer, but he still forgot here on the station. The chaos of the last few weeks catching up in more insidious ways than he had imagined.] It looked like air, but it didn't feel like it.