♫ Best Mistake Party ♫ (Invite only)

[Pyper]

Beverly was introducing them to one another. Pyper and Roderic had been acquainted before, despite sporadic lack of communication. Then the resignation of her position at his job happened and speaking to her former employer afterwards had not been imagined to yield any good outcomes. More misunderstandings were more probable to happen. Perhaps then it name sense to be reintroduced, time naturally birthed change, an inevitability that could not be controlled. Less likely to be slowed, as things fly out of the guiding hands of those who seek to be the sole manipulation to their environment.

As Beverly spoke, her eyes looked around the room. They floated over the faces again, counting more than previous. They steadied on Charles, his presence provoked a smile that yanked back the corners of her mouth, made her nose twitch and scrunch and the bridge. It softened her eyes; Charles the Mentor provided a heavy dosage of comfort. He had taught her a trick with the pressure points located on a person's hands to calm them. Without much awareness of her doing so, Lucretia practiced kneading that particular spot on Beverly's hand. The one she was clutching with a ferocity ignorant to her consciousness.

[Doc]

“Ric?” Doc paused as he tried to describe Roderic fairly, without putting him in a bad light. “He is a man of few words. I am not positive, but I get the impression, bouncy vivacious females like yourself and Skylar drain him inordinately. And yet he married her.” He turned to look at Lennox full on, “The dour chap there.. with the Sire.. that is my father-in-law-brother. He hates me cause I fucked Pi first. Well that and you know what they say about in-laws...”

His next comment was cut short as caught Lucretia’s smile that was aimed in his direction. He was determined. He was going to steal her from Phoenix, jsut how he didn't quite know yet. He winked at Lucretia, and then saw Vada nod. He leaned back to China, “That guy there..” He nodded toward Vada, “Another sibling. He works at the Lab too. He’s security. You have probably run into him, and not realized. He’s ******* Klara..” He tone of voice was passive, almost pleasant as he continued with ‘who’s who’.

[Lancaster]

Elliot followed Skylar's gesture as she pointed out Roderic to Pi. Pi seemed keen on meeting the guy; Elliot had already met him, so wasn't pushing the matter. He rolled his eyes back to the group at hand, and a rangy kind of smile broke out over his lips.

"There's no rush, Pi. We've got all night. No need to be introduced to him straight away," he said, his hands pushed into his back pocket. For a few seconds, his gaze lingered on Vada - he was smiling, but Elliot could feel the tumultuous energy surging from him. He wasn't calm or happy at all. Pi had asked if he was okay, and when Elliot caught Pi's gaze he nodded toward Vada before giving a slight, subtle shake of his head.

But then, he had to laugh. Doc had arrived and Elliot was, surprisingly, not phased.

Dour and lanky? That doesn't sound like you, love. I'm the dour and lanky one..." he says, though he's now attuned to Doc's voice, as if listening to it might yield an answer. He gets more than he'd bargained for, his shoulders straightening though he does not look in Doc's direction. No, Elliot and Pi do not touch in public. Not normally. But now Elliot's hand rests firmly around Pi's waist.

[Pi dArtois]

Pi takes her cue from Elliot, his gaze sliding to Vada with a nod. She turned to look back at the newest vampire in her line. The lines on his face seemed drawn, his eyes distressed and the concern she’d had previously rose again.

“Vada?” She asked, leaning forward a little. Her hand rose again, this time touching his elbow to get his attention. “Tell me what’s… happening.”

It would’ve been nice if Pi was so distracted by Vada that she hadn’t heard what Charles said, except she wasn’t. Like Elliot she was attuned to situations (even if it seemed like she wasn’t) where drama could rise and kick their ***. In this room there always going to be two possibilities, Doc and Ric himself. Doc, it seemed had decided to air their privates lives for the room to hear. Pi understood the hand on her waist then, even dropping her own to touch the hand weighted along the top of her hip.

Mon Coeur, I’d drink a whole gallon of whiskey with you right now if I could. She said into Elliot’s head. And she would. If this was how the night was going to go, it was going to take all of their joint mental unity to get them through it.

[vadablade]

His ears moved as he listened to the room, it was odd to just let the area wash over him, never looking at someone but listening to them all . He felt Pi touch his elbow as he turned and looked at her. He nodded to her slowly, "I am fine, just odd.".

He tightened his grip on Klaras hand as he smiled the Doc and inclined his head in a some what bow. "Seems we can't be civil for Skylar and her husbands party." He was used to people acting like that though, humans did it all the time so why would vampires be any different. Personally he would be civil, and the fact he never lied sometimes hurt some, but he never intentionally hurt them.

He often wondered how the dynamics worked out in this town, did others not have the bond he seemed to have with his sire, or were they more perverse. He wondered what was going on with his body as he felt himself slowly drawing back into himself and looked around.

He stood and moved to one of the odd tables as he began to roll the balls around it. No one was playing so he would have to just make do and have fun. He rolled a black ball with an 8 on it into a red and a blue ball as he bit his lip. He was just mucking about, but it seemed the family was broken in his mind.

[Skylar]

I ignore most of what’s going on around me. The words that is. The emotions are more difficult to block out. The JD helps. Kinda. At least I don’t have to think about it so much. I have my own issues. My heart is aching for my friend; a friend who should be here. Of course he’d of been none too pleased about tending bar for this particular celebration but he would at least be alive.
I look to Ric and despite my sadness and the part he played in it I really can’t help but smile. Yes. I’m fucked up – I can admit that – but he is too. He’s about as used to all this as I am, so I really can’t be pissed at him for trying; even if he did get monumentally wrong. I catch myself staring at him at this point and force myself to look at my drink. For couple of reasons that are all too obvious to me, I really shouldn’t be staring at him like some silly school girl with a crush; for one we’re married, for the other he’s a killer. At least I’ve stopped playing with my ring.

[Klara]

They made small talk as she felt vada’s hand leave her own as he walked to the bar. As she started to follow him, Doc come in and headed in his direction.

Klara walked over to Doc and hugged him, smiling broadly at him before kissing him on the cheek. “I’m really happy to see you tonight. I’ve missed you; I’ve been a little tied up lately.” She watched vada talking with PI and knew something was wrong. She smiled at Doc again, “So China is….um….one of us?” wondering if she were an adopted child like herself or a natural child.

“By the way, I am officially unbinded I think the term was from Simon. He is fully out of my life now and I have better things.” She smiled fondly at vada. She really hadn’t had a chance to talk to Doc about her new man but she hoped he would approve.

She looked at China and winked “Vada is doing more than just ******* me; we’re in a real relationship.” She shot Doc a smug look.

[Lancaster]

Whiskey. Pi reminded Elliot of the existence of whiskey, and Elliot let Pi's side only long enough to go and procure a glass of the stuff for himself. Although he had a weakness for alcohol, the toxin that it was, the effects didn't last as long as they used to. He needed a top up. He needed to be that happy drunk he had promised Pi he would be--and to not allow her to sink into the squalor of negativity.

As soon as he was back at Pi's side, wherever she might be, his hand immediately landed upon her hip again. She was dealing with her childe, though that didn't stop her from continuing to speak directly to Elliot's mind; and he returned the favour.

He's not ******* you now. I can only conclude he was a lousy one and that I am far superior. It was said into her head with a smirk even as he lifted the glass of alcohol to his lips. His shoulders rolled. The company seemed to have devolved into discussions about who was sleeping with who, and it all seemed, to Elliot's buzzed mind, petty. He turned his attention to Skylar, who had settled into an uncommon silence.

"You doing okay?" he asked. Was that sad vibe coming from her, or was it coming from somewhere else?

[Pi dArtois]

Good God, Pi didn’t’ want to talk about ******* Doc anymore, not even in her head. It was an inadvertent mess and they were all living it as best they could. Instead she rolled mental eyes in Elliot’s direction, eyed his glass of whiskey covetously and was going to move over to Vada when Elliot spoke to Skylar, his words making her pause.

He was a lode stone, Elliot, emotions seemed to speak to him and he invariably read the temperature of the room accurately and helped her navigate the shoals of public interaction with a nod (like before with Vada) or with words, like those he said to the small blonde in front of them both.

“Skylar?” She asked, wondering if this whole event was a little too much for the woman as well. This time, there was no reply to Elliot’s mind. Better really, if that topic was dropped like a hot rock.

[Roderic]

"You're Altaire. But you're welcome." I say to Pyper as she thanks me for the invitation. I nod at her congratulations, then look at Nerissa. "I haven't, no." I think her name in my head twice, making sure I think the correct pronunciation. "Hey, Nerissa." I say with a small smile to the woman.

My attention turns to Beverly, my Thing. "Thanks, Sister B. Glad you could come." I like seeing my things out and about. It makes me proud and pleased. I don't say as much though. I look around and see Doc. I give him a nod. Out of all the guests so far, I'm glad he's here. I like his frank, no ******** nature. I almost gravitate towards him, but the unknown woman makes me think twice about it. So my eyes keep looking around and fall on Skylar, finally. She's smiling at me and she's talking to Pi, Elliot and other unidentifiable people. I'm about to go over by her, but the fact she's surrounded by people I either don't know, or don't particularly like stops me. "Did you get a wedding favor?" I ask, heading to a table and then returning, only to shove them at Nerissa, Pyper and Beverly.