[PARTY MINGLE] Sweeter than the nectar of the honeybee

[dyingpro]

Who: Zagreus and YOU! Old timers, new folks, best friends, and strangers - EVERYONE is welcome!
Where: Dining Car
When: The 20th of Kazoo, evening.
What: Zagreus has obtained a little delicacy from home, and he wants to share it!
Warnings: After hours things might get a lil' boozy, but no warnings otherwise!

Upon the dawn of day 20 of the month of Kazoo, each sleeper car except Car 5D will have four black cards slid under the door, each lovingly pasted with an interesting symbol on the back, reminiscent of a certain passenger's ever-present laurels. 5D will only have one on Bulma's bed - the other two are being hand-delivered personally. If flipped over, it indicates in golden ink that a general party is to be held in the dining car that evening. All are welcome.




The party itself is a pretty understated affair - though there are plenty of wonderful decorations, courtesy of the art experts Romeo and Madoka, with a little help from Zagreus. The host himself has managed to create some streamers for the windows of the car, brilliant red paper carefully taped into long strands with several geometric patterns in the same gold ink along their length. On the ceiling are taped clusters of multi-colored balloons, some with confetti inside, others plain vibrant rainbow colors, and a few even marbled to provide some fun visual texture. The smaller balloons are strewn about the table for people to play with, bat at each other in a game of balloon table tennis, or just simply to be strewn about the dining car as the night progresses.

He's also made some bouquets of flowers to go along the length of the dining table in whatever vase-like things he could find, each containing a different set of flowers, generously provided by Xander and Persephone. He's put together some variations of crocuses, irises, larkspurs, lilies, roses, and violets, all in different shades of pink, purple, yellow, white, and red. Romeo and Madoka have been responsible for everything else, from the paper flowers decorating the walls to the hanging paper lanterns lit with little tealights to the origami figures carefully placed in little scenes along the length of the table. They're taped down for safety, so stray balloons won't knock them over! Hopefully.

As for the food, Zagreus has gone all out - with help from some of the more culinary-inclined on the train, though he's made sure to follow all recipes to the letter to make sure nothing comes out a burnt mess. Each dish contains nectar in some fashion, whether used as a honey substitute like in the hand-made karydopita and melomakarona, or used as a sweetener in something like the sweet tea or nectar lemonade punch that Zagreus is sure to make gallons of. Regardless of how any passenger feels about honey, everyone finds that the nectar hits their tongue in just the right way, making itself categorically delicious to every configuration of taste buds. There's plenty to go around for the whole train, particularly if other guests decide to help cook the nectar treats or bring their own dishes to the party. There is also one bottle of nectar left over if anyone wants a shot of the pure stuff!

Later on in the evening, once the younger passengers have gone to bed or left the adults to their own devices, someone - or several someones - may get the idea to spike the punch, perhaps leading to some drunken shenanigans by the end of the night.

And for entertainment? Zagreus has borrowed a few of the board games from the game car. He's more than happy to teach anyone a little game from home called Petteia, or he's always eager to learn a new card game or two, or even watch other passengers play each other. And he's learned of a fun little game called Never Have I Ever, which only requires a drink to play.

Enjoy your impromptu party, passengers! Let the good times (and the nectar) flow!

Comments

[sos_pilot]

[ Nectar? Like... the thing hummingbirds and bees eat? ... Eh, y'know what? They could use a party, and Della's more than happy to go along with it. ]

Games

[ Well, if they're allowed to play willy-nilly with balloons - ! She's going to lob some up and down on her legs and knees like one would a soccer ball - and definitely kick one towards you. They're just balloons, so it won't hurt... right? ]

Head's up!

[ And for the more mature crowd, once the kids are gone, she's deciding to partake in Never Have I Ever. Which was not a good idea, when you're from a canon where you've DONE ALMOST EVERYTHING.

Traveled through space? Did it.
Went through time and became a knight? Did it.
Ran through a Doomsday Vault, discovered a hidden "armory", suffered under a genie's wish...

In other world's Della's hammered. ]

... Hic. Okay, next up, next up, give me somethin' good! Also, stop spinning and turning into six people. That's super rude.

Food

[ The food is familiar and comforting. It actually rather reminds her of the stuff they'd serve on Ithaquack. She even winds up licking her fingers to make sure she doesn't miss any crumbs. ]

Aw, man, this is almost as good as if it came from Selene's own hands... that goddess could work an oven! Pass the nectar, would you?

Host - Zagreus only

[ She's yet to meet the host with the most yet, but she's heard whispers about his name to guess who it is. So she makes her way over, wanting to thank him and be polite.

Problem - Della's Greek isn't exactly as great as it used to it.]

So, you must be Zaypeus!

Wildcard

[ Make your own prompt! ]

[dyingpro]

Zaype-? No, that's not my-- ah.

[He pulls out one of his spare invitations, squinting at it with his multi-colored eyes. No, he definitely wrote it correctly, Zeta alpha gamma rho epsilon upsilon sigma. So why did she see it differently?]

That's a gamma. And a rho. My name's Zagreus?

Never Have I

[phobophage]

Somehow Shadow manages to be even more smashed.

"Never have I been out of the galaxy."

Another planet? Yeah. The moon? Another solar system? All yeah. That she has to resort to lame things like this is rather telling.

Games

[light_of_willpower]

[Trunks is glad to see Della in slightly better spirits. Laughing as she bats the balloon at him, with a soft chuckle. Then he bats it back at her.]

Given the last few days, I think we all need some silly fun.

Food

[paopuofyourlife]

Necter... Which is that again?

[All this food was actually extremely new to the girl so she had no idea what was what if she was being perfectly honest.]

There is so much here.

[dyingpro]

Party Prep

For those passengers that figure out what Zagreus is doing, he's more than happy to accept their assistance if they provide it. From carefully folding decorations per Romeo and Madoka's instructions, to following the recipes in the Kitchen Car ICP, Zagreus is definitely taking this more seriously than he took any of the demon fighting while they were out on a mission. During a lull in the party planning process, Zagreus glances over at his helper with a relieved smile.

"Thanks for helping me out here. I definitely needed it. I've never been to a party before, much less planned one. But after what we all just went through, I think we deserve a little enjoyment, yeah?"

Ain't No Party Like A Greek God Party

It's not hard to spot Zagreus around the party, eagerly chatting up everyone new who comes through one of the doors to the dining car, offering them something to drink and eat, and of course introducing himself if they've not met. Once everyone's arrived for the most part, he will settle down in one of the seats and eat at least one of all the snacks provided, whether it was his own or food that was provided from a generous passenger. His plate's piled pretty high, so he'll likely be there a little while.

And of course, when the games start coming out, Zagreus is eagerly observing others playing to learn the rules of the game, or asking random people if they'll teach him how to play this or that game. And when the subject of drinking games comes around, Zagreus is more than happy to explain the rules he's just learned to Never Have I Ever.

"All right, I'll start. Never have I ever... swam in the ocean!"

Whether you want to play along with his game, raise your eyebrow at him having his plate piled so high with food, or introduce yourself for the first time, Zagreus is more than happy to oblige his train companions, and hopefully, new friends.

Oh Gods Who Invited Dionysus

After hours, Zagreus is definitely feeling whatever's been put in the punch. It's similar to how he feels when Dionysus' power flows through him, though it's not quite - mainly in that he can't pass on the feeling to others like he could with his Cousin's boons. The room spins asynchronously with his head's movements, and he can't help but let out a low chuckle when he realizes what's happening.

"Ah, damn it, who invited my Lord Cousin? Someone must've-- must've invoked him. Was it you? You buddy-buddy with Dionysus?"

Sure, his words may be slurring a little, but it's not as if he's completely out of his wits drunk. At least, not yet.

Never Have I

[phobophage]

"You win." Shadow takes another drink, just one of many this night. "Never have I... wait, I did that one. Hmm. Never have... No, did that. Never... Never... Ah, I got one. Never have I destroyed a world. Yeah, haven't done that."

She's lived an extremely long life, it's hard to come up with things she hasn't done.

Prep

[myblueskies]

"Yes sir!"

He grinned at him and looked around the carriage proudly. "I think it all looks good and everyone is going to have so much fun!"

Which is the important part, after all!

Oh Gods Who Invited Dionysus - If Only

[halfnewb]

Oh good, finally someone's gotten super sloshed. Sam snickers as he watches the host's eyes try to follow the spinning room. "The wine guy? Nope. But hey, if you're handing out his number, I'll take it. Would love to chat with him about maybe finding me something hard enough to let me stay drunk for more than a few minutes."

Ain't No Party--meeting the host

[light_of_willpower]

Considering how chaotic things had gone from mission to platform and thereafter, the train needed something like this. At least that was Trunks' thinking, as he sought out their host. "This was a really good idea, thank you for sharing."

Ain't No Party Like A Greek God Party

[goingthroughaphase]

Kitty is mostly wandering around when she comes across Zagreus, and she smiles brightly. "Hey there," she says. "Haven't seen you in a while. Thanks for throwing this party."

AINT NO PARTY,

[seacub]

Ah. The ocean.

Emporio manages to keep from entering a reflexive thousand yard stare at his plate with that question, because even if he can't drink alcohol, he can at least drink water, which after a certain point will pretty much have the same effect knocking him out in the sense that he'll have to run for the nearest washroom and then gracefully call it on the 'drinking' games for the sake of his poor legs.

In any case the kid from the demon world rush takes a sip of water.

"I don't know if it has to be a type of swimming but...it probably counts," he decides, laughing nervously. "Um... ...I have to say something I've never done next too, right?"

Ain't no party

[sizedoesntmatter]

"So I am just checking that if I have I drink, correct?"

Yugi figured he should really just check first before he did anything else.

[10billionpercent]

I. Food

Senku was eyeing it apprehensively. Someone said it was sweet, of course they did since they seemed to have some kind of honey in them and he didn't like sweet things at all.

He couldn't really see anything that didn't look like it had nectar inside so he just sighed and stepped out of the way.

II. Games though...

He was more than enthusiastic to check out the games, at least, if he was going to participate at all, it would be there.

"Wanna play something?" There was a glint in his eyes. He may have been...competitive.

III. Downtime

Like any social gathering, eventually Senku finds himself in the corner, quite literally, as far away from the action as possible, just watching from afar, nursing a glass of punch as he got a breather in.

IV. Blame It On The Alcohol

The punch was a little more interesting once alcohol was added to it, and while something sweet as a chaser still wasn't his thing it was doing a fine job of getting him buzzed.

He smirked a little bit at the drinking game. Count him in. "Never have I ever graduated high school."

Senku might be hard to take down, unless people actually listened to his ramblings...

Food

[light_of_willpower]

"Don't see anything that looks appetizing?" Trunks had a plate of at least one of everything. He had yet to meet food he didn't like.

BIG GROUP NEVER HAVE I EVER THREAD let's gooo

[kumoko]

She's really digging this nectar stuff, actually! But there's not enough that she feels like she can binge, so she's broken out some of her depleted snack stores, and has a stack of cans of finest Purple beside her.

Even without alcohol, the rush of being amongst friends is enough that she's almost giddy. Let's join in!

"Never have I ever... owned a teddy bear!"

[chocobosnap]

"Does it count if it was a chocobo and not a bear?"

He was already pouring himself punch. Prompto knew it counted. Was, like he didn't just buy a giant chocobo plush

[lucklessgege]

Dinner
It has been a long time since Xie Lian has gotten to enjoy a party. The last time being the festival with the other gods. Watching the lanterns being counted and eating with everyone. This is obviously far different and not nearly as extravagant but Xie Lian prefers this in a way. He doesn't need so much extravagance to be content. He is just glad to have a way to see everyone and watch them all enjoy the party, especially after such a difficult mission.

He settles at the table with his food in front of him. There is a lot he doesn't recognize but it looks good. He reaches out to try a little of it and is shocked by how sweet it is. It has a lovely flavor and he smiles over at the one next to him.

"The food is quite good, don't you think?"

After Hours
Xie Lian isn't a big drinker. And so he is surprised when he can taste the change in the punch. He stares at his cup in surprise and then smiles in amusement. He will continue drinking, thinking it best to take it easy and not get drunk. It would be good to relax just a little bit.

When someone else comes up to get a drink he reaches out to warn them, "Be careful. This is not the same punch as earlier."

[crimson_rain]

The party is lovely with it's bright colors, the bouquet of flowers is a nice touch. Hua Cheng admires the variety of flowers from crocuses, irises, larkspurs, lilies, roses, and violets, all in different colored shades.

He sat next to his prince to enjoy the party for a dinner, as a way to relax after the mission. But the drink itself, he helps himself to a drink. "It's very sweet gege. I never had one like this before, but the main ingredient is nectar."

[azrthmtrnznthos]

Mingling
Raven still wasn't much for parties, but she was trying to be more social. Trying to not wall-flower as much. Which mostly meant she was wandering and admiring Romeo and Madoka's work. Or studying the little origami animals and scenes. Trying to not let on how awkward she felt.

Dinner
Food was easier to deal with, although Raven ate lightly. Mostly she stuck with the sweet tea, and kept an eye out on the others. People watching was a good activity.

Wildcard
[Got an idea? Hit me up.]

mingle

[blue_ice]

If Raven thinks she's awkward, at least she hasn't been talked into wearing...this. Kaiba's wrapped himself in a chiton, and he's clinging to a cup of the nectar. He's slightly less at ease than usual, but that could be the clothes.

"...never fall for the 'it's a costume party' trick," he advises quietly.

Thanatos

[controlsthedie]

Why is Death here? (Because he got invited by his boyfriend)

Thanatos isn't a party goer. He's not one for crowds or gatherings, and... most people wouldn't want Death attending their party in the first place. However, Zagreus is throwing this party, and even Thanatos can't find a way to get out of attending. He wears his black chiton and himation from home, and until someone drags him around, he tends to wallflower.

Most gods do not have to eat or drink, and Thanatos is among them. He has his reasons for not making a habit out of eating. However, some people have realized a small quirk of his; he likes baked goods. And thus Thanatos is having a minor moral dilemma. Would it be all right if he took one karydopita and one melomakarona even if he doesn't need to eat?

Either way, it looks like Zagreus has finally found a way to make Thanatos drink (eat) nectar.

Games, oh no. Not again. What's a vacation?

Thanatos doesn't know how to play most of the games, and it's going to be obvious that he's not very good at them. When it comes to "Never have I ever" Thanatos understands that game at least. He even gives Mort a tiny glass of nectar lemonade, so he can play as well. (Yes, the plushie can somehow drink.)

Low Tolerance...

There's no saving Death's image for all those present still. Thanatos is a cute, giggling drunk who just wants to just flop and nap on those he's close with. Right now, he seems to be having a conversation with Mort while half-flopped over the table... "Do you think I'm boring, Mort? I didn't drink a lot."

Still managed to get drunk though.

[knifewithnoname]

She isn't exactly someone that goes to parties a lot. She's been to more since being on the train than she ever has before... Sort of. But spying on a party is not the same as attending one.

For one thing attendees get food and that's why she is here. Honey is a particular favourite of hers and this nectar was amazing.

She saw Thanatos and grinned at him around a melomakarona. "You do be liking them too?"

Sam | Borderlands Universe | OC

[halfnewb]

-
8:B
-

Seeing as how Sam didn't sleep unless he was really bored, he was awake to hear the sound of the invitations getting slipped under the door while his roommates slept.

"Huh. Death threats already? That was fast..." He gets up from his seat on the floor and grabs one of the cards, squinting at the weird logo on the front and flipping it over. "Oh. A...party? No....'company and conversation'..." He grimaces. "...cooool...who the hell is...Zaypeni-no, wait...Zay..pew? No. That's...huh. Greek letters." So this guy was either Greek or some kinda pretentious frat boy. Either way...

Well, not like he had anything better to do. As fun as the games car was, a party for the entire train where potentially shit could REALLY go down in the best way was more than enough to pique his interest. And if it ended up being somehow boring and civil, he could always leave.

"Hm. Wonder what I should wear..."

-
Dining Carriage, Evening
-

Of course Sam showed up wearing his armor because that's what he always wore. The clothes he received in the rucksack he arrived with technically fit, but considering they had to be worn over his armor, they always looked pretty dumb and lumpy. However, he went for 'casual formal'...aka, he left his helmet in his room.

He strolled in the door, eyeing the handmade décor and giving a low whistle of approval. "Fancy shmancy...all it needs is some candles and I'm thoroughly seduced." He gives a wink to the first person he happens to stroll by, pausing to attempt the 'conversation' part of this whole company and conversation thing. "So...nectar huh? Isn't that the crap butterflies like to guzzle or something?"

[blue_ice]

This might be an awkward first brush.

Kaiba has somehow allowed the host to talk him into wearing a chiton for the occasion. He's insisted on finding a nice blue sheet to wear...yeah, he's wearing a sheet. It's breezy and comfortable, and he has some protection hidden under it. All is well.

So the armor isn't the strangest thing on the floor tonight! Kaiba inclines his head in welcome. "Have you ever heard the phrase 'nectar of the gods'? I think that's the general idea. It's supposed to be their equivalent of finest wine. Mixed results on if it'll get you drunk, but the general idea is to feel warm and...content, I guess."

[helborn]

Wallflower

Casper has improved his social skills a lot. That doesn't mean he's any good at parties. He sticks to the edges, watching people and drinking something or nibbling on something. ... This tastes good. Hm. He'll have to ask about it later. Bob the raven rides on his shoulder and occasionally Casper passes him up a bit of food, as long as it's bird-safe.


Games

Casper is a kind, gentle soul... but when someone has him engaged in a game, that lessens significantly. Whether it's Twister - he's got superhuman dexterity, which is cheating, so he only plays when there's not kids around to ruin the fun for - or checkers - far more accessible than chess - or any other game, he's in it to win it.


After Hours

Unfortunately, Casper can't be affected by whatever normal alcohol the punch has been spiked with. Thankfully, he brought his own. He pulls a bottle out of thin air, pouring a little into the cup to mix before putting it back. Frost starts to collect on the outside of his cup, but he doesn't seem to mind in the slightest.

... His coordination might be a little more off the more the night goes on, though. Being immune to alcohol means that when you do drink something that affects you... it's harder to notice before you're close to smashed.

Games

[light_of_willpower]

Twister, had been a new game to Trunks. He still wasn't sure how he felt about it. Other than that he wanted to win. Nor, at this point, could he easily remembered how it had started? He wasn't even really tipsy--it took a lot to get a half-saiyan drunk. It was more, he couldn't recall how the conversation had gone from meeting Casper outside of battle, to them challenging each other to a game of Twister.

Which was not easy, with the two of them. Casper had the advantage in that he was more slenderly built than Trunks, but the two seemed evenly matched otherwise. And tangled up, with arms and legs keeping them above the mat, in almost painful configurations.

"Whose turn is it to spin again?" Now that they were in this tangle...

[springforth]

A. Pregames

[He wrote his name in fancy lettering on fancy stationery. Of course she's going to try to dress up a little. Diamond earrings and her hair up in something more Grecian and adorned with little trails of lily of the valley, sheet turned chiton, the whole shebang. Gods, she wishes she had something more colorful. At some point she's going to have to buy a chiton from the stupid machine if her fellow gods keep showing up

Honestly, she spends a great deal of the night chatting in corners, nibbling at the little cookies and cakes. Sure, she'd made them, but they still tasted so different with nectar instead of honey.]

It's weird. You expect one thing and it's so close that it's almost there but it's kind of better. [She nibbles a little more] ...I want to make baklava with this.

B. CHESSTIME (Warning, level of difficulty might fluctuate)

[You can taste the alcohol in this nectar lemonade, sharp and warm in the throat, but Persephone still sipped it, feeling safe finally, surrounded by friends and those who wouldn't do something stupid. And after a few drinks, sipped over the course of an hour, she tugs someone over to the chess board and gestures]

Let's play. [She sets up the board with a loud hum, placing each piece with slightly more care and effort than usual. Then a pause as she looks up at them.] Do you know how to play?

chess

[blue_ice]

[ Here's Kaiba, somewhat awkwardly dressed for the occasion...chiton over one shoulder. He's had a little to drink at this point, so that tense edge has faded a little. ]

I do. It was one of the first games I mastered as a child.

Are you looking for a challenge?

[goingthroughaphase]

Mingling

[ Though Kitty was a little surprised by the invitation, what could it hurt to have a bit of fun? A party sounded like a good time, especially after what's been going on the last few days.

Arriving at the Dining Carriage, she takes a moment to admire the decorations, simple but still pretty festive. She especially likes the origami animals along the walls, those are really cute. Sometimes she'll wander over to where people are playing games and watches them, but she doesn't jump in right away herself.

She naturally finds herself drifting over to people standing by themselves, offering them a small smile. ]

Hey, how's it going?

Dinner

[ Kitty picks carefully at the food, mostly to make sure she doesn't accidentally eat something with meat. She seems to like the lemonade, though, as she drinks a sip of it. ]

Oh wow! That's really good!

Wildcard

((Feel free to pull Kitty into a conversation or rope her into a game!))

Mingling

[fivemilesdeep]

[Ryo is a bit of a wallflower - the bigger the gathering, the more likely he is to stay at the edges of it. He likes people well enough, and he's certainly doing better after the upheaval of platform day, but it's still going to take a while for his anxiety to truly settle well enough for him to be comfortable at large events. Still, he greets Kitty with a smile, happy to see his roommate.]

Good. I think we all needed this after the last mission. How are you doing?

[fennu]

PARTY/MINGLING.

Jiang Cheng has never been very good at parties.

He's never been much for the social side of things; when he visited for Cultivation Conferences he often tried to sneak away as soon as the politics were done. Sometimes he had the excuse of a-Ling to look after or Sect matters to investigate, but on a train like this? He doesn't have an excuse and nowhere else to be. He's turned up because it seemed like the polite thing to do, as it seemed a bunkmate of his was to be present, but that doesn't mean he's necessarily enjoying himself.

Hovering by the edges of the party, his eyes flick around the room as he drinks the people in, wondering at how many of them have fit inside this train and how many more will arrive next time.

GAMES.

None of the games were familiar to a man who was accustomed to tactical training and martial exercise as a form of play as a child, so he peers at a great deal of them with a mixture of interest and distaste, mouth twisted as he looks on. It seems very childish for a man of his age to be engaging with anything like this, but it also seems rude to be so dismissive of the entertainment the host has prepared.

Rock, meet hard place.

The game of Never Have I Ever which seems entirely foreign to him - and something he absolutely does not want to engage in, but politeness would absolutely have him dragged into a round if someone demanded it of him - or dared him in the face of 'cowardice' or 'fear'. He's only human, after all.

LATER (cw: drunk) CLOSED TO WEI WUXIAN.

Eventually, Jiang Cheng ends up slumped in a corner, his glass still in his hand and his eyes narrowed. Despite the fact that Zewu-jun had taken good care of him he can still feel a phantom soreness in his fingers, as though the broken bones were still present. He doesn't want to think about the fact that the pain is likely to be more emotional than physical now, with qi healing having done most of the work for him, because that leads him down a path of too many emotions and too much to think about.

He missed Wei Wuxian. He didn't. He hated him, but he didn't. He felt guilt and relief all at once. He thinks of Lotus Pier and bowing in front of Jiang Yanli and wishes he'd had his brother at his side; he'd also felt relieved that her spirit didn't have to see what her darling a-Xian had become. He felt so much conflict that he barely knew what to do with himself, and drinking just made him a little more morose, a little more frustrated with it all.

It feels as though he's summoning without actively using his core because when he looks up there his brother is, like a phantom more than anything else. Jiang Cheng's eyes narrow and he leans back, tilting his head and biting back the snappy, irritated hiss that comes to mind immediately.

"What are you doing here?"

games

[kumoko]

She doesn't know about daring, but the guy sat like something just died in his nectar definitely seems to need something to occupy himself with, so, feeling very brave with her drink inside her and the buzz of general acceptance, a large half-girl all-spider sidles over to Jiang Cheng. Look, sometimes she can be a social butterspider.

"I said," she repeats, "Never have I ever brooded at a party."

She doesn't have to drink, because she's never been to a party to brood at it! Checkmate.

[blue_ice]

of the gods

Sometimes, your roommate has wonderful ideas and you want to be supportive to thank them for supporting you. And sometimes you get the wrong idea from an invitation. Regardless, Kaiba wanted to be at this party...partly for his own protection, partly out of curiosity.

But how he'd gotten the idea that this was a costume party was anyone's guess. Instead of his orange uniform or his dueling outfit, Kaiba was wearing a navy chiton, covering one shoulder and falling just past his knees. He still wore his duelist belt with it, and the belts around his arms to match.

He immediately gravitated to the snacks, taking a small plate and retreating toward a table at the wall.

"...yes, I should've realized this wasn't a costume party," he'll say defensively, should anyone give him a Look. Other than that, he'll nod in greeting.

games

Kaiba isn't his world's second-best (yeah, ouch) gamer for nothing. As the evening unfolds and he drinks more, he slowly starts to warm up. He'll happily play anything with anyone...try the new game, play cards, stack blocks...he even ends up on the Twister mat at one point, chiton strategically tied for play.

He stretches low to touch the first square, eyes locked with his opponent. "Feeling good about this?"

stretching on

Later in the evening, after plenty of rounds of food and drink...Kaiba's clearly feeling a little lighter. He's locking eyes with people he knows and smiling. Not the brightest smile in the world, just a little upturn, but clearly a change.

He plates a small cake and offers it to the closest person. "Here. So...what do you think of it all?"

of the gods

[emerald_mirror]

OH MAN. Trust Seto to have the best ideas! Xander was...actually, almost a bit jealous.

"You look awesome! Man, I wish I'd've thought of that!" Especially since he was just shoved into his hoodie with the wing flaps out, since he didn't think coming shirtless was appropriate with so many people around.

"Has Yugi seen you yet?" Because if Yugi had an issue Xander would defend his bro to the death about his outfit choices. Though Xander honestly can't think that Yugi would think Seto looked bad, either...

[emerald_mirror]

wise men come bearing gifts (with Cherry)

Really, it wasn't just Xander who'd made this cake--he'd had help in the form of Cherry. It was a large sheet cake--with some care, there'd be enough for all the party-goers. It was decorated--swathed in brilliant red frosting, with bright yellow trim. Someone had drawn a horse in yellow on the top, too.

Both he and his co-conspirator carry the cake in and try to find a spot for it on one of the treat tables. If he's accosted as to why he brought yet another cake to this party, Xander just stammers, brushing a hand through his hair, and protests, "It's a thank you present!"

step 1: drink. step 2: make mistakes

Xander wasn't used to alcohol. The train didn't let him have it, regardless of his physical age (please disregard the roster, it's wrong!), and honestly, he didn't feel like fighting the train on it. Never mind he was of legal age back home.  (Though that was totally reliant on looks...)

Usually his own biology managed to filter out any toxins ahead of him getting too stupid, but for whatever reason, it was doing him a dirty and just not processing. (Probably because months without alcohol makes you a lightweight now, Xander...)

At least he's a giggly drunk who's most likely to only embarrass himself...

Bearing gifts

[dyingpro]

It's not an accosting so much as it is a curious onlooker, who has never seen such a thing in his life. It's very brightly colored, very sweet smelling, and it has a... horse on top? Either way, it's fascinating stuff, and seeing Xander and Cherry carry it in and try to find a place for it, he immediately moves to clear some stuff from the table to make room for it.

"Oh, it is? Who's it for? And what is it, exactly?"