voidtreckerexpress | Let's Have a Party!

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Let's Have a Party!

Who: Everyone!
What: Throwing a party
Where: Gym carriage
When: Early Evening- early morning, Apple 28

It was three days after the incident with the train and right at two weeks since they'd been allowed to get off this train and roam a new world. Sure somewhere in there, they'd had a brief reprieve involving a new platform and mess of newcomers, but that had hardly counted as a break from the train. So, the point was, they needed a chance to blow off some steam. What better way than organize a party and roll out the last of his ale to share?

He'd recruited Sarai and Maglor to play their harps and/ or sing for music; Ignis, Ash and Evie to make hors d'oeuvres, Dread and Peter to bring in some chairs; and rigged a lamp and some cloth to make a disco ball-like display in the room (which he made Peter to promise not to touch).

Now he just had to get the guests on the dance floor... to harp music? He misses 'regular' music. Sigh.

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Ash was admittedly surprised at the proposition, but she'd had just enough to drink to go along with it. She downed the basically full cup of ale like a champion, then set the empty cup down. She let him pull her to the dance floor, a small blush coming through on her freckled cheeks.

"Is it too late to tell you I don't know how to dance?" The nobility never considered her worth teaching, and she never really thought it relevant enough to ask.

"It is if you're going to use it as an excuse to get out of this," Tony teased, flashing her a smile. It didn't surprise him too much she didn't know how to dance. He would've been happy to teach Manabu, but someone was being a stick in the mud.

Once on the dance floor, he gives her some minor instructions about where to put her hands and very slowly helped her sway back and forth, one step forward to his step back and switch, over and over again before he started to add one or two new things- all equally slow and giving her time to adjust to it.

Her smile could only grow at the comment. "I wouldn't try to get out of this even if we both had two left feet."

She listened to his instructions, then followed his lead. At first she was too focused on watching her feet and she stumbled a little here and there, maybe bumping feet or ending up a little too close to Tony. As soon as she gave up over analyzing it and just started to follow Tony's lead, she started to do better. As soon as she got the basics down it was not hard to adopt the new things that Tony threw in, though it was by no means perfect.

She spoke again once she was a bit more comfortable with the movement. "Is dancing something everyone from your world can do? Or are you some sort of nobility?" She wouldn't have asked if she thought he wasn't cut of that cloth.

"So quick to admit defeat," he remarks with a laugh. In this case, he was rather glad she wasn't fighting the idea of dancing with him. It was much more fun to just go along with it! "But you are smart. I wouldn't be able to take no as an answer from such a delightful bunny as you. You're by far my favorite person who has ever tried to choke me with their hair on a routine basis."

His eyebrows rose at the question and he considered it for a moment. "We don't use titles like nobles in the year I'm from. It's a concept from many, many years ago. However, in a sense, I am. My family is very wealthy and influential. In the old days, it would've been a family you were known for and in my time, it's a company that you own that tends to define your notoriety. I learned dancing at one of the private, expensive boarding schools I was sent away to. I'm not sure what would be the equivalent in your world to that."

She wasn't someone to turn down some proper fun, even if it meant learning something new! If she ever got home she'd be able to surprise Stephanivien with it - he did his best to dodge his house duties to care for the Skysteel Manufactory, but he would probably be delighted that she'd learned to dance.

With the hair comment her eyebrows raised and she looked as if she might actually chuckle, but she just shook her head with an exhale, still smiling. "I've worked with dangerous machinery and have worked side by side with Master Haillenarte without any issue so... I think that's a personal problem." She'd have to find a way to wrap her hair up at night and it shouldn't happen unless someone knocked out the gravity again - this was an issue she could solve without much difficulty.

She listened to his explanation, it seeming to click in her head. "Oh, that sounds a little like the Ul'dahn Syndicate. The weight of your name is determined by how wealthy you are and how strong you are in your market." The more money you had, the more you could push others out of business and create a spot for yourself that you could never fall out of. "The Syndicate run the city and make decisions." There were a lot of issues with that and she'd heard the Sultanate was trying to wrestle power back from the Syndicate, but she had no clue how that was going.

"...In Ishgard I think that would be any school? In my time on on the Source it didn't seem like school was freely available - only the nobles and upper classes in Ishgard could afford schooling." Things were changing with the dissolution of the Holy See, but change was slow in the religious state of Ishgard. "The rest of Eorzea seemed similar. Most people entered into trades or enlisted in their city-state's guard rather than go to school." She was included in that.

Oh! Oh, that was so cute! He almost got her to laugh. Must. Try. Harder.

"It's true, being choked is quite a personal problem. I rather enjoy being able to breathe even if your hair has other ideas. Sometimes it's a benefit, though. I can hide under the curtain of your hair and like it's a blanket fort, like my daughter likes to build. Whenever I start noticing all the throw blankets on the first floor of my house are missing, I know I have a little building being constructed somewhere." He laughs, it was such a wonderful memory. He would try his hardest not to let any other thoughts get tacked on to it- like he'd never see those forts of Morgan's again.

It was much easier to talk about nobles in modern day terms. He took a moment to give Ash a little spin as he thought over what she was saying. "Right. And there are some people who have been in families that have been wealthy and a strong name for enough generations that that alone is what gives them prestige. We would call this 'old money'. My father, Howard Stark, built our family's company and reputation, so we would be considered 'new money' for it only being one generation old." And now she knows why more than she ever wanted on the version of nobility in the US.

Her explanation of a school that only the rich could afford was also the same for his world. Sure, there was public school, but a private, overseas boarding school was something only the wealthy could benefit from. It seemed that was something his father had greatly desired- to ship him as far away as possible for the longest time possible. That was his feeling before.., now he simply 'got' it more. Anyway, that was another thought, for another time.

"Now watch this, and lean back. This, my dear, is a dip." He gently steps her through a fancy dip, letting her hair briefly touch the floor before he pulls her back up.

"If you don't quit complaining I'll just chop it all off! You'll be to blame!" An idle threat, it wouldn't happen. With the mention of using her hair as a curtain and comparing it to a blanket fort Ash gave another one of those exhales that was almost but not quite a chuckle. She glowed as Tony laughed, his happiness contagious to a certain degree. She wasn't entirely certain what all went into a blanket fort, but Ash could imagine what she figured was a relatively young child trying to build small buildings with a blanket and it was pretty dang cute.

Ash understood what it was that Tony was saying as he explained, but it seemed like a bad way to run things. She had heard of the issues in Ul'dah and how the Syndicate ran things generally for the better of those within the Syndicate, tending to cast those who were less fortunate off to the side to deal with their own problems. There was also the question of whether old money had more weight than new money. "So... Is old money more respected? Or would you and your father be equals to that of old money? And what of the poor?" There were some families in Ishgard that were nobility that made concentrated efforts to help the poor, as there were no social programs in place. This was also a work in progress now.

She was grateful for the heads up on the dip because, even with her trust for him and the gentleness of the movement, she tensed up for a moment before she relaxed and that smile came back to her face. She was genuinely having fun, which she hadn't expected when he asked her to dance. "I am no real judge, but I imagine you would fit right in at one of Ishgard's balls." Events she was never invited to. She could feel a small fuzzy nagging at the back of her head that Tony was definitely a man that was above her rank and she should not allow herself to be comfortable because they would never be equals. It was easy enough to push away right now. "I always assumed they were stuffy affairs - I would have been jealous if I knew they could be this fun."

"No! Anything but that!" Tony cries in an exaggerated manner, failing at his attempt to not laugh right along with it. "There's nothing worse than a bald bunny!" With another laugh, he gives her a more serious, but no less friendly smile. "But seriously, darling, you have gorgeous hair. I'll happily be choked the death if it means keeping as beautiful as you currently are."

The conversation about the money was less fun, but he personally found it interesting. Now that it had been put in such a light, he rather enjoyed the idea that he was his world's version of nobility. "Yes, those with old money have more respect usually. That is especially true among the others who have old money. To the other classes though, I don't think it matters much to them. And the poor? Well, we're talking snobby nobles here. They don't give a damn about the poor most of the time. I have a number of charities to help where I can."

It made him smile to watch her have fun. She was awful serious so much of the time. It was a treat for him as much as it was for her that she was having fun. "I'll give you a little secret. It's all about the attitude. You'd fit right in too if you can learn how to project a completely narcissistic vibe."

Oh, what a drama king! She managed to get through the first round of laughing unscathed, but the mention of a bald bunny did pry the smallest of giggles from Ash - he might have missed it if he wasn't paying all that much attention. At the compliment of her hair she looked down at their feet, a bit bashful - he was the first to ever actually compliment her hair. Most just wanted to touch it or called it a mess. Not even Stephanivien had ever complimented it. "Ah-thank you. That's very kind." She wasn't withdrawing like she had at other compliments, she just wasn't sure how to take it without being awkward. She had a very warm smile on her face as she looked back up to Tony.

Ash found the money conversation equally interesting, though she was perhaps a little disappointed at how similar it seemed to her. Sure, they were talking about sweeping generalizations, but she once had to humble even Stephanivien. She was visibly more comfortable as Tony mentioned that he had charities to help out with those less fortunate. "Snobby nobles? Sounds like those tied to the Church." Only really interested in enforcing the status quo and maintaining power. She did not like those types. "It brings me relief that you provide help where you can. We can remain friends." It was only a half joke. She seemed to be thinking about something, a little frown finding its way to her face as she considered it. She seemed hesitant to ask - she knew it was starting to dig pretty deep into this topic and she wasn't certain it was worth spending the evening talking about when they could always talk about it another time if they really wanted to.

The moral of the story may be to get Ash tipsy or drunk more often: she was much more inclined to respond to her emotions like a normal living person like this. Tony's response threw Ash off - she hadn't expected him to be so brutally honest, and for a second her face flashed with a look of surprise. Eyes wide, her mouth slightly open, and he earned actual giggles from it. She shook her head a little, speaking through the giggles. "I don't want to fit in if that's what it takes."

Victory! He saw that! You tried to hide it, but you're secret's out. Ash is capable of laughing.

It was a proud moment.

There were several in Tony's world who fell under that description and were also tied to the church, so he gives a symapthetic sigh and nods in agreement. They were such a pain. He finds her saying they can still be friends amusing, but couldn't help his curiosity. "So if I was raised in a family of those other nobles we couldn't be friends?" His tone was teasing, but he really did want to know.

In his opinion everyone on this train would benefit from a little more booze in their coffee. (Of course this was before he had to deal with Peter). This was turning out to be just as fun a night as in the inn when he went drinking with Dread- maybe even a little more so. "I don't know.. it can be pretty fun to see what people will let you get away with," he jokes. "I once randomly decided I wanted to drive a race car instead of the driver who had been hired for that. It just took some arrogance and a flash of money and boom, I was in the driver's seat." He'd had a ton of fun right up until he'd been attacked and crashed. He was going to ignore that part though.

His teasing about being friends saw her smile fade as she thought. She could hear Emet's words echoing in her mind, reminding her she's just a broken fragment of a fragment, not even worth being acknowledged. She recalled how those of the Holy See would treat the poor, and how Ul'dahn's oft treated the Ala Mhigan refugees. The inability to offer help to those who need it was why she left the Rak'tika Greatwood to begin with.

"It is not your family name or even your circumstance that determines who you are, but rather your actions and willingness to learn." Stephanivien had his own issues that she'd had to clap back on him over in the past, but he'd always recognized that he may have overstepped himself. "I cannot condone someone treating another cruelly just because of the lot of their life." She'd gotten so serious. There was a conviction in her voice that implied this was something that was very important to her. As if she realized how she'd serious'd up, exhaled and let herself politely smile. "My apologies, I did not mean to grow so serious."

To be fair, Ash felt she would benefit from a little more booze in her coffee. She knew she could be a bit stiff in new situations, especially around people she was not familiar with. That said, she would never turn down a chance to drink with Tony, probably. The story made her shake her head a little in disbelief. "That's outrageous." She seemed a bit more amused than anything. Sure the wealthy and noble of Hydaelyn flexed their influence, but it was oft for less trivial things (she'd heard of, anyway). "To curry favor for something so trivial." The implication that those of Hydaelyn did it for more weighty reasons. She looked back to him, still smiling. "Was it fun at least?"

Well that was a short lived victory moment.

"This is actually being cruel to another person, not teasing someone who has adorable bunny ears right? I'm not sure I can do any better than this." He was still trying to cheer her up with humor, but there was something extra in his expression that said he'd heard her. That and.. despite having it appear he moved on with the conversation or hadn't addressed what she'd said, he leans in and presses a quick kiss to her cheek. While his face was close, he adds, "At least we know now one of the passengers on this train has the true heart of a hero. Never lose that spark."

And just as quick as that got intimate, he backed off just as fast. He gave her a playful spin before continuing their conversation like nothing had happened. "Yes, it was incredibly fun, right up until I crashed it."

Ash gave a nod to the question - it didn't really need anything more. Her face softened into a smile as he made the joke, sort of forcing herself to let go a little bit. It was something she believed in very strongly and she knew that she could take things a little too seriously sometimes. She started shifting gears, but was thrown off when Tony leaned in and kissed her cheek. For a moment her face blanked in what Tony or any of the earth kids would consider a human 404 error, but she recovered as he spoke to her. It wasn't even the kiss that made her blush, but the compliment that she had a true heart of a hero. She didn't

As he pulled away it was clear she was flustered, though there was perhaps a small spring in her step during the spin, and her smile actually reached her eyes and stayed there. "I'm glad it seems you made it through okay." That is to say, she was glad that some twist of fate happened to put them both here at the same time, but she wasn't someone who'd say that out loud.

Edited (icons are for nerds) 2019-09-23 18:32 (UTC)

It must be a universal truth that those with the most heroic hearts could never see it in themselves. He could see it in her and she might be able to see it in him. No matter what, they wouldn't be able to convince the other of that fact.

It was cute how she reacted to his quiet praise. She meant a lot to him and he could see all her great potential. It was easy to like her, of course, since she was gorgeous and sweet.

He laughed at that. "Thank you. It's a wonder all the things I've made it through. I bet you have some stories too. Unfortunately I don't think I've ever heard you talk long enough to get a full story out. Think you might be up to the challenge sometime?"

That was right - Ash could tell he was not only a hero, but also that he was Important. The way he commanded the people around him, the way he was a leader. She admired him and how he managed to just navigate people. She had her own way of navigating people, but she found herself wishing she had the confidence he had.

She still smiled and her blush still hadn't subsided, but redirected her gaze as if she were embarrassed. It's less she was particularly embarrassed as much as she had reservations because of the contracts she'd taken on. "None are particularly interesting, and fewer still any that don't end with certain disaster." That was bull - her life was filled with just as much adventure as Tony's. They may not be happy, but the car accident wasn't either. She was willing to try to meet him halfway. "I may have one or two stories, though I doubt they'd be as interesting as any of yours." And none of them could compare to traveling between shards. "...Nobody's ever asked."

It was really sort of breaking his heart that Ash thought so little of herself. He didn't believe for a moment that she had no interesting or great stories to share. They had to be! Who else got to learn about an ass kicking Easter bunny? That alone made for an interesting story.

"My darling, those are the best kind of stories. No one wants to hear about perfect endings and strolls through the park. It's when there's real adversity and tough decisions and the loveliest of bunnies taking on the world that are the best ones."

He brought her close before giving her another spin. "Does it bother you when I call you 'Bunny'?" Normally he wouldn't care, but he actually liked Ash and didn't want to offend her.

She shook her head as he said that those kinds of stories were the best. They may make for interesting campfire stories, but she knew plenty of people who only wanted stories of heroics and happier than not endings. She was just a person doing the best she could in the worlds she's lived in.

"I know plenty of people who would disagree." It wasn't an argument, more of a playful poke. "Most of my life I was little more than a guard or gun for hire, there really is very few epic moments in my life. All of the excitement is reserved for the Warriors of Light and their adventurer friends." Ash knew she was nothing special.

When he started the question she had a slight concern that it was something a bit more serious, but when it was just that she was just slightly amused as she spun. "The guys at Skysteel always called me their grease bunny. I was always fond of it." She must have been literally the only Viis in Foundation. She was definitely a little bit of a spectacle there. "It doesn't bother me in the slightest. I've been called far worse things. It's nice to be given a name that isn't some title for once."

Some part of her liked being here and having no expectations put upon her. She didn't have to return to work, she didn't have to look for contracts. She was just here. The engine failing was scary, but she hadn't been expected to fix it like she would have an air ship. "It's a little nice to be here and not have the weight of expectation bearing down on my shoulders the way it did in Eorzea and Norvrandt." She said it as if it were a secret she were confiding.

Tony smiled at her push back. He wouldn't expect anything less from her, Ash was good at speaking her mind. For someone else, he'd argue further, but he trusted she got his point. And really, this night wasn't about that. It was about fun and relaxing. However, the other part about not having any epic moments bothered him.

"What you may see as routine would be new to me." He disagreed. She was someone very special.

"Grease bunny?" He asked and laughed. "We call mechanics in our world 'grease monkeys'. That's amusing both our worlds came up with something so similar." He wondered if they also used that saying and had adjusted it since she was a bunny or if it was something they believed they'd dreamed up entirely for her. "And what about your title of being the prettiest dancer on the floor? You can't foget that one. We should get you a tiara and everything for it."

He nodded, finding that perspective understandable, but he was having trouble relaxing. While they were on the train, there wasn't a whole lot going on but the mission had left him curious what lies ahead. So it was hard to let down his guard- especially when if he did relax, his nightmares might come back. Still, this was Ash's feelings on the matter and not his. "It is nice, sweetheart. We should make the most of it as long as we're here. And look at us now? We're doing something completely unproductive."

It was apparently that Tony wouldn't be letting this go. It amused Ash a little, though mostly she'd never really been given the attention before. Very few people asked her for stories, more just asked her to fix things or slay things or gather intelligence. She found nothing about herself impressive, but her job really did pale in comparison to those of the Warriors.

He may have just convinced her, though for another time. "That may be. Buy me a drink sometime, I'll tell you a story or two." She gave him a wink. She couldn't give away all her secrets in one dance - she liked spending time with him and this was a good excuse to spend time with him.

Her expression lit up to amusement as Tony explained that they were grease monkeys in his world. "Why monkeys? That's..." She smiled and shook her head. "That's funny. I just always ended up the most covered in grease when working." It wasn't because they didn't work, she just tended to be the one to solve the more difficult issues. Those also tended to be the messiest ones. She shook her head vehemently as called her the prettiest dancer on the floor. "Oh, no, no, no. I by far am not and I am no princess." Almost an afterthought: "Besides, a tiara would look weird with the ears."

She didn't fully agree with that statement. "I wouldn't call getting to know each other a bit better unproductive. We have to live together now. I can't say I'd be comfortable with a stranger sleeping below me." That wasn't entirely true - she was used to being among strangers. She was an adventurer, after all. "But if this is how I spend my down time I can't say I'm disappointed. There's always more time to work, but never enough time to play."

"It's a date." He'd be happy to exchange drinks for a story or three. While he didn't have access to alcohol currently, he was sure it wouldn't take him too much longer to figure it out.

He was glad she was equally amused with his world's wording choice. "Haven't the slightest idea. Well, from one grease monkey to a grease bunny, I've found dish soap works and petroluem jelly." It wasn't the prettiest solution, but it did seem to help. He shook his head as she argued against his claim that she was the prettiest on the dance floor, but the remark about the tiara did have him laughing. "Alright, alright. Second best. You're right. I am quite beautiful." He knew that would get a laugh or two.

For all of his good points, he had to admit she had him on that one. "I might have to concede this point.. although, I'm not completely uncomfortable with the idea of someone sleeping underneath me." He gave her a wink, but then laughed. "I haven't had someone in a bunk below mine since college." Which, he wasn't going to do the math and find out just how long ago that was. No one needed to know that, especially him.

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Let's Have a Party!

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whew thanks for not calling me out on that started sentence that shoulda been deleted yikes

I saw nothing ;)

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