riverviewlogs | [ closed. ] the grass was greener, the light was brighter

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[ closed. ] the grass was greener, the light was brighter

who: Clarice Fong, John Proudstar, & Friends.
what: Housewarming party!!
when: June 2nd ( Backdated. )
where: Casa Thunderblink
warnings: N/A. Unless loved up mutants is a deal breaker.

( At the end of May, any friend of Clarice or John will get a text inviting them to a little gathering. By then, the airy apartment has a lot more furniture, courtesy of John and his manly, manly arms. Seriously, they're like tree trunks.. It's nice, and open, and perfect for having friends around.

When people arrive, there's an excited dog who may barrel into new friends unless someone can manage to catch her in time. There's food - probably more than necessary, but they won't let anyone go hungry -, there's drink, there's music. There's a couple of somewhat nervous mutants - how the hell do you throw a party? - but they're not letting that stop them. They're going to make the most of it. )

ooc: feel free to top level! if you have cr with either of them you're more than welcome to come, and if you don't and feel like crashing that's fine too. there's a plus one ( clarice is looking at you, cisco. time to meet the hot boyfriend of yours. )

if anyone has any questions or problems feel free to hit me up at

athosing

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*At least one guest is fully aware of why they might not be totally the best hosts. Of course she's not really the best of guests either. Lauren didn't come with a housewarming gift, but as this was apparently Prijata (whatever that was), she found just- gift gifts. Clarice gets a leather jacket, John gets a book of martial arts that... isn't in any Earth language. But it has pictures!*

*...Look she has no idea what to get John this is what she found.*

*Lauren finds a nice spot to curl up and let people come talk to her. She'll also awkwardly try to start conversations as she walks around to get food, dance if other people are dancing. And playing with the dog, of course. Lauren also brought a plus one to prove she could make friends. And also because she didn't feel like arriving alone.*

Lauren!

( The younger girl gets a tight hug the minute Clarice spots her, because even though she's not all that tactile a person, when you've survived what they have together hugs are allowed. )

Hey, I'm glad you could make it. You look nice.

( Then, in a lower voice. )

How do you think we've done? I keep imagining I've committed some social crime by choosing the wrong kind of dip or something.

*On the plus side, Lauren is pretty good with hugs from people she's used to almost dying around. Everyone else can stay a few feet away.*

Thanks, I was wondering when you'd show off your new place.

*She'd have popped over to say hi but she had this feeling given the weird tension that Clarice and John just had, they'd be... you know. So she didn't.*

I'm not the person to ask, the only parties like this I've been to have been my parents or their boring friends? I had to avoid going to parties, you know. Nothing seems wrong?

*Lauren is not the most helpful.*

( Surprisingly, most of the time has been devoted to John doing manly DIY projects. But yes, Lauren probably wanted to spare herself the look of lust Clarice kept on her face at all times. )

It's nice, right? I never thought I'd have a place like this. It's so -- light. ( It's not the kind of home she'd ever have imagined, and that's what makes it perfect. It's safe, and just big enough for the two of them and Zingo, she feels at peace here. ) And honestly, you're welcome around any time. You don't have to stay away.

( Leading her to where the snacks and drinks are. ) You hungry?

[ Find John around his small apartment, kinda.... well, looking sort of worried, really, as people trickle in. Not to be sharing his space, no. He's done that for months, years even, before. But this time, it's exposing him a little more; this is the nest he and Clarice have been building together, twig by twig, and it feels a little sacred.

Not that he's not glad to see his friends around, because he is. He's proud, too, of what they've built here, of what they've achieved. It's amazing what you can achieve when you're not on a terrorist list.

John's not shy - he'll mingle, offer food and drinks and to change the music whenever. He can often be found at Clarice's side, too, a casual hand on her back, or an arm thrown over her shoulder, a kiss dropped to the top of her head. If you catch it, you can see the ridiculous adoration for her in his eyes.

But he'll move around, too, refilling bowls and changing the music - doing that right now, actually, from whatever the current song is (Taylor Swift, really?) to some gentle Metallica. ]

Any requests?

( She finds him changing the music, because of course, and also thank god. Who put Taylor Swift on and does she have to kill them. She doesn't want to get blood on their nice things. John has saved the day.

Her smile seems to flutter wider when he looks up, her fingers tangling with his as she leans her shoulder against his arm. )

Hey.

( Clarice's voice is soft, almost sweet. The panic and nerves seem to have eased the more time has passed. ) So, I'm pretty sure we're not completely awful at this party hosting thing. ( It's conspiratorial, because he knows exactly how she'd felt about it. He'd felt it too. Part of doing this had sprung simply from their desire to be normal, to do what other people got to do. ) You doing okay?

[ The second he sees her, his smile grows, his eyes soften. It's ridiculous and cliche and probably sickening to anyone else, but he doesn't actually care. She gives him this nice little buzz right under his skin, like she's current, moving through his veins. ]

Looks like it, doesn't it? Still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

[ An emergency, an attack, something blowing up somewhere. Something. There's always something. ]

I'm good. You?

Don't jinx it.

( She's still smiling as she presses up to kiss the corner of his mouth. It's very chaste. It's also disgustingly sweet. )

The only shoes are all tidied away in the closet, because someone still folds down the sheets with military precision. ( She keeps losing her sneakers because he's a weirdo. ) I'm great. Exhausted though. Like this is fun. I'm proud of us, but also let's not make it a thing. Special occasions only. Really special occasions.

( She knows she sounds ungrateful. And she's not. She's loving this, but also she's discovering the fact that she might be an old lady who likes to chill out more than party. )

Oh God, no, it's not becoming a habit.

[ Now that he's got the opportunity to have his own space, in his own time, with the one person he wants to spend most of his time with, he's not really looking to host parties every night. Not quite his style. ]

I'm sorry, are you complaining about my tidiness?

I'm just saying you could probably loosen up.

( Not that she's untidy, not necessarily. Clarice is used to keeping all of her belongings in one place so they're easy to grab. But she likes teasing John a little more than she should. )

Because if you think I'm not going to dump everything in the sink to deal with tomorrow, then you'd better think again. ( The minute the last person leaves she is dragging John to bed. Activities depend on how tired she feels after.

She slips her hand into his, swings them both lightly. ) I keep thinking I might need someone to pinch me, because even now all of this seems pretty unreal.

You and me both.

[ He squeezes her hand, leaning in to press his nose against the top of her head for a second. ]

In a good way, though?

[Shalimar's in high spirits, now she's recovered from that wretched illness that had left her out of commission for too long by her reckoning. For that, the invitation to a friend's housewarming party had seemed just the thing she needed.

She arrives with some good-quality wine in hand - red and white, because she's not sure which would be preferred and this does coincide with a festival all about giving - and a spring in her step, which means that when she spots John with that worried look on his face, she heads over with a greeting that's teasing but also genuinely meant if he wants it to be.]

Don't worry. Anyone tries to trash the place, I'll help you throw 'em out.

[ As soon as the words are out of Shalimar's mouth, John laughs, pulling her in a light hug. It's a relief for him to see that people are willing to come, willing to spend time with him and Clarice outside of dire situations. Willing to be his friend. ]

Thanks, appreciate it. We did work hard on this place, after all.

[ He grins, running a hand through his hair. ]

Thanks for coming.

Wouldn't have missed it for anything. You've got good timing, I'll give you that.

[She welcomes the hug willingly enough; she's worked alongside John enough to allow him that much without concern. She won't get into the whys of the timing matter, though she figures he probably picked up on her not being around as much and that may be enough in itself.]

Besides. Can't help but be a little curious about the other living options around here.

[She's joking. Mostly.]

[Taako heads for John as soon as he's arrived, because he has a present (on a covered cake stand), along with a bottle of wine, but also because he knows that hosting can be a little bit stressful.

From the look on John's face, he isn't wrong about that.]

Deep breaths, darling, I come bearing gifts.

[ Talk about John being outside of his comfort zone, indeed. Seeing Taako makes him sigh a breath of relief, a smile growing on his face. ]

Hey. You'd think it'd come easy to me, right? Used to making big speeches and getting people motivated. But making sure everyone is having a nice time isn't quite where I excel.

[ He leans in towards the cake stand. ]

What are those?

Big speeches and good parties are like, two different kinds of social shit, but I'm sure you'll do great.

[The lid comes off the stand with only a slight flourish and shower of glitter, because Taako is.... Taako.]

Choux pastries with a hazelnut and raspberry cream, for you or for sharing, I'm not gonna judge.

Jeez, Taako. You spoil me.

[ John is always a sharer, but the idea that Taako made those for him warms his heart anyway. He motions to the kitchen counter, putting the cake stand there. ]

Thanks. Pretty sure there's too many of them for me to eat them all but believe me, there's a part of me that wants to hide them away so I can have them all.

[Peter's fairly sure he'd be able to feel his mum's judgment from another universe if he walked into someone's house empty handed, so he's got a case of what seems like decent beer in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other as he finds John. The music playing barely registers on him, but he does at least wait until John's done messing with it to hand everything over with a knowing smile.]

I know plants are traditional, but I figured these might get more use.

[Especially considering the expression of not-quite-stress John is currently wearing.]

[ John claps a hand over Peter's shoulder, grinning broadly upon seeing him. He accepts the case of beer, but chuckles. ]

Thanks, man. Alcohol doesn't actually have any effect on me, but I'm just glad you're here.

[ He gestures towards Clarice with a thumb. ]

Plus, she's certain that we'll just kill any plant that crosses the threshold of this apartment.

Don't have to get drunk to enjoy it.

[And it's almost habit now. John and Clarice may not be Rivers, but Peter wants to stay on their good side all the same.]

I'll keep that in mind, though. It's a nice place, I'd hate to see it littered with plant corpses.

True.

[ John opens an arm, encompassing the room - since the apartment isn't much more than that. ]

Yeah, you like? Did a lot of woodworking around, which, let me tell you, was a new experience for me.

You made some of it it?

[Peter's eyebrows lift into something genuinely impressed. The size honestly hasn't occurred to him -- he's a boy from a council estate, after all.]

That's good work.

Yeah - mainly the shelves, and the stools outsides. I've still got some more things I want to do, decoration and stuff like that.

[ John smiles. ]

Always been taught to work with my hands. Do something concrete. You know? Kinda how I grew up.

More than I could ever do.

[Which isn't saying much. Peter isn't the handiest, aside from his way with a hoover and a bit of tech noodling here and there.]

Be nice to see it when it's all finished. Maybe I can hire you to do up mine, when I get one.

[That last added with a teasing grin.]

[ It's a little weird to be at parties that . . . well, seem to be for people much older than him. But there's a dog so Jon immediately makes a beeline for the dog, showering it with bellyrubs. Otherwise, he's going to pile onto the nachos and question the music. ]

Is this what old people listen to?

( EXCUSE YOU JONATHAN SAMUEL KENT.

OLD PEOPLE? )

Wow. Way to make me feel like a dinosaur. ( But hey, she's offering him a potato chip anyway. ) This is what cool people listen to. Though mostly louder. We're trying not to scare the neighbours.

[ Look, you're all old to him, okay. ]

Why would neighbours be scared of music?

This is the kind where you have to play it loud.

( She and John are of the hard rock breed. The neighbours might think they're satanists or something. )

At least loud enough that you can feel it in your teeth.

( Is she kidding? Who knows. )

[ Jon smiles faintly. He has heightened hearing, so a lot of sounds feel like that to him. ]

I'm sure they wouldn't mind that much.

[Shalimar's never been particularly shy at the best of times but on this occasion, she's feeling all the more a need to get out, mingle, eat good food and get to know friends of her friends. Never mind that the last party she went to ended with her out of commission for the rest of the month, that just makes it more important that she get back out there.

If she knows someone, she'll make sure to spend some time catching up with them - who knows what she could have missed while she was out. If she doesn't, she'll head over to them anyway, using the question of how they know the hosts to break the ice.

Alternatively, she can be found grabbing some food or topping up her drink - in the latter case, if she senses someone joining her she'll look up at them.]

Need a refill too?

I'm pretty sure I should be the one asking you that.

( Because that's what a host is supposed to do, right? But Clarice lets her top up her drink regardless, a smile on her face and her bright green eyes curious. )

I'm not going to win Host Of The Year anytime soon. But thanks. I could definitely use this. ( A sip, and then she's introducing herself. ) I'm Clarice. John's girlfriend.

( IT'S TOO WEIRD SAYING THAT OUT LOUD. )

It's fine. You've got enough else to think about.

[And Shalimar's one of the last people to care about standing on ceremony - so long as she's not offending the hosts by helping out, that's all that matters and it seems she's been successful there so nothing to worry about.

She can think of plenty of things she could get worked up about. This doesn't even come close to that list.

Besides, this also solves the issue of finding Clarice at a point where she isn't rushing around after other people.]

Nice to finally put a face to the name. I'm Shalimar. I work with John on the Perimeter Guard, though I'm more focused on Search and Rescue.

[It's not the only thing they have in common but she'll hold for now to see if John may have mentioned anything about other mutants to Clarice.]

[the only thing that excited minsu more than receiving an invitation was the reason behind it. john and clarice are two of the nicest people he's met here, and minsu's a romantic, so them getting a den of their own is definitely worth celebrating. (and from the outside, it definitely looks big enough to fill with babies if they wanted to someday!)

he comes bearing gifts, the general idea of which he got from the coffee shop where he works. he didn't think the basket had quite enough in it though, because of course he wouldn't, so he added other things to it - more coffee and two matching mugs, some of the best snacks he's found. minsu's greeted by a dog who apparently agrees with his tastes - she's actually jumping because she's more excited than anything, but minsu still tries to keep the gift basket between them as he looks around for someone.

it's just that he's a little nervous around dogs. he'll learn.]

Ah...hi?

( Clarice is quick to swoop in, diverting Zingo's attention with practised ease. ) Hey girl. I hear John has treats in his pocket. ( She doesn't know if the dog understands her, but it seems to work when she wanders off to where her other keeper is. So that's a plus.

Her expression when it lands on Minsu is apologetic. )

Hi, I'm sorry. I should have told people we had a dog. She's not mean, she just gets excited but if it's too much we can definitely fix that. I could put her in the bathroom if you're uncomfortable around her?

( The apartment is pretty open plan, so that's the only place. )

[minsu looks relieved when clarice shows up, gaze shifting back to the dog when the promise of treats has her wandering off - well, that's one thing they have in common already.]

Oh, I do that too. [he grins. the dog really didn't seem mean at all, just a bit much with her affection. another similarity. honestly, it's a wonder that minsu didn't get along with her right away. he thinks about the offer for a moment before firmly shaking his head.] No, this is her home. I didn't mean to be rude....

[he turns the basket around before holding it out.]

There should be some things in here that she can eat too. Please give them to her for me.

You didn't have to bring us anything.

( But she is clearly delighted with the way her face lights up. )

But you're now officially my favourite person, because coffee. ( It is the way to her heart. Carefully, she moves towards the kitchen, motioning for Minsu to come with. She wants to put this somewhere it won't get damaged. ) The mugs match. I can't wait to show John. We're going to kill this suburban thing.

( She is facing this domesticity with aggressive excitement. So help her. )

Seriously, thank you. This is so cute.

I wanted to.

[it's polite, and minsu might've polled random customers about what you should do when you're invited to see someone's house for the first time. but even without that, showing up on someone's doorstep with food just feels natural to him.

but he's especially happy with her reaction, his smile equally bright as minsu glances away shyly.]

I promise I won't tell John.

[who is, he's sure, her actual favorite person but to be included in that company is great. minsu follows her, turning in a circle to take in all of the kitchen.]

I'm glad you're not in communal housing! Couples need their own space. [minsu pauses to breathe in deep.] And this place is nice! I don't smell any mold or mice or anything!

[which is just weird but hopefully reassuring.]

[ Cisco has been here before, and he can fully appreciate how much John and Clarice have improved the place already. There's lots of new furniture, but also signs that it's been lived in. It seems warmer, more alive. Like some of their happiness as sunk into the walls.

He greets Zingo with a big grin, immediately bending down to give her lots of scritches, though she is wagging her tail so much that the whole back half of her body is wagging, and it makes returning the enthusiasm somewhat difficult.

Once they've said their hellos, Cisco makes his way in, keeping an eye out for the hosts. He has, after all, brought along that rarest of cryptids, the hot boyfriend. He shoos Eddie off to drink a beer and make some friends while he searches for John or Clarice... or anyone else he recognizes! ]

( She'd seen him arrive, but had been waylaid on greeting him with various weird host tasks. Honestly, parties are hard. She's enjoying herself, but she keeps having to stop and remember that she has stuff do do. So when she does find her way over to him, it's with a grin, hair a little frazzled and tucked behind her ears, two bottles of beer in her hand. )

I didn't know if you drink, but. ( She's offering him one anyway. If not, there's a soda in her pocket and she plops it on the coffee table before collapsing into the couch and patting the space beside her. Come sit. )

So it's official, we both have stellar taste. ( Hot Boyfriend? Super hot. ) That's a damn good looking man. ( He's pretty, probably not Clarice's exact type considering she falls for the guy allergic to sleeves, but she likes being able to have a ridiculous gossip with Cisco about these things. ) Well done us.

[ Cisco takes the beer with a little raise of his eyebrows, as if to say of course he drinks. Then he's coming over to drop down onto the couch next to her, happy both that she wants to spend time with him despite how many of her friends are here and with the fact that this is, it seems, a chill party. Cisco is fond of chill parties, where he can just sit around and drink a beer and not feel like he has to be talking to everyone or entertaining them.

He clinks his beer against Clarice's in a toast, echoing her light-hearted tone as he proclaims: ]

Here's to our refined taste in men.

[ And he takes a drink of the beer, sighing with contentment. It's good beer, and it's fun to scan the people in the room for anybody that he knows. There's a small overlap, it would seem, between Clarice's friends and his. When Cisco first arrived to the Quarantine he worried about being in a place with such a small population, compared to Central City. But there are enough people that it doesn't feel suffocating. He recognizes Bubbles - Lauren, that is - and John of course, but not many others. ]

Hey, sorry I've been kind of incommunicado. Got hit by that nano-plague pretty bad. I'm glad you guys are doing this today, actually, I've totally got cabin fever from being cooped up so long.

Oh hey, me too.

( Thankfully John had been there for her. Once she'd decided to let him be. It had been a difficult and strange situation getting sick. Her fear of hospitals warring with the actual sickness. She'd wanted to be fine so badly. But she's not going to focus on that today, they've all made it through and to the other side.

It's a party. )

How do you think we're doing on a scale of one to ten? Because I almost called the whole thing off a bunch of times. How do people socialise? Like, what magical arrangement do parties need to be in? I don't know.

( She should have treated it more like this. Hanging out. Drinks, music, food. It's pretty sweet. )

[ Cisco almost asks Clarice if she had gotten hallucinations, too, but hesitates at the last moment. He'd heard from Beverly, knows that her symptoms were completely different. And if Clarice hadn't had that, well, he doesn't want her knowing that he did. Not that he would lie about it, if she asked, he's just... a little uncomfortable, looking back, with all of it. He has a hard enough time already, what with the random visions, not thinking of himself as a little bit crazy.

Luckily, there's a party going on, and lots else to talk about and focus on. He looks around, expression overly contemplative as he pretends to assess the party. ]

I'd give it a solid 9. And to be honest, any party without karaoke gets an automatic disqualification from a full 10, so I'd say you're doin' pretty good, all things considered.

[ He knows that she is probably mostly bantering, and not actually looking for advice, but at the same time... he thinks he might have some to give. He knows that Clarice didn't exactly get a chance to have what he would think of as a really normal growing-up process. His own life had been a little weird, but just in that skipped-some-grades-and-is-awkwardly-young way, not in the murtant-persecution-and-total-outcast kind of way. ]

You wanna know a secret? And this is something it took me, like, a long time to realize? Nobody knows what the fuck they're doing with socializing. Like, honestly, they don't. Anybody who looks comfortable is probably just way good at faking it. So it's not about finding the one right way to do it that everybody else knows about. A good party is just... stuff that you, Clarice, like, and you invite people who you want to be around. If they dig it they'll stay, and if they don't then it's on them to leave.

[So, okay, lately he's been a little caught up in his work. After his injury and being stuck on desk duty for weeks, he's been a little bit laser-focused on going over the evidence he has on the child-killer he's been hunting for the last half-year. It's funny how your world can shrink into such a small thing when you're lost in your work, especially this kind of work.

In fact, Eddie feels downright rusty at this party. Like he's forgotten how to be social, just a little. For the first few minutes, he hovers close to Cisco's elbow, then when Cisco shoos him off toward the beer, he grabs one, stands there awkwardly, feeling a little overdressed (why had he gone for the button-up-and-waistcoat combo?) and awkward. He knows a few people here, but not enough.

God, what's happened to his social life?

Still, when someone comes over toward the table with the drinks, he takes a deep breath and smiles his brightest most disarming smile.]

Hey. I definitely recommend the cinnamon pale ale. It's killing it.

[ John's walking over for a number of reasons. One, he is, after all, hosting this party and leaving someone alone to drink isn't really the way to do that well, and two, well, he's seen the guy at Cisco's elbow, so he must be the boyfriend. Which makes it even more interesting for them to talk - and not just about boxing.

So John strides over, and waves a hand against the beer when Eddie talks, chuckling. ]

Alcohol doesn't have any effect on me, so better for you to be enjoying it. Eddie, right? We talked before, about getting a bit of a boxing club together. I'm John.

( Finally, the Hot Boyfriend. Clarice makes her way over to him with a smile on her face, a. because she likes Cisco a whole bunch and therefore assumes he makes good choices, and b. Eddie looks terrified. She can appreciate a person who sucks at socialising. Hell, she's hosting the party and she wants to hide in the bathroom. So it makes her a little less nervous in striking up a conversation, because they can both suck at it. )

Yeah? I didn't know what kind to get so I kind of let the lady at the store railroad me into a bunch of different ones. ( But she's taking one and screwing off the top, taking a sip straight after a cautious sip. ) Kinda tastes like Christmas.

You're Eddie, right? I'm Clarice.

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[ closed. ] the grass was greener, the light was brighter

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OTA

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ota

i'm sorry i'm late, i think i must have lost the notif.

that's okay!

ota

babies already? god.

casually mentions that 'minsu' is a really nice middle name...

minsu, nooo. ( but of course. )

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eddie ✪ ota

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