𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚍 ✧ 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜, 𝚝𝚘𝚘, 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚛𝚜

[realists]

who: jyn & cassian & friends
what: housewarming party
when: mid-august
where: jyn & cassian's home
warnings:

--

It's not a very inviting text but since technically Jyn did invite the recipients to come to a location at a predetermined time, that counts as an invitation and Cassian cannot complain. The location is a small cottage home, space masonry covered in the same creeping leafy ivy as the rest of the moon, an overgrown garden on the side of the house being (what looks like violently) cut back to make room for the fresh plots of tiny herbs, each carefully labeled. There's a welcome mat and the door is open with the sounds of music drifting out of the screen door.

(Side note: none of that was there if early recon happened on the [LOCATION], so jot that down. This happened nearly overnight.)

Once inside, it's... shit, is it a party? Is it a party in Jyn and Cassian's new home that they got without telling anyone, moving in the cloak of night so that they could steal literally all of the furniture in their apartment that wasn't nailed down? Well, the shrimp dispenser is there in the kitchen and Jyn's wall of herbs are still there so that must be the case.

That's 100% what happened.

The kitchen is full of food, made by Cassian, and alcohol, and there is a small ginger cat prowling around and a small grey pile of fluff that occasionally makes a noise so it must be alive, the music is low enough to hold a conversation, and of course there is shrimp. Never ending bottomless shrimp. This is the extent of the party but be grateful that a year after Jyn and Cassian arrived in the Quarantine, they're inviting their, like, five friends to their home. Some people have never even seen the apartment, but that time has passed. Pour one out.

In addition to the food, there is one single cake, homemade, because turns out this party doubles as a joint birthday party. You know, for the birthdays neither of them told anyone about.

Yay! Party!

Comments

[jolting]

Admittedly, Victor was a little surprised to get a text from Jyn inviting him over to her house. They got along well enough when they met at James's get-together, but he hadn't realized he made that much of an impression. The feeling morphed into amusement. Bring a date if you must. Well, since he had no doubt James would get a similar invitation, they would just be each other's dates.

And he also brought a bottle of wine. One did not go to a housewarming party without some kind of gift.

When they arrived at the house, Victor took a moment to take it all in. It was very charming and though he was not as knowledgeable in botany as other sciences, he could still appreciate the various plants and the obvious care they were given. He handed over the wine once they were let inside, familiarized himself with the cat, and tried to politely mingle and look around.

[realists]

Jyn returns with Victor's wine after a while and shoves both it and the bottle opener at him because someone told her she's not allowed to just break the neck of the bottle before she pours it into a glass and she already destroyed the cork of the other bottle of wine so.

"Open this."

No please because manners are for the weak, but he knows that about her already so this won't be news to Victor.

[evasives]

Cassian doesn't know Victor as well as Jyn, but even before Jyn decided to invite him too he assumed Jim would bring him along as a date. He starts to try and strategize how to small talk before remembering he can just wing it. He has to remind himself sometimes that it doesn't need an end goal.

He finds Victor while he's introducing himself to the cat, but Raddus perks up when she realizes Cassian is coming over and bats at his foot. He sighs, fondly. "She followed me home one day and never left."

More like he never kicked her out, but who's to say. "Thank you for the wine." He saw Jyn with it earlier.

[winscenario]

At some point during the party, after he made sure to leave Victor to fend for himself and socialize a little (it's good for him!), Jim made it back to the doctor's side, though this time with an extra: a tiny fluffy ball of grey fur curled up on his shoulder. He grinned, pointing at the little chinchilla.

"I made a new friend."

[bythehand]

[ Okay, but I mean, talk about a firm dose of basic relief when this turns out to be a party. It's not that Finn legit thought he was strolling into a dark ritual or kidnapping or attempted murder. He trusts Jyn and Cassian, and he shows up when his friends ask and/or tell him to show up.

But he's also a little hyper-vigilant by nature so at least a tiny percentage of his brain was like "idk maybe everyone walks in and blows up somehow" literally right up until he got in the door. So it's cool. It's nice. He realizes that Cassian and Jyn got a house, and honestly? Verklempt is the big mood. Superb, you funky little soldiers.

Finn rolls in with Roy Harper as his +1, which he's glad isn't a decision that led them into any kind of mortal combat situations? Probably for the best. It's a pretty small gathering, too, and 90% of the people in attendance are firmly in his "10/10, hangs the moon, would catch a grenade for any day" friend category, which is also a good thing. Easier to work with than the last couple of small, personal setups he's been to.

Yes. Finn has decided within a minute that this is a Good Party. Catch him... making your standard given party rounds! When he's not chilling with the person he invited into a house full of total strangers.

You know, eating. Hunting down Raddus because he absolutely snuck in a couple of treats. Checking out their new digs. Maybe eyeing that pile of chinchilla with vague alarm and concern. He didn't bring anything for this............ creature. He kinda feels bad but like, what the hell is it anyway. Talking to people? Yes. For sure. He's gonna do it. Introduce himself to whoever he doesn't know, because he is sometimes polite.

And honestly I can come up with more personalized starters if anyone would rather I figure out a specific starter. It's no prob. Hit me up wherever. ]

[realists]

[ finn seems to be studying the chinchilla like it's a bomb about to go off so jyn scoops it up -- it makes an affronted chirping noise because how dare she disregard its personal autonomy! -- and brings it to finn. can't escape now, motherfucker. ]

Pet it.

[ jyn isn't into orders as a rule, but there is something about her tone that brooks no discussion. cassian has rubbed off on her.

but she really wants finn to feel how soft the animal is! and also he is their number one cat sitter because raddus likes him more than jyn and cassian combined so he's going to see the ball of fluff when he comes to pet the cat anyway. ]

[evasives]

[cassian has no idea what jyn put in the invitations. he has assumptions, of course, because of who jyn erso is as a person, and those assumptions are probably not far off when finn shows up looking like he's ready to Fight.]

[then again, finn is always Ready to Fight, so maybe it's not that telling.]

I cannot believe your girlfriend is not with you. [it's the cat. the cat is his girlfriend. raddus is off doing cat things, probably taunting the chinchilla, maybe trying to steal chicken from the table.]

[spellslots]

You're gonna have to help me out with this one - [is Taako's greeting as he slides up beside Finn like he was always there, super casual with a drink in hand, like he's trying to figure out the mysteries of the universe and Finn is the only person who can assist him.] - What's with all the shrimp?

[Shrimp is great, there just seems to be more of it than usual. Surely Finn knows the answer.]

[volitaunt]

[ Poe finds Finn again during the search for his own +1, who is John Sheppard and is presumably hiding somewhere, because John is g r e a t at socializing. Poe has a (non-alcoholic) drink in hand. He's been back on the no booze train since June--well, he was on the no booze train even before then, but that was only because he needed a clear head while he was, y'know, picking fights in bars.

But anyway, he's found that... not drinking reminds him of home. In a good way. It makes him feel connected to who he is there, and what he needs to do. Like a little promise that they're going to get back.

He's also happy for Cassian and Jyn. Amused by their growing collection of pets and their stolen furniture and their bottomless shrimp and their herb garden. He's happy to feel happy. To be around friends in a good place for a good reason.

Poe slings his arm around Finn's shoulders. ] Do you have any idea what that little gray thing is?

[winscenario]

[ Jim is delighted by the invitation, but not at all surprised that Jyn and Cassian would find a new place and move without telling anyone. Figures. Of course he's there, though. He'd be there even if he hadn't been invited, complaining that they'd forgotten all about him, how dare they.

He's brought a housewarming gift of course— a set of various potted plants and flowers for them to add to their collection. After gifting it to Jyn and Cassian, he gets to exploring the place with avid curiosity, shamelessly poking his head in all the places, helping himself to some shrimp and a drink here and there, greeting everyone.

He'll also be spending some time petting Raddus the kitty, cooing as she rubs against Jim's legs and purrs, or trying to pick up the cute little chinchilla so he can pet it too. It's so soft. ]

[realists]

Jim, there's one more thing.

[ he's already poked his head into the bedroom and guest bedroom (which is still boggling to jyn, to have more than one room, to have space that is her own that belongs to her, like honestly what the fuck) and the bathroom, so she figures she'll show him the one thing he isn't likely to find on his own. she touches one of the wall panels for the lights and a slim staircase descends from the ceiling, opening up the route to the attic.

jyn gestures, as if to say after you. it's a very small attic, only jyn would be able to stand up straight, but it has a beautiful skylight and a mattress somehow shoved in there by will alone, piled high with blankets and pillows so it resembles something of a nest, the whole thing illuminated by the setting sun and the fairy lights strung up across the ceiling.

quietly, so no one else at the party can overhear: ] It was my birthday present from Cassian.

[evasives]

[excuse you jim kirk there is nothing wrong with being private people who hire movers instead of asking literally any of their five friends for help! maybe part of it was just to see if they could get away with it, and it worked, so, yolo?]

[part of the reason they got a new house was their overabundance of plants, so jim's gift fits in nicely. he finds jim a little later, while he's falling in love with the chinchilla. weirdly, he doesn't feel uncomfortable with jim poking around in the house - it isn't like they have much to hide. it's all the same stuff as before, just in a bigger space. with his girlfriend. yeah, that's right, the g-word.]

I suppose I should thank you for asking out Jyn.

[you know, all those months ago. now they have a house! look how far they've come!]

[deploy]

[Jim and John see each other at work, but it's been a while since they've hung out. John shows up for his shift leaves when it's over. To go work some more with RR-1.

He does go home. To sleep. When he feels like sleeping. Which isn't all that often. Flying is soothing. Missions keep his mind occupied. Sitting alone in his bachelor apartment makes him want to drink. John may be working himself to the bone and withdrawing from his broken social circle, but at least he isn't hitting the bar anymore.

Seeing Jim across the room, John's struck by how hard he misses a man he sees almost every other day in some capacity. Jim's been there for him. He's always there. It's John who's been somewhere else. Lost in his own head.

On some level, he's been too afraid to reach out. Because he's a coward, and because people he loves leave. In some twisted way, putting distance between himself and the people he's most terrified to lose feels safer. Like maybe they won't be taken away if he removes himself first.

John really is a creature of habit. Regardless of how little those habits have served him over the years. Take away Atlantis, and he's back at square one. An asshole who feels worlds away from the planet he's standing on, but without a gate to rescue him.

He picks his away across the room. Casually. Until he's standing next to Jim. A napkin of shrimp in one hand and the same beer he's been nursing for the past hour in the other. Looking the blonde up and down, he raises a brow.]

Guess they're letting anyone in.

[Said to the guy welcome anywhere, by everyone. An actual friend of the people throwing this very nice party.]

[realists]

[ jyn is at her own party, shockingly, here for all hostess needs. so hopefully no one needs anything because she will be zero help. everyone here is an adult, figure it out.

hostess with the leastest.

she'll be around though, eating and drinking and eating more and slapping away hands of anyone who tries to eat the cake before she decides it's cake eating time. that took her two frickin' hours, it might be on display all night before she gives into the urge to eat it. that said, she is 100% the one eating blueberries off the top of it instead of just getting some out of the fridge ]

[spellslots]

That's one good looking cake, pumpkin.

[He's being genuine, there's no harm in giving out the occasional little bits of praise if someone's earned it.]

What are we celebrating?

[talentedscavenger]

[Rey knew she wasn't walking into certain doom, per say, but it was a bit unnerving to be told to come to a place without any other instructions. She didn't know if this was a super secret meeting for people of their world to discuss things, or what. Or if they were all going to end up playing paint ball. So, Rey dressed modestly, jeans black flats, and a grey top. She was trying to change things up in her wardrobe, albeit a tiny bit. At least she has her hair fully down rather than in a half up, half down style.

To her relief, it's nothing life or death seriousness, rather it's a...party? At a house that was distinctly Cassian and Jyn's. The two 'friends' (it really did feel like they were more than that, but Rey wouldn't dare breathe a word about it) had moved into a bigger place. It really was lovely, and Rey couldn't help but chuckle at the shrimp dispenser that was there. Of course Jyn wouldn't leave that behind, or her herbs.

She didn't bring anyone to the party, but she saw a lot of familiar faces and chatted with a few people before moving to kitchen to grab herself to drink--and also to maybe see Raddus. Damn thing was too cute.]

[realists]

[ it's the cat that pulls people in, jyn thinks. which is fine with her because she's not a people person no matter how you slice it. extroverted she is not. but they're (mostly) all her five friends with a couple added guests so it's fine. ]

Never realized how nice it was to have a door on my room. If I get annoyed I can just close the door.

[ like WHAT? admittedly now rey will know where to find jyn if she up and vanishes later on when she's grown over-socialized, but that doesn't bother jyn. ]

[evasives]

[part of cassian expected something ominous to come out of letting jyn do the invites, and that part was kind of amused by the thought. if he really cared about manners and proper invitation etiquette, he would have done it himself.]

[it's definitely just a party though, a small gathering of chill and good people. it's the first time in a long while that cassian feels like they might have something worth celebrating, or at least worth having a party over.]

[he finds her playing with raddus in the kitchen, which he can't blame her for (side note: they have a kitchen! a whole room that's just kitchen!). he loves that cat, even if he'll never actually say so aloud.]

Be honest, how vague and intimidating did Jyn make tonight sound?

[worldsaway]

[Thor has been raised right, so he never comes to a party empty handed. He also never ignores an invitation, no matter how vague and damn near suspicious it may be.

He's attempted to make cupcakes, since he has his most recent conversation with Jyn in mind. They're standard looking, but the question marks he's iced onto the top are what really pulls them together. If anyone asks, they're thematically appropriate cupcakes. He's also brought hard liquor, for the non-mortals and the daring mortals around.

Thor is happy to pass around booze or cupcakes. He admires the lovely home and remarks upon it, like a good guest. He also riles up the cat, like a good guest, teasing it with the ends of his scarf relentlessly.]

[realists]

[ CUPCAKES. GOOD BYE EVERYONE ELSE THOR IS THE ONLY GUEST THAT MATTERS. she takes the cupcakes with reverence that only a food insecure child who hasn't had a birthday since she was seven could manage. ]

I love the question marks.

[ they're the best housewarming present, everyone can leave. ]

[evasives]

[he's only spoken to thor about once before, but jyn likes him. even if jyn has questionable judgment sometimes, cassian does trust her. besides, look at those great fucking cupcakes he brought. the question marks are the best part.]

[cassian finds him in the midst of playing with the cat, and man is that animal such a great icebreaker.]

Should I be concerned about what kind of liquor you have brought? You might be the only god here.

[unless he has secretly a god friends and didn't realize.]

[volitaunt]

[ There might have been some scoping out of the location and some guesses made as to what the party might bring. So Poe and Finn are at least a little prepared!!

They jointly bring the gift of an egg rolly thing, which has been a source of endless ridiculous delight and mediocre eggs in their own kitchen.

They also (jointly) bring a small cat tree for Raddus, and Poe (singly) brings not one, not two, but three welcome mats. Which feels a little silly now that he sees they already have one, but these are special welcome mats! One of them says "Go Away," another says "We're Not Here," and the last one plays the most obnoxious jingle in this universe or any other when you stand on it.

Which Raddus is doing. Because Poe put her there.

He can alternately be found sitting on the floor feeding her bits of shrimp, teasing her into playing with a paper ball, or poking his nose out into the garden to look at the little potted herbs and get some air.

He also has a plus one. A friend, really, they're just friends now, but y'know. John Sheppard, fellow pilot! Who is around here... somewhere....... ]

[evasives]

[cassian cannot get over the egg rolly thing?? why do NONE OF HIS FRIENDS KNOW HOW TO COOK PROPERLY??? he should just offer them lessons. step one to scrambling eggs: crack it open it's not that hard!!]

[his favorite welcome mat is the one that says 'we're not here,' but he also has a soft spot for the one that plays music simply because he knows it will annoy jyn every time she steps on it. his poor cat looks so lost, scampering off a few seconds later, but not too far away because poe still has food and there's a cool new cat tree to investigate.]

How long did you scope out the address before you realized what was happening?

[because he is absolutely sure the invitation gave no indications. it's hilarious to him at this point.]

[realists]

Are you going to spend the whole evening with the cat?

[ at the moment he is nosing around her garden, really, but raddus is gamboling after lightning bugs in the grass behind him so technically he is still hanging out with the cat and jyn is going to use that as her point of judgement.

even she is being social! which is helped by her whole five friends being the bulk of the party so she doesn't mind being social and they usually don't mind when she walks away.

jyn leans against the back door, eyebrows raised. ]

[deploy]

[You can find John at the shrimp dispenser. Dispensing of the shrimp.

Sure, he could mingle, like any normal person. Or he could stand here and eat his weight (not that impressive) in crustaceans. John's not all that big on food, but give him unlimited access to fresh sea bugs and a cup of cocktail sauce and he'll eat until he physically can't anymore.

Not that the rest of the food isn't good. John's tactic for avoiding more than a smile and wave of greeting is keeping his mouth occupied at all times. It's not that he doesn't want to socialize, it's more that he's somewhere between cripplingly shy and socially awkward around people he doesn't know in a regular, friendly social setting.

Put him on a battlefield and he'll start a conversation with a corpse.

And maybe there's some lingering anxiety as the plus one of a guy he was kinda-sorta dating, who he's only recently become kinda-sorta alright being just friends with. Do these people know anything about him, or is he just some weird, lanky guy who wandered in off the street and started eating all the shrimp?

If he were a mature person he'd find out for himself, but since he's a coward? Yeah, he'll be cracking open another beer.]

[jolting]

[Victor is pleasantly surprised to see John at the party. The guy's been pretty absent lately, and Victor was starting to wonder if he was taking on a hermit lifestyle. Far be it for Victor to scold him on that, since he was practically a hermit himself in Storybrooke these days

Still, he's going to come over and keep the guy company]

I see you're getting acquainted with the shrimp.