I'm half drunk, I can't see straight

[bragnificent]

WHO: REGGIE MANTLE, ARCHIE ANDREWS, and YOU.
WHERE: Archie & Reggie's apartment in Heropa.
WHEN: Weekend of June 16th-18th.
WHAT: Reggie and Archie celebrate their newfound independence and take advantage of Reggie's new ability to generate alcohol in a typical teenage fashion: by throwing a party. The theme this month is SUPERHEROES and the invitation is public, so anyone is free to tag in regardless of existing CR!
WARNINGS: Underage drinking mainly, though potentially other party-typical (or otherwise) sensitive content (e.g. drug use, sexual implications/activity, etc.); please mark threads for content as applicable!


INSIDE ( FRI )

ARRIVAL, FOOD & DRINKS:
↳ The apartment, granted, isn't huge -- one of the standard government two bedrooms -- but that's obviously not of major concern for this party's two charming hosts. There's still room outside should it get too crowded... but also, a good party is always a little crowded.

The dining room table is laid out with paper plates and pizza boxes -- the different kinds labeled with post-its -- a stack of red plastic cups, and a cooler of soda, although as specified in the invites hopefully guests also brought their own drinks along if they don't want to be sipping tap water by the end of the evening. Reggie will tell guests as they arrive (if he's the one to greet them) to come find him whenever they need their drinks "freshened up": find him, talk to him, he'll work his magic to turn whatever your drink of choice more alcoholic. All for free this time, too! So generous of him.

The party will be going from "6 PM - ????" but feel free to arrive earlier, and to stay as long as you want. Odds are the festivities will spill over into the early hours of Saturday morning, which gives everyone plenty of time to mingle and make new friends, enemies, love connections, or whatever else, and there's a couch, the floor, tables?!, or even Archie or Reggie's own beds that can be crashed on in a pinch. True that last option might be awkward, but only maybe. They might not even notice!

OPTIONS / ACTIVITIES:
↳ Since it is a party, the whole of the apartment is effectively at any guest's disposal, even beyond the common areas; it may not be considered the most classy to pop inside the hosts's bedrooms, but also hardly unheard of if anyone's in need of some privacy or just a moment alone to take a quick breather.

In the common areas, of course, people are free to mingle, drink, and dance-- hell, it's encouraged. Go wild, grind on each other, show off yours costumes, enjoy the free food, do shots, sit on the couch and chat... the night is full of options, and that's not even including the potential for party games: various drinking games are bound to be organized and played throughout the night, as well as a tipsily-judged (and dubiously categorized) costume "contest" and, naturally, there's always the classic ice-breaker game Never Have I Ever.

Just try not to get too rowdy or turn the music up too loud, in case the neighbors complain! Or you know what, fuck those guys. Smoke in the bathroom, make out on the balcony. If it gets too crowded for you, clear off a table and dance there instead! Seriously, do whatever you want.

OUTSIDE ( FRI )

↳ Outside things might be a little quieter and less crowded, depending on the time of night-- although that's still a "maybe," because on a warm Florida night there's nothing more fun than partying at a poolside. Hope you brought suits or incorporated them into your costumes! But hell, even if not, no one's really going to judge anyone too hard for jumping in (or getting pushed in) with their clothes on or even in their underwear. Anything goes, after all!

There might not be blasting music except for the dim sounds of what can still be heard from the apartment -- unless someone's come prepared and brought their own, of course -- but there's the ambient sounds of conversation and traffic and other such night noise, and the pool area is nicely lit up. It'll close for the night eventually, but still feel free to sneak back in after hours if you don't mind the darkness. Just, y'know, don't drown.

SATURDAY ( MORNING )

↳ By the time Saturday morning rolls around, a lot of people may or may not have left already -- one never can really tell how long a party will last -- but those who haven't may either still be awake (talking, swimming, making out, watching TV, or whatever else) or passed out asleep wherever they found space to.

Sleep in as long as you need, drag yourselves awake and help each other tend to your potential respective hangovers, dig into your hosts's leftovers and/or fridge, or just take the opportunity to have a quiet conversation or moment alone with someone you didn't have the chance to while the party was in full swing.

Comments

hold me

[beastboi]

[If he had lived everything she had- if this Beast Boy had called out to a girl in a school uniform, and had the chance to hold her hand again, and screwed it up- maybe he wouldn't believe this. One lie too many. The straw that broke the camels back.

But as far as Gar knows, the girl he loved is cold and still and he watched it happen. He has the visceral memory of brushing his fingers over her petrified sneakers when laying down flowers and feeling his stomach churn.

This isn't Terra. No one can replace Terra.]

No one could... be like Terra.

[...But there's something in his voice that suggests otherwise. A hiccup. A moment of static, a glitch. It could be the alcohol, and it could be the grief, and it's probably a mixture of both. The fact that he's seeing her, so clearly, just the way he remembers, doesn't help either.

A small part of him does want.]

listen this is fine everythin is fine im not crying its just raining

[taraincognita]

[ she hasn't let go of his wrist. it's been so long, and she just hasn't let go. it feels like her fingers are rooted at the spot; and she swears she can feel the heat of him through her gloves. it's the same beast boy, even in a dumb batman outfit. his voice is breaking, and she's selfish, so selfish, so she asks. ]

What was Terra like?

[ she knows that his version of herself is incredibly far from the truth; that beast boy always thought of her as a good, pure, innocent individual. but he's the innocent, and she's dirty, sullied, evil.

her chest hurts.

she takes another drink. ]

STOPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

[beastboi]

[The vastness of the question renders him mute, and his hand worries it's way into the one holding his wrist without conscious intent. Gar squeezes, eyes glassy and mouth agape.]

Terra- she was. Terra was. So. She.

[His gaze focuses a little as it slides over to land on her, and he sighs, and it sounds snuffly and as wet as his eyes look. He keeps staring. And staring. Drinking her in.]

You really do... look...

[Confusion muddles his expression, but she has no real cause to panic. Beast Boy breaks the moment himself by taking another swig of what he's carrying around, drowning himself again. It eases out the words. They're still a slurred mess.]

Some people thought she was bad. Evil. Or to- be. Ugh. And I always- I dunno, Terra- Terra's a Titan. She is. A hero. But I think also maybe she isn't really none of-- either. Of those. I mean, no, she's a hero! But also just Terra. Do you know what I- [A heaving sigh.] Just Terra. Who ran fast and couldn't throw and laughed pretty. And I miss her.

[He's crying.]

never

[taraincognita]

[ she knows that beast boy liked her. she knows, she knows, and yet it seems so impossible that he's here, complimenting her. not just the fake her, who talked about wanting to be a hero and fistbumped everyone in sight, and tried her best to do Good.

he's still wrong, of course. but it's nice to hear.

in addition to the alcohol, a familiar haze settles over her mind. she can feel herself getting further and further away from the girl with her hand in beast boy's. she watches herself squeeze his hand, and start talking.]

...She--

[ tara can't find words. she's drunk and far away, and she wants to hug him. she wants to kiss him. she wants to run away. and he's crying. tears are streaming down her face, too, but without sound. ]

I'd miss you, too, if I were her. You seem like a really sweet dude.

[ it sounds impersonal and fake. just like tara.

god, she hates herself. ]

[beastboi]

[He hiccups through his tears, which only seem to come down thicker and faster when he realises she's crying, too. Gar's heart throbs painfully, aching like it's trying to claw it's way out of his chest. She sounds like Terra. She's nice. He doesn't want her to cry.

His voice is scratchy and so, so honestly touched.]

Thanks.

[The squeeze she gave his hand in return and the fog of alcohol make a hug sound like a good idea to Gar. Clingy and emotional, he wraps his arms around her shoulders and holds on.

It is almost certainly a bad idea.]

matching icons??? really caity?? [cw mentioned child abuse]

[taraincognita]

[ he's thanking her. holy fuck, he's thanking her. and then he's touching her, catching her poison--because she's dirty and corrupted, and beast boy is everything that's good and sweet and pure, and it's wrong. it's so, so wrong.

but his arms around her don't feel like a threat. don't start out feeling like one, anyway. he smells the same, like pizza and just a little bit like the zoo, but not in a bad way. not that tara's ever been to the zoo; she's only ever just hugged beast boy, and honestly, that's better.

she remembers feelings, and broken promises. she remembers evenings spent skipping rocks, and the feeling of watching beast boy fall into a crevice she created. she remembers bruises left by slade's hands on her wrist, hidden by gloves, that beast boy had found once; and she remembers how easily she had lied. training can be rough, sometimes, you know?

she pulls away. ]

I'm sorry. I can't--do this. I--

[ and she turns, disappearing into the crush of the party. she runs.

and she drinks, trying her best to forget what happened.

at the very least, she won't remember until morning. ]

of course??????

[beastboi]

[It's not her, Gar tells himself, entire body beginning to shake. It's not her, he insists as he watches her blonde hair swish out of sight.

Words don't do a thing to dull the sting he feels, though, or stop the crawl of nausea up his throat. Gar reaches out an arm to her, and stumbles in the direction she left, but it's fruitless. She's gone.

She never gave him a name, and it doesn't matter. If she did, it still wouldn't be the one he calls after her.

He isn't okay for the rest of the night, and not for a long time after.]