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[unphase]

Who: Tinya Wazzo and you, whether the character knows Tinya or not
What: Celebrating Tinya's nineteenth birthday!
When: April 21st
Where: The Raccoon Room

Content Warnings: underage drinking, possible discussion of underage sex/marriage/motherhood, possible discussion of an emotionally abusive mother



The Raccoon Room is beautiful as always, left mostly alone except for vases of blue roses sat on tables apart from the dance floor. Blue had always been her favorite color, blue to match her eyes, and she'd rather not to into details of how exactly she managed to acquire so many within such a short period of time. But what she didn't say was that there was a florist who needed a Night Walker to help them cope with the lack of sun and she was the one who responded.

The birthday girl herself looks lovely in a blue strapless dress with no shoes or stockings, the blue in the dress setting off the blue in her eyes, the jet-black of her hair, and the faint blue tint to her skin.

There's a large board with markers where people can write their messages to the birthday girl, ranging from well-wishes to encouragement to "who the Void are you?" Her feelings wouldn't be hurt at the latter, she's well-aware of the fact that she's new in town.

The meal is made of small plates meant to be shared between two or more people and selection of sherry to choose from to go with the food. During the meal portion of the evening, female vocalist jazz plays lightly in the background, enough to be heard but not so much as it would drown out conversations between those sharing tables.

As the meal ends and the plates are cleared, a waltz music plays, ranging from classical waltzes to later songs which lent themselves to waltzing. During this portion of the evening, she's relaxed, happy, dancing with whomever approaches her without care about gender identity, not minding if she led or followed.

As the evening passed midnight, a variety of cocktails were available and the music changed again to what people from the 20th and 21st centuries would recognize as New Wave music came on and the dancing grew far more informal, Tinya in the middle of it all and singing along to the music.

And as dawn approached, one can find Tinya sitting at one of the tables, finally sampling a piece of flourless chocolate cake for the birthday girl with her feet resting on a chair in front of her. She looks happy, as happy as she could be, but there's a wistful gleam in her eyes.

Comments

[kyley_b]

Okay. This is a classy party for a teenager.

Kyle wanders in late enough that the cocktails are circulating and the music reminds him of the Cure or something. He sees Tinya and waves; Kyle is easy to spot considering that he's six foot two and has all of that red curly hair. His skinny frame is draped in some pretty loose clothes.

"Hey! Happy birthday! This is really fancy!"

[unphase]

She's used to soirees, galas, balls, and more. Granted, she was usually plying ambassadors and diplomats with as much liquor as it took to keep them talking, then ran to Mother with what they'd spilled about their plans, their secrets.

But this is her party and she's going to enjoy it from start to finish. And she loves the cure, but adores Peter Murphy and Joy Division.

When she spots Kyle, she immediately goes over to him, a lemon drop martini in hand, but she seems remarkably sober for someone who's been doing all she can to enjoy herself.

And she goes in for a hug with a happy smile. "Kyle! I'm so glad you made it! Have you had a chance to get something yet?"

[kyley_b]

Kyle's a hugger, so he returns the embrace warmly.

"Nope, just walked in. I actually meant to be here earlier, but this endless night crap is really messing with my sense of time." He's pretty sure he's been waking up at random times, and falling asleep just as haphazardly.

"This is pretty swanky. But I guess it's a landmark birthday?"

[unphase]

It's nice to be somewhere where a hug can just be a hug.

"Then we'll have to get you something to drink and there are probably still dishes left over from the dinner portions. And I know exactly how that feels. It really messes with a person's day, doesn't it?" She's forced herself to maintain her usual regimen, but it's been difficult.

Tinya chuckled a little. "Not exactly. I'm nineteen now, but it also marks my fourth year somewhere other than my home galaxy. I don't know if I deserve congratulations or sympathy."

[kyley_b]

"A drink sounds genuinely very nice," he says gratefully. "Not to sound like I rely on it for dealing with stress or anything."

"Well, that's legal to drink in Canada," Kyle points out. "Whoa, you've been away from home that long?"

[unphase]

"All right, let's go over to the bar," she says with a smile. "Me, neither, but it's a celebration! I'm celebrating."

"Kind of, sort of. I was on another world for three years, then went home for three years. So I have two conflicting sets of memories for my fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth years. Then I was sent back to the other world, went to sleep there and woke up a squid. It's a little horrifying."

[kyley_b]

Kyle whistles lowly as he's steered toward the bar. He's bad with alcohol - he has no idea what to order.

"Dude, that is... SO confusing," he says. "I was in space before this, but at least that was only ONE place."

(CW: REALLY underage drinking)

[unphase]

She knows all too well. She's been going to diplomatic receptions since she was five years old and people weren't always careful with their trays of champagne. In fact, it was after she shared a tray of them with Lyle, now a Legion friend but then another child of diplomats left to run wild, then got the bright idea of cutting her mother's wardrobe to shreds for costumes (for both herself and Lyle). Then the two stormed the reception hall in their costumes and a mountain of multicolored bubbles (thanks to Lyle), both belting out "Anything Goes."

...Lyle was soon after sent to stay with family friends.

And she says kindly, noticing that he was taking a while to order, "You can't go wrong with a mojito."

"It sounds so, yes, but it makes sense when living it," she says, trying to not let her concern from home bleed through in her voice. She's having a birthday party. Now is not the time to worry about matters at home she can't change from here. "May I ask about it? Or is it too much of a sore subject?"

[kyley_b]

"Oh," he days, flushing pink. "Great. Yeah, uhm, a mojito please." When the drin is placed in front of him he sips it cautiously before nodding. "That's good. Sorry, I'm a hick, I am not good at this sort of thing."

He nods. "Oh, sure, it's fine. Uhm, I just woke up on this like, abandoned planet. These aliens were abducting people to try and rebuild the place. Not sure why they picked me - almost everyone else was a superhero or a space wizard or something."

[unphase]

She hastens to reassure him. "No, it's just that I've had way too much time to get good at this kind of thing. Even more now since I spend so much time at Earworm for work." She's become a staple there since at least a few people find themselves there trying to ignore their problems. Sometimes, she helps them ignore them. Sometimes, she helps them solve them.

"Hmm. They wouldn't have picked you if you couldn't keep up with the others. And it doesn't always take super-human skills to deal with otherworldly problems. I mean, just look at Batman. History says he was just a guy, but a guy who could stand among giants. And one whose real identity we don't know, even after a thousand years. If that helps?" [her expression and voice are earnest and (hopefully) encouraging]

[kyley_b]

"Oh, you work there? That's cool. I've really only been once and I'll be honest, I was kinda tripping on an accidental virus." A sentence that should not make any sense, but in a place like this is usually accepted.

Kyle snorts. "No, no, trust me: aliens are dumb. This was absolutely not the first time I'd been mistaken by aliens as someone more useful." It is rapidly becoming apparent that Kyle's life was not as normal as he claims. "Batman was rich, though. Being rich means you can make all sorts of super gadgets and stuff."

[unphase]

And she smiles, saying "Well, not exactly. But there's always someone there trying to escape from something. A partner who isn't who they thought they'd be, a bad day at work, a good day at work. Someone who's too shy to approach, so I do the approaching. I'm a Night Walker." And she knows all too well the reputation Night Walkers have. It's okay. Most of the time, all they want is emotional intimacy and that's something she's entirely familiar with providing.

And she chuckles. "They certainly can be, if the diplomatic corps which became the governing body for the United Galaxies was anything to judge by. But, not the first time? Sounds like there's a story behind that." And she's learned to chuck 'normal' in the trash a long time ago. But, she sounds amazed. "Was he? How do you know that? It's 3000 AD when I was from, no one knows who Batman really was. It's the best-kept secret in history."

[kyley_b]

"Oh, cool. So's my boyfriend. He doesn't really like, hang out and offer services exactly, but he's a Paleblood and he is really, really good at getting people to chill the fuck out." A pause. "When he isn't deliberately antagonising them, I mean."

Kyle sighs. "Okay, these aliens showed up and thought I was a professor at DeVry Institute. I was nine. So. Yeah, no."

He smiles and gives her a funny look. "Well. I mean, where I'm from it's a comic book character, that's all. Batman's REAL in your time? Wild."

[retsuden]

[[ OTA ]]

Sasuke has never been much for parties and this is honestly the first birthday party he's actually been invited to since he was roughly twelve years old. He had been confused by the whole idea of the fancy dresses she'd mentioned when they'd had tea, but her post in that high end outfit had made it more clear. He's always hated dressing up, and while he's sure he probably should have worn a suit or something similar, he instead had chosen to put the kimono that Madam Generosity had given him back in January to use again.

He stops to write on the board. ティニヤ, お誕生日おめでとうございます。A basic message, but it would do. Now that he knew most didn't actually know how to read his language from home unless they were from that strange country called Japan, he hopes that she can actually read it. Oh well.

He doesn't recognize the food or the drink, but he still tries a little of both, and the cocktails actually have the effect of making him a little tipsy, his cheeks flushed red from the alcohol in the process. At least it helps him to be more relaxed than he might usually have been.

[[ CLOSED TO TINYA ]]

It's not until later than he expected that he finally finds Tinya and he goes over to her, releasing the sealing jutsu on a scroll as he does so so he can offer her out the somewhat large box with her present inside with a small bow.

"You certainly like to make things extravagant, don't you?"

(CW: childhood mental/coercive abuse)

[unphase]

She's always loved parties. That was the only part of being in the diplomatic corps she actually liked, the receptions after the law-making, negotiated meetings.

But like with many other things, her mother picked up on her love for the parties, the people,, the atmosphere and decided to use her daughter to her own advantage, coaching Tinya to fetch drinks and appetizers for the diplomats and talk to them. Just talk. Because her mother knew that in time, Tinya's natural friendliness and sweetness would get past their defenses and they'd spill details to her that they'd never admit to anyone else. And so their secrets became Winema Wazzo's secrets and she'd use them to the fullest extent she could.

She could have let her mother ruin parties forever for her. But she was taking them back for herself to enjoy, just like she had when she was a young girl.

And Tinya's thrilled to see that Sasuke made it, that he chose to get dressed up. She doesn't understand what was written, but she took a picture of it with her Omni to make sure she could look up the meaning later. And she's even more thrilled to see him enjoying himself. He's easily her best, most trusted friend here and hopes that he knows it.

When he approaches her with her present, she unwraps it and gasps with joyful glee. "Sasuke! It's perfect and adorable and--and, thank you so much." And she moves to clasp his hands briefly, letting go when a song came on. "May I have this dance?"

[retsuden]

Sasuke can feel his cheeks color when she grabs his hand, glancing away at her excitement over the gift. He'd known full well she'd probably like it just fine, but touch has always been something that he's been overwhelmed by when he doesn't initiate. His family had been rather heavily traditional and he'd sworn at points to only ever touch the woman that he planned on marrying in any way, even with something as basic as handholding.

That, of course, had gone out the window over the years, with people like Sakura and Karin being heavily affectionate and clingy individuals, but it hadn't made him any less awkward about feeling someone's hand in his. Especially after so long away from others. Six months in this place still hadn't made him a smoother individual.

He clears his throat, glancing at the dance floor, before looking back to her.

"I don't know how to dance."

[unphase]

She's looking away, towards the dancefloor, so she doesn't notice. She's naturally a very tactile person and spending a year as an intangible phantom only increased those tendencies. Then going back to the other world decreased them back down to a minimum, which was upsetting. But she wasn't about to tell anyone about any of that. It was over now, she'd never go back.

Tinya finds old wounds finally starting to heal over. Mental and emotional scars will be left, there was no getting around that, but she no longer has to find herself going out clubbing 'til she was too exhausted to do anything but sleep dreamlessly. She's humming along to the music, knowing that her gift was in dancing, not singing.

When Sasuke clears his throat, she glances back at him, only to hear that he doesn't know how to dance. "Hmm. That's tricky. At least it's a reasonably slow song, I can demonstrate?"

[retsuden]

There are vague memories from January when the party had turned him into another kind of person, a more charming and fun person, a flirt who loved dancing in clubs and to any kind of music. It's possible that there is some part of him that remembers what that sort of dancing is like, but God, he hopes there isn't a bit of what Sakura teasingly called Charmsuke left inside of him.

If it had been anyone else, those memories would have been more than enough reason for him to tell them to get lost. He didn't know that he wanted to learn to dance. Not for most people.

But it's Tinya's birthday and he apparently cares enough for that to mean something.

"Mm. I suppose."

[unphase]

Tinya wouldn't remember that if he mentioned it. Then, she'd kick herself for missing it. She thinks that everyone, even the most serious (maybe them in particular), deserved to cut loose and have a little fun now and then. And she was happy to provide the fun, if need be. The nickname was adorable, by the way.

He's her dearest friend here and she's very grateful for his friendship in return. She was a social butterfly, it was true, but she had no one she trusted as much as she does Sasuke.

And it's good that he not say so in public, she might have to try for a hug. Chaos would ensue.

"Okay, great! So, how do you want to do this? Formal dancing or something more informal?"

[retsuden]

Formal or informal... Sasuke's forehead wrinkles for a moment as he tries to remember some of the lessons his parents had gotten him involved in when he was younger. Things that had laid imbedded in him, even if he hadn't continued them after their death. He still remembers how to play the flute, even though he can't anymore, and he knew there was music playing often...

"Formal," he says finally. There's a pause before he realizes that formal dancing may be different between their cultures, but he waves off the concern. "Or whichever you think is easier."

(CW: underage alcohol)

[unphase]

And she remembers her grandmother's grand parties when she'd just turned, the music so loud one would have to shout to have a conversation, being carried in the crook of her grandmother's arm, being shown off to the guests, being allowed cake and a single flute of champagne before being put to bed.

And considers. "Hmm. One of our ways of formal dancing should be simple enough. No touching, it's...usually frowned upon for there to be touching while dancing. I'll demonstrate first and you can tell me what you think?"

Tinya then raises her right hand, holding onto the skirt of her gown with her left hand and demonstrates.

((OOC: skip to :55 for a general idea!))

[retsuden]

Sasuke watches her demonstration for a moment, the way that she holds up her hands and the way her feet move in a dance form he has certainly never seen before. Waltzes weren't something he'd ever been exposed to, if they even existed in Konoha, and he wrinkles his forehead slightly as he tries to figure it out.

What he thought, huh...

"... What does the informal dance look like?"

He's pretty sure he'd just trip over everyone trying to do that formal one.

[unphase]

She's all too used to formal dancing. The Mistress knew that diplomats liked to celebrate themselves, so they usually had some sort of ball after successful negotiations. And even after unsuccessful ones. So, she'd stick to the dance floor and try to avoid Mother because she knew what Mother would ask her to do.

And she can see that wrinkled forehead and figures it bodes rejection. So she's pleasantly surprised when he asks about the informal dancing and decides to go with something which will leave him plenty of room.

"Well, there's this?

((OOC: skip to 1:15, as the first dance demonstrated would likely not be a good choice. 😉))

[retsuden]

This is, ironically, slightly more like the Japanese sword dances he's learned, but they always went... beyond just those basic moves. He stares at her for a moment, and if he had both arms, he would have crossed them.

"... Are you sure we have to dance?"

Sasuke has never been the best party guest.

[unphase]

Yeah, from that look on his face, he's not exactly feeling comfortable with that, either. Darn.

"Maybe not. But you do have to have some cake. White cake flavored with rosewater, rosewater buttercream frosting." And she laughed a little, self-deprecatingly. "Can you tell that I love roses?"

As thought the vases of blue roses weren't an indication enough, the rose scented perfume surely gave it away.