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[everyone_takes]

It probably wasn't exactly the catered party Reggie had been looking for, but it was still a party, which was exactly what Kate needed. The past month had been fucking weird, between everything that had happened with Esther and all the stuff on Halloween, most of which she was neatly repressing and avoiding at all costs. Parties always helped with the whole avoidance thing.

Especially parties where there was tons of alcohol with which to get totally shitfaced.

They hadn't bothered to decorate, but there was food and there were drinks and Kate had even decided she'd share some of her stash -- the one she actually hadn't touched in months -- with some of the guests if they were nice. She'd also realized that having a party where shit was likely to get out of hand with a gun nearby was probably a bad idea, so she'd locked it up and had given it to Danny for safe keeping, a move she thought Harley would approve of.

Especially since the last time she'd held it, she'd shot someone.

But she wasn't thinking about that tonight. She was thinking about the amazing party and the amazing drink she had in her hand.

Comments

[rage_andlove]

He probably shouldn't stay long. He's managed to get a sitter for the girls, but...he kind of hates leaving them. He hasn't really processed that, yet. Still, he really liked Kate when he met her and he feels like he's barely left the house since Neil went.

He grabs himself a drink and leans against the wall.
One drink won't hurt, right?

[everyone_takes]

"Hey!" Kate said, grinning. "Hi!" So she didn't know him very well, but he'd interviewed for the roommate position and she'd liked him a lot and she knew that Neil had disappeared since then, so it was good to see him at the party. "How's it going?"

[everyone_takes]

It didn't take long at all for Kate to get drunk.

The iPod and speakers she'd borrowed from Helen were on, music playing, and she sort of thought their neighbours were probably going to get pissed off eventually, but it was still early. Too early to be as drunk as she was, too early to be dancing alone on the porch, but she didn't care. This was a party and she was going to have fun no matter what.

[theboywholived]

His girlfriend should not be dancing alone on the porch. It simply was not right. The second Harry realized what was going on, he made his way to Kate with the single-minded focus of a non-stoner whose first joint was hitting him.

He cuddled up behind her, arms going around her waist and pulling her closer to him. "You're dancing alone," Harry murmured into her hair, then laughed. "Why are you dancing alone?"

[not_so_smooth]

"If I had known this sort of thing would be happening at your hut, I would have ditched living with Cassie and applied to move in with you myself," Sam said with a grin. It was so, so, so not the truth but amusing anyway.

[mantlethemagnificent]

"Oh, is this where all the action's happening?" Reggie asked with a grin as he slipped outside and immediately found a groove right alongside Kate. He was starting to suspect that she'd needed this party more than any of them, as she'd been getting down to a truly impressive amount of business in the short time since they'd kicked things off. "Good to know."

[theboywholived]

Harry wasn't the best at getting lost in a party and letting his heavier feelings go for a few hours. But he was getting better with a lot of practice. And a fair bit of alcohol. He tried not to overdo it; he could still hear Hermione's voice in his head, still see her exasperated look. But sometimes you just needed a little release.

Celebrating Kate having roommates again was a good excuse, too. Especially with Reggie around. Harry still wasn't sure about the guy and knew he would need something to soften his temper. Amazing how drugs could do that.

[not_so_smooth]

Sam saw Kate's boyfriend standing off to the side by himself and figured this was the perfect time to bond. He'd always thought Harry was a bit... stiff for someone like Kate, but Kate was crazy about him and that was good enough for Sam.

"Harry," Sam said, stepping up and putting an arm around the other man's shoulders. Awesomely, his speech wasn't slurred despite the fact that Sam was feeling pretty good. Go him. "I... have got your back man. I mean it. I've got your back. Seriously, like, I'm hanging on here and if you step away or make me let go of your back I'm going to fall over."

[not_so_smooth]

Sam's generally not one for drinking, but since her hut is just a short way from his and it's Kate's party, he figures he can make an exception. At least enough of an exception to get a little buzzed. Getting buzzed seem to loosen up the joints, too, because he felt like dancing.

"Oh yeah, it's the robot, do the robot. Actually robots move just like regular people so that's not all that accurate. How about the cabbage patch? Aww yeah, the ca- nope. Cabbage patches do not move. Time to bust out the pepper grinder baaaaybeeeeeeeeeee. Uh huh. Uh huh. Grind that pepper. Go Sam."

[lightningthief]

I was just standing there and Sam busts out with all that. It's obvious Sam's had a few. I shake my head ruefully, but with a grin.

"Gods of Olympus, that's shameless," I tell Sam. Yes, I'm amused. This is half the reason I bartend now. "You're busting out the pepper grinder? Seriously?"

[just_hormones]

Well on the way to buzzed herself, Aphrodite can only let out an amused giggle when she sees Sam's attempts at dancing. "Oh yeah, shake it, Neighbor Boy," she calls with a laugh as she heads over, thankfully not yet drunk enough to stumble in her heels.

[thethirdwonder]

Cassie had just returned from getting drinks and it was only her super hero reflexes that stopped her from dropping them.

"Oh my god, Sam what are you doing?" She said between breathing and laughing.

[butt_soup]

Even a few weeks after Halloween, things between Troy and Abed were still a little weird. And not good weird like his uncle who had been struck by lightning telling stories about the time he thought his cockatoo was stealing money from his wallet while he was sleeping. Bad weird, like the fact that he used to do it naked.

But unlike Greendale, Troy didn't really have too many friends on the island, so he was more than happy to come to Kate's party, even if he wasn't sure he was really in a drinking mood.

[everyone_takes]

"Hey," Kate said brightly, slipping up beside Troy. She was pretty sure that Halloween had been even worse for him than it had been for her, given how close he and Abed were. She could avoid Abed and pretend that nothing weird had ever happened, but Troy lived with him. A party was probably exactly what was in order. "I'm glad you came."

[cool_coolcool]

Abed didn't deserve to be on the cover of Best Friends Weekly. Not anymore. So far, November had been the worst month in the history of ever, because he couldn't think of any way to make things better. He'd never had to fix anything like this before.

They hadn't walked to the party together, which was another weird thing piled on top of a whole bunch of really weird things. But after only a few minutes, Abed gravitated toward Troy, because he always did. Because even when things were really bad, some things stayed the same.

"Hey, Troy."

[lightningthief]

I'm in a fairly social mood, and not planning to spend the entire night serving drinks and talking to just Aphrodite. I take a few steps away from a conversation that just finished and see a guy looking at some other guy, and not looking too happy. I've seen both of them at various points, but I don't really know either of them. Since I'm feeling social, I decide to see if I can start a conversation.

"Hey there," I say, intending to catch his attention. "This is a party. Have some fun."

[mantlethemagnificent]

Okay, so it wasn't exactly the catered party Reggie had been looking for. But it was still a party, and it was still for him (and Kate and Carla Jean, he supposed, but he was the one with the newly-built room, so he counted for more), which was the most important part. There was good music, helpfully on loan from the club. There were good people, even with a couple of real duds mixed in. For at least one night, he couldn't really ask for more.

"Woo! Let's make them hear us all the way on the beach!" he whooped, laughing as he raised his drink (juice, but who was paying attention?) in the air.

[just_hormones]

"I'll drink to that!" Aphrodite agrees cheerily, lifting her own glass of booze with a grin before taking a healthy swallow. She doesn't know the guy, beyond that he's one of Kate's new roommates, but she's here to party with whomever wants to have a good time. Tonight's all about having fun.

[girlsolo]

Since she started taking care of Lilo, Kate's been good. So good. Painfully good. She hasn't been drinking, hasn't even really been sleeping around, and the stupid thing is, she likes it. Likes the way it feels to know she's being a better foster parent than her mom had been a mother. Likes the way it feels to wake up clear-headed and not have to do the walk of shame.

Which is why it's weird that she's here, drinking, smoking up when someone passes a joint, dancing and doing a piss-poor job not thinking about Lilo at all. Lilo's safely at home, where Kate needs her to be, since they've barely been separated since Daniel disappeared.

Tonight, she really needs to not be a mommy-substitute for a few hours. Just a few. Because if she doesn't get over not being able to let Lilo out of her sight, she's going to turn into a crazy animal-lady shut-in. "S'not my fault," she says out loud to no one in particular. It's not her fault. People just keep leaving.

[mantlethemagnificent]

"Everything alright there, babe?" Reggie asked, always eager to play the concerned host, at least when the person he was concerning himself over was a smokin' hot older woman. "Because I'm not really seeing anything you should be worried about being blamed for."

[cool_coolcool]

Over the last few weeks, Abed had made exactly three lists of ways to make Halloween up to his friends. Actually, one of of those lists had actually been a diagram drawn in crayon. He'd thrown all three in the trash.

It was the first time he ever wondered if getting drunk was a thing he should do. If a beer or two would somehow make the feeling in his stomach better. Anyway, he couldn't help but think maybe he brain needed to be broken.

In the movies, when people wanted to say they were really sorry, sometimes they brought flowers, or the person's favorite food, or candy. Abed brought none of those things. He brought himself and stood off to the side, feeling none of his usual confidence.

[just_hormones]

There's no mark there anymore, hasn't been for a while, but every so often, Aphrodite brushes a hand over the spot on her arm where Nick grabbed her, where he burned her. She doesn't like thinking about it, about how she ran terrified to Luke after he took off. She's good at burying what she doesn't want to deal with, though, and Aphrodite has been doing a lot of that, especially now that she's inherited a dog whose owner should still be around.

Tonight she's at a housewarming party, partly because it's Kate, and partly because it's a party and she can get smashed. She's even got someone to carry her home if she gets drunk enough, since she's here with Luke. Drink in hand, her abundant blond curls cascading down her back, she's smiling as she makes her way through the party, intent on having fun.

[lightningthief]

I've come to the party along with Aphrodite. I know Kate, so I figured I'd go too. It's nice to hang out a bit, and maybe I'll meet a new face or two. It didn't take long for me to notice the alcohol is out and people are getting a bit happy. I've had mixed feelings about alcohol because of growing up with Mr. D., but I've made some peace with it. I work at the Catscratch Club as a bartender, so I'm getting good at mixing and serving them up. Actually drinking? I never go past one drink.

By now, I'm by Kate's stash and I've started taking requests and mixing drinks. I don't really get paid at the club, so why not do it here too?

As someone walks up, I say, "Hey, want something?"

[just_hormones]

"Always," Aphrodite says, coming up to Luke with a grin, one hand on her hip. "But for now, I'll just take a drink. Something fun. Surprise me, bartender."

[orlovemeback]

Mini doesn't even know why she's here honestly. She doesn't know the girls living here and it's not like she and Reggie are close or anything. If anything, she feels like she ought to warn these girls he's missing a few screws or something, whatever explains how weird he is. Still, he turned up for her baby shower and she hasn't been getting out much since Alana was born.

As it is, she feels weird about being out without her baby, though at least she knows Alana's safe in Grace's care. It's a bit like how things used to be, her dressed up for a party, not pregnant anymore, on her own with a drink in hand, and she's not entirely certain how to do this anymore. She doesn't know any of these people. It's as good an opportunity as any other, though, she figures, to try and get back into the swing of things.

[mantlethemagnificent]

"Mini," Reggie said brightly, wandering in from another room and immediately spotting her. It was about time that the fine females had started trickling in. "I wasn't sure if you could make it, you know, with the baby and all. Good to see ya!"

[bloodycrescents]

I'm no good at this shit, wandering around a party and making small talk. It feels like wearing clothes three sizes too big. I just wind up tripping all over myself and feeling like an idiot. I can't not be here, though. Carla Jean and Kate are two of the only friends I've got in this fucking place, even if I still hate thinking about what happened on Halloween, and Tunny's here, so it shouldn't be too bad. Still, I wind up hiding in a corner near the back, nursing a drink and watching everyone else. Mostly I keep looking for this Reggie guy. If the girls are gonna live with him, I figure they have to think he's harmless, and it's not like I don't think they can hold their own, but I want to get a good look at him. If anything ever happens, I want to know whose ass to kick.

I've never claimed to be a great party guest. Before this place, I hardly ever even went to parties. I'm thinking now there was probably a reason for that.

[everyone_takes]

"Are you hiding?" Kate asked, appearing at Harley's side with her own drink. She was definitely drunk now, but not so drunk that she was falling down or even felt particularly bad. It was just the perfect kind of drunk, the place where she didn't have to think about anything, where she could just concentrate on being drunk and the fact that a whole bunch of her awesome friends were here with her.

"I mean, if you are, that's okay," she said. "But I'm gonna hide with you for a bit."

[thethirdwonder]

This Halloween was not nearly as stressful as last years, at least for Cassie. There had been no toys out to get her and her boyfriend, just people to save from their worst fears. That Cassie could handle.

But it had still been stressful, for everyone and Cassie was relishing the opportunity to let loose and enjoy herself with some of her friends.

[mantlethemagnificent]

"Well, hello," Reggie said, sidling on over to an attractive blonde who seemed to be doing her own thing and having a very good time of it in the process. He was pretty sure that she came in with the Shea LaBoof lookalike, which was unfortunate but couldn't be helped. "Make yourself at home!"