Everyone raise your glasses!

[thenormalsquint]

When; Evening of Tuesday, August 13th
Rating; PG-13, at best. Angela's on her best behavior tonight.
Characters; It's Ginny's birthday party and everybody Ginny knows was invited. Let's handwave that and just show up. BTW, IT'S BLACK TIE. PUT ON YOUR SUITS, BOYS.
Summary; There's no legal drinking age in the City, but who says we can't party like there was one anyway?
Log;

This party was four years coming. The restaurant has set aside a large room just for this event and on short notice too. The food is plentiful and of various cuisines, with even a large selection of vegetarian options for those who prefer that. But of course, there is more alcohol than one has ever seen because Angela knows the people she invited and knows quite a few of them have liquor in their veins instead of blood. Rule of thumb: more liquid than solids every time.

Everything's set and ready for the birthday girl to make her appearance, so for the time being, Angela's flitting around the place dressed in more subdued colors than usual, choosing black because no one gets to stand out more than Ginny tonight, and socializing with the few guests that have shown up already.

Sadly, there are no strippers. Ginny nixed that one hard.

Comments

[candothat]

[The nonverbal contact is greatly appreciated. Even after letting Ginny go, Chekov doesn't move away, enjoying the casual closeness.]

I was happy to. [Er, kind of.] You are almost an honorary crewmember now, and you should have a good party after having your birthday invaded by pirates.

[hexuality]

[Her cheeks colour a bit, head ducking as she shrugs.]

I don't think I know nearly enough about space and the future to be that. I've just run into a lot of you. You've got a great set of friends from home, Pavel.

[candothat]

Knowing about space--that's unimportant. Doctor McCoy likes you, and that is qualification enough.

[He's teasing ever so slightly. The good doctor isn't really all that gruff and unfriendly, just... not one to dole out affection openly. Ginny is exceptionally likeable, obviously.

And, more solemnly:] There are no other people I would rather be on a ship with, but I haven't known them for as long as I've known my friends in the City. Friends like you. They are different, not more important.

[Largely irrelevant, but putting that out there seems like the right thing to do. Pavel wouldn't want anyone in the City to think that they come second to crew.]

[hexuality]

[She smiles at his first statement, still rather mystified by the way people comment on it, like Dr McCoy could be this intimidating thing. She can see it, of course, and maybe she is just some sort of fluke, but she's grown fond of him—fonder this time around than the first time she met him a long time ago. Then again, a lot of unexpected friendships came out of that plague.

Ginny nods at his next words, understanding what he means immediately.]

There's a different sort of relationship you have with the people we meet here. When my brothers arrived a little over a year ago, I could tell they weren't quite sure what to make of the person I'd grown up to be, here. [It hurt, a bit. But she understood.] No one comes second to anyone, no one knows you perfectly in either world.

[candothat]

And they did adjust and accept that you changed? Your brothers? [Everyone on the Enterprise is like family--it's an almost inevitable side-effect of being around the same bunch of people nearly every day--and having them around is wonderful, but Pavel spent nearly a year and a half in the City without them. That's a gap that isn't going to be bridged any time soon.] But no, of course they did. That is something that family does, and your family... you seem to be closer than many other families.

[hexuality]

[Her smile grows a bit quieter, a bit more distant as she thinks of them literally a world away, no idea she's missing because of course she's right there with him.]

We're all each other has, most days.

[Ginny brushes down the front of her dress as if it's wrinkled or dusty, shaking it off.]

I think Fred had a harder time of it than George. But maybe that's because he died. [She rarely openly says it, especially in a setting like this, but Pavel's seen her come back from the war. He knows.] And maybe he realised this is what he's going to miss. I don't know. But it was nice, after we all adjusted—to have all the extra time together without the war taking the fun out of everything. Sometimes the only times I can really stay sane here is if I think of this as a... holiday, of sorts.

[candothat]

[He wants to apologize for bringing this topic up--deceased siblings aren't exactly cheery party conversation--but maybe it isn't such a bad occasion to think about family, even deceased family. Losing people is a part of growing older.]

Even with the curses, it can be like that--like a holiday. No regular work, no real war. It's not so bad, mostly, and we can't predict who will come here.

[hexuality]

[Everyone keeps telling her it's better to talk about it, maybe this is good. In small bits, anyway.]

No, we can't. Sometimes it's a pleasant surprise and sometimes... not so much. [Bellatrix, Tom Riddle.] But, anyway— [She shakes her head and smiles.] I'm glad you're here. I know you just got back, but I thought this would be a good distraction for people as well as a good time.

[candothat]

[Here's one person who will never, ever encourage people to talk about things for theraputic reasons. There's absolutely nothing wrong with refusing to talk about things that could hurt!]

Are you having a good time? That is the most important.

[hexuality]

[Well, she's kept her mouth shut for years. And even now, only a very small handful of people truly know how torn up she is on the inside. But she's also great at tucking that away for nights like this.

She beams.]

I don't know what I was expecting, but this is better than anything I could've ever... [She laughs, shrugging.] I'm happy, Pavel, I promise. I'm glad you're all here.

[candothat]

[He hugs her again, pleased to see her happy. She deserves it, and that it's still possible to smile after years in the City and a war at home? That means something.]

We're glad to be here. Or I am... I shouldn't say so for everyone.

[hexuality]

[Gryffindor and a Weasley. Can't stop, won't stop.]

I'll take that 'we,' why not? [And this hug, too. She squeezes back, fond and tight.] You're all very sweet.

[candothat]

Only because we like you. To most people, we are unbearable.

[hexuality]

I don't think so. People might say that about my family.

[candothat]

Why? Your family would be exciting to meet all at once. Also, someday, I would like to ask your mother if there is a secret to making pie.

[hexuality]

She would love to teach you how to make her pie. Maybe one day my dad'll show up, too, and you can tell him all about airplanes. [Him or Bones.] He's fascinated by them.

[Then she shrugs.]

Times are changing now at home, but for ages, a lot of the stuffier families disapproved of mine. [Because they were poor and loved Muggles.] Not that we cared, other people loved us just fine. I'd like to introduce the City to the entire Weasley clan, it'd be amazing.

[candothat]

If your parents do show up, maybe I'll ask them to adopt me. But I may not know enough about planes to entertain your father; I know mostly physical principles, not the mechanics of old planes.

[He scoffs and waves a hand dismissively.] Anyone who does not approve of your family must not be good company. They would do well in the City, I think--all of you.

[hexuality]

Mum wouldn't want to take you away from your family. What about that reunion you were telling me about?

[She laughs, shaking her head.]

You think so highly of us, Pavel. And you've only met me and maybe some of my brothers. I'm touched.

[candothat]

They wouldn't miss me except for my father, and he would be happy if he knew that I was. "My son has gone away to live with wizards and learn magic and fly on brooms," he would say to our family, wondering what he had done to deserve such a thing. But no one would be surprised.

[The Chekov family dynamics are different from the Weasleys. Not bad--Pavel's father dotes and his extended family is just as caring as it is vast and spread out over Eastern Europe--but not particularly warm.]

You make a good impression on your family's behalf. The way you talk about them makes them likeable.

[hexuality]

I'd like to meet your father. [And she means it.] Even if I can't speak a word of Russian, I'd like to meet him.

The way you talk about your family makes them likeable.

[candothat]

He would like you, too! He knows enough English to recognize jokes, and he would like that you do sports even if those sports are in the air.

[This is the most content he has been since coming back to the City. Thank you, Ginny.]

There's always complaining and teasing, but I like my family well enough. I will keep them.

[hexuality]

What does he do? Does he like sports?

[She beams. She's glad to be of service, Pavel.]

Sounds like mine. I reckon that's why we get on so well.

[candothat]

He is a shipyard mechanic. [Which is great, but doesn't involve going into space.] And yes, he loves them--anything that involves fighting someone for the possession of a ball.

The most significant difference, I think, is that your family has gingers and mine doesn't.

[hexuality]

Then we'll get along just fine. What's his name?

[She pauses at that, amused, then surveys him with narrowed, thoughtful eyes.]

Yeah, well, I'm not sure if ginger would suit your complexion, mate. Though with the curl... [She reaches out to brush her fingers lightly over his hair, grinning.] It's a bit like Percy's hair.

[candothat]

Andrei Viktorovich.

[WHAT WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT HIM LIKE--oh. Ginny is allowed to touch his hair. (The captain isn't. He likes to pull on the longer curls and watch them spring back. Rude.)]

Which one is Percy?