[OPEN] How to annoy friends and influence no one

[injectablefame]

Ice Skating
Party's hardly the most athletic or coordinated guy he knows, but he's not afraid of a few bruises in the name of a good time and that's what brings him to Hyde Park Winter Wonderland with a pair of rented skates and the future promise of hot chocolate to stave off the cold once he's sick of falling on the ice. He's bundled up in so many mismatched, ratty layers of clothing that it's not even clear what he's shaped like underneath as he laces up his skates and wobbles his way onto the ice.

Sure, he's done this a few times, but he's never really mastered it and it's been a few years since his last attempt. Southern California isn't exactly Ice Rink Central.

Without much though or care, he pushes off the edge, manages to move for about half a minute and then slips and lands on his ass, but he doesn't wait long to pick himself back up and try again. After a few false starts, he manages to get himself pretty far into the rink before he slams right into someone else.

"Sorry... fuck!" He slips around on his hands and knees on the ice, trying to get himself back up as his bright yellow mittens slipping on the ice.

Christmas at the Charles Dickens Museum
In a moment of what even Party can admit is a pretty severe hangover, he manages to get a little mopey about his first Christmas away from his family. With no safe way to contact them, he finds himself looking for things that might actually evoke a little old school sentimentality in him. That's how he finds himself at the Christmas exhibit at the Charles Dickens Museum, though loud noises have him wincing and he's quick to keep away from people. He's definitely not tearing up just a little at the sight of a tree with fake little presents under it, because that would be pathetic and not particularly in line with the tough wolf image that he thinks he's cultivating.

Marking Territory
Recovering from a short bought of sentimentality, Party falls easily into his usual habits of baiting people and painting on things that aren't his to paint. As Islington's territory keeps slowly encroaching on East End Pack's, Party takes on the responsibility of making sure that they know it's at an end.

All along the current border between their territories, Party's started to make up allies and trash cans and old signs with spray painted stencil art of wolves. They're simple and fast to get up, but they should get the point across. If Islington comes any further, they'll be dealing with wolves on everything. He even throws a few Santa hats onto the more visible wolves for good measure. Merry Fuckin' Christmas.

Warehouse Partying Party (TW: drugs)
Being at a warehouse party is hardly out of place for Party Poison. In fact, getting supremely fucked up at these things is basically his favorite hobby after painting and he's arguably great at both. By the time he's inside, he's already loose and sloppy in all the familiar ways, ready to dance with anyone around him, all tactile affection and easy laughter.

It only builds the longer he's there, wrapping an arm around anyone within reach and letting himself get entirely carried away. He's not exactly on the prowl, but he's definitely open for business if anyone shows interest. These things are about a good time for him and he's determined to have one.

Even on his long walk home, he's still stumbling and giggling as he gets turned around a few times and stops to pee in a quiet ally. It's a good night to be relatively free of responsibility or care.

Comments

Marking Territory

[knowntohisfriends]

Here's the thing about all this stuff to do with the territories: the Dodger knows he should care, and pay attention to it. He just... doesn't. Oh, he knows enough to know where not to stick his nose in but frankly it's a load of games being played by toffs who don't matter to him, and he knows he doesn't matter to them. So he wanders.

(There's also the fact that the busiest markets are spread out throughout all the territories, and if you want a good intake at the end of the day, you didn't just hit one of them)

He looks at the art work with a hint of amusement, laughing to himself at the sight of them.

"Well, that's a way to get it across."

[injectablefame]

Party turns around with a lop-sided grin, shaking the stencil to help the paint on it dry so that he can fold it back up and shove it back in his bag.

"Sometimes you gotta be real explicit with people. Age don't always make 'em any smarter." He laughs and touches the paint to see if it's dry yet. Party might not be the classiest guy, but he's smart about the things that matter to him and he's a damn professional when it comes to spray paint.

[knowntohisfriends]

There's a matching grin on the Dodger's face. "An' you reckon a pretty picture'll help the message sink in? It's an idea, I'll grant you." He's laughing though, as he does see the humour in it all.

"Ain't seen your faces round these parts before," he adds, leaning against a dry patch of wall. "Would have noticed a new artist before now."

[injectablefame]

"Maybe I'm just sneaky." Party laughs as he bends down to get everything situated back in his bag. "I sneak real good."

As he straightens up, he gives over a little more of his attention, nostrils flaring. "Moved in a couple months back. My art's usually a little louder than this."

[knowntohisfriends]

"Me an' all," the Dodger said, grinning wide. "Ain't no point of sneakin' if you don't get good at it."

He tilts his head at him. "Couple of months? You won't even know the whole city then."

Marking Territory

[reticence]

It isn't quite Christmas yet. If it were, Faolan certainly wouldn't find himself out here on the streets at night on a patrol. Most of the faction has other plans for the holiday, family to be spending their time with as well. For Faolan, all he has is the plan to go over to Lancelot's for Christmas, and to spend a few days with him before forcing himself to leave and go back home once more. Home only being across the city, of course, but that was neither here nor there.

He hears the familiar sound of a can of spray paint being shaken and sprayed, just before he turns a corner and runs straight into the painter himself. He raises his eyebrows slightly, but doesn't say anything just yet.

[injectablefame]

Party's got one of his stencils attached to the building with painter's tape along the outside edges as he fills in the familiar shape with bright red paint. His fingers have smudges of black and red and purple and there are matching drips on the stencil, as well.

His free hand is keeping the more flappy bits of the stencil still as he paints the building.

"Ain't gonna call the cops on me, are ya?" He turns his head to smile over his shoulder. It's not like he can't pack it up and get the hell out of dodge before a cop would show up, anyway.

[reticence]

Faolan pauses to regard the handiwork, pleased that for once stumbling on such a surprise in an alley hasn't dropped him into a position where he might be worried for his life. Not yet, anyway.

He glances at the stencil itself, then at the man as well. He feels... Something from him, but he can't put his finger on what. Considering he's got a lot of experience with vampires and metahumans, he can't be one of those. Not as far as he can tell at least. There are so many other types of supernaturals in the city, though. It'll be some time before Faolan learns them all.

"It's an interesting choice of marks," he replies. "Especially in such a place as this."

[injectablefame]

Party shifts his weight as he leans back to get a look at the drying paint. There are a few drips under the stencil, but he likes it looking a little sloppy because it adds some extra character to the shapes. None of his art is ever precise, because it doesn't feel real to him when it is.

"What's so special about this place?" He turns, eyes shining in a completely playful way as he lowers the can that's still in his hand. It's possible that he's a little bit of a smart ass, but life is more fun that way.

[reticence]

Faolan tilts his head forward slightly so that there will be no question as to whether he's making a face at the other man. Eyebrows raised, he gives the other a rather direct look before he responds.

"Do I really even need to answer that?" Faolan replies. He nods to the wolf mark, still dripping wet it is so recently done. "I would say it's a pretty obvious statement." He's seen them about the city, after all. Specifically along the line of the border between the wolves and the vampires, at that.

Ice Skating

[catphishing]

The ice rink is not where he expected to run into this guy again. It doesn't seem like his kind of thing at all, least of all because he's currently on his knees unable to stand up again.

Oliver himself manages to stand much more easily after being knocked to the ground. He's not the best skater, but compared to Party he feels like an expert.

"Do you need a hand?"

[injectablefame]

"Nope. No, I'm good." He holds out his arms, wobbling as he manages to find his footing again. This is harder than he remembers.

Once he's mostly upright, he glances at the guy he'd hit and recognition crosses his face, though he can't for the life of him remember where he knows this guy from. He's at least 80% more sober than he'd been the last time they'd met.

"Where do I know you from? One of the galleries downtown?" He isn't giving the party scene vibe right now, but that doesn't always mean much.

[catphishing]

Okay, that stings. Just a little. He folds his arms over his chest, frowning a little. Granted it had only been one time and Party hadn't been that sober, but he'd seemed so interested in hanging out with him that night. That he doesn't seem to remember him at all wasn't quite what he expected.

"At a bar. A couple of months back? You ran into me then too."

[injectablefame]

There's an awkward laugh at that. Fucking of course he ran into him. "Now I kinda feel like I owe you a drink."

This is about as close as Party gets to an apology, but he does feel a little bad if he just keeps plowing into someone, assuming the person doesn't deserve it.

"You okay?"

[catphishing]

"Maybe not while we're on the ice."

Oliver's pride can't be injured too much if he's making bad jokes, at least.

"I'm fine. You pretty much expect the risk if you're going ice skating."

Warehouse Partying Party

[roddy_reinigen]

Roddy wasn't surprised to see Party there. He was, after all, the one who gave Party a call when he heard about it. He was also completely and totally drunk, having spent the night slamming back drink after drink, enjoying the fact that he wasn't DJing this one, so didn't have to worry about being able to think straight.

It was probably how drunk he was that kept him from questioning it when he felt Party's arm wrap around him. Instead, Roddy, stumbling a bit, reached up to grab Party's shoulder for balance.

"Hey, Party. How do you like the party, Party?"

[injectablefame]

Party's giggle rang out, high-pitched and a little off-kilter. He tried to help Roddy with his balance, but whether he managed to make it better or worse was anyone's guess when his own balance was tenuous at best.

"Definitely my kinda scene. Definitely for sure." He hiccuped and leaned his forehead against Roddy's shoulder. "Man, I haven't felt this good in a long-ass time. Are you havin' fun?"

[roddy_reinigen]

"Yeah, this party is awesome. And I..." he stumbled at bit, but managed to stand. "...am completely...rat-arsed." He giggled. "Get it?"

Then he looked at Party, finally seeming to notice Party's head on his shoulder. "...feel like I'm holding you up more than you're holding me up."

[injectablefame]

"It's mutual holding-upping." Or it's really quite possible that Party's deluded himself on that, because he's not the most coordinated guy right now.

"Team work's important and shit. Mark of a--" He hiccups loudly. "Good friend, y'know? Shit, I'm thirsty..."

[roddy_reinigen]

"We should get something to drink. Together, because teamwork is great, and you're a great friend."

And neither of them were getting anywhere without teamwork anyway.

Christmas at the Charles Dickens Museum

[emotioneater]

Holidays always are a bit of a bummer for the vampire. He's not so old that he doesn't have two-hundred years old memories of spending Christmas with his family. They'd never had much money, but they lived in a small, cozy farmhouse, and they had always been together. Cooper hadn't seen them after he'd been turned, afraid of losing control. The idea of what-might-have-been still stung.

Cooper recognized Party's hair and made his way over to the werewolf. "Got the Christmas blues, eh?" He'll just pointedly ignore the tears in Party's eyes. It's never a good idea to point those out to someone.

[injectablefame]

Party hoped that the rapid blinking wasn't obvious as he answered with a shrug. "First one alone."

The details of why he'd left his family weren't something he'd really shared with anyone, but he was still too scared to risk contacting them and so here he was looking at a really lonely Christmas.

"You?"

[emotioneater]

"Ah, I've had two-hundred or so Christmases without my family." He shrugs, waving the words away like they're nothing. He doesn't like to be seen being too serious about the issues of being essentially a middle-aged vampire. "It sucks 'n the feeling doesn't really get any better." Cooper, that was not the way to cheer someone up on what was supposed to be a happy holiday.

[injectablefame]

Party huffs, like he wants to disagree with the basic reality he's been presented with. It's not like he regrets what he did, but he's not entirely thrilled with all of the consequences right now. Maybe Cooper's wrong and it'll get easier.

"Should've planned some kinda party for people like us." He crams his hands into his pockets, trying and likely failing not to look like a little kid.

[emotioneater]

Cooper shrugs. The rest of Islington might be good at the whole party scene, but he's never been one much for finding reasons to dress up and be sociable. He's more at home in settings like this, where it's a lot more casual and he doesn't have to worry about impressing anyone.

Despite the physical age difference between them, there's definitely an older air about the teenager as he looks at the werewolf. Party just looks so young, clearly still a kid in some ways. "Or just, y'know, go to a bar 'n get stinkin' drunk. That works too." He grins.