PARTAY TAIM! [EVERYONE =D]

For the first time since Christmas Ahtnamas, Casa Nova's was rented out and decorated for another party. There were a few decorations here and there, but the main attraction was the food; several tables lined up against the wall covered in snacks and appetizers. Oh, and there was an open bar too. Of course. >>

I can't believe YOU planned a party, Nym kept saying over and over. I'm so proud, Rowan.

Well, Rowan hadn't just planned a party for the hell of it. He had a very good reason to gather a bunch of clio all together in one place. It was going to be a very special occasion.

It wasn't invitation only; basically anyone who wanted to show up could. Rowan didn't have enough friends to throw a party, so he pretty much just opened the doors to anyone. Not that anyone would know he was the one who had planned it; for all anyone knew it was just a random thing done by Casa Nova's to get more business.

Anywho, he had ended up arriving fashionably late (to his own party! tsk) mostly because Ria took FOREVER to get ready. She kept trying on a million different outfits trying to find one "sexy enough". (Not even she knew he had planned the party.) So when they did arrive there were already a few clio there, but no one Rowan knew.

"Do you see anyone you know?" he asked her. He hoped at least a few of their aquaintances showed up, otherwise this wouldn't go nearly as well as planned.

Ria looked around Casa Nova's, not really looking for people she knew like Rowan had asked but for... Aha, there it was! The open bar. Ria didn't have a clue what the party was for, but she already liked it.

"Er, yeah," Ria said, looking up at him, "Over there. Do you mind if I go talk to him?" she asked, already leaning up to kiss him quickly before she walked away.

Well it just so happens that there WAS someone Ria knew standing conveniently right next to the open bar! Her old pal Avery. You remember Avery, right? The homeless teenage hooker? Yeah, THAT Avery.

In the past several months that I haven't rped with him, he's changed a lot. He got a real job, managed to find his own apartment, and actually had a steady girlfriend. Things were going pretty damn well.

He got all excited when he saw Ria. He hadn't seen her in months! "Ria!" he exclaimed, pulling her into a hug before she even had a chance to respond. He let her go and looked her up and down (she looked like she'd gained weight but he wasn't about to point that out) and said, "Wow, I haven't seen you in forever. How've you been?"

Before Ria could ask the bartender for a drink she was pulled into a random hug. She almost smacked the guy until he said her name. "Woah, Avery?!" she exclaimed as he let her go, "Long time no see!"

He had changed from the last time she had seen him somehow, but she wasn't sure in what way.

"I know, it's been way too long," Avery nodded, sipping his own drink from the open bar. "So much has changed for me lately. How about you? What's happened since we last talked?"

More than you will every be able to guess, Avery.

A million things blew through Ria's mind at the simple question. "Too much to list," Ria laughed, "But I guess the biggest thing is that I'm a mommy now!" She was all smiles now.

Quinn and Lumi arrived at the party together, of course. He was very worried though, they left Julie at home. Even though, they moved into a new house, had a babysitter, and had like, six giant men guarding them both, he still couldn't help but worry.

The two stepped into Casa Nova's, and Quinn looked for people he knew. The only people he did recognize was Rowan and Ria.

"I hope Edwurd and Roburt show up," he said to Lumi.

:O

"No way!" Avery exclaimed in surprise. But then he thought about it, and realized that considering the number of men she slept with, her getting knocked up wasn't all that surprising. Her keeping the baby, on the other hand...

He had a million questions.

"When? How old is it? Is it a boy or girl? What's it's name?" Then he paused and realized there was something he wanted to know even more. "Who's the father?"

Lumi didn't really pay attention to is comment. "Look, Quinn, there's an open bar, and thanks to you I'm not allowed to enjoy it," she complained half-jokingly. She didn't really care as much if the idiot twins showed up because she already saw other people she knew to talk to if they didn't.

"Remember the last time we were at a party here?" she asked nostalgically. That was when she'd gotten drunk and told everyone that Quinn was a murderer. Good times.

"Actually I had two! Twins, can you believe it? Chloe and Claire, they're nine months old. And guess what else? I'll be three times a mommy in just a few more months!" After she said the last part she laid one of her hands on her belly, even though there wasn't much of a baby bump yet.

"Do you know Rowan Eligius?" she continued, her smile bigger, "He's the dad."

"Hear that," Quinn asked, talking to Lumi's tummy. "You keep Mommy from being a drunkard!"

He grinned at Lumi to let her know that he was totally joking.

"Maybe I should get drunk again," Quinn said jokingly once more. "Just to get you jealous."

He took off the jacket he was wearing to reveal that his did not listen to his wife, and was wearing his v-neck sweater.

Avery's mouth dropped open. "You had babies with my Overloridian?!" he exclaimed in awe. Then something else hit him. "Wait, you're having another one? Like...with the same guy?"

Wow, Ria was like a totally different person! However Avery quickly remembered his manners and added a hasty, "Congratulations, by the way."

Lumi stared at Quinn and blinked slowly. "Quinn," she said in a voice that was calm, but you could still tell she was pissed off. "If I recall correctly, I told you never to wear that ridiculous shirt, especially in public. If you don't put that jacket back on in the next five seconds I'm going to pretend I don't know you for the rest of the party."

Why had she married such a moron? Sure, he was a lovable moron, but STILL.

Quinn smiled all cute-like, "I'm sorry, but you know I love this shirt."

He figured he was in too deep to keep going so he just put his jacket back on. Maybe later he'll take it back off and follow Lumi everywhere.

Rowan watched Ria chat happily away with her friend for a while before turning away to see that a few more people had arrived. The only ones he recognized were Quinn and Lumi. He would have gone over and talked to them, but he needed some time with his thoughts. He had a lot on his mind.

Actually he had one thing on his mind, but it was something that required a lot of thought. He tried to a cool outwards appearance, but he was all but agonizing on the inside. He ran his hands through his hair and looked at Ria again, and then back at the entrance. No new arrivals...That was no good, more people needed to show up...

He didn't know quite what to do with himself in the meantime. He supposed maybe he should go talk to someone after all. Maybe it was better not to think about it for now. He approached Lumi and Quinn since they were the only people he knew so far.

"Um, hi guys," he said awkwardly, since he was kind of interrupting their conversation. "How've you two been?"

"I don't care how much you love it, if you ever where that outside the house again--" Lumi began to threaten, but was stopped when Rowan invaded the conversation. "Oh, hi Rowan," she said, almost glad for the interruption. "We've been good, we actually just bought a new house. More room for more kids," she sighed.

Alecis walked into the party alone. She looked around the room and noticed that it was decorated much like every other party in Amelia, which was nice. It made things easy to find. As she glanced around she noticed quite a few people she knew, but only one she wanted to talk to. Unfortunately, that person was talking to another person that Leci didn't feel comfortable being around.

Instead, she walked towards the bar. A few drinks now and then didn't hurt, and she felt up to a daiquiri. As she turned that way, she noticed another person she didn't feel like being around that was next to the bar. Ria. Rolling her eyes, Alecis turned back around and instead headed towards the pretzels. When all else fails-- pretzels!

Ria nodded, "It is crazy, isn't it? But he doesn't know yet, so shh." When she said shh she brought her finger to her lips to signal a secret. "I'm going to tell him tonight, if they play a slow dance song." What could be more romantic? Usually Ria wasn't into the romantic stuff, but she wanted it to be special since the last time they found out they were pregnant didn't go so well.

"Oh, you guys are thinking of having more kids?" Rowan asked. "Or you already are having more kids?" He had already seen their first baby Julie. She was a doll. If Ria didn't hate Lumi so much for no reason then maybe their daughters could all be friends.

"Hold that thought, Rowan," Lumi said quickly. "My best friend walked in and I have to go say hi. Quinn can fill you in on our familiar details if you want though."

She skipped off without waiting for either man to agree to converse with each other, but whatever. They could both obsess about their babies together. Lumi was headed for the pretzels, and more importantly towards Leci.

"Hey Leci!" she greeted cheerfully.

"Wow, Ria," Avery said, still kind of awed. "I never expected you of all people to settle down. You're so lucky!" He said it in a happy-for-her way, not in a jealous way. He was pretty happy with his life now too. They were both growing up. =]

Quinn would be happy to show off that his wife was having twins. He grinned proudly at Rowan, "Lumi is having twins! Just like your two beautiful daughters! But obviously we have no idea what's gonna pop out."

He took off his jacket and asked Rowan, "Rowan, what do you think of this sweater?"

Alecis was busy shoving pretzels in her mouth when Lumi came over. "Hi, Lumi!" she said, happy that she wasn't alone anymore. "How're you?"

"Twins? Wow, congratulations," Rowan said. He already had twins so he knew how amazing (and exhausting) they were. Before he could say anything else, Quinn asked his opinion of what appeared to be a woman's sweater.

"Uh," Rowan said, unsure of whether to be nice or honest. "It certainly is...flamboyant...yeah."

"I can't complain," Lumi replied, even though she totally could complain. About how all her pregnancy symptoms were amplified because she was having twins. About having to move all the way across Ughdarras because a psycho tried to kidnap her daughter. About Quinn and his gay sweater.

"How about you? I haven't seen you in a while. We should really hang out more often."