Nessa Cordelia Lux's Belated Birthday Bash!

The little grey exceed seemed to be on a mission, scouring the beach for the Neko girl. He would trudge along the imported sand, ignoring everyone and anything who even attempted to talk to him. And then he heard her, calling over to him. He would glance over, watching as she shifted into her Neko form; those cute fluffy ears, those big purple eyes, that neat and lithe tail. The little grey Exceed shifted onto his hind legs, striding along like a human as opposed to a cat. He puffed out his chest a little, swaying his shoulders as he swaggered over to her. She would blush at him in way that was so cute to the cat that made him freeze. His words caught in his throat as the confidence he had been attempting to portray slipped away and was replaced immediately by nerves. "Er...I..."  He began, struggling to find the words. She would apologise about the last time they met, explaining that she was drunk. Sebastian did a rather zealous gulp, shaking his head slightly. He straightened up once more, His nervous expression switching back into one of zealous  but clearly false confidence, as he attempted to 'be cool' in front of her. "It's alright cutie... I didn't mind."  He purred in a flirtatious tone, shifted his weight onto his elbow to lean casually against a table. Except... there was no table, so what the grey ended up leaning on was nothing. And as gravity would have it, it seemed to be doing its jobs today. As he lost his balance and ploughed rather awkwardly into the sand. Creating a cloud of sand dust around him.

Nessa was pleased to see the tension quickly disappate, even she could see how many people her Grandmother had gone and upset with her actions. And whilst Ness wasn't sure what it was that her cousin had said to the woman, she doubted it was enough to warrant her choosing to hit her over it. They were family after all, and this was supposed to be a celebration. Perhaps, should she get the chance later, she could talk to her cousin about it privately. Now that they were finally reunited after so long, Nessa dearly hoped that they would have the opportunity to get to know each other as they were now.

The girl whom Amalie had invited along, introduced in two ways, first as Seven and then went on to offer a nickname. Nessa beamed at her, "Well then, Sivvy it is. Any friend of Ama's is a friend of mine!" She would glance at Johann as he responded to her comment, mentioning that he worked with Amalie. She would nod before replying to his comment, "Yeah, our mums are sisters in fact. Speaking of which, I haven't since Auntie Lana in a while. Please let her know Nessa sends her love." She added, returning her gaze with a warm yet clearly oblivious smile. As far as the Starlight Maiden was aware, the family got on just fine. There were certain matters that just weren't shared with her.

"Oh man, I really wanna catch up with you Ama. But I still need to make sure I've greeted everybody. If you want food or drink, my Dad is on the BBQ next to the snacks tables, and to the right of that, you will find beverages. I'll catch up with you guys later okay, enjoy the party!" She said perkily, before spinning away towards another group. Having noticed a familiar face, she made her way over. She had only met the girl once, but Samira seemed like such a nice pleasant girl that Nessa felt it would be nice to offer the girl an invite. Nessa was pleased to see she had happily accepted the invite, she noticed that Ada had also joined the greet.

"Hey, guys! Welcome to the party," She said happily, turning to the girl with her, she couldn't help but find her eyes drawn to two things. The first, obviously, was the adorable set of bunny ears she had. So cute! She thought, and the second was the super-stylish get up. In fact, Nessa could appreciate both their swimsuits. "Loving the outfits girlies, also...please... don't tell me those are what I think they are." She pointed at the unbelievably grande stack of presents behind them. As much as she did like a good present, would it be too greedy to accept so many gifts? She wasn't entirely sure on the social protocol on what to do when getting spoiled, even if it was your birthday.  

---

The interjection of her cousin threw Amalie, as the white-haired girl suddenly appeared amongst the group. The Articulation mage would say nothing, watching as the girl addressed their grandmother before raising her violet eyes to meet hers. They would stare at one another for a good moment, having not seen each other since they were children. It was quite a surreal encounter, to suddenly be looking at each other as grown women. Amalie watched as the younger girls eyes lit up, taking a half step back as she suddenly flew at her, hugging her with almost an excessive force that nearly toppled the both of them. Now if there was something that was certain about Amalie at this moment, she was not a hugger. The woman's face would appear somewhat startled, her arms raised up awkwardly and her neck angled back slightly. "Hey, brat, excitable as ever huh?"  She said in a somewhat uncomfortable tone, despite the nickname, there was no malice in her voice, the word used almost as a term of endearment for the girl. Because that was what she'd always called Nessa. Amalie was instantly relieved as Nessa leg go, moving back slightly to make some room between them.

Nessa would immediately begin her excitable ramble, Amalie didn't really have a chance to answer as Nessa began interrogating Aurelia. Watching this caused Amalie to bite the inside of her cheek; the difference in their grandmother's treatment towards them was so clear. The warmth and care she said to show Nessa, was a grand contrast to the ice-cold harshness of her words towards Amalie. Yet, even so, Amalie was surprised by how well Nessa handled their grandmother, had she always been this direct? Amalie wasn't sure. She'd always remembered the girl being really emotionally soft as a child, boisterous and loud, she blue-haired girl had found her both annoying and kind of agreeable at the same time, a strange combination.

Aurelia offered Nessa and apology, following which her cousin would instruct her to apologise to Amalie also. There was no real feel to the apology; it was clearly obligational. Amalie was half tempted to tell her to shove it where the sun didn't shine, but she held her tongue. It seemed saying nothing would allow this ordeal to be over sooner rather than later. The woman would leave, and Amalie let out a small sigh of relief. Nessa would also apologize, commenting about knowing how their Grandmother could be on occasion. Except, Nessa didn't even know the half of it, there was so much her cousin was oblivious too. The happy little family that was the Blossoms really had more to it than she realised, but of course, Nessa was too sweet and pure to know about such sordid things. So they kept her in the dark, that's how it had always been.

Amalie watched as Nessa would interact with the others; it was odd seeing how familiar Johann was with her. But then, them knowing each other wasn't that farfetched, having once been a part of the West Fiore Trading Company. They did have an affiliation with Fairy Tail, after all, the guild her cousin had clearly aligned herself to according to the violet stamp on her leg. Amalie would stiffen slightly as Nessa mentioned her mother, the truth was she hadn't seen her in years. The two did not speak, not since Amalie ran away from home to elope with Wyatt. But of course, they must not have told Nessa this. "I'll let her know the next time I see her." She commented softly, If I see her. She didn't even know if her mother was still alive, Lana had never made any attempts to reached out to her estranged daughter and Amalie had reciprocated her lack of effort. Johann would turn to her, asking if she was alright, before commenting about her interesting family. Amalie sighed, interesting was a much politer word than the one she would have used. "I'm fine, I just really need that drink." She replied. It was following this that her cousin would announce her leave, moving on to greet another group. Amalie would nod at her, instantly relaxing as it was once again the three of them. Her feelings towards her cousin were ones of uncertainty, quite complex really. Her personality was... kind of annoying to Amalie, she was overzealous and perky to the point of irritation. But she was also honest, and strong-willed. They weren't close, because they hadn't been allowed to be. The family had always wanted that distance between them so that Amalie could not lead Nessa down a path not fit for the daughter of the prestigious Cordelia Blossom.

Amalie would glance at the others, "Care to join me?"  She commented as she began to walk across the sandy beach straight towards the drinks table. Once she got them, she would grab a red cup, grabbing a bottle of rum, she would pour the equivalent of a triple. Bringing it to her lips, she would throw back and draining its contents in a matter of moments. She brought it away, bringing it down once more, she would pour herself another. Because quite frankly, taking it steady just wasn't going to cut it tonight.

---

"Ama," Sivvy idly repeated the birthday girl, more to herself than purposefully aloud. Amalie didn't seem the one for nicknames, even though the clone was quite fond of the idea for both herself and others. However, she was way too polite to ever offer her own attempts at nicknames if they didn't either offer them themselves or if they didn't leave the invitation explicitly open. Watching these polar opposite interactions amongst the family was confusing, but informative and interesting. Interesting in a bothersome way. For every trait that Nessa had that Sivvy accepted, the grandmother had one that made her protective of Amalie, even if apologies were made. She was more than happy to move away from this situation. If these things were common to birthday parties, perhaps Dr. Raelin had the right idea to skip the whole ordeal.

"I'll join," the metal dragon slayer spoke, following Amalie to the drinks table without hesitation. 7 wasn't a huge drinker, but she did find social situations much easier if she did. In almost every other aspect of her life, she'd prefer to remain clear-headed. Alcohol muddled her brain. She knew it and didn't necessarily enjoy it, but perhaps this was an unfortunate consequence of some of the less savory jobs she'd taken. It was natural to numb herself a bit when expected to interact seamlessly with the general population in ways they accepted. Time and time again she was told she was too stiff otherwise when it was time to have fun, and her inability to comply with that notion only compounded her anxiety. Being anxious was also another behavior frowned upon in a light-hearted gathering, so it was best to medicate so her company could enjoy themselves.

Once she had a drink in her, Sivvy's countenance changed drastically. Copying Amalie perhaps hadn't been the best move, but it was what it was. Only one triple rum in and the stoic persona had melted off the girl as if the heat in her cheeks banished any icy exterior she had. "Hmm...I always thought I wanted a family, you know? I had sisters...sorta...but I didn't have a mother or father or grandparents. I always thought it'd be nice from what I read about 'em. But now, I'm not too sure!" the young woman informed Amalie and potentially anyone listening. "How dare she talk to you that way, Ama!" simmered the tipsy clone, throwing the nickname out without realizing it. As quickly as her flush of indignation had risen, it rolled out with the magical tide and she was prancing over to a table with food. There wasn't a lot. It'd be rude to eat it all, and she absolutely knew she could! Taking the meager offering of a burger and chips away from the table, everything on the plate was consumed by the time she reached an empty table. Pouting at her empty plate, she draped herself over most of the table, laying on her back with her plate resting on her stomach as if she was a starved corpse and the plate served as her deathly bouquet. "I'm gonna starve here..." she muttered.

Once the other two entered her proximity again, though, Sivvy was all smiles. "I love you guys. Who needs family when I have great friends like you two, eh? Hee hee~"


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Sebastian would look up the fellow neko, his feline features completely covered in sand as he stared up at her with an embarrassed grin. As she reached down her would take her paw and lift himself up onto his feet. Reaching up, he brushed the sand off of his face before returning his gaze to her once more. "Er... no I er... meant to do that. Umm yes! Testing the sand you see, make sure no one will hurt themselves if they fall, turns out it's nice and soft, shouldn't have any issues!" He said patting the sand with his hind left foot twice. When she went on to mention their last encounter, he remembered it well. The exceed had been drunk and therefore they hadn't really gotten the chance to talk. She would introduce herself as Tamaria, a pretty name Sebastian couldn't help but think. As she invited him to join her, he nodded, smirking in his cat-like manner. "Sure, guess that sounds good to me, if you want I can get us some grilled fish, or fresh fish. Richard will prepare it, however, I like...unless there's something else you want." He offered, eager to impress, "Oh... and er... I'm Sebastian,  by the way." He added hastily.


Nessa waved at Adalinda as she joined her once more, eying the giant stack of present. She signed, resigned to the fact she was indeed being spoiled, at the very least, she decided to help move them over to the gift table. "Seriously though, thank you so much. Thank you for coming, I hope you enjoy yourself" She said to the girls as she finished, she glanced around. She had said hello to mostly everyone, so, for now, she figured she would take a wander around the beach, one more round and then maybe grab a bite to eat. "Catch you later girlies!" She said as she began to wander towards the artificial shore.


Richard was currently flipping patties on the barbeque, a vast assortment of food next to him. He was a humble-looking man in his mid-forties, with mousy brown hair and violet eyes much like his daughter. He hummed along with the music as he cooked, bobbing his head slightly. He was quite content today, his daughter was finally taking a break, he hadn't seen much of her since she'd joined the Fairy Tail guild and whilst he'd accepted that this was part and parcel of her growing up, it didn't make him miss her any less. So of course when she'd suggested having such an event he'd happily volunteered to help out with the barbeque, it was the only thing she's permitted him to do, considering she'd insisted on hiring a catering company for the majority of the snacks and confections.

He sensed someone approaching the grill and looked up the see a white-haired fellow, one of Nessa's invites no doubt, it didn't take long for Richard to figure out who the man was. His daughter having excitedly pointed him out to him from the pages of Sorcerer Magazine in the past. Richard would offer the man a friendly grin, reaching over his shook the man's hand, "Of course, Johann! Please call me Richard," He greeted warmly, before releasing the man's fellow, "Nessa has told me all about you, she's quite in awe of your abilities." He told the man, without even asking, he picked up a plate and began stacking it with various meats from the grill. "Are you wanting a plate for just yourself or do you want me to stack up a few for your friends over there?" He asked, nodded over in the direction of Sivvy and Amalie, having spotted the three of them together earlier. As he returned his gaze to Johann, he eyed him thoughtfully for a moment, "You know, my daughter told me about the alliance event you attended, the poor girl isn't one for handling alcohol. But she did tell me how much you were able to consume, a rather impressive amount I'd say. You see, the company I work for specialize in the creation of unique and rare elixirs, and we recently concocted a new type of elixir with the qualities of alcohol. We call it Vulcan Rum. It's rather tasty and much more potent than the stuff you'd find on the shelf of any brewery. I brought it for the purpose of enjoying it myself, but perhaps you would like to try some?" He asked, his eyes glimmering with enthusiasm, in truth, he'd wanted to found individuals with a high tolerance of alcohol to try it on. It may have been his daughter's twentieth, but this seemed like too good an opportunity to miss. Conveniently the man forgot to mention that the original purpose of the elixir was supposed to be for neutralizing aggressive behaviors in Vulcans, but that hardly seemed important enough to share.

placing the plate of food down for a moment, he reached under the barbeque, because of course, always prepared as he was, he'd had a bottle ready just in case. It was much like a wine bottle in design, except the liquid inside was a deep purple in shade. As he unscrewed the lid, the air was filled with a soft, sweet fruity smell, much like a rum. Richard turned his gaze from Johann to the newest individual to join them, grinning as Markus greeted him, he would reach out with his free hand and shake the man's hand. "Markus, good to see you also, I was just offering Johann here a drink, would you care for some?"

---

After downing her drink, Amalie glanced over at Sivvy and watched as she copied the Articulation mage, arching a brow. Having seen Sivvy drink before, she knew full well just how little it took to affect the girl. Practically a few sips of rose wine had been enough to make her immediately merry, so Amalie could only presume how much a triple shot of rum was going to affect the girl. As the girl immediately began to talk about family, her cheeks already flushed pink with inebriation, it seemed the alcohol had once again had an immediate effect on the pink-haired girl. Amalie would listen as Sivvy angrily defended her, causing Amalie to smirk at her. "It's fine, I'm fairly used to it." She remarked, taking a hearty gulp of her drink. Unlike Sivvy, she hadn't felt inclined to eat anything, if anything she'd lost her appetite. As far as she was concerned, alcohol would do for now. Amalie watched in amusement as Sivvy rummaged the food table, polishing over her second glass of rum as she did so. After watching her drape herself over the table, declaring her fate to starve, before declaring her love for her fellow guildmates. Amalie couldn't help but feel even gladder to have brought the girl along.

"Pretty much," Amalie replied to Johann, as he left to go get more food, she would grab two unopened bottles of rum and tuck them under her arm. "Let's go grab ourselves some good seats." She remarked to Sivvy, before moving over to a collection of lounge chairs, sitting herself down. She would pour lean back with a sigh, despite her attempts to relax. The events of the evening were still pulling on her mind, it was something she had almost forgotten, something she hadn't felt in a while, at least not since joining Dies Irae at least. This feeling of being unwelcome, yet now it was back, reminding who she was, and of the past, she just couldn't seem to escape from. She glanced over at Sivvy, "Maybe I shouldn't have come, I'm not sure what I expected." She told the girl earnestly.

---

Sivvy rose from her table coffin and obediently followed Amalie to the more comfortable loungey area, where she again draped herself sideways across a soft chair after she'd refilled her own cup with more rum. As if she needed any more! Her head hung off one arm enough for her to gaze at Amalie's now inverted form while her feet idly kicked into the hair while hanging over the opposite chair arm. "Meh..." Sivvy grumbled in response to her friend's words, a frown tugging at her otherwise very merry face. "Of course you shoulda come!" disagreed the girl with a huff. "We're gonna have some fun here, Ama. It's a party. Parties are supposed to be fun. When's the next time that we're all gonna be here with nothing to do, just to hang out? This is my first one and I wanna enjoy it with my friends!" the off-duty Ambassador insisted, her frown turning into an encouraging and drunken grin. "We won't ruin Nessa's party by being...uh...what're they called? Party poops?"

On that note, Sivvy seemed to get some sort of epiphany. Lunging up to sit somewhat correctly in the chair, the rosette started rummaging hastily through her bag. The wooziness from drink combined with the sudden movement had her bumbling, but she was determined to find what she was seeking. With a triumphant "AHA!", she produced her iLac. With only two numbers programmed in, it was a wonder why she had the device at all, but to her, two was plenty and proof that she'd acquired relationships meaningful enough to use said device to contact them whenever she wanted. Seeing as how one of the two contacts was sitting in the chair beside her, it meant she was going to contact a certain man she'd met on accident while on a Blacklist hunt. Though all of this had taken way more time than the normally efficient Sivvy took to do anything, she went on with her verbal thought as if an awkward amount of time hadn't just passed. "Aaand for me to not be a party poop, I need more food," the young woman informed both Amalie and anyone who was listening.

That said, she deliberately jabbed her index finger onto the name 'Artemis Dagger' within her iExceed app and thumbed out a message. "Hey. Cna you come and brign pizza to this party? Hungry." The words were clumsy, but surely clear enough. She sent it and chuckled to herself as if she'd just solved a big problem with minimal effort, but then her eyes went wide and she started typing again. "Wear swim pants," Sivvy added, then attached the location as well. That pretty well covered it all, right?

Knocking back the rest of her second cup of rum, the clone was ready for anything. Seeing poor Ama all sad just wasn't right. Reaching out her hand, she extended an invitation. "Wanna dance with me until he arrives with all the pizza?" she asked, not clarifying who nor considering that he might not come at all. "I learned some new dances not long ago!"

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After his offering of food, Sebastian would beam as Tammy agreed, leading her towards the food and drinks tables where a lot of the humans were gathered. As she asked for a drink other than alcohol, he nodded. He was sure Nessa had arranged for non-alcoholic beverages, the Starlight Maiden had been determined not to get drunk at this event, something to do with not wanting to repeat the events of last time. Seb didn't fully buy it, he was sure someone would end up saying something challenging to the girl and as a result she would give in to her competitive nature. Kudos to her if she could manage it, but he had a bet with Antoinette that she wouldn't make it. Antoinette seemed to have more faith in her 'Pettle', but Sebastian had witnessed the girls nature first hand and wasn't so sure. "Sure I think there's different kind of pop up here, or juice, or even just water if you wanna keep it simple. Want me to pour you something?" He offered her before pausing, "Oh wait, I think Richard stored me something under here earlier," He moved under the drink table, moving under the tablecloth, he would rummage around for a moment, before returning from under the drinks table with a carton of milk. "Oh yeah, I knew he would hook me up!" He said excitedly, "Want some?" He offered his fellow exceed eagerly.


Richard nodded at the silver haired man, loading up a couple plates for him to take for himself and his friend. He stacked them decently high, certain that they wouldn't mind such hearty mountains of barbequed meats. After his offer to Johann, Richard watched as the man hesitated before taking the drink. Watching keenly for the mans physiological reactions to the drink. Much to Richard's excitement, he was joined by Markus who would also in turn accept the drink. As they were joined by another, Richard smiled at her in a friendly manner following her introduction. "Why, hello Miss, yes I was just offering some to Johann and Markus here, this is my own special brand of rum. It's pretty strong stuff, would you like some?" He asked, glancing to the others to watch their reaction still. As the woman continued to explain that her husband brewed Alcohol, Richard would glance at the bottle with an amused look. "Oh well normally alcohols aren't my specialty, but when looking into the elixir I noticed that it had similar components to ethanol and that in diluted doses it had a tendency to have a intoxicating effect." He told the Adalinda, his iris's twinkling excitedly as he spoke about his product. His eyes moved back to the men and widened as they began to show signs of being affecting by the drink. "Enjoy the party fellas!" He chirped as they both left, chuckling to himself, before glancing at Adalinda, he shook the bottle at her challengingly. "So how about it, fancy trying your might against Vulcan Rum?"


As Nessa walked along the shore, she had a content smile on her face, despite the earlier incident it seemed the party was proceeding nicely. People even seemed to be having a good time, this pleased her. To be surrounded by so many of her friends and for them to be genuinely enjoying themselves. It was a dream for the Starlight Maiden. She eyed the waterslide that Mura had made spelling out her name and smiled warmly, as she moved towards it she stepping into the water, where it was still low. Just so it waded over her feet, it was a soothing feeling, and made her feel like she really was at a beach. She noticed Arcadia's approach, grinning at her comment. "Thank Arca! I'm glad your enjoying yourself," She replied happily, before listening as her best friend went on to apologise, explaining about a rather elaborate yet thoughtful present she had in mind. As usual Arcadia would babble on in that excitable way Nessa loved, Nessa nodded along, eyes widening as the craziness of the story she was telling. "Oh it's fine, you didn't have to get me anything, but yeah that slide is awesome. Might have to have a go on that later," She said with a giggle.

As Arcadia handed over the wrapped present, Nessa's smile would falter slightly as the girls mention the Marven fandom. That embarrassing fanfiction that was still lingering, Nessa almost regretted it, especially after meeting the girl who commissioned the fandom. She resisted the urge to scowl as she thought of Ashley Szutaris, at the very least the Lord's daughter had seemed to stay away after the backlash of the photoshoot. Nessa had actually ordered the photos of Ashley and Markus being destroyed, especially after Ashley's behaviour towards Markus was done without his consent in the first place. The Starlight Maiden, may have been a little on the venomous side when threatening the Lord, but sometimes a girl has to do what she has to do. As she opened the present, her eyes widened in shock, and her jaw dropped low. There was a long pause, before the woman began to shake, her body trembling as she burst into laughter. Trying to hold it in, her eyes watering as she let loose. "Oh man, Arcadia that's amazing, I can't wait until the boys see this!" She snickered, she just hoped they didn't try to break it when she wasn't looking. She knew full well the Marven trend wasn't exactly popular with some of the current and former Fairy Tail members.

"I'm gonna put these on the gift table, might actually grab a bite to eat, feel free to join me if you fancy it." She offered, before moving away and heading back in the direction of the table with her newest and most hilarious present. On the way she heard footsteps running toward her and glanced over, spotting an unfamiliar ten year old running toward her. The young girls greeting was exuberant and she even referred to her by a nickname, although try as she might, Nessa couldn't quite place the girl, she leaned down slightly, offering the girl a friendly smile as she addressed her. "Hey there, I'm sorry I don't think I know you, what's your name sweetie?" She asked the young girl just as they were approached by as older man who would take the young girls hand. Nessa straightened up to look at the man, also someone she didn't recognise. Although something about him did feel familiar. He introduced himself as Leo and the little girl as Lina, she nodded happily. So they were members of Fairy Tail who'd seen her posters. Nessa looked down at the barrel palm wine as he offered it, admiring it's for a moment before looking back up at him. "Awww thank you so much, I'm Nessa, although you probably know that from the invite. Pleasure to meet you Leo, Lina, thanks so much for coming!" She summoned her starlight, using it to lift the heavy barrel of wine into the air, figuring it would be easier than attempting to carry it all with her hands. "I was just about to put some things on the gift table, then grab something to eat. Please help yourself to anything you like, or take a dip in the water, Mura and Arcadia have made an amazing water slide over there." She told the pair, in the distance she spotted a familiar pair of bodies entering the stadium, and her eyes lit up excitedly. "Sorry, a few more of my guests have arrived, I'm going to go greet them, feel free to come find me later. I'd love to get to know you both!" She told them, then with a wave, she moved in the direction of the entrance. She enchanted the salt and pepper shakers with starlight too. Sending the gifts through the air towards the gift table, where they would lower themselves down softly. She waved at the pair excitedly and was about to shout their names in greeting, that was until heard a familiar voice calling her name.

He was suddenly next to her taking her by surprise, "M-Markus!" She stuttered in shock, she grinned at his words before noticing the strange tone in which he was talking.  Upon mention of her father, she frowned confused. "What? Dad?" She said glancing over to where her father was in confusion, before looking back to the Chaos mage. Only to find his lips pressing themselves against hers. She froze in shock, taken aback by the sudden kiss. Her hands rose to his chest to push him away, but they fell weak, because it was him. She couldn't help herself, it had been quite a while since they had seen each other and it had been what felt like far too long since he had last kissed her. She melted slightly, forgetting herself just long enough to kiss him back and notice the distinct taste of rum in the kiss. She pulled away, eyes narrowed slightly, "Markus... are you drunk?"

---

Amalie huffed slightly, feeling frustrated with herself. Normally she would be enjoying herself, but the actions of her Grandmother had just set her into a bad mood. And whilst the rum was starting to create the slightest of warm sensations through her, it wasn't enough to dull her irritation. She glanced over at Sivvy with a sour almost pouty expression as the girl disagreed with her remark. Amalie eyed her as she went on to tell the older woman that they were going to have fun despite this, in a rather direct manner. Amalie sighed, feeling an inkling of guilt. Sivvy was right, she had brought the pink-haired girl here so they could have fun, it wasn't fair to allow her crappy family matters ruin it for both of them. "Alright, I'll give it a go." She said, before grabbing herself another shot of rum and knocking it back, swiping the bottle away from the pink-haired girls reach. "But no more for you, you're already three sheets to the wind," She told her firmly, despite her expression softening into a small smirk.

The woman watched as the girl pulled out her iLac with a triumphant cry, wondering whether she should let her text in this state. After a moment of thought, she shrugged in a 'screw it' kind of manner, deciding she would rather see what happened. Leaning over, she read the message over the girls shoulder, seeing the name of who she was texting to bring pizza and wear a swimsuit. An 'Artemis Dagger', Amalie frowned, that name sounded familiar, although she couldn't understand why. She watched as Sivvy then perkily suggested that they dance, Amalie looked down awkwardly. "Ahh, I don't know Sivvy, I'm not much of a dancer..." She told her in an uncertain tone, there was only once occasion where the woman had danced, and that had been her wedding. Since then the only time she ever danced was in the confines of her kitchen, when she cooked herself dinner whilst listening to the radio. There was the sudden shout of Sivvy's name, drawing her attention away. She looked over as Johann returned rather gleefully carrying plates of food, she stared in bafflement at what happened next. The way he was shoving a plate at Sivvy, whilst grazing on his own plate like a wild animal. Amalie brought her hand over mouth first, trying to surprise her urge to laugh at the sight of his savage digestion. This wasn't where it stopped, he would go on to remark about Sivvy's suggestion they 'dens', before doing an elaborate spin and faceplanting the ground.

It took a few moments of allowing the moment to sink in before Amalie lost it, she rolled back into her chair, holding her sides as she wheezed with laughter. Never had she ever seen the oh-so-serious Johann Von Weiss act in such a way and it was a hysterical sight. She took a moment, trying to collect herself, but losing herself once more whenever she glanced over at him. She buried her face into her hands, eventually simmering down to a snicker, before she finally was able to breathe properly again. Her eyes watering and giggles still leaving her. sporadically. She moved over to him, offering to help him off the ground. "That was some...incredible dancing." She said, snorting in the middle of her sentence. She reached over, brushing the sand off of his face. "How did you get drunk so quickly?" She asked him curiously.

---

Artemis adjusted the tie around his neck, trying to alleviate some of the discomfort he was experiencing. This fricken penguin suit Morte had him wearing was irking him, it was one of the frustrating things about this disguise, that it didn't quite fight the more casual attire. In fact, it looks rather unnatural, plus it had become regularly expected of him to look authoritative in his workplace. Especially when handling what it was he was about to handle, another meeting filled with a group of people who didn't think he was suitable for the job. Aside from the two Directors that he had chosen, the current support director would be likely challenging everything he said with as much irritating stubbornness as they could muster. Whilst his choices for Directors had suited him well, he needed to find someone suited to that role. Someone that could work with him, as Del and Esper could. Even if Esper's idea of working with was usually just making eyes at him and spouting inappropriate remarks.

He was about to leave his office when he heard his iLac buzz, not his burner iLac that he used for work, but his actual phone. He reached over, taking a quick glance to see who it was as a familiar name popped up on his screen. His previously hardened expression softened into a grin. Of all the people who could have texted him, he couldn't hope for anyone better. The rose-haired girl had certainly left an impression on the Chairman, he picked up the phone quickly unlocking it with his thumbprint. He opened the message, his ruby eyes skimming over the words. The grin spread even further, and an eyebrow would arch as he read the jumbled letters and surprisingly relaxed grammar. This was not the kind of text he'd expected from her.  The was a second 'boop' as another message came through, he stared at it blankly for a moment, before bursting into laughter. This girl really was unbelievable. He considered it for a moment, he couldn't really leave work right now. Or at least, he shouldn't. But there were several prospects hinted in that text that Artemis really wanted to confirm, one, Sivvy was at a beach or pool party of some sort and two, she was drunk.

He bit the inside of his cheek, debating what to do, before finally texting back a short message; 'Be there soon x' . Then turning out of his office, he left it, locking it behind him and heading downstairs. As he reached Ground Zero, he would stride past Blanche. "Blanche, something has come up and I need to head out." The brunette who normally never even glanced his way when he spoke to her, looked up sharply. "But Sir, the board of Directors are expecting you in five minutes." She remarked in a snippy tone, he didn't look at her but continued his way to the elevator. "Give Meitritrice my notes, He can run the meeting. Tell him I'm catching a big fish and I'll owe him a drink, he'll know what I mean." He said before stepping into the elevator and without another word, the doors would shut behind him as he made his way out.

---

It didn't take Artemis long to get to Fiore, after heading home for a change of clothes, he'd using a teleportation item to get him there pretty quickly. As he stepping up to the front of the stadium, he glanced around. Double-checking his phone to make sure he was at the right place, turns out he was. He heard a voice calling out to him and glanced around to the sound, "Oi pretty boy, what kind of jackass orders thirty pizzas?" He grinned at the man who approached, reaching out he would take his hand and pulled into what could only be described as a 'bro' hug. "Ernie! My man, how the hell are ya?" He asked heartily, pulling away from the man. "Not bad Art, but seriously, this many pizzas in thirty minutes, you nearly killed my kitchen staff," Art laughed as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the heavy sack of jewels. "Ahh it's worth if for a loyal customer like me, here there's a nice tip in there, get Robbie something pretty." He said to the fellow, Ernie grinned pocketing the jewel. He moved over to his car, unloading that massive stack of pizza boxes. Stacking them in sets of ten, Artemis would come over, stacking the boxes onto each other. He would lift them up, balancing them on one hand like a giant tower. "Whoa, you sure you don't need help bringing those in? I don't want you dropping my merchandise and wasting it." Ernie asked in an uncertain tone.

"Nah I got this honestly, Cheers for doing this Ernie, have a great night!" He said, turning towards the building he would make his way inside. As instructed, he had brought food and turned up dressed as she request. He was currently in a black cotton shirt, and black swim trunks as she'd asked, although he wouldn't understand why he'd needed to dress this way to come to a stadium until he stepped inside. He glanced around in awe of the place, an indoor beach party! Now, this was right up the heir's street, it had been so long since he'd gone to the beach, let alone a party. This actually seemed to be a private birthday according to the letters hovering over the water for a girl named Nessa. He hoped they wouldn't mind him crashing, but seeing as Sivvy had asked him to come, he guessed it had to be okay. He could feel his excitement growing, he scanned the beach, looking for her. It wasn't long before he spotted that familiar pink hair.

He moved along the sand towards her, he noticed a few familiar faces as he did so, his old guildmate and now guild master Leona. The guy she'd fought was hanging around too, and some others that he felt like he might have met in passing. As he made his way over to her, he noticed her sat next to a blue-haired woman who was staring at a silver-haired man who.. was lying face first in the sand. Art stared for a moment, before shrugging, this was a part after all. He turned he gaze back to Sivvy, turning in the sight of her.

And boy, was she a sight.

The little navy one suit, although conservative, hugged every curve and line in an appealing manner. The edges of it hemmed in such a way that would tease him with more flesh than he expected, he realized he was staring for a moment, before clearing his throat and grinning her. He lowered the pizza boxes to the ground in front of her, now that he was here, it didn't seem so strange to walk around in just swimwear. He reached from the hem of his shirt, then pulled it up over his head, dropping it onto the chair before moving to sit next to female Ambassador, "So er... you wanted food huh?" He said in a playful tone, "You look incredible by the way." He added glancing over her once more and shaking his head as though in disbelief. He had in no way expected this to be where his day would take him, but he certainly wasn't complaining.

---

"But Ammaaaaa," Sivvy whined, making vague grabby hands at the bottle. She wasn't much of a drinker, but there was a drunk switch in her that once flipped, she would continue to consume it if the situation called for it. It was like she did it without thinking. Other than her rare drinking moments with Amalie, all her previous boozy experiences had been to aid certain situations and to please people, as well as numb herself to some of the nastier bits. Alas, the rum was gone and she'd just have to operate at her current intoxicated level.

In any case, her pout over the removal of the rum was very short-lived, since a more interesting scene had unfolded. She was brought another helping of food, which of course she nearly inhaled and was once again left wanting. For once her mind didn't linger on the meager offering of grub but instead inspected the man who brought it. Her mentor was also drunk...maybe even drunker than she was. And though Amalie didn't want to dance, Johann did, and Sivvy was up for it! It was probably pretty funny to see the two most serious members of a guild like Dies Irae acting so unlike themselves, being downright foolish. Generally, no matter how drunk Sivvy got, her speech didn't slur like Johann's. If anything drink just shoved every emotion she hid due to raising or confusing bubbling to the top, where she acted extremely human for a change. It also suspended the careful consideration of her actions and words. She too laughed unabashedly with Amalie as she did a quick little dance and then found the God of Ishgar greeting the sand with his face. "What kind of dance is that?!" she asked with a giggle, possibly not realizing the funny man hadn't meant to fall. She was about to imitate it when another bout of wooziness hit her and she reclaimed the chair she'd been sitting in before.

That's she saw it. A vision of beauty walking toward her, tall and lean, levitating across the sands toward her. The carrier, Artemis, was nice, too.

Her eyes didn't leave him for a second as he delivered the tower of food, took off his shirt, and sat down. A smile was creeping onto her face. Sivvy was clearly glad to see him, but was it him or the food? Maybe both? Not that she had much in the way of physical boundaries to begin with, but after their dancing at Club Maria the way they had, she had no qualms about entering his personal space. With him taking the seat next to her, she bounced up and in one swift movement was sitting on his lap like it was a completely normal thing to do, beaming at him with rosy cheeks. "My hero! I was starving, Artemis," she claimed with emphasis, seeming quite comfortable in her Artemis chair, "Mmmmm, you look nice too. Less clothed suits you. Your skin is nice. Very nice skin. And warm." She patted his one of his pectorals appreciatively, then reached forward to slide one of the boxes into her lap. Flipping the top up, she lifted and consumed a slice as easy as breathing. "I hope you're in the mood to party, Arty," the rosette chattered, then snorted and started laughing again. She hadn't meant to use a nickname, but it happened somehow anyway. A happy, drunken accident. "Haha! That rhymed..."


[WC: 575 || Total: 3001]