(no subject)

[hexappeal]

WHO: The Birthday Boy and Friends. And acquaintances.
WHERE: Bewitched.
WHEN: Friday, April 12th. 7pm - 11:30pm or so.
WARNINGS: Soon enough.
SUMMARY: The worst surprise party in the history of surprise parties.
FORMAT: Just make your own sub-threads and jam! Please remember to tag yourselves in!


Zatanna's club is more than modest in size and has a distinct art deco feel to it; the structure remains almost entirely as it was when she bought it aside from minor fixes (mostly make sure it was safe and clean). The glass ceiling that spans the lofty entrance makes for an interesting start. It's easier to get lost looking up than down the halls that curve to a vast library of strange and esoteric texts, dressing rooms, and various currently unused rooms that the magician has sealed and locked.

Past the ticket booth (and what appears to be a currently-closed gift shop of sorts) is the main show room and a few others to each side of it. While these aren't closed, there's nothing special about them for the moment. The interior of the main room is as it usually is, with no new decorations aside from plenty of balloons littered across the ceiling. The floor has left room for those who choose to dance, but plenty of tables and chairs for people to sit at. The bar is busy with more than one man behind it mixing drinks. On stage, there's a live band. Her employees are in the crowd mingling, entertaining guests when they see fit (and if they so choose); mostly, they're keeping to themselves and chatting with whoever catches their fancy.

Outside there are chauffeurs and large, burly men taking the invitations in exchange for entry. It isn't impossible to sneak in with fake ones or through other means...

Comments

OPEN;

[hexappeal]

[Zatanna had been there at the start, but left momentarily to drag James back with her and surprise him (where had he gotten off to since then, anyway?). She wears what looks to be an Alexander Wang dress, walking around and chatting with everyone while looking for her guy.

Of course, stopping to get a drink first is more important. She even waits patiently while others order before getting herself a Negroni. Might as well take advantage of her own open bar, after all.]

[retropolis]

[ Nelson's a little antsy, but he made it at least even if he's about an hour late; he's even dressed nicely enough for the occasion, but instead of any nervous mingling he heads to get a drink first. Though his friends do, Nelson himself doesn't know James, so he's more inclined to first gravitate toward people he does know. Including the hostess!! ]

Good evening, Zatanna. How's the party so far?

[hexappeal]

[Ugh, she loves a guy in a snazzy suit just as much as a guy that has a billion suits that look almost exactly the same. The color, the flair! How can she not be impressed by his taste?

She waves the bartender over and holds up two fingers -- two more of the same, one for her and one for him.]

Oh, not bad at all. A little less crazy than I'm used to, a little stuffy. But not bad. [She'd meant for it to be more like the charity gigs she was used to. Smaller, less crazy. The bartender brings over the drinks and she slides one toward him. It's small enough, so why not indulge a touch?]

[out_of_time]

[Jack's underdressed for the night since he's just dropping by to say hi and leave James's gift. His outfit got a couple looks from the burly gentlemen, but they didn't stop him and that's what's important.]

Hey, Zatanna. Is James around?

[He shifts the package under his arm.]

[hexappeal]

[It's refreshing to see Jack dressed so normally, though she'd be just as content seeing him in a suit with a flower pinned to his lapel (this is one of her "City goals," in fact!).]

He's somewhere. I think he might be moping in one of the closed wings of the building. [She pats the open seat beside her.] Relax a bit.

[doubleoohbaby]

[Here he is!

With a dry Martini in hand and the tiniest of pouts for his betraying partner when he catches sight of her. Hard to stay entirely mad when she's dressed up so nice though, and he only hopes she'll make it up to him later for all of this.

She better.]

[hexappeal]

[The slightest smile tugs at her lips when she catches his eyes. Her head tilts to the side and she raises her shoulders just enough that it's noticeable.

He isn't too far away from her, so she slips through the crowd to get to him. Everyone else is a blur, like she's maneuvering around an ever-changing wall; it's all him. Her drink remains in the glass through the whole trip and upon arrival, she slips her free hand over his shoulder and she leans in to whisper into his ear.] I love you. Happy early birthday. [When she pulls away, she twitches her nose and peers up at him, adoringly.]

[solidorkable]

(While he's sure that James will hate every bit of this, he's not even impressed that she threw this all together. Zatanna, in his eyes, is able to accomplish a lot of things and this is just expected out of her.)

You look nice. (And he dressed up too (and no earrings, just for her).)

[hexappeal]

[Zatanna was certain that he'd hate it, too. At best, begrudgingly enjoy it (which is what she's aiming for). She understands he hates it but it's part of life. Suck it up, buttercup (etc.).]

You do, too. [The dress was made for someone with her figure. Anyone else, they'd just look like a doll.] Thank you for coming, Larsa.

[enigmaestro]

[And when he set his sights on the belle of the ball, Edward could hardly help but maneuver towards her. After all, wouldn't it have been excessively rude to avoid thanking the hostess for such a charming celebration? He glides between bodies, seeking Zatanna's attention.]

I haven't heard him shouting yet. Did I miss all the fun?

[hexappeal]

[If he's looking for the belle of the ball, he's come in the wrong direction. James is some ways away, moping about on his lonesome...

She turns towards Edward when he speaks, raising her hand to the bartender, gesturing for him to send a second drink their way for her newly acquired company.]

No, he's been rather mature about it. [She sounds like a parent talking about her (former) problem child.] And that isn't very friendly of you, it's his birthday after all. [A lie. It was tomorrow, but she wanted him all to herself.]

You look rather dashing tonight, Edward. [She offers a coy smile while she sips at her drink.]

[ecphrasis]

[Even dressed in her best (thanks to Zatanna's help), Molly still feels incredibly out of place here. She's been going to charity dinners and such, as expected of the de facto CEO of Rossum, but this is entirely different. She can hardly hold her own at those events, and all she had to do was make polite conversation with people she might never see again.

But these people are James' friends and Zatanna's friends, and many of them looked to be imports. That meant they were on the Network, or likely to come to the clinic at some point. Making a good impression on these people is more important because she could, some point, maybe call them friends of her own.

She's two people behind Zee in line, waiting to order a glass of wine, and smiles when she sees her. Molly keeps smoothing down the front of her dress, uncertain.]

Zee! It's good to see a friendly face.

[allbloodyhail]

[Spike is sitting at the bar, glancing over at her idly. If he had a heartbeat it would be wild, but as it were it's only his eyes that are a little wide; bewildered even. He had heard about the party and at the last possible moment decided to crash it. He still wasn't sure about his decision, and seeing Zee in that dress did nothing to quiet his mind.]

Who knew he was such a popular guy, [Spike gruffs out, speaking in her direction, but to his whiskey.]

[hexappeal]

[Zatanna had noticed him and even noticed him glancing her way every now and then (she assumes it is more that he doesn't want to be a bother and interrupt her mingling than... something else). She eventually breaks free from the crowd and gives them a wave and a promise to talk to them again soon.

She slips behind him, leaning over his shoulder to steal his drink. She takes a sip from the glass while turning her back toward the bar, sliding onto the stool beside him.] I'm a little shocked myself. [She grins from over the glass and takes another drink.] You should've worn a bowtie.

[waiting]

[ Once he's given the birthday boy the requisite sympathetic pat on the shoulder, Bradbury has swanned off to find the party's hostess. He's already halfway through his first (and only, if he has anything to say about it) drink, but he catches sight of her by the bar, and makes a detour to politely tip his head at her.

Look, Zee, he's even decently dressed up! As a matter of fact, he's in the suit she gave him for Christmas, since he suspects his bodyguard standard isn't going to cut it this time. ]

Nice party.

open;

[doubleoohbaby]

[It's not a shock to say the surprise hadn't been a welcome one in the slightest. For all his attention seeking antics, James actually hates anything related to mass amounts of attention, especially from multiple people.

He knows Zee is doing this as some trolling act and he can't help but feel somewhat impressed by the level of trouble she's gone to to make his life miserable for a few hours, but even that thought doesn't cheer him up enough to be a social butterfly. He mingles every now and then, decides he might as well converse with anyone who's actually shown up (at least this 'party' somewhat displays who his friends are... and his enemies) and try and avoid some of the others, but for the most part, he seems far more interested in the selection of alcohol on offer.

Just the usual linefacing Bond with various different glasses of alcohol in his hand through the evening and decked in the usual finely tailored suit.]

[out_of_time]

[Jack can see just how thrilled James is about this state of affairs. He can sympathize. Ordinarily he wouldn't have come, partly out of bro solidarity and partly because he has a bunch of anti-Vulcanus stuff to pull together, but Zatanna is really, really bad at taking 'no' for an answer. So Jack's plan is to get in, give James his present, and get out before he can be ensnared in anything awkward or hideous. Thus, he approaches with a package under his arm.]

Happy birthday, James.

[doubleoohbaby]

[Clearly bro solidarity means nothing to Jack! James can't help but continue with his grumping through most of the night, and even the sight of a free man can't quite get a smile out of him. It can get plenty of sarcasm though, judging by James' response.] Bauer, you really shouldn't have.

[No. Really. He shouldn't.]

[viced]

[ Mitchell can tell the signs of a miserable James Bond. He'd been bodyguarded by the guy often enough that he can see the signs of stress when he's been pushed just a bit too far. He may be socially stupid, but repetition still bears that he can pick up on things.

So he swings close with two drinks. One supposedly for himself, but he's barely touched it, and the other for James, which he hands over with surprising smoothness. He gives him a half-smile, something bordering on exasperated. ]

Don't get too excited about turning another year older.

[carbonite]

Surprise.

(It can't be that bad, come on. Han leans against the bar, holding a beer and that suit that James bought him ages ago. He gets a little worried, seeing that drink in James' hand, not forgetting that the guy did avoid him by crawling out of a window.)

Y'know, we could slip away for a bit. No one would notice.

(later that night)

[allbloodyhail]

Here. [A bottle of scotch is shoved into Bond's arms, wrapped in festive cellophane with little grapes all over it. It's pretty nice scotch, but not spectacular.] ...Happy birthday, huh?

[waiting]

Happy fucking birthday.

[ Despite what he'd said to Zee on the network, Bradbury's actually decently dressed for the occasion, in a suit that actual fits and hangs right, just in case -- well, just in case. In terms of a present, he already knows Bond can probably buy whatever the hell he wants anyway, so he knows it's the thought that counts, and Bradbury is nothing if not thoughtful. He's cradling his own drink in his hand, mostly untouched, but he takes a sip as he slaps his present into James' hand.

Which is, if he cares to open it, a kama sutra-themed playing card deck (with, yes, people in various sexual positions instead of where the numbers should be). What do you get the man who can get everything? Something tacky, of course. ]

You look like you're at a funeral, you know.

open;

[viced]

[ He'd actually shown up on time, complete with a gift of some very expensive, very well-aged liquor, and he'd even tried to look like he wanted to be there.

Actually, he was pulling out all the goddamn stops to look like he wanted to be there. Zee would be proud. Of course, the way his head tipped occasionally was a sign that he was listening for the time more than anything, and he really did want to get back to the office, or at least Gracie Mansion, where he could work a bit longer, but for the moment, he was trying very hard not to look like a complete and total workaholic.

Trying and failing, but A for effort. ]

[hexappeal]

[Zatanna was so proud of Mitch. Not only did he appear to have brought a gift with him, but he looked nice and -- what? He's on time? The shock could have given her a heart attack!

At the very least this seemed to be a more quiet affair than her usual parties, not nearly as bustling and noisy and not cramped in the slightest. It's like going to a charity event where no one will frown if you're so drunk you can't walk and people might actually dance for more than a fleeting moment.

Zatanna intentionally approaches from behind, though that's not the angle she'd first noticed him from. Slipping a hand over his shoulder, she grins.]

The party isn't one of those "until question marks," you know. I expect everyone to be out of here by eleven-thirty. Don't rush it.

(open.)

[carbonite]

(Considering that it's James' birthday party, he figures that it's a good enough reason to put a suit on. He looks out of place slightly, feeling uncomfortable out of his usual casual ensemble, but it's his best friend; the least he can do is actually look nice for him.

Han sits at the bar, trying to order a normal beer. James' birthday gift is parked outside, just waiting for him to get the keys and drive off in. What is it that you do at these things? Smooze? Right?)