Matriarch House @matriarchhouse - Tumblr Blog

Oct 29, 2017

chatzy with @thisbrutalbelle, @lasirenaelena, @thisdaringdanny, @ianncardero, @lilo-el-lobo, @cassiegermaine, @evangelinethorn, @monsterbyamile, @danisavin, @faye-andrews, @fanesavin.

chatzy log of the halloween party at erzebet’s.

tw: blood, animal death, disturbing imagery, horror stories, alcoholism, drunkenness, loss, death, violence, murder, drowning, violence, sex talk, fire.

Bella held the non-alcoholic, white drink with it's berry accent to her lips as she stood by one of the tables that contained varying dishes both themed and non-themed. She had intended to wear a second costume but once her Bathory one was on she had felt completely unable to take it off. She felt so pretty and regal even if her giggling with those she spoke to was not exactly elegant. "I love your costume," she complimented as someone approached.

Elena smiled brightly as she approached Bellamy, her tissue paper wings bouncing lightly along with the fringes of her cream colored dress; her long dark hair had been curled and her makeup done in a natural by very highlighted way, making her cheekbones and lips look like they'd been dusted with shimmer. "Thanks!" She exclaimed with delight, doing a little spin so the fringes of her dress swayed and twirled with her. "I love yours! It looks so good on you!" She complimented but she had no clue who she was dressed up as, so she asked, "Who're you supposed to be? Or are you a thing?"

It was easy to smile as Elena did her spin, looking at the tissue paper wings the girl had obviously put a lot of work into. "You're very shimmery, exactly what I would imagine an angel looks like," Bella assured and was at least a little true since when she was younger she had envisioned angels to be equally as highlighted and pretty as Elena was. "A vampire from history, the one this place is named after, but I redid her and made her modern so that I could basically just have fun being pretty. Definitely not as much work as yours was," Bellamy assured, taking another sip of her drink. "I heard you had your address changed on your file? Where did you move to?" she conversed, hoping Elena was having some fun. She seemed the type to enjoy dancing and presumed she would get up and do some karaoke at some point.

Elena pretended to understand the vampire from history that Bella briefly described. She remembered a bit that Bella had spoken a little bit about the vampire before, but if she had said anything more about it other than the fact that this place was named after someone from history Elena had completely forgotten about it. Still, she could at least understand the desire to wear something nice and pretty, and so she smiled all the same. "Oh yes. I've moved in with Iann, again," she laughed, "He's got a new business. A hotel or something," she waved a hand lightly through the air as she spoke, "with his business partner Freddie. I saw a picture of him once but I haven't met him yet. Funny that I live with him and haven't seen him at all. Well, I guess I don't live with him. I just live nearby. It's nice though. There's so many strange people at the hotel that I get to meet. It's fun. Do you know Freddie?"

Bella had heard Iann was going to move into the place in passing and it seemed logical that Elena would have to move as well since Dani and her partner had got married. Elena didn't seem the type to live alone and a hotel would probably be good for her, lots of company there, people to talk to. "He's quite handsome," Bella complimented easily, Freddie's looks one of the few redeeming things Bellamy found in who he was that she was actually able to say without getting frustrated. "I didn't realise Freddie lived there too though, but you won't find him here, so he will not get to meet you in your angelic attire," Bellamy informed her. "I do, I'm very close with his husband but we don't get along. He's fine though, generally nice but if he's crude don't be shocked."

"Crude?" Elena frowned a bit at the thought of someone being crude to her. "Why would he be crude? And why won't he be here? I thought all landfolk liked Halloween." She'd been so excited to dress up for it, never having done it before, and she'd actually changed her costume idea so many times before eventually deciding on this one.

It was certainly an awkward thing to explain and Bellamy, and Freddie from what she could tell, did not like influencing others based on their own ideas. "Because he's very into himself and sort of thinks he's rule of the roost," Bellamy answered her first question. "He won't be here because he doesn't like me, I hurt his husband once and he won't accept I'm not that person anymore. He's one of those stubborn sort of men who just think everyone is what they are and there's no changing it. Pig headed, so he won't show, it would upset his husband and neither of us want that, so we avoid each other like the plague. Which isn't to say you should, he's nice enough if you're not me, which you're not."

Elena took in the information with a neutral expression, and once Bellamy was done explaining why Freddie wouldn't be there, she responded with a simple, "Oh," and that was that. She probably would ask more about it later on if she remembered, but this was the start of the party, and she wanted to have fun and it seemed very much like a topic that wasn't going to be very fun. "Well he's missing out then," she added with a nod of certainty, "Because you're lovely and this place looks great. Do you do a party like this every year? It must have taken a long time to set it up like this."

Bella shook her head, definitely glad for the topic change. "I do not, I wasn't actually in town last year for Halloween, I was abroad, and with this place being open three years I realised it was pretty silly of me not to have a party," she said. "Especially with meeting so many new people over the year, like you. Did you try the shot I made especially for your seafaring tastes?" she asked.

It was at Bella's question that Danny popped up, dinosaur hands holding a tray of shots in their darkened red colouring. "Elena!" he shouted through the plastic of the suit, unsure if people could hear him. "Do some shots with me! And help me take off my head!" he fussed as Steve hopped up by his side, paws playing with the baby kangaroo in his kangaroo costume pouch.

Elena was about to respond that she hadn't when a green dinosaur approached them with a tray of shots in hand and a wallaby dressed as a kangaroo hopped beside him. If it wasn't for the wallaby, Elena might not have realized it was Danny. She laughed at their costumes and poked the side of the green dino, "How do I take off your head?"

"There is a zipper around back," Danny told her, turning around so she should get to it, tail hitting her legs in the process. "I think I might deflate once I take it off but I brought my inflator to plug into the bathrooms here, I'm a genius!" he sang out his own praises.

Bella laughed as the man approached, not really recognising his voice though she had heard it before. Unlike Elena she just placed her empty glass down on the table and took off a shot glass, waiting for her to assist him. "Wait what did you put in the bathrooms?" she asked, knowing he was likely going to ignore her.

Elena found the zipper behind him and pulled it down, the costume did deflate and even though she'd been warned of it, it still shocked her, and all this talk about an inflator in the bathroom went completely over her head. "Some kind of inflator thing," Elena answered Bella's question even though she didn't know what an inflator was supposed to do. "You look great Steve!" She admired the wallaby as she picked up a shot glass for herself.

At her compliment Steve wrapped his arm around her leg in a hug, Elena one of the people who actually addressed him now. It was a grateful sort of hug. "Thanks," Danny said, taking a hand and pulling the head of the costume down against his chest while he still held out the tray. "What should we do our shots for ladies? That all the creepy crawlies about town get taken away?" he asked, picking up his own shot and lifting it up for each of them to click against.

Bella clicked her glass against Danny's, mostly so that Elena knew what on Earth he was doing.

Elena watched as Bella clicked her glass against Danny's raised on, and then followed suit as she exclaimed, "To no more creepy crawlies!" Then she brought the glass to her lips and swallowed it all in one go. The first time she'd done a shot, she'd spat it out and sprayed all the people nearby, but she'd gotten better at it and only made a pinched up face this time.

Bella swallowed her own as quickly as Elena's, mouth pulling back for a moment as she got the quick salty alcoholic taste of her lips. "How are mermaids affected by alcohol?" Bella asked, knowing the shot was not enough to do anything to her and so long as she returned to the non-alcoholic things she knew she likely wouldn't taste of it either.

Danny downed his own, handing over the tray to one of the latex clad waitresses, giving them a cheeky little smile before he wrapped his arms around Elena's middle, stealing a hug as Steve had. "Yeah, can I count on you dancing drunkenly in the next few hours? Because that's the only way I'll look better than anyone out there," he teased her as his sunken suit hung off him.

Elena shrugged her shoulders at Bella's question, and smiled when Danny slung his arms around her, enjoying the attention that he gave her. She wasn't sure how to answer the question so she just started rambling about it, "Well I do get drunk. I guess a little bit faster than most people, but I guess it's just because I'm not used to alcohol yet. It also depends on what I drink. I find that usually saltier drinks I like most so I drink more of them and I guess that makes me more drunk. Other things like beer, beer is so gross, I drink it slower so I don't get as drunk." She seemed pleased with her answer and smiled afterward. "What are you supposed to be, Danny? Some kind of green dragon? Green dinosaur?"

Danny listened as she spoke but mostly was just enjoying hugging her while Steve decided to go off and find some other familiars to hang out with. "Well shots are an even faster way to get drunk so hopefully there is something else that looks good to you," Danny said, looking at the hostess in her large dress in question though quickly he was pulling away from Elena in shock. "I'm Reptar! THE green dinosaur," he insisted.

Bella snorted as he insisted that he was far more than just a regular old dinosaur. "He's from a children's show," Bellamy assisted. "A quite popular one."

Elena nodded slowly as they spoke about the costume, or rather Danny just kind of yelled who he was and Bellamy at least tried to explain it, but without knowing about the show they spoke about, she still wasn't sure about it. Yet another thing she was confused about, but just like Bellamy's costume, she could at least appreciate that it was a nice costume even without knowing it's source. "Oh okay," she responded plainly. She'll have to do some research about this Reptar later on.

"It's okay, darling," Danny assured her, reaching out with his dinosaur paw and pushing back some of her hair. "All you really need to know is that my costume is great, and if they're voting on best costume you vote for me," he grinned. "And I'll vote for you, you're like, so fucking shiney, love, it's crazy," he said, leaning in a little and placing a quick kiss on her cheek, getting a bit of her highlight on himself.

Bella looked on as the man placed a kiss on her lips, Elena hadn't mentioned any men to her but immediately she was intrigued. Since the mermaid had begun working Bella was a bit distracted and really only spoke to her in passing. It seemed awful she had missed some sort of gossip. "How many dudes possibly attending this party are going to come up and lavish you with this sort of affection?" Bellamy teased with a grin.

Elena beamed when he quickly kissed her and she laughed, "I don't know. I might vote for Steve. His costume is pretty adorable," she wondered where the wallaby had gone off to, but figured it was fine. "Hmm good question," she responded to Bellamy, "Maybe two or three?"

"I'll concede to Steve and Steve alone," Danny responded with a little nod, glad that his affection was a welcomed gesture. Elena's happy and breezy personality was one of the many factors he liked so much about her. "Two of three but I'm number one," he stubbornly assured the short vampire woman.

"Two or three? How long have you been on land?" Bellamy asked, astounded. It wasn't a judgement, it was a ringing endorsement of approval. Giving Danny a roll of her eyes she focused entirely on Elena. "Who in this town have you slept with other than this gigantic grizzly bear." It was then that Bellamy recognised him and realised Elena was not the only one there to have slept with the man but decided not to mention that, in case he began to feel important.

Elena took the question of how long she'd been on land quite literally, and she tapped her chin trying to remember exactly when she had arrived. Sometimes it felt like yesterday but she knew well enough that it had been summer when she first arrived and now it was fall so it must have been a few months ago, exactly how many months she couldn't recall though and so she just responded, "Not sure, but a while, at least a few months I think. And other than Danny, I've slept with Ephram and a guy I met at a bar... what was his name? Something to do with measurement? Miles? Yeah. That's the one."

Bella laughed a little as it was clear Elena was trying to work out exactly how long she had been there, her adorable little head thinking away. "Everyone has slept with Ephram, he's like the welcome basket you get when you come to town, not that it's a bad thing," she said, smiling away at the idea of Ephram and Elena, they certainly seemed like a pair she could imagine getting on in her head. Miles however she could not but perhaps that was just her, still she didn't intend to assume Elena meant lately and she was so sweet Bella didn't have the heart to get jealous. "Still, you're doing quite well, I suspect all that means you're having fun here? No regrets coming to the surface for a while?"

Danny recognised each name and felt little jealousy. By now he knew what each of those men looked like and in comparison Danny felt himself a stone cold fox. "I'm going to fetch us more drinks," he said, tapping Elena's arm before grabbing one of the menus off the table and seeking out a waitress, pushing through the crowd.

Elena nodded at Danny when he said he would go get more drinks and then returned her attention to Bella. "Oh yes. So much fun! No regrets so far! I love meeting all the people here. It's so different than the ocean where I pretty much know everyone in my pod. We didn't often meet other pods so it's really nice to actually meet new people."

Bella nodded, wondering if beneath the waters the pods had their own sorts of towns or if they were more migratory like birds were. It was odd to imagine Elena with her tail on always, a little girl Elena with a little dolphin tail, odd but cute. "Have you heard from them? Like, do they have a way of contacting you?" she asked.

"Oh," she paused at Bella's question about her pod getting in contact with her. She supposed it was a simple question but she had a hard time coming up with an answer. "Well, no. They haven't," Elena replied lamely, "but there's not really a way to. I mean, up here, there's email and cell phones, and normal mail that goes through the postal office. I mean, I guess they could send me a letter in a bottle, but we don't usually do that. Usually humans do that to us. I mean, I'm sure they would contact me if they could. Of course they would." She seemed to be assuring herself more than Bellamy.

As Elena insisted that they would contact her if they could Bellamy felt her words strongly, knowing what it was like to wish you could hear from someone that you weren't and moved close to her, wrapping her arms around Elena as best she could without damaging the woman's wings. "Of course they would, sometimes that stuff is just so hard, but you have us. You can always text me, and presumably Iann, maybe that weirdo if he's making you smile. I'd hate to imagine what would happen to someone who did anything but make you smile though. I suspect you're less than angelic then."

Elena wrapped her arms around Bella tightly, pleased for the affection from her vampire friend, which comforted her a lot more than she thought it would. For a while, she'd always thought she was alone on the surface, but she was finding that the longer she was here, even though she was away from her pod she was creating some very lasting connections and was happy to not be alone. "I tried downing some rude man the other day, but he wouldn't go swimming with me," Elena stated blithely.

Bella immediately snorted rather loudly, falling into her laugh as she heard that Elena had designed to drown a man and he had merely refused the water. "Perhaps we should devise some surface level solutions to irritating people, not many will agree to randomly go into the ocean with you and it's a lot more noticeable around here when townsfolk go missing, I would know," she laughed a little, unsure if Elena herself had noticed since Bellamy was often dashing about the place and Elena had so many things she was doing about the town. "So drowning them could end up having Ephram using his cuffs on you in all the wrong ways."

"What else are you supposed to do to someone who's rude to you?" Elena asked, genuinely curious to find out other solutions aside from drowning.

"You could probably punch them, punching is a pretty fast way to shut someone down but I guess it depends on the level of rudeness they show to you," Bellamy said, knowing she would not have enjoyed being punched when she was a particularly rude person in the past. "Plus there is every chance they'll punch you back. You could just subtly undermine them. Like if they're short just point out how short they are over and over again, along with other flaws. People don't like thinking they have any, even saying they're rude people probably won't like."

Elena's shimmery features turned down into a frown as she considered those options. The punching one seemed very much like it would hurt her in the process and so she was likely to avoid that one, but the undermining people seemed like a good option. "I think I could do that. Alright then!" She announced triumphantly, "Next time someone is rude to me I will undermine them!"

Bella laughed, hoping she would hear the story of how that went down. Elena was already a fairly direct person so insulting someone seemed like it could only end with a rather wonderful story. "Glad to help."

Danny returned, tray full of each of the drinks on offer that were not shots. "I'd say take the short orange one, love," he told Elena, holding it out to them even though there were more drinks than people around them. "Smells like it's not as sweet as the rest."

Iann was notoriously bad at parties, honestly. He came off too brash and mingling wasn't his thing because small talk tended to be, well, too small for him. Still, he was trying to get used to them, and something as well-planned and busy as the Erzebet's party seemed like a good place to blend in and remain present but also just a part of the crowd. He just had to make sure not to get too...weird about it. He heard Elena's tinkly voice and realized she was some sort of vision in white - especially next to Bellamy's starkly dramatic costume. They looked like a match pair. Iann waved at them then made some sort of sign-language motion that meant he was either getting a drink, or going to find someone, or maybe going to to the bathroom. Either way, he made his presence known, then scampered off again.

Elena released Bella from their hug and moved to picked up the orange drink, "You can tell by the smell?" She sniffed the drink and it was then she caught sight of Iann in the distance, who waved indistinctly before disappearing in the crowd.

Bella picked up a drink for herself, looking over as a cowboy waved at them only to realise that it was Iann. "Well it's not as sweet as the rest, so he's probably smelling the cinnamon," Bellamy told her, sipping the orange drink she had that was basically just Fanta and grenadine. "Thanks, Danny."

Elena sniffed the drink once more before sipping it, the salt round the rim made the drink seem a lot smoother than it was, and she found that she liked it a lot because of it. "Thank you," she added as an after thought, hearing Bellamy thank him first. She often times forgot simple landfolk courtesies like that. Then following onto their previous topic, Elena asked Danny, "What do you do to mean people? Bella says I should undermine them."

Danny picked up the darkest drink for himself and took a sip, placing the tray of drinks left on the table of food behind Bella. "I mean, I mostly just leave the situation, I don't see no point in wasting time on bad sorts of people, though it is harder for girls to leave that type of situation. I'm a big dude, no one is going to make me stay. So she's maybe right, unless they're more than mean, then you should probably hit them before they hit you. Is someone being mean to you?" he asked, a sternness coming over him. It wasn't that he didn't think she could protect herself, her tail was whip strong and she seemed like she could put some force behind something but she was his friend, he defended his friends as he'd want to be defended.

Lilo was near the food, as was to be expected. He had been making the rounds, smiling and nodding and occasionally greeting people with a 'yabbers dabbers' when they seemed to recognize the costume. His cheeks were stuffed full when he caught wind of a conversation. "Is there going to be-" crumbs sputtered out of his mouth before he swallowed again, "Is someone fighting?"

Bella turned to look at Lilo as Danny decided it was his duty to defend a woman who probably did not need it. "I see Cassie got her way," Bellamy smiled at the man she had met only a few times. "And there will not be any fighting. It's hypothetical. If someone is mean to you, or rude, what do you do?" she asked Lilo, giving him the option to also help Elena.

Lilo wiped at his beard, missing the myriad of crumbs and other snack leavings. "Ah well, what I tell the kids where I work is that you gotta tell the person who was being mean how they upset you. And then if they are still mean you talk to one of us adults." He smiled, and looked from vaguely familiar person to person. "But ay, that last part might not work for us adults."

Danny laughed at the man as he said they would then have to come to an adult. He wasn't sure how many of those standing there were the right people to come to for advice. Perhaps him, since he seemed to be saying he worked with kids but a vampire who was wearing a crown like she was a child, a mermaid whose solution was drowning and then him, a dude in a deflated Reptar costume? Probably not. "Maybe Elena can try and talk it out and then if they're still mean give you a call, mate, you can talk down the big bads," Danny said before extending his dinosaur hand to the man. "I'm Danny, mate, loving the look, we're very classic tonight. Want a drink? I brought each one over, figured by the end of the night I could try them all." The tray on the table still held two others and another shot.

Iann finally made his return, making a beeline towards Bellamy. "Hey - your performance! I wasn't expecting that, it was incredible," Iann said, looking up at Lilo and giving the other man a nod and a tip of his cowboy hat. "Hola, Fred."

Bella immediately wrapped her arms around her Pa, smiling up at him with the shadow of his cowboy hat on his face. "I am a sucker for a show," she said, still latched onto him as he greeted Lilo. "And a cowboy, who you supposed to be?"

Lilo "Haha, yeah that sounds good. You call your friend or you just leave the rude person to be a terrible person on their own huh?" He laughed and nodded to Danny for the drink. He didn't mean to snub Iann, but he didn't really care about whether he did or not. "Yubba Dubba Do! Huh?"

They probably made a sight, Iann in his cowboy-ish get up and Bellamy in her extremely fancy-looking costume, both of them hugging enthusiastically. It was kind of a novelty, for Iann. He couldn't quite remember what he did last year. The Savins, maybe? "I'm the Bandit! From Smokey and the Bandit..." Iann clicked his tongue and then decided to just say, "I'm Burt Reynolds." It was easier to say that than explain that he was a character for a movie that now had a somewhat niche, limited following with the younger folk. Iann blinked at Lilo, because there was no mistaking what he was. "Yeah, you kinda got it, Lopez. It's actually Yibba Dibbee D'oh. It's where they got Homer Simpson's trademark 'd'oh!' Trufax."

Danny reaching out Danny grabbed it, passing it over since he was now one of the few in their ever growing crowd that was able to reach it. He recognised the man that curled up against Bella as the human who had helped him with his bunyip situation and grinned at him in greeting. "Exactly, I mean, why surround yourself with shitty people when you don't got to? No one seems like they'll be starting anything though, were you hoping for a fight?" he asked with a little chuckle. The man wasn't so small that Danny made any assumptions, besides, he'd lost to people far smaller in this town.

"Oh, yes, he's handsome," Bellamy noted as she grabbed Iann a drink as well and held it out for him to take. "I saw him in the Maddening," Bellamy said, of course having seen him in a horror movie rather than one of his more prominent roles. "What do you think?" she asked, trying to include him in with everyone else. "If someone is mean to you, what do you do? I suggested undermining them with their flaws, Danny suggested walking away and Lilo gave us the same advice he gives his kids."

Lilo was probably one of the shortest men in Soapberry Springs but he'd never really paid attention to all that. "Ay, I never hope for a fight amigo, I've had too much of that in my past. All I want from halloweens now is good treats and silly costumes." He took a drink, then cast his eyes sidelong at Iann as if to say. 'Speaking of silly costumes. "Nah Iann, I don't think that's true. It's something like Yibbity Dibbity Doo."

Cassie had had to step out of the party to answer a call from the babysitter at home, but she knew it would be easy to find Lilo again by the food, and it seemed many more people had huddled around since she left a little while earlier. She stepped back up beside him, the Flintstone family costume more complete with Wilma and Fred standing next to each other. Cassie quickly murmured to Lilo about the phone call, she smiled quickly to everyone new, but arched a brow at Iann in particular. “It’s Yabba Dabba Doo.” She corrected with a snort, because it wasn’t groundbreakingly important, but she didn’t think it was particularly nice for Iann to try and steer him otherwise. “Who’s fighting who?” Cassie asked then, clearly missing a part of the conversation.

Iann hummed in pleasure, "Ohhhh the Maddening. Now that is a great film," If by great one meant creepy for all the wrong ways. But then, naturally Iann would find a moustachio'd psychopathic creep synonymous with 'great'. He thinned his eyes at Lilo and then smiled patronizingly. "Ahhhhh yeah, that's it, you're right Lilo. Yibbity Dibbit--" But then Cassie-Wilma showed up and properly corrected Lilo, and Iann snorted. He tilted his head at Bellamy's interesting question. "If someone's mean to me, then I guess I...laugh. I don't know, I don't take it seriously and it tends to throw people off. And sometimes they get meaner, but..." Iann shrugged. "Who cares, that's their problem, not mine." He grinned down at Bellamy. "You don't remember? When you were mean to me? I do remember you undermined me with my flaws!"

As Cassie arrived Bellamy's smile grew exponentially. Seeing Iann was lovely but expected, part of her had worried that Cassie may not come last minute and Bellamy was a little desperate for craving female friends. Elena and Cassie there was a cherry on her night. "No one, I promise," Bellamy told her, smiling as she corrected Iann, honestly Bella had never seen the show so she was not too concerned. "We're just giving Elena our suggestions for what we do if people are mean," she said before Iann launched into his own answer to the question, laughing because he was not wrong, that is basically how he had acted and it had rather worked...at least for a time. "I remember getting drunk on fae blood for our work meeting and I probably did insult you then."

Danny pouted at the mention of fae blood though he was not ultimately offended, he had let the vampire feed off him before though he couldn't gauge whether or not she actually remembered. "Laughing seems like it could work for Elena," Danny commented, looking at the girl. She certainly was getting a lot of advice and Iann's seemed the least dangerous so far.

"Ayyy, are you sure lobocita. That sounds awful silly." Lilo teased, grin lopsided as the spiky wig on his head. His arm wrapped around her shoulder, inviting Cassie closer to him as if people couldn't obviously see from both their outfits. "I am not getting into fights with anyone I promise."

"What would you do, Pegs? If someone was mean to you?" Iann asked Cassie, because he liked this conversation immensely. He jostled Bellamy, who he kept his arm around. "Yes I still remember every one of your insults," Iann intoned grimly, then burst into a laugh. "No, I'm kidding, don't remember half of what you hurled at me. Other than wrinkly and old, but that's only because that became your go-to insult when you were too lazy to think of something more cutting."

“Oh.” Cassie smiled a bit more easy, glancing over at Elena then, “Well, I either ignore them or dish it back to them, depending on the circumstance.” Her eyes connected with Iann for a second, her cheek quirking. It was the truth, or had thus far been. She pat Lilo’s arm, “I know you weren’t fighting with anyone.” She chuckled.

Bella looked at Iann as he jostled her, quite content to remain where she was next to him. It was nice to do something like this again, something she hadn't done since her GED, and everyone seemed to be getting along so well. Granted it was easy with people like Iann, Lilo, Cassie, and Elena, who all seemed to always have at least moderately good intentions. "Our responses are all very human for a crowd where only one person actually is a human," Bellamy noted. "And his response is the one that going to actually seem the most odd."

"I remember at least one time you did not just laugh hermano. You popped me one good, huh?" Lilo rubbed his jaw like Iann had just bashed his fist inexpertly into his face, instead of nearly twenty years ago. "Ahah, well when I first got really wolfy as a kid I used to just intimidate people who were mean to me. It was easier to get by and do that with a big mean pack, don't nobody mess with and angry pack." He admitted, nodding to Bella to acknowledge her.

"What do you mean the most odd? Does Elena give them the fish-face?" Iann made a face by pulling in his cheeks and crossing his eyes, woobling his lips. When he released it, he added, "I mean, if I was mean to someone and they made that face at me, then I'd think they were pretty cool." He remembered that Bellamy had fancy drinks for the night, and he was feeling thirsty. "Which of your fancy drinks for you recommend for me, Belle?"

Lina had been listening to the group of people surrounding the food from a little farther awy. She wouldn’t have given the group much mind in general, except that the hostess was a part of it, and Danny as well. For a while, Lina was happily listening on the outskirts, but when Bella pointed out their responses had been mostly humanly kind, the other vampire couldn’t resist. She leaned in with her glass and an easy smile, “Or you could just kill them.” It earned at least an eyebrow raise from one of the brunettes, and Lina winked at Iann who she’d recognized upon closer inspection.

Iann did not remember punching Lock/Lilo in the face, but he took Lilo's word for it. "Ahh. Psh. That was years ago. I was a completely different man then. And - ah - so were you." Iann looked all shifty-eyed when he said it.

Bella's eyes grew wide. "Iann punched you?" Bella asked in amazement before she nodded at Lilo's statement, Bellamy knew that quite well, especially as the security team stood at edges of the room. "She said drown them," Bella noted as another popped up and gave her own opinion. "I suppose all supernatural opinions would be kill," she laughed, looking the woman over. She was very stern looking but entirely elegant in a way Bellamy only ever really felt in gowns as she was now. "Which I suspect if they are rude enough can be a pretty hard act to resist." Still at his side she gave Iann her suggestion. "I actually made the dirty goblin for you, should I sing down a waitress?" Bella asked him.

"You'd kill anyone rude?" Danny asked as Lina took to their group and Bellamy noted that if there was someone rude enough it was almost impossible. "What if it was a charming sort of annoyance?" he toyed, smiling away.

"Mm, yes please," Iann said to Bellamy, gleeful at the idea of a drink being made with him in mind. Only Bellamy would think of a detail like that. He'd leave Lilo to explain about being punched by Iann, since he was the fool who brought it up. Iann was too busy being surprised that Lina had shown up. "What're you supposed to be dressed as?" he asked the lady-vampire, unwilling to get drawn into a conversation about supernaturals and their proclivity to jump straight to murder the moment they felt slightly miffed with someone.

Lina “Ah-“ Lina grin a little wider and nodded at the mention of drowning, “Yes that works.” Her cool eyes rolled over and looked at Danny. For the most part she kept her reaction to him plain and simple, “Well, I’d say there’s a line between rude and annoying. Charms has great purpose, but it could get old.” Lina actually had to try not to laugh, because why was it not a surprise Danny would pose a question like that. She turned slightly to Iann and popped her hip, “I’m a flapper. I always loved this dress. Who are you? Deputy Dan?”

Bella giving Iann a kiss on the cheek she rose a hand to try and get the attention of one of the waitresses, asking for Iann's drink and requesting she remain as anyone who wanted to order something for themselves did. "Well it's been working for a while, until she tries to drown one of us," Bellamy joked, trying to keep everything light as the group grew.

"Well I mean, you've got a while to live, darling," Danny said to Lina, his dinosaur costume deflated and nowhere near as elegant as her own clothing. "Could take my life for you to get over my charms." Unlike Elena who he had felt confident enough to kiss and cuddle he knew there was every chance that if he tried that with Lina Bella's idea of punching someone who was rude to you would come into affect, so instead he merely smiled at her knowingly.

Lilo's mouth was full of snacks when Bella posed the surprised question at him. Rather than talk with his mouthful he quickly chewed and swallowed, trying to catch up. "Ah yeah, Iann hit me pretty solid. And that's not all," it was Lilo's turn to look shifty, then apologetically at Cassie for bringing it up. "Ay, we were real dumb kids back then."

"A flapper - ohhhh I gotcha, like from the 20s, right right right." Iann said at Lina, and if he actually ever paid attention to style he'd know her hair had been pressed and curled as well, just like in the 20s. "I'm the Bandit, you know. From Smokey and the Bandit." Maybe it wasn't any sort of a-ha kind of costume like the Flintstones, but Iann hadn't raided Tuah's retro closet for nothing. He got the Dirty Goblin from the server, sniffing it first and looking at it, before he tried it. "Wow. I - did not expect tequila to blend as well as it does. Tastes like a praline hazelnut coffee."

"You have to at least say whether or not it was a good punch? I mean, you were still a werewolf, did it even hurt?" Bella pressed, excited to imagine Iann doing something like that. She had seen him be tough before but teenage Iann was her most favourite one to hear of. "Exactly," she said of Iann tasting the flavour of the drink, seeing the rim of it in his mustache. "Do you like?"

Cassie had been watching to see if Lilo would elaborate on his past little skirmish with Iann, and when he did she glanced away with just the littlest bit of irritation. Cassie understood holding grudges, and that the two would never be contentedly friendly with one another. But really - at a party? She was glad Bella requested the waiter stay, and ordered a Full Moon Magic. It sounded sweet and well, someone had to stay sober without the shadow of a doubt.

Iann smacked his lips, as if pretending to be some sort of liquor connoisseur before giving Bellamy an approving nod. "I like it a lot, everyone should have one and think of me when they do." He gave Lilo a look, curious about how he'd answer Bellamy's query, call it a sort of train-wreck fascination. "Pegs you look way cute as Wilma. She was always the hot one, anyway. Between her and Betty, I mean."

"It was more surprising then damaging. Though I gotta admit I didn't walk away from our encounter without a scratch." Lilo was effusive, especially when the atmosphere was light and as liberal with drinks as this part. He hadn't quite picked up on Cassie's irritation, yet. So he was happy to keep talking to Bella and get it all out in the open. "Wasn't the best form. I think he may have hurt his hands more than my face but ay, there was a lot of emotion in it."

"Aww," Bellamy let out as though Lilo's story was some kind of cute childhood memory. It seemed cute to her, imagining them just being young boys, getting into fights. "Well I'm glad it did not permanently damage your face or Cassie might not be so in love with you," she joked before turning to Elena. "So did any of those sound at all helpful or shall you just continue with the drowning for now?"

Elena listened intently to everyone's suggestions and smiling as they all chatted among each other while offering their suggestions on how to deal with rude people. She'd known there were multiple ways but it was interesting to know how everyone dealt with it in their own way. She supposed it would have it's benefits to not try and drown everyone who was rude to her. "I think I'll give some of them a try. I mean, they might not be as fun, but who knows, maybe my days of drowning rude people will be over," she responded a little wistfully.

Danny wrapped his arms around her shoulders, careful not to damage her wings. "Don't got to be completely over, love, just make it exclusive for the complete dirt bags," he said with a little smile, not liking the idea of her missing anything she enjoyed doing.

“Darling, you’d wish it’d take that long.” Lina shook her head at Danny still nursing her drink, “One day, it’ll take you by surprise.” She arched a brow at Iann as he explained his costume and chuckled it over it some, nodding slowly to herself, “Yeah, that mustache. I could have taken you for a Burt Reynold’s man.” She watched in a sort of fascination as Iann tried his drink Bella had insisted he try and then turned to listen to what Elena thought of all her suggestions. She tapped her nails against the thin glass of her cup, “You could always skip the boring ones.” She pointed out. There wasn’t always a reason to be well…reasonable with people.

Danny still wrapped around Elena he smiled at Lina, the only person who had supported the idea of drowning. "Or maybe you're nervous it will, love," Danny said back to the blonde vampire - the other obviously in a wig. "Well the really boring ones that don't work, like calling an adult when you are an adult, probably works best for the kids Lilo teaches," Danny added to Lina's suggestion.

"How about we not talk about killing people over minor differences, hm??" Iann cut in, a little louder than he meant to say it. He made a face at himself, then looked at Bellamy. "Can I get another one?" He pitched an eyebrow at the sight of that Danny fellow hugging up Elena, but figured the guy was just affectionate? He'd called Iann affectionate; but people had a tendency to point out things in others, that they actually were themselves.

"Perhaps we should go and grab one at the bar," Bella said as the group was growing exponentially and she figured no one would notice if they slipped away for a few moments. "I actually have a surprise for you later too," Bellamy confessed, grin coming over her with a twinkle of secrecy to her eyes.

Lilo pissed as he could be at Iann he had to agree with him on this. He nodded silently, enjoying the interactions between all of them, pretty women and men chatting with each other. But he was also so glad he'd left the dating world behind. He turned his attention to Cassie, moving in closer to try and sneak kisses against her neck. Not knowing if she'd still be prickly or not. "Ay, lobocita, you enjoying yourself?"

Elena enjoyed the affection that Danny was showering on her, finding not long after spending enough time on the surface that she enjoyed the attention and the feel of it, and she smiled brightly at him for doing so. Iann's suggestion that they stop talking about killing people made her pause, but she was more than happy to oblige. "Well, what do people talk about on Halloweens? Ghost stories?"

As Lilo went on to tell the story, Cassie’s foot tapped against the ground impatiently for her drink to be delivered. She didn’t say anything about this part of the conversation giving a quick flashing smile over at Iann when he complimented her outfit. Though no doubt, it was in part to slightly placate her. Her drink was delivered amongst the other conversation and chimed in with Iann about changing the topic of conversation. After a few sips of the “cocktail”, the sweetness distracted her and she gave a more genuine, faint smile to Lilo who whispered to her, “Yeah, been a while since I’ve been to a party.”

"Yes! Ghost stories, for sure," Danny agreed with a big grin on his face. Like Iann assumed he was an affectionate guy but it was subject to the person. Elena was easy, Elena didn't expect anything from it and she didn't have anyone that was going to try and drown him for doing it. "Flintstone's, you got any?" Danny asked, happy to include them and not merely get caught up in his teasing. He didn't want the man, or his wife who he could tell was growing a bit unamused by the thought of fights, to fall behind just because they were a set pair.

Iann nodding, Iann motioned for Bellamy to lead the way, giving her a slightly grateful look. " You have a surprise for me?" he said, to reconfirm that he'd heard her right. "When do I get it??"

"Once I've paid enough attention to everybody that sneaking off completely won't be utterly cruel, I don't know if you'll like it though so you have to pinky swear to me if you hate it that you'll just say so and not be mad," Bellamy said since it was not something she had done for him before and was...well, ultimately worried she'd do something wrong or maybe he didn't even care and she'd just completely screwed up. It wasn't an actual worry, of course, mere childish worry that he wouldn't like it. Reaching the bar she stood, rather than sit, and ordered him another of the drink he had and then a vampire's kiss. "So you pinky swear?"

Lilo hummed at Cassie, low and happy as his eyes traced her and no doubt she was familiar with that look. "It's nice to get out huh? Do something spooky for the holidays." He smiled again and pulled back to turn his head at the enormously manly buff dude. The kind of guy that exuded masculinity even in his sad bright green costume that lay flat around him. "Ay I got a few scary stories. Though most of 'em I know now are for kids and involve the punchline of turning chocolates to veggies or something."

Cassie attention was pulled when the taller man addressed her and Lilo by costume. “Hmmm? Oh um, I know urban legends? Do those count?” But then, possibly everyone knew them already. That was the thing with urban legends anyways.” She laughed, quite openly at Lilo’s mention of scary stories being from the kids at Sprouts. “You think it’s safe telling ghost stories, when in a few days, in a town like Soapberry there might be some very real ghosts lurking around?” Her glance went a bit wearily back to Lilo then, even though she was addressing everyone still around. She’d been thinking about it, with the holiday coming up.

Iann grinned, considering Bellamy's bargain quite fair. He raised one of his pinky fingers, linking it with Bellamy's. "I swear." Honestly Iann didn't know how people like Bellamy did it. How they were so...considerate to think of others in this way, to orchestrate surprises for her loved ones. Iann wanted to do that for her one day, but of course it had to be spontaneous, not forced. "So where's your guy pal, Miles? Is he able to make it to the party?"

Elena's eyes grew wide and seemed to nearly bulge out of her shimmery face. "Wait, real ghosts? Like really ghosts? Is that a thing? I mean, I guess I shouldn't be surprised but I never really thought about it like that before. I mean, it makes sense. Ghosts in a supernatural town."

"Definitely tell!" Danny requested of them both. "We used to have this show in Australia for kids, Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids, and it was basically just stories about how kids would basically get eaten by crocodiles if they were spoilt, or like they'd disappear if they didn't eat their veggies so I am down for some kids stories, plus I know hardly any American urban legends, except like that one with the dude over your car," he went on before she seemed to become nervous at the idea.

Linking her pinky with his she took a sip of her drink. "Good, I started it before we...well disappeared and I'm just not sure how you'll feel," she told him with a little not. It had been done out of love and she hoped that he saw that above all else, in her mind she suspected he would love it but there were always possibilities that things would not go to plan and she was beginning to accept that. So long as he didn't yell she figured she could take that. "He's not a huge costume person, I've been texting him for weeks about wearing one but couldn't convince him and honestly, since we got back I really don't care if he wears one or if he's on time so long as he shows up and tells me I am gorgeous," Bellamy smiled. What did a costume or a timeline matter if they could at least spend time together? Certainly it was fun, and she enjoyed looking at Iann's but it didn't ultimately make it fun, she'd have fun with people as long as they were with her.

"Oh! If you wanna hear American urban legends you gotta listen to loboci- Ay, I mean Cassie. She's smart as a whip and as a librarian she knows all about any kind of think you can thing of." Lilo looked encouragingly at Cassie. Willing her to share any story she could think of.

Elena looked eagerly to Cassie, looking between her and her husband with a wide smile. "Oh yes! Do tell!" She was pleased that she was getting a chance to know Cassie's husband for they've only spoken about him in the past.

Miles didn't usually go to big parties like this, and this was definitely a big party. He didn't want to disappoint Bella though, considering she'd been working so hard on putting this thing together, and even though he'd told her countless times that he wasn't going to wear a costume, just before he was going to leave his apartment he felt a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. So he had called up a friend of his that lived a few blocks away to borrow his doctor's coat. That was one of the reasons Miles was late, the other simply because that if he was going to go to a party, there was no way he was going to arrive on time. So he sauntered into the crowd with his doctor's coat on, looking through the crowd to try and find any familiar faces or pick up any familiar smells. He could pick out her scent easily enough, and followed it to the bar where he found Bella and Iann. "Hey," he greeted both of them first with a nod, "Nice hat you got there, Iann." And then to Bella, "Sorry I'm late. You look beautiful."

"Well as long as it's not a bag with a million dollars," Iann said with a joking laugh at Bellamy. "Don't fret, I'll be truthful." As for Miles' arrival, Iann nodded, sipping his drink and trying not to let the cowboy hat fall over his eyes. How did guys wear these things all the time? He was just tipping his hat back up, when he heard Miles's voice. "Hey hey, speak of the devil. Bellamy was just telling me how much it didn't matter to her if you didn't show up to her big Halloween party, man," Iann said, as he motioned for the bartender's attention again. "What'll you have?"

Bella hearing his heartbeat in the crowd Bellamy wondered if her voice carried so easily and hoped that it had not. Keeping her eyes on Iann until he popped up behind her and spoke, not wanting to unsettle Iann that the man was approaching and he didn't have the same prior warning that she did. When she finally did turn her face lit up, teeth showing as her mouth pulled into her cheeks. "You dressed up!" she let out, biting her bottom lip as she tried to pull back how happy she had become. Obviously it was not much, a doctors coat and his regular clothes but it was still more than she'd been expecting. "I can't believe you dressed up," she said, slapping Iann's arm lightly. "That is not exactly what I said," Bellamy insisted before Iann asked what he'd have. "I actually did something for you, I made a drink for Iann, and for Elena, and I made some for you too," she told him, picking up one of the printed menus off the bar and handing it to him. It was important to her that he know she didn't just made non-alcoholic drinks for him, that she hadn't just singled him out since she knew he hated that. "They're very good."

“It’s possible.” Cassie said a bit more grimly to Elena, she’d experienced it more than once before. But Urban Legends were a little different, so when Danny enthusiastically requested she tell one, Cassie obliged. “The one with the man in the car is scary.” She nodded, “One that always terrified me though-“ And it still did to a very real degree, “Was The Licked Hand. The story goes, a girl goes to bed with her dog one night, and she wakes up and hears dripping from her bathroom, but she’s too scared to go see what it is, so she reaches down for her dog for comfort.” Cassie paused chewing her lip a little, distinctly remembering this was why when she was younger, she always kept her sheltie on the bed with her. “The dog licks her hand, and she is comforted for a little bit before she reaches back down for another lick. This goes on for a little while, she eventually falls asleep. But in the morning when she goes into the bathroom for a drink of water-“ Cassie paused her a little, cause it was a thing you were supposed to do, “Her dog is hanging dead in the shower, and on the wall, written in the dogs blood is “Humans Can Lick Too.” Cassie let out a short breath, lips pursed in thought over it, also thinking someone else, probably could have told it better.

Miles couldn't help but smile at Bella's response to seeing him in the coat and was instantly glad that he had decided to do it. "I couldn't let you down," was his simple response. "Oh yeah?" He looked at the menu she handed to him briefly, one of the drinks standing out to him in particular, causing the corner of his lip to turn up into a slanted smirk, "Alright, I'll have the vampire's kiss then," he said to the bartender when they came to take his order. "What were you guys talking about before I butted in?" The name Elena ran a warning bell in his head but he couldn't remember why. If he saw her, he'd recognize her as someone he had slept with a few months ago, but by name he couldn't remember it exactly, only that he knew that name from somewhere.

Danny was entirely giddy as the woman told the story, mouth in a big old grin. It wasn't that he liked gore or actually thought about hurting animals, but he did love a good old scare and by the end of her story he was squeamish, wriggling about against Elena and hiding his face in her hair at the thought of it. "Damn, maybe you're the ghost, love," he said to her as he pulled his face back. "Scary librarian ghost from Ghostbusters or something," Danny complimented, wondering if Elena had become frightened and looking down at her.

Lilo shivered beside her, pinching his face and pulling it as she went on to finish the story. "Ayyy, that is so creepy and gross. Some weirdo not just hiding under a bed to lick people but hurting an innocent animal. Ay, that's the worst." Lilo shook his head, in disapproval of this imaginary creep. "That reminds me of stories of the Jersey Devil, a creature lives up in the New Jersey pine barrens that has a real grudge against dogs."

Elena had listened with rapt attention to Cassie's story, the suspense building up slowly with each lick from the dog, and she actually gasped in surprise when Cassie said the dog was hanging dead in the shower, and she made a face at her last words. It wasn't exactly scary as it was severely unsettling. She was new to urban stories as well, so she had clung her hands onto Danny's arm which was wrapped around her still, and now she was even more glad for it. "That's so ... ick," was all she could say about it.

When he smirked she just continued on smiling, unsure she would be able to stop. She would have been fine if he'd come in his clothes and she knew that but it did feed her ego a little to think he had done it for her. "We were talking about how I have a surprise for Iann upstairs," Bellamy told him as she moved to his side, arms wrapping around his middle as they had previously been around Iann's. "And then he asked where you were, so you really did not interrupt much except me saying how you did not need to wear a costume. Where did you even get that?" she asked him. "Unlike Iann who definitely had a cowboy hat in his closet I don't think you had a lab coat."

“Me the ghost?” Cassie laughed, getting the other man’s reference clearly, “Just maybe.” She upturned her palms, trying to be spooky about it but it mostly came off as playful. “Yeah, it’s totally ick.” Cassie agreed with Elena, “I didn’t forgive the boy who told it to me for months.” She rubbed her bare arm and looked over at Lilo when he mentioned another sort of urban legend. “What is the Jersey Devil exactly?” Cassie asked, “I don’t know that one well.”

Iann hadn't really noticed whether or not Miles was wearing a costume, instead curiously trying to read the menu with the listed drinks. "Ohhh...ah. What's in a vampire's kiss?" Iann asked. He'd let his reading glasses at home and the menu was beautifully designed but difficult for his eyes to focus on in the lighting. "This is Tuah's cowboy hat, not mine. He looks a lot better in it than I do." Iann noticed belatedly that Miles was wearing a lab coat, and he grinned. "Doctor Cook."

Danny laughed a little at Elena's response, so innocent in some ways and so very not in others. "What's the Jersey Devil?" Danny asked though, obviously not having heard of it from anyone before and not on television since he was not a big TV watcher. "Ah, glad it's not just me being Aussie that has left me out. Share, mate."

"Me," she answered with a little smirk. "But actually it's Fanta and grenadine," Bellamy followed up with to answer Iann's question properly, hoping Iann would assume the title was more for Miles than the actual ingredients since clearly there was no alcohol. "Why does Tuah have a cowboy hat? Does he actually wear it?"

"Ay well," Lilo threw his head back, to add a little swagger to his telling. "The Jersey Devil is said to have a head of a horse with bat wings and hooves. It's different depending on who's telling it. Whether it was a Mrs. Leeds or a Missus from Leeds that had a 13th son that was a monster, or she was a witch and as soon as the baby breastfed he turned into a demon and flew away."

Miles wrapped an arm around Bella when she stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his middle; his arm draped over her slim shoulders. "Probably shouldn't have too much or might get sugar high." His drink came out pretty quick due to it being a rather simple mixture and he sipped at it before responding, "Borrowed it from a friend. This is his old one so he won't miss it."

Elena was instantly confused as Lilo spoke about The Jersey Devil. It seemed confusing in what or who it actually was. "But what does it do?"

Danny nodded in agreement with Elena. Obviously it was some sort of monstrous looking thing but what was the myth surrounding it, did it eat kids or what? This time clinging to her in case it became even more scary than his wife's tale.

"Huh? Ay well-" Lilo turned around and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well it flies around and causes havoc I guess. Attacks people and occasionally eats a somebodies poor dog. If it is the offspring of some poor witches spell or fae deal go wrong then I feel pretty bad for it out there in the cold."

Bella felt rather content against his side, knowing that it likely wasn't exactly the position that worked for Miles in that there were a lot of women from Soapberry at the party, however she had been clinging to Iann in much the same way and perhaps they'd think little of it. "Well, that's why I also did the full moon magic, it's mostly dairy," she told him with a little smile before nodding that he had borrorowed his costume from a friend. "Ah, so you can take it home?" Bella said with a glint in her eye.

Good god that cocktail sounded sweet as hell, and Iann stared at Miles as the man drank the sugary foolishness with what seemed like pleasure. Vampire's kiss, alright, Iann thought with a smirk, as Miles and Bellamy snuggled closer together. Mmhm. Unless Miles was one of those guys who had one helluva sweet tooth. "Tuah's lived 350 years, he's picked shit up in his travels, I guess. I'll bet you this is like...some really old hat..." Iann removed it from his head and looked at the inside. Impeccably clean, like all of Tuah's things. "From like the turn of the century or something. The 20th century, not like...Y2K."

Elena was immediately disappointed that Lilo's story wasn't more scary or disturbing. Instead, it almost made her empathize with the strange devil thing, and that didn't seem to be the point of scary stories. "Oh," was her simple response to his resulting story about The Jersey Devil. "I suppose that's sorta scary."

Lilo laughed apologetically. "Well I said I mostly know kid appropriate scary stories. Sorry I ain't got more grim tales to share."

"I'm definitely placing my faith in your wife's story telling abilities, if it's only eating dogs then I bet my wallaby could fight it off," Danny said, it didn't really matter that Cassie's story had only included a dog death as well because her's had the notion that someone could easily give you false comfort. "I think the chocolate becoming veggies is scarier to me."

"Hm? Oh yeah, probably," he responded to Bellamy, not minding at all that she was hugging him so close. She'd always been affectionate, even more they decided to start dating, so it just seemed natural for her and he'd gotten so used to it by now that he didn't think too much about it. "Seriously?" Miles seemed impressed at the mention that the hat could potentially be from some old ancient traveling, and then laughed lightly when Iann suggested the 20th century. "Is there some kind of tag inside it? Like a name or a year?"

"Why would chocolate becoming veggies be scary? Veggies are nice," Elena stated lightly. "Unless it's evil veggies that eat people?"

Bella laughed a little as Miles seemed pretty invested in the hat. He watched lots of old black and white movies so she expected that he sort of liked Iann's dress even if he was being an eighties character. "Might have some kind of leathered stamp on it if it was done by someone who had a craft in that kind of thing," she pointed out.

"It could be evil veggies that eat people." Lilo offered congenially. "Say what's that movie? The one that is supposedly scary where people are turned into vegetables and eaten?"

Cassie was going to ask Lilo to elaborate too, but everyone else already had. She looked over at him somewhat sympathetically when it was clear the others weren’t as impressed with the tale or at least, it was more morbid than scary. She pat his arm, but couldn’t help but snicker at Danny’s comment, “Chocolate or candy turning into veggies is nightmare fuel.” She arched a brow at Elena who questioned it but then rolled with the mermaids own thoughts. “Yeah, maybe it’s brocoli who comes to life, and wants to take over the world.” She expanded with a bit of a twinkle in her eye, “And the only way to destroy them is to eat them.”

"Veggie Tales?" Danny questioned, referring to the Christian show about vegetables. Otherwise he had no idea about a movie where veggies ate people. "See, she knows, veggies just aren't nice, you and Steve can go and eat them all," Danny insisted to Elena as he agreed with Cassie. "Well if veggies do take over we can just send Elena their way, she'll eat them or drown them, one or the other," he teased, hoping she wouldn't take offense to his joke.

"Erm...." Iann flipped the hat and ran his hand along the inside, turning it slightly towards him. "Let's see, I think - guhk ack--!" Iann made a strangled noise as his body jerked, hand stuck inside the hat. His arm jolted, as if something was inside the hat and pulling or biting at his arm. He looked at Bellamy and then Miles, terrified for a couple seconds before Iann broke out into grin and pulled his hand out of the hat. "It's just a hat, I don't think it's anything special...just old, hm? Like Tuah himself," Iann added jovially riffing on his poor innocent absent boyfriend.

Elena nodded her head emphatically, dark curls bouncing a little as she did, "Oh! I think I know! I've been watching a lot of movies lately. The library was a lot of them to borrow for free! Isn't it Troll 2? They drink some weird green potion and turn into a squishy pile of vegetable mush. Don't worry though, I will save us all from the evil veggies."

Bella did not get scared by his act but she did frown a little before laughing when he gave into his own grin. It was a lame sort of joke, and as she laughed, she realised she laughed at a lot of lame jokes. Both Iann's and Miles'. "You're terribly funny," she assured him, letting go of Miles to take the hat from him and place it once more atop his head. "Tuah is terribly old, just like you, in an entirely different way," she commented, referencing his early note that when she had become lazy her insults always became about his age.

"Ahaha, no I don't think it's the Veggie tales that eat people." He was a little deflated after his storytelling prowess seemed to be lacking. Cassie's was gripping, edge of your seat stuff, but that's want he expected anyway. Cassie was just good like that in anything she did. "Ay yes!" Lilo jumped excitedly, grinning at Elena and snapping his fingers. "It's that troll movie! Where the kid screams! I was thinking about that or the attack of the killer potatoes."

Cassie hadn’t known what the evil veggie move was, so when Elena offered a title Cassie pulled her head back and laughed, “Troll 2, what? Then why is it called after Trolls? It should be called like-“ She nodded over at Lilo when he mentioned something about killer potatoes. “Something with a vegetable in the title.”

Danny looked to his side, wondering if Lina had continued to linger around them even as they told their silly little ghost stories. Eventually he turned back and looked at Elena though, amazed she didn't know Rugrats but could get some obscure movie about veggies. "I have no idea what you lot are on about but how on Earth have you seen it, Elena?"

"I told you, I've been renting movies from the library. I'm going through section by section, starting with old movies without sound, and then movies that are all black and white with sound, and then now I'm in old comedies. I'm trying to get current on all the movies and things so I understand references better, but a lot of the movies from the library are kind of obscure and not a lot of people know them. I'm surprised you've seen it, Lilo."

"Maybe I'm funnily terrible," Iann chuckled as Bellamy put the hat back on his head. "Look you two, I'm gonna go check in on the hotel, hm? " Erzebet's wasn't too far from Stonefruit, so Iann was determined to check on his new baby whenever he had a moment. "I'll be back soon. Miles, try not to get a sugar rush and go all Coyote Ugly on the bar counter."

Miles had just stared at Iann as he pretended to be attacked by something within his hat, making an amused sound when Iann stopped his charade. "No promises," he grinned to Iann who was saying his goodbyes now.

"See you in a bit, don't forget my surprise," she said just as he left before looking up at Miles. "Feel free to go Coyote Ugly, I think you could get a lot of phone numbers," Bellamy teased with a tight lipped smile and a smirking eye. "Should we join other people or do you think I could convince you to dance?"

Cassie was a little happy to hear Elena had found the movie through the library. So many people forgot about it nowadays whenever someone brought it up in casual conversation it thrilled her a little. “The library catalog can be pretty extensive.” She nodded, “Have to have all the bases covered in case someone assigns it in a class you know? I’m honestly surprised I’ve never seen it.” She placed a hand on her chest.

"With the two of you at the library perhaps I should be spending more time there," Danny said, looking between Cassie and Elena. They were gorgeous and while he wasn't about to hit on Cassie he wasn't going to deny she was pretty and that Lilo was a fortunate man. "I worry Steve would try and redecorate though, he does that when he gets bored."

Miles pretended to think about it, pressing his lips together and twisting his face up a bit as he considered his options. Talk to other people or dance with a beautiful vampire? "We can dance," he eventually said, reaching for her hand to lead her onto the dance floor.

Elena shrugged her shoulders, the fringes of her dress jostling as she moved, "What's so bad with a little redecorating?"

Bella was not a good dancer. She had danced with the demon, once or twice, and he had told her she would get better and she had but mostly Bellamy was very much Lana Del Rey on SNL, just an awkward little swayer. Still she presumed with enough people no one would notice and smiled, letting him take her hand back and walk her back to the dance floor. "You missed me singing," she told him as they reached it. "Though I'm nowhere near as good as the girl you and David might have heard so perhaps that's a good thing." As she recalled the fact she had missed that her fingers rubbed his own gently.

"His idea of redecorating includes moving things around, colour coded books might look pretty but certainly makes them hard to find, right?" he said to Cassie, finally extending a hand to her. "I'm Danny, by the way, Steve is my wallaby."

Miles was a good dancer, but he usually kept that fact pretty secret, and so when he started to dance he simply matched Bella's movements, which made it easier to talk to her as well. "Maybe you could sing again for me?" He suggested, though he wouldn't mind if she chose not to.

October the 27th was the one day every year that Dani had the absolute freedom to do whatever they wanted. That tradition had started off the same each and every time - with a truly nocturnal schedule. Granted, they'd had to get up during the sunset rather than after to make Bella's Halloween bash, but the extra few hours were undoubtedly worth it. While their father's massive annual party was great, it was still a lot, and Dani was glad to have a year where they could enjoy themself more subtly, spending time with friends at a fantastic venue in the midst of the atmosphere and decor that resonated with their very soul. They felt so in their element that it was nearly impossible to keep the grin off of their face. Sam had stepped away for a bit to chat with some of his own friends, leaving Dani quite content with a themed blackbeard drink in their hand, bright eyes skimming the room for any nearby familiar face.

Steve appeared before the woman with long black hair he did not know was named Dani, and held out the stuffed kangaroo in his kangaroo costume. Yes, the wallaby found it funny that he was dressed as a kangaroo since that was what most people assumed he was. He wanted a drink and no one was willing to get him one, so he hoped, extending his little kangaroo would be a cute enough act this woman would get him some.

The mere mention of redecorating did not seem like nothing to Cassie, and surely the crease in her expression showed this, so the elaboration was a little better to hear. Besides, she was going to assume Steve was a child so wallaby was very different from what she was expecting. “Oh yeah, um,” She chuckled and then tilted her head, “That sort of rearrangement would be disastrous for me.” Cassie offered her hand for a shake as Danny did. “Cassie. You already know i work at the library. A wallaby-“ She grinned, “That’s cute.”

Bella slowly moved her hands so they were around his neck, smiling at him as she did. It felt good to be home. It certainly didn't make any of the acts committed against her less horrifying and it definitely didn't take away any of her worries in regards to it but being surrounded by everyone felt nice, especially Miles. "I could," she said looking down a bit knowing she might have been embarrassed before but certainly not now. "We can finally do a lot of stuff."

"He's my familiar, I didn't smuggle a wallaby into the country, I promise," he said with a little laugh as she seemed to smile. "He's around here somewhere, probably off trying to make friends with people I don't know so he can brag he knows more than me," Danny noted, looking around for the animal, seeing he was speaking with a dark hair woman in a revealing dress. "See, he's already chatting someone up, offering her his toy like he doesn't know it's the cutest thing in the world.

Elena had spent a lot of time at the library, looking things up, reading books and all sorts of things, but she had no clue about their organization system. It simply hadn't dawned on her that redecorating would mess things up until it was explained, and then it made complete sense. How else would they be able to find what they needed? "Steve is adorable," Elena added with certainty. "The cutest ever," and she looked over to Steve who was offering Dani his kangaroo toy. "Oh that's Dani!" She exclaimed with excitement, waving her hand in the air, "Dani!"

Miles had his hands placed on her waist, the fabric of her dress swishing against the floor as they moved. "What do you mean, finally do a lot of stuff?" He thought maybe she said it in regards to her being back from having been kidnapped, but it seemed like she meant something else by it.

Dani blinked down at the humorously dressed wallaby that grin of theirs flashing ever brighter. His extension of the stuffed replica in his pouch earned a quiet giggle that they contemplated taking with a slight tilt of their head. They couldn't rightfully accept such an offering without giving something in return. "Well, thank you. That's quite an impressive costume you've got there." Their eyes flicked to the toy once more. "And an equally charming stuffed friend, I see. But, I couldn't possibly take them off of you without a trade, yes?" As they inquired what the wallaby was after, they heard their name called across the room and straightened to see who it was. "Elena!" With a small wave in return, the gothically dressed figure strolled over and offered the merm a hug. "You look absolutely gorgeous, tonight. And who's this?" Naturally, they turned toward the other briefly after greeting their friend and briefly roommate.

Elena removed herself from Danny's arms to wrap herself up against Dani in a tight hug. "Well, you've met Steve already," she nodded her head toward the wallaby dressed as a kangaroo, "and this is his Danny. He's a Reptar but he deflated."

It was mostly what she had meant but the party had been the first thing they had done since her return, only a few days between it and when she'd shown up at his doorstep. Their date had been put on hold because of the incident in her apartment, then being kidnapped, then the fallout of that and the party. "Stuff like what we talked about in my apartment," Bella said, fingers at his hair. Their costumes did not match in the slightest, her red wig and crown with the elaborate dress and robe she had on was a far cry from what he had on but it didn't really matter to her, he'd put in more effort than he needed and she didn't have any regrets that he had been the first person she went to when she came back.

Steve followed Dani as she joined the group, holding his stuffed toy to his chest now that she had not taken it. Danny merely let Elena slip out of him, bringing his drink to hips lips that had been on the other side of her and taking a sip. "Nice to meet you, Dani," he said with a little laugh. "We're name twins," he noted as he held a hand out to her and once more the wallaby held out his toy. "He wants you to get him a drink, he thinks being cute'll do it. Works at the bar for him."

Miles couldn't see that her attire was all black and red, to his eyes, she looked all black and gray as she usually did, same with everyone and everything else. He didn't need his colorvision though to see that her costume was beautiful, even though he wasn't sure what she was supposed to be, the crown on her head made him think she might be some kind of queen or something regal in that way, which suited her quite nicely. "Yeah," he mused as she ran her fingers through his hair, "I guess you're right. We have some catching up to do."

Dani gladly returned Elena's hug and left a light kiss of greeting on her cheek. "Ah, yes," she smiled at the wallaby. "He's quite charming, from what I can tell. Though, I suppose we've barely known each other for a minute or two." Hearing that they shared a name with the man in the deflated Reptar suit brought a proper chuckle to her lips. "Name twins, indeed." They shook the hand that he extended, then turned their attention to Steve again. "Well, I don't see why not. We're all here to have fun, aren't we?" This time, they accepted the stuffed kangaroo with a smirk. "Especially given the nearing holiday."

Bella was happy as things were tonight, to act as they had many nights before. She wasn't sure now if she'd go home with him, or if she'd go back to hers or Iann's or merely collapse in her office but for now it was simple just being there. They would work everything else out when they were alone, when he'd taken his kids trick or treating since she knew likely would go with them which was fine by her. Leaning in she kissed his cheek and smiled. "Come on, you have to at least talk to some people," she insisted, hands pulling out of his hair and finding his hands as she pulled him back to where she had last left everyone. "Dani!" she let out, seeing the birthday girl but still holding Miles' hand.

Once his toy was accepted Steve clapped, keeping his paws out expectantly for something to drink. The tray that still had one or two on it from when Danny had previously summoned a bartender still there and one was definitely a non-alcoholic one. "Long as it's not filled with vodka," Danny told her, smiling as Elena seemed excited for her friends companionship.

Miles was dragged along by Bellamy through the crowd, reaching a small group of people, one of which he instantly recognized and instinctively felt himself tense up as he looked between Bella and Elena and for a quick flash worried if Bella knew and if she didn't, if she would mind that he had slept with a friend of hers. He decided to himself that he just wouldn't mention it, that it was in the past and it should remain there, not knowing that Elena had already told Bellamy about their brief past. "Hey," he greeted the rest of the people, knowing Danny but not knowing the other one who also seemed to be named Dani.

Elena smiled brightly when Bellamy returned and then saw the man she dragged with her, recognizing him and giving him a quick wink. She noticed that Bella and Miles were holding hands but didn't say anything about it, "Hey Miles! Do you know Danny and Dani?"

"Course I do," Danny said to Elena, giving her a nudge with his elbow. "Saved me from being eaten by a monster in the woods, true fucking ghost story right there. Not for him I wouldn't have been able to help your beautiful self," he said, looking a bit oddly at the fact he was holding the vampire's hand. He had assumed that Iann man was her boyfriend, perhaps she had a few. Not ultimately surprising since he'd heard about his friend Freddie's life.

Part of Bella wanted to pretend that she didn't know, scold Elena for winking but she worried the girl would not understand her joke and instead looked at Miles with a distinct amount of harm, mouth falling open and brows falling at their edges as Elena introduced him to people before laughing and nudging him with the same confidence in her playful joke as Iann had previously shown to Miles and herself. "Happy Birthday, Dani."

Dani pouted falsely at Danny's rule with the slightest dramatic sigh. "Depriving your companion from my favorite beverage. Such a shame." Nevertheless, they snatched the non-alcoholic drink from the tray and handed it over to Steve with a wink. "Go crazy, bud." Once again hearing their name exclaimed, they beamed at the sight of their friend and host. "Bella!" They quickly greeted the vampire with a hug and went straight into channeling their excitement. "Your outfit is brilliant, and I caught your song earlier-- equally as fabulous as this incredible party. And thank you," they added. "I think this may go down as my favorite one yet, but don't tell my father." Looking to the man holding Bella's hand, their briefly wondered if he was the man she alluded to for a quick second as they'd been walking the beach not long in the past. "Miles," they assumed his name from Elena, "pleasure to meet you."

"Oh! Really?" Elena looked very surprised at the idea that Miles had helped save Danny, who had helped save her from her own monster trouble. What a very strange circle of events. "Dani, it's your birthday? How exciting!" She clasped her hands together, "Did you get a cake?"

"Oh, I would not, he is ancient. I'd be asking for it," Bellamy smiled back, giving her an awkward one armed hug. It was fortunate that most of Bella's friends were either married or were not open to dating because her confessions of being interested in Miles' certainly would have made things much more awkward for him if he intended to date around. Dani was married so the confession, while probably not perfectly what he would like, wasn't going to hinder him. "Tell me you have a cake," Bella said at Elena's question. "If not Cassie and I will immediately have to start baking."

Miles nodded his head toward Dani, "Nice to meet you too," he responded in greeting, stuffing his free hand into the pocket of his jeans.

Dani chuckled at Elena's excitement, starting to become a tad bashful in light of all the specific attention. "It is, but I try not to think about the fact that I'm just one year closer to dying. It's hard not to be a little macabre when you deal with bones for a living." The question of a cake, however, raised their brows. "Oh, ah... not yet, no. I only woke up a few hours ago so I could have just enough time to get here for the opening. But it's not like I'd be disappointed if I didn't get one. It's just cake, right?" However, the paired enthusiasm of Elena and Bella's call for baking brought out a smile. "Of course, if you're really going to be adamant about it, I would never refuse." They decided not to respond besides a nod to the hand Miles stuck in his jeans, sensing a bit of awkwardness there that didn't need to be inflamed.

Steve took the drink readily and began to sip at it, moving most immediately away from the group while Danny remained. "He most certainly is, tore down this big ol' beast that had jumped down on me, heard me squealing with a voice as high as a choir boys," he insisted with a little smirk, watching as the man seemed to grow awkward. "Quality sort of bloke."

"I will make you a cake, or I'll find someone in the kitchen to make it for you. You guys chat," Bellamy said, noting Miles' awkwardness even as Danny seemed to be complimenting him. "Walk me so I don't fall down the stairs in all this?" she asked Miles, not trying to force him to come with her if he was not feeling as uncomfortable as she thought.

Miles wasn't really used to attention lately, especially since he was usually the one nobody noticed, so to be noticed and to have people acknowledge him and compliment him was strange. He wasn't really feeling awkward, or maybe he was and just didn't want to say so, but he was definitely out of his element. However, it would be good for him to stay and chat with people that weren't his coworkers or Bellamy, so when she asked if he'd walk her down to the kitchens he quietly refused, "I'd rather stay if you don't mind."

Elena piped up with a bit of a bounce that caused her wings and the fringes of her dress to bounce along with her, "I can help! Last time I tried to bake a cake was very unsuccessful though so I can't say I'll be much help!"

As he agreed Bellamy smiled, perhaps without her there he would feel better even, not so nervous about the fact that Elena was there. "I'll be back," she said simply, letting go of his hand and letting her fingers graze his back in place of a kiss that she knew would be annoying for him to explain even if she didn't think he would be upset with her for it. Obviously he was trying to fit in, her making that more difficult seemed silly. Stopping as Elena offered her assistance though she smiled, "perfect, we'll return with a cake," Bellamy insisted, holding out her hand now for Elena to take as she headed towards the back of the room, like the bathrooms were upstairs so too was the kitchen.

Danny watched them walk off and looked back at the birthday girl. "You got any plans after this?" he asked her, hoping that they were not second class company to her friends. It was always good to get to know someone new.

Elena took Bella's offered hand happily and followed the young vampire in her sweeping dress through the room toward the back where the stairs that led to the kitchens were located. "What sort of cake does Dani like? I've recently realized there's lots of different flavors of cakes."

Bella walked them back to the kitchen where many were moving about, cooking food that was to replace what was being eaten down belong. Fortunately the baking section was mostly empty as most baked good had been pre done. Still, it was hot in there and Bella hoped her being merfolk would not be irritated by it. "I'm not sure, perhaps we could do something Halloweeny, to match her outfit and stuff. We could make the cake part black and do white icing? So when she opens it it's like this burst of dark colour? Make it like licorice flavour? Or do you think she doesn't like that?"

Bella's final decision and Elena's volunteered help was nodded to with a smile. "Then I will wait here and chat until do." And so, they shifted their focus to the remaining pair of men. "I've not set anything too specific yet. My birthday is one of those nights I prefer to enjoy as the night goes on. You never know when you're going to get the urge to do something spontaneous. Though," Dani glanced at their husband where he stood laughing with his friends, clad in black attire that well matched their chosen theme, "I'm sure my husband has something in mind for later."

Miles stuffed both his hands into his jean pockets once Bellamy left, and he did feel a bit more at ease now that Elena was gone too. He was probably just thinking too much about it, but it had been such a shock initially seeing them together. "Oh hey, Reptar," he commented lightly, recognizing the green dinosaur that Danny had on, despite it being deflated. Miles glanced over to the man that Dani mentioned was their husband, "That's nice. Sometimes the best nights are brought on by spontaneous things."

Danny laughed a little at what they said, looking at the man beside him. No doubt their husband had plans for them later. It was not an appropriate thing to say though so he merely nodded his head. "Nice of you to stop by a friends still, even when you're intending on being spontaneous," he assured before grinning widely. "I knew someone would get this and appreciate it!" he let out. "You're McDreamy, right? And you're...," Danny continued, turning to face Dani. "...a goth?"

Elena didn't know much about cakes, but the image in her head of a black cake with white icing sounded like a great idea to her. "Licorice could be good I guess. It's kind of a strange flavor for a cake though, isn't it?" Truth be told she'd never heard of a licorice cake before, only knowing about the most common flavors like strawberry, vanilla, chocolate and red velvet.

Miles made a face, "McDreamy?"

"Maybe, strange is one of the best ways to be when it comes to cooking though, rarely do you make an impact doing the usual. What sort of flavour would you like if you were Dani?" Bella asked as she began to collect the basic ingredients that she would need to make the cake itself and then the icing, happy to let Elena do the motions and show her what needed doing once she had all of the ingredients.

Danny frowned when the guy didn't seem to get the reference. Surely he was the perfect age to have been exposed to such a show. "Doctor McDreamy, from Grey's Anatomy, my Mum loved that guy," Danny answered before turning to Dani. "Isn't that who you think of looking at this guy?"

Elena leaned against one of the counters as she thought about it, eventually saying, "Well, I don't know what I would want if I was Dani, but as Elena, I would want chocolate. Licorice is a good idea though. I like trying new things," she smiled and pulled a bowl toward her.

Miles made a sound of realization as Danny said the name of the show, "Oh. Yeah, I've heard of that show but I never actually saw it. There's a character in there called McDreamy?"

"Chocolate you can't really go wrong with though," she agreed, looking at the basic ingredients before she began to search for flavours. "We could probably mix them, make them like those licorice you can by that are covered in chocolate called bullets? Perfect compromise," she grinned at Elena as she began to measure out all of the ingredients. "Can you grab me that bowl?" Bella said, pointing while she measured something else. "And then when you have it you're going to pour all of these cups I'm measuring out inside," she continued.

Dani nodded to Miles' comment with a warm smile. "Mhm. Usually I'm the one making up adventures. We practically grew up together. But, he's quite the surpriser when he wants to be. Managed to keep the fact that he'd bought us a home in the woods secret until the night of our marriage. And as for friends, they blinked over at Danny, "I've found special nights like this are best when you have other people to enjoy it with." As the conversation drifted to Miles' costume, Dani shifted to scan over his form, tapping a sharp nail against their glass as the sipped at their drink. "I don't know... I never really got into Grey's Anatomy, but from what I've heard I suppose it could be accurate. As for myself, I am technically a goth, but in particular, we elected to do a couple's costume as Morticia and Gomez Addams, just with our own modern twists to the classics."

Elena passed over the bowl indicated to Bellamy and watched as she measured out the ingredients precisely. That was probably why her attempt at making a cake had failed before. She hadn't bothered to really follow the measurements and instead considered them to be suggestions instead of rules to be followed. She also may have cracked a few shells inside of it the batter as well so it was probably a good thing Bellamy was handling the ingredients. Elena could put them all into one big bowl easily enough though.

Miles pulled his hands out from his pockets and snapped his fingers when Dani said they were Morticia Addams, "Now that's a show that I know." He looked at her costume a bit more closely now and didn't really see the resemblance to the character he knew. He didn't say so though, keeping that thought to himself and instead simply saying, "Nice costume," since it did look like she had put a lot of thought into it.

Danny shook his head as neither knew what he was on about. "I don't think that's his real name," Danny stated of Miles' outfit. "But I also don't know his real name. If you're not him who are you?" he asked before moving over to Dani's and giving a gentle nod that she was doing a modern take on her costume just as Bellamy was. "Well you look nice, and so does he," Danny said, gesturing over his shoulder to her husband.

Miles responded to Danny, "I don't know, just a doctor. I guess I could be McDreamy since you suggest it. Honestly, this was a real last minute costume. I don't usually dress up."

"Then why'd you dress up?" Danny asked. "Conversation starter? I suppose there are lots of doctors on TV, you could have people guessing a while."

"Now, get two eggs from the fridge over there," Bellamy told her as she pulled the mixing machine away from the wall where they were, hoping that they would not end up covering in cake batter by the time they were done with it. "You want to break the eggs by hitting them on the side of the table lightly, so they have a little crack, and then you pull the crack open and put the ends into the bowl too," Bellamy assisted, unsure how much Elena did know and not wanting to merely say 'break the eggs' in case of disastrous results.

Miles hesitated a bit before responding, "Bellamy asked and I guess I just didn't want to disappoint her." Not that he really thought she'd be disappointed if he hadn't come dressed up, but he had wanted to make her happy, especially after everything she'd been through.

"She is a ferocious one, I don't think I'd be willing to disappoint her either," Danny commented with a slow nod. He Elena had said the man had slept with her that nothing between them was serious, that with the fact she'd been clinging to Iann before him. So he felt rather find following up with. "Almost thought her bite marks would never go away."

Elena did as instructed, grabbing two eggs and then going back to the table, where she lightly tapped one of them against the hard surface. At first there were no cracks and so she tapped a bit harder until a crack splintered the surface of the egg. She peeled the shell back slowly and the inside of the egg plopped into the bowl. Elena smiled triumphantly, "I did it! No shell!" Now she just had to do the same with the second egg, which proved to be a bit more difficult since her first attempt had been so successful. A small bit of shell had fallen into the egg mix. "Oops."

Miles's brow quirked up when Danny commented about bite marks in regard to Bellamy. "Oh yeah? She fed on you, huh?" He'd told her briefly that he wouldn't mind if she fed on him but with everything that had happened they hadn't gotten around to it.

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, you win some you lose some, ain't gonna kill nobody, least not in this town," she reasoned. This was why Bellamy was a better cook than she was baker. Little mishaps didn't bother her so much and bakers needed to be exact. Still, the cake would be fine with a tiny piece inside. "Okay so now we put the bowl here," she said, moving it and then lowering the mixer so it was amongst their mix. "So I'm going to turn this on and while it's going I need to to measure out some milk into that little cup there and then pour it in while it mixes."

Danny nodded his head. "Only twice, about half a year ago, guess even fae blood wasn't enough to keep her coming back but they're another blonde in here I've convinced I'm worth a bite or two," he grinned with a little laugh. Looking about the crowd, the two men left alone. It was nice, Danny needed some guy friends. "It's a ride but most supernaturals can be. Your kind too, not that I'm hitting on you, McDreamy."

"I can do that!" Elena went to grab the milk and then poured it into the cup that Bellamy had indicated. She filled the cup easily enough but carrying it over the mixing bowl was a bit difficult and some of it spilled onto the counter, but she made it to the mixing bowl and poured it slowly into the mix.

As the milk entered the bowl it began to fold and become a proper mix. "Now just the dye," she said putting that in herself, making what was brown darker by adding in the black dye. Mixing it for a moment she watched until it all seemed about one shade and then turned it off. "Okay so now we need the perfect pan," she said, finding a slender but tall one, deciding to make Dani something that looked a bit silly. "So I'm going to put some butter on the inside of this pan, and some flour, then you're going to pour it in, okay?" Bella told her, already beginning to put the butter throughout the tin.

Miles was about to ask if Bellamy was blonde tonight, it hadn't looked like her hair was blonde. When it was blonde her hair looked almost white and tonight it looked dark gray, he had assumed it was some shade of brown. Then he figured that maybe Danny meant that Bella was blonde in general, and so he didn't ask. "Oh no, definitely didn't think that, especially with the whole McDreamy bit," he teased lightly. "What's it feel like? Getting fed on?"

Elena nodded and waited for Bellamy to finish buttering and flouring the pan before she started to pour the finished mixture into it. "And then it goes into the oven? How long does it need to bake?"

Danny frowned a bit when the man asked what it was like to be fed on. He had merely assumed that with the tiny vampire holding his hand, dragging him over and asking him if he wanted to remain with her that he had. "It's different for everyone, and different from every vampire. You never want to get too close with one that's just going to kill you, too dangerous," he informed. His experience with Bella was when she had only just begun trying to stop killing and so she was somewhat aggressive with him but no more than he enjoyed, his preference had always been for strong women though. "If they're not actively trying to kill you it's...it's definitely different for everyone but for me it's like getting a bit heady, your body feels all warm and tingly but you can feel everything, splitters in the wood beneath you, or the fur of carpet, and skin to skin is like...a tiny electric charge. Perhaps it's all just blood loss making your mind loopy as shit though," Danny smirked.

"It will be a while, probably about forty-five minutes," she told her as she turned on one of the ovens and set a timer, the industrial oven almost immediately at the temperature it needed to be at. "So we can make the icing and chat," Bellamy said. "We'll make fondant." Once more she collected ingredients, half watching Elena with a smile. "I think us being around Miles made him nervous," she told her as she began to measure things out once more.

Miles had never really known a vampire close enough before, at least one that fed on humans, and the vampires he had known hadn't considered asking a friend for a taste. He found it interesting that Danny was putting so much emphasis on not letting a vampire drink from him that had any intent to kill. Seemed like such a simple idea but the rest of what he said was rather informative. He wondered what it would feel like if or when Bellamy did feed from him. Danny seemed to enjoy it enough to have another vampire feed from him now, at least that's what he inferred from his comment about blonde vampires. "Sounds like a trip," he responded lightly. "Why'd you do it in the first place?"

Elena groaned, "So long!" But she was glad that there was still things to be done, like make the fondant. She'd heard of fondant but never actually tried it so she was pretty excited about the idea of making it now. "You think so? I hadn't noticed. Isn't he always like that?"

Danny put emphasis on it because he knew how easy it was to get yourself thinking something was cute when it was just plain dangerous, too many vamps out there put on a nice show but didn't really mean any of it. "I suppose because I don't see why not? Besides, I had other thoughts on my mind and she just...went for it. It's easy to feel confident when a woman is sort of fearless when she's with you, you know? That's why supernaturals can be so fun, we all got fears but it's not letting them bog you down so you can let out everything else you got."

Bella placing the mixture of gelatin and cold water in a bowl Bellamy let it stand as it needed to until it thickened. "Awkward and short of words? I-I don't know. Not with me but I haven't really seen him around other people before. What was he liked when you met him? I mean, what made you want to go back to his place or yours?" she asked, not in jealousy but curious since they hadn't really gone through such a stage with one another.

Miles nodded slowly when Danny said he had other things on his mind at the time, and he figured he might know what those other things were. "Got it, yeah, makes sense."

"Any reason she hasn't...to you?" Danny asked, unsure if he had hit a nerve with the man. He was trying to do bloke talk but was starting to think perhaps bar talk and bro talk were not as alike as he recalled.

Elena adjusted the straps that were holding up her wings as she tried to remember. "He was quiet. I think I started talking to him first, or maybe he talked to me first? Actually yeah, he talked to me first, but only because I tripped trying to get onto a stool and he caught me. He told me," she deepened her voice to try and mimic his, "'You've had enough to drink.' And then he started making me drink water, and we started chatting. Well, I was talking and he was mostly just listening. You know what, I don't actually think he said anything about himself. Anyway, I just remember I liked talking to him and that he wasn't minding when I rambled on and on and then I asked if he wanted to go somewhere else and then he took me to get burgers cause he said that I should eat something." She looked at the strange squishy looking gelatin in the water curiously, "Then it got late and he said he'd walk me home and I told him I didn't technically have one, so we went back to his place. He was so nice and friendly, and come on, he's like really cute in an old landfolk way."

Miles wasn't sure how to answer that question because he wasn't really sure why Bellamy hadn't tried to feed from him before. They last time they'd spoken about was also the first time she'd really brought it up, and then there was just a lot of other things that happened and they hadn't brought it up again. Miles could only shrug, "That's probably a question for her. I wouldn't be opposed to it, and last we spoke, she didn't sound too into the idea of it. I had to tell her a few times that I would let her, but that was a while ago."

Bella once the mixture had thickened Bellamy set the bowl over a pot of water and let it boil, smiling as she listened to Elena's words. Certainly it was not as smooth as the night she had taken him to that werewolf and vampire groupie gentlemen's club but it sounded like him. Perhaps she could have been jealous, it had always been so easy for her to fly into this sort of rage that someone else might take something that she wanted, essentially causing them to abandon her. Maybe it was because she said he'd barely spoken, or because she trusted him not to abandon her completely, but it definitely didn't upset her. "He is very cute," she said back, as she watched the food cook, assuming that Elena would be a little more help once the stove part was done. "I'm glad he was friendly with you, and certainly glad he got you food and water, I don't want to imagine you passing out anywhere bad. I don't know why he'd feel embarrassed about any of that," she said, biting her bottom lip. He was old fashioned and she figured she'd do well to remember that before she reacted as she had before with Alina. Even if Miles was interested in dating around he was old fashioned and she didn't have to worry he'd flaunt what he was doing around town or make her feel badly for it. "Can you add those two containers to the mix?" Bella asked, pointing to the specific ones that needed adding while it separated.

Danny shrugged, obviously not able to explain it since he wasn't even sure the vampire remembered him. "Whatever the case it's nice you dressed up, I'm sure even Steve's thinking you're a handsome doctor and he's only attracted to other familiar wallabies which are not easy to come by," Danny joked, summoning another waitress and ordering a drink. "I don't think you told me what you do when you met either, I'm a bartender over at the brewery in Griselle," he said, sure he'd actually seen the guy there once or twice.

Elena waved a hand through the air dismissively, "Oh I've never passed out anywhere before." Sure she'd gotten drunk and clumsy and lost her footing plenty of times, but she'd never passed out or had a hangover yet. Probably because nice people usually intervened at the right time, but she liked to think it was because she was just awesome. "I don't think he's embarrassed," Elena stated plainly, "I just think he doesn't say anything unless it's something that needs to be said." She reached for the containers and poured them into the mix as instructed. "Is it fondant yet?"

Bella had obviously not meant embarrassed by Elena, and not by the story, but whether she had meant Elena was probably right. Even so, Miles was traditional, so if he did feel uncomfortable by them meeting it was more likely that and the fact he couldn't really explain himself without becoming ungentlemanly to Elena whose interaction with he obviously considered private. "Perhaps I make him talk more than he wants to then," Bellamy joked but she supposed even then he tended to speak with a bit more need than Bellamy could with her tireless ramblings. "Either way he is cute," she smiled before shaking her. "We have to wait until it's cold again, and then add some sugar and knead it like bread, so...," Bellamy said, turning off the stove before looking at her. "Between girls, since we have both slept with Miles, Danny and Ephram what are your rankings? Greatest to good because if any of them were bad we'd never say their names. Well unless they were comically bad."

Miles smirked at his suggestion that the wallaby would think he was attractive in his last minute doctor's costume. "Thanks, I guess." He glanced around quickly to see if he could spot the little wallaby and found him over by the edge of the crowd. With the waitress there, Miles ordered the other non alcoholic drink on the menu before answering Danny's question, "Currently I'm doing some janitorial work but I suspect I'll be working at the Sheriff's Department pretty soon."

"Definitely the bloke I'd want there, mate," Danny assured with a nod of his head. He could see the man with a badge, didn't matter that he wasn't big. None of the officers back home had been big fellas, they'd just been good. Looked out for people, that seemed like it was what the people who lived in this town needed. "Anyone that's going to tackle a creepy looking monster for a stranger wailing like a baby is definitely Sheriff Department material in my book. I'm mates with the Sheriff's husband, can put in a good word if you'd like. Nothing untrue."

Elena clearly hadn't realized baking a cake and making fondant would take so long, and even though she enjoyed Bellamy's company, her patience for the dessert was running thin. She just wanted it to be done now and see what it looked like all put together and then taste it and see if it would be delicious. Elena leaned against the counter, sticking her bum out a lot as she leaned her elbows against it and then rested her head on her hands. "They were all good," she responded, voice a little muffled from her hand. "But I guess I'm going to say that," she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and tapped her fingers against her shimmery cheek, "Ephram is top of the list... followed by... man I don't know. Danny was really sexy but Miles was just really sweet. Alright. Danny and then Miles. Yeah. What about you?"

Miles grinned a bit at Danny's comment, "Thanks but I don't think that's necessary. I got the job once through nepotism and I think it'll be better if I just get it through my own means this time."

"Danny is last," Bellamy told her as it cooled, the oven with the actual cake beeping. "Can you take that out?" she requested as she pulled the cooled item off and began to knead sugar into it. "He was sexy and attentive to be sure but I was mostly just hungry," Bellamy admitted. "And honestly, I didn't exactly have sex with Ephram, one time it was technically Ephram but it wasn't really him that I was...put in the mood by." It was hard to explain what was in Ephram without actually saying it. "So I suppose second for that one time. And Miles is...not so sweet to me," Bella said as she kneaded, smirking a little, knowing she was actually going to say anymore since he would not have liked it. "He is and he isn't, but it's hard not to put someone you like at the top of your list and I won't say I blame you for putting Ephram at yours, I've heard he can be very skilled." The icing was slowly developing and becoming more of what someone would see as fondant. "How about you put it on the cake," Bellamy told her.

"Nepotism? You got someone who works at the department?" Danny asked, knowing some people had lived in Soapberry their whole lives. Perhaps his father had retired or didn't know his son was applying. "Besides, I don't think it's nepotism if I'm just saying the truth? It's basically stuff you should have on your resume. Still, I won't say anything if you don't want me to."

Elena grabbed a towel to take the cake out of the oven with and set it out on the side. She was surprised to find that Miles was top of her list and Danny was at the bottom. "You like Miles huh? Like, like like him?" She waggled her brows at her with a playful smirk.

"Not at this station, but yeah. My dad was Chief of Police and he got me a job at a smaller station in another district." Couldn't work in the same district otherwise there'd be a huge deal about it. "That was a while ago though. You know what, I think I've seen you at that brewery you mentioned before. I used to go there all the time. You guys have that one beer on tap with the citrus after taste. Damn that one was good."

Bella made an expression as though she were blushing and yet no colour came to her cheeks. "Like like him," she mimicked as though they were in high school, a part of high school she had missed and obviously Elena had to. "I do though, he wore a costume for me, he insisted to every text I sent him he would not," she smiled before pushing the cutting board with the icing on it in her direction. "But he did, so he could be at the bottom of everyone's list and still be at the top of mine. I'm assuming you do not feel said way about Danny or Ephram," Bellamy said, not knowing Elena completely she didn't like to assume but in this instance she felt at ease knowing she was merely playful.

Danny nodded his head as he listened to the man say his father had been and that made sense. He'd keep his word to himself around Freddie and surely Ephram would see his worth. "Oh yeah, one of the breweries own, very popular in the summer time," he commented with a little nod. "Sucks they don't really do good beers here but one of them seems to have a stout in it so I'm doing okay."

Elena had never felt love for herself but she could recognize it and it's stages easily enough in other people. She'd seen it so much in movies and tv shows, read about it in books, seen it in the way people looked at each other, or in the way they looked when they thought about the other person. Part of her wondered if someone could ever love her, and part of her wondered if she'd even want that at all. Clearly it seemed like Bellamy wanted someone to care for her and to care for someone else, and it seemed like she'd found that in Miles, so it brought a smile to the young mer's face. "That's cute. He's really sweet." She pulled the fondant toward her and rubbed her hands over it, it felt firm but when she squished it it left imprints of her fingers in it. "They're both really nice to me, and I like all the attention that Danny gives me," she admitted with a cheeky grin as she tried to pick up the fondant and it kind of stretched a little bit. "But no, I don't feel that way about either of them, and I don't think they'd ever feel that way about me either, so it's good."

"You're sweet," Bellamy retorted, giving Elena a slight nudge with her arm because she was becoming a little blushy and was sort of grateful she could do it around someone as kind as Elena, someone who wasn't going to clam up or give too much of themselves into a conversation she'd wanted for a moment to be about her. She was happy for the switch to Elena when it came but people that rushed to speak on themselves could be quite grating. "With Ephram it's a bit different, seeing that he's married, but I don't think he'd ever be unkind of unwilling to be comforting it the need came," she assured. Ephram was a nice guy and he didn't seem like he'd turn Elena away if she needed a shoulder to cry on for a moment. "And I could see, he's a very blissful sort of guy and you might be right but there's no shame in attention so long as you're happy for it. You seem very good at getting it when you're on stage," she noted as her fingers reached out to help get the fondant completely over the tall black cake.

"You know what's really good? I don't think there's a place around here that has it on tap, but have you tried a black chocolate stout? I first had it in Brooklyn at their brewery. So good. You should look into getting some shipped to your location," Miles was about to say that he'd love to go in and try it again but then remembered he was meant to be sober and paused, clearing his throat. "I think there's some fancy grocery stores around here that might have it in stock, bottled though, so not as good but still good."

"Oh yeah, shit like that is so seasonal, we've got so many taps and it's just constantly changing, I get email a list every morning, it goes fast when we have it," he said of the chocolate stouts the place had. The good flavours always went quick, especially to those that came in liking beer. Unlike Bella, who would have known better, most people in the town didn't really know about Miles so Danny merely spoke with the casual ease he did his customers. "Bottled is never as good but I'll have to take a look around, text me if you recall the name, will be a bit easier to find the exact brewery."

"I keep forgetting that he's married," Elena admitted, "Why'd he get married if he's just going to keep sleeping with people he isn't married to? I always thought that being married meant you were only with that person or persons, I guess, in his case." Her understanding of marriage was very simple, and she couldn't understand why someone would do it in the first place. She'd always thought it to be very restrictive, but it was like Ephram's version of marriage then maybe it wasn't all that bad. "That's just because not many people hear a mermaid sing," she responded, easing the fondant over the cake and only ripping it a little bit at the base, but she found that if she pressed her fingers over the rip that it meshed the broken pieces back together.

Miles remembered the name of the brewery, it had been pretty easy to remember. "Oh, it's called the Brooklyn Brewery. They claim their chocolate stout is a legendary Russian recipe. I don't know how accurate their history on it is, but it definitely tasted amazing."

"Generally it does. Though people tend to cheat so maybe not so much. I have not asked, I sort of figured it was more like a kooky thing, like 'oh we're married' but it's like for fun? I don't know. Maybe because they're like emotionally married?" Bellamy had never asked and didn't really actually assume anything, she felt it best if she kept out of it since she didn't like Ruby and while she respected Freddie and thought he was a good person as a whole they didn't exactly get along. Making assumptions about all of that just seemed like it would go terribly for her. "Maybe not, or maybe you're good, did you guys ever like think anyone was worse or better in your pod?" Bella asked as she finished applying the fondant. It was then that Bella took a knife and cut around it so the bits at the bottom seemed a little cleaner.

"Russian beer, definitely something I'll have to give a go, and I'll have to sing out to you if we get anything good in the bar, shout you for being my life saver," Danny offered with a big grin on his face. He'd definitely head to the market in search of the man's suggestion, thinking it was pretty kind of him to make the offer at all.

Elena seemed to come to the understanding that Ephram's marriage was a unique one and she probably wouldn't understand it even if Ephram had explained it to her. It seemed very much like the sort of thing that only those closely involved would understand. Elena was not closely involved and she didn't really want to be. It was fun to run her hand over the fondant and she continued to brush her hand over the top of the cake as Bellamy trimmed the bottom edges. "Oh yes, but we'd always sing more with the worst singers so they'd become better. It's not like we're born able to sing. It's a talent that we learn at a young age. Everyone can learn to sing well if they've been taught since birth."

Miles nodded, not minding giving his suggestions where he had them, especially since he wouldn't be drinking it again any time soon but it was still a good beer and deserved to be known about. It felt a bit strange though, talking so much about the alcohol that he wasn't going to drink again, but also in a strange way it felt liberating to talk about. Like something he'd been avoiding for so long but was now just deciding he wasn't going to let it bother him anymore. "No problem," he said just as the waitress returned to them with their drinks. Miles took up his non alcoholic one and sipped it before picking up a blackberry and popping it into his mouth. "How long have you been this side of the ocean?"

Bella actually smirked at Elena's assertion that everyone could learn to sing well if they'd been taught since birth. Anaxis had been the one to let Bellamy know she could actually be good at things. The demon had insisted that with her vampiric abilities she could learn anything in the world and to please him she had taken up painting and singing, holding onto them for herself. It mostly seemed amusing to her that someone as sweet as Elena could say things that a demon might. "So even when you were a baby they were teaching you to sing?" she asked. Allowing Elena to play with the cake until she became bored.

Elena patted the top of the cake some more, inadvertently making it very smooth with all her patting and rubbing. "Yup. We're taught to sing first before we're taught so speak. It's easier to teach mermish when it's in song since a lot of it comes from our emotions and not necessarily the sounds we make."

Danny picked up his own, stark black and nodded. It was nice to speak of his craft with someone, ultimately not noticing his drink was a non-alcoholic one and even if he had there were lots of explanations for something like that. "Eleven years actually, moved here when I was nineteen, I suspect my accent hasn't faded because I keep it up and I'm a big ol' Mama's boy. Call her least three times a weak," he confessed with a little laugh. "Plus I torrent Aussie reality TV so I can talk to my Dad about what's happening on the Block," Danny explained, referencing an Aussie show about building and redecorating old houses as a competition. "How long you been in Soapberry?"

"That makes sense, I know a little sign language and a lot of that is expression," she told her. Mermish was so beautiful and it seemed impossible to learn from what Bellamy could tell. It was exceptionally complete and required vocal cords be used in a specific way, teaching someone to sing first seemed logical. "I'll have someone bring it done once we decide to sing to Dani," Bellamy told Elena of the cake.

"Eleven years, that's a long time to be away from home. Hey, don't have to be embarrassed about being a mama's boy. If I don't call my mom every week or so she damn near break's my heart with guilt." And if he didn't go up there to visit then she'd make an even bigger fuss. "Working on six years pretty soon." It was crazy to think so much time had passed already. It seemed like he'd only just arrived sometimes.

Danny laughed, happy to know someone else was equally as affected by their mum's sad voice as he was. "It is, I miss my family a lot but they visit, they're all coming for the holidays so that'll be good, five sisters and then my parents will be a tough squeeze but I'm excited," he grinned, happy to gush about them. "Wow, we're locals. It's odd how easy it is to miss someone though, over all that time, should have said hi to you sooner."

It was beautiful, Faye had to admit. She'd honestly never been inside the place before now. Not that she didn't know of it. Everyone in town /knew/ of Erzebet's. But Faye had never been inside. But Bellamy had outdone herself it seemed. Costumes and music and so many people. Good Lord. She'd lost Fane in the crowd as he went to speak with someone he knew, telling her he'd find her later. Not that that would be hard. She stuck out like a sore thumb in her red jumpsuit. Deadpool. Of the female persuasion. Though the twin swords on her back were glamoured to look real. Fane had the real thing at his estates, but Faye figured bringing actual weapons inside might be frowned upon. Not that she needed anything but her hands as a weapon. But either way. She was here to have fun.

Miles chuckled at Danny's emphatic response about his family and how they had never seemed to run into each other before until that time in the woods. It had been very fortuitous that they had run into each other at that time, otherwise, maybe Danny wouldn't be here tonight. "Five sisters, that's a lot of sisters to have," he sipped his drink and glanced to the side where he caught sight of twin swords. He nudged Danny and nodded toward them, "What d'you think. Real swords or fake swords?"

"Okay!" Elena chimed with a smile and stopped patting the cake. "Should we go back out then? See if Miles is a sponge or a puddle?" She waggled her brows a bit at Bella though she wasn't sure what she was inferring with those eyebrow waggles.

Danny felt the nudge and turned his gaze to the woman before sipping from his fine glass. "Definitely fake, you really think the gigantic security guards around here would be letting in real swords?" Danny asked, frowning as the hair out the back of the female deadpool's mask seemed to look a little familiar. Slowly he raised his hand in a wave, his deflated suit hanging off him and the head of his suit sat around his chest so he could drink.

"We should go back and see that," though Bella was totally unsure of what Elena meant about a sponge or a puddle. She did want to make sure he was feeling comfortable though and they did need to actually find Dani again so that the wait staff could bring her cake to her and not merely to the crowd of people.

Miles finished off his drink and even though he did have a sweet tooth, he just didn't feel like drinking anymore of these mixed mocktails. So while Danny passed a wave to the woman with the twin swords, Miles flagged down another waitress to order himself a tonic water with a lime wedge. "Good point," he commented about the swords and their authenticity. "Bella would probably flip if those were real swords."

Elena headed for the door and then to the stairs that would lead them back out to the main room for the party. It was just as crowded as ever and she glanced to the side just in time to see someone who had been singing get off the stage. "Oh!" She remembered that she did want to sing a few songs before the night was over, so she turned to Bella quickly, "I'm going to sing! I'll find you after?"

"Definitely find me later," Bellamy assured her, "and I'll be watching." With that she looked around, noticing that Miles and Danny were still together and seemed to be looking at a woman in a skin tight costume. Approaching the two men from behind she nudged Miles. "But they're not, I assume," Bella said.

Faye raised a hand as she saw Danny wave at her. He was with a man she didn't recognize, who looked like he hadn't even worn a costume. Well, to each his own. She started to make her way over, the mask she was wearing obstructing her vision a bit, but not to the point that it made her clumsy. She saw Bellamy as she drew closer and gave her a wave too.

"Hey there," he greeted Bellamy when she approached them, and moved to wrap an arm around her, "How'd the cake baking go? You lost your mermaid?" He noticed then that the woman Danny had waved at with the swords was coming over to them, "Guess we can ask her," he said to the group before she got there. "Hey," Miles nodded his head at her, "We were just wondering if those swords are real or fake?"

"She is singing, but we made a pretty nice cake I think," Bellamy said, pointing to the stage as she wrapped her other arm around him as he did her. With the wave at her she frowned somewhat, unsure of who would be beneath, mostly because she didn't know anyone who was super into comic books.

Elena made it to the stage and looked through the song book to try and find something that she recognized. They were mostly Halloween themed and she didn't really know any Halloween type songs, but after flipping to the back of the book she found a list of songs that she sometimes sang for when working here, so she opted for one of those. So with the instrumental music playing in the background, Elena sang her song.

Faye paused a few feet away. "I doubt Ms. Barnes would allow weapons in here. Either that or I just outsmarted her security for the sake of authenticity." There was humor in her voice, as she was completely kidding about the security bit. She pulled one out of it's sheath and handed it to the man she didn't know. "Fake as it can be. Just a glamour over a wooden toy."

Miles took the offered sword and ran his hand over the edge of it when she said it was just a wooden toy. "Still pretty cool though. Are you a fairy then?" He asked as he handed the sword back to her.

Hearing her voice Bellamy realised who it was, watching as she offered it too Miles and he held it. "She's a witch," Bellamy answered on Faye's behalf. "Who did you get to do this for you?"

Danny since he had not been offered the sword he looked around, noticing Elena was singing and giving her a smile she likely didn't see in the crowd before turning back to Faye. "And why was I not the one asked to glamour your stuff?"

"Pretty cool, yeah." Bellamy answered for her, so Faye simply nodded. "I am. And this is my own glamour. Not as good as fairy magic." She looked to Danny, holding out the sword to see what he thought of her version. "And I didn't ask 'cause it was a bit last minute. So I had to do with my own - much less precise - magic."

Honestly Danny frowned a little, faerie magic and witch magic tended not to mix and generally faeries considered their magic better ( likely as most witches considered theirs ). Still, rather than voice his distaste for her use of the word glamour that generally applied for his kind he took a sip of his drink. "You last minute had a deadpool costume? What kind of kinks has your vampire man got?" Danny asked before, stopping. "Apologies, this is Miles, Miles this is Faye, and it seems you know Bella."

Miles nodded a bit as he soon realized that Danny and Bella both knew this Faye woman already, enough to tell who it was without even seeing her face. "Nice to meet you," he greeted after being introduced.

Faye had always known the spells she did to change somethings appearance as a glamour. It didn't make it the same as fairy magic, or as good, but just like the magic used to cover her scars, anything that made something look like something else was a glamour to her. She meant no disrespect, it was simply a term she'd used her whole life. "I last minute when shopping for a costume, yeah. And a girl doesn't kiss an' tell, darlin'." She gave him a wink. Or she would have, if her face hadn't been covered. "Nice to meet you, Miles. And we've meet before," she said of Bellamy, giving a small nod. "This place looks amazing, by the way," she told the vampire.

To Bellamy they looked almost exactly like real swords so even if she said it was less precise it looked good and so long as she wasn't actually able to cut anyone by accident since the place was rather crowded then she didn't mind. "Well not all girls, some do," Bellamy responded, partially trying to make Miles sweat since she had been away with Elena. "But thanks, I tried to keep it simple so people could mostly just move around," she said as she squeezed Miles gently.

Miles caught that hint as Bella spoke and glanced down at her before looking over to see Elena singing on the stage. Had they been talking about him? He didn't think there was anything bad that could be said about him, but the thought naturally came into mind that maybe they'd been talking about him in the only way that they both knew: sexually. He shifted where he stood a bit, Bella's comment did make him a little nervous as she had clearly intended, but he tried to brush it off as the corners of his mouth pulled up into a quick smile.

Danny laughed gently at Faye's wink, Soapberry didn't seem the place where bagged costumes would sell out so it wasn't super surprising she'd been able to find one so easily. Of the people standing there it was really just himself and Faye that had clearly bought things from the store. Perhaps that Lilo fella and his wife Cassie had bought theirs too but most seemed to come from friend's wardrobes or wealth. "See, some girls share," Danny pointed out at Bella's comment. "Besides, I like to be shared about, good press is always welcome."

With his smile Bellamy merely smirked, she'd reveal to him later that all Elena had really said was that he'd helped her when she'd had a few too many and hadn't actually said anything specific, since sweet was not specific but for not it was sort of funny to her, especially since it was a sort of tense nature that was far more natural than her being missing had likely been. As Danny spoke, looking to Faye rather than her, she kissed Miles' chest she was leaning again, shirt fortunately dark enough she didn't seem to leave a stain.

Miles pulled Bella closer when she kissed his chest and pressed a kiss to the top of her head in response. The waitress returned with his tonic water and lime and as he took it he asked Faye, "Do you want to order a drink?"

"It's a little tight though," Faye sighed, tugging at the costume around waist. "But what're you gonna do?" Faye didn't see the exchange between Bellamy and Miles, instead rolling her eyes good-naturedly at Danny. "You have nothin' to worry about, darlin'. This man is a good time, folks," Faye said to anyone within earshot. "Does not disappoint, believe me."

"Louder, and enunciate," Danny teased, not actually meaning it as his smile came over him and he grabbed his drink as Miles had grabbed his own. Part of him did hope that what she had said was within earshot though, not intending to leave the party without heading home with someone. Faye was obviously no longer and option with her beau and with the way the tiny vampire girl kept clinging to Miles he didn't suspect he'd be riding that train again anytime soon. "Yeah, grab a drink, love. Party with us."

Faye turned to Miles as she spoke to her, after she'd given Danny a playful nudge. "Sure, sure... lemme just... get this thing off..." It took her a second, but finally she had the mask off. "Shit... that things stuffy." She tucked it into her 'toolbelt' and smoothed her hair back from her face a bit. "I'll have... a tequila. Straight."

"Exactly how I felt," Danny said, flicking his own reptar mask that sat against his chest. "This thing is fun to run around in but makes it impossible to actually drink," he began, on his fourth drink of hard liquor he was starting to feel a numbness in his fingers, beer usually his drink, but he was still mostly in control of his senses. "Damn, straight tequila, you doing shots of it or just sipping?" Danny asked her with wide eyes.

Elena had finished singing a few songs and there was a bit of applause from a small group of people near the stage that had actually been listening to her singing, but she had found that most people were into the party than the people doing the karaoke. So she pranced down from the stage and weaved her way through the crowd to find her friends. She bounced over to them and asked brightly, "Oooh shots? Are we doing shots?" She looked around and realized there was a new addition, "Hi!" She greeted happily.

"You should, make a game of it, we'll be the judges," Bellamy said, signaling the waitress to go and grab a tray of shots. It wasn't that she thought Miles would drink merely because everyone else was but she did not want her mouth to taste like tequila if she did decide to go home with him and she also didn't want to leave him the odd man out. Besides, a shot for her was an entire bottle of tequila, the game would not be fair.

"Yes, shot game, get Faye tipsy and willing to share," Danny said, giving her a nudge of affection, hoping that they would not be putting her out by turning her glass of tequila into a shots game. "Never have I ever because we're all super mature adults, or does someone have a better suggestion?"

Miles chuckled at the suggestion they play a drinking game. He would be down to play but instead of taking part in the shots, just sip his tonic water, but he also wouldn't mind just watching them all play it, certain that some interesting things would come up from it. "Sounds like a good time to me."

"Shots," Faye said to Danny, holding up four fingers to the bartender. But then Bellamy suggested a game, and after a moment of thinking if over, nodded. "Hi," she said to the young woman who bounced up beside them, giving her a smile. She was... enthusiastic. Faye cackled. "Oh, darlin'... I'm not sure you wanna know my 'never have I ever's'. And it's gonna take more than a few shots to get me tipsy."

"I've never played that game before," Elena admitted, leaning against Danny's side, some of the shimmer on her face getting on his shoulder. "How do you play it?"

Danny wrapped his arm around Elena. "Elena this is Faye, Faye this is Elena," he introduced just before the waiter returned with a tray full of shots that Danny let go of Elena to take, placing it once more on the table where he had placed the last set of drinks. "Well someone says 'never have I ever' and if you have done what they said you take a drink, so come on, Doctor McDreamy, give us one," he requested of Miles since it was implied they would not be doing the shots. "Plus if it's extra juicy you have to tell the story."

Faye realized that she was probably going to be really fucking drunk before this was over with.

Bella requested a regular drink for herself why the waiter was still there and smiled, also happy to drink along with the game if that was what he wanted. "I don't know if you'll be the most daring person here, Elena is very exciting," she said, this time not intending to make Miles sweat but just being honest.

Faye sent off a text to Fane, who was mingling somewhere in the restaurant. 'Alcohol is being consumed. It's not my fault.'

Elena picked up a shot glass of her own and waited to hear what the question would be.

“I heard something about shots.” Dani appeared behind the group with a sharp grin at the corner of their lips. “Mind if I butt in?”

"Dani!" Elena exclaimed excitedly when their friend appeared. "Yes! Join us!" She grabbed a shot glass and handed it to them.

"Dani!" Elena exclaimed excitedly when their friend appeared. "Yes! Join us!" She grabbed a shot glass and handed it to them. "We're going to play Never Have I Ever!"

"Definitely join in birthday girl, we'll see which one of us is the most depraved, Faye seems to think it will be her but...," Danny rolled of, picking up a shot of his own from the tray.

"Never have I ever... spent an entire day as a cat." Faye figured she'd start off with something a bit less raunchy, but no less true, and build up to things. She tossed back her shot, grimacing at the burn. "True story." She raised the glass at Dani. "More the merrier."

Elena frowned at what Faye said, "A cat? I've never been a cat. Oh. Does that mean I drink?"

Bella frowned a little, for her own reasoning that Faye had decided to start things off before turning to Elena and shaking her head. "You drink if you have done the thing, so Faye is probably the only one who has."

Dani took the shot glass from Elena settled themself next to her, brows raising. “Ooh, good game. And yes,” they turned their grin to Danny, “We’ll see about that.” The first statement was one they needn’t take a drink to. “A cat? That must have been interesting.”

Danny did not drink, he'd certainly never spent the day as a cat. He wasn't sure that he'd ever been anything that small. "Come on, you're meant to con other people into drinking, not yourself, play fair."

"It's been awhile okay," Faye told Danny, though she was grinning. "Last time I played this game I was in my twenties."

Danny "I'll give it a go, never have I ever got my period," he said with a grin, knowing he would be the only one not to do a shot there.

Dani snorted at their name twin and knocked back their shot. “Now that’s just unfair.” But a smirk remained regardless.

Elena did not take a shot and so frowned a little when the rest of them did.

Bella received her white concoction from a waitress before frowning at Elena, leaning into her ear and explaining what it was that Danny was talking about before taking a sip of her drink, assuming that Elena merely did not understand the title.

Faye took another drink. "All's fair I suppose."

Elena responded to Bella not in a whisper voice, "I know what he means. I've never had one before. No fair. I want to drink..."

"Well then, never have I ever slept with Danny," Bellamy said, knowing for sure that at least Elena would drink and she assumed Faye might too. She herself took a tiny sip.

Faye: "Goddammit..." Faye sighed, but it was all in good fun. She took a third shot.

Danny "I knew you remembered me!" Danny announced as Bella took a sip of her drink before doing a shot of his own. Hey, he'd slept with himself, he slept with himself all the time.

Elena smiled instantly at what Bellamy said and happily took her shot.

Dani could not and would not ever be able to drink to Bella’s turn, but had it been before their change of relationship with Sam, their response might have been different.

Elena "Okay! My turn! My turn!" She announced excitedly and waved her hand in the air to get the other's attention. "Never have I ever... played Never Have I Ever before this night!" She smiled triumphantly at what she thought was a very clever one.

Danny looked about them. "I think it's just you, darling," Danny said to Elena. "Most of us played this when we were in high school."

Elena frowned deeply at the lack of people drinking. "I don't think I understand this game," she grumbled, really thinking that everyone would drink at that one. So she drank her shot as prompted and then let out a huff.

Danny looked about them. "I think it's just you, darling," Danny said to Elena. "Most of us played this when we were in high school."

"I've got one..." Faye said.

"You do a drink if you have done the thing the person says that they never have," Bella said, letting go of Miles for a moment to give Elena a little hug.

"Never have I ever been to Erzebet's before tonight." Faye’s next shot stayed right where it was, as this was her first time here.

Danny had been there a few times, immediately taking his shot and looking at everyone else there to see if they drank theirs.

Elena looked over at Faye who didn't take a shot and then took a shot of her own. She worked at Erzebet's so of course she'd been there before.

Dani had taken a sip to both Elana and Faye’s statements. They most certainly had played this game before and as they took their next drink, they briefly saddened at the memory of coming here for the first time, when they had first met Iddy, who was now back out in the world.

Faye gave the girl a nod and a smile, satisfied at being the only one not to drink that time.

Bella clutched Elena a little tightly when Faye made her comment, drink staying where it was. Bellamy knew she should have taken a sip of her own but was sucking the inside of her mouth so she did not blurt out anything she'd regret later.

Fane had only visited Erzebet's occasionally, for the most part it was a choice not that it really mattered. But the place looked and did look immaculate, tonight he was mostly here because Dani was celebrating and he'd be damned if he missed their birthday regardless of where it was being celebrated. He'd been mingling with a couple of people and after getting Faye's text of warning figured it might be best to see what was going on. Explaining how he came to step beside the circle of people with a small grin "ooh game time hm?"

"Hey! It's the King of Pumpkin's!" Danny let out excitedly as someone seemed to join them, grabbing a shot for him and handing it over. "Join in, mate." He had only heard of Fane Savin from bartender talk but didn't actually know for sure what the man looked like with any real certainty.

Dani the drinks had been had, Dani leaned back on their heels and hummed in thought, picking their brain for what to say. “Never have I ever... ah- kissed a vampire.” And after taking a quick sip of their drink, leaned up on their toes to kiss their father’s cheek with a smile. “Evening, Dad. And love the costume.” They did have to give him compliments for that one. It was quite a presentation.

Faye took a shot, grinning over at Fane. Her smile softened as Dani leaned up to kiss his cheek.

"Evening Fane," Bellamy said, taking a sip of her drink. Faye's comment had likely only been made so that she did not have to drink and Bellamy tried to lighten the offense she had taken to it. "I'm glad you could come, plus you've made it perfectly on time. Elena and I baked a cake for Dani that should be out soon."

Elena did not recognize Fane when he approached right away, and instead looked curiously at the strange man with the skeletal features at least until Dani called him 'dad.' "Oh, Fane. It's you," she said with relief. She did not take a shot since she hadn't kissed a vampire before. At least not on the lips.

Danny took a sip of his drink. He'd kissed a lot of vampires, vampires were perfectly wonderful for kissing. "He's your Dad?" Danny asked of other Dani a little confused. "Did you have her when you were twelve?"

His grin broadened a little at the exclamation dark brows raising a little at being presented with a shot but Fane accepted with a small dip of his head "cheers mate." He cheersed before knocking it back and set the glass back down, "What are you drinking? Next one entirely on me" but was promptly distracted by greetings. "You too love, happy birthday by the way-- haven't seen you today" he murmured pressing a kiss to Dani's cheek. Fane gave a small wave to Bella and Elena "you've outdone yourself, this place looks incredible" he said to the hostess. But Danny's remark made him chuckle ever so slightly glancing at Dani in turn and looking back to him "not exactly no... It's a bit of a complicated tale."

"Tequila," Danny informed him of the shot. He didn't like complicated and so he quickly moved on, deciding it didn't matter so much anyway. Unsure of whose go it was now and deciding just to take his own. "Never have I ever, fought a gigantic version of a regular sized animal."

Fane nodded and signalled for a round to be brought over realising just what game was being played he grimaced knowing it likely wouldn't go well. Taking the whisky he'd ordered he glanced over at Faye and shook his head slightly after they both took a drink. "Let's just say don't go to the Bayou if you don't want to meet giant animals."

Dani turned their head at the murmur on their cheeks and answered it plainly. “I know. Didn’t wake up until sunset.” And when Danny expressed his confusion, they chuckled, covering for their father. “I’m adopted. And he’s like 400 years old.” Luckily they didn’t have to drink to the turn after.

Fane nodded at Dani's answer, pausing as he thought before speaking. "Never have I ever dined and dashed."

"Thanks, really it's all paying the right people who are exceptionally good at their jobs and just making sure it all got done on time. I hated closing the place to decorate though, it was like watching my baby die for a moment," Bella joked to Fane of what closing the place for the day of the party had meant to her. This really and truly was her own little baby, likely not as meaningful as an actual baby was to actual mothers but it was her grandest of accomplishments which was why it upset her so much to think they had been open so long and Faye was so casual about mentioning she had not been. Even if it was not meant to be cruel it felt like a kind of disappointment in her she couldn't take with as much ease as she should have. Like Dani though, she did not drink and pulled off Elena slowly to curl up against Miles once more, able to ease off her hurt with his warmth.

Danny took a drink at his own comment and then at Fane's as well. "Let's say I'm not welcome at a lot of chicken and chip joints back home," he said as he grabbed and did another shot. "It's like a right of passage."

Dani sipped once more at their drink, certainly guilty of this particular crime on more than one occasion.

"Details please," Bella requested of Dani's drink to her father's question. The air was slowly beginning to smell more and more like tequila to her and she was wondering who would start to fade off first. Probably Danny, since of them all he'd had the most drinks before this game had begun.

Fane had to laugh a little at Bella's joke his eyes creasing a little at the corners in mirth. "Well, I hope they got a big tip 'cause they've truly outdone themselves and it's certainly worth being closed if only to set it up. I also brought this for you, a thank you for the invite and hosting this get together" he said stepping over to hand a bag containing some chocolates and wine. "Dipped into the wine cellar, I hope you like it." Fane returned back to Danny after giving Bella the thank you present he'd brought along. "Well, so long as the food was worth it I'm not going to judge... I'm Fane by the way, not sure we've met yet" he offered his hand to Danny for a shake.

Dani blinked to Bella’s request, but nodded as they supplied said details, “Well, you don’t go running around the world for years at a time and not run dry on funds now and then. Let’s just say there is one fine dining restraunt in Firenze that suffered quite a financial dent from my at-the-time compatriots and I. We were all quite good at slipping away.”

Bella reached out, releasing one hand from Miles to take the bag and smiling at Fane. It was moments like this when she felt exceptionally small. "Thank you," she said, wrapping her fingers around the handle and pulling it to herself. "I'll take it upstairs so it doesn't get lost. Besides, then I can let the staff know exactly where Dani is and you can be around for her cake," she offered, smile growing a little more knowing that she and Elena had done something for Dani since it was certainly not Bella's intention to have a party on her friends birthday, she just hadn't known. With that she patted Elena on the shoulder and took Miles with her upstairs to her office and the kitchen.

"Danny, funnily enough," the man offered to Fane as he introduced himself. "You're Faye's beau," he noted, looking between the two of them. Their costumes were certainly as youthful as one another and Danny was content not to let bar talk affect his thoughts. From what Faye had said he was a good man. "Firenze? What is that?" Danny asked of his name counterpart.

Dani smiled at Bella as she headed off, still a tad bashful about her insistence on baking a cake, though they would never have said no seeing how adamant she was about it. “Florence, Italy. Just another name for it, technically.”

"Huh you don't say," though the remark earned a small nod as Fane glanced over in said woman's behalf smile growing a little softer before he returned his attention to Danny. He would have answered the question himself but Dani answered well enough, "I'm just going to pretend I don't hear anything about these potentially incriminating escapades."

"Surely she had to get her desire for such adventures from somewhere," Danny commented on Fane saying that he was going to pretend he had heard nothing before giving Dani a gentle nod. "Like how people in Germany don't call it that? It's like Deutschland or something?" he asked her. By now he was starting to actually get a little wobbly and leaned on Elena for support, arm draping over her shoulders as it had earlier in the evening.

Faye had learned never to mix light and dark liquor early on, so as she drank her shot of whiskey to Fane's comment, she let out a slow breath. A tiny hum had started at the base of her skull... after about... what was it? Her sixth or seventh shot? Christ she was getting old. But she didn't have to drink to his follow up 'never have I ever.' She'd never skipped out on a meal.

Dani smirked at their father as they picked up another shot, this one vodka (of course) to replace the finished one. “True,” they glanced at Danny and back to their father, “and it’s not as if you didn’t already know they’d happened. As for Firenze... I think so? Never really needed to research the fact.” Or maybe the liquor was already starting to go to their head. They could hold their own fairly well, but not for too long. The limits of mortality and all.

Danny watched both Faye and Dani but his own head was getting a bit much with all this drinking. "Perhaps we should head to the lounges?" Danny suggested. Fane wasn't drunk obviously but he suspected himself and Faye were not far off and besides, who didn't prefer sitting to standing. "How easy is it for you to get drunk?" he asked of Fane.

“The lounges sound good,” Dani told the man, gladly beginning to head that way to find them all a spot.

Elena figured sitting down might be a good idea since now the alcohol was beginning to affect her ability to stand straight and it seemed Danny was using her for support just as much as she was using him." Sitting sounds good."

Fane nodded to the mention of lounges figuring for his mortal compatriots it likely would be the best option rather than continuing to test their balance. His glass was held loosely between his fingers "not incredibly with normals stuff, though it really depends what I'm drinking. Fae blood does the trick nicely, but I've been to a few establishments with in house recipes designed to have the same effect." He nodded to Faye "like back in New Orleans, we were at Morgana's, Faye's friend had something of the sort behind the bar that did the trick nicely."

Danny walked with Elena beneath his arm, sinking them down onto the lounge as it approached and pulling her close. Her skin was suddenly so soft and he just wanted to touch her face, but he did not, instead he just blurrily stared at her for a moment before his attention went back to Fane. "Oooooh witchy drinks. I could go for a witchy drink. Faye! Faye! Faye!" Danny began to shout, his drunkenness hitting him suddenly. "Make my drink a witchy drink! Do the magic!" he requested with a big grin.

Elena sunk into the cushy seat and felt herself still leaning heavily against Danny. His deflated costume looked even more sad now they were sitting and she lightly patted the dino head which was really just his chest. "I want a witchy drink too!" She exclaimed, not wanting to be left out on potential fun witchy drinks.

“That makes three,” Dani grinned settled cozily next to the merm. “Might as well, seeing as it’s a party and all.”

"Looks like you've been hired to take over the bar," Fane remarked to Faye with a wry smile. "If people fancied we could play chandeliers? Though I'd say plastic would be better than glass for that particular game..."

"What's Chandeliers?" Danny asked as he waited for Faye to agree to turn the drink in his hand into something magical.

Faye raised an eyebrow at Dani. She reached over from her seat next to Fane and swirled her fingers over the tops of his drink. The liquid inside turned to something purple/black and full of smoke. "Hits about as hard as five shots, so be careful..." Faye told him, lounging back against Fane.

"It's sort of like beer pong, basically everyone contributes a bit of their drink into one central chug cup that sits in the middle of the table. Then everyone has a pint around it which they stand by. Whoever has the ball tries to bounce it into another cup and if it goes in you and that person race to finish your drinks, double tap the cup and complete a cup flip... Person who finishes all that is out and can relax whilst the loser has to refill and go back in the game." Fane explained hoping it made sense. "If it goes in the middle cup, everyone races and whoever is last has to do the dirty pint..."

"Do we have a ball?" Elena asked.

"Not sure we have any balls," Danny said of Fane's game and he didn't think it would go over well with security if drunken people were breaking glasses - as they likely would by throwing things in them. Still he stared at his own drink, the one that Faye had enhanced, as well as those of everyone else that she had assisted in enhancing the drinks of. "You going to drink yours?" he asked Elena and Dani.

Elena looked over to Danny when he asked if she was going to drink her drink. She already had brough it to her lips and giggled into it as she nodded her head to sip slowly.

With Elena's drink coming to her lips Danny figured 'why the fuck not?' She was the only person who had been drinking with him since he'd arrived, they may as well go drink for drink and see who was able to remain conscious the longest. Unlike Elena he did not sip his though, instead happily skulling the drink, empty glass in hand. "I am a champion!" he announced loudly, a few members of security looking in his drunken direction.

Elena raised her arm up into the air when Danny announced triumphantly that he finished his. She was still working on hers and spilled some of it down her front, the drink dribbling down her chin and dripping to her cream dress but she didn't care. She gasped loudly when she finished and raised her other arm up into the air. "We're the beeeeessst!" She whooped loudly.

Danny wriggled beside her, doing a drunken little dance where he sat. "How about you Dani?" he asked her, wondering if she too would down Faye's shift to her drink.

Bella returned, taking a seat next to Elena who was whooping rather loudly. "What are you the best at?" she asked, smelling alcohol all over her.

Elena stared at Bella as if she were speaking a foriegn language. "Best at?"

"You just said you were the best," Bellamy informed the girl, looking down and seeing that her white dress had some drink spilled on it. "The best at drinking, I am suspecting, and this man is your best drinking friend?" she prodded, having left Miles to explore the place a little more, possibly call his kids to say goodnight now that the party that had started in the light was hitting the night. It was good she had come back, leaving Elena like this, even with Danny, seemed dangerous. Perhaps she should sober them up...

Elena simply nodded her head at Bellamy's words, the sound of them still sounding strange to her and so she eventually started laughing. "oh yes!" she exclaimed, leaning against Danny and patting his chest, "he's the best and I'm the best and you're the best for this party best party."

"I'm the best!" Danny shouted when he felt Elena pat his chest, only hearing about half of Elena's words and not paying attention to any of Bella's.

"I am rather often the best," Bellamy said with a little laugh as Elena did. "Let's go dance, maybe we can work off some of that drink in you, or maybe I could give you some blood," Bella offered, unsure if Elena would be opposed, it would sober her up almost immediately but perhaps she was also enjoying being drunk and Bella was happy to dance with her until some of it worked itself away.

Elena cringed at the offer of blood, never having drank it before and even though it probably wasn't that bizzare, to her drunk mind it seemed like the weirdest offer. She shook her head strongly, her hair flopping around her as she did. Dancing seemed like a good option but when she tried to move to stand the world suddenly flipped to the side and she fell back onto the couch with a giggle. "I'm already dancing," she replied with a laugh.

Immediately Danny laughed alongside her. "Tell us, tell us how you dance in the water," Danny requested with a grin, resting his head on her shoulder.

Bella was not about to force her to drink her blood so Bellamy decided to rest there beside her until she knew for sure that there was someone to watch over her who was not also completely smashed.

"Like this," Elena raised her hands into the air and swirled them over her head in wavey movements.

"So just like Ariel," Bellamy said with a little laugh, watching Elena as she moved. "Very beautiful, you're very beautiful," Bella complimented, pushing some of Elena's hair from her face.

Elena beamed brightly as Bella pushed back some of her hair, her smile almost as bright as her highlighter, some of which had been rubbed off throughout the course of the night. "I know," was her response to Bella's compliment, saying it as she exhaled a long breath, as if being so beautiful was a chore sometimes.

Bella laughed a little as Elena exhaled, she was terribly cute and it was not surprising that she would respond that way. "How about your family? Are they as pretty?" Bellamy asked, hoping to keep her talking so she didn't pass out.

"Ooooh yes. Pretty pretty," Elena sighed again, and she did feel very tired and the couch was so very comfy. She leaned her head against Danny's head which was resting on her shoulder. "You're pretty too," she returned, pointing lazily at Bellamy, and then around her to other people, "Also you too."

"I am crazy pretty," Danny said, snuggling his head against her neck, totally ready to sleep there along side her. "I am the prettiest of everyone here with my pretty little face."

Bella laughed at the two of them. At least their idea of being almost pass out drunk was complimenting each other and themselves, it was a sweet sort of drunk. "Thank you," Bellamy said with a smile. "Who else is pretty?"

"You are!" Elena assured Danny, rubbing the side of his face lightly, "It's such a pretty face, not very little, your head is kind of big, but you have a pretty pretty head and your face is pretty also." She sighed again, getting tired after speaking so much. "Everyone is pretty," she responded with a huff, not remembering names of people who weren't directly in front of her.

Danny felt her her hands on his face, numb and warm it was this odd sort of pressure that he could feel against it. "My head is of perfect sizing," he responded, not nearly as tired as her but certainly feeling as lazy.

Perhaps she could let them sleep, it would not be so bad if they fell asleep there. She could watch out for them, make sure people let them be. Other than calling a taxi she wasn't really sure how else she could help. "Would you like to go home, Elena?" Bella asked, watching the two of them.

Miles had been on the phone with Beth, going over the trick or treating plan for the sixth time in three days, and he found Bella and a few other people were sitting in the lounge area. Elena and Danny looked like they'd been wrecked. "Hey," he said as he approached, nodding his head toward the others nearby. "What happened to those two?"

Danny looked lazily up at Miles and gave him a grin that turned out equally as lazy. "We had witchy alcohol!" Danny announced loudly with a grin on his face.

"But the party isn't over yet," Elena whined again, though she could feel herself slipping deeper into the couch -- figuratively. "We're the best with parties," she said plainly, lids fluttering shut.

Unlike Danny and Elena Bellamy was clearly fine and looked up at him. "They've hit the stage of drinking where there isn't really anywhere else to go but down," Bellamy said, not exactly thinking this would be a pleasant sight for him. "Would you like to sleep downstairs?" Bella asked Elena since no one was working down there and there was security feed she could watch to make sure they were okay.

Miles looked between Elena and Danny, who were clearly really drunk. Elena looked more so than Danny, she was pretty much passing out as they spoke. "She needs to drink and eat something before she passes out or she'll wake up with a major hangover, but sleep would probably be good for her." He stopped a waitress who was passing by and asked for a few glasses of water. "You want me to help you get her downstairs?"

Bella looked at the two of them, feeling a little badly Miles was doing this all over again for the girl. "If you want to take her then I'll take him," Bellamy said, knowing that she would be able to carry Danny far easier than Miles would and it realistically wouldn't be good to try and send him home alone not knowing if he'd be conscious when he got there. Leaning down she grabbed at Danny's arm, yanking him up.

Danny groaned at this, slumping forward in his costume as he was pulled. Steve would likely find him in his own time but unlike Danny he had not been drinking. "Burgers," he requested when it came to food, savoury food already on his mind.

Miles initially went to try and wake Elena up, but she was long gone so he scooped her up off the couch, careful about her wings on her back, and lifted her up into his arms. "Alright," he hoisted her up and nodded toward Bella, "Lead the way."

Bella put half of Danny over her shoulder. Sure, he was light for her vampiric strength but he was still large and she was still wearing a gigantic dress and wig. "Towards the back," she said, thankfully the lounges already close to the back. The single red door had a sign on it that said 'STAFF ONLY' and actually lead to the carpark out back. "God, he's like a brick wall," she complained as she opened the door and stepped out into the carpark, taking him over to another red door that had a security guard by it. "There are stairs," she informed him as the man opened the door for them, giving Bellamy a gentle nod.

Danny laughed as she called him a brick wall, he was walking a little and when a door opened and there were stairs before him he actively tried to keep up with them, walking down into a room that was entirely red with a black bar in the middle of the room. Booths surrounding it with curtains that closed them off pulled between each one. In each was a red lounge in the same colour as the carpet, some large and some small, definitely the larger ones could hold at least one body.

Miles followed Bella and descended the stairs that led to the basement room she'd mentioned. Elena was easy to carry but going down stairs carrying anyone was always a bit difficult. He moved over to one of the booths off on the side, pushing aside the curtain to lay Elena down on one of the lounges there. "There you go," he looped the strap of her wings out of her arms to take them off so she could lay back a bit easier without crushing them, setting the wings on the floor beside her.

Bella watched him, laying Danny down in the same booth on the floor so if one woke up then they would not be fearful of being alone as she had felt when she'd woken up in her clear glass cage. "I'm sorry you're doing this again," she told him as she grabbed a cushion and sat it beneath Danny's head. So long as they were on their sides and she watched they'd be okay. Which was why she took one of the iPads off the wall, drawing out of the menu and entering her administrator code to access the security cameras, bringing up one that was on them and showing him. "Should we wait until someone brings them down some food?"

Miles brushed off her apology, "It's fine." He really didn't mind it. He knew well enough the effects of drinking too much had on someone so he didn't mind taking care of someone else when they'd had too much. "It's probably fine," he assured Bellamy, "I mean, who's going to come down here?"

Bella nodded her head. "I might send someone from security to come and sit down here, in case anything happens once the waitress brings them down water and food," she said, not wanting Elena or Danny hurt because she had not sat down there with them. She'd had alcohol poisoning before and though this might not have been that it also could have been. "But we can go back up," she nodded her head, extending an arm out to him. "That's all Elena told me by the way, I mean, she did mention you slept together but the only thing she detailed to me was you helping her get some food and water into her," she told him.

Miles took her hand when she extended it out him, lacing their fingers together and starting to head back out of the booth to leave Elena and Danny to sober up. "Seems to be a running theme with her. She's a good kid," he responded, happy to know that they hadn't spoken too much about what had happened that night.

Bella wasn't going to pretend she wasn't interested in knowing but was fine not. Linking her fingers with his, keeping the iPad in the other, at least until someone came down there with them. "She is, she sings on the stage here usually, she's very good," Bella assured, beginning back up the stairs with him. "Did you have fun without me while we baked?"

"Yeah. Danny's pretty cool," Miles had a feeling that if he still drank that Danny would have made a great drinking buddy. A bartender friend would have been great to have, but even without the drinking Miles was sure they could become good friends. "What else did you girls talk about?"

Bella half wanted to tell Danny that they had ranked him, Danny and Ephram but decided against it, mostly because telling him Elena had placed him last was not something she felt she could do. "We talked about baking a lot, I showed Elena how to make fondant, I spoke a little about you. I don't really have many female friends, least not close ones so when I get the chance I sort of exploit it. Then I asked how she's been doing with the other men she's been spending time with, like Danny. Everyone's treating her well which is good." Stepping back into the party she continued to hold his hand. "Oh, and I found out she's moved into that bed and breakfast Iann owns. I don't think she said it when we were baking though."

Iann spent....well he wasn't sure how long he'd spent with the Día de Los Muertos ofrenda in Bellamy's office, but it had been a while. The office had been so quiet, just Iann with his thoughts. So when he emerged and returned to the party, he was greeted with the Halloweeny din of people and music and other sounds of life. He found Bellamy easy enough, and gave Miles a chiding look. "Did you sneak our illustrious party hostess away for some canoodling, Miles?"

Miles laughed a bit when Iann suddenly appeared and asked if he'd been keeping Bella away from the party, "Maybe just a little," he responded, knowing full well that he actually hadn't. "Actually, we just put Danny and Elena to bed. They had a bit too much to drink."

"I got them on security camera," Bellamy said, holding up the iPad to show Iann the two of them sleeping downstairs. "We'll canoodle later, we obviously wanted to borrow the cowboy hat of yours," she said, not intending to mention to Miles where Iann had been, a slight nod of acknowledgement between them.

Iann gave Bellamy a brief but steady look, his eyes dark and liquidy for a moment before he blinked and grinned at the iPad. "So wait - are these two together now or something? I should know just how much soundproofing I need to build between my suite and Elena's. And downstairs." Iann pondered - a merm and a fairy? Sure Danny was big but he wouldn't have werewolf or vampire strength. So no reinforcements would be necessary. "Give me all the gossip, I have a feeling you both know...things."

Miles could only shrug. He wasn't really close to either Danny or Elena so he wasn't too sure about their relationship status. It did seem like Danny and Elena were close, but from what he knew of Elena, she was pretty much an affectionate sort of person. "Bella might know more than me. You could always ask them when they wake up though."

His steady look said everything to Bella, he promised he would give her an honest response and he had. "They are not. Elena just likes that he's affectionate she said, and from what I'm gathering he likes that she let's him hit on other girls while giving her said affection, I'm pretty sure he's just a hoe," Bella said in her own affectionate sort of way. It didn't upset her that he was that way. "So you may still need to build some sort of soundproofing," she explained before laughing a little. "Do your regular rooms have soundproofing? Just for future reference."

"All the rooms are soundproofed, yup. But the attic was intended to just be for me, and I don't make much noise...not in my home, anyway." It wasn't like Iann had a TV or was inclined to listen to music. The only noise he'd ever make was in his basement workshop, and that place was soundproofed to the max. Iann motioned to Miles. "Hey by the way if you're looking for a full-time job, Stonefruit's always hiring reliable people and all that."

"Thanks for the offer but I'm about to start at the Sheriff's Department pretty soon," and hopefully that would be keeping him really busy.

Iann's eyesbrows crawled up high on his brow and he rudely blurted out, "As what?"

Bella nodded her head, taking note of that. Perhaps she could pick one Miles liked eventually, Boss did tend to get troublesome at her own place. Still she grinned as Miles said that he was about to start at the department soon, the smile faltering a little as Iann asked as what.

"As whatever they decide to take me on as." Miles really wasn't too sure at this point, but last he'd spoken to Ephram he had been impressed with his past experience and would probably let him go on as a deputy, but he'd be more than fine doing clerical work at the station.

"Is Elena going to be working there too? She told me she was moving in with you, and had not yet met Freddie," Bellamy noted.

Dani, like Danny and Elena, had had quite a lot to drink, and the magically enhanced beverage had certainly factored into the dizziness they now felt. Fortunately, Sam had found them and used a little magic of his own to lessen some of the effect. Enough that they could get around without stumbling, anyway. "Iann!" The small human cheered when they spotted their good friend, former roommate, occasional partner in crime and questionable supernatural business, and newly yet eternally titled wedding officiate. A bright grin was plastered on their face as they hurried over to join the crew. An arm was tossed around Iann's shoulders -- an impressive feat considering their height (but the heeled boots helped) -- as soon as they arrived. "I hope I haven't missed too much."

Iann licked the inside of his cheek as he stared at Miles for a long while before he grunted, "Hunh." That was that, when Iann was summarily distracted by the world's tiniest adult human. "Dani! Holy shit, I haven't seen you in....well since your wedding." Iann turned and grinned at Bellamy (and kind of at Miles), "I officiated when Dani and their hubby Sam here eloped-ish. Spontaneous wedding-type-thing." He looked back down at Dani, putting his arm around them. "You look apple-cheeked. Which drink did you favour?"

Bella did not get why Iann seemed so odd around Miles, at least to her. It wasn't like he was unkind but it also didn't seem like he really liked him, maybe it was because of Bella's past affections always leaving her so hurt, or maybe he just didn't really get along with people and she'd never really seen it before since usually they were up against some kind of evil and that became the most important thing. "I was at the spontaneous reception," Bellamy nodded at her. "And you only missed Elena and Danny passing out, which sucks because Elena won't get to see you have your cake."

Iann looked confused but curious, eyes skating from Bellamy to Dani and back to Bellamy. "What cake?"

Miles didn't mind too much that Iann didn't seem too interested at the fact he would start working at the Sheriff's department soon. He was a bit surprised by Dani literally throwing herself at Iann's shoulders though. "Bella and Elena made a cake for Dani. It's her birthday."

"Yeah, I know. I've been crazy busy." Dani chuckled up at Iann, then looked to Bella and Miles. "He did, and he was equally as spontaneous and brilliant." They poked the man lightly in his side before turning their attention upward again. "Ah... several?" Honestly they couldn't remember how much they'd had to drink at this point, let alone what all of it had been. "We should take a video then," they smiled to Bella. "That way she won't miss it entirely. And we should save them both a piece, of course."

Iann's eyes widened and he let go of Dani, but just to spread his arms out at them. "Holy shit! It's your birthday?? Well Happy Birthday! So what is this...sweet sixteen or something?"

Bella nodded her head. "Let's go sit down, and I can have the staff bring it down," she said, pointing over to the lounges they had previously been at. "I'm sure he was a very spontaneous officiant," she noted, it was certainly within his personality to be that.

"Psh, I was great, but Dani and Sam were even better. They spoke not one, but two made-up languages at each other, in their vows. It was unbelievable. Nerds-in-love, you gotta see it to believe it."

Miles couldn't say much about their wedding since he hadn't been there. So he just sat there listening when they made it to the lounge seating.

As one of the waitresses past she told her to have someone bring the cake down to them with some candles on it. Honestly she was not sure how old Dani was so however many candles went on there she figured would be fine. Also not having been at the ceremony she couldn't say much, and she hadn't stayed long at the reception since it was mostly Dani's rather large family or family friends, she hadn't been sure. "Well their matching costumes say it all," Bella said as she curled up against Miles on the lounge.

Dani laughed at Iann's exclamations. "Thanks. I didn't want to make a big deal out of it because Bella's party is obviously way cooler than me surviving another year of mortality. And no--" they half-snorted at the idea of a sweet sixteen, "more like a sexy twenty-seventh or something." Once they were all seated and comfortable, the chat of their wedding had their eyes rolling. "Hey! Yes, we're massive nerds and I'm not denying it. No one ever said having similar fan interests can't be hot."

Iann didn't really want to sit, he was too excited to see this birthday cake to settle down. Besides, his jeans were a little too tight, so he opted for the casual lean with his hands in his pockets. "Well it think we can all agree that Bellamy's completely outdone herself here, and shone like the true thoughtful little person she is. She tied in a whole lot of considerations for her party - not the least of which is Dani's sexy twenty-seventh." Iann caught a server passing by and took one of the drinks off their tray. "So here's to Bellamy for looking after loved ones, friends and acquaintances, and doing Halloween parties right."

It was sweet of Dani to say, and Iann too as he complimented the way she had taken people into account. Bellamy obviously had not intended to take Dani's birthday over, she'd merely picked an evening she assumed people would be free and would not interfere with other Halloween plans. When she had learnt it was her birthday she most certainly was glad Elena wanted to make a cake for her, and that Dani had not taken it to heart. "I always forget you're older than me," Bellamy said as Iann picked up a drink and decided to make a toast to her, it was terribly sweet. And while she did not have a drink she smiled at him while he made it. "You're too nice, really if I had known it was Dani's birthday we'd have certainly had a much grander cake than what Elena and I made an hour or so ago."

"I'm sure whatever you made is gonna be great." Miles didn't have a drink to join in the toast but he certainly agreed with it all the same, and he pressed a quick kiss to Bella's cheek.

Dani smiled warmly at Bella. They never would have said a word that distracted from the vampire's party. They weren't after the attention that applying their birthday to this Halloween bash might have made. Just this -- their friends and love ones around them for a bit of fun -- was more than enough. "If only I wasn't," they chuckled at their friend and, like Iann, raised a glass to the host. "To Bella, and her stunningly aesthetic hospitality!" They took a quick sip of their drink and grinned. "Grandness doesn't matter, love. It's the gesture alone that's made my night."

With that the gesture came, latex clad staff approaching the group with the tall and thin white cake with thin and tall black candles decorating the top as they sang 'happy birthday.' Immediately Bella joined in, still feeling Miles' lips on her cheek and their words inside of her. Even some around joined happily in singing, though they had no clue who for.

Faye wandered back from where she and Fane had wandered off on their way to get more drinks. They'd been occupied for a bit, and her hair was a bit askew as she saw Iann leaning in the lounge area. She came up behind him and tipped his hat off his head, twirling it and putting it on her own. "Hey there, Maverick," she grinned, turning towards the toasts that were going on, realizing she'd walked in on Dani's birthday cake being brought out.

"Stunningly aesthetic hospitality," Iann murmured because he liked that turn of phrase. He looked up when the singing started, reminded of these same semi-awkward( to him, anyway) scenes in restaurants. Well, Erzebet's was technically a restaurant. He didn't join in the singing, but craned his neck to get a better look at this legendary birthday cake, marveling at how tall and thin it was. How was it being held up? Was it too tall for Dani to blow all the candles out?! So many exciting questions. He turned and winked at Faye, recognizing her voice. "Hey Deadpool, how's Spidey?"

The parade of staff and the impressively tall cake that they brought out had Dani barely masking a hotter glow of color in their cheeks. It was one thing to have their friends and family alone pulling such a stunt, but for so many strangers to be involved was... quite the experience for sure. Indeed, the cake's height posed a bit of a challenge for the shorter human, but rising from their seat seemed just enough to do the trick. They blew out the candles in a short whistle of air, then bent down to place a tiny peck of thanks on Bella's cheek. "I love it."

Bella smiled, knowing than she would likely pass on her thanks to Elena at a later time when Elena was well...able to be thanked. "I'm glad," she said, happy to cut the cake up there and have everyone eat it as is. Why get plates and servers to cut it up when they could. So a knife was offered to Dani. "Remember, if you hit the bottom you have to kiss the closest person," Bellamy informed her. "So I suggest you sit near someone cute and get as far away from your Dad's girlfriend as possible because that would be weird."

"Spidey? Oh, he's fine. He's around somewhere. Wouldn't miss this." Faye tilted her chin at Dani and the cake Bella had had made. "Where's the old man?"

"What's that? If you hit someone's bottom you have to kiss them?" Iann asked, intrigued by this superstition. He tipped his hat up against Faye's masked face, not that he could see much more, but Iann was just being playful. "Old man's here being old. You should see him in his fancy embroidered waistcoast..." Iann shook his head and exhaled. "He's so 70's...think Liberace." Iann took a sip of his drink, but realized it was rather too sweet for him. He offered it to Faye. "It's alcoholic..." he tried to entice the witch.

Bella looked at him wide eyed. "You've never heard that? If with the first cut of the birthday cake you hit the bottom you have to kiss the closest person to you," she said, perhaps not a tradition that had been in his household. All things considered it wouldn't have been very shocking that he did not.

Dani grinned and twirled the offered knife in hand, ready to face the the little kissing challenge that awaited. "Fair enough." Adjusting where they stood to indeed put some distance between themself and Faye, they began to slice through the cake. When the tip tapped the bottom, they squeaked as a surprise strength came from behind, pulled them close and turned them in a dip that pressed their lips firmly together. Their earth witch to the rescue, as always. The brief, possessive little display of romance left the birthday kid giggling. As the first piece was finally cut out, it was handed to Bella, who had more than earned a taste of her work.

The two were sweet, it was probably good Sam had approached otherwise someone else would have been getting a peck on the cheek. The licorice chocolate cake was designed to taste like a licorice bullet candy, unsure if Dani would actually like the flavour Elena and her had been just having fun. Bellamy did though, taking it in her hand and immediately grabbing a bite, offering some to Miles.

Faye took the offered drink, not caring at this point what it really tasted like. Pulling off the hat then the mask, she stuck the hat back on and tucked the mask in her belt. "1970s? Or 1770s?" she asked as she tipped back the drink. "I'm a sucker for period costumes, just so you know." She nudged him with her elbow.

Dani was a bit perplexed by the taste of the cake, but found it enjoyable nonetheless. It was a creative combination of flavor that they were glad to have experienced at least once. They offered some to the others and their husband after they'd tasted it themself. "You know, I never thought of using licorice flavor in a cake, but I like it. Bonus points for ingenuity, for sure."

"I figured it was one of the few flavours that a cake being black on the inside wouldn't totally confuse people. It's like if the cake was red but tasted like blueberries it makes people's minds think it tastes bad when it doesn't," Bellamy spoke of her reasoning for it, how she decided a taste that would fit black. Licorice perfectly fit it. Joining Iann and Faye's conversation though she smiled, still eating away. "So you're Bandit and Tuah is in a fancy outfit? That would be interesting to see."

Iann shook his head. "I never really did the birthday thing," he said to Bellamy, and smiled at Sam and Dani smooching. He accepted a piece of the cake, but didn't really want to eat it, figuring he could eventually hand it over to someone who had a sweet tooth. He looked around for Miles, but the werewolf had gone off, likely to work or something. "Then how come you're not in a period costume? What's your favourite period of time, Faye?" Iann grinned. "Tuah was cheeky! I just said 70s and he decided to get all playful and pull something from centuries ago. The smartass."

Dani nodded at the vampire's reasoning. It was solid and admittedly not something they would have considered themself. Which likely wouldn't be considered anyway. Because Dani Savin baking in a kitchen was a terrible thing. "Ooh, yeah I could see how that'd throw people. Black's a tricky one, but I'd say you nailed it." Turning their attention to Iann, they smirked. "Clever. I do hope I get to see this period costume of his. I imagine he strikes quite the figure considering he's lived through the same period and all."

Bella nodded her head, she recalled him having said that before. "Thanks," Bella said to Danny, happily taking Iann's piece for him before he could try and convince anyone else to take it since it looked as though he was just holding the thing. "Tuah in period costuming is a very odd picture in my mind," she admitted, so used to seeing him in the clothing he wore when he was at Bean Me Up.

Iann happily relinquished his cake, and since Faye went to deal with somethings, Iann turned his question to the other two. "Dani - a couple questions. One: if someone is mean to your face, what would you do? And two: what's your favourite time period?" Iann tapped Bellamy's shoulder. "Second question to you too, mija."

Dani blinked at the questions that Iann asked, not sure where they had come from but indulging them all the same. "One: depends of what you define as mean. You'll have to be more specific. And two: I guess...geez, it's hard to pick one. Ahhh... okay. Golden Age of Piracy."

Bella recalled the earlier question that Dani had missed in the night. It had been a rather compelling topic and she was happy to return to it. With his second question she stuffed her face full of cake and thought. Bellamy wasn't really one who could imagine herself in a time period where she could not be afforded the luxuries she currently had. Sure, she figured she could do without phones and a computer but she did not like the idea of any time period where it was illegal for her to enter into a contract or not have her own money. Fortunately Dani answered and she had time to think. "Golden age of piracy? When was that?" Bellamy asked before she finally gave her own answer. "Perhaps post-world war II, when fashion houses were opening and reopening, trying to let women be beautiful again after years of...things being ripped from them," Bellamy said, obviously not going to get into more downer type topics. "I'd have adored being draped in lavish bright silks with gorgeous hats and evening dinners."

Iann hummed, trying to imagine what the original idea of 'mean' was. He recalled it had something to do with people being mean to Elena, and her taking to drowning people for their petty insults. So that's what he said: "I think it's mean like someone being petty and...insulty....?" Iann looked at Bellamy for confirmation of 'mean' in this context. As for their time periods, the ones both Dani and Bellamy chose were so them and also unique. "So fashion and booty, huh?" Iann nodded, enjoying the answers. "I can dig it."

"Yeah, Elena said she was drowning people who were being rude to her," Bellamy agreed when it came to what they had been defining mean as. "Well fashion and booty are all a woman needs, granted, I personally like both kinds of booty," she said with a little wink and a giggle.

"About 1650s to 1730s," Dani explained to Bella, "when piracy in the Caribbean was at its height. You had establishments of people, like in Nassau, openly in opposition of the Crown, fighting for their own freedom. And piracy has quite a few famous female names along with its famous men." The clarification on the other question had them humming quietly in thought. "In that case... I suppose I'd find something clever to say to trump whatever insult they'd thrown my way. The less you act like you're affected, the less they'll gain anything from being rude." They leaned back in their seat and glanced over at Bella a smirk. "Me and you both, sister. However, there's only one booty I need concern myself with these days-- and I'm quite sure Iann's in the same boat."

Bella nodded along as Dani explained the time period that she enjoyed. Honestly she didn't think she would be able to handle going that long without a shower. Being a pirate seemed like it would be exceptionally unclean but it definitely seemed the sort of tiny Dani would handle better than her from what she'd heard of Dani's adventures. "Personally I still think that Iann's solution would work best for Elena, especially as she can be so literal. Plus I think trying to one up them would show that you did care, I always thought I was affecting someone if they tried to come back at me with their words so directly."

Iann leaned in, picking up on what Bellamy said and curious now. "So you might be affected? Is the clever comeback intended to shut them up?" Maybe Iann was taking this theoretical question too literally himself, but he did like the topic immensely, and he felt Bellamy did too. What made people tick: when wasn't that fun to talk about? "Ahhhhhh, I don't know. I'm not going to discount a good booty, just because." Not that Iann really looked at other people's bodies, it just wasn't that interesting to him. But it was fun to be playful about it.

Bella waited to hear Dani's response to his question but snorted and then laughed as Iann said he would not discount a good booty. She was sure Tuah thought that he was one of those with a very fine booty anyway.

"No, no, it's not about shutting them up necessarily. It's like... you're trying to trump them in morals. So, it's less about competing insults and more about making a display that might prompt them to put their actions in perspective. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It all depends on the person you're dealing with." Dani too was amused by Iann's comment and shrugged at it. "Okay, true. Sometimes you've just gotta acknowledge the truth."

Iann crowed. "Moralism! Oh boy oh boy, now we're going in deep. Trust Dani to get all abstract about it. Darn university professors, gotta intellectualize everything," Iann snickered, reaching out and nudging Dani with a couple of his fingers. He nodded about booty. "I mean, you can't beat a badonk-a-trunk stuffed full of...gold dubloons."

Bella was glad for Iann's response. The topic making her somewhat uncomfortable. It wasn't something that Bellamy had experienced someone doing to her before she had decided to change her ways, or if she had she hadn't realised it because she hadn't her own sort of conscience that would actually care. So Bellamy merely stuffed her mouth full of cake and kept eating.

As Dani said their goodbyes, Iann slumped more against where he was leaning, and eventually looked back down at Bellamy. "Can I go upstairs to your office again?" Iann asked, sounding more like the child asking their parent for permission to go ride his new bike again.

Bella was glad for the conversation to end, it had not been as amusing for her this time. She did not like moralism from her experiences with it. She was more than glad though when Iann said he wanted to return to her office once more. "Of course," she smiled at him, placing a hand on his thigh. "You can come all you like until it has to be taken down," Bella promised him. "We can even take it down together if you like."

Iann grinned. "Cool," he said, sounding all husky and panting, like he'd just run a mile in a sprint. He realized that now he had a place to store the things Bellamy had made for him; Iann took her hand and scurried back up to the office. "So - you made all this yourself?? How long were you making this?"

Bella had not expected for him to want her to come. He had been up there so long by himself she suspected that it was what he had wanted. Though she did not resist when he did, following him up readily and standing beside him as they looked upon the rather large display. "Yeah, I mean, kind of, I bought the butterflies from the craft store and stuff like that but I made the skulls, and put it all together. I sort of figured it wouldn't have the same effect if I just got someone else to do it...," she rolled off, unsure if it bothered him she had purchased parts of it.

Of course Iann wasn't bothered. Bellamy wasn't Mexican after all, this wasn't her culture, it was something she created for him. Hell, Iann didn't really consider himself 'Mexican' either, since he was born...somewhere in Oregon. He was Chicano, and his understanding of everything Mexican was via his Aunt and his mother, also Chicanas. He'd never actually been a part of any Day of the Dead celebrations, no public or social understanding of the holiday beyond what his mother showed him. What Bellamy had created - derived from store-bought things and by her own hands - was reasonable to Iann, in his Americanized, isolated understanding. Really, it was the fact that Bellamy even thought to do this that mattered more to Iann than the 'accuracy'. Who was he to measure accuracy of a culture he'd never actually been socially immersed in? "Well I think it's great," Iann told Bellamy. "It's beautiful. I mean - I've been to Mexico a few times, but never for Día de Los Muertos."

Bella nodded her head as he explained. It was for Iann but in her mind it was about showing him a connection. It was a representation of them and him all mixed together. His mother and his aunt and his ex, they still affected the choices that he made and the way that he felt about himself and about the world around him. She didn't know if he had celebrated it but imagined his mother likely had. "From what I looked up it's much prettier than this, I watched this make up video that even said they sometimes only paint half of their faces with a sugar skull, to show the symbolism of life and death coming together," she told him with a little smile. "I didn't have any pictures though, but I figured...if I did it, and I thought about them, and it was for them, your Mum, Aunt Lily, and your ex, then they'd just...know it, you know? Or you would," Bellamy said as she linked her arm with his own, pulling him tight to her side.

"Well it's beautiful," Iann said, feeling perfectly content standing in front of it like the altar it was, here to admire it and contemplate...everything. Iann fell quiet, like he'd been in the first half of their drive from Ohio; only this was a much more comfortable silence. "When we do have to take it down, can I keep it?"

Bella smiled at him. "I might not advise keeping the actual sugar skulls, or any of the food, I think it might draw ants," she told him with a little laugh, pressing her forehead to his shoulder as she did. "But everything else is yours, Pa," she assured him with ease, whatever of it he wanted he could take and it sort of made her feel happy that he did, imagining he never kept very much since he had said when his house had fallen there was nothing he had really missed. "Do you think Mala likes it?" she asked, present tense being used entirely on purpose despite the fact the celebration was still a few days off.

"I'll eat the food," Iann decided, because there was no point in it going to waste. He raised an eyebrow at Bellamy's question, removing his hat again to hold in his hands. "She...ah...she might," Iann said a little neutrally, not really good at getting sentimental about these sorts of things. So he retreated the conversation a step away from the personal connection. "I mean, who wouldn't? It's so pretty and fun. And colourful. Ma liked colour. She liked...neon," Iann wrinkled his nose as he remembered. "Pink, yellow, and green neon. She loved it...god, so 90s."

Bella smiled, trying to imagine Iann being put in those kinds of colours as a child. Likely she hadn't actually done that but it was a cute thought to imagine. "I suppose of all the things your mother and I have in common that is not one of them," Bellamy said, neon certainly not a colour she would touch on a daily basis. "Do you still think we're alike?" she asked, not exactly noticing him pulling away since he seemed to answer so neutrally.

Iann chuckled under his breath. He'd forgotten for a moment how curious Bellamy was, when it came to comparing herself against Mala Cardero. "In a lot of little ways, but mostly in that sense of determination and business...ah...acumen." Iann took a couple steps and then lowered himself to the floor. "I'll just hang out here again. Just for a little while, hm?"

Bella nodded her head. She did love to learn more about Mala, it sort of made her feel special to think Iann saw her like his mother in a lot of ways, even if there were parts of her he did not enjoy quite so much. As he sunk to the floor she nodded, kissing him on the top of the head and letting him be. Returning downstairs and looking about, a little lost for words by now. Merely reaching up and adjusting her crown.

After chatting with the group of people around the food table some while back, Lina had slinked away to go back to her own private amusements of ordering drinks and observing people from afar. The vampire’s interest was actually more in direction towards the hostess of the party, but she had disappeared for a little while as well. Of course, it was easy to see Bella when she returned and Lina approached quickly and smoothly, “You must be Bellamy Barnes. I don’t think we’ve properly met yet.” Her white teeth showed prettily through her smile, “First of all, I just wanted to say, terrific party.”

Bella looked up the moment she heard her name, a little shocked since she had not heard a heartbeat approaching her as she generally could. "I don't think so, you were the woman Danny was hitting on very blatantly," Bellamy said as she recalled the casual way the man took her declaration that killing them was the way to go. "Thanks, I'm glad it's going well, I had some worries, though admittedly minimal since I'm fantastic," she reasoned with a little laugh. "I think I missed your name earlier though."

Lina laughed, but it clearly sounded a little sharp and sarcastic. “Yes Danny, you caught that. I suppose the whole room could if everyone had hearing like us. Anyways-“ She waved her free hand clearly dismissing the mention of the fairy. “It’s nice taste. Modern, clearly so but not…” She scrunched her nose, “Tacky, like I’ve seen elsewhere from some of our other vampire friends.” And friends was just a blanket term. She smirked at Bella’s display of confidence and then offered her hand, “Evangeline Thorne. Lina is just as good. We all have our nicknames.”

"Well he's not exactly a subtle sort of person," she said, only really recalling bits and pieces of when she had first met him, she'd been a bit hungry at the time. "I tried to keep things subtle, more about the party itself than any sort of theme. Themes can get...overpowering, but I suspect you mean skeletons on the front lawn?" Bellamy commented with a little smile, it was one of the few vampire homes she had seen that way. She had seen the house while driving through Jamara to get to her other workplace. "Well Bella is mine," she said, taking her hand and shaking it gently, fluffy sleeve moving as she did. "Nice to meet you Lina."

“No-“ Lina snorted, “He isn’t.” It was exceedingly annoying, but different, and different was at least interesting. She took in a sharp breath at the mention of the skeletons, mouth thinned and pursed with clear irritation. Bella had hit the nail on the head. “I hate them.” Lina hissed, “I hate them so much. Fane’s an ancient doofus. I love Halloween, but everyday I have to walk out of my house and see those-“ Lina’s eyes bulged slightly in further annoyance. She took a breath and smiled back at Bella, more in the moment again. “Nice to meet you as well. I’m so glad I can finally meet the young vampire business owner face to face. You’re restaurant and spa really add to the town, believe me. I remember when only really the Crowne was developed completely.”

Bella obviously no longer lived in Jamara so she did not have to see them so often. Clearly they did not impress this woman in the slightest. "Well I suppose it is fortunate that you had something better to look at for the evening," Bellamy noted with a little laugh. Bellamy didn't totally understand Fane, the more she had tried the harder she had failed. She’d come to him many times in an attempt to befriend him but he had only ever made her feel small and stupid. He was like most of the old vampires in Jamara, the ones his age, except rather than directly mock her he seemed so much more subtle. "Plus, it's fortunate his girlfriend has called his attention away, he has come as a skeleton; Jack Skellington," she informed her, wondering if it would make her laugh to think he was so committed to what she found ridiculous, or just annoy her. "I didn't think the Crowne fitted the vibe I was going for so I'm glad I added to the value of another area, and I'm glad you like. Someone actually told me tonight this was their first time being here, it was like I'd had my teeth pulled to think someone would say that to my face. I'm assuming that is not the case for you. You should let me know if you own anywhere around."

“Yes, and I’m very thankful for that.” Lina nodded taking a sip of her drink and glancing around a little suspiciously just in case Fane had been snooping around. But Bella had clarified that, and the older vampire relaxed a little again, “Jack Skellington?” Lina repeated, clearly unimpressed, “Who the hell is that? A skeleton costume is all well and good but-“ She scoffed, “I’m sure he did something to muff it up. People just aren’t happy with a poorly made mask anymore.” Of course at this last comment Lina had to smile some, because she hadn’t exactly followed that custom here either. Her brow raised then, “Someone said that to you? Well, this town is an interesting mix anyways. But no, this isn’t my first time here. I’ve visited a few times. I don’t own any businesses myself. I….contribute to some. With money. Shares. I own a few land pieces here and there, my house in Jamara, but no, I don’t run my own business. I think I’m a little out of touch for that.”

Bella laughed a little that the woman didn't know who Jack Skellington was, she had to be old and without a heartbeat it was clear that she was not a living being, just as Bellamy was not. "Personally I don't think I could handle a poorly made mask," she admitted. Bellamy had tried a few things that were a little more simplified, and tried to go classic Bathory but had not been able to help herself in the end. "I like finery a little too much, as it seems you do, your dress is gorgeous." Nodding her head at Lina's raised brows she laughed. "As part of a game but it still seemed entirely not cool," she said, it had hurt. To be told someone who she had actively spent time with had not even tried to come was a bit hurtful. "Definitely the best way to earn, if my sire had not done the same I wouldn't be as well off as I am. The only piece of land I have in town though is my property in Jamara, burnt down house, though you wouldn't tell because the fences he had built were so terribly high. Might have seen it happen just over a year ago though."

“Understandable.” Lina agreed, eyes sparkling at the compliment, she spread an arm out slightly at dropped it again, “Thank you.” To Lina it just proved the other vampire’s good taste further. “And you, clearly know how to make a statement.” Which was a good thing, to Lina, and she would be happy to toss compliments back and forth all night. She pouted slightly at the mention of a burned down mansion trying to recall. Tall walls? No doubt she had seen it before, but for as deep and stretching Lina’s memory could be, every once in a while she lost little pieces here and there that were returned at the most random of times. “Oh a fire.” Which of course there had to be one with a burnt mansion. “I remember the fire.” That particular stench and heat had flooded other memories. “I didn’t realize that was a house. How funny.” But then Lina - for once - had not gone snooping for answers, the haze had her boarded up away safe in her own home for a few days. “Well, not /funny/. But you know.”

Bella nodded her head when the woman realised the fire that Bellamy had been speaking of. "Yeah, I honestly have no clue what to do with the property now. It needs cleaning up but it seems such a waste to just sell it. Granted, it's a bit of a waste now," she admitted to the woman. Perhaps she would have some ideas as that was how she made her own money, investments.

Lina pondered over the idea of burnt and unused property. It was clear Bella was looking for some ideas even if they weren’t fully developed. “No…I wouldn’t sell an get rid of the land. It’s always good to have land.” Lina pointed out, “You could always rebuild from ground up if you missed Jamara. If not, at least clear it out till a better idea came along. You’re clearly business savvy, and a burnt down house is just a waste of space.”

Bella nodded her head. It had been a little clean up but there were a lot of still burnt remnants. "I don't really, I like where I live. Big places have always seemed like a place for storage to me. Don't think I'd ever use so many rooms on my own," she admitted with a little laugh. "Not to say it doesn't work for others, perhaps I've seen your place?"