alys-sunburst:He hurried around to the other side of the cab and jumped in. ”A change from this would be good,” Jon said in response to Alys. He smiled a bit as he turned to look at her, “You hope I’m ready? What is that supposed to mean, Alys? You don’t think I know what a party is…don’t think I can keep up with you?” He raised an eyebrow quizzically before grabbing for the whiskey once again.
They could hear the music from down the hall, smell the alcohol as the door swung open. Bee had managed to switch out all the lights in the apartment with blacklights, bathing the flat in a different glow, setting up strobe lights throughout the rooms. Alys shrugged off her coat and cardigan and threw them in the first bedroom off the entrance.
Jon followed her as she tried looking for Bee but it was hopeless; the flat was too full of people. She grabbed cups and a soda bottle to mix the whiskey with – there was no way she’d be able to manage just drinking whiskey all night. Jon did the same, making some comment about the Stark choice in whiskey and the selection in the kitchen.
She ran into some old friends from school, some acquaintances, some regulars she sees at the bar, introducing them to Jon, and holding conversations that struggled to heard. The music was loud and thumping and she kept drinking, wanting to forget the arguments, wanting to have fun. She felt like she was rehashing the exact same conversation again and again – how was work, oh my god your ring, where was Daryn, why aren’t you at university? and we need to hang out sometime!
Alys looked around and realized Jon had wandered off and she pushed her way through the dance floor, stumbling the last few steps and leaned against the wall next to Jon in the corner. “You know, you’re supposed to look like you’re having fun at these kinds of parties.” She grinned at him, “You look better when you smile.”
She hoped Jon was having a good time – or at least, a better one than the dinner party. He’d dropped several remarks about him being a bastard and Alys didn’t know what to say about it. She always felt Jon got more shit for it than Ned Stark, who had the whole affair in the first place. The frustration is back, and she’s determined to forget it and be happy, so she tugged Jon’s arm, saying “you’re going to have fun,” until he pushed himself off the wall, and followed her.
The crowd was as thick as ever and they pushed through to one of the rooms, where drinking games have been set up at the tables. It’s less crowded here and easier to breath and Jon and Alys soon join in a game of circle of death, the whites of the card glowing in the blacklights. She could tell she was drunk; she was smiling and laughing and couldn’t taste the whiskey in her drink anymore. It felt good - the looseness, how easily having a good time came.
Jon slowly retreated to the kitchen as Alys talked with some of the other party goers. He recognized a few faces, but not well enough to strike up a conversation. He sipped his whiskey and coke, which was mixed so strong it really was more accurately titled 'whiskey with coke chaser'. Jon watched the group of dancers in the living room, and began to wonder if this was a good idea. Maybe he just wasn't ready to be social right now. This was certainly a better atmosphere than the Stark family dinner party, but he still felt like every bit of an outcast here. Maybe that was just his lot in life?
He had retreated further into the corner, after getting in the way of a couple making out near the kitchen counter he'd be resting against. He was beginning to think he should try to make his escape and just call it a night when Alys came back into the room. He forced a smile at her comment, finding it hard to believe he looked better when he smiled. Most of the time people seemed frightened by his smile, but that was probably because it was usually forced and looked painful. His real smile was rare, and Alys was right, usually well received. He found that Alys was one of the few people that could actually coax a true smile out of him. Maybe as long as he stuck with her tonight wouldn't be so bad. Jon used to be able to have fun at these types of parties, maybe he could remember what that was like.
He found the drinking games made it easier. It forced him to talk, to laugh, to live. He refilled his drink, a bit alarmed at how much of the whiskey had disappeared since he'd grabbed it from the catering cart. He was probably a lot more drunk than he realized. He looked over at Alys, he teeth glowing under the lights as she laughed. He smiled, even laughed a little. No, that shouldn't have been as funny as he was finding it. Yes, Jon Snow was most definitely drunk. The person next to him drew the waterfall card. Shit, Jon was about to get even more inebriated.
After some time, he announced he was through with the card games. "Let's play quarters, or beer pong...something where I can use my superior aim to my advantage," he said to Alys, closing one eye and pulling a make believe trigger with a laugh. He pulled her over to the table where a game of pong was underway and announced his intentions to take on the winner. Jon's initial trepidation over being in a party mood had finally disappeared. The alcohol had broken his icy outer shell. Dare he say...he was having fun?
