Life of the Party [Maris]

[brad bradford ★ d5b [arx]]

Ezra Devereaux

I should have figured that I would eventually get dragged to one of these parties. I mean, I've been to plenty of parties, but somehow this seems like an initiation of sorts. Every party I have been to has been formal. I'm supposed to meet with some of the more powerful people in District 1 and I am supposed to make an impression. To me, it is simple enough. Shake hands, laugh good-naturedly, discuss business strategy, smile, dress appropriately, and of course be knowledgeable in the field of economics.

Money. It means a lot to the people that I associate with - and nearly all of them are much older than me. I'm there to learn so that I can continue the family business, so that I can impress my father. And for the most part, I understand just exactly what I am doing at those parties. I can relate, I know what they want to hear and what I need to say, but here, amongst my peers, I am completely clueless.

And I don't think I have ever been more uncomfortable in my life. My sisters said I need to "ditch the suit" and where something more "appropriate" though I didn't quite understand what could possibly be more appropriate than a very expensive suit. Instead, they dressed me up in something that seemed rather "inappropriate" and left the house in clothes I was certain mother nor father would have approved of. But I love them, so I let them leave, dragging me along, dressed in a tank top and khaki shorts. I feel very ... vulnerable.

Mother and father would be very disappointed if they knew I was here. I'm supposed to be an adult - sophisticated, composed, and educated. I'm supposed to watch over my little siblings and to keep them out of trouble. I am supposed to keep myself in a state of responsibility and to prove that I am responsible. But instead, I am here. This party is loud, illegal, and totally inappropriate for someone like me. But my family is here ... and they, well, family comes first.

My sisters disappear in to the crowd and I think about Kyte, my little shadow, sleeping peacefully at home in bed, cuddled beneath the sheets. I smile to myself. Someone bumps into me, already a giggly mess filled to the brim with alcohol. She whispers in my ear but I cannot hear a word she says over the music. At some point a red cup gets shoved into my hand, but I do not drink, only clutch it tight. I am alone in this crowd. I wasn't sure it was possible, but now I know it is.

I move off to a quieter corner of the house, swirling the drink in my hand round and round and just trying to pick my sisters out in the crowd. It's really no use. Perhaps I should've stayed home and studied up on the guest list for the next business party my father is throwing. Or maybe just curled up in my bed like Kyte is right now. Anything but this. This was a mistake. I give a sigh.

"What's wrong with me?" I mumble to myself, thinking no one could hear me.

District 1 - Eighteen - Heir to the Throne

[Barry]

    Annie thrust both of her hands into the air and swayed her hips from left to right as music blared in her ears, as well those of everyone around her. After spending much time in a large cluster of people doing a mixture of dancing and shouting, she finally left the crowd while scratching her forehead with one hand, and walked to a much quieter part of the house. She wore a tight fitting, short dress with heels perhaps a couple inches too high for her, and the tips of her hair were dyed a dark blue. As she walked, two girls behind her similarly dressed followed and soon the three were in a corner with a much more calm and relaxed vibe.

    Annie thought to herself: Probably just like my home right now, nothing going on except silence, my parents eating dinner with nothing but the kitchen lights on, and an empty seat at the dinner table. Why should I care? If they had half a brain they'd go out and do something exciting, it would definitely spice up their life a bit. They used to say all that mattered was that I was happy, and I'm happy being here now, there's no reason they can't be either."

    For the next couple minutes, the girls talked about their day and it's occurrences, as well as making random jokes that made the whole group laugh. This continued until one offered to get drinks for them all, another agreed to go with and Annie was left to her self in this corner of the house. As they left, Annie rested her back against the wall, and turned to see a couple others minding to themselves, but one that particularly peaked her interest. Perhaps it was something about him, just the way he was swirling his cup and making quick glances this way and that. "Hey, if I know how to have fun, why shouldn't I make sure some else have just as much?" she thought as Annie left the wall and walked up to the boy.

    "Hey, why are you all alone? Surely someone as explosive and wild as yourself would have tons of people hangin' around you" she said in a sarcastic yet playful manner. She began to smile and gave a playful punch towards his stomach and awaited a response. 

[brad bradford ★ d5b [arx]]

Ezra Devereaux

It's funny how different my life is compared to the rest of these people. They seem to have no worries, no real responsibilities, no attachments. If I weren't so objective, if my mind was not so analytical, I might think it were beautiful. But instead my mind is screaming, "Get out! Get out now!" and for a long while I find myself shifting and turning to stare at the doorway - escape. But my family is here and as far as I am concerned, I need to make sure we all get home safely. So I shift from one foot to the other in agony, swirling the alcohol in my cup.

A group of laughing girls catches my attention if only for a moment, thinking maybe one of my sisters had wandered back to me. No luck. Everyone was a complete stranger. I pinch the bridge of my nose as I feel a headache coming on. The music is too loud, bodies pressing much too close to me - I can only watch as every single person here gets drunker and drunker, losing any respect I may have had for them had I met them before tonight. I nod at a loner near me and he nods back before another girl latches onto him and pulls him away into the crowd, their lips locked and bodies plastered to each other almost instantly. Right.

What's wrong with me?

"Hey, why are you all alone? Surely someone as explosive and wild as yourself would have tons of people hangin' around you."

A girl approached him and he instantly flashed a smile despite his headache and discomfort - all out of habit. He was so used to being approached by someone he needed to smile at that he didn't even think about it when it came to meeting a stranger. He swung his arm awkwardly towards her, as if to shake her hand, only to swing it back into his pocket and giving a nod instead. That's what teenagers do, right?

He stood awkwardly for a moment, eyes averted to the ground. She playfully - or at least that is all I can think it to be - hits me in the stomach and I chuckle, looking back to her. She looked a bit too ... wild, for me. Though her dyed hair did make her seem exotic I guess. It was rather pretty.

"Ha, yeah. Well, I'm just here with my sisters. I don't have many friends my own age." And I can't take it anymore. I set down my drink, stand up straight, and extend my hand to her with a smile. "My name's Ezra Devereaux. Nice to you meet, Miss."

District 1 - Eighteen - Heir to the Throne

[Barry]

    Annie listened to the boy explain: "Ha, yeah. Well, I'm just here with my sisters. I don't have many friends my own age." It was obvious he was out of his element here, sisters probably just dragged him along to the place. She knew someone who wasn't as comfortable with the party scene when she saw them, and he was no exception. Annie had done exactly what his sisters had done many a time, bringing others along to parties they weren't exactly "comfortable" with. It was often Peter, her boyfriend, who she brought, when she could convince him anyway. Although he often protested, she knew that even if it took all night, Peter would eventually get int it, and become just as much a party animal as the rest of them. Maybe it was because if he didn't, Peter knew he would practically die of boredom, and so he resigned to letting go of all worries and cares, and became one with the crowd. Even if this was true, Annie didn't seem to care, or notice even, that if had affected him.

    The boy then did something Annie hadn't expected, from anybody ever, really. He stood up with his back straight, perhaps in a bit of a formal, proper manner and extended his hand towards her. He then spoke: "My name's Erza Deveraux. Nice to meet you, miss." "Miss? What is this, some kind of formal boardroom meeting" Annie thought to herself. Caught off guard by this, for a few seconds Annie stood with her mouth slightly open, and blinked twice, until finally meeting his hand with hers in a somewhat awkward handshake. She had to admire his maturity though, it wasn't something she'd experienced from many other kids in her lifetime. Erza presented himself in an elegant, somewhat grown-up way, that Annie couldn't deny she kinda liked.

    "Annie. Annie Maveles." She spoke with a smile, why shaking his hand. She then stared at Erza and squinted her eyes, until stopping to speak again: "You're...different, aren't you? Like, I dunno you just seem like you're not the most average kid on the block. Like there's somethin more going on, huh?" Tell me, what's your story? Or, for instance, what do your parents do?" Annie had never been one to simply make small talk, but Erza's behavior just seemed to intrigue her that much. She had to know what made him so tense before.

[brad bradford ★ d5b [arx]]

Ezra Devereaux

"Annie. Annie Maveles."

She smiled and I nod, raising a brow. "Miss Maveles."

I feel the weight lift off my chest and all the discomfort from earlier in the evening slip away. This handshake, this formality - this was all I really needed. I'm not particularly fond of anyone here, that much is true, but still I feel extremely rude not shaking hands and introducing myself to every stranger that walks past me. My sisters made sure to tell me that that wasn't "normal" at these sort of parties. But even knowing that I still can't stand not shaking hands.

Apparently it is now a really bad habit?

Miss Maveles squints at me, still shaking my hand and I finally release my grip, letting my hand drop again, bending to pick up my drink and shoving my other hand in my pocket. Her scrupulous gaze makes me smile a little harder and tilt my head just a bit. Curious. (Perhaps there is something on my face?) I wipe my face and stroke my chin just for a second, trying to play it all off like I usually do.

"You're...different, aren't you? Like, I dunno you just seem like you're not the most average kid on the block. Like there's somethin more going on, huh? Tell me, what's your story? Or, for instance, what do your parents do?"

He was very used to explaining what his parents did and who he was and what his goal in life was. It was a very common question amongst the older couples he usually chatted with. Thank Ripred there was a bit of sense in this night!

"My father owns a very big jewelry business. I'm hoping to take over one day." I explain, brandishing the wrist watch on my hand for her to see. Normally I would explain just hoe delicately crafted the diamonds encrusting the gold were, but a little voice (that sounded very much like all of my sisters combined) told me she wasn't necessarily all that interested in that sort of thing. "I'm not used to this kind of thing." I say, nodding and sort of chuckling as my eyes fall to my shoes. "I was raised differently, y'know?"

And when I look back up at her something tells me she already guessed at most of this. Of course I wasn't used to this, of course I was much too formal for this sort of thing, of course, of course, of course! But I could guess just as much about her really. The very high heels, the giggling friends, the blue tipped hair, the rather short dress - she was very used to this kind of party.

"And what about your story, Miss Maveles? If you don't mind my asking of course."

District 1 - Eighteen - Heir to the Throne

[Barry]

    Annie felt a thousand thoughts and feelings going through her head with this response. She didn't quite expect him to ask about herself, of course she should have, should have been prepared. It was mostly memories that were brought back. Quick flashes of screaming and yelling, and crying while holding a hand at a bedside. All the drama and despair Annie never wanted to remember, hence the intense partying lifestyle of Annie Maveles. She didn't want to think about coming home every night and having big fights and arguments with her parents about why she was so late, or being pressured to care more about her schoolwork. She would instead tell him a different story, "not a lie" she thought, " just tweaking some things to make a good impression".

She caught herself with her mouth slightly open and her eyes blinking for more than a few seconds and snapped out of it. She took a sip of her drink and felt relaxed and worry-free once again. She continued, "Well, my father also works for a business like that. Nothing quite as major I'm sure, but we assume one day he'll take over when his boss retires, and that eventually I'd do the same. Or, I would've, anyway. Doesn't matter, not really my cup a tea in the first place. I'm not really sure what I'm in to...I guess my life was never as planned out as yours was. She laughed and talked in a joking tone "To think, I could say I met the oh great Ezra Devereaux before he became the owner of the business!" 


     Annie chuckled to herself some more as she took some sips of her drink. She turned to Ezra, and thought about what she had said. Perhaps it was a difficult life being prepped for a big time job like that, it was no wonder he acts a little differently then everyone else with the life he was born into. "He needs to let go once and in a while, maybe take a break and live it up" she thought. Her mind ran back to what she had said. "the oh great Ezra Devereaux"....she had to be sure he knew her heart was still in the right place when saying those words. There was simply no need for any awkward silence. "Uh, I was just kidding when I said that, y'know I...I just try to liven things up a bit around here" she said in a more sincere tone.

[brad bradford ★ d5b [arx]]

Ezra Devereaux

She takes a longer pause than I had expected. Clearly I tweaked a nerve. But at this point my question has hung in the air for too long. Taking it back now would only make this conversation more unbearable. I take a sip of my drink to defuse the tension; I only feel worse.

When she finally takes a sip of her drink and speaks I feel only relief. It was enough that I was poorly disadvantaged when it came to these sorts of conversations. Having her walk away because of my incompetency would deter me from ever subjecting myself to parties like this ever again. That sort of thing would be bad for business relations. I really did need to start making friends my own age.

"Well, my father also works for a business like that. Nothing quite as major I'm sure, but we assume one day he'll take over when his boss retires, and that eventually I'd do the same. Or, I would've, anyway. Doesn't matter, not really my cup a tea in the first place. I'm not really sure what I'm in to...I guess my life was never as planned out as yours was."

Planned.

I never planned to be a Career. I never planned to have younger siblings. I never planned to be here, sipping on drinks with an alcohol content that was through the roof and having someone pester me about my 'planned' life.

She laughs and I take another drink. Clearly I'm not drunk enough, otherwise her last comment would not have bothered me.

"To think, I could say I met the oh great Ezra Devereaux before he became the owner of the business!"

It's a joke; I laugh. But not even my buzz helps me to find it funny. For a moment there is silence as I watch the crowds of teens dance and sip some more on my drink.

"Uh, I was just kidding when I said that, y'know I...I just try to liven things up a bit around here."

I nod. Clearly I was in the wrong, taking the comment so seriously. "You could always ask me to dance," I say, throwing a smile and a joking tone right back at her. "I mean, isn't it obvious a guy like me would be great at it?"

District 1 - Eighteen - Heir to the Throne

[Barry]

    She had finally loosened him up to an extent, or so it seemed. "You could always ask me to dance, I mean, isn't it obvious a guy like me would be great at it?" She laughed with a slight nod. He was clearly trying to make the effort. Perhaps there was more to this boy than some facade of formalities and business inquiries. Much more. Still chuckling slightly with a smile, she found herself engaged in the proposal, even if it was merely for kicks. "Now that, I'd like to see..."

    Eager to make this new acquaintance a friend, and eager to show new, average methods of entertainment, (or at least she considered them to be) Annie found herself dragging the boy by the hand through ever growing crowds, into the center. As they waged through the groups, the intensity and sound of the music grew more and more until almost nothing else could be heard. To some, it would be a pit of despair. However, to her it was a mere safe haven.

    To have no worries, but instead be willed by the excitement and heat of the moment in such an event. It was to die for. And now, she could share the feeling with him. Bodies jumping around her in all sorts of manners, people shouting outlandish things one would never think of, she managed to focus her attention on the boy. Holding her hand out for him to take, she waited to see just what kind of moves Ezra Devereaux brought to the table.