:| The Universal Language (of drunkenness) |: {Cato}

[ᕙʕ•ᴥ•ʔᕗ]

This warmth, has it always been there?

I didn’t have to touch my face to feel the heat that was starting to flood my face as I just stared at the groups of people conversing. Their words fell flat to my ears; the only evidence of music was through the gentle trembles that coursed through my body. The drink in my hand was still cold and begging for me to finish it in one swift gulp. It would be replaced with another drink within five minutes, I just knew it would. Every blink seemed to take more than a second, and I was content.

When all of my senses were dulled, it made me feel okay, comfortable. Whenever I was sober, the gradual muting of my world scared me as if I was being separated from it. But when I had a few drinks in my system, my detachment from the world felt more like a bubble was enveloping me rather than a string cutting away my connection to reality. It was an added bonus that most of the people I met at this party I would never converse with again. It was okay if I had to use my hands to talk—no one was thinking clearly enough to not talk with their hands. They would begin to speak my language, and that made me feel safe. For those few hours, everyone was my friend and no one would judge me.

I had no clue whose house we were in—and that was always the case. My coworkers would tell me a place to go on a Friday night, and I would meet them at a spot in District 4 before we moved to the party. Usually at least one of my coworkers would know the host of the party, but I never did. Sometimes I would meet them at the house, but I would never talk to them again, not unless I ran into them at another party. Faces started swimming through my memories, names floating in a different pool that I couldn’t connect.

That night, I wasn’t feeling particularly chatty. I spent most of the party looking at other people, probably a small smile creeping up my face as the effects of the alcohol quickly consumed me. I never understood why I liked watching people so much as if I wasn’t anything like them, as if they were their own specimen and I was just an observer. But in my drunk state, I wasn’t one to make sense of anything no matter how much I tried. For example, there was this one boy who was standing in the corner and for some reason, I wanted to know how he was feeling.

I walked up to him, a drink in hand and before I knew what I was doing, I was giving him the drink. “Here,” my lips formed the words. “Drink this.” I could feel my lips move, but I could never tell if the sounds followed the movements. If I was sober, I would have used my hands to feel the vibrations from my chest, but the vibrations from the music seemed to overpower anything I could register so for all I knew, he was trying to read my lips. I gave him a small smile that had been a little difficult to form. “Are you having fun? It’s good to have fun sometimes.”

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

Zeus Sumner

"Dialogue"
"Hearing"
Thoughts
Narration

Whenever a party took place, I tried to be the first one there. It gave me the best location in the entire house arriving first, and it also gave me the chance to look at those walking in. To see the girls lining up one by one, but that's not the only reason I party. Drinking soothes my soul temporarily. Every ounce of pain hiding inside the walls of my being run away as the alcohol slowly takes over. The more I party, the more I drink, the harder it is to become intoxicated, but right now I think I've done well.

I'm not totally drunk, but I can feel the buzz. Each step is staggered, so I chose to stay in a corner away from everyone. I became clumsy as the alcohol worked it's way through my system. Oh what a wonderful relief. I'm barely holding on when a girl appears in front of me offering a drink. Honestly, I don't know what it is, but I take it, and slowly take a sip. "I'd say so yes. A good party is a fun one. How about yourself?"

[ᕙʕ•ᴥ•ʔᕗ]

He took the drink and sipped it, and that made me smile for a reason that was called alcohol. I knew if I had any more to drink I was going to start talking with my hands and it didn’t seem like anyone else was at that stage yet, so I had to rein myself in as he asked me a question.

“Good, good,” I responded, my mind starting to scatter away. “So who do you know at this house?” I couldn’t feel the vibrations with that last question, but I believed that it had been said. I was honestly just trying to make conversation and drink until it got to the point that I no longer remembered the night. I turned back to him, trying to see if I remembered him but I had absolutely no memory of this guy. Then again, there were some parties I didn’t remember—just as I was trying to do with this one.

“Do I know you from somewhere?” I asked him. Quickly after I waved my hand around. “You don’t look familiar or anything. I was just wondering.” I hoped I didn’t have a long day the next day.

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

Zeus Sumner

"Dialogue"
"Hearing"
Thoughts
Narration

The woman asks if I know anyone here. Now that I think about the answer would probably be a no. No one's faces look remotely familiar at least enough to put a name to them. "I'd have to say no. A shame really since I usually know a few people when I go to parties." The fact I know absolutely no one here hurts a bit, but not too much. Could be a blessing in disguise. Maybe a chance to make new friends. Isn't that what parties are for anyway? Then again I might know someone here only I can not remember who sent me the invitation. Must be too out of it to remember. Or care.

When she asks if she knows me somewhere that catches me off guard a bit. I've been to a lot of parties so that might be where she'd know me. The only other place she'd know me might be the Olympic challenges I participated in. I don't recall much of what I did there except some fencing contest. Second place or something like that. Brought my district some honor however much that matters. "Other than parties the only place I can think of would be the Olympics from a while back ago. After Leon won."

[ᕙʕ•ᴥ•ʔᕗ]

He doesn’t know anyone here? I knew it was better to say something like “oh, that’s a pity” or “what a shame”, but I wasn’t in the mood to be sad. I lightly punched him in the upper arm with a smile on my face. “That’s okay, you know me now!” I tapped my chest twice, stretched out my hand and made a motion like I was turning a doorknob. The alcohol had gotten to my brain and I was no longer speaking with words but with my hands. It was the introduction my father and I had come up with when one of his old friends came by the house. It made sense to us but probably not to anyone else. “Sorry about that. I’m Meira,” I said, feeling like I had just reintroduced myself. I kept my hand outstretched though, hoping to get a handshake.

I wasn’t entirely sure what he was saying, but I picked up “Olympics” and “Leon” and I nodded along. I had participated in the Olympics and did alright in one of my events. If this guy had participated in the Olympics, then it probably wasn’t in one of my events because I was certain I would have remembered him. “What events did you participate in?” I asked him. He was from District Four, so I expected his answer to fall along the lines of some swimming or throwing event.