genessia | New Year's Eve Countdown Party

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New Year's Eve Countdown Party

WHO: Captain Hammer and his invited guests (i.e. no villains allowed unless you want to get Hammered)
WHAT: Hammer's rented a glitzy clubhouse for the New Year's Eve party, as a means of cementing the bonds between Genessia's true heroes, sidekicks, and fans. Time to show off those party dresses! There's food, music, and fireworks once the clock strikes twelve.
WHEN: December 31st, 2013 - 8pm and past midnight into January 1st, 2014 (forward-dated)
WHERE: Regency Apartments Clubhouse - Genessia City
NOTES: Mingle freely! If you want a specific type of thread, such as 'snack table' or 'dancing', feel free to start one up! I don't want to limit people.

If one thing could be said about Captain Hammer, it was that he cleaned up nicely. If two things could be said, it's that he can throw one hell of a party. As a city guardian, he can afford it, and a guardian's job encompasses more than just punching the bad guys in the ego.

Heaps of food, ranging from light vegetable hors d'ouerves to thin slices of expensive cheese and meats to elegantly crafted cream puffs, are arranged on several tables throughout the room. There's more than one punch bowl, though each is clearly labeled as to which ones are for the adults, and which ones are okay for the kiddies.

The middle of the floor is mostly cleared, save for those who have taken the initiative to bust a groove and start dancing to the smooth tunes laid out by the hired DJ.

Captain Hammer expected a decent turnout, and he was sure there would be a fair share of shenanigans if his ~~sidekicks~~ teammates were any indication. He'd posted a number of lookouts around the building to alert him if there were any signs of trouble. So if Hammer was frequently seen excusing himself and returning while brushing off the dirt from his tuxedo, pay him no mind. He was just making sure the party ran smoothly and uninterrupted.

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In Harry's defense, he never actually said the word "dress." That was all her.

He'd given Ice King the slip for the moment when he'd shown up at the party cleaned up like a million bucks, despite perhaps a leftover tuft of werewolf hair or two, and immediately made a beeline for the bar. He really, really needed a drink.

But just when he thought he'd already had his quota of shocks for the night, he spotted Murphy there. If anybody at the party heard a sudden thudding noise, don't worry too much. That was just the sound of Harry's jaw hitting the floor.

Big party, jeans won't pass, it was sort of implied..or inferred..one of those. At any rate there she was just taking a white wine and turning when she saw a tall, handsome man in a devilishly smart tuxedo walking-- DEAR GOD it was Harry!

Thankfully she hadn't sipped her wine or there might have been a spit take when she realized who was gawking on his way to the bar.

She turned around without a word to him, sat the wine on the bar top and looked at the bartender. "Whiskey. Double"

Inferred, implied is spoken. Harry knows this because he's a nerd.

Okay, get it together, Harry. He managed to gather his jaw up before anybody could trip over it long enough to make his way over to the bar to join her.

"Hey. You look... um...." there were just too many words springing to mind, so Karrin would have to settle for some feeble gestures and, "good."

Oh there were so many reasons Harry was a nerd.

Karrin took a gulp of the burning amber drink and turned with a forced smile and nodded.

"You look good too." She nodded and then frowned. They'd spent years not saying and not doing things until it was too late. So, she screwed up her courage and took another swallow of whiskey before she sat her glass down.

"You look really good, I don't think I've seen you this dressed up before. It suits you more than I would have thought." Dear god had he even shaved?

There's at least another one coming. He'd been planning it for days.

But that was going to have to wait right now. His brain was still too busy trying to process both Murphy in a dress and, more importantly, Murphy looking amazing in said dress.

"Yeah. It's kind of new to me too." He had! Combed his hair too. Another time he might have made a joke about that, tried an awful Sean Connery voice or something. But he was on the same wavelength as Murphy. He'd had two years and a lifetime to remember past regrets and missed chances, he didn't want to repeat that here.

He settled the last of his nerves and settled into a genuine grin.

"You look great."

Doesn't even matter that he already said that.

Heh, sure she looks amazing. She was just a human, short at that and he's been propositioned by all manner of beyond earthly beauties. But the sentiment was incredibly sweet.

"Thank you." A sincere thanks for a sincere compliment.

And that was something that sort of broke the ice of this new direction for them.

"Is it possible for something to feel completely awkward and completely comfortable at the same time, or is that just me?"

That was true enough. Harry had been given the chance to be with beings that some men would give an arm to be with. Hell, some men probably have.

But the thing about beings like Maeve, or Lara, or Bianca was that he had seen what was underneath all that, the truth of them. They say that beauty is only skin deep but that was even less in those cases. Their beauty was a projection, something crafted, carefully maintained and used as either a weapon or a lure. When they looked at him, or smiled at him, it was an act of predatory aggression and about as far from anything approaching affection as you could get.

So, yes. Amazing. Murphy, regular, short, imperfect, "just" human Karrin Murphy looked amazing.

He laughed. "I think we might be breaking some kind of new social interaction ground here."

And if he ever actually told her that she might just swoon, so good thing they couldn't read each others thoughts then.

Seriously, the fact that he could even think in that sort of way wouldn't so much shock her as it would make him be seen in a different light by her.

"I've really missed you, Harry." She reached out to lay a hand on his. Her skin wasn't soft and delicate but had the roughened edge of someone used to working for things. It was warm though, warm and held him with a grip that implied she wasn't eager to let him go for a while.

If they could, things would be too damned easy. Besides, it would probably end up with way more angry looks than swoons overall.

He looked toward her hand when she took his, and turned his own hand over to return the grip. Had her hands always been so small?

"I missed you too, Karrin." He gave her hand an extra squeeze and looked back at her again, just skimming the border of looking at her eyes. Then he paused, swallowing hard. "I never asked, how is..."

Maggie.

"... everyone back home?"

Easy was never the road for them, and never would be. It's for the best that way really, they might never like each other as much as they do now.

No Harry, your hands have just gotten bigger over time. She laced her fingers through his and was surprised at how normal it felt.

Oh, oh Harry; you can't disguise that look, not from her. Karrin looked down and breathed deeply before raising her chin again and offering a small smile.

"Good, for the most part. I'm keeping an eye on Molly; she took things hard." Things like the whole battle, his vanishing you know stuff like that. "My house got invaded by a small mountain lion masquerading for a cat and my shins may never be the same."

Mister had adopted her, well she'd found him on one of her frequent drive by's of his old place and taken the beast home with her.

"Mouse is with..." How could she say it? "family. Everything is in good hands, the best hands."

Hearing the news about Molly hurt, and it showed clearly. He hadn't wanted to bring her along, she was still young, and only partly trained, but she also would never have accepted being left behind.

And to a dark, cold, calculating and terrifying part of himself she was useful. Another tool and weapon to pick up and bring into battle with him. He hoped to God he never had to listen to that part of himself ever again.

The mention of Mister got a small sound of laughter from him though and he nodded. He knew Mister too well to believe that something like a house fire would be enough to get him off the streets.

He held onto her hand while she spoke, letting his thumb brush over her knuckles. It felt natural. Right.

"That's good. Thank you." His voice was thick with emotion for those words, and he sucks in a long breath through his nose, clearing his throat and blinking a few times. Damn, he'd invited her to this thing and here he was getting all choked up. Way to go, Harry.

"So," he managed to get that out with a small, self-deprecating laugh and a grin that was only partly forced out, "how about this party, huh?"

Being the good guy was often about making the hard choices, ask her sometime because she knew all about it.

She nodded again, really what could she say? It wasn't like she'd done much and any gratitude he had over her care of Mister was undone by the greed of her to have something of his she could hold on to. There hadn't been much if anything left after the fire. And she could hardly claim much in the way of thanks for the rest since the work was being done by other people. Maggie was in good hands with the Carpenters, she was loved and treated like one of their own and Mouse wouldn't let even a minor threat near the child.

The movement of his thumb across her hand affected her more than it should have. Jesus she hadn't felt that sort of reaction when she and Jarred were in Hawaii and he'd used his considerable talents to... right, not productive lines of thought there. Still, it was a stupid thing to feel butterflies over, it was just a touch. Barely even that.

"It's something, who is putting this all on anyway? It's like one part Met gala and one part TV sitcom."

Edited 2014-01-02 07:33 (UTC)

It definitely was that. He could suggest they compare notes but they might end up telling all the same stories.

And he was grateful to her, regardless of the why. For taking care of his cat, and for being someone he could trust to hand Maggie, his daughter, to and know, know, that she would be safe. It had helped. Doing it still felt like he was pulling off his own arm, but it had helped.

Once again, it was a good thing that they couldn't read each other's thoughts. Because Harry seemed blissfully unaware of how his touch was affecting her. All he knew was that he was enjoying it as well, and he was perfectly happy to keep it up.

"Yeah, it is that." He gave the room a quick scan, there was the Ice King's shenanigans of course (Harry will deny responsibility for that to the grave), and... something going on at the snack table. "Our host tonight is Captain Hammer, local superhero."

He spotted his fellow Guardian over the crowd and pointed him out, then hesitated a little.

"So, he's actually kind of a jerk. And nowhere near as good-looking from up close."

It was literally the least she could do, after all they went through to rescue his daughter it would have been pointless to do anything else. Plus she might not be a cop anymore but it was still in her blood. She looked after people, protected them and she always would.

Oh, and don't mind her all but purring over the touch, she's just going to be absently grinning to herself.

She followed his gaze and spotted the bizarre man in raggedy clothing and a crown on his head. He reminded her of vagrants she'd been sent in to roust out of the subway in her early career. But she moved on when he did and took in the room at large until he pointed out their host.

Karrin's eyes went a bit wide and she made a slow appraisal of the man from boots to softly tapered hair. "Jerk huh? With a chest like that I guess he can afford to be a little bit of a jerk."

Harry wasn't one to talk on that front either. He'd been in town for only a few months before he'd started sticking his nose into trouble again, and helping people out. He'd even been the first one to sign up for the illustrious position of City Guardian, followed closely behind by good old Claude.

He mulled over the idea of offering Murphy a job in Everglade, but he wasn't sure how she'd like the idea of working for him (even if he wouldn't ever call it that), and in the weird part of town. Murphy had held her own against just about anything the supernatural world had thrown her way, but his spot in Everglade meant dealing with the weird stuff way more than mere mortal crime. Still, it was something to think about.

But right now, he was thinking of different things. Like the look on Murphy's face when she looked toward Hammer and the simmering, jealous anger that boiled up from deep inside where he drew the power of Winter from. Without realizing it on any conscious level, he adjusted his hold on her hand, his grip still gentle but perhaps a little more possessive.

"Total jerk. And I hear he wears a girdle. And a hairpiece. And his breath smells like sardines all the time."

Make her a consultant, it would probably go better and she would finally get the chance to turn those tables on him. It would do them both good. Besides who would he rather have at his side when things took a turn for the Twilight Zone? Steed needed his Peel, Mulder needed his Scully there was a precedent.

She actually snorted laughter at his comment on Hammer. “You sure you don’t mean William Shatner?” The laughter bubbled out and eased off quickly because hello trained cop, she noted the change in him. Something in the way his hand held hers, it wasn’t harsh or painful it was just…more enfolding, more pulled toward him while his body straightened. His eyes turned a shade harder and his normally jovial jaw set with a firmness she rarely saw outside of a fight.

“Hey,” She said and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Everything ok?” She angled herself toward him though the difference in their heights still had her looking up at him. There was more going on than he’d told her, but then again wasn’t there always?

Who would he rather have at his side? Nobody. Line up every badass through history and Harry would still walk right down the line and ask Murphy if she had any plans.

He eyes snapped away, breaking the steel glare away from Hammer when she squeezed his hand. What was--?

You saw her looking at him. Crush him, twist and break him until nothing remains. Keep what is yours--

There it was again, simmering and creeping through his mind without him even noticing it. Just like when he'd nearly marched off to unleash murder and destruction on anybody he even thought had been involved with hurting Ruby, until Raye had tugged him back. He'd even blown up at her for it too.

So just like back then, he stomped down hard on it and forced it back, locked it away where it belonged.

"Yeah. Yeah, everything's fine." The smile he gave her was suddenly tired. Later, it promised. "I could go for that drink though. Unless you'd rather hear more scathing commentary on our host. Like the fact that he drives a moped."

Whatever had been there Harry contained it. It wasn't gone but it was under control at least for the time being. Surprise he wasn't talking, so for the moment she would let it go, problems that intense never just go away so they could talk later because it would still be there.

He smiled, but it wasn't the sort of look a guy having a good time wore. She turned to the bartender, "Can we get a coke? No glass, no ice, the can's fine as long as it's cold."

He didn't need booze in his condition, not yet anyway. "Tempting as a moped driving, toupee wearing jerk sounds I don't think I'll be up for hanging out for the whole party."

She shrugged as the ordered coke was set in front of Harry, tiny chips of ice sliding down the side of the can to pile on the napkin beneath it. For Harry that was practically food of the gods and he looked like he could use it.

"If I wanted to ditch early, not now but later, would you give me a lift? Maybe we could find a Burger King drive through."

Harry was only halfway turned back to the bar when he stopped, eyebrows raising as Murphy rattled off the most perfect Coke order he'd ever heard. He didn't even mind being slotted into the designated driver role against his will (hell, let's be honest, he was already going to be that).

He didn't mean to dodge the subject of the Mantle, if for no other reason than if he were to pick one person to deal with him if things went out of control it would be Murphy, but it was a tough subject. And a little too complex to talk over at the bar at a fancy party.

"Cutting out early for a Burger King run?" He picked up the can, holding it up like he was offering a toast. "Can't think of a better way to kick off the year."

Yeah, that's what she thought. She knows you Harry Dresden, maybe better than anyone, and more than that she honestly cares. She's seen the good and the bad and the ugly in his life and she was still here at his side, if not by choice on her arrival than at least she was now.

"So we do the party thing for long enough to get the moneys worth out of these outfits, then sneak out grab some burgers and maybe see where the new year takes us?"

She didn't say go to her place or his place or anything, they were still coming to terms with all this and she wasn't rushing even if they seemed to both be determined to not waste more time being stupid about things like they had been before.

She clinked her glass against the can of coke and then sipped. "So who picked out the tux anyway?" She knew damned well it wasn't him. Harry would have gotten some hideous power blue ruffled shirt number just to offend the sensibilities of the others if it had been his call.

And Harry had the suspicion that the ugly part was going to come back full force. Ever since he'd nearly lost it completely, he'd been on the look out for somebody to hand the knowledge and tools to deal with him over to but there wasn't much selection to choose from. Most of the people he could trust with it, he didn't think would be able to do it, and the ones who could he didn't trust.

But that conversation could wait. Murphy was here and he was glad to see her and he was going to have this one night before things had to get heavy again, damnit.

"Where the night takes us." He agreed, hoping that he didn't have too stupid a grin on his face while he clinked his soda can against her glass and took a drink.

"That obvious, huh?" He glanced down at his tux. Once again, Murphy had proven to know him far too well, because she was spot on in that assessment. He'd picked out a real number when the invitations for this party went out too. "A friend of mine, Raye, she's... over there. Dancing with... Jaune."

Now there was a look Murphy would probably recognize on his face. It was roughly the same vaguely displeased look every father in the world had had at least once, the first time his little girl brought a boy home.

Whatever happened she would be there, just like she knew he would for her, that was a fact. Frankly if it came down to something having to be done even if he hadn't asked her she would step up. She would have to know that every possible avenue had been tried before she did it, but she would never ask anyone else to. If he had to be ended, by god it would be by someone who loved him.

But, it didn't look like it was going to come to that right away. Bad party manners were a forgivable sin and if he wanted to insult the host that wasn't exactly a world ending thing.

Harry's grin was... well ever see a four year old being told they don't have to eat vegetables and can have all the cake and candy they want? Yeah that was it. The euphoria of those with uncomplicated desires, even if fulfilling them tended to e extraordinarily complicated.

At one point she had told him she couldn't be with him because all she could handle was casual. At the time that had been true more out of self defense than anything, but she realized when everything else in her life had gone to hell, or Chichen Itza in this case, he was still there. She lost her job and somehow managed to be ok with that, losing him however she had learned was what truly hurt. She'd been ready to try then and after losing that chance she was more determined than ever.

But he had a new life here, complete with new friends, as his gaze and exposition on the tux explained. She watched him for a moment before following his gaze. It wasn't jealousy, a fact she was upset about her own level of pleased reaction for, but it was concern. The same sort of concern she'd seen in him for Ivy or Molly. "I take it this is a bad thing? Should we dance over and interrogate him? Play good cop, gorgeous cop, I'm the second of course."

Edited 2014-01-04 23:50 (UTC)

[OOC: So sorry for the long wait for this tag. First week back at work after vacation nuked my brain and I didn't want to just hammer out a lousy response. ... I sure hope it worked out that way anyway.]

It was far from his first choice, and not a burden he ever wanted to put onto Murphy but there might be nothing else to do. He'd already put a few things together. He knew what was needed, had the knowledge and experience to make a weapon and, most importantly, he knew how to deal with himself. The one person you could never defend against: yourself.

The weapon was already fashioned. He just needed to put it in Murphy's hands.

Later.

For now, uncomplicated was good. He'd tried doing complicated, had let complicated get in the way and slow him down, even stop him dead. And then he'd died before he got things got the chance to get simple.

"No. No, it's not... bad. Just--" He shook the look off and turned back to Murphy, grinning a bit. "A dance sounds good though. And if we happen to put a little scare in the kid...."

[OOC: Totally understand and no worries! I hope everything went well for you and take all the time you need!]

Something about crossing bridges and all that. If he needed her she would be there and she would have true feelings to back up any action needed. Any action. Even if it meant going through hell to bring him back again if there was any chance of it at all.

"Do you honestly know how?" She had seen him do all manner of things but dancing was a new one. By this point she shouldn't be surprised if he could classically ballroom dance but with Harry you just never quite knew what to expect.

He heard it a different way. Less crossing, more burning.

It wasn't exactly a skill he rolled out often, dancing, there just wasn't much of a chance with classy parties being a rarity in his line of work. That the last one he'd attended had ended with the guests trying to kill him and him burning the whole place down kind of put him off of them as well.

"Wouldn't be much of a wizard if I went around giving away all my secrets, would I?" He gave her another grin. He... might be a bit rusty, but it was probably like riding a bike. "Want to find out?"

New Year's Eve Countdown Party

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Never be sorry! I'm loving it!

As am I!

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