[NYE Party] happy new year and lots of fun

[nascensibility]

Who: EVERYONE, but especially you!
Where: Wonderland Ballroom
When: New Year's Eve
Rating: PG - PG13 (will change if applicable)
Summary: New Year's Eve Party
The Story:

[ Previously in the month all residents received an invitation to a formal event: a black tie affair to ring in the New Year. The ballroom and adjacent areas are decked out for the party starting at eight o'clock sharp, meticulously planned and executed, glittering décor to match the no doubt glittering attire as music pours into the halls from the dance floor.

Bars flank each side, service for all manner of alcohol unless a minor requests something, and the primary setting stage features an enormous clock for the countdown. ]




[ Where will you be when the clock strikes midnight? ]

Comments

[mucked]

Or something.

[ she echoes. already, she can begin to read between the lines and find the subtext suggestive that castle isn't keen on tony. and, truthfully, peggy can't blame him for that. if it hadn't been for the funny sort of familial connection at play she rather doubts she'd be much keen on him either.

and it's not like howard was a perennially well-liked creature back in the '40s either. ]

It's a mixed bag. Howard Stark is also rather too clever for his own good. Although also markedly less morose.

[scoutsniper]

[She probably doesn't have to use much skill to read between those lines. Even when Frank tried to be nice to Tony...it hadn't gone well. And it had hurt him almost physically just doing that. ]

If he doesn't feel the need to tell everyone he's better'n me, he's a damn sight better than his son.

[Though Frank's got 'morose' pretty well cornered himself.]

[mucked]

[ tony wears his insecurity on his sleeve -- although it certainly presents like over-confidence. like overreach. but peggy won't be saying so. she has, after all, at least a through-line of loyalty.

instead: ]

Megalomania might actually run in the blood when it comes to the Starks. They're -- an acquired taste. I'll not deny it.

[scoutsniper]

Probably so.

And I've got to admit, this place doesn't give people a lot of opportunities to show the better sides of themselves.

[Even him, though the good side of him is probably a pretty tiny facet at this point.]

[mucked]

Many of us certainly start out combative. Some doubtless stay so.

[ and then there's tony stark. what she could say in favour would be too personal in nature, so she'll settle for not rising to his defense at all. tony's a big boy; he doesn't need his 'aunt' running interference for him. ]

[scoutsniper]

You don't stay combative here, it means this place is taking your edge.

[Frank, combative to the end. And then some.]

[mucked]

[ a huff of breath -- almost laughter. ]

That's not the sort of combative I'm talking about. [ not the sort that has anything to do with real combat, that is. ] More like -- a standoffishness, I suppose. The sort of behaviour that drives a man to attend something like this and then spend the whole night looking sour about it.

[ her attention doesn't turn on tony, just then, but she sure as hell knows where he's standing and glowering at that very moment. ]

[scoutsniper]

[ Look, 'combative' is sort of in Frank's job description, the official and the unofficial one. ]

You trying to give me a hint or something here?

[Because he might be guilty of, uh, just that. ]

[mucked]

You're certainly welcome to take a hint -- should you feel you need one.

[ a very careful answer. not because she's worried about telling him the truth -- far from it. but because she'd never meant it as an aspersion cast on him, so now she's curious about why he'd read himself into what was originally a dig at tony. ]

But, truthfully, you seem to be managing. You took a seat here, didn't you?

[ not quite so people-averse as she might have first guessed. ]

[scoutsniper]

[Yeah, sometimes he lets something slip like that--he's so busted. By himself. ]

Yeah, well, can't scowl forever. [Though he'd done a good job of it for most of the past month.]

[mucked]

It does get rather tiring, doesn't it? [ she seems to be speaking from experience. ] Not that I'm saying we should all go around holding hands and singing hymn -- far bloody from it.

[ this is about as near as she's gotten to a decent mood in a long while. it's strange to feel. ]

But this place does its best to beat us down. Maybe there's a speck of wisdom to be found in trying to resist it every now and then.

[scoutsniper]

Not sure you could get a lot of us to even do that.

[Frank...does not hold hands. Or sing. ]

I don't know. Wish I could figure out if this place wanted me to be miserable or happy; so I could give it the opposite of what it fucking wants.

[Combative: hard mode.]

[mucked]

[ -- a bit of a snort. trust, it was far from a serious suggestion. peggy is usually the more combative person in a given room. it's a weird kind of comfort to be outdone by others who manage to be more difficult. but, then again, she doesn't have quite as much reason to push back in a mansion where very few people overlook her for her gender. ]

It wants your memories. And I suspect it'll take them whatever way it can get them: happily or miserably.

[scoutsniper]

It seems to want some emotion, though. I mean, it's got to take a lot of effort to do all this crazy shit. If it was just memories they were after, why not take them all nice and peaceful like?

[Would Frank Castle be paranoid? Nahhh.]

[mucked]

I suppose -- I suppose we must ask ourselves if a peaceful extraction is even possible. [ conversation turns murky; it so often does. ] Like pulling the keystone out of an arch -- or, hell, any stone -- you do little more than guarantee instability.

[ she pauses. ]

Many believe that memories are integral to who we are. If that's the case, I can understand why 'all this crazy shit,' as you call it, might be the only means they've got.

[scoutsniper]

[ Frank's no genius at architecture, but he gets that metaphor. ] So it might be a side effect, is what you're saying.

[This place sure seems to enjoy making those side effects, though. ]

You don't think memories are who we are? Believe me, ma'am, I'd love to get rid of some of mine. Be a different man.

[mucked]

It's not that I don't think so, but rather -- [ her nose crinkles. it's hard for someone like her to admit to ignorance, and yet: ] I know enough to know I'm no expert in psychology or neurology or any field that could properly answer that question.

All I've got are theories. And, at times, having too many theories is far far far from a good thing.

[scoutsniper]

Then again, nothing here follows the rules of goddam physics, so I'm not sure their psychology would.

[Which would just be irritating enough for this place.]

Nah, you got theories, you have stuff you can put to the test, at least.

What have you got?

[mucked]

[ she pauses -- not against this new thrust of conversation, of course, but cognizant that the circumstances mightn't be ideal. ]

Are you quite sure this is the right venue for that sort of talk?

[ that is, is he willing to get into this dirt here and now. peggy certainly doesn't mind -- someone's waiting on her for a dance, admittedly, but he can wait a little longer. ]

[scoutsniper]

[Well, fuck. that's a good point. If there are going to be eyes and ears, they'd definitely be here. ]

Some other time. [He's going to try to play it off, just in case. ] Not really a party topic, is it?

[mucked]

Not in the least. [ but she drains her drink and makes a move to stand. not before offering: ] But you're more than welcome to ring me up in the new year, Mister Castle, if you'd like to arrange a chat.

[scoutsniper]

Yeah, like we get a lot of downtime for friendly chatting. Or not so friendly chatting.

But I think I've been missing a lot, so, I might just take you up on that.

[mucked]

Oh, I don't know. Sometimes it feels like chatting is all I ever do. [ it's not a very serious answer. her mask is up; a playful persona befitting her dress and her context. ]

I hope to hear from you. [ ... ] After all, I do think you said something about lunch?

[scoutsniper]

Yeah, well, chatting's better than dying. Or getting otherwise fucked around by this place.

[ She's a lady and he should watch his language but sometimes, you know, it slips out. Because fuck this place. ]

Yeah, lunch, some time when we don't have to worry about, you know, messing up clothes. [Because dirty water dogs, chili, fries and ketchup...the best cheap eats are not clean eats.]