entrancelogs | ( open ) Hot Tub Cinema Party...

Entry tags:

( open ) Hot Tub Cinema Party...

Who: Darcy Lewis & YOU!
Where: First Floor, Room 16
When: October 13th in the Evening
Rating: Probably up to PG-13, will update as needed
Summary: Today is the 2 year anniversary of the coffee shop, it's time to celebrate in a not!typical way.
The Story:

There was something to be said for distraction sometimes being the best medicine. The past month had been interesting, but it was time to move forward and celebrate a milestone. The coffee shop had been around for 2 years and somehow was still standing after everything. It had gone through a facelift about 5 months ago and was about to go over another baby one to make room for the celebration. The look of the shop hadn't changed, but there was suddenly a locked door to room 16 as of 10/11 that hadn't been there before considering the shop had previously spanned 2 rooms. Posters were placed all over the mansion as well as a digital invitation in the evening of 10/11, announcing the celebration.

Coffee Shop 2 Year Anniversary Celebration
First Floor, Room 16

10/13 @ 7:30pm
Come one, come all!

BASE CODE BY TESSISAMESS

As of the 13th, the coffee shop is decked out with streamers, balloons, and confetti to celebrate the 2 year anniversary as well as some festive luau-style drink options to tie into the plans for the evening. The menu features a lot of frozen and chilled options that pair nicely with the party later. As people start to arrive, there are two dressing rooms available with closets for anyone who needs to change as well as a plethora of towels. Drinks are available both in the coffee shop and at the bar in the cinema room, alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions. There's also a wide assortment of food and goodies that come with a little warning about moderation on all fronts while in the tubs. Once everyone's settled in and the movie starts, there'll be a little bottle delivered to each hot tub for the group to decide whether or not they'd like to add some bubbles to their party. First movie of the evening will be a little more family friendly with The Goonies, the second film, Labyrinth, going a little further on the risqué spectrum. Various pool-type toys are available, including beach balls to casually toss at other people or the screen.

[ ooc: feel free to put up top levels/claim a hot tub and tag around. This is a mingle post! Hit me up on plurk @

riddlesinthedark or PM me if you have any questions. ]

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[ elena wrinkles her nose, conveying her own feelings on the matter. she wouldn't want to share a hot tub with just anyone, so it makes sense a lot of people are coming in groups. ] I don't think anyone can blame you. Being in close quarters like that can be pretty personal.

[ but he's here, which leaves several other options... ]

Are you friends with Darcy?

[ Coming in groups would have made much more sense than flying solo, but Steve hadn't thought of that and he doesn't see any of his close friends around. Not even Natasha in a bikini, which would have been appropriate for the situation. This really isn't their scene for the most part, but here he is all the same.

Elena does a good job of analyzing why that might be. It's strange to think that people might not know how close he and Darcy are, but for those who are newer to Wonderland it makes sense.

He nods firmly and smiles, though it's there and gone just as quick. ] That's right. We're both from the same world, but we actually met here in Wonderland. We're the two people from our world who've been here the longest without forgetting anything, so... we've gotten pretty close. I wanted to support her. [ So while he might not participate in the hot tub part of this, he still wanted to make an appearance.

He tilts his head at Elena, curious. ] How about you? What brings you here?

Edited 2016-10-21 14:32 (UTC)

[ a thoughtful expression sits on her face.

that would strengthen steve's bond with darcy, wouldn't it? soon enough, elena will have been in wonderland for a year. it already feels like a lifetime, so she can't imagine what it must be like for steve and darcy. they've likely seen so many people come and go, all while remaining constants. she is grateful steve has someone like that. everyone needs a linchpin sometimes; a hopeful reminder that for all they may lose, some things they get to keep.

startling from her thoughts, she looks up at him with a sheepish smile. ]

Someone from my own world decided I could use some fun.

[ she admits lowly, ] Sometimes I forget what that looks like.

[ Looking Elena in the face now, it's impossible not to think back to what Faith had told Steve about her Mirror. It's hard to imagine someone like Elena ever being that vicious, but that's exactly why her Mirror would be that way. It's subtle, but Steve studies Elena's features, knowing that he'll need to be on high alert if he ever runs afoul of her double.

That smile she gives him snaps it out of it and he huffs out a laugh, shocked by how much he can relate to this teenage girl. It just goes to show that one should never prejudge, not that he's ever been the kind of person to do that. ]

Oh yeah, I know how that goes. I've had friends practically trick me into having fun before.

[ Steve may not be into the hot tub part of this gathering, but he does appreciate the chance to speak with some familiar faces, Elena included.

He raises an eyebrow at her. ] Hopefully it's working?

[ it's a tiny thing and an even tinier laugh, but elena feels ridiculously proud she's pulled it out of him.

it hasn't escaped her notice steve carries a heaviness of his own. ]

A little.

[ it's a low admission, her lips helplessly tugging into a tiny grin. she knows damon's ego does not need further stroking, but he was right. she can't let her life pass her by because she's sad. wonderland may not be ideal, but right now, it's what she's got, and she needs to start making the best of it. ]

If I'm being honest with you, I probably still have a ways to go.

[ Elena matches Steve's tiny laugh with a tiny grin, so all in all he thinks that this is going better than either of them had imagined when they'd first walked through the door. Maybe they're not as eager to jump into the hot tubs as some, but there's also no one saying they have to.

Her honesty is something that Steve appreciates, particularly seeing how she'd ended up closing off on him the last time they spoke. He still doesn't expect to get any details from her, but he also isn't intending on pushing for them this time. ]

That's fine. I think... that's probably the case for most people. And you're still young.

[ Steve, on the other hand, feels like he's probably too old to be as much of a mess as he is, but that's not something he needs to dump on a teenage girl pretty much ever. ]

So, if you don't think hanging out in hot tubs is fun, what do you find fun? [ Maybe they should start there. ]

You're no dinosaur yourself, Steve.

[ elena sometimes forgets just how young she is in the grand scheme of things. she feels old more often than not. she wonders, briefly and infrequently, if being a doppelgänger has something to do with it. her whole body was manufactured centuries and centuries ago. it's existed for far too long.

as for the answer to his question ... ]

Honestly? Before I got here I was curled up with a book and my cat.

[ and that was pretty fun. a beat, and then she adds: ]

It's a really cute cat.

You have no idea.

[ Steve says the words lightly, even smiles, but there's an edge to his expression that hints there's something else going on. There have been so many jabs made at his age at this point that it's strange for someone to argue that he's young, even if that's the truth. He carries himself with a maturity that makes it easy to forget his real age, with all that time in the ice shaved off.

The response Elena gives him is a little unexpected, but not much. Steve also enjoys that quiet time in his room when he doesn't have to be anything to anyone. Dodger doesn't expect too much of him other than food, walks, and pets. ]

Oh, you have a cat? I have a dog. Never had a pet before Wonderland, but it's nice. [ It's hard to imagine losing Dodger after all this time, although Steve knows he'd be none-the-wiser. That's how Wonderland works.

He tilts his head at Elena, curious. ] What book? If you don't mind me asking.

[ elena tilts her head to the side in curiosity.

the lightness of steve's statement is betrayed by his expression, and elena isn't in the habit of pushing, much like steve doesn't push her. it doesn't mean she won't file that away to maybe gently probe later in their conversation. (doesn't mean she actually believes he's a dinosaur, ftr.) ]

I'd never had a pet before Wonderland, either. I asked for one when I was little, but they told me I should focus on playing with my little brother instead. [ elena's argument? why can't we get a dog if we got jeremy?

unsurprisingly, her parents weren't a fan of it. ]

I don't mind at all. [ elena's smile turns warm that he would ask. she's something of a book nerd. she likes being able to talk about it, but not everyone finds it interesting. ] I'm re-reading Little Women. It was one of my mom's favorite books. [ elena's middle name was thisclose to being louise. ]

Yeah. I couldn't afford one when I was younger, and then my schedule didn't allow for it as I got older. [ Steve shrugs. First the war, then working for SHIELD, then being a freelance Avenger? He didn't have the kind of stability that would allow him to have a pet, although Wonderland's given him that. Even then, he'd mainly ended up with Dodger because the puppy needed a home and got attached to him and Bucky.

Definitely no regrets, though. Steve loves that dog to death.

Still, he's already learning more about Elena just by having this conversation about pets and books. She's got a younger brother, for instance, and her mom is also an avid reader. ]

I've never actually read that one, but I've heard it's good. I remember all the girls in my class reading it when I was a kid. [ He gets a distant sort of look then, since he's remembering pretty far back. Steve had been curious, but he also knew that he got enough crap from people without then being spotted reading a book that was supposedly meant for girls.

He refocuses his attention on Elena. ] I should read more novels, actually. I've been a little too focused on non-fiction lately.

[ whatever the reasons to keep him from getting a pet until now, steve rogers seems like he would be a dog person. everything she's come to learn about him shows him to be a loyal and compassionate person. he deserves to have a dog that can give him a limitless sort of devotion and loyalty in return. ]

I recommend it, but as you can see, I'm biased. If you ever do read it, you should met me know.

[ elena doesn't always get to discuss books with others, and she'd like to. that's not a bad idea, actually. some kind of book club in wonderland that she could start ... she's positive evelyn would be encouraging of it if elena suggested the meetings at the library. hmm. ]

And non-fiction, huh? Any person or event in particular?

I definitely will. [ Much like Steve had watched The Notebook on Lydia's suggestion. He isn't going to dismiss something out of hand simply because it isn't catering to his demographic.

A book club would definitely go over well with Evelyn, and if Elena were to actually go through with something like that, Steve might even participate. Although for now he's more than willing to go by recommendations and his own interests.

Elena probes a little more into Steve's interests, and he's quick to respond. ] History between the years of 1945 and 2010, mainly. [ It might sound overly specific, but there's a reason for that. And there's more written on that subject than Steve could ever hope to keep up with, much as he might try. ]

[ elena's eyebrows climb up gently in curiosity.

that is pretty specific.

elena is no history buff, but alaric saltzman would have a lot to offer where information is concerned. he's taught her a thing or two in their time together. and despite her lack of expertise, she's clever enough to gander a few guesses. ] Studying wars?

[ In that moment, Steve realizes that Elena might be a little too sharp for her own good. He wonders if it's gotten her into trouble in the past. He knows that's definitely happened to him, anyway.

He meets her eyes for a few seconds and then shrugs his shoulders and splays his hands, a "you got me" sort of gesture. ]

What gave it away?

[ elena's smile turns sheepish.

(it's so gotten her in trouble.) ]

That's one of the first things I think of when I hear 1945. [ year the war ended. the kind of wars she's been a part of will never make their way into history books. that's probably for the best. she has a feeling a lot about history doesn't make the books, anyway. ]

[ That doesn't surprise him, really. The war has left its scar on the world, Steve has seen that in the pages of books, in DC memorials, in people's faces. How could it not, when so many people had been affected, when so many atrocities had been committed?

He nods, a slow motion that captures the somber respect he has for everyone who put their lives down back then. Maybe that even includes him. ]

Well... I'm glad to see they're still teaching you about it in schools.

[ It's meant to be a lighthearted comment, but his tone doesn't quite make it there and so it falls a little flat. ]

[ her eyebrows sink downward.

pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place. you have no idea, he said, and for the first time, elena is starting to feel like she doesn't.

how old is he really? ]

Is everything okay? I didn't mean to ...

[ what, exactly? prod an open wound? ]

[ Steve probably shouldn't have let this subject come up in the first place. It's not that he has a problem with telling people about his history, but the way it came about this time means that he's got Elena looking at him with concern in her eyes, and that's enough to make him vaguely uncomfortable.

He shifts his weight from one leg to another and nods. ] It's fine. I actually fought in World War II, it's...

[ Of course she'll have questions. He would too in her position. ]

I had a pretty long sleep, as in seventy years long. Woke up in 2012, hence needing to catch up on everything.

[ elena doesn't know it yet, but she will be cursed with a sleeping spell in her future, should wonderland ever send her back home. for decades, she will remain inside a coffin, her life bonded quite literally to bonnie bennett's. only until bonnie takes her last breath will elena rise again.

life is cruel, and she already knows this.

perhaps the most surprising part of all of this is — elena isn't too surprised. her reaction is muted, a quick parting of the lips and a small oh stumbling past them. some of the people closest to her are over a century old, so she can take this in stride. ]

It's probably not the world you expected, is it?

[ there's still war. there's still hate. people never learn from their history. ]

[ It's not a fate that Steve would want to share with anyone, although he has come across a couple other people in Wonderland who have similar stories. He would hate to know that Elena will have to go through something similar one day.

All the same, she hits the nail on the head with her assumption. Steve sets his snack food aside and crosses his arms over his chest. While there's an attempt to make it casual, there's no denying that it's a defense mechanism of sorts too, unconscious as it may be. ]

I'm not sure what I would have expected, but... yeah.

[ He heaves out a sigh and shakes his head. ]

All I ever wanted was to make the world better, you know?

[ Steve knows that things would have been much worse if it hadn't been for his sacrifice, if those bombs had been allowed to reach the US, but it's not like things are perfect now either. And he's accepted that they never will be, so that's something. ]

I know.

[ elena's smile is bittersweet.

she can sense that takes up the core of steve's being: wanting to make the world a better place. wanting to do what's right. it's with tentativeness elena sets out to place her hand briefly on steve's arm, giving it a light squeeze. when she speaks, it's with all the conviction in the world. ]

You still can. And not only in large scale ways, but with small things that end up being really big things, too.

[ they can make as much a difference as any. ]

[ A bittersweet smile is the only way to react to a conversation like this, although Elena pushes it further by reaching out for him and offering some wisdom of her own. Steve knows that age is little more than a number, that even someone as young as Elena can have plenty of insight to share.

That's why he doesn't brush her off or try to argue with her when she makes her point. If she believes it, then there's no reason to dissuade her. While he doesn't respond much to that squeeze of his arm, he doesn't push her away either. ]

Got any examples?

[ Of the small stuff, he means. Steve has an idea of what she might say, but he wants to hear it anyway. ]

[ it doesn't take elena any time at all to think of an example. ]

When Wonderland gets a new resident, there's no shortage of people who go help, whether it's by answering questions or showing them around the mansion. Some even help them get rooms. And it's more than that. It's letting them know they aren't alone in this.

[ they may not be able to change the fact they're in wonderland, but they can band together.

and for a lot of people, that can make all the difference. ]

[ The fact that Elena uses something relevant to their current situation as an example helps to drive the point home. It's not that Steve doesn't believe her, but it's good to have someone set his head on straight from time-to-time.

He'll admit, when it comes to orienting new people, he's been slacking. It's different if it's someone from his world, which happens on a regular basis, but with random people he often scrolls past their initial announcements without saying a word.

It get exhausting, explaining the same thing over and over, watching the same disappointment settle in on someone's face when they realize that there's no way out and no answers to the most important questions.

Despite all that, Steve nods. It might be a bit delayed, but it's there. ] The only way we survive all this is by sticking together, right? [ Or that's what he wants to believe, but his team doesn't even exist anymore. ]

I think so, yeah.

[ a bittersweet smile returns to her lips. she wonders if steve is tired.

he has been here longer, and elena herself feels the weariness sink to her bones sometimes. she can't imagine how it must be for him. but if she can try to give him even the smallest bit of hope, she wants to try. ] And you're not alone either, Steve. You don't have to fight Wonderland alone.

[ she may not be the avengers, but she is also not resigned. her eyes flit back to damon by the hot tub. ]

I should probably get back to my ... [ date??? ] friend. But if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm around, okay?

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assembles - 2016-12-15 21:19 (UTC) - Expand

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