perpetual anticipation is good for the soul but it's bad for the heart

[maxxx]

Comments

[madskilled]

Forget the band, where's the big sound. It's a party for crying out loud.

( But, not her style of party after all. )

'Least the booze is top notch. ( She lifts her glass in greeting. ) You riding solo, too?

[deathlessness]

[She nods as she turns to face the other woman more.]

My sister and her husband had to leave early, so I took their ticket. Still, this wasn't what I expected.

[madskilled]

Yeah, it's -- hokey, and historically accurate, but also, like the kink's riding just under the surface.

( go vets and vet lovers, but wear a mask, because it's sexy. )

Like it shouldn't work, but it does. ( except for the band and dancing. ) Why'd they bounce so early?

[deathlessness]

They're parents of a toddler, so I think they underestimated their stamina after dealing with a two year-old all day.

[But he's a cute energy suck, so they're usually willing to forgive him for it.]

I can't really say I blame them for choosing quiet and sleep over a party.

[madskilled]

You don't get the parties jumpin', jumpin'?

( Destiny's Child. The only version of 'child' Faith is comfortable with. She's bonded with some young slayers, but she has no - and wants no - progeny. At least at this point in her life. And she's getting up there as far as she's concerned. )

[deathlessness]

[She blinks at first, because by the time Freya woke up in 2014, Destiny's Child had already come and gone.]

Sorry, I'm not sure I follow.

[She does know who Beyonce is, at least so ... that's something?]

[madskilled]

The song. Everybody is jumpin, jumpin. Destiny's Child. Pre-Beyonce. Thought you were, uh, more seasoned. Sorry about it.

( How young is this chick. Should she be looking for Chris Hansen? )

[deathlessness]

[Her eyebrows go up when Faith mentions Beyonce and she nods. That's her bad. And she actually is far more seasoned than Faith probably realizes. She just ... missed a lot.

But fortunately she gets into these situations more often than you think.]

Sorry. I missed a lot of the nineties and the early 2000s. I'm still trying to catch up on the pop culture stuff.

[madskilled]

( Well, that's a thing to say. Smells supernatural and now she has to decide if it's worth her time. )

You live under a rock or something?

[deathlessness]

Something like that.

[And Faith isn't wrong, but Freya is used to dancing around it in public, so she gives a glib:]

You could almost say I slept through it.

[madskilled]

Almost, huh?

( Doesn't sound vampy, though. With an (11), Faith's slayer senses are picking something up, but she's not sure what. )

You missed a good time. Great movies. Better music. Grunge.

[deathlessness]

I'm catching up, slowly but surely.

[It's just a lot of pop culture milestones to get through in the years that she has. She'll add Destiny's Child to her list, like Captain America does. Though Captain America's reasons for sleeping through the emergence of pop music is a lot more common knowledge.]

I have seen some of the animated films from the era, at least.

[She likes cartoons.]

[madskilled]

Disney slaps, yo.

( But, tell nobody she's a sap for The Little Mermaid or Aladdin. Not that she can sing a lick. )

'Less you're talking about the more fucked up kids shit, like Little Nemo or The Brave Little Toaster. Even Land Before Time's depressing as fuck.

[deathlessness]

Little Nemo is Disney, I think. No, that's Finding Nemo.

[Not that she actually cares.]

I babysat for my niece a lot when she was growing up and she was a big fan of animated musicals. Not that she'd ever admit that now.

[madskilled]

( All Nemo's creep the shit out of her. The ocean is, like, vast. )

How old is she?

( And will that help Faith in determining how old you are? )

[deathlessness]

[It could help you. But it also probably won't because Freya is much ... much older than she looks.]

Eighteen. Just started her freshman year at Tulane.

[Which is baffling, really. But also she lived through most of it, so she can't really deny it.]

[madskilled]

New Orleans. You got a niece on the bayou?

( That's kind of great. )

Sounds like you got a nice family sitch.

( It's alien to Faith. )

And you got the ticket hook-up.

[deathlessness]

I'm on the bayou most of the time. I'm in the city visiting.

[And yeah, her family situation is pretty nice - for her. For other people they can be quite problematic.]

I did. And I think that while my brother-in-law had good intentions, this isn't quite my scene.

[madskilled]

There was a big explosion there a few months back, right?

( And quite the knock down-dragout, but you can't call someone out on the violence in their city. )

...Yeah? Me neither. Counts as a change of scenery, but not much else. Like the company though.

[deathlessness]

Maybe we could try something else?

[She feels like she and Faith would have a similar vibe in a bar with a little more ambiance, a little less big band. And with that suggestion the two of them will wander out, and in the process we will cut to Waverly Earp, darting across the party to hit the bar because man did she need a break from that conversation.

"Two beers, a double whiskey, a martini and a Manhattan." A beat and then she shakes her head. "Oh, no, a dark and stormy. Thanks."]

[lengthened]

( You don't have to tell a girl twice. Faith finishes her drink and lets Freya lead the way.

Aalis pulls out of the awkwardness as well, following Waverly to the bar. She sets her empty martini glass down on the bartop, pleasantly surprised. )

Are you... buying my next drink, Waverly Earp?

[stupetballs]

I did say I would buy a round.

[She hasn't missed how the rest of their group has scattered for the time being, but she turns to Aalis with a smile.]

And when it comes to booze, I'm a girl of my word.

[lengthened]

I too am, when it comes to - everything. But, you can attribute that to my years. I know, I don't look a day over twenty-five.

( Don't mind if she palms her martini. )

[stupetballs]

[Go right ahead. You're the one she bought it for.]

In this wisdom you have to offer, does it also include your skin care regimen? Because I'm assuming with a statement like that, it's top notch.

[lengthened]

It's expensive. And, all natural. Mostly. I could say the same for you. You have flawless skin, Waverly Earp. Tell me, what's your secret?

( She takes a cursory sip, eyes trained on Waverly for her answer. )