2019-12-08 - Hope Watches Out

The Lyft! The drive! Uneventful. Maybe a little barf action as they get out, and the account is charged, and then they're all trundling in a grey misty rain to the porch. Luckily, she remembered the address in her inebriated state. Sutton didn't bring her keys either. At least she remembered her coat at the bar! She raps on the door with hard little knuckles. "Ow fuck." Those are bruised and sore still. She swaps hands and knocks with her left.

No keys. No coat. No Carver.

Well, no Carver by the door. When Sutton's left hand raps on the door, it swings open mid-knock. The lights are on. There's FOUR large pizza boxes resting atop the coffee table, with numerous water bottles, a 2L bottle of soda, and what straight up appears to be an unopened bottle of vodka, surrounded by cups. Not glasses. Cups. The guy had no idea what state everybody would be in. This felt safer.

That guy, by the way? Waaaaaay over in the back of the dining area, having slid the table out of the way to be caught mid-wipe down of the plain white wall with a slightly damp cloth. Yes, he's in a waistcoat. And slacks. And shoes.

A black cat with bright green eyes sits on the mat in front of the door, watching the slowly revealing form of Sutton. Which might raise questions. How drunk is everyone?

Alison clambers out of the car, mostly intact. She reaches up and pulls her ponytail free, letting her hair fall about her shoulders wherever it decides to land, then reaches back into the car to help others out as well. Drunken solidarity. Her stomach, thankfully, seems to be holding up well enough so that she isn't throwing up, but she's a little wobbly on her pumps. If she'd been on heels tonight, she'd be screwed.

Mae is slightly drunk, she can still walk in her five inch heels, and she isn't swaying yet. She vaguely recalls that someone was supposed to vomit in the Lyft, but she sure as shit wasn't volunteering for that duty. She spies the pizza boxes on top of the coffee table, along with drinks and vodka. "Well shit." She murmurs, helping someone in the door, at this point, who is irrelevant. "Evening." She chirps politely, waving toward the man wiping down the wall with a damp cloth. "I expect you're the hot and ready pizza Englishman who occasionally gets beat up with pillows?" She really just wants out of her shoes at this point.

Kai comes out of the car last and is not dressed to the nines like all the other women, at least not in the same way. The pint-sized Asian is in black leather pants and a dark blue button up, left untucked. She seems to have forgotten her coat somewhere, because it isn't on her. The alcohol seems to have hit her on the ride over and she has a swimming little grin as she moves in after the others in her angle boots. "Hey," is her greeting.

Of course the first thing Sutton does on her way stumbling (sans heels) is to drop the shoes in her hand on the floor. The second is to notice her phone on the table by the door. "Hey phone." It goes off promptly, screen flashing to life, the Mexican Hat Dance trilling out. What flashes across the screen? Two missed texts:

(TXT to Sutton) Ruiz: Stop fucking telling people we haven't broken up. You left. You haven't returned my messages. If you wanted to try again, you've had a month to do it. So fucking stop.

(TXT to Sutton) Ruiz: Nothing to say? Okay, save you the effort. We're done.

Sutton stands there looking at the screen, phone resting in her palm face up, just... looking at it. She squints. "Wow." She picks up her phone, leaned against the wall briefly, types out a quick reply. "Haven't had a breakup in text since I was nine."

She shrugs out of the coat she had on next, skintight red dress making the second appearance of the evening. "Alistair, you are a god among men." Does she react to the door opening by no one? She does not. Sutton probably assumes it was Hope, the cat. "Fuck yes, pizza." She doesn't sit on the couch so much as melt over onto it. "Shhhhh." She says regarding the pillow thing, flailing for a pizza box. It's not hard. There are FOUR of them. They're quite close. "What happened to the wall?" Why is he always cleaning when she comes home? "Why are you cleaning again?"

There is a straight-up puncture wound in the drywall when Carver drops his cloth-laden hand at the sound of people coming right on in, throwing the group of them a quick glance each in turn. Mae? Gets a wave. A straight up wave. "That'd be me, love. I take it you're dancer who takes, and I quote, 'No shit.'?"

Sutton's descriptions are anything but inaccurate.

And it's almost like he's watching Mae to ignore the red dress in the room. Redoubling his efforts when the edge of his mouth starts to crease upwards. Oh, that's an outfit. "Surprise house-guest, Sutton. Anyway, I spread the shit out of the topping selections. Help y'selves to pizza. And drink. Not to the cat. She's had a long day and might take it out on your face. Bathroom's on the right there." Welcome, all!

Mae gives Sutton a look when she speaks, and then she's kneeling down to unbuckle four straps that are keeping those heels on. She pulls them free and glances around. "Harry, you got a pair of sweats and a tank top I can borrow? I don't feel like flashing my shit while I sit here eating pizza." Which means someone isn't wearing panties. In the mean time though, until Sutton is sober enough to know where the clothes are, she'll find a seat, keep her legs crossed primly and fish out a piece of pizza from the box. "You weren't kidding, hot and ready indeed."

"You're right. I take no shit, I've boned up on punching people who try to force it." She flashes Carver a smile and nothing else, because her legs are crossed people. After two bites of precious pizza she rolls her eyes toward Sutton. "You all right?" She mutters, but Carver's words have her shifting her eyes toward the cat. Hopefully the cat doesn't want her pepperoni.

Alison follows suit, following Sutton into the house, and then removing her pumps as well, shoving them.. somewhere, away from the door, anyways. She hadn't been close enough (or with it enough) to question the opening of the door, so she doesn't.

The redhead squints at the man cleaning the wall, of all things, in such an outfit. "This is gonna end up being one of those nights, isn't it." But then the pizza catches her eye, and she turns towards it, rifling through the boxes for one with the blessed fruit, pineapple, quickly shoving a slice into her mouth with a satisified little groan. Mmmmm. Her red vinyl pants creak slightly as she walks, any attempt to walk in a manner that would minimize the squeaking probably went out the window sometime between pina colada #2 and the shots. She finds a seat and flumps into it, limbs sprawling out. "Oh, uh, hello." she says towards Carver, suddenly realizing that she should probably at least acknowledge their host's presence.

Kai arches a brow at Sutton's revelation. "Damn that was a cold nine year old. Cold, savvy nine year old. Come get some carb therapy?" She flops down onto the couch. "Thanks for letting us hang," she offers to the host with a little wave. Mae might get a look at her indirect revelation. It causes a delay in her reaching for anything. Then she leans over to grab a slice of whatever's on top. Like this? It's pizza and she's not that picky.

Sutton's third swipe at the pizza box bears fruit. She pulls the box closer and peers inside upon opening it. "Glorious pepperoni & extra cheese." That's a ridiculous amount of cheese. More cheese than anyone ought to be eating. Ever. She pulls a warm, stringy slice free of the box. "Yeah, babe. I'll show..." She tries to get off the couch, but gravity seems to have claimed her ass for evil. Or sitting. You know. "Um. Master bedroom, top of the stairs on the left." Right. Know your right and left, Sutton. "Second middle drawer." Seems the red dress wearing blonde isn't worried about flashing a lot of leg. She was before the fourth? Fourth shot. "Alistair, Kai, Alison, Mae. Everybody, Alistair." She leans back and calls to Mae, not that Mae is very far away, "If you go to the Bennie room," presumably where Bennie sloshed herself up to, "that's the wrong one." Joke's on them. Bennie's passed out in the bathtub. "Girl, I date advanced nine year olds." At some point she'll remember that should be past tense.

Somewhat belatedly, she remembers she was asked a question. "Yeah, I'm... yeah. I mean. Yeah." Food for thought, Sutton. Nice answer.

Carver's hair is growing out a little. It's a good thing, because that adds just the right about of gravitas to the hand that runs through it to pull a few strands away from his forehead. "I am outright disappointed in you for thinking me lacking."

It's hard to tell if that's directed at anything in particular, or just the noises of enjoyment as soon as pizza starts disappearing. "Mae, love, there's a drying cabinet by the stairs there." That'd be the thin wooden door with slats that contains, normally, a sea of blankets and pillows and quilts for when the living room turns into a makeshift 'I live here now' campground with pillow forts. "I figured it'd be a 50/50 shot on people managing the stairs." He follows up. Look, the guy knows drinking. The guy knows making things easier on himself and others when dealing with the after-effects. "You're all welcome to steal whatever you like from it. Pleased to meet you all, watch out for-"

Hope headbutts Kai's leg. Probably without anyone seeing her move from the doorway.

"-Nevermind."

"Master bedroom, up the stairs and to the left." Mae takes another bite of pizza and sets it down on a napkin, pushing herself to her feet. She makes a point to avoid getting into swiping distance with the cat as she heads upstairs. She does find Bennie room, and finds Bennie in the bathtub, the woman looks so peaceful that she doesn't bother her, closing the door gently so she can head to the other bedroom. Off comes the short, spangled barely there dress and a pair of sweats and a t-shirt are pulled on.

She rejoins the ladies and makes her way to the drying cabinet, how very British, and pulls out blankets and pillows and starts to mother everyone. It's not like her at all, so liquor obviously has to be playing a part here. Once she's satisfied that everyone is going to be warm and comfortable, she settles back in her chair, avoiding Hope the entire time, covers up her body and takes a bite of pizza. "Mmmm, where did you get these, Alistair?"

Alison snickers a little at Mae's predicament. She's not in the same boat, at least, but then again, she'd love to get out of these sweaty death trap of vinyl pants. Not that her size would be handy with this lot, nor does she know any of them well enough to be borrowing close, so in these pants she'll stay.

"Why is pizza so much better when you're drunk. They should be able to make it this good when you're sober." The redhead grabs her phone out of her back pocket, unlocking it, smirking, then taking a selfie with a goofy look on her face, pizza slice drooping. She mashes the send button on the phone, then tucks it back away, only to watch the kitty roaming around. She squees a little, but only barely manages to restrain herself from reaching out for the kitty. She has a look in her eyes like she sure wants to pet dat kitty, though.

Kai leans back into the couch with her slice of pizza and a contented expression since just past that pizza are...well, some very nice legs. She munches happily enough as she listens to their host give them the what's what. She's taken completely off guard by the headbutt. "Oh, hey pretty lady," she smiles down to Hope but doesn't interfere with the trajectory or activities the cat chooses. She has no strange animal scents on her, ripe for claiming.

About, oh, three minutes later than most people, Sutton realizes what Carver said about a surprise house guest, and that it's not referring to Bennie. The guest room's been made up for Bennie already. So... "Oh. Oh. Right. Surprise house guest." She stops short of clicking her tongue and doing finger guns, but only just. The first bite of pizza is cheesy heaven. She asks something of Kai and Alison. She looks at them, sounds come out. It would take advanced mouth-full translation to realize she just asked, "What do you do?" And then said, "I'm a paramedic." Good thing she's off duty tonight. Mhm.

She swallows her pizza, then says, "Alistair." She tries to use her phone several times to google something, but her pizza is in her mouth. Her thumbs try and try but she just keeps typing how.long.does.molly and deleting and trying to use spaces and accidentally hitting periods. She gives up and turns on her selfie camera to check her own eyes, but can't both hold it still enough and look into it, because she's drunk enough that she can't focus properly. "So good pizza." Muffled, again, because pizza in her mouth. She fails at talking and eating.

Hope slips beneath the couch once her presence has been made known. It's dark under there. She doesn't come back out.

Carver doesn't slip beneath the couch. It's dark under there, and he might not come back out. "Pizza's from a place down by the boardwalk. I'd tell you the name, but it's in my phone as 'F Good Pizza'. I think they cater solely to people who enjoy pizza more when they're completely blitzed." He replies on the way over to the fridge, grabbing himself a glass bottle of what looks to be root beer. Sutton's meanderings with her phone get a little pause and narrowing of his eyes, cutting his walk over to one of the couches short to settle for leaning up against where the wall arches between kitchen and living area instead. "Although, I tried it sober once, Alison. Pretty good. Pret-ee good."

Mae is settled in, warm and cozy, nibbling at her pizza one tiny bite at a time. It's almost as if she hasn't noticed that there are four boxes, or it's because her eyes are getting heavy. Between being warm, pillowed and blanketed, she's feeling the night pretty hard at the moment. She takes a bigger bite out of her pizza and cuts her gaze toward the other three. "This was such a nice night." She smiles at that, and settles in more. "Will there be pizza left in the morning?" She asks, yawning before she sets the crust somewhere out of the way so she doesn't wake up with it stuck to her cheek.

Alison gestures lazily in the entirely wrong direction, responding to the latter statement by Sutton rather than the first, since the first just sounded like.. noise, really. "I work at the Grizzly with Bennie. When she's there, anyways." The redhead continues nibbling on pizza, staring at the blankets being offered around with Mae.

Eventually, she decides to grab blankets, and covers herself up into a neat little pile, head disappearing under the fabrics as she wiggles around. The vinyl pants get thrown out of the pile, and then the bandeau top, both landing in heaps wherever they land, phone going with it. Her head pops out of the blanket pile, the rest of her lost beneath the folds. "Don't judge me, I'm drunk."

Leaning back to Carver upon hearing his voice, "Don't know if I've tried that place." She probably has, but doesn't realize it. Pizza tends to be a big part of her diet, lately. "It's hard to fuck up pizza, though. Domino's sure does a good job of it."

"What?" Kai certainly has no clue what Sutton just asked and said. "Because your brain chemicals are all fucked up or something. I don't know. I learned something about it the other day..." She shrugs and scarfs down some more. She glances around for the cat and frowns when she sees it has gone like a thief in the night.

When Alison answers the question though, this seems to clue Kai in. "I am enrolled at the illustrious Gray Harbor Community College." She laughs at that. "And I'm undeclared." This seems to be something to chuckle at too. "What did you say you do?" She tries to get Sutton's attention, but she's no match for pizza or a phone and doesn't try to compete all that long. "Well it's good pizza, thanks!"

Sutton starts leaning in toward Mae when Mae starts to slouch into the couch, and the two kind of tip together, nibbling pizza and chatting with the other guests, and their esteemed host. "Always cold pizza in the morning for breakfast. Best hangover cure." It cures nothing, but it is delicious. The blonde straightens a bit when Mae tips over, helps cover her with a blanket, rubbing one of her feet absently while she stuffs her face with pizza with the other. "Good night for sure." She might not remember it all. "I'm glad we did this. We should do it more."

"Oh, you do? Man, we used to get eggy sandwiches there pretty often." Sutton thinks for a minute. It's been a while. "Wow, like... six months ago? Girl be free, ok. Boobs need to breathe." She jerks a thumb over her shoulder. "He's seen them before." Carver, she means. "Safe space." Except when unexpected visitors climb out of the trap door in the kitchen. What trap door in the kitchen? Noooo there's no trap door in the kitchen. "GHCC. Huh. What's your maybe major? Oh shit, I haven't said that since that year I said fuck it to college. Mmm. College." Come back from the land of 19 year olds, Sutton! "Um... paramedic."

If Carver has some argument about getting out of body-murdering outfits, he doesn't say it aloud. Mostly because he's too busy drinking root beer and letting out a soft hissing noise as the telltale feel of claws press against his calf, thigh, back, and then eventually his shoulder. He's the only one standing up, which means he's the tallest, warmest perch available for a cat. And maybe he'll give her some overly-sugared drink which is probably terrible for her.

"Aw man. I miss sleeping in the Grizzly." He didn't do it for long, but until better lodgings were found, that place was a lifesave- Wait. WAIT. "We do not mention the 'D' word in this household."

Yes. Sutton gets a glance. Two. Three. "DOMINOS. Ah, fuck."

Alison grins at the passed out Mae. She wouldn't have wagered on her to pass out so soon, but hey, tolerance levels are different. "Yeah, this was fun. I'm glad that I met you! Hanging out with Bennie after work for once is fun."

She groans a bit at the mention of college. She's never been. She's been dodging it, hence why she never really made it past being a waitress. "If I ever figure my shit out, I need to figure out what I want to major in."

Sutton's mentioning of letting the boobs breath just makes the drunk redhead laaaaugh. She looks over to Carver, assuming that he isn't watching, then turns back, pulling the blanket down below her neck. She's not completely flat, but the relatively small breasts are uncovered. And quite freckled, should anyone look before she hides herself again with a laugh. "Nothing really to let breathe, but the pants get so damn hot. Feels like I'm swimming in 'em after a while."

The disgust at mention of the forbidden pizza place makes her look back over at the man, not sure if he's joking or not. "It'd be nice if they weren't mentioned in any household, ever, but I'll make sure that it doesn't happen again. My most sincere apologies." They don't sound like the most sincere of apologies!

"My parents like to think I'm pre-med though, so they can fucking dream right?" Kai talks as if she hasn't a care in the world. "I really have no fucking clue what what I want to do. I'll probably just drop out soon. Paramedic? That sounds interesting. Lots of adrenaline. Quick thinking." She's a little slow between the short phrases, thanks to the alcohol, but she's not nearly as smashed as everyone else...well, maybe she's just practiced at playing it cool. Though she is pretty smiley right now. She leans to wave her hand in front of Sutton just to see the effect on the woman. Yeah, remember when she knew how to play it cool? "What did you take?" The Dominos discussion sort of sails over her head at the moment and DAMNIT SHE TOTALLY MISSES THE FLASH. Totally unaware.

"I haven't been in there in a long time. I —" Sutton pauses when she thinks about why it is she stopped going there, and takes another few bites of her pizza. Hm. She glances over in time to see a swish of a black tail as Hope uses Carver as a kitty tower. Carver seems to have a 'shit pizza chain' tick. She squints at him. "Yeah, that's right. You used to bunk there like a homeless." When he was kinda homeless. "I tried college for a year, didn't like it, but I knew what I wanted, so by the time I went back, it was nights working toward it on the job. Life's funny that way."

She laughs when Alison flashes her, waggling her eyebrows in what can only be called an exaggerated fashion. "Yowsa." Subtle, Sutton. That's what they used to call her. Never, no one has ever called her that. She smiles still, reaching for her own blanket. "Because this happens, if y'fall asleep, welcome to stay for breakfast, loves." Carver already pointed out the linen closet with extras.

What did she take? "Um. Feels like molly," she asides to Kai behind her hand, which doesn't hide anything from Carver at all. "I didn't ask." Yeah, lots of adrenalin and quick thinking, when you're not rolling and drunk. "Ah, blurry." She swats at Kai's hand, missing entirely. "I forget how long this shit lasts." She might remember, if not for all the shots.

"'Bout four hours, pet." Carver totally 'asides' to Sutton from across the room after a quick little nod regarding his naps in the Grizzly. Because that's totally possible. If he noticed the flashing going on, that's also un-commented on. Let's leave it a mystery as to whether he did or no- Okay no he's both A) Behind the couches across the room and B) was totally distracted with whispering something quiet to the cat. He didn't notice shit.

There's about two more sips of his drink before he offers out a little. "I never even got to go to college. Which, I mean... great. Over a decade later I've still no idea what I'd choose."

He doesn't comment on folks staying overnight, but he doesn't say anything against it either. Congrats, you've all got blankets and resting space. That and the beds upstairs are HUGE.

Alison mmmms. "Breakfast sounds amazing." She grabs a pillow and tucks it under her head. "I think I'm about to fall asleep.. ugh, I wish that Evie had been able to come out too. Used to her all over me at night." She gives her head a little shake, red hair flying about. "It's not a problem if I pass out, is it?"

Kai grins when Sutton misses. "Just keep drinking water." She pushes up to her feet and moves toward the linen closet. Out she pulls blankets and pillows. She seems a touch more somber, "I'm honestly just delaying shit right now, because I can." She takes some of the blankets she got out and starts covering all the people who look like they are going to pass out and don't have one already. Then she kicks off her boots and crawls to flop somewhere indiscriminate, not even bothering to ask if it's okay or not at this point. "Just enjoy it," she suggests to Sutton of the rest of her little whatever-trip. If it's molly, there might not be a fun come down at the end of it.

Sutton already lost her phone again, probably into the cavernous couch, with the screen up and the camera on, which means by the time she goes to look for it again, it'll probably be dead. "Hookay. Four hours." She can do four hours. She mms and says, "I think you'd be an 8th year senior, Alistair, taking this and that to your heart's content as you made your way," she pauses, yawning a jaw-cracking yawn, "Along the journey." She sinks a little more into the couch. She listens to Alison speaking with her eyes closed. "Mm. Yeah. It's cool. If you wake up first, help yourself to the fridge. If you need a shower, shower." Provided someone's not passed out in the shower. "Go to sleep, pet. Hope watches out for us." Hope, the cat. Softer still. "Bring Evie next time..." She's going down too, her brain finally succumbing to the alcohol.

There's soft, even breaths, almost like she fell asleep, but then she says to Kai, "More water. All the water." Her hazel eyes slip open, just slivers of grey-green ringing amber, visible between the spread of dark lashes. "Good plan. Thanks for coming over." She almost, aaaalmost dozing when she realizes she didn't check on her partner. "Ugh. I have to pee & roll her on her side." It takes her two tries to get up, and then she ends up crawling up the stairs, feet and hands. In a dress that was not made for bending over in. Sorry! Not sorry. The blonde disappears.

Hope does indeed watch out for them. Long after everyone has settled in to sleep, or just outright passed the hell out...

Hope watches them all. Sometimes from a ceiling beam. Sometimes from mere inches in front of their face.

At one point, it's from atop Mae's head.

But none of them die overnight, and for that, you are VERY WELCOME.