libertine

[Jon Phillips]

This was it. After one week Batman and Robin had finally moved everything in and settled into their new apartment. It still felt very surreal, Batman could hardly believe the freedom he now had. At home he couldn't eat pizza all day. At home he couldn't use a mankini as a slingshot. At home he couldn't have the biggest house warming party ever in the history of house warming parties. But here the eighteen year old was, doing all these things without a worry in the world. Being a grown up was so awesome. Now he finally understood what Samuel meant when he talked about freedom, he never fully appreciated it until now. Batman walked over to gently tap the turtle tank. He felt bad about moving Barbra and Alfred to Robin's room for the night, but it was in everybody's best interest to keep them safe. Keeping the turtles away from the house warming party's drunken antics came first in his mind. First even to drinking. Tonight Batman planned to get very, very drunk so he had to make sure the turtles were safe. Otherwise he'd be too worried and end up completely sober. It had only been a week, but the reptiles had quickly grown on him. They were his pride and joy and after all. He didn't want to worry about them the entire night. The task of moving the tank was on Robin's shoulders since they would be in his room and Batman didn't want to invade his friend's privacy. That wouldn't stop him from checking up on them later though. Hopefully he remembered to check on them before he was too drunk, he didn't want them seeing him in such a state.

"You better keep them safe." Batman shot his gaze to Robin. He trusted that his best friend would keep them safe, but wanted to make sure for his own sake. Somehow the reassurance caused him to worry less. He stood back and walked behind the kitchen counter to let Robin move the tank. There were many bottles of alcohol lined up on the bench, the party was a mix of byo and supplied so there was sure to be way more once everyone arrived. This was all so exciting. All their friends would be here, along with the hot chicks Robin had promised just to celebrate with them. Surely, Robin remembered to invite the chicks. Batman was holding him to that promise like glue. At this point the party seemed like one for the ages, one he'd forget the next day but would somehow remember for the rest of his life. He poured himself a shot of vodka and drank it, offering one to Samuel. It burnt a little down his throat and he coughed, obviously he wasn't used to drinking alcohol straight. But he still preferred it that way. The over sweet mixed shots were delicious and all, problem was eventually they made him feel sick and it was a lot cheaper -and easier- to have straight shots. "This is going to be great, I can tell." He'd never gotten completely and utterly wasted before, but he was going to tonight. This was the night he planned to push and test his limits to their greatest extent. Oh, this night was going to be so fun.

Batman began to grow impatient. Guests wouldn't begin to arrive for another hour, and he wanted to start the party now. He turned his attention to getting in the party mood. That would buy some time, and keep him distracted before the real party started. He poured and drank another shot, knowing it would make time go faster before turning the stereo on. Fast paced rock music immediately filled the apartment. Even without guests it felt like a party, he just had one whole hour to wait, one whole hour to pump himself up with adrenaline and alcohol before everybody arrived. It was just a waiting game now. ​

 

[Daniel Clairoux]

Daniel was incredibly excited for the party. He had been setting up his room to account for the tank the entire morning. He didn't want Barbara and Alfred thrown directly in line with the window, as the draft that came through the window could give them a could or something. But he also did not want to put them in the corner in case they felt claustrophobic or something. He was tempted to just drop them on his bed, but he was probably going to get so hammered later that was would probably not even recognise the tank was there, fall onto his bed and break it and himself. No, they could not go on the bed. Robin eventually settled for putting the tank on his wardrobe. They were not shoved into a corner, they were not directly in line with the window, and they were completely safe. It was perfect. Now it was time to actually move the tank. He gripped the tank carefully, and shook his head at Batman. "Don't worry. I've got the perfect place for them. They'll be completely safe, honest." Robin would never let these little guys get hurt. Even when he and Batman were being stupid with the mankini and sling-shooting paint at the ceiling and neighbourhood fences, he made sure their tank was covered with a sheet. He didn't want them to see him and Batman coating the house with paint or disturbing the neighbours, what sort of example would that show them? He walked them into his bedroom, which he had just managed to get clean, and slid the tank onto the wardrobe. He grinned at hem, before tilting his head and frowning slightly. He then sighed and opened the tank. "Barbara, get off of Alfred, right now." He pulled Barbara away from Alfred and shook his head at his turtle. He had no idea what gender Barbara was, but he suspected that it was a boy. It was too late, though. He was not changing the turtle's name. "None of that in my bedroom. Seriously." After a warning look, he put Barbara back into the tank.

Robin was all ready to party and get so ploughed that he wouldn't be able to tell left from right. It was like an unwritten initiation or dare. Whoever out of him and Batman could hold their liquor the best won. The award? Well, he had not spoken about this to Batman, so there was none, except watching the drunken monkey make a fool of themselves. What were best friends for if you couldn't watch them completely embarrass themselves? The music was playing and Robin already wanted to dance, but decided against it. He'd have to wait until more people came, such as the 'hot chicks' he had promised Batman, and the hot guys he had promised himself. Although, he wasn't actually expecting any sort of romance for himself, considering he had yet to actually get around to telling Batman that he was gay. Upon moving in, he told himself to tell Batman on the first night when they had a gaming marathon, but it just didn't happen. What was he supposed to say? 'Oh yeah man, and I'm gay'? That was so stupid. He couldn't just bring it up like that, it'd make it a big deal and he had no idea how he best friend would actually react. It just wasn't the time to say something like that. He shook the concerned look from his face and grinned at Batman and Samuel. His relationship was friendly, average with Samuel. Occasionally he felt slightly intimidated by him, simply because he was the older brother to his best friend and he had no idea of Samuel's opinion with their antics during school. They really were immature bastards - they still were, so he really had no idea how to behave around Samuel other than wing it and hope for the best.

He stood near Batman and Samuel, and poured himself a drink. It was just a shot, nothing too massive. During the night he would probably experiment with drinks throughout the night, well, that was the plan anyway. He had a little under an hour before the party actually got underway, so he decided to not have too much to drink until then. He wanted to be sober enough to walk from the kitchen to the door and vice versa when people started coming. Then he would get absolutely smashed and forget the night entirely. That was his plan. After downing a few shots, ignoring the burning, he looked at Batman. "D'you have any plans before the party starts? Alfred and Barbra are completely safe in my room and stuff so we don't have to worry about that." He wanted something to do, otherwise he might drink himself to collapse before the party just for kicks. That wouldn't be very good. He got the distinct feeling that he would be needed to hold conversation before people started coming. Wait, weren't more people coming earlier? "Are we expecting anyone else before the party?" he tilted his head slightly. He couldn't really remember what Batman was saying earlier about guests. There was no time like now to just ask.​

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[Samuel Phillips]

"You guys are weird." Samuel laughed. Turtles, honestly? They were worried about turtles. He'd probably never understand why pet turtles were more important than a party. He knew how these things went. If it did go well by morning the place would be trashed, but instead of preparing to clean up all the mess turtles were on the top of their priorities list. Even with the aid of magic clean up would be difficult while nursing a hangover. He held his tongue, avoiding making another comment about it. Batman had always been weird, it made sense he and his weird friend would get so worked up over a pair of turtles. He lent back against the counter. There was no way he planned to stay for the party, he'd be sure to leave before people arrived. At this point he had an hour left. With a shake of his head he refused Batman's offer of a shot. Unlike Batman and Robin, Samuel didn't plan to drink. He wanted to spend the night sober and coherent thank you very much. "Go easy on the booze, you're a lightweight remember?" He was playing the concerned parent again. Samuel had helped his brother out of many sticky situations in the past, and didn't want to do it anymore. Spite the fact Batman was eighteen, had graduated and moved out of home he still couldn't stop feeling concerned. Batman was never the brightest crayon in the box, sooner or later something was sure to go wrong. He just didn't want to be there to see it.

Samuel looked over to Batman. Robin posed a good question, would there be anybody else? Batman hadn't mentioned a thing about it to him. At this point if anybody else arrived he'd be a little annoyed. Samuel didn't want to be here for the party, that much was obvious. He was only here to hang for a bit and see what the place was like. If anyone arrived early it would put a damper on the rest of his night. Judging by Batman's silence, there might be a few more people arriving. Samuel sighed. "Is there something you haven't told us?" He queried, only deciding now he might need a shot or two. Talking to people on a normal day was tasking enough, but talking to more of Batman's friends? That was a whole new feat altogether. If the rest of them were as quirky as Robin he needed something to tolerate them. Sure, he could talk to Robin just fine. But having more than one of him in the same room would be a bit much. He poured a shot and drank it. Vodka wasn't his drink of choice but anything that would make him seem more relaxed and well, polite would do the job just fine.

He poured another shot. If other people were going to arrive soon, he had half a mind to simply leave now and save himself the trouble. It would be rude but it meant he wouldn't be in anyone's way and vice versa. On the other hand he wouldn't have to deal with more people than he needed to. Basically it would be a win/win situation. "Should I leave now if there's going to be other people?" The suggestion was out there. The choice was Batman's now. ​

 

[Jon Phillips]

Batman ignored Samuel and downed another few shots. He was still very impatient. To the point this whole hour would probably feel like six hours. The clock would slowly tick minute by minute but somehow wouldn't inch any closer to party time, it began to feel like school all over again. Difference was he wasn't learning nor was he sitting in a room with people he hated, in fact it was the complete opposite. What Batman didn't want was the addition of Samuel's embarrassing comments to make time go even slower. He took a deep breath, opening the fridge to retrieve a box of pizza. Eating would make the time go quicker, surely. It would also help him hold his alcohol better, he remembered Samuel mentioning it ages ago. This would help win the unwritten competition he and Robin had going. Completely unsure whether it was in his head or not, he still had plenty of motivation to win. He left the fridge open to down a few more shots, wondering why they hadn't kicked in yet. Batman hadn't lost to Robin since fifth year. Not even now would he give up his winning streak. He popped a piece of pizza in his mouth, holding the end between his teeth as he moved to sit on a stool. The pizza was a few days old and hard as a rock but it would do. Alcohol would be temporarily put on hold until he was fully satisfied with his blood pizza level.

Batman was too busy stuffing his face with pizza to answer Robin's question. He actually didn't register that Robin said a word until Samuel started talking. Guests? There were other people coming early? He didn't organize it. This was supposed to be the quiet lull before the party, the calm before the storm. It seemed like it would last a century but he wouldn't ruin that century by inviting other people. He shook his head, wiping his hands with a napkin. "Nope, it's just us." It annoyed him they even had to ask about it. He distracted himself by shoving another piece of pizza into his mouth. Even cold pizza was delicious. He ate it all day everyday and he'd never get bored of it, it was that freaking good. What were vegetables again? He laughed to himself as he poured another shot. Alcohol and pizza together? was this heaven? It was definitely up there. By now Batman was finally feeling the effects of the vodka. A dry happy feeling consumed his stomach and head. "I love my life so much." He thought aloud. Somehow the alcohol made the pizza taste more delicious. It was an entirely new experience he never thought existed. Drinking was absolutely everything it was cracked up to be. "I love you guys too." He shot Samuel and Robin a dopey grin before looking straight down at his pizza. "And I love this pizza." The words escaped his mouth barely above a whisper. "You guys, it understands me." He inhaled. "I want to marry it." At this point Alfred and Barbara were a faraway thought, Batman only wanted to continue drinking, eating the beautifully delicious pizza and having fun. ​

 

[Daniel Clairoux]

Well, Samuel could believe what ever he wanted. Robin knew that he and Batman were quite normal. Well, enough to not be locked up or anything. If Samuel couldn't appreciate how amazing turtles were, then he was obviously never going to have as great a time as he and Batman were. He took a page from Batman's book and simply ignored him. There was no point in ruining the party mood by having an argument about Alfred and Barbara. The last thing he wanted was having himself riled up with a few drinks in him and a party starting within the hour, and as Samuel mentioned the word 'lightweight', Daniel subconsciously slunk away from the bottle and circled the rim of his glass with his finger. He was eighteen, old enough to make his own decisions but young enough to be stupid. Fortunately, he was also old enough to realise that in order to have fun later, he'll have to at least be a little sober, otherwise he'd just be lulling on the floor all night. That would be so boring. He was here to have fun, get so drunk that he wouldn't even recognise Barbara and Alfred, and then have fun and wake up with a massive hang over. That was his plan and he was determined to stick with it. There would be no skipping steps tonight. He also had to be capable of rubbing his win in Batman's face - since his friend already seemed a little tipsy. Robin felt completely fine. Totally okay. Maybe he wasn't really susceptible to alcohol or something. He ignored the fact that he was already starting to find normal things funny, like the 'kini. For some strange reason, the already comical 'kini just seemed downright hilarious.

The brunette allowed his head to tilt sharply as Batman wander off to the fridge and pulled out pizza. Now Robin wanted pizza. Pizza was amazing, the greatest invention since anything - except maybe turtle tanks. Maybe even a little better than those. Robin narrowed his eyes at this new competition. He filled his glass (something that really should not be done) and skulled it (also something he should have avoided) and while he felt like he swallowed razors, he refused to show any weakness, though he nearly ended up coughing out a lung. He placed his glass heavily on the counter and repeated with a smaller one this time. They always had these competitions, and Robin had lost since fifth year because he got distracted by other things. Well, not this time. His fuzzy brain was already plotting out ways to embarrass Jonathon when he eventually lost, because he was going to lose. Anyone could see that. He rested his chin on his hand, waiting for Batman to answer him. However, he appeared to be too busy stuffing his face. He did eventually get an answer, thanks to Samuel. He was close to stealing his best friend's pizza to get his attention. Daniel sort of hoped that more people would come before the actual party - some down time before the storm, as it were. He nodded silently as it was established that no-one else was coming. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not. He liked talking to people- being personable. He knew that Batman was not as big a fan of people and companionship as he was, but that never stopped him from trying to get Batman out there sometimes. It was good for him.

Daniel's eyes widened as Batman seemed to begin to monologue about life - which was nice and all, but at the rate he was shovelling that pizza, Robin was concerned that he'd choke himself. "Are you okay, Batman?" He snorted at the dopey grin he was given and poured himself another drink. Oh, this was too good. This was absolutely, bloody brilliant. However, he began choking on the burning feeling in his throat as Batman continued - to the extent that he actually had to spit the vodka into the sink. Wiping his mouth on his sleeve, he slowly toddled over to Batman and placed his hands delicately on his friend's brand new... wife? Could a box of pizza be a wife? It wasn't like it could be a husband, and it couldn't be a wife. What was a married pizza box? Boxy He grinned. That was a funny word, 'boxy', it sounded like 'foxy', which would mean the box was a husband. However, since he was pretty sure Batman wouldn't marry a male pizza box, it had to be female. His vision slowly grew hazy as he began pulling the pizza box from Batman's hands. Where was Samuel? Had he already left? "Dude... your wife needs to meet Alfred." Though everything was being funny to him and his motor skills were a little slow, Robin knew that he needed to do this carefully. He didn't want to be accused of being a homewrecker or anything, he wasn't trying to steal his best friend's wife! And with the pizza being slowly pried from Batman's hands, the front door opened. "Oh, hey!"​

 

[Rosalie Leydon]

It was a sad, sad day indeed. Rose was on her way to a house warming party that was being hosted by... well, by two people she considered to be her friends. Despite that fact they sometimes acted as if they were the most uncivilised, uneducated, uncultured people in the world, Rose loved them, and she got along with them better then she did most other people. She had to wonder though, what on earth had possessed them to move out and get a place together. Was Merlin trying to make a joke, because Rose did not honestly see how they were going to survive. Would they simply live on pizza alone? Rose looked over at Corey. She had just left his house. She held her hand out to him and breathed deeply. She hated apparition with a God awful passion. She smiled at Corey. "Ever done side along Apparition?" She asked. She was pretty sure she already knew the answer. She just hoped she was more confident in apparition then she actually felt. She breathed again. "Okay, so seriously, don't freak me out okay? I'm already psyching myself out." She told him, shaking her head. She was just standing around the corner from Corey's house, looking like a goof ball. She didn't know why she was so nervous. It was probably because she had never gone side along and she was going to a place she had only seen once, in a photo. She licked her lips and looked away from Corey as she pictured the place in her mind. She suddenly became very conscious of the younger boy beside her and felt the familiar pull behind her navel as they disappeared from the curb, and reappeared in front of the apartment of Robin and Batman. She had never thought that she would hear those names together. It was very strange.

Rose checked herself and Corey, making sure they still had all parts and then burst into laughter. "I don't know what I was so worried about." She brushed her hair back and opened the door to the apartment. Her eyes widening in horror and confusion at the scene before her. Robin was trying to pry what looked to be a pizza box out of Batman's hands. She tilted her head and stepped further into the room, a number of people piling in after her. She turned around in time to see a lot of people. Possibly more then was safe to hold in this apartment. What were those boys up to? She turned an accusatory eye on Batman and Robin and shook her head. She looked at Corey. "Have fun. But no booze. Your mother would not be happy with me. I wouldn't be happy with you." She looked around the room as if daring the other party-goers to say something. They didn't and she nodded in triumph to her words, heading over to where her two best guys were, trying to decided whether or not she should need to intercede in whatever was going on. A pizza box and booze. She shook her head again and leaned against the wall. "Do one of you boys need my help?" She asked.
​

 

[Corey Clairoux]

"I'm really not sure about this." Corey chuckled nervously. He was usually nervous when Rose took him places, but tonight was a whole other story. Dan was having a house warming party and despite his original protest to go Rose convinced him this was a good idea. She lied to his parents that they were going on a camping trip, now here they were on the corner of his street ready to apparate. Corey appreciated Rose's help with all of this, being his cover to get him out of the house to see Dan. Whether she believed it or not she was a really kind and amazing friend. This didn't stop Corey feeling like some kind of cheat though. In the past Rose had lied to his parents so he could see his friend before, but this was different. This wasn't the usual innocent meet up at a cafe or park kind of deal. This was a party. A party that was probably over crowded with drunk people doing god knows what. The mere thought made him shudder, but it was too late to turn back now. "A few times before, yes." Corey answered. He was indescribably nervous about this party, and the lies that followed along with it. However he was in no way nervous about apparating with Rose. He trusted her, she just didn't have enough confidence in her abilities. She was a lot more capable than she made herself out to be. "You'll be fine." He inhaled before they apparated outside Dan's apartment. He hadn't learnt to apparate yet, but Corey knew what it was like. That never stopped him feeling nauseous afterwards though.

Corey laughed with Rose, waiting for the nausea to subside. At this point he was unsure if it was actually nausea. It could have very well been a sudden increase in nerves brought on by the crowd of people in the apartment. There were so many people around, and Dan could be doing anything with them. What if Dan forgot he existed and made new, more interesting friends since graduation? What if he didn't want him around anymore? Corey didn't want to think about it, but found himself unable to think of anything but. Reluctantly, he followed Rose inside. Dan immediately caught his eye. He swallowed the fuzzy feeling his stomach suddenly conjured to answer Rose. "I don't want to drink anyway." He took a quick glance around the place. Everyone had just arrived, and already they were drinking uncontrollably. Did people really think this was fun? Corey shook his head, turning his attention back to Dan and the other guy. He swallowed the fuzzy feeling again as it returned. He didn't know how he was supposed to feel, but he did know that this fuzzy feeling -whatever it was- was wrong. He shot his gaze to his shoes and left Rose to deal with the pizza situation. She seemed like she knew how to handle it. ​

 

[Jon Phillips]

Batman tightened his grip on the pizza box. He may have been a little tipsy at this point, but he was no idiot. Robin wasn't getting his hands on the pizza not now, not today and not tomorrow. He shot his friend a warning look. Did he dare separate him from his beloved? Batman was fully prepared to make this a game, another competition for the two to share. Never mind Samuel had now left and the party would start in no time, shoving another win in Robin's face would be priceless right now. Everything else came secondary. Three pieces were left in the box. Hardly enough to compete for, however Batman's tipsy mind couldn't care less. "Do you really want to do this?" He taunted. "Think about it." Suddenly he craved another shot. He couldn't pour himself another without taking a hand off the box however. Being one to show off, Batman was entirely prepared to take that risk. Fortunately he didn't need to risk it at all. Robin barely managed to pry the box out of his hands before some guests distracted him. Batman didn't take note of who the guests were, instead he was entirely focused on the pizza. Ready to devour the last of it when Robin let go, if Robin did let go. They were still locked in some sort of stand off even while Robin was partially distracted.

Batman decided to see what all the fuss was about. If some fellow party goers were enough to distract Robin from their pizza stand off, it must have been worth checking out. He turned his head to the distraction and immediately let go of the box. Rose was here, how did he not notice? "Rosey-poo!" He exclaimed as another dopey grin took over his features. It was a good thing Rose had arrived, because now they could hang out for the first time since graduation. Keeping in contact with Rose was difficult to say the least, it would continue to be now that the tie of going back to school was no longer there. He stood up from his chair to catch Rose in a hug. He squeezed her tight and lifted her off the ground before gently setting her down. "I missed you poppet. You need to move in." He was more than ecstatic to see his best friend again, but this was the alcohol talking. Never in his life would he give Rose a stupid nickname when completely sober. It was now he noticed Rose brought somebody along. "Who's this little dude?" This kid didn't look a day older than seventeen, Batman didn't hesitate to pull him into a hug either. "Nice to meet you!" He pulled away to finally pour himself another shot. Now that the pizza box stand off was sufficiently over he could drink again. Heck, why didn't he just take the whole bottle?

He returned to Rose's side, bottle of vodka in hand. She hadn't seen the apartment yet, and now that she was here Batman felt she deserved a grand tour. This was why he let Robin win the pizza. It was purely for the sake of showing off the apartment to his other best friend. Next time he wouldn't be so easy going about it. "Can I show you around?" He draped an arm around Rose's shoulder. For some reason, the alcohol made everybody look cuddly. He wanted to hug everyone he laid eyes on. Anybody could tell that a tour would be a little difficult to navigate with the amount of people around, but Batman didn't care. He merely took a swig from his bottle and giggled. The alcohol didn't burn his throat anymore. He was determined to make this warm and happy feeling last, to him this meant drinking all night long. ​

 

[Daniel Clairoux]

Batman appeared to be behaving difficultly. Well, Robin was not having it. His best friend was not going to marry a pizza box. Although the morning after would be hilarious, he was a little too responsible to let that happen, well, he was for now. He couldn't promise anything later on in the night. Only the morning would reveal tonight's' events. Robin looked at Batman sternly and tugged on the pizza box one more time. He doubted either of them could keep this up. Even Dan was having trouble keeping note of where everything was. For a moment there, Batman appeared to have four eyes - and while his friend was certainly an interesting guy, Robin was quite sure he did not naturally have four eyes. As Batman spoke, Robin narrowed his eyes and smirked. "Are you scared that I'm stronger?" he was confident that he'd get the box. He was tipsy, but he was pretty sure Batman had had more so far. Surely that counted for something? "You're not keeping the pizza." Robin's confidence knew no bounds and he quickly leapt into further conversation as more people poured into their place. He was even so bold as to keep hold with one hand. It no-longer mattered anyway, and he allowed the pizza to rest upon the bench. There were far more interesting things to look at now, such as Corey. But he refused to allow himself to stare - instead focusing the majority of his attention on Rose. He neglected to answer her question as the matter had already been settled - but he nearly doubled over at what came flying from Batman's mouth.

"Rosey-poo?!" Robin roared, leaning on the bench as he attempted to catch his breath. He had to remember that, it was a must. But since he was planning to never be able to remember this night, he wrote it on his arm and poured himself another drink, before striding over to where Rose and Corey were. While he knew most of the other people enough to have a conversation with them, he was not interested in talking to them right now. They were filler - people to just be there to make the atmosphere feeling electric. They really had no other purpose than to be eye-candy. He then gave Batman another look, before downing his drink and playing along. "Yeaahh Rose, you can sleep in Batman's room," he was screwing with her, and why not? Batman started it. It was Batman's fault. If he were in his right mind, he would never have been so stupid to say something like that - but he did, and his fuzzy brain didn't eve comprehend that Rose would probably not appreciate such a suggestion. His attention was then forced back on to Corey as Batman hugged the younger boy. He felt what could be described as jealousy towards his best friend, even though he knew there was nothing in the hug. It was a hug, pure and simple. He had hugged people before - he loved hugging people. People were nice to hug. He had rarely hugged Corey though, in fact, he wasn't sure if he had ever hugged Corey. With a little bit of a pout noticeable on his face, he opened a fresh bottle and began pouring another drink.

Returning to Batman, Rose and Corey with another bottle, he lent on the wall laxly and sipped his drink. He was unaware whether it burnt anymore, since the pain had long ago become unnoticeable. He watched the interaction between Batman and Rose. They'd make a sweet couple. They had the charisma, well, when Batman was ploughed anyway. That could be fixed. He could just drink all the time. And while Batman seemed to be whisking Rose away, Robin grinned at Corey. "Do you want a drink?" Normally, Robin wouldn't ask this. In fact, most of how he had been acting this entire time was rather unlike him. He swished the bottle in front of Corey invitingly. But if he eventually said no, it was no and Robin would just drink it himself. No problem. He rather liked it. And then his eyes widened. A completely perfect idea hit him and he began pulling on Corey's arm. "I could give you a tour, you haven't been here before, come on." Presuming that Corey was following him, Daniel began to dance his way through the crowd to the other side of the room where the flamingo 'kini hung so he could show Corey. Because, Corey obviously needed to know.
​

 

[Corey Clairoux]

Corey's mouth hung open. He was pretty sure Rose was single, since she never mentioned a boyfriend before. Then why was this stranger so affectionate towards her? The nickname, the chemistry. He frowned at his feet, it baffled him. The better part of his mind tried not to jump to conclusions but right now the sixteen year old was hurt. Being out of the loop was a horrible feeling. Rose was his friend, he had told her everything. Everything about his family, their morals and his situation. He didn't come here to be humiliated. Insignificance was terrifying, more so when it's shoved into your face so harshly. He wanted to leave, run, get out of here. But he couldn't. His feet were stuck to the floor. Of all the witches and wizards in the world, why did this happen to him? Corey's train of thought broke as he too, was pulled into a suffocating hug. Now he understood. Again, he had merely become a victim to his own thoughts. Any ill feelings were in his head and his head only. This guy, whoever he was, was simply affectionate. Rose hadn't lied and he had worked himself up over nothing. He really needed to stop over thinking every little thing. "Nice to meet you too." Corey replied when he managed to breathe again. He looked over to Dan and smiled. The temptation to hug Dan was there, but he refrained from doing so. In Corey's eyes it was inappropriate and awkward. He knew that if he did hug his friend, the fuzzy feeling would return and he didn't want to hold it back again. He didn't know if he could.

Corey shot his gaze to Rose, or what he thought was Rose. Now it was rather an empty space where Rose should be. Assuming she was with Sir hugs-a-lot, he kept himself from worrying. Now it was just him and Dan, Dan and him among a crowd of drunken party goers. This was definitely not how he imagined his night. Rose failed to warn him about the drinking, it made him uncomfortable. More so knowing Dan had delved into a few drinks already. Corey declined Dan's offer with a shake of his head. Not in any shape, form or mix did alcohol appeal to him. A small whiff of the stuff was enough to make him feel queasy. How on earth could Dan stomach it? "You shouldn't have any more. It's gross and I don't like it when people aren't themselves." He tried to generalize, but in all honesty he specifically meant Dan. His friend was acting different, not bad different, but different all the same. He preferred normal Dan, not half-drunk Dan. "A tour?" Corey would have declined, however Dan's gentle arm tugging prodded him into agreement. He paid no mind to the party surrounding them, and followed close behind his friend until they reached a window. A window decorated with some kind of pink drapey thing. It took a minute for the realization to hit him. They definitely weren't at the window for a view of the street. Dan was a little crazy on regular days, but this topped the cake by far. "Um." He cleared his throat, words coming out higher than he meant them to. "Next stop?"​

 

[Daniel Clairoux]

As Corey shook his head, Robin nodded in response. "Suit yourself," he replied. However, as Corey spoke, Robin could not help but listen to what he had to say. He liked Corey - he cared about Corey's opinion. And in response, he exchanged the bottle for a considerably smaller glass. He wanted to make Corey happy, though he was not quite ready to completely and utterly cancel on the drinking because he showed a disliking for it. That would just be crazy. He had plans for this party, and while he cared an incredible amount for Corey, he had to think of Batman, and the atmosphere. He wasn't sure he could just not drink the entire time. He would be far too tempted to take it up again. So, while somewhere deep down inside him he suspected that Corey might still be a bit miffed, and he not in complete control of his actions, he continued to sip his glass.

Daniel rarely picked up on awkward situations when in his general state of mind. Right now, everything seemed incredibly appropriate, and normal. People dancing uncontrollably in the lounge room? Perfectly normal. Smiling as much as he was at Corey? Rather normal as well. Nothing about this situation could make the wizard feel as if things were not normal, he felt very normal. His skin prickled slightly at the sudden sunlight streaming in through the window as he observed Corey, his drink still clasped in his hand. He sipped it as he waited for Corey to speak, finding his lack of words confusing. Everyone that saw this magnificent example of home décor usually broke into tears and fits of laughter. Robin could not help but think that perhaps Corey were ill. His fuzzy, disorganised brain thought of the perfect cure. He stepped closer to Corey, perhaps a little too close and brought his head closer to Corey's, before his attention was grabbed by his bedroom door swinging open and the turtle tank being shown the party. He couldn't have that. "Come," he tugged on Corey's arm again and led him through the crowd. It worked last time, so why change tactics. They couldn't let Alfred and Barbara be exposed to the party, they might get scared or something. He had no idea what would happen. The worse case scenario would be someone knocking their tank over and hurting them.

He frowned as he saw some people in his bedroom. That was rather rude. He allowed Corey to either step in or out before he did anything, he did not want Corey in the way. "Get out of the room, or I'll see if I can turn you into toads, come on." And in his current state, Robin was rather willing to give it a crack. The possibility of it actually working were null, but it was still fun to watch their worried faces as the scurried out. Serves them right, this was his bedroom. The door was closed to deter visitors, not give them a top-secret invite. He looked at Corey, and shook his head. "You'd think I stuck a sign on it or something," he gestured to the door. "Might have to lock that." He gave a few minutes of his time to check the turtle tank, to make sure Alfred and Barbara were okay. Once satisfied that both turtles were fine, he stood between them and Corey, as he remembered the last time he let turtles near the boy. "So, this is my room. Usually it's a little less turtled, but we had to put Barbara and Alfred somewhere - my wardrobe was it. Anyway, where would you like to go?"
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[Rosalie Leydon]

Rose shook her head yet again and it felt like she was doing it for the millionth time. These boys are her best friends, but sometimes she thought that maybe she was their mother instead. She looked at B as he proceeded to call her a ridiculous nickname and then pull her into a hug and spin her around. "Ack! What're you doing?" She asked, pouting as the silly oaf placed her on the ground again. She went to turn away from him, but his next words and Dan's subsequent teasing paused her motions. Did Dan know? Would B have told him? After all, Rose sure as hell hadn't said anything, she still wasn't completely over the way he had acted. Though she had been able to move on from that and could stand to be in a room with him without going beet red, or feeling the need to avert her eyes from wherever they happened to be staring. The final test had been that hug, which had served only to annoy her and did not turn her on at all, which could possibly have been because the silly monkey was drunk off of his face. She glared over at Dan, before snatching the drink away from B. He did not need it at all and whilst she was here, she would ensure that he didn't hurt himself. Last thing she needed was to have to actually stay here because one of them had gotten injured. She knew she would not survive living here very long at all, it would drain her so much, she would die of exhaustion. Then where would they be. As she looked around the place, she raised an eyebrow at Dan over with Corey. She frowned slightly at the offer of alcohol but was glad when Corey declined. She would be having words with Dan later, that was for sure.

"Corey is a friend of mine, but he knows Daniel too. I brought him along, but he's underage, so no alcohol for him. Though he doesn't really like it as it appears so no problems there." Rose proceeded to hide the bottle she had taken from B behind her back so that he couldn't get it, although in his current mood she was fairly positive that he was likely just to reach around her, not wanting that, she reluctantly gave it back. When B draped an arm over her shoulders and asked if he could take her on a tour, she thought about it for a second before eventually nodding. She wouldn't mind a tour, no matter how hard it would be to navigate. She grinned at him, moving her head away from him slightly. "Yeah, sure, love a good tour. Lead on!" She pulled his arm down from around her shoulder and linked her arm with his. It would be much easier to walk like this.
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[Corey Clairoux]

Corey didn't want to waste his breath. By now it was obvious that with or without further protest on his part Dan was going to drink anyway. He'd given up trying to convince his friend otherwise, it was a lost cause and had been from the start. Because after all, this was how parties worked right? People drank themselves stupid, acted like completely different people for a night then forgot everything the next day. Corey thought it was dumb, but he wasn't about to rain on Dan's 'get wasted' parade with another mini lecture. He had no right to tell Dan what he could and couldn't do, especially not as a guest at his housewarming party. Though while he tolerated Dan's decision to join in on this party scene that didn't mean for a second that he was comfortable with it. Already he could tell he'd end up gritting his teeth the entire night, going out of his way not to look annoyed. After lying to his parents of his whereabouts and sneaking here with Rose the last thing he wanted was for Dan to notice his stress and get mad at him. Though it seemed very unlikely since Dan looked more relaxed than anything, of course Corey still managed to worry. From what he'd heard, alcohol changed people, made them not themselves and he was equally expecting Dan to suddenly burst with rage as he was expecting him to stay relaxed.

What happened next however, was something Corey didn't expect. He barely knew how to react when Dan stepped closer, leaned in forward. Luckily it ended in a flash and Dan was tugging him through the crowd again before he had the chance to even step back. Was Dan really going to kiss him? The thought was so far fetched, yet Corey played the moment over and over in his head. He was pretty sure it was the alcohol, nope, it was definitely the alcohol. Sober Dan knew better than to make him so uncomfortable. The next few moments passed by in a blur, Corey tried to register what happened but to no avail could he get over it. Dwelling on such a moment was wrong and he knew it, but for whatever reason, he couldn't stop himself. He looked from the floor to Dan "What?" He was still too distracted to concentrate on what Dan had said. Something about turtles and a door, honestly he didn't really care. Right now his heart was pounding, the butterflies had started up again in full force and any will power he once used to hide them had now disspeared. In one swift movement Corey slammed the door behind him. "Doesn't matter." He stepped forward. "Doesn't matter at all." Taking in a shallow breath, he closed the space between them. If Corey were in complete control of his actions he wouldn't have kissed Dan, he wouldn't have shut them alone in a room either. But right now apart from Dan, he didn't care about anything else.​

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[Jon Phillips]

"Probably my favorite part of this place is the fridge." Batman spoke, leaning against the bench oh so casually. He'd had a few too many drinks and didn't quite know what he was doing, but he believed he looked cool and casual and to him that meant he was. Even after many more drinks since he started touring Rose around he still managed to stand upright, and navigate his way around the crowd without falling over and for that he was proud. Yes, that definitely made him cool and casual. "So I guess that means we're like finished." He'd given Rose a brief look in his room, showed her the 'kini, showed her the kitchen. In a round about kind of way the tour felt like it was over, he'd shown her everything that needed to be shown but somehow he felt as if he'd forgotten something. It took a moment for him to remember, but when the thought finally hit him, he laughed. Alfred and Barbara! How could he forget? They were the most important part, and his real favorite thing about the place. The fridge was second only to them. "Crap I forgot the turtles!" He quickly whisked Rose through the crowd again, stopping at Robin's bedroom door. On a regular day he would have knocked first, he was normally so polite about it. Tonight however he was too drunk to remember.

Usually Dan kept his door slightly open, with minimal effort Batman could give the door a gentle push and it would open. He was surprised to find out that tonight it didn't work. So he pushed it a little harder. "What the hell?" He was starting to get a little worried, what if the door was broken and it would never open again? He didn't want those sweet little reptiles starving to death, he'd grown so fond of them so quickly. It took a couple more failed attempts, but eventually Batman realized he needed to turn the doorknob. His motor skills were obviously sub par right now, but he didn't feel drunk at all. How weird. Shaking his head, Batman shot Rose a sheepish grin. "Oopsie." Grin still etched on his features, he finally opened the door. Immediately his smile faded. Any emotion he he had left in his face changed to shock, before his eyes fell to the floor. Was he hallucinating this? Or did he really just see Dan kissing a guy? He didn't know how long he stood there in shock, but when he decided that he'd rather not be there anymore he turned around and left for his room, never moving his gaze upwards. Showing Rose the turtles, or Rose in general had now become a faraway thought. He needed to process what had just happened, how his best friend for so many years, a person he thought he knew so well could be a completely different person behind a closed door. All he wanted right now was to be alone, so he was going to do just that.​

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[Daniel Clairoux]

Daniel rolled his eyes and shook his head when he realised that Corey was obviously not listening to him. He was saying such important things about his turtles and no-one was listening? Typical. Corey obviously had something more important to think about, however, Daniel failed to think of something more important than his turtles. His turtles were pretty important. Daniel glanced at the turtles once more to make sure they were as fine as they could possibly be, however, he looked back at Corey when he heard the door slam. If someone was being stupid with his door, he was going to hex them. However, it wasn't someone being stupid, it was Corey being odd. Why was he being odd? Daniel's brain was pretty fuzzy, fuzzier than usual, anyway, but he didn't remember Corey generally being odd, and how did turtles not matter?. "Well, actually-" Daniel couldn't help be notice that there was a certain lack of space between him and Corey, and it was only growing smaller. When he finally realised what Corey was going to do, it was much to late to do anything, considering he didn't want to do anything. However, he didn't exactly know what to do. He just sort of awkwardly stood there, with his arms by his sides, until he decided to just do something with his arms, and what better thing to do then just put them on Corey's shoulders? Loads of people did that, so Daniel decided he'd do it too, and he quite liked it.

Until Batman came bursting in and totally ruined the moment. What a great friend. Daniel jumped away from Corey so fast that he nearly tripped himself over. Did Batman hate him? They were best friends, and lived together, this really was not the time to have Batman hate him. Where would he live? Who else would be his best friend? No-one else would do. "Wait, Batman!" He stopped when he reached his bedroom door, remembering that he left Corey with no explanation. He spun around, waving his arms uncontrollably. "I'll be right back, honest." He poked his head out the door, noting that Batman went to his room. "Just wait there, just for a second. I'm just going to check something." And with that done, Daniel ran out of his bedroom and slowly made his way to Batman's room. He stood out front of Batman's door quietly for a while, before knocking. "Hey, Batman?" He called, deciding that it was probably not wise to open the door, so instead he stood in front of it, and sighed to himself. Great. Not only did he leave Corey, but now his best friend hated him. Just great.
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