#bnybirthday

[ashton-ryder]

// open. int. the w bar - night. 1st april

Despite Ash having no affinity with parties, the Wexley however loves them. Having avoided as many as he could in his years here, as many as his friends would let him anyways, guess it's much harder to avoid them once you're actually stuck in the building with literally nowhere to go. And it felt rude to not be here when it's a celebration for someone's birthday, especially Mr Wexley's. He knows he's not fun at parties and didn't want to bring it down for anyone. So instead, he found himself offering Charlie his help, not wanting her working any harder than she already is with not many people knowing of her situation, now standing behind the bar serving people drinks and watching the party go by from the sidelines.

Perhaps there was something about seeing families, friends, lovers, reunited since Spring hit, now altogether in one place here with a heartfelt warmth that filled the room, that an unfounded weight sank in his chest. Or perhaps it's the barrier of a bar counter and physical separation that made it more apparent of what he avoided feeling, but damn, he didn't like admitting that he felt lonely for the first time in a long time, and there was a guilt in feeling that, considering how lucky he's been. Ash was leaning back against the wall behind the bar, lost in his thoughts with a beer in his hand (knowing he's not in the right headspace for anything stronger) as his eyes glazed over the scenes passing by him at the bar and atrium until he realized someone had come up to him while he was spacing out, "-sorry, what can I get you?"

[valeriixchen]

Where: Games Room When: 8:45

"Don't be a pussy," Val chastised as she began removing her heels. She leaned against the pool table for support as she kicked them off, a talent that didn't require any hand work. "It's no fun to play alone."

She'd challenged the other resident to a game of Dance Dance Revolution and was not accepting any excuses or forfeiting. She turned to the small silver serving tray she'd smuggled from the W that held several jello-shots, grabbing one for each of them. She stumbled slightly on her way to the other resident.

[hannahxinterrupted]

@ashton-ryder the w

Hannah was fairly certain Ashton hadn't left from his station since the start of the party, taking his position as bartender just as seriously as any military order he may have been given in a previous life. Duty = Responsibility = Guilt? More pieces to add to the ever-growing puzzle she was putting together in an attempt to understand him. If she did some self-reflecting there was no doubt something to be said about her need to understand people in order to feel safe around them. As if it bad things wouldn't hurt quite as much if she could just see them coming.

She approached him with her hands full of stacked paper plates, "Please tell me you haven't eaten yet or I'm going to be forced to deal with all of this myself." Careful not to spill or knock anything over Hannah put the plates down in front of him to reveal the treats. Cake, macarons, popcorn, and a few slices of pb&j.

[rioreeve]

//The W. Apr 1.

closed starter for @ashton-ryder

"Don't say a single word about my suit, Emily likes it." Zach arched a brow in a silent warning but grinned a second later as he half-sat on a stool. They had discussed this matter so many times and nothing new could be said about these two never borrowing each other's clothes like true besties. Wrong Sanders.

When he glanced around it looked like one of those rare moments when everyone had something to drink and wouldn't bother Ashton anytime soon, so he turned back to his friend with a question. "Wanna check on Doom with me? He was fast asleep when I was leaving, but I wanna make sure I still have a place to go back to."

[viesanders]

//The W. Apr 1.

closed starter for @ashton-ryder

"Man, they really made ya everyone's favorite person but at the cost of giving you the least favorite job." It wasn't the worst job per se, obviously, but bartenders were always the busiest. "Take a breather, lemme help ya."

Eric put his empty glass on the countertop and walked around the bar to join Ash on the opposite side. As his first gig, he poured himself a shot worth of whiskey; it was more of a playful act and if Ash told him to get the fuck outta there, Eric would.

"Seriously, you deserve a break, even a short one..."

[byenycfm]

Where: Rosie's Bulletin Board When: March 29th

Pinned up on the bulletin board in Rosie's as well as taped up on the walls all over The Wexley (including in the elevator) are brightly coloured flyers. For the entire weekend @rhianwells and @emberwexley will have been going around trying to recruit everyone to some sort of job. Shoving armfuls of streamers, banners, and tape into the arms of the taller people, and handfuls of balloons at others. @postapocalypsemalone and @rioreeve have been roped into making sure the karaoke system was set up in The W, as well as setting up a performance space in the center of the Atrium, where the old Christmas tree had finally been vacated from, for @sarahshercohen to play some calmer music for those less karaokely inclined. Ember and Ria even thought of everything, by making sure that the game system in The Games room was fully functioning and ready with Rock-Band and other games, and a Disney Movie Marathon on in the Media Room for the kids. Battery operated fairy lights are being strung everywhere, and even the dance floor lights set up in the bar as well. @pxtitxrosx has been busy in the kitchen planning out what sort of mixed drinks they had, as well as roping in @survivalxofxthexfittest (Emily) to help her and @rosiesdiner make as many macaroons as they can, as well as a birthday cake. (Thank goodness for icing sugar).

The Birthday Party event will run from December 2 - December 6th, with of course options to continue until completion of threads. There will NOT be a thread pause during this event and regular threads can continue.

Ember and Ria are looking for volunteers to help get everything set up for the party, so please don't hesitate to message Nikki and she'll add it to this post.

[lindsohalloran]

who ashton @ashton-ryder when mr. wexley's birthday bash where the w

❝ ―look, it wasnae my fault, ryder, ❞ lindsay defends himself, leaning against the bar of the w as he fixes his long-time friend ― and the event's makeshift bartender ― with a pointed and unwavering stare. ❝ she came up tae me with a feckin' fistful of 'em, talkin' all ❛ can ye hold 'em for me please, uncle lindsay? ❜ as she's dumpin' jelly beans in me palm. and i was jus' gonnae hold 'em fer her 'til she was done playin', but i've a heavy feckin' sweet tooth― ❞ ashton knows this about him, certainly ; street food sweets were one of very few vices for the ex-scotsguard back in belize, and he could frequently be found with pockets full of of fresh wangla from one of the vendor carts near the base. ❝ ―and i couldnae resist, figured just a few couldn't hurt. and jaysus were they stale, like ― probably from last feckin' easter, so they are ― wee, hard lumps o' sugar. how was i s'posed tae know there was a feckin' barbie shoe mixed in with the lot? t'weren't no more or less toothsome than the candy. i couldnae tell a feckin' difference. ❞

there's a shake of his head and a chuckle in spite of himself as lindsay lifts his glass to his lips. ❝ christ alive, i cannae believe i ate it. ❞

[thedevilworksharder]

⋙ WHEN? mr. w's birthday party ⋙ WHERE? atrium ⋙ WHO? open

Devan doesn't know whether he was specifically invited or not or if it's a general invitation. Regardless, they're not the kind of person to purposefully miss out on a party of any kind, be it fundraiser with too many rich folk, a rave with too much ecstasy, or a fancy birthday party with too many people they didn't really know. But he's here now, in a pair of slacks and a dress shirt with rolled up sleeves that he borrowed from an empty apartment somewhere — the doors of which he had absolutely not lockpicked because he's a not a nosy cunt and he just wouldn't do that.

Their entrance is subtle, through the door leading to the stairwell rather than having taken the lifts all the way down; most of the residents would be at the party and this is a prime opportunity to study them without it seeming weird. The dimmed lights hide the angry red scratches along the left side of his face, from forehead down to his jaw, like he'd had a nasty run-in with a cat — except the lines are further apart from one another, indicating an attack with a much bigger appendage than a regular cat would have.

Their intention had been to linger on the sidelines for a while before they'd even start to mingle, or even make their presence known, sticking to the sides of the room — uncharacteristic to anyone who really knows them, but luckily, the people who truly know them in this place they can count on a single hand, and not even a full one at that.

"'Scuse me," he says, loud enough to be heard over the sound — both electronic and human — hoping to get by quick enough that the person he's passing by won't address him, the rumpled clothes just a little bit too big for him, or the obvious wounds on his face. The goal right now is to get a drink from wherever so he has an excuse to point to to linger on the sidelines. Besides, he hasn't had a beer in ages.

[judahfisher]

who hannah @hannahxinterrupted when the old fuck's birthday party where underneath one of the tables in the atrium ( at least judah is )

knees are pressed into the tile so intently he's sure there will still be marks on his skin from the grout lines and he can still taste her on his lips when he pulls away from warm, sweet flesh, careful not to knock his head on the solid underside of the table. ( there's an assortment of glassware just above him, separated by only about an inch or so of wood, his own drink among them ; he doesn't mind causing a scene if anyone sees the glasses rattling, but he'll be damned if he's going to waste a perfectly good glass of whiskey. ) he swipes his lower lip with his right thumb, wiping away the lingering glisten as the palm of his left hand spreads flush against her leg and gives her trembling thigh a solid squeeze. and then he's shifting beneath the table ― there's a rustling of fabric as he bats the corner of a slightly too-long tablecloth out of the way before his head appears just inches from her chair.

there's a devilish grin tugging at his lips as he emerges, splitting his features in two as a curious gaze searches his immediate surroundings to see if anyone's around to spot him before landing on hers. ❝ well? is the coast clear, doll, or should i bide my time and go back for seconds? i do love a good dessert buffet. ❞

[ziggyturner]

who: @beauclary

where: atrium

when: april 1st, birthday party

"alright mr. clary, i'm going to need you to pick your prop." ziggy motioned to the prop table while they assessed the polaroid camera set out at the photo station. it had, admittedly, been awhile since they held any camera despite having brought theirs on the post apocalyptic journey with them to the wexley. after a month the battery on the digital one had died and by then most the electricity had gone out in the city so there had been no real way to charge it. ziggy didn't feel like photo documenting that horror story so in the bag they had sat. it was strange to think there was a time not more than a year prior that it was rare to see them without a camera and yet it felt like it had been ages since they'd taken any kind of photograph.

they snapped out of their head ( they aren't sure how long they'd been staring at the camera but hopefully not long enough to look like a complete freak ) when they heard the soft clearing of their partner's throat. "let's see if i still remember how one of these work, yeah?" ziggy crouched down, angeling the camera and peering through the lens to get the right shot ( they only got one go of it with those, didn't they? and ziggy definitely wanted theirs to be with beau ). "alright, babe, think vogue not football and strike a pose"

[romanxdrake]

[ashton-ryder]

// int. atrium - night. 1st april. @ziggyturner

Ash had taken the time to wonder through the area at least once during a quick break that Alice kindly offered to look over the bar for a moment while the karaoke was quieter. He was on the way to pick up some snacks for them from the diner, and at the same time drop off some drinks to the team working there, when he saw a familiar face and made a detour, compelled to check up on them as the opportunity arose since he last saw Ziggy that night. "Hey Zig, thirsty?" He raised the tray of small cups, a mixture of alcoholic and non alcoholic for them to choose. "How are you holding up?" He felt the need to ask after the way he left them in the care of Beau at his insistence for Ash to get some rest.

[valeriixchen]

[hannahxinterrupted]

@jonahfisher the stairwell

the air was much cooler in the stairwell. hannah welcomed the chill against her warm skin and despite the sweat she could feel dripping between her chest her nipples were already hard against the sheer fabric of her cotton dress. feeling confident that she was alone hannah snapped open the small clutch she'd kept at her side all night and ignored the stubby revolver that greeted her. instead her small fingers felt around for a lighter and the poorly-rolled blunt she'd gotten from trey.

she held the clutch under her arm and lit the blunt wasting little time to take a needy inhale. hannah paid little attention to the space around her as she focused on smoking the roach like her life depended on it--because, fuck, it felt like it.

the sudden feeling of eyes on her caused hannah to cough and turn her head in fight, unable to proclaim innocence when she looked like a deer in headlights. "..it's medical." half an excuse, half a joke. as much as she fought it hannah still felt like a teenager about to get a lecture from her parents. she'd never been able to decide if that fear response was age regression or her pathetic refusal to grow up and face the real world. she took another inhale before holding it out in offering. "why are you lurking in the dark?"

[rioreeve]

//The Atrium. Apr 1.

closed starter for @survivalxofxthexfittest

Maybe Ria and Ember weren't as mad as he had suggested when he heard about the party and saw them with all the decorations - the Wexley looked nicer than ever and maybe that's what everyone needed. Even a grump like him could use a break from landscapes full of debris and half-rotten corpses. Maybe that was survival too. And then after a short conversation with his brother, he also thought he was a hypocrite - inviting Emily to play games only to question the purpose of a birthday party in the middle of an apocalypse. Besides, didn't Tobias deserve a damn birthday party?

Obviously, his first reaction was that he'd help Mal set up everything in The W, but wouldn't attend. Not everyone liked that option so Zach soon found himself making plans for that evening, and promised Emily he would meet her there. When the day came, he even thought he could pick her up so they'd go together, but when Eric stormed into Zach's studio asking for help ("Any clothes I could borrow so I don't stand out? Of course, black is more than fine!") he knew they'd be taking that elevator to the first floor together.

"No, they swam back to the shore on a raft together, but I'm not the next Clint Eastwood."

"But the parallels are striking," teased Zach, and their laughter grew louder as the two left the elevator and glanced around, each pair of eyes scanning the atrium for a different female. Zach wanted to find Emily before she thought he might've stood her up, and Eric... Well, Eric was curious if Miss Pirouette would appear there at all, or maybe she had spent too much time in the darkness to let that much light in.

"Fuck that, women are trouble. One day you're a happy guy, banging a cute chick you met and the next you're this fucking close to dying on a raft 'cause your plane got shot down."

Zach hummed in agreement. He knew Eric wasn't being serious and he had every right to still be bitter about how his relationship with Veronica ended. He chuckled again at the whole "actor/accident/near-death experience/raft/making it back with another survivor" similarity they had been laughing at for a few minutes.

"No. Stop it. I'm not doin' Clint Eastwood impressions so you can make fun of your brother almost turning into some crisp but bloody firework. Besides..." He jerked his head to let Zach know he should turn around. "You don't wanna get caught agreeing that women are trouble now," he added with a smirk and greeted Emily with a friendly smile and a nod, before walking away.

So, Zach turned around, knowing exactly who he would see there and... — He had seen Emily so many times, but it had to be the first time she looked like this and he instantly understood that the last train to We're Just Friends via I'd Never Look At You Like That has just left the station.

[viesanders]

//Common Room. Apr 1.

closed starter for @ivyemerscn

"Hey, Ivy?" He waved at the blonde head-turner from the common room as she passed it, where he had been taking a little break from the party. Eric didn't leave much room for anyone to join him on the couch as he lay there, head propped on the armrest so he could still see what was going on in the atrium. As soon as she reappeared at the door, however, he put one leg down and pulled the other up, to stop being so selfish and vacate the other half of the couch. "Wanna see something cool?" He chuckled before adding, "I'm fairly sober and decent, it's safe to say Yes."