asharpertongue | Beach BBQ [Open]

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Beach BBQ [Open]

Levi's idea for a beach party had been a good one. After the past few weeks they both needed to blow off a little steam and Lara had taken to the idea like the proverbial siren to water, inviting all her employees and friends. Levi had put the word out at the police station and among his closer friends so between them a decent crowd was forming.

The tables lining the beach were piled high with food and drink, a DJ was already in full swing and people were drifting over to the large bonfire for warmth as the chill started to cut through the summer evening. A few of the Heart of Gold employees had brought their kids along for the festivities and a friend of Lara's was performing little glamours and tricks to keep them entertained. Large clusters of huge pillows were dotted about the beach just a little way from Levi's house and lanterns and firelight bathed the whole area in a warm glow.

Maybe Lara had taken it a little far but she liked to treat her friends and everyone could use a little R&R.

OOC: Levi and Lara's friends have been officially invited, but everyone else feel free to wander in at your leisure~.

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"My mother had pretty big plans about my future, I guess. No clue about what my father thought."

Bach nodded. "She's uh ..yeah. Owns the one decent bar here. Knows everyone. Gives a mean slap to the face. I only know the detective because he took a hysterical woman from my hands. And because he was banged up a bit ago. But not a bad guy, I think. Can I say that or are you going to knife me in the gut?"

"No knifing, you actually probably know more about Levi than I do, I just met the guy a couple weeks ago." Which she figured merited a little more explanation. Although what little he'd just said was... interesting. Lara sounded like she didn't take much crap from anyone. Wonder what she thought about Levi having a mystery relative showing up out of nowhere?

"His part of the family and mine haven't exactly been in contact the last few decades. I was kind of a total surprise to him and vice versa."

"Oh. Oh. But a nice one? I don't have any family around as far as I know, so someone just showing up would be a special experience."

He gives her a crooked grin. "Are you here for his powers and riches?"

"Yeah, a nice one. I don't meet much nice family." She didn't want to let on how nice because she was a firm believer in jinxing things. Or, not, as the case may be. Levi was nice. And pretty honest from what she'd seen. And not at all like the pack of jackals that were the rest of her family, at least those few she'd met. The rest she knew from reputation.

"But I don't need his powers and riches. I have my own." She hadn't actually done the math, but she thought she might actually have a bigger net worth than he did. Her father and grandfather may have been bastards of the first order, magic-ing their way into Silicon Valley royalty, but she was the one that was getting to reap the benefits.

"Than you're one of the lucky few. On all three accounts."

"Family, power, riches." Bach toys with his glass. "You'll fit right in here. Lots of old families in old big houses, as far as I've gleaned. You can be the first Wakewood back here, or something fancy."

"Oh, man, if the locals think all Wakewoods are like me, they are in for one hell of a surprise if the others show up." Not that she thought they would. Even centuries later, the treatment they'd received still stung the witchy part of the family. Even Grandy had a hard time hiding his disdain when he'd told her about the Cove. There was a reason they'd abandoned the town, put it in the 18th century equivalent of the rear-view and never looked back.

"I don't want to found any dynasties. I just want..." What did she want, really? It was a question she knew she wouldn't be answering soon. "I just want to chill out for awhile. Meet some new people."

"You can do that everywhere. But maybe here isn't so bad."

"Here is .. I hope you can make your own place here, Essie. I think that's something important for everyone. To have a place they can fall back on, find comfort in. This was probably not something you expected from the stranger offering alcohol."

"Not so much. You're quite the welcome wagon, dude. I'm impressed. And a little ashamed at the cold shoulder-ish brush off earlier." People, so far as she'd seen, were usually nice to strangers. She'd traveled all over the world and seen all kinds of welcomes, but for some reason she just hadn't expected this one to be nice. Maybe it was her nerves about meeting Levi. Maybe it was just being back in the states, even if it was on the opposite coast from home. Maybe it was what she knew about Siren Cove history. But whatever it was, each act of kindness charmed her and was one more reason she should stay.

"Hmm.." He tapped his mouth. "It's okay. Maybe it's something I carry with me, lately. Sent a girl into hysterics when I wanted to comfort her. So it's probably just me. But good to know I haven't lost all possibilities of being social. That would have hurt."

"Trust me, it was all me, dude. I'm prone to paranoia." She wished to hell she wasn't, but there it was. "You can even get me that drink now if you're interested."

A little flirty, maybe, but Essie wanted to keep things as light as possible. Everything needed to be light these days, she just didn't want this place to get heavy, especially since she was thinking of moving here longer-term.

"That's sad, but I guess we all have things we're not particularly happy with." He gets up.

"Anything special? I don't feel like you want to be surprised, at least when it comes to drinks."

"Um, how about something margarita-ish? We are on a beach after all." And it was something mixed so it would have a lower alcohol content that she could milk over a longer period. She liked to drink, and wasn't opposed to getting a little blitzed, but she liked to have more control over the circumstances than she did at the moment.

Stretching out her legs she leaned back onto the sand, making herself comfortable while a handsome man fetched her a drink.

"Something margarita-ish. Right away, ma'am."

Bach decided against giving her three options and simply returned with a classic Margarita, even pulling out the little umbrella (too childish) before sitting down.

"This is an one hundred percent Margarita, if you don't mind. Enjoy."

"Sweet." Sitting back up, she took the drink with a smile. It was nice, hanging out on the beach and chatting up a new person. It felt normal. She had a distinct lack of normal in her life.

Which considering the general abnormality of this place made the feeling even stranger.

She took a sip and grinned even wider, "This one hundred percent margarita, is one hundred percent awesome. Thank you very much, Bach."

"This place does know how to do its alcohol, definitely. Did you see the bottles they have? All this fancy stuff with big name brands. And not in the way that they stole stickers and glued them on the home brand bottle."

He waves it away. "That doesn't make sense. Good that you like it, Essie."

"I dunno, this whole thing strikes me as the go big or go home method of partying. Big brands would be my choice if I were doing something like this." Not that she'd ever done anything like this. Sure, she'd buy a round for the house now and again, buy up a pretty face's tab at the end of a night when she picked them up for some sex but nothing like this. It was elaborate to be sure.

Maybe now she could do something like this. If she stayed, that was.

"Too big egos partying, maybe. Although I don't know much about the detective, but Quinn's house is huge. All of her is. I wonder how many people here are really friends or just - like me - freeloading."

Bach looks around. "They even pick up your glass if you don't hold on to it. Foul behavior", he winks. "Will only put me to using the bottle faster."

"Oh, that's a shame, they're nice glasses." She held hers up for a moment before taking another sip and looking around. He was right, there were actual servers wandering around bussing... the beach. Wow, she really had gone full out for this shindig. Essie was impressed and a little scared.

"And I don't think you're freeloading, I got the impression that if you just delivered the mail you'd be invited. Kinda open."

"True, true. And I think everyone in this town knows each other, in one way or the other. I don't think you can be a real stranger in this place."

"They are. Especially when there's liquid inside them."

"Yeah, but no one knows me." Essie leaned back, looking up at the sky. It was dark, the stars competing for attention from the huge bonfire. No one knew her, no one live. She'd spent so much time traveling, she'd never put down roots anywhere, just tumbled along like a weed and part of her really wanted that to change.

"And I'm staying stone-cold sober tonight." That was not something she wanted people to know about her, her alcohol tolerance.

"If you'd allow it, that would change soon enough. And not just because people are noisy and you're nice to look at. It's just how it goes, as soon as you're part of a group of anything." Bach shrugged. "I never worked hard for it and somehow still always landed in the center o-" He laughed. "Okay, talking about different things here."

"Why?"

"Why am I staying sober or why doesn't anyone know me?" She couldn't figure which statement she'd made he was asking about although both had related answers. Answers she wasn't the keenest to talk about. What would she say? The truth, that her own family was so fractured and divisive that they might actually attack her if they knew where she was? Or that because of her family she was hesitant to get to know, or be known by anyone? Or did she just lie, which she really didn't want to do because she'd just met the guy.

"Maybe both? If you want to share?"

"I mean, I won't offer you alcohol again if you're an addict. I won't stick around if you have a hobby of murdering strangers or something. He winks. "Just like that."

"I like staying in control of myself and I don't stay in any one place too long. Pretty simple, actually. Nothing too dramatic." Except for maybe the reasons for her control and wanderlust. Sure, it was nice running around the world, but doing it to avoid one's family wasn't the best. Staying in control was practical, but nerve-wracking when it's because one didn't trust any of the people one was drinking with.

"Okay, okay. Fair enough. I've only been in control of myself for the past five years, so I'm still getting used to the idea of being solely responsible for the who, what and where."

That was a bit more personal than he had planned. "Just saying, whatever you reason you have. It's okay."

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