hell of a party

[middlingalong]

Ivan must be drunker than he thought he was. He could have sworn he knew his way around Vivienne's parents' house, since she wanted to introduce him last week and showed him the place, but maybe they have a... secret... upstairs... bar? where Vivienne's room is supposed to be? And most certainly was last time he checked? He's never going to find the sweater she sent him up looking for here, anyway. Why is there a secret upstairs bar in Vivienne's parents' house?

Comments

[unmarred]

Mark lifts his head from his despair-puddle and turns and stares.

[thisvorlunatic]

"—Hey!" says Stalas. "You're knowing things at me, aren't you!"

[isthisart]

"I am missing something and this state of affairs disagrees with me, but from the collective facial expressions in the room I'm not sure it disagrees with me less than ceasing to miss something."

[unmarred]

Mark throws up his hands. "Fine! I want to fuck Stalas!" he says. "Now we're all on the same page!"

[isthisart]

[middlingalong]

"I was hoping I was wrong! I had hope left that I was wrong!"

[unmarred]

"Congratulations!"

[middlingalong]

Ivan flumphs onto the table.

[thisvorlunatic]

Miles looks at Stalas. Stalas looks at Miles. Miles shrugs, a less dramatic echo of Mark's hand-flinging gesture.

"...I think I'd like to talk to Mark alone," says Stalas. "Asking you all not to speculate on why is probably a lost cause at this point."

[isthisart]

"Well, you still have the room."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Yes," says Stalas. "Yes I do. ...Mark, are you going to continue sitting there looking like a bad case of combat fatigue, or are you going to come with me?"

[unmarred]

Mark gets up and follows Stalas upstairs.

[middlingalong]

"Okay then."

[thisvorlunatic]

"I'm... sort of sorry I asked," says Miles, gazing after them. "Also sort of hoping Mark has just managed to make a friend."

[middlingalong]

"Sure."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Does anyone have anything to talk about that isn't... that?"

[isthisart]

"Apparently arbitrage is also not allowed, even though Bar could easily do it."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Heh."

[isthisart]

"I wheedled. Considerably."

[thisvorlunatic]

"To no effect?"

[isthisart]

"Not a bit. There is no way I'm walking out of here with unsynthesizable elements or other portable items of large value."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Maybe I should try," Miles says cheerfully.

[isthisart]

"Be my guest."

[thisvorlunatic]

He goes over to Bar.

"What are my chances of convincing you to let my wife buy nice things she can take home and make money off of?"

[isthisart]

I am, says Bar, wise to your tricks.