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]

"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.

[thisvorlunatic]

"You'd be surprised how often that doesn't help."

[isthisart]

Yet behold how I am not giving you any unsynthesizable elements.

Linya laughs softly.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Why not, though?"

[isthisart]

I would like to very much, I assure you. I am not the only magic thing in this environment, I am just the nicest, and I need better reason than someone who is already very comfortably wealthy wheedling me to get me to bend rules that outside forces might choose to enforce.

"Surely the giant squid isn't going to take exception."

No, not the giant squid. More along the lines of whoever controls the door.

[thisvorlunatic]

"See," says Miles, "that's reasonable. I respect that."

[isthisart]

Thank you, napkins the bar, dryly.