finchwoodacademy | VELVET ROOM PARTY

VELVET ROOM PARTY

All of the students who RSVPed on Khalil's journal post fall asleep surprisingly early Saturday night, some recognizing their own fatigue and calling it a night early while others drift off accidentally on couches or at desks. Regardless of how difficult they normally find it, this sleep is deep and comes over them quickly and completely. When their eyes open next, they're not in their dorms anymore. Instead, they're... in an old school roller rink? The rink itself is large and has a disco ball suspended above it; music is pumping through the speaker system, though the DJ booth off to the side of the rink is vacant. There's a concession stand stocked with various snacks, different kids of booze, and soda, alongside which there are tables to sit at. Off to one side there's a circle of low, ottoman-like seats for Spin the Bottle, and nearby is a utility closet, complete with broom to totally get in your way, for Seven Minutes in Heaven. There are also a few 'party rooms' if you need a little bit of privacy, but the doors don't lock and there are windows in the doors, so, you know. Everything looks pretty typical, except for the blue door at the far end of the building where the entrance would be.

As at the other parties, the students find that they're not wearing what they were when they went to bed. Now, they're dressed in (primarily blue) clothes that are a little bit retro. Like, 80's and 90's retro. There's an abundance of neon, tight fitting materials, and loud patterns, all of which, honestly, look pretty great under the lights on the rink. The party's host, meanwhile, wears a striped referee shirt with deep blue instead of black stripes, and has a whistle hanging around his neck that's going to be a little ineffectual, what with his mask and all. When the partygoers arrive he's standing behind the counter at the skate rental area, arms spread out and braced on the counter. Come check out a pair of skates and get to skating! Or, like, whatever you want to do, he guesses.

Early in the evening, Khalil approaches Thalia Mitchell with a request... can she name his friend? Alongside him is the mysterious Velvet Room denizen Thalia had seen before. Though her body language suggests she's not entirely pleased with it, they settle on Joni (Mitchell) as her name, and she spends most of the party wandering around and avoiding speaking too much with anyone. Meredith Rhydderch overhears a conversation with Khalil and Joni, where Khalil suggests she personally apologize to Marzio Sarno, Slade Winchester, Russell Reeve, and Luke Pokorny for scaring them. She refuses, but does at least take the time to sneak a glance at each of them.

StB & 7MiH

Adam Ho StB #1: Rose StB #2: Sullivan 7MiH: Dustin	Atticus Starling StB #1: Lyle StB #2: Neal 7MiH: Slade	Blake Hasenkamp StB #1: Dustin StB #2: Monet 7MiH: Josephine	Clarissa Day StB #1: Pearl StB #2: Sullivan 7MiH: Venus
Conway Loxton StB #1: Kodi StB #2: Slade 7MiH: Justice	Dustin Espinosa StB #1: Blake StB #2: Marzio 7MiH: Adam	Eli Gardner StB #1: Liam StB #2: Thalia 7MiH: Petra	Flint Chambers 7MiH: Sullivan
Hadlee Loxton StB #1: Henry StB #2: Meredith 7MiH: Rose	Hamsi Khan StB #1: Jude StB #2: Noah	Henry Arany StB #1: Hadlee StB #2: Neal 7MiH: Lyle	Josephine Linville StB #1: Petra StB #2: Slade 7MiH: Blake
Jude Tobin StB #1: Hamsi StB #2: Venus 7MiH: Thalia	Justice Bishop StB #1: Lillian StB #2: Luke 7MiH: Conway	Kodi Hansen StB #1: Conway StB #2: Zinnia 7MiH: Martin	Liam Blumenthal StB #1: Eli StB #2: Lyle
Lillian Armstrong StB #1: Justice StB #2: Petra 7MiH: Suzy	Luke Pokorny StB #1: Mason StB #2: Justice 7MiH: Noah	Lyle Hemmings StB #1: Atticus StB #2: Liam 7MiH: Henry	Martin Geary StB #1: Marzio StB #2: Pearl 7MiH: Kodi
Marzio Sarno StB #1: Dustin StB #2: Martin	Mason Chambers StB #1: Luke StB #2: Venus 7MiH: Meredith	Meredith Rhydderch StB #1: Hadlee StB #2: Noah 7MiH: Mason	Monet Romilly StB #1: Blake StB #2: Zinnia 7MiH: Neal
Neal Valentine StB #1: Atticus StB #2: Henry 7MiH: Monet	Noah Dressler StB #1: Hamsi StB #2: Meredith 7MiH: Luke	Pearl Kline StB #1: Clarissa StB #2: Martin 7MiH: Zinnia	Petra Warren-Yates StB #1: Josephine StB #2: Lillian 7MiH: Eli
Rose Chapman StB #1: Adam StB #2: Thalia 7MiH: Hadlee	Slade Winchester StB #1: Conway StB #2: Josephine 7MiH: Atticus	Sullivan Sinclair StB #1: Adam StB #2: Clarissa 7MiH: Flint	Suzy Choi 7MiH: Lillian
Thalia Mitchell StB #1: Eli StB #2: Rose 7MiH: Jude	Venus Rosales StB #1: Jude StB #2: Mason 7MiH: Clarissa	Zinnia Howe StB #1: Kodi StB #2: Monet 7MiH: Pearl

» SKATE RENTAL: Khalil is handing out skates when he's not 'policing' the rink! Fill out the form to see what, uh, unique skates or blades you get!

» THE RINK: No one will yell at you if you walk out in your sneakers to dance in the center, but it is more fun if you skate, you know? The DJ booth alongside the rink has a computer hooked up with access to a lot of music, if you want to pick some beats.

» CONCESSION STAND & TABLES: Stocked with just about anything you could want food-wise and drink-wise. As usual, a couple of the items are blue that shouldn't be, like the popcorn. Right next to the concession stand are tables where you can take a seat, chill out, and stuff your face with everything you grabbed.

» PARTY GAMES: A small circle of ottoman-like seats has been set up for party games off to the side of the tables! Spin the Bottle and Seven Minutes in Heaven are the mainstays, but it's easy enough to start your own games, too! Nearby there's a tiny utility closet that's a tight squeeze for two people.

» PARTY ROOMS: There are three side rooms set up with tables and lots of blue balloons, like they've been set up for birthday parties. The doors on these rooms don't lock, and there are small windows on the doors, so they're only slightly private.

» END OF THE NIGHT: At some point (god, how long has it been?), there's a feeling of restlessness in the air, as though night is coming to a close and they'll be waking up soon. Best to get your last hurrahs in!

» OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

Please note: Students arrive with nothing they had on them in the real world (including their journals) - so no journaling while here! If you can find Khalil, you can ask him for things, though.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A couple of drinks is what it takes for Kyra to approach Marina at all. She's tipsy enough to acknowledge to herself that she's been avoiding her for a week, and that's not fair. She should be spending what time they have left together, not systematically slashing all emotional ties so it wouldn't hurt as much when Marina stepped out, never to remember her again. It's just that was much easier.

The rigid walls of her mind aren't raised, at the moment, though, enough to not be charmed when she overhears that mention of her favorite ugly cat. "He skates?"

She ponders from a few feet behind, maintaining a safe distance.

Marina turns too quickly at the sound of Kyra's voice, vocal chords incapable of producing the happy brrrt sound that Gremlin does in greeting (and that she very overwhelmingly feels is the appropriate response right now) and instead lets out a slight yelp as she wobbles against the rink wall. There's a short scramble and when she rights herself, she pats her hands against her denim-clad legs as if this would somehow dispel the past few seconds from Kyra's memory.

Things with Kyra had always been an unpredictable push and pull, but this last week has been.. more straightforward. Marina had kept her distance, sort of. She'd found constant excuses to visit with Tobermory, in hopes of passing Kyra by, even if it was just to exchange awkward smiles, but had never pushed for anything more than that.

It's only her own unsteadiness on the wheels that keeps her apart from Kyra now.

"He would," she insists with a puff of pride, "if Daddy would have gotten him a rink. Sometimes Gino pulls him around on a skateboard."

This is a mistake.
Almost certainly. Kyra stands frozen on roller skates, rigid and not wobbling, because any momentum would bring her closer to the other girl, and that's too close. She holds the wall under one hand, fingertips digging into the carpet.

"Even cats need wheels." She says, and it's pretty stupid, but her words don't want to land anywhere else.

Marina, unfortunately, assumes the only reason Kyra isn't coming closer is because she's also unsteady on her wheels. In what's meant to be a gallant move, she attempts to bridge the gap between them but ends up only scooting a few inches closer, arms carefully extended as if she's an airplane.

"That's exactly what I said." By now, Kyra should know that any commentary about cats needing some ridiculous thing they absolutely don't need is sure to be met with agreement from Marina. The alcohol has no affect on her opinions there, but it does cause her to wobble some more and reach out for other girl, adding with soft indignation, "Who actually knows how to move in these things?"

Kyra allows herself to float a little backward, making it look like an accident. She can't touch Marina right now. Shouldn't. Can't? Kyra feels like a coward. She is, actually. She could be happy with Marina now. It's a leap too far, and she can't quite make it.

She does roll up a few feet, hesitant, and helps Marina guide her hand on to the wall, for a guide. "It's easy." She shows, skating backwards, after looking behind. "Just. Pretend your legs are longer. Glide."

Oh, this is a mistake. Marina realizes it the moment Kyra lets go of her. Still, she can't bring herself to leave. Never can.

So she extends a leg behind herself, testing how it feels and tries to think long. Tries it a few more times and then releases her hold on the wall, letting herself roll backward and trusting that Kyra will catch her if she's actually in danger.

"A hidden talent," she says with a far easier smile than any she's felt this week. "You could be Gremlin's personal trainer."

VELVET ROOM PARTY

Marina & Kyra

Marina & Kyra

Marina & Kyra

Marina & Kyra

Marina & Kyra

Marina & Kyra