You are invited:

[winsomelosesome]

Who: Janet Van Dyne, Tony Stark, OTA
What: A party to celebrate the approximate 4th of July and one Steve Roger's B-day
When: The 4th of July
Where: Temba Beach
Warnings: TBD, Drinking, Creature Attacks

The beach had been transformed, perhaps not to the level Jan was used to back home, but still fairly impressive. A number of newly built beach pagodas littered the purple sands, sheer white draperies shifting with the breeze. There were tables and seating provided in each, for more intimate conversation, a larger buffet style table laid out for people to browse from. In addition, there was a table for special themed cocktails (and mocktails) for the guests. Jan had been very proud of finding local alternatives, but some of them may come with some…unintended side effects. Jan had found a collection of opalescent conch like shells, and scattered them about liberally to serve as decorations. She and Tony had been working in secret for ages to pull this together for Steve, and the pair were dressed in white, a request she’d made of all the guests as well, but no one would be turned away if they couldn’t manage. A dancefloor had been built, and Eddie had been offered something that must’ve been pretty damn valuable, because the metalhead had been talked into playing Disco for the party. When the time came for cake the hosts got a little bashful. Jan had always hired out for this, but she had been sure it couldn't be all that hard to make a cake. It turned out she was wrong. But it was the best they had, and so it was presented rather sheepishly to the birthday boy and to be shared amongst the guests if any were brave enough to try it. It doesn't taste great, but at least there are no mystery side effects to go with it. As the sun set, a host of glowing necklaces, wands and bracelets were passed out, and once it was truly dark the light show began. Rather than the more traditional fireworks, they had a series of drones lighting up the sky in a dazzling display. However, something unexpected comes from this. As though awoken from the light, the shells Jan had so proudly decorated with were not as abandoned as she’d thought. Little legs slid free, and the creatures began to head for the nearest light source, whether that be the drones in the sky or any of the heroes with their glowing attire. And to make matters worse, there is a large SOMETHING in the water, shrieking with a sound that shakes the beach. What could it possibly want, and what does it have to do with the little shell creatures?? -------- The drinks/effects: (All effects will wear off) Truth (cocktail): Can only speak the truth Justice (mocktail): Temporarily Blinds Drinker Liberty (cocktail): Extreme Excess of Energy Fireworks (cocktail): Loss of Powers or Granting of One (1) Not Game Breaking Power Mr. President (mocktail): Causes Short Term Amnesia

Comments

[target_audience]

Stu loped away that time, shrinking obediently from the shove, but caught Billy's wrist with a snicker. "Come on," he pressed, playfully wrestling to keep control of his hold, and the song still in his voice as he drew out, "don't you love me?" It died abruptly in the last syllable, grit out between his teeth with his breath held as Stu realized he hoped the juice didn't really work like Eddie said, and needed hear know the truth anyway.

[directors_cut]

He was getting out of here. Billy didn't like this, feeling cornered and far more vulnerable than he was comfortable, jerking his wrist with grit. "Of course I do-" he spat out, and despite the cruel delivery, the sentiment was true, face hot with annoyance, unsure why he was spilling this shit so damn easily.

"What did you do-?" he accused, dark eyes turning on Stu.

[target_audience]

It must have worked. Even though that was why they were here, even though Billy didn't want to admit he was keeping secrets, this still surprised Stu enough to actually release him and step back into the darkness, stumbling slightly on the wet rocks. Maybe that was enough, and Stu didn't need any more answers, and they could just pretend this didn't happen, and they could go back to how it used to be now, before the party and before Stu started to doubt Billy did love him.

He couldn't bring himself to move, watching Billy's shadow.

Instead of answering, he asked suddenly, the song entirely gone now, "Do you think about killing me?"

[directors_cut]

Damnit! Billy angrily tried to put space between them, back turned to Stu by the time he got that question out. However hard he ground his teeth he couldn't stop himself from answering- "Sometimes-" biting it off with a groan, before turning and advancing on Stu.

"What did you do??" he repeated grabbing his shirt and jerking him closer.

[target_audience]

It should have occurred to Stu that making sure they were isolated, where no one could hear them, could be a problem. The fear clenched in his belly as Billy grabbed him, and he fumbled in the dark to get a hold around his wrist again, and a blind grasp at his shirt in return at the shoulder. Knowing he was in trouble made him immediately whimper, "Nuffin'..." That didn't sound very convincing, so he repeated in an emphatic shout, "Nothing! Okay! Are you going to kill me?" It was as much a plea as it was a challenge, and Stu didn't know what answer to expect this time, but his hold on Billy tightened, keeping him close, no matter what he had to say, prepared for the worst with a burn in his throat.

cw: domestic violence??

[directors_cut]

"Well, I'm thinking about it now!" The reply was both sarcastic AND true, barked out with a violent and bruising shake. God, Stu was all fucking limbs, Billy relying on presence to try and regain control. "Is that what you want?! Hmm, you want me to fucking kill you?"

[target_audience]

"No!" Stu moaned, and now what little vision he had in the dark with the glow of these stupid bracelets was blurred, so Billy was a smear in the dark that Stu tried to bring back into focus and ease up on him with a grab at Billy's ear to hold his head still. Meanwhile, he went stumbling back, like he could both flee the threat and keep Billy close as he dragged him along until they hit a wall. "I just needed to know if you did it on purpose, if it was part of the plan."

[directors_cut]

"The plan is for us to stab each other," he growled, "Lone survivors. And I didn't fucking touch you yet," Billy reminded, groping along Stu's side to try and find that tender point and apply some punishing pressure, breath hot.

[target_audience]

Stu's groan of pain should have definitively said otherwise. Billy had stabbed him, just like they said, and wasn't even there when it happened, just like he said, and Stu could only sniffle, "C'mon, man, easy," with his nails digging in to Billy's neck, coiling tight and ready to shove him away and hug him closer. "You put another hole in me, it's going to be a lot harder to explain."

[directors_cut]

The bit of those nails made Billy hiss, and he pushed his lips abruptly to Stu's with a punishing kiss to shut him up. There's nothing gentle about it, another form of fighting for control, thigh slotting itself roughly between Stu's legs.