get ready everybody 'cause here we go

[dashing]

WHO: Saoirse, Herian & open.
WHAT: a combined birthday hangout.
WHEN: 30th Haring.
WHERE: The Hanged Man.
NOTES: Drink up now and turn up hungover to the Firstday feast. Open invitation over here, no need to reply to the network post or even have prior cr in order to attend. Please add any warnings to subject lines if they come up.

"Party" would be an extreme word for it; the more accurate word would be "casual gathering of people with liquor readily available." It is The Hanged Man, though, so who knows what shenanigans could unfold.

They've taken over a corner of the inn, and though there isn't much in the way of decorations - making sure the place could be easily accessed after all that snow was work enough - there are a couple of strings of bunting.

Don't get too wild; it'd be unfortunate if Herian had to interrupt her own (shared) birthday celebration in the sake of preserving the Inquisition's reputation. (Or do get wild, and simply shrug it off as The Hanged Man's influence. Whatever.)

Be sure of one thing, though - at least one round is one Herian. Maybe. If you're a close friend, or look particularly glum.

Comments

[youwonscience]

[Earlier/Herian]

Cosima is late. That's partly because she just is, but largely because she has spent the time between the network announcement and now scrambling to find a gift that is not so much it would embarrass Herian, yet definitely enough to show she cares, but then again something Cosima can actually afford after blowing a lot of her cash on that microscope.

So when she arrives, she's a bit flushed, but triumphant, and works her way over to the birthday girl. (Or girls, possibly.) "Sorry! Sorry I'm late."

[Later/Open]

Cosima cannot monopolize Herian's attention all night, nor does she intend to try. But she does feel the need to stay for moral support, if nothing else. Just in case Herian needs her.

In the meantime, she's several glasses of wine in, and she's decided dancing is in order, because one of the advantages of being a rifter is that everyone assumes you're bizarre anyway so why not take advantage?

[dashing]

Herian is... being Herian. Which is to say she's standing off to the side, as much as she can, watching over things that are going on. She's not uncomfortable in social situations, and it's not that's she's bad at them, she's just stiff; back straight, shoulders back, looking more like a knight on duty than a woman at her birthday party.

With that said, her shoulders ease a little at the sound of Cosima's voice, and her mouth brightens with a smile. "It is no trouble, bláithín." Catching Cosima's elbow, she gently eases her closer. "I'm glad you're here."

Look, she's smiling. Look how 100% totally okay she is.

[youwonscience]

She leans up to press a quick, affectionate kiss to Herian's cheek. "Happy birthday. Although you could have given me a little more warning," fondly. (About the best friend, perhaps, as much as the date of birth; plenty of time for that later, though.)

"Have people been buying you drinks? You look like you might need a drink," she adds, considering Herian's general demeanor.

[dashing]

“I should have,” she admits, a little ruefully. She knows she isn’t the best at this, but knowing isn’t an excuse, more a prompt within oneself for improvement that has been ignored. She must do better. In the meantime, she sets her hand at Cosima’s waist, and gently nudges Cosima’s nose with her own.

“I’ve been doing my utmost to remain controlled.” Which sounds faintly conspiratorial, somehow, “but I could allow it, in this instance.”

[youwonscience]

"Alright. Oh, wait, do you want your present first? Or are you going to do presents all at once later on? I don't know how birthdays go in Thedas, there are surprisingly few birthday parties in the Inquisition." Or at least parties that have been more formal than 'we're all already at the tavern, let's have a drink.'

[dashing]

She looks surprised, for a moment, mouth opening and closing before she seems to figure out what to say. "I wasn't anticipating gifts," she admits. A little sheepishly, "I've not celebrated my birthday in some time."

Gifts weren't much of a thing in the Circles, not for lack of friendship, more for... lack of shopping opportunities, and before that had been the alienage. She smiles, though, and leans back a little, looking to see if anyone is coming before, before moving closer again, with a conspiratorial air. "Is it rude to say 'now'?"

[youwonscience]

Cosima laughs and produces as small package wrapped in brown paper. (She thought of tying it with string, but her new year's resolution is to make fewer pop culture jokes that no one else will get. Thedas isn't ready for The Sound of Music anyway.)

"Hey, that works to my benefit. Clearing the low bar of 'any gift at all' accomplished." She nudges Herian with her shoulder. "You should definitely tear into it. Where I come from, it shows you're enthusiastic about the gift." It's a tease, but a well-meant one.

However Herian opens it, dignified or otherwise, she will discover a pair of fine gloves, died a rich wine-red and lined with wool.

[dashing]

"Of course," she adds, in gentle retaliation that is horribly undermined by the fact that she can't fully hide her smile, "I do hold you to a very high standard." And will judge the gift accordingly being the joking implication. There is a moment of pause as she accepts the little parcel, turning it over in her hands critically, lifting it up and shaking it a little right next to her ear in a very serious, so dignified process before—

allowing herself a moment of ridiculousness, and tearing that paper off. With a little bit of extra flair, for Cosima's benefit.

A moment of silence follows as she examines the gloves - silence not being that unusual with Herian, let's be honest, but the inspection has turned from the exaggerated seriousness of before to a quiet sort of wonder, fingers mapping over the gloves and her mouth in a little smile that curls her mouth at the corners. She looks to Cosima, and can't quite think of what to say, but gently tugs her closer, and catches her with a kiss.

[youwonscience]

Cosima kisses her back, smiling against her mouth. When they break apart, she says, "Guess that means it was a good choice?" It's quieter, but warm. "I mean, next year I'll know in advance when your birthday is, so." The pressure will be on to top the reception she got this time, she supposes.

[dashing]

“Perfect. My gloves are looking a little sorrowful, after the blizzards.” Many hours of carting food and wood to the alienage and dark town had the gloves on their last legs, just about. More quietly, “they’re beautiful, thank you.”

She’s not quite bashful - Herian has possibly never been bashful in her life - but she stays close to Cosima, keeping an arm wrapped around her, and there’s a pervasive sort of happiness that makes her smile a little more pronounced and lingering than it might normally be, especially these past weeks. With that said, she does seem to realise something. “When is your birthday?”

[youwonscience]

Cosima leans into Herian's shoulder. "I don't ... actually know in Thedas' calendar. At home it's the ninth day of a month called March. Usually that's like ... about two weeks before the spring equinox. So if you tried to line it up by season, maybe sometime in Drakonis?"

It is, Cosima realizes, not a terribly satisfying answer. "I guess I've been here long enough, I could just pick a day to celebrate."

[dashing]

“Do. Just because I am… terrible at providing the details of my own birthday does not mean I’ve any intention of neglecting yours.”

A sidelong glance at Cosima, and-- “How do you feel about dancing?”

[youwonscience]

"Like it's a thing we should be doing if you want to," she replies, instantly, with a grin. "Why, how do you feel about it?"

[dashing]

"Willing, albeit cautious." Cosima's grin coaxes more of a smile out of her. "It is somewhat out of my realm of expertise, but I would greatly like to dance with you."

[youwonscience]

"It's fine, I don't know any Thedosian dances anyway." So they're be well matched in ignorance. "And hey, you're in good shape, a little dancing should be no problem. Way easier than swimming."

[dashing]

"I've heard it said that swordsmanship and dancing are not entirely removed from one another," she starts, moving her hand from Cosima's waist to catch her hand, to start moving to where others are already dancing, "but I fail to see the similarity myself."

There's less hacking and stabbing involved in dancing, for one. Or... so she'd hope.

[youwonscience]

"Well, I don't know a lot about swordsmanship," Cosima allows, "but I'd think both would involve paying close attention to your partner, right?"

So there's that.

[dashing]

That gets a laugh out of Herian, which - despite the relative good cheer of the evening - is an impressive accomplishment, with how she's been lately.

"I suppose," she replies, considering it, before turning to face Cosima now that they're more amongst their fellow dancers. "With your permission, then, I would like to pay close attention to you. Is that agreeable?"

[youwonscience]

"I'll go so far as to monopolize your attention, if you let me." Cosima grins. "At least for a song or two. We can make up our own dance, say it's the latest thing from California. There's like... four people who could call us on it."

[dashing]

Things she has been aware of for a while, but that this evening is confirming: Cosima's smile makes her smile, and that anywhere Cosima is becomes a place where she wishes to be, as well. "Please do, I'm more than willing."

Cautiously, with a glance to the others as a confirmation of method, she sets one of her hands at Cosima's lower back, eyebrows quirked a little in a silent question of okay? to Cosima, stepping closer, and takes Cosima's hand with her other. "I think between the two of us we could make a compelling argument."

[youwonscience]

Cosima nods slightly at Herian's silent question, and she gives her hand a squeeze. "Shit, yeah, between the two of us we have totally good odds of intimidating any given person who decides to be the dance police."

Between Cosima being a rifter, Herian being a mage, and Herian being Herian, seriously, why would you ever.

"Mainly it's just a matter of hearing the rhythm and matching your movements to that. Thedosian music's enough like the kind from home, it's not super complicated."

[dashing]

"You would charm them, I think, before intimidating."

Because girl, she loves you, but rifter factor aside? Not a scary person.

She nods at the instructions, and after a moment of hesitation, attempts to start dancing. Rhythm, moving, these aren't foreign concepts, just very very rusty ones. It's more that she's just trying to be careful, rather than that she's bad at it. Physical things do tend to come to her more easily, but dancing is a physical thing where outright strength isn't necessarily so useful.

"I apologise in advance if I tread on your feet."

[youwonscience]

"It's your birthday, you totally get a pass," she says with a laugh. "You should relax a little bit though. I know 'loosen up' isn't your default but just... flow, you know?"

Herian probably doesn't know, but Cosima is doing her best to demonstrate.

[dashing]

"Relax." She's not incredulous, it's more akin to a mantra. Relax. Relax. She can do that.

Concentrating on relaxing does not help one relax, and she shakes her head at herself, as she rolls her shoulders and attempts actually relaxing. On the plus side, being around Cosima is relaxing, and her smile widens at the demonstration.

A little huff of breath, not dissimilar to someone attempting to get in the headspace for a marathon, and she... okay, she's not as good at going with the flow as Cosima, but she is progressing. "I think we can agree that you help me 'loosen up' more than a little."

[youwonscience]

"It's good for you," Cosima says with a grin. Her dance moves are probably not very Thedas-y, but she at least looks like she's having a good time. "They've done studies, where I'm from. People who take time to unwind and relax, as a group, live longer than people who don't. So, you know, you can say it's for your health."