It wasn't an earthquake gently rattling the table, no. It was an upheaval. A chest upheaval, mind you, of the laughter sort. Aurum was snickering. Shin was making funny faces. The kid was obviously drunk. He wasn't making a lick of sense, either, and Kealey called him on it. What was he talking about, 'making his own costume'? And 'gold fish principles'? What? Kealey was the one making the costumes, and--

Whoa, hey, wait. Kealey was making costumes... For the X-men.

"Heh." Aurum bowed his head towards his drink. Unlike Shin, he hadn't finished his drink yet. And unlike Shin, he was still thinking straight.

Kealey made costumes for the X-men. Amusing. But it made sense. She was going to fashion school, after all. A job was a job. Still.

Kinda silly.

>> ”Now that is a good idea…I love my school…it’s not college…but it’s still school. What would you study?

"Yes, College. Go to it." Aurum cut in smugly. Shin needed all the nudging he could get. But nudge-time was over now. Now was the time for flat-out shoving power. A shoulder tackle towards higher education, if you will.

As for all that other stuff...

>>”I’m drunk.

It could... wait? Aurum stared at Kealey. God, she was cute. But inebriated. He looked towards the bartender, and mused 'maybe we should finish up the drinking and get this girl home...' It wouldn't do to have her stumbling when they were all staggered beyond belief.

Aurum looked at the rest of his drink, and eyeballed it with resolve. It seemed he had to play 'designated drinker' tonight... and they were the designated drunkards.

Oh, joy.

He opened his mouth to suggest it, but was cut off by Shin's announcement.

>>”What? Who said anything about you making it…I’m the one who has to figure out how to make you a bloody tuxedo battle suit. You’re going to be the death of me….and what are shards anyway? ”

"Eh?" Shin tilted his head. "Didn't I tell you? I can, uh... make multi-colored razor sharp triangular barriers with my mind, and make shapes with them... hrm... maybe I should demonstrate... think, think think," Shin tapped the side of his head thoughtfully. His left hand absently stretched itself, palm upwards on the table as Shin tapped. A half-inch blue triangle danced above his palm for a moment, then vanished.

Maybe if I tried smaller... Tiny shards... rounded? The initial logic behind it was fair. Round shapes could be made in geometry with triangles, after all, but... like he'd thought earlier.... lots of math.

Which brought him to his next comment. Classes at NYU.

HMMM.

He blinked at Kealey's comment. What would he study?

Why math, of course! "Math." Shin announced. He glanced at Aurum's further insistence. "If both of you insist, I s'pose..." He pursed his lips in a musing frown. Math would be good. And maybe some art? Fashion, if he was making costumes... and... uh... what was that one he liked? Literature? No. History? Naw. Oh! Graphic design!! That was it. He nodded to himself. That was a good idea.

His hand dropped towards his drink, but stopped. It was all gone, now. When had THAT happened?

Oh. Right. Just before he'd asked about the job. Wait. When had he asked about the job, again? He must have zoned out there. Shin laughed again, and apologized for that.

Really, this was all so ridiculoush!

>>”I’m drunk.”

Kealey stated.

Shin screwed up his eyes, and looked at her. She wobbled in his field of vision, exactly the right distance away. He smiled.

"Me too."

High five! His hand rose up for the palm slap.

Kealey’s eyes widened slightly as Shin explained exactly what it was his powers were capable of doing. Suddenly, it was a little easier for the blond to picture him fighting crime. He could make triangles? That were sharp? That could make other shapes? Kealey actually reached out towards the one that Shin was floating above his palm, completely unconcerned with the fact that he’d said they were incredibly sharp. Then it disappeared, Kealey pouted.

Shin was thinking again and while he did that, Riley occupied herself with looking at all the people in the bar and wondered what they were thinking or feeling. She was far too inebriated at this point to actually use her powers to any real effect, so she settled for picking out the looks on their faces and matching emotions to them. She was just working on Aurum, and probably staring more than she intended, when Shin spoke again…about math.

Just like the last time, it took Kealey’s alcohol numbed brain a moment to catch up with Shin’s conversation, and by the time she realized he was answering her question about his major in college, he’d moved on to something else completely.

Kealey didn’t mind, she was still stuck on the college thing, she looked at
Aurum, then back at Shin and she nodded her head, ”We do insist. Every super hero needs something in their life besides their battle against the dark forces of evil.” a sage nod accompanied those words.”Otherwise it throws off the way of the world.” another nod.

Her proclamation of drunkenness was met with apparent approval since Aurum didn’t say anything, and Shin agreed that he was as well and offered a high five. Kealey obliged after staring at the offered palm for a moment and making sure she judged the distance correctly, ”Yay!” she exclaimed, and turned to Aurum, ”What about you? High five?”she said, holding up her hand and grinning,

”You’re going to be a lawyer!”

Drunk. Both of them were filthy, head-over-heels oopsy daisy Bob's your Mother, drunk. Aurum felt a very strange feeling pass through him. A feeling of compassion mixed with reprimand, and a hint of guilt-tripping. He paused. His eyes widened.

"My god." He was thoroughly considering acting like his mother. The oh-so-tempting finger wag dropped, as it could be construed as a 'high five'... then, Aurum shrugged and met Kealey's palm with a light slap, because 'what the hell'.

>>”You’re going to be a lawyer!”

She cheered. And for a moment, God help him, he was reminded of his ex-girlfriend Viletta.

"Yes. Yes, I am." He replied, a slight hint of sarcasm on his tongue. "And we're going to have to get out of here. Both of you are very drunk... can't have you stumbling into traffic... but... my place isn't close enough, and... hrm." Aurum had been on a roll. He hit a speed bump. His diatribe slowed. "Where are we gonna take you two...?" It was the question of the night.

>>”Yay!”

Whoo hoo!

>>”What about you? High five?”

>>”You’re going to be a lawyer!”

>>"Yes. Yes, I am." "And we're going to have to get out of here. Both of you are very drunk..."

"Party pooper," Shin mourned. Where was his wide-eyed enthusiasm? His drunken dollop of daring? His dashing comment, his something in his life to help fight the forces of darkness (that were the night, because they were young, and the night needed owning)?

Where?

Shin laughed. "Haha. You think I'm Drunk? I'm perfeccly fine." And that wasn't a bit of slurred speech, oh no. That was on purpose. Porpoise? Purr Push.

Yes. Definitely on purr push.

"I want another drink..." Shin eyed Aurum's glass.

Yay! Aurum slapped her hand and Kealey grinned a silly, nose-wrinkling grin. The fact that he was being slightly patronizing escaped her, so Kealey just giggled and went back to waiting ot see what Shin would say next. Aurum agreed that he was going to be a lawyer and Kealey nodded, that was good. He was going to fight bad guys…no wait…he was going to defend bad guys…what was it he’d said? Because that’s the only way the system worked.

”You’re going to be good at it. And I’m going to make you a suit!”

Then…Aurum spoke, and Kealey’s eyebrows knitted together as her lips pursed into a pout. Shin spoke, labeling Aurum as a party pooper…and Kealey actually had to agree. She nodded and clung to her Chocotini…this was not drunk…waking up with strange red men…that was drunk.

Shin insisted that he was fine, slurring magnificently, and Kealey rose an eyebrow and looked at Aurum, ”Maybe he is drunk…” she paused and nodded, ”But I’m fine…” she most definitely was not. Shin’s drunkenness was spilling over, as well as whatever tipsiness Aurum had acquired, and maybe some from the guy who was now singing at the bar.

Shin was now eyeballing Aurum’s drink, pointing out that he was thirsty and Kealey looked at Aurum like he’d suddenly become the parent of the group, ”Does he need another drink?” she finished hers and smiled, "I know I do."

Aurum had asked a question at the end of his mild rebuke about Kealey and Shin's drunkenness and she paused a moment, fuzzily considering an answer, I have an apartment. Right over there." she said, pointing in the right direction. ”And keys.” She smiled, this night was going so well.

>>"Party pooper."

"..." This was Aurum's murderous face. There were many other expressions like it, but this was his own. As Shin went on and on about how 'perfeccly fine' he was, and how thirsty he could be, Aurum smiled a sugar-sweet smile. "Hey, Shin?"

His eyes shifted to Kealey. She said she was fine, too. "And Kealey..." He added, with the air of a peacemaker. "What say we get out of here. I think we've drank enough, and I'm getting tired. If we go now," he pushed the last of his drink out of Shin's reach, over towards Kealey. "Maybe, I can make something good for everyone to eat."

"You said you live near here?" Aurum asked Kealey. "Could you... show us where?" He didn't want to find a bus this time of night, or try driving any vehicles they had parked near Full Circle home. He was still a little fuzzy, even if he was playing the role of the designated killer of buzz.

>>"Hey, Shin?"

Eyes hopped from the glass. "Yuh?"

>>"And Kealey..."

Shin turned to Kealey. He stuck out his tongue. He was too sober. More sober than her, at least.

And what was Aurum talking about, again? Shin screwed up his eyes, then lowered them deftly, to aim a wide snatch attempt at Aurum's glass. The glass slid out of the way, over to Kealey's side of the table. Shin's hand hit tabletop. He let out a disappointed 'aww'.

Wait, did Aurum just said 'food'. A bit of thought-processing returned to Shin. "... I could eat."

And now, Aurum was talking about Kealey's place. Shin had to wonder. Did Kealey have Goldfish crackers?

It was important.

Their lives all depended on a 'yes' answer.

To a question he didn't even ask.

Now Kealey knew what that look settling itself on Aurum’s face meant, she’d seen it on countless people, countless times. It meant that Aurum didn’t like being called a party pooper, Kealey got ready to plant her fists on her hips and defend her actions. She was an adult! She was a woman! She knew when she’d had enough to drink! Kealey moved her hands from the table so they could assume their position on her hips and she wobbled precariously on her seat. Maybe she had drank enough, she glared at her empty glass, damming the clear liquid.

Aurum spoke, the angry look wiped from his face, and Kealeys eyes widened. She could have the best of both worlds…her drunken pride could be saved and she could have food that Aurum had cooked! Shin stuck his tongue out at her and she returned the gesture, completely unaware of what he’d actually said.

Aurum asked her where she lived and Kealey looked at him for a moment before digging into her purse and pulling out her wallet. The wallet was opened, the ID holder flipped over and she held it out for Aurum to see as she pointed, ”There.” she said with a bright grin, punctuating the statement with a giggle.

”If you’re going to cook….we should definitely go.” the blond said, nodding sagely and licking her lips. Didn’t she have some goldfish somewhere?

((OOC: Kealey-talk approved by Kealey, and godmoding permission granted to get us out of the bar.))

"..."

With all the hip-hand-resting posturing and the raspberry-blowing hilarity, a strange thought couldn’t help itself but work its way through Aurum’s mind. They were acting like children… and he was acting like mom. It wasn’t a fun thought, just a repeated one. He put a hand to his forehead, and bowed his head for a second.

Ugh, tonight. Next time Shin needed cheering up, they’d take him out to dinner at a nice restaurant or something. No drinking. At least, not how they’d been drinking. Even he had to admit he’d had a healthy helping of his drink.

He swung his attention back to Kealey as she pulled out her ID. Aurum stared at it. “Er…” He’d wanted directions, not an address… but it was better than nothing. She was lucky she was a cute drunk.

The address she had on the card was for the Iris Clinic. Iris Clinic… He paused to recall where he’d heard that name before. It took a second, thanks to the good ol inebriation experience. He’d walked with Ghost there, before. It was where her husband worked.

>> ”If you’re going to cook….we should definitely go.”

The trap had been sprung. Both Shin and the blond Irish-woman had been caught.

“Okay. Grab your things. Hey, Mister.” Aurum waved the waiter over, and reached into his wallet. He dropped down some money. “I’d like to pay for the drinks, and—“ How much was all that, again? Probably a lot—

Kealey interrupted his thought with a comment.

>>"Now hold on a minute...you're not paying for all that...you hardly drank anything!"


She insisted on paying for her part of the tab. Aurum smiled weakly, and looked to the waiter. “Er… guess the lady insists.” He had no problems with letting her help with the payment. There were a few minutes of shuffling, while Kealey insisted on paying for part of the tab and struggled to get the proper bank card free of its wallet prison, then Aurum paid his own part, and Shin warily added a couple notes to the pile. Aurum handled the tip. He smiled at the waiter. The man had been more than understanding. He was compensated handsomely. Aurum made a note to hop by this place again, when there wasn’t as heavy a mood.

He rose from the table, and lured Shin and Kealey out the door.

Twenty minutes of drunken stumbling (and two Irish drinking songs) later, the ragtag group of drunkards had reached the clinic. Aurum eyed the front door, and looked to Kealey.

“You handle it from here,” he stated. The alcohol was finally starting to catch up with him (not that it hadn’t been on his heels before). Aurum suddenly wanted a nap. And maybe a sandwich. In that order.

He shifted the sluggish Shin off his shoulder, and stretched his arms behind his head with a long yawn.

It wasn’t only twenty minutes of stumbling and singing. It was several minutes of eyeballing lamp posts reevaluating distances, and groggy calculations, too. He wasn’t sure if the wobbly vision was a reaction between his power growth and the alcohol, or if he was really just hammered, but either way, Shin had his troubles. Thank God for Aurum’s shoulder. It made all those troubles disappear.

As they reached the front of the clinic, Shin moved away from his human cane, and gave it one final ‘thank you’ pat.

“Good horsea.” Now, git.

He had to locate the princess.

Oh, there she was. Near the lock.

The trip home had been perilous, but they had persevered with drinking songs and a minimum of stumbling. Well, at least she had. At some point Shin had decided he needed the kind of help that only Aurum’s shoulder could provide. They made it, though, and found themselves standing outside a door that simply wasn’t open. Aurum had said that she needed to handle it from here, but she couldn’t make the door unlock any easier than he could. Then she remembered it was her door. Maybe she had drank a little too much.

While Shin thanked his horsie, Kealey dug in her purse, silently cursing the thing for being so large. It took longer than it should have, but finally, the blond pulled the small ring of dangling keys out with a triumphant smile. One that faded as soon as she dropped it.

”Damn.” she uttered, couching to pick the things up and only fumbling with them for a moment as she rose. Getting the lock actually undone was another adventure that was finally completed with a triumphant whoop as the door swung inward.

The apartment was small, but much larger than the one Kealey had lived in when she’d first moved to New York. It was new, too, and chiq looking. Even the furniture. That was Kealey’s favorite little secret, she’d found all of it in garbage piles and pawnshops. Found it all, and upholstered it herself. There was a matching set, couch and two arm chairs, clustered around a little coffee table. The living room was small, but open, and a two doors led off from a small corridor past the kitchen. One bedroom, one bath, but what more did Kealey need? It wasn’t like she ever had company.

”Honey….I’m home!” she called, then giggled, flipping light switches as she made her way inside.

She turned to her guests, ”Make yourselves at home. There’s goldfish in the cabinets!”

>> “Good horsea.”

Aurum quirked an eyebrow. He was a horse, now? He had one thing to say to that: ‘Nay.’

Kealey was fumbling with her keys. Hurry up, Aurum mentally urged her. He wanted to get off the cold streets. Why was her purse so ungainly? And what was with the fumbling? And!!

“…” She dropped it.

Finally, one ‘whoop!’ later… success!

Aurum followed Kealey and Shin into the apartment. Whoop, indeed. They were free of the cold, and the night air. Free to enjoy the warmth of a beautiful blonde’s apartment, and—

“Couch,” Aurum plopped onto the sofa. “All mine.”

All the Gold Fish in the world couldn’t take that away from him.

But she wasn't just any princess. She was the kind of princess that went without the royal tiara, the elegant gowns, and the gold. The only gold this princess owned was on her head. This princess was crafty. This princess had the power to unlock special doors! This princess was... Marle!

Er, wait. No. That was stupid. Shin bowed his head, and held his chin in thought.

The concrete was exactly five feet and six inches from his face. Hmm... but how was that relevant. And that light... His eyes swung up to the lamp post as the princess fumbled with her magical pendant in the background. It was exactly... yup. Exactly as far away as he'd just imagined. And bright.

He looked away.

Click. The door swung open with the power of the key item. "Oh, yay." He followed Kealey triumphantly into the ruins of society!! Or the Mammon chamber. Whatever.

>>”Make yourselves at home. There’s goldfish in the cabinets!”

There were gold fish in the cabinets. Where was that princess? He needed to thank her.

Shin's eyes fell on the princess, sitting on her prince. The next moment was a bit blurry. Suffice it to say, he glomped them. And then, he was on the floor.

The moment they made their way into the apartment, Aurum claimed the couch. Kealey pouted slightly at that…after all the work she’d gone through to get them there…he stole the best seating in the place. That simply was not going to happen. The blond shut and locked the door, (they were in New York City after all) and shook her head.


Aurum arranged himself on the sofa and Kealey was right behind him, her gait an unsteady but determined march. She sat, right on his stomach. It was not nearly as comfortable as it should have been, and the room was starting to spin. She stuck her tongue out to punctuate her point.

Shin was happy. Very happy, maybe it had been the goldfish…or getting inside…or maybe Shin had just wanted to sit on the couch too. Either way, no sooner had Kealey decided she wasn’t going to fall off her slightly precarious perch when she was crashed into by a very happy Shin.

The precarious seat was…precarious…and the extra weight overturned her. There was a blur, the sensation of falling…then Kealey was on the floor with Shin…giggling uncontrollably. ”That might not have been the best idea.” she said, breathlessly, not entirely sure she was talking about the tackle hug as opposed to the drinking.