xp_logs | Birthday Logs

Three scenes from Amanda's birthday party pub crawl.

It wasn't the first time that Amanda had been to Harry's, but it was the first time she'd been able to walk up to the bar, ask for a beer and actually have one handed over to her. The whole thing gave her an absurd sort of thrill - it was a few years now since she'd thought of herself as anything but an adult, but finally it was recognised somewhere else, somewhere connected to the school.

There was a pleased grin on her face as she caught sight of a familiar blue face, and headed over to the table her brother was sitting at. "Hey, Blue. Decided to join us?" she asked, nudging him with her shoulder. "Wanda said she'd come out for a bit later - she's still resting up after things."

He glanced up with a quick grin and nodded. "Yes, I stopped to check on her on the way. It would hardly be comfortable for her until the bruises heal completely."

"Did she tell you about the present she gave me? Big old family heirloom." Amanda shook her head. "I'm still a bit shellshocked over that. There was this note about how proud she was of me and all." She coughed a little and covered the momentary emotion with beer.

"Of course she is, my sister", he said quietly. "None who love you could not be."

Amanda's ears turned bright red at that, the blush spreading to her cheeks in short order. "Um," she managed intelligently.

Kurt looked up at her and laughed. "Do not tell me you are still unused to hearing it. I know you knew."

"It's one thing to know and another thing to know what to say when you get told it," Amanda protested, poking her tongue out at him. "I've never been great with compliments, you know that, Blue." She did give him a warm smile, however. "Thanks, tho'. It's good to hear it."

He returned the smile, reaching over the table for a quick squeeze of her shoulder, then clearly remembered something. "You are very welcome. I have your present here."

Her eyes lit up. In many ways Amanda was a lot older than her years, but in some she was still very much a little girl. And she'd only had five years of being given birthday presents, that she could remember. She pounced on the small wrapped box, ripping away the paper. "Ooh," she said, when she got it open, to find a gold pendant on a chain inside, a rough spoked wheel. "Wow, Blue, this is brilliant. Thank you." She leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek.

He gave her a hug before she pulled away, smiling down at her. "That is not all. One moment." He reached for her hand, lifting it to the charm, and spoke a word in Romani. The little gold wheel, slowly, started to glow in response. "It is also a gift from Jimaine."

She blinked, feeling the faintest tingle of magic. "'S not a protection charm, she's not up for those yet..." she mused, closing her eyes to try and get a better feel for the spell. Ironic, when this had been what she did. "I'm getting... home?" She opened her eyes and grinned. "It's a homecoming spell, right? Something to remind me where I came from?"

"She would not tell me what it was", Kurt admitted. "But I suspect it is along those lines, yes. Perhaps even something to lead you home, if ever you find yourself lost."

"I'll have to call and tell her thank you." Amanda brushed the pendant with her fingertips again, feeling the small tingle of magic settled into her skin, and she blinked a little. She and Jimi had spent so long disliking each other, it was significant the younger girl would do something like this. Even if it was partly to show off her new skills. With a soft smile, Amanda handed the pendant over to Kurt, before turning her back to him and lifting up her hair. "Put it on for me?"

He did so without hesitation, linking the chain easily. "I think she wished to make up for what she did before. There... there is no jealousy now, or no more than any girl for her older sister, because you gave her the power."

She let her hair fall, tumbling down her back in golden curls - Marie-Ange had taken the curling iron to it before she'd been allowed out - and turned around again, looking down at the pendant as it glittered against her shirt. "Well, the power should have been hers all along - I would have made a horrible dobrani, and we all know it," she replied, a little embarrassed. "Jimi's got a good head on her shoulders, when she lets herself. And she cares about the clan's welfare. Me, my loyalties're too divided between there and here."

"It was the right choice", Kurt agreed. "Mother wanted to make the gesture, I think, and perhaps she knew what it would have meant for you or perhaps she did not. You would have had to remain with the clan for good, if you had taken the legacy."

"Oh, I appreciate the thought." Amanda sipped at her beer, pausing a little to enjoy a) the first of what would be hopefully many, and b) the fact it was a Harry's beer. "But I don't think any of us can argue I didn't do the right thing switching with Jimi."

"For both of you", he said with a smile, raising his own beer to her. "And I trust you will never be less than happy with it."

She smiled and tipped her glass against his. "I can drink to that."

"No, I have no idea if it's a good pub." Garrison said, for what had to have been the tenth time to the group of drinkers shambling along with him. Amanda's birthday drink crawl had turned appropriately epic, but some of the less experienced drinkers were starting to flag. Kane had no trouble with that, mostly because they didn't bug him. Unfortunately, the more Angelo's girlfriend seemed to drink, the more chipper and hyper she was, which was a little like watching her morph into a version of Laurie that didn't scrunch her face up at the mention of oral sex. Creepy didn't even begin to describe it.

"Look, I knew this band back in Toronto. Marie remembers. Anyhow, there's one with the same name playing here, and I have to see if it's actually him."

"As long as there's booze, I s'pose we can manage whatever sad sack pub band your mate's in," Amanda said magnanimously. She was having a fantastic night and was willing to put up with a lot at this stage of the night. Provided she got shots. Shots were important. "What was this band called any way?"

"Since you called them sad sack, you get to wait until we get there for more information, eh." Kane shot back, dodging a couple of late night power walkers on the Manhattan streets. Marie was in the back of the crowd, helping a couple of the less stable guests along, causing a momentary pang for the Canadian. He loved her, but there just seemed to always be distance these days.

Fortunately, the pub appeared on the corner, breaking into the melancholy thought. "Ah, the Crown and Anchor." He said with a note of satisfaction before pushing through the doors.

Amanda stumbled slightly as they crossed the threshold - she'd been hitting the booze pretty hard and while she was a practised drinker, she also had sod all body mass. She turned the stumble into a nudge of the Canadian. "Not bad choice. I've been here once or twice. Pretty good selection of beer, which in the States means stuff that isn't fucking Budweiser." She glanced up at him, craning her neck slightly. "That's the cool thing about Canadians. They appreciate a good beer as much as we do. You and Aussies, you're all right." She grinned a little, obviously teasing. "For colonies."

"Yes, those of us colonials have had to learn new skills that the mother country lacked, like dental hygiene and vegetables." Kane said with a grin, shoving the witch in ahead of him. Both paused at the door, Amanda trying to catch her balance and Garrison suddenly still in the wall of sound in the bar. "Mo. Ther. Fuck. Er. Amanda, welcome to the world of Johnny Devil and the Screaming Demons."

"Johnny What and the Screaming Who?" Amanda blinked at the three guys playing on the small stage at one end of the pub. The lead guitarist was certainly enthusiastic, even if they were playing 'Brown Eyed Girl'. "These your mates, then?" she asked, raising her voice slightly to be heard.

"Sort of. Johnny's been playing the Bloor West Village for years. I grew up there." Kane explained, grabbing a table and pushing it against another to create more seats for people as they filed in slowly. "I met him ages ago, and then when Marie and Logan were up, we spent a lot of time in the bars he used to play. We had to stick close to my mom's place at the time."

She flopped into a seat, tilting her head slightly up to look at him. "Why's that, then?" she asked. Something about his tone made her ask the question without the original teasing edge.

"Cancer. She went into the hospital a little while after, and that was it." Kane pulled yet another table into position, and grabbed a seat at the table. "Geez, it's been almost four years now. Weird. Seems shorter."

"Oh. I'm sorry. 'Bout your mum, I mean." She glanced around to make sure everyone was finding a seat and then turned back to Garrison. "My mum died last year. We didn't get on that well, but yeah, it still sort of hurt. Maybe 'cause we didn't get on. You were close, you and yours?"

"Yeah, we were. Especially with my dad always being, well, my dad." Kane shrugged as a very pretty red-headed waitress came by, and all but melted at the wide smile by the Canadian. He ordered quickly, and let her drift away before leaning forward to rest his forearms on the table. "I grew up pretty normal. My sister and I, my mom, a little house across the street from High Park. Other than my father's random appearances, I had a normal life until I joined the Beta Flight program. Hell, most of my friends right now are just finding their first adult job."

Amanda had propped her chin on one hand, elbow resting on the table and listening with a intent expression. Normal people, normal families... they fascinated her. "How'd your family react when you found out you were a mutant?" she asked, curious. "I know things were a bit different for you with the whole registration thing they've got in Canada. Less of the "ew, mutie, kill it!", yeah?"

"A bit, yeah. I'm lucky that my mutation isn't all that obvious. When I started to hit kilometre long home runs, they decided to make sure I was tested. My dad's name got me fast tracked into the Beta Flight program, and well, here I am. Once they finally relaunch the Alpha Flight program, I'll likely be pulled to that." Kane turned and accepted the fat pint glass from the waitress, and the smaller shot, as she put the same in front of Amanda. "I ordered for you because, well, I don't really care about your response if you're offended. Crown for the Crown, and bless them for having Moosehead on tap. Anyhow, having the last name Kane means something to the governments of the world, so I'm not entirely in control of where I go."

"Your Dad used to work with Uncle Pete, yeah?" she asked, giving the waitress an approving nod as she picked up the shot glass. "Ooh, nice pick. Don't drink a lot of rye normally, but this is the good stuff."She raised the glass to him. "Thanks."

"Work with?"Kane grinned over his shot. "Who do you think trained Pete?"

Amanda was already downing the shot, and her eyes grew wide as she swallowed. "The fuck?!" she exclaimed when she was able, a short coughing fit punctuating the shot going slightly awry. "Your dad trained Pete?"

"Yup. The first time I met Uncle Pete, I was about six years old, and he wasn't all that much older than you are now. My father found him, recruited him, and trained him to do mostly every awful thing that you know him to be capable of. My Dad officially retired about five years back, but up until that point, he was one of the biggest wheels in British intelligence." Kane peered into his glass, a sour note to his voice. "A real James Bond."

Amanda paused, not sure what to say - obviously there was bad blood between Garrison and his dad and she didn't want to stir things up by digging. The decision was made for her, however, when 'Brown Eyed Girl' ended and the band launched into 'Blitzkrieg Bop'. "The hell?" she exclaimed looking over at the band. "There's a cover band who knows the Ramones?"

"They used to call him 'Johnny Jukebox' at the Old Sod, because he knows everything." Kane grinned, and slammed back his own shot. "Until you've watched him transition Aussie pub music into the Imperial March from Star Wars, you haven't lived." The Canadian leaned back in his chair, and waved to the man on stage. "The Ramones means this set is almost done. I'll get him over."

"See, saying something like that just means I'm going to ask him to play the weirdest Brighton band I can think of," Amanda told him with a grin as she reached for her beer. She listened to the band for a while, head nodding in time to the music. "He's pretty good, actually," she admitted. "Good set of pipes on him, and he knows his way around a guitar."

"You have no idea." Kane said, getting the nod from the singer as he was winding down his set. "So, do you want me to distract Angelo so you can snog the band or should I ask Marie?"

She poked her tongue out at him. "Sorry, I like my blokes with less floppy shirts," she replied in a faked prim tone, She looked down the line of tables, where Angelo was chatting to Marie and smiled. "'Sides, I'm happy enough with what I've got, thanks."

"Controls his skin. We can imagine." Kane grinned wickedly and took a sip of his beer. "So, to be truly offensive, 'giner bruising?"

"You have no idea," Amanda told him, equally unashamed.

"God, do I not want to." Kane made a cheers gesture with his glass. "Of all the things in my life I don't want to know, a tumescent extendable grey cock is very high on that list. If only so I can make the jokes in blissful ignorance."

"Hey, you were asking," she replied, innocently. The glint in her eyes belied that - she enjoyed the banter with Garrison, a type of one-upmanship they were both comfortable with. "Like I said, I've got no complaints. Even if I did have to get a new kitchen table last month."

"Sadly, I date the woman who can kill me with too much physical contact. It's a very good relationship, but not exactly physical." Kane said wryly, leaning back in his chair. Fortunately, at that point, a man bounced off the stage and cut through the bar to find Kane lounging against the chair.

"I figured I must be seeing things."

"Not yet." Garrison grinned. "Hey Johnny. What the hell are you and the boys doing in New York?"

"Money." He said solemnly. "Kenny's Edwin agent came up with a bunch of New York bars looking for a cycle of rock slash Irish folk. Too much not to give it a shot. So, is this your lady?"

Kane laughed. "Not exactly, no. Amanda, meet Johnny Devil."

"His girlfriend and I are mates," Amanda elaborated, drink making her English accent a little more pronounced. "Nice work on the Ramones. Didn't think it was something your standard cover band knew over here, but I'm getting the idea you blokes aren't standard."

"Standard?" Johnny barked a laugh. "I've spent my entire life being considered deviant. I hope I haven't spoiled it yet."

"You're a wanker." Kane swatted his poofy arm. "Pick up on your own time."

"I thought this was my own time." Johnny grinned toothsomely. "So what brings you fine humans out tonight?"

"My birthday," Amanda said, almost proudly. "Twenty-one. Legal to drink in the country with the world's most fucked up drinking laws." She grinned at Johnny, in the same vein. "Tho', sorry to disappoint, my boyfriend's here tonight and all. He's the grey one, talking to Garrison's girlfriend down there." She nodded at the other end of the table.

"Slainte." Johnny said, raising his glass. "And with that in mind, I need to talk to the rest of the crowd. You keep your fine self here and I'll see you later on."

"Cheers." Kane said to his back and settled back in his chair. "Just wait until Marie sees him. That will be the next twenty song requests right there."

Amanda snickered. "Seems like a nice enough bloke, even with the shirt. Hell, Marie-Ange will be all over him, and we'll get to see Doug do his manly thing."

"Doug has a manly thing? Did he import it?"

"EBay. You can get anything off that these days."

Amanda had lost count of the number of bars a while ago, around about the same time the globe had been confiscated when she'd hit "Antarctica" and had been proposing they break into the zoo to drink with the penguins. Not that she'd been serious, but not everyone shared her sense of humour. So here they were... somewhere Amanda wasn't entirely sure of, propped up on a barstool with her feet swinging like a little girl's while someone went to get her a drink.

A shot appeared in front of her and she beamed. Magically appearing alcohol; wouldn't that be a neat trick to learn?

"If you can finish that like a big girl, I just might get you a second one," Wanda told her as she carefully sat on the barstool next to Amanda. The older woman was incredibly intoxicated, which was saying a great deal about the night they'd been having if her tolerance had been blown completely past. In fact, her tolerance levels had probably been left behind right around the "Russian" portion of the night. "And…if I did not say it before, I shall say it again. Happy birthday."

"Wanda! Your my favourite boss lady, you know that?" Amanda would have gone for the hug, except she nearly fell off the stool and had to clutch at it to avoid a disaster. Falling off the stool would be bad - they wouldn't let her have anything else to drink. "Cheers," she said, instead grabbing for the shot and holding it up, spilling it slightly.

Wanda had extended one hand, ready to attempt to catch Amanda should she stumble off her stool but retracted it to grab up her own shot glass. "To you," she intoned, clanking her glass against Amanda's before tossing it back. She set it firmly on the counter top in front of her and held up two fingers at the bartender. "Having fun yet?"

Ooh, Wanda had gotten the good stuff. Amanda tossed back the shot with enthusiasm. "I started having fun... oh, back when we were at Harry's," she said, grinning slightly goofily. "Best. Birthday. Ever." She focussed muzzily on the other woman. "What about you? Having fun?"

"I am, I am," she assured her, holding up both hands in mock surrender. It had been difficult, at first, casting nervous glances over her shoulder, sitting with her back to the wall. But as the night carried on and the drinks kept flowing, Wanda had relaxed inch by slow inch. She fingered the top rim of the shot glass. "It chases the specters away and I am glad I was able to come out tonight."

"Me too - wouldn't have been the same without you for at least some of the ride. Too bad Mark's still laid up, tho'." Amanda raised the second shot. "To recovering, yeah?"

"To recovering," she echoed and finished the drink. Wanda blinked and spots swam in front of her eyes for a moment before they settled back down out of sight. "I would say also to twenty-one more but that is a silly saying. A very silly saying - after all, wouldn't you want more than twenty-one more years?"

"Considering I wasn't expecting the first twenty-one, I'll take whatever I can get. Tho'..." Amanda glanced over her shoulder and waved to Angelo. "I can think of a few reasons to want as much as I can take."

Wanda snickered very quietly into the palm of her hand. "You, Miss Sefton, are a giant sap."

"Bah. 'S my birthday, 'm allowed to be." Amanda poked her tongue out at Wanda. "Got great mates, brilliant boyfriend, job that actually uses my brain as much as the magic..." She beamed at Wanda. "Life's pretty fucking good, you know?"

"If we had just wanted magic, we would have gotten your sister," Wanda teased, reaching over to poke Amanda gently in the side of the head. "But yes, life is very good right now and these moments..." She waved around them and nearly unseated herself in the process. "Just make it that much better."

Amanda reached out and grabbed Wanda to steady her. "You're pissed, Boss Lady," she pronounced with great gravity.

Wanda thought about that for a moment as she latched onto Amanda to keep herself up right. "Yes," she confirmed a moment later, grinning, "yes, I am." She gave Amanda a sly look. "Have you, by the way, found all the hidey holes yet?"

"I haven't had time!" Amanda protested. "Remy wouldn't let me play with it! Said I had to work!"

She laughed at that. "There's plenty of time to play with it later - after all, I wasn't mean and didn't stuff them full of perishables." Her smile softened for a moment. "It has it's own history, if you look close enough."

"I was getting that. Your great-granddad was a clever man all right, to make something like that." Amanda leaned over, resting her head on Wanda's shoulder. "I'm still a bit blown away by the whole thing. It was just... yeah."

Wanda rested her chin on the top of Amanda's head and grinned. "He was very stupidly in love with her," she mused, "but there were necessities as well. They used to hide food and money in the places he created for the harder times and it was the only thing my grandparents really still had after they got out of the camps." She paused and swallowed. "I think they would glad of where it ended up."

There was a suspicious sounding sniffle from Amanda. "That's possibly the nicest thing anyone's said to me," Amanda said, voice trembling with emotion and alcohol.

"Damn those allergies," Wanda said, her voice sounding not quite stable either. "I have to say, if I could do it all over again - run in with Stevens and all - I would not have changed a thing."

"Same here. Only with Candra." Amanda's arm wrapped around Wanda, squeezing her in a hug. "Love you, Boss Lady."

"Love you, too, she' enedra."

Current Mood: drunk

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"Mo. Ther. Fuck. Er. Amanda, welcome to the world of Johnny Devil and the Screaming Demons."

"Johnny What and the Screaming Who?" Amanda blinked at the three guys playing on the small stage at one end of the pub. The lead guitarist was certainly enthusiastic, even if they were playing 'Brown Eyed Girl'. "These your mates, then?" she asked, raising her voice slightly to be heard.

EEEE! Okay, I almost fell over laughing when I saw this.