beyoncepadthai | i'll have what she's having

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i'll have what she's having

So, Mindy's last birthday went uncharacteristically uncelebrated. Of course, she shopped and drank and all of that, but this year she's more than in a partying mood and has more than enough invitees to put something on without seeming like a total loser.

Deciding to mix things up, Mindy's rented out a cool seat-reclining, wine and dine theater at High Street mall, splurged on snacks and booze and arranged for a viewing of her favorite film. Of course there are a bunch of cool new releases she could let her guests enjoy, but it's her birthday, and this is one way she can force everyone she knows to watch the wonder that is literally anything Nora Ephron.

She can hear Danny's whining already, and she couldn't care less.

What she can't help but care about is what Danny once said to her back in New York, his cruel reminder to her that she wasn't getting any younger, the promise of a hot husband and adorable children ticking away. She's all the more conscious of it this week, especially after freaking out momentarily thinking that Luke might have already moved on.

The right decision or not, a real relationship or not, it's one more shot at a future that she's managed to screw up.

Hence, the alcohol. Dressed to impress, Mindy arrives early to get her start on a super strong and super fruity cocktail while she waits for her first guests to turn up.

[Set to the night of the 20th of June at one of the fancier theaters at High Street Mall. From 8-ish cocktails (+ beer and wine) and finger food will be served in the bar area, and then the movie (viewable on YT, if you are so inclined) will be starting at 8:30. Tag Mindy, tag around, before or after the film. ENJOY.]

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Luke isn't sure what Mindy thinks she could possibly do to scare him off anything, let alone her birthday party given what she's seen him do, but he smiles all the same and shakes his head. Being a werewolf isn't something he's going to talk about in a crowded, public area like this, but she'll know what he's referring to when he says, "You would think I'd be the one scaring you off with everything you've seen."

Maybe it's strange that her presence should relax him, but it does. She's always been easy to talk to, even when things hadn't exactly gone as well as he might have hoped. They've always communicated fairly well, even when Luke wasn't being as honest with either of them as he should have been.

"Happy Birthday," he tells her. "This is quite the party. I like it. I don't think I've ever had anything like this." Parties in Alicante had been far more extravagant than this, but they had never been thrown for an individual. Shadowhunters had never really been allowed to think of themselves as individuals.

Mindy's pretty sure that her personality is way more terrifying than any lycanthropy, at least that's the impression she's gotten for most of her adolescent-to-adult life. She just grins and winks at the comment, though, still kind of thrilled that she's in on his little (or kind of insanely huge) secret.

"Thank you," she says, glancing around at the bar to take in what he says. It's not completely overwhelmed with people, which she likes, because in those kinds of situations it's next to impossible to be heard and if there's one basic need she has, it's that. "I thought I'd mix it up. I basically never have time to go to an actual movie theater these days, so. Where's that, uh, friend you were talking about?"

She glances around, looking for an unfamiliar face.

The second she asks about his friend, Luke feels himself getting nervous all over again and he wonders if that's visible in his expression. His gaze darts around, looking for Reid in the crowd that's gathered and then he nods toward the bar when he spots him there, presumably getting another glass of cider. In that moment, Luke can't help but think how different they look, Reid in his button down and tie, Luke in jeans and flannel. Given his fashion choices, how well put together he looks at all times, Reid is really much more suited to someone like Mindy, someone who makes the effort and goes out of her way to look beautiful. At the thought, he feels a little flash of fear, because wouldn't that just be his luck? To bring the man he suspects he might be developing feelings for to Mindy's party only to have the two of them hit it off in a way Luke could never hope for.

"He's over there by the bar," he tells her, figuring she'll recognize Reid simply because he's clearly the one person she hasn't invited. He stands out, too. His height, the way he looks around like he's just the slightest bit uncomfortable. He isn't familiar with anyone here except Luke and when he meets his gaze, Luke smiles slightly, unable to help himself. This doesn't make any sense, the way his heart beats a little faster, the way he throat suddenly feels dry, and he's just very glad no one else in this room is a werewolf -- that he knows of -- or they would easily be able to pick up on these minute changes in him.

Edited 2015-06-13 15:08 (UTC)

Mindy glances over and, sure enough, there he is. She almost feels a little guilty that she didn't let more people invite significant others or plus ones or whatever, but none of them asked and most of her friends who are in relationships are, well, dating one another.

"Oh, cool," she says, nodding. She's no longer concerned about a fictitious hot blonde girl, but Luke is acting a little awkward. Maybe he just needs a drink, though. "Any chance he's a Nora Ephron fan?"

It's a long shot, but it would also be pretty cool if there we people who were genuinely excited to see her film beside Mindy and maybe Elle.

"You know, I never thought to ask," Luke admits with a soft, nervous laugh. "Does it count if I am?" Maybe he wouldn't call himself a fan, but he's seen all these movies with Clary, usually on rainy Sunday afternoons when Jocelyn had wanted some time alone to paint and those are good memories. Some of his favourites. If nothing else, movies with Meg Ryan will kind of always have a special meaning to him.

"I think he's glad to have been invited," he says. "It really is a great party. He asked if he should bring a gift, too, and while I told him he didn't need to worry about it, I can't promise he listened."

Luke didn't listen to her either and he withdraws a little package from inside his jacket to offer her. It's sort of a joke gift, but it's also something he went out of his way to find, a tiny wolf carved out of stone with delicate gold patterns drawn around the eye. It's pretty and he thinks it would fit well in her apartment, but it's more than just that.

"It totally counts if you are," Mindy says, smiling and nodding in spite of the part of herself that totally hates that she let a guy who is not only crazy bangeable, crazy nice but also willing to watch anything Meg Ryan go.

God, she's the worst kind of self-destructive. She could have been event planning in Austin with Casey and married in another world.

"You didn't have to get me something!" she says, eyeing the gift like that's totally not the case, taking it into her hands. While it is true that she is materialistic as hell, she's mostly just happy to have her friends all here. Presents are like the cherry on top, or something. "But I'm so glad you did. Do you want me to open it now? May I open it now?"

"I remember, you told me," Luke says with a smile. "You also told me to include the receipt, which I have decidedly not done. I've chosen to ignore most of your advice in regards to the gift, actually." But he's always been good at gifts. It's the sort of thing that's come easy to come, putting a little thought into it and finding something that's particular to the person he's giving the gift, too.

Of course, most of the gifts he's purchased over the years have been for Clary.

"Go ahead and open it," he says, still smiling, taking on a faintly teasing tone. "I hope you like it because if you don't, you're stuck with it anyway."

"That is quite the risk you're taking," Mindy says, eyebrows lifting at the comment though her smile is still firmly planted, too.

Some of the best gifts she's ever gotten haven't had a price tag, anyway. Of course the first thing that comes to mind is Danny's dance for her at Christmas, how he'd taken something that had annoyed him so much about her and turned it into something he knew she'd love.

She forces the memory down, carefully unwrapping the gift. "Oh my god," she gasps. "I love it. I know exactly where I'll put it, too."

Her voice drops to a whisper, then. "Can this, like, ward off demons, or something?"

Her question startles a laugh out of him and he shakes his head, grinning. "No, I don't know much in the way of magic, unfortunately. And I don't know of any warlocks in Darrow who might be able to do something like that for you." They have to exist, he's sure they're just a little more quiet than someone like Magnus Bane, but he's also not prepared to go asking around. Not yet anyway. That's the sort of connection that he's sure will be useful someday.

Especially given how often he's getting into fights lately. All because he's looking around for a simple cup.

"I thought it was pretty," he says, looking at the wolf in her hands. "And a bit of an inside joke."

"It's so pretty," Mindy says, and she means it, too. She's not really any good at feigning liking things, something that gets her in hot water more than she cares for. But it's such a sweet gesture, a far cry from what Mindy usually feels about her exes.

She thinks that she and Luke are going to be just friends again just fine, and if that's not an evolution on her part, she doesn't know what the hell is.

"And I love jokes that exclude others," she teases lightly, then leans to kiss his cheek. "So thank you."

"You're welcome," Luke says, feeling awfully pleased with himself. For a moment he'd really wondered if getting Mindy a gift without a receipt had been a mistake, but he knows she would appreciate a personalized gift more than she might let on via text or around people she doesn't know all that well. While their physical relationship may have ended, given the time they spent together, given the intimate nature of it, even the things Luke had said to her when they were ending, he thinks he's not wrong in saying they've grown close.

"I thought you might particularly appreciate that aspect of it," he continues, his smile widening into a grin. "You're the only one here who knows. Well, no, Reid knows. I accidentally showed him."

"Accidentally?" Mindy asks, head tilting to the side. Then again, her seeing Luke had also been an accident. Part of her wonders if she should be upset he didn't actually tell her while they were sleeping together, but given her tendency to overreact to basically anything, she can't say she blames him. She glances around quickly and no one's really close enough to eavesdrop, but she drops her volume anyway. "Just shaking his hand and a claw snuck out, or?"

Edited 2015-06-24 10:36 (UTC)

He laughs, more a silent shake of his shoulders than anything, then shakes his head. "It wasn't dissimilar to how you found out, actually, though there was no demon involved. No, I was startled by a raccoon and just kind of..."

He makes a face like he's baring his teeth, then shrugs, looking faintly embarrassed. At the time, wandering through the abandoned amusement park, nervous and excited all at once it had seemed like the appropriate reaction.

"In my defense," he continues, "It sounded like a much bigger raccoon."

"It was a raccoon?" Mindy asks, and she can't help it, she clasps her hand over her mouth, starting to laugh. Having seen what Luke looks like as a wolf, now, it's kind of ridiculous to imagine him spooked by anything the size of Pepe, Mindy's stalker raccoon kind-of-pal. "You need to work on your nerves, man."

"It jumped out of nowhere," Luke says, laughing as well. It really is rather funny, though at the time he'd mostly just be terrified that Reid wouldn't give him a chance to explain. Somehow in a very short period of time he's become quite attached to Reid and he doesn't know how to talk about it in any way that won't make it seem strange. Especially with Mindy, considering their past. He knows they're friends and he'd very much like to keep that, but he isn't sure what sort of boundaries exist in terms of telling each other about their potential love lives now.

"And we were in the amusement park," he adds. "It was very dark."

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