Here's to Another Year

[butterflyfactor]

Layla had found herself suddenly grateful for her excess of time on the island. It allowed her, two days before the fact, to pull together a fairly elaborate mystery starting with an unsigned missive in a mail box in the morning. It lead the protagonist on a lengthy trail across the island's various locals, forced said protagonist to interact with

Comments

[howmanylives]

As a general rule, I don't pay much attention to my birthday. Time back home has this tendency to slip by without anyone noticing. One day you're just some know-it-all kid, and the next you're all grown up, floundering around like the rest of the world, too lost in the bigger picture to concern yourself with the little things like holidays and special occasions and smelling the roses

[butterflyfactor]

"You found us out, detective," Layla said as she approached him, holding a cup of juice and curling her bare toes in the sand. She stopped and smiled faintly up at him.

[howmanylives]

"Yup, I still got it," replied Jamie, puffing out his chest proudly for all of a second before he relaxed into a more natural posture, his smug expression replaced with something more fond. A part of him wished they were alone so that he might thank her properly, but he curbed the still novel impulse to kiss her, at least for the time being. They'd yet to acknowledge their relationship in public, after all, and even with so few guests in attendance, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to risk an unfavorable reaction.

Okay, so I'm a coward. The Pope's Catholic, too, though, so what else is new?

"I can't believe you pulled this all together for little ol' me. You really that bored?"

[butterflyfactor]

She shrugged a little, enigmatic smile remaining firmly in place.

"I haven't picked up whittling yet, so I couldn't make you a Maltese Falcon replica out of coral. Anyway, it's a worthy enough day to commemorate. And I got to arrange things," she said, "you know that's my shtick."

[mutant_gi_jesus]

Cable had been a little surprised to be invited, he had to admit. If the memory of Madrox coming at him with a tree branch was any indication, he probably wasn't the birthday boy's favorite person. But, frankly, that was part of the reason he'd agreed to come. It was the sort of thing he found amusing.

Besides he liked Layla. Which was why he wasn't planning on doing anything more immediately provocative than just be there and drink.

Maybe smirk a little.

[butterflyfactor]

"No smirking," Layla said in place of a greeting as she wandered over to stand by Cable's shoulder. Or elbow, more accurately.

"However subtly."

[mutant_gi_jesus]

"That and glaring are my only expressions," he replied, "and it is a party."

[butterflyfactor]

"I'm sure most of the people here will be more comfortable with the glaring, then," Layla mused, looking over the admittedly small group.

[segaboybrodie]

When Brodie had gotten the invite in his mailbox, there wasn't a question of whether or not he'd attend. Even if he DID feel like he'd known Madrox better before he disappeared and came back all bearded and MOPEY, he still wasn't about to miss the guy's birthday.

Plus, Layla was hot, and far be it from him to say no to a hot chick.

He'd brought a shirt as a present; it was the closest thing to fucking tolerable that the clothes box would give him. Brodie was mostly hoping the guy wouldn't get all serious about it and would appreciate it. Either he would and they'd both have a good laugh about it, or he wouldn't and he'd have ANOTHER comic book idol fucking pissed at him. Only, this time it'd be less SNIKT SNIKT MOTHERFUCKER and more EXPLODING PEOPLE FROM THE GODDAMN INSIDE.

Or maybe he'd just be all whiny and bearded and monologuing at him. Sometimes, it was hard to tell.

[howmanylives]

"That for me?" asked Madrox, hands shoved in his pockets as he tried to peer around Brodie's shoulder to get a look at what he was holding, though the guy having a couple of inches on him made the approach trickier than it might've been otherwise. "'Cause, I mean, if it is, really, Brodie, you shouldn't have."

[segaboybrodie]

"HEY," Brodie said, holding the poorly-wrapped bundle just out of Madrox's reach. "You're supposed to wait for me to GIVE it to you, remember?"

Nontraditional island circumstances aside, some customs were fucking NECESSARY. It's not like there was a gift table or anything.

[howmanylives]

"Yeah, sorry, I got impatient," he said with a shrug, not sounding particularly apologetic in the least, though he did have the good sense not to try prying the gift out of Brodie's grasp. He grinned. "So, are you gonna give it to me already or not?"

[drownondryland]

It's not precisely ideal, being here. The last day or so has been more than a little rough, if only because all Meredith can really do is stand by and watch and try her damnedest to keep from making things worse, and she remembers all too clearly what happened this time last year. And right now, she doesn't need prompting to think of drowning. She doesn't require reminders. What she needs is help forgetting.

But this is for Jamie, who's been one of her closer friends for a long time now. Not showing up never crossed her mind. That doesn't keep her from, for the most part, keeping to herself, figuring she can always leave early.

[howmanylives]

"Kinda wish you had good news for me after yesterday, not gonna lie, Doc," said Jamie, sidling up to Meredith with two drinks in hand. In spite of everything, he couldn't help but think she needed one more than he did, the party in its unexpectedness enough of a distraction from his assortment of problems. He nodded towards Theresa in the distance. "I'm assuming they've already spoken? Unless Sean just secretly killed the bastard and no one's found the body yet."

[drownondryland]

"You think I'd tell you if he did?" Meredith asked wryly. She took the drink with a thin, grateful smile, sipping it and tucking her hair behind one ear before she shook her head. Theresa's presence had been an unexpected surprise, one she wasn't sure how to respond to. She just had to hope the pair of them only needed time to cool off and then everything could be okay again. "Spoken might be a stretch. I think it was more yelling."

[howmanylives]

"I'm a detective. I'd find out eventually," he quipped, though some small part of him couldn't help but wonder if it wouldn't be in the best interest of everyone involved if he helped in a cover-up in their hypothetical scenario. "Which is, coincidentally, why I'm not especially surprised about those two resorting to baser means of communication."

[nostoppinglife]

The assorted company was very slightly different from usual, but there were enough people from before that there was a homey quality to the party for Moira. Whatever else the island threw at them or withheld, they had each other. It was something. It was quite a lot, actually. She smiled to herself as she stood by the fire, looking out at the sunset. Layla had chosen well. She'd have to tell the girl that later. For now, she just enjoyed the view.

[butterflyfactor]

"Dr. MacTaggert," Layla greeted, stepping up beside the woman and offering her a cup.

"Red sky at night," she said in a faintly sing-song way, looking at the pink hue around the sun. "Or close enough, I guess."

[nostoppinglife]

"A bit more good weather's nae much o' a surprise, lass," Moira said, but she smiled as she took the offered cup, lifting it in a kind of small salute. "Ye did well. Jamie looks pleased." That was the real marker of success tonight, and it wasn't much of a surprise either that Layla seemed to be behind that.

[butterflyfactor]

"Well, sure he does," Layla said with a smile so slight it almost wasn't there, "there's Scrabble."