callmeemily | Housewarming / Easter Party

So, it started with a mass text to Raleigh's friends last week.

Somebody's all fancy with nowhere to go, so the party's coming to him!! Housewarming/Easter thing, some booze/food provided bring more if you want, 4/4/15. Be here!

That's the start of it, and Raleigh's apartment's actually mostly-sort-of furnished. Everything's open, the table that Joel made her is against one wall with booze and food, there's seating and music (not country, because she knows that's just her), and it's pretty much a party. Delicious food, good friends, and a good time, and her elderly neighbor's out of town so noise isn't really a problem. She's not that picky about who's here and who's not - not tonight, anyway, since it's just about celebrating her first Real Place.

OOC: If you can explain how you knew it was happening, you can totally show up! Gathering, tag each other, tag Raleigh, whatever! I'll try and hit up all top levels, too! This post is open pretty much from now until people stop tagging, but the actual party is Saturday, in game-time!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The only thing she makes sure of before she captures Joel in a giant hug is that she's not going to knock the drink out of his hand - she'd already knocked over one glass of booze today, there didn't need to be a second. But she's smiling, and she's happy - if he sees her aura, right now it's shining bright with only her leg to dim it even a little.

"Joel! I'm so glad you're here! Look!" She pulls him along by his sleeve, nevermind he's clearly been here for a bit. "It's like a real apartment!" She's gained a lot of furniture since he'd come by on move-in day. She's got a couch with some really nice pillows, there's some art on the wall, a coffee table, some more chairs-- it seemed like the works, especially with how bare it'd been. "I mean, it's like I'm an adult and everything, seriously," she said with a laugh.

She looks so happy, which makes him happy and Joel lets her drag him around the apartment to see all the things she wants to show him. He's been here before, but she's right, she's made improvements since the last time he's come by.

"I didn't know furniture was how one determined whether or not they were an adult," he teases. "Spencer and I have lots of furniture, more than I've ever had before, and I think I feel less like an adult each day."

"Hey, the thing that I have totally never had is furniture of my own, and you gave me the first piece that was really mine that wasn't my bedframe, and I don't know what else would totally make me an adult because god knows I've only sort of just started to feel like one." The words just sort of bubble out of her, and it's not the same way that she rambles when she's tipsy - this is just excitement. And happiness, and she's thrilled he made it, since out of everyone here-- Spencer and Joel are some of the most important.

"I mean, it's like that for me. Maybe for you, it's the opposite, so the more baby things Spencer buys..." She trails off as she teases him, and she just sort of looks around at the apartment and the people talking and smiling and laughing. "This is nuts, isn't it? I mean, a year ago I was making five dollars an hour and was eating beans and whatever I could sneak, and was living in a boarding house and knew no one. And now... it's just.... this."

"A lot can change in a year," Joel agrees as he looks around her apartment. His own life has changed more than he could have ever imagined. A year ago he was still keeping to himself and his list of friends was very small indeed. The thought of having a romantic relationship had set him on edge and he'd had no desire to embark on a physical relationship of any kind. He had been afraid and anxious more often than not and had kept to himself as a result. Now he's married to someone he loves more than he had ever known would be possible. They're expecting a baby, they've changed the store so that it's successful and Joel actually has people he would call friends.

And the demon is gone.

Everything has changed.

"More than we would think, most of the time," he continues. "I always thought it was silly when people said to give things time, but I suppose the last year proves them right. Sometimes time is all it takes."

"Sometimes, it is," she says with a shake of her head. "I mean, I found you and Spencer, and- and I mean, everything else, there was a lot of everything else, but it's important, I guess. Just- You know that you're really..." She doesn't even know the word she's looking for, so she just settles on, "Family. Both of you, and- and I mean. That's... that's not anything I ever thought I'd have again, ever."

She doesn't realise he's thinking about his own life, too - but she is proud of him, of how far both he and Spencer have come, but she's mostly thankful for the part that they both play in her life, right now.

Joel nods his understanding and he doesn't know what he can say to something like that. There are times when he really feels completely ineloquent, like he's never going to find the right words, and while it's usually Spencer to render him speechless, it's been known to happen with others. It's happening now and he smiles, then reaches out to squeeze her shoulder.

Because he doesn't know what else to do. His throat feels sort of closed up, but he hopes she understands from his smile that he feels the same way.

Raleigh just sort of nods a little, and she moves to hug him from the side, closing her eyes tightly as she squeezes for just a second before she pulls back. "I...." She exhales in a rush. "I should go check on the oven, but-- But you should have a good time, okay?" She paused, and then--

"Thank you. For everything." She's trying not to get too sentimental and sappy, which is why she made the excuse (and uses it, actually) to go to the kitchen and check on the food in the oven. It's settled, maybe, just.... it needed to be said, which is good.

Housewarming / Easter Party

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