[PQ+] I'm talking drink, dance, smoke, freak, party all night

As the sky opens up and pulls me in
I can see, I can breathe, I can feel again

The room was really starting to look like a party, and Soh stood beside Kaisel to survey their handiwork with a grin. ”It looks great, guys!” She noticed that the spirits had even come behind her to correct a few of the centerpieces, and she beamed at the House at large in thanks.

Then it was lunch time. Soh followed Kai to the kitchen. ”PBJs sound fine,” Soh said, accepting hers with a word of thanks. ”And thanks for doing all this, Kai. She’s going to love it!” Of course, the rest of them had helped, but he was responsible for the idea in the first place, and Soh was all about giving credit where credit was due.

The sandwich was simple, and she might have added a touch more jelly if she was making it for herself, but she ate without complaint, eager to get back to the decorating.

—-

Soh eats a PBJ!

And I'll wave goodbye to the ones below
As I float on by to the great unknown

Sohalia

we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead

Making sure the final tiki torch is placed just so, Ronin heads back indoors to see what the others have managed to accomplish, smiling to see the room already so transformed. "This is looking great," he agrees, and at the mention of breaking for lunch, his stomach growls comically in response. "They sound more than fine," he agrees. "I managed to sample a few cake flavours, but it wasn't really anything substantial."

Granted, given who the Knight is, it could have been an entire cake to taste each time and he'd still be hungry. Snagging his sandwich once it's ready, he leans back against the counter to eat, humming his gratitude around a bite of it. "Mm, it takes a lot to get a surprise past Flora, so I think she'll be as happy as she is impressed," he agrees, pouring himself some water as well. "What's next?"

---

Ronin eats and asks what the next plan is!

THE WHITE KNIGHT

and continue fighting

Kaisel

"You think so?" Kaisel says in hopeful response to Sohalia , a touch of relief breaking through the mania, especially now that he's had a chance to get food and her suggested water in his system. Ronin 's input adds an agreement to it that has him smiling around his sandwich, certain that between the pair of them, they'd not both be fibbing, nor would they likely both be here if it'd incur her wrath in some form or another. "Was kind of a last-minute thing, to make it a surprise," he admits. Originally, he'd considered just something for the pair of them, but they've recently had their fair share of moments celebrating things together, and not that he'd ever tire of that, but given this day is to celebrate her that seemed best done in the company of everyone she cared about and who would return the favor. The surprise part is just for fun, and because she does so much for everyone else, he wants to return the favor.

Much as he'd love to soak in more of their praise, when he swallows his last bite and wipes some jelly residue free of his hands, it's time to finish making the transformation here. "So, I'm thinking while we wait for everything to arrive, we have a little competition amongst ourselves." He grins a bit as he glances from Soh to Dad, cleaning up their lunch mess as he goes. "All good parties have a signature cocktail for the night," he goes on to explain. "Let's each try our hand at making one, and then we'll taste test and decide." If they all end up still voting for their own, well would it really be so bad to have three different drinks? "Keeping in mind the guest of honor and the party theme for guiding the flavors and the look," he drags out the word, putting away the last thing. "Let's get started! Each of you can grab one of stocked bars, I'll set up here in the kitchen." That way their choices would remain a surprise until the reveal tasting.

After everyone's gotten to their stations, Kaisel sets an egg timer for ten minutes and claps out a Now! to start everyone off on the same foot. Perhaps a bit unfairly, already planning this in the back of his mind, he doesn't take long to gather his ingredients. A glass, ice, white Torchline rum, blue curacao, coconut water, lemon juice, pineapple juice, and soda water. He begins to create his vision, testing as he goes to find the right amounts per ingredient, attempting until the timer buzzes off for them all.

---

Create a signature cocktail for the party!

Wanted me to fail out of spite, I didn't
All bark but they don't bite, they timid

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

As the sky opens up and pulls me in
I can see, I can breathe, I can feel again

At the mention of a competition, Soh raised her brows and propped her head on one hand, as though to silently indicate that she was listening. It didn't take long, however, for her to realize she was way out of her element. She drank cocktails. She didn't design them. Still, it seemed like a harmless bit of fun, and besides that, the rest of the party supplies were still on the way. What better way to spend their time than a friendly competition (that she was sure to lose).

When Kai shouted the start of the contest, Soh was off, grabbing a highball glass, ice, vodka, light rum, tequila, gin, blue curaçao, sweet-and-sour mix, and a lemon-lime soda. Mixing it all, she taste-tested as she went to ensure the proper ratios, and she eventually ended up with a satisfyingly bright blue beverage that she could garnish with a bit of lemon. Taking a sip, she smiled. It was sweet and tart at the same time, with a tequila-forward flavor that Soh, personally, rather liked.

---

Soh makes a drink!

And I'll wave goodbye to the ones below
As I float on by to the great unknown

Sohalia

we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead

"A cocktail competition?" Ronin arches an eyebrow at that, though he's already rising to his feet as Kai goes about cleaning up after lunch. "Alright, I can get behind that." The Knight has never been a bartender and he's not much of a drinker of cocktails either, but he's frequented enough bars that he hopes he might be able to do something decent with a classic.

Heading to the outside bar, he adds pineapple juice, orange juice, both coconut and spiced rum and some grenadine syrup to a cocktail shaker full of ice. Shaking it up a storm, he then strains it into a glass (also filled with ice) and garnishes it with a slice of lime and a maraschino cherry. "Alright, see how this tastes," he calls as he returns inside, his boozy and fruity mai tai balanced on a tray to present to the others.

---

Ronin makes a drink!

THE WHITE KNIGHT

and continue fighting

Kaisel

Kaisel's drink ends up rather bright blue as well, and he finalizes it in two formal glasses for each of them to try. Tall glasses piled in with ice, then 1.5 oz of white rum, 1 oz blue curaçao, 1 oz coconut water, 0.5 oz lemon juice, 0.25 oz pineapple juice, and soda water to top it off. He garnishes it with some Molten Pineapple placed on the rim, and a tiny paper umbrella set with it. Chewing on his own slice of molten pineapple, the egg timer declares the end, just in time.

Poking his head up, pineapple rind like a tropical smile in his mouth before he peels it away and wipes his hands dry, he can see both of them have been hard at work too. "Bring 'em over!" he shouts down the decorated hall, although Ronin is on time and already stepping in with his on offer. "Taste testing only, don't get too drunk you can't keep up with decorating," he warns the both of them with a pointed look and a teasing smile.

"Alright, say the name and what's in it. We're going of taste, but looks matter too, they're the first impression after all." Setting out his two blue beauties for them and taking one in turn from Sohalia , and a warmer shade of drink from Ronin, Kaisel observes both with all the airs of a celebrity judge on a cooking show. Well, judge and contestant, which is the show's hook. "The Twisted Tide," he offers up his drink's name and lists off it's ingredients for them, waiting for the expected approval before moving on to Soh's creation, and there after partaking of Ronin's.

---

Present your drink and taste test the others! Voting will be next round when deliveries begin to arrive.

Wanted me to fail out of spite, I didn't
All bark but they don't bite, they timid

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead

"You're one to talk - I know better now than to bring you anything caffeinated," Ronin says to Kai with a teasing raise of his eyebrows, and he sets his drinks down onto the bar so they can be selected and judged accordingly. "Oho, I see blue was a theme for the both of you," he notes, taking a seat at the bar and waiting for Kai and Soh to present their offerings.

"Mine is an old classic, though with any luck the liquor here will make it stand out," Ronin announces when it's his turn. "I present the Mythical Mai Tai - orange and pineapple juice with a mix of both coconut and spiced rum, along with some grenadine syrup." He gestures to the vibrant cocktail with a flourish, before reaching to try the other concoctions.

---

Ronin presents his drink!

THE WHITE KNIGHT

and continue fighting

As the sky opens up and pulls me in
I can see, I can breathe, I can feel again

The timer went off, and Soh carefully carried her drinks over to the judging table, setting down two bright blue concoctions that she's rather proud of, despite having very little experience in making up her own drinks. Ronin commented on the color theme, and Soh laughed. "It felt fitting," she said, though looking around, perhaps something green or pink or gold would have been more on brand for the party that they seem to be throwing.

"This," she said, waving at her two glasses. "Is a Blue Torcher. A little bit of vodka, rum, tequila, gin, and blue curaçao, plus some sweet-and-sour mix and some lemon-lime soda." She gently transferred one drink each to Ronin and Kaisel before snagging her own from them for taste testing.

---

Soh presents her drink!

And I'll wave goodbye to the ones below
As I float on by to the great unknown

Sohalia

Kaisel

In his best Scooby Doo villain voice, Kaisel responds back to Ronin, ”and I would have beat you both decorating for it if not for those pesky spirits.” Well, Scooby Doo inspired anyway.

Sohalia ‘s Blue Torcher packs quite the punch, the burn of the four different liquors settling immediately in the back of his throat as he sips at it. Enough so that his smile, offered at the name and the alluring color, staggers back for a moment as he swallows it down and feels the flame light in his gut. ”Gods damn you make a stiff drink Soh,” he manages to get out around the sour pucker that finds his lips. ”I love it!” A perfect way to sit everyone on their asses, that’s for certain.

Ronin ‘s Mythical Mai Tai is a mucher sweeter, steadier alternative, and Kaisel ends up taking a deeper sip. It’s rather tropical tasting, which suits the theme nicely, and it’s dangerously easy to drink for Kaisel with it’s sweeter lean. ”Mm, your talents don’t stop at the kitchen, eh?” Bartender he may not be, or any of them for that matter (in fact, Flora might disapprove entirely of all their mixology inventions), but he pulled it off.

”Man, this is hard to decide, I think they both are so different and have their merits. We could assign one speciality drink per bar maybe?” That’s 2 bars and 3 drinks if we’re mathing correctly, but he kinda suspects some people will find their way to the kitchen no matter what, especially the ones comfortable coming and going here.

Before he can say more, the spirits open the front door before the knocks can land, a series of voices ringing out. ”COME IN!” Kaisel calls back, poking his head around the corner to watch what looks like a clown car spilling open in the threshold. The catering arrives with several sons and platters, and behind them the balloon arch wobbles into view. Struggling further back, the ice sculpture is being ushered in. ”Oh shit, all at once. We’re coming, we’ll help show you where to go!”

---

Cast your drink vote and help set up and arrange one of the 3 arrivals
1. Caterers and dinner food
2. Balloon arch
3. Ice sculpture

Wanted me to fail out of spite, I didn't
All bark but they don't bite, they timid

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

As the sky opens up and pulls me in
I can see, I can breathe, I can feel again

Soh smothered a laugh at the way Kai's lips puckered as he tried her concoction. She'd rather liked it, but she had to admit he was right - there was a lot of liquor in it, which was sure to spell trouble.

Taking a sip of Ronin's drink, Soh hummed a note of approval. It was sweeter, smoother - the kind of drink that would have her on her ass simply because she kept reaching for it. Then it was time to try Kaisel's drink, which was also more pleasant than her creation. Just then, a commotion at the door caught her attention. "Okay, if we're voting, I like Ronin's, then yours, then mine," she told Kai as she turned towards the door.

Rushing over to help with the balloon arch, Soh guided the delivery carefully through the space to arrange it near the greenery wall with Flora's name on it. "Right here," she told the delivery men. Once it was in place, Soh shooed them off, taking it upon herself to tweak things here and there until it looked just right.

---

Soh votes Ronin's drink, then Kai's, then hers. She helps with the balloon arch!

And I'll wave goodbye to the ones below
As I float on by to the great unknown

Sohalia

we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead

Ronin has the great pleasure of watching Kai sip Sohalia's drink first, and the soldier's reaction has him pausing with his own Blue Torcher halfway to his lips. "I've never seen such a good advertisement for a drink," he confesses with a grin, before taking a (much more measured than previously intended) drink of it himself. "Actually," he says, laughing, "it's really good when you get a heads up to brace for it."

Kai's is positively delicate in comparison, Ronin humming his approval as well and inclining his head to the other man. "That's almost too easy to drink," he says; the fizz of the soda water definitely makes it dangerously refreshing. "I'll vote for Kai's, then Soh's, and then my own."

At that point chaos bursts through the front door all at once, the Knight's eyes widening a fraction as he rises to his feet, cocktails abandoned. "I've got the food," he says, waving a greeting to Mumford's sons and starting to direct them to where they can set down platters and begin to organise the food.

---

Ronin votes Kai, Soh, then himself, and helps with the catering!

THE WHITE KNIGHT

and continue fighting

Kaisel

"This feels like a three-way tie," he confesses with a lopsided smile. "Three signature drinks for the night it is!" The contest part rather less important than the making up new drinks part.

With the drinks left aside as they return to the mad rush of the party prep, Sohalia gets the balloon arch situated and Ronin tends to the platters of food. The best pairings really to tie up the end of what they started, and everyone knows the party flow well enough by now that it all slots seamlessly into place as if they have always been destined to be grand event planners. That leaves Kaisel to help carefully tip the ice sculpture over the lip of the front door, from there easily carting it along with the handlers towards the other bar area.

They barely have time to catch a breath before a new voice is hollering through the door. "Oh the band!" Kaisel announces, excited to get some of the vibes started. "And the cake, I think that's everything? Just lighting the candles and torches, and then, we're good, once the new arrivals are in place." He's already moving to help get the last of the assistants in, and seeing the ones who are now done, out.

---

Last round!

1. Light all the candles
2. Get the band situated
3. Put out the cake

Wanted me to fail out of spite, I didn't
All bark but they don't bite, they timid

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead

Three signature drinks works great for Ronin, especially given the array of food that's being put out on display in readiness for the guests and their hungry bellies. Maybe they can suggest a cocktail to go with each course? The Knight is smirking to himself at the very thought, and by the time he's happy with the placement and waving farewell to Mumford's sons, Kai is running to attend to the next set of arrivals.

"I've got the cake!" he calls, because as the soldier has already guessed, Ronin quite likes seeing a task through to the end, and given all of his rigorous taste testing earlier, he's keen to admire John Candle's finished handiwork. Moving to greet the cake maker and usher him inside, he helps to find a suitable place for Flora's birthday cake just inside the door as planned, but without (hopefully) getting in the way too much.

---

Ronin handles the cake!

THE WHITE KNIGHT

and continue fighting

As the sky opens up and pulls me in
I can see, I can breathe, I can feel again

Everything was starting to look like a party, and Soh grinned at Kaisel and Ronin as they settled the last touches into place. Then it was time to light candles and settle the band and place the cake, and Soh was happy to leave the men to deal with the last deliveries so that she could go over everything one more time. Lighter in hand, she began to rush around the room, adjusting things here or there, as she lit the candles and tiki torches in preparation for the party.

"Don't forget we still need to change!" Soh called out over the chaos. They needed a chance to catch their breath and get dressed for the theme. Fortunately, she and Kai had rooms in the House, and Ronin could just pop down to the Northaven, so it shouldn't take them much time, but still...

---

Soh's got the candles and torches, and reminds everyone that they still need to change clothes, etc.

And I'll wave goodbye to the ones below
As I float on by to the great unknown

Sohalia