fandomtownies | Caritas; Wednesday [06/19].

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Caritas; Wednesday [06/19].

Summer had learned, through a comedy of errors earlier that day regarding the lunch Stark was making her for her birthday, that the phones were doing that thing again, so when she came into the bar for her shift to find Tino angrily taking down some of the decorations and the "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUMMER" banner he'd put up, she had a feeling she knew why.

He was mad because she never responded to any of his texts wishing her a happy birthday, and she explained that, no, yeah, she never got any of them because the phones were doing that thing, but Tino didn't believe her and Summer told him that she could prove it if he tried to text her now. And so he did, a few times, and each time, she (triumphantly?) presented her phone to show that, yeah, no, see? Nothing.

But now she did sort of wonder who ended up getting all of the texts meant for her.

Probably, like, Apu and Tiny, maybe some of the Perk baristas? Greg from the diner and Sonja from the gym...

Featured Cocktail
The Summer Smith

Featured Jello
Birthday Cake
Ginger Sake
Raspberry Champagne
Classic Cottage Tuna Salad

Caritas is open!

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The band can even play the Happy Birthday song because it's public domain now, wheee!

Where it might be someone's birthday, idk, there's definitely nothing to suggest it, she's being really subtle about it.

Actually, this is pretty subtle for Summer.

Jesse had news.

"Summer!" she greeted, stepping up to the bar. "I've got--"

Wait. Banner. Thing. Huh.

"...oh, shit. Happy birthday!"

Sorry, Summer was slightly thrown a little by an unexpected sudden mayor appearance and blinked a little.

"Jesse!" she said, once that all got sorted out in her brain with a little shake of her head. "Hey! Thanks! How've you been? Good to see you! Did you get stuck in the basement again? Did you want a beer?"

"Good, no, yes," Jesse said. Her plan for this interaction had briefly been derailed and she needed to sort it out in her brain, too.

But she found more syllables after a couple of seconds. "Sorry, I think I just figured out where James is," she said. "I've been, uh, kind of into the weeds for a while."

"Yeah," Summer snorted a little, after nodding along and matching each of those responses to the questions as they were ordered and then plunking down a nice ice old of the most generic beer on hand, "maybe a bit. But that's awesome! That you made headway. I think? I mean, I guess it's awesome that you've got a lead, but I guess it could be not awesome if the lead is, like, somewhere bad. Where do you think he is?"

"I've got him pinned down to a specific set of space-time coordinates in central Europe in his home dimension," Jesse said, clambering onto a stool and ushering off a squirrel with a wave of her hand. "I'm working with Portalocity to get me there discretely. Soon."

Summer nodded a little again, pouring a shot of rum and nudging it down the bar for that little extra security when she saw Jesse wave the squirrel off. "Did you need any help with anything?" she asked, also lowering her voice, because, look, once you got the word discretely involved, it was just a natural impulse. Then, she frowned. "Do you think he's in trouble?"

"I'm pretty sure he left because of some kind of trouble," Jesse said. "I don't know all of the specifics - yet." She picked up her beer. "I think I'm good so far, but... I don't know. It felt weird not letting you know? And maybe if things go south... it won't hurt if somebody else knows."

Even if her instincts all cautioned secrecy. (But they always did.)

There was a soft smile for Jesse mostly just wanting to let her know, especially since it felt like Summer knowing about it was the main thing, and not just as sort of a 'last person to talk to her' sort of thing, either.

"Always good to have a contingency plan," she agreed, with yet another nod. "You can also pass the coordinates my way if you wanted; I can put them into the portal gun and then if there is an issue, I can send some kind of reinforcements, too. Hopefully you won't need them, but..."

She gestured vaguely at the whole purpose of the conversation in general.

"I'll drop you a message when I get there, just in case," Jesse promised. "I'm just trying not to share the info around until I'm there and I know for sure he's there, you know?"

"Do you know when you're going, at least?" Summer asked. "Because then I can at least start worrying if I don't get the info once you do head out."

~~Unfortunately both the mun and Bucky's mun were on vacation at the same time and APPARENTLY that had some kind of consequences for planning things...~~

"Not yet," Jesse said. "But probably within the week. I'll let you know. Stuff with Portalocity is just always... messy."

Summer huffed out an agreement with a roll of her eyes. "That's for sure," she said, again feeling so, so grateful to have her portal gun, despite knowing full well that it, too, was not at all immune to plot inconveniences. But there was another nod. "Well," she said, "whenever and whatever you need, you know you've got me."

"Thanks," Jesse said, and bobbed her head, and looked towards the banner again. "So, when's the big party?"

She wouldn't be there, but it seemed polite to ask?

"I mean," said Summer, with an almost sheepish, maybe a bit embarrassed smile and shrug that there kind of wasn't one?, "you're here tonight, right? And I'm probably doing something with some friends in New York tomorrow. And then me and Stark are hitting up Ireland for the weekend. Bit no, like, official party this time. I know. Shocking, right? End of an era. But who's got the tiiime?"

It was sheer stupid luck that landed this message in the correct location. Probably good that Atton wasn't planning to go on a texting spree today, or whatever part of his cover he hadn't already blown to shreds himself was really going to come down.

happy birthday smith. see you tomorrow at 5pm, my place, bring an overnight bag + a bikini + some painkillers.

To say that Summer was shocked to have actually received a text from Atton like usual that evening (she was honestly expecting him to try and then have it end up who-knows-where and then hit him up about it either at midnight or tomorrow morning) would be an understatement, but, eager to have her texts allegedly go where they were supposed to, she quickly wrote out a response.

Which, of course, didn't go to Atton at all.

But it didn't matter because now she was intrigued and excited.

Who knew, really, whether Annie was all that aware of any phone nonsense today? She'd been on a mission, and as far as she knew, her scant few phone calls and texts had made it to their destinations.

First, she'd come up with her idea early last week, and spent a little time researching what varieties of things she'd need. Then, she'd called Frenchie -- who hadn't answered, both because he was busy doing counter-terrorism shit, and also because who called people anymore, Annie? But when he'd texted her back, Annie had asked if he had any good hookups on drugs.

And after a little bit more back-and-forth, mostly regarding what the hell she was trying to get her hands on, Annie had been informed that marijuana had been legal for recreational purposes since last summer, and she had not, in fact, needed to call her friend who seemed like he knew how to get drugs for her. (But he was flattered!)

What an adventure.

"And a happy birthday to you," she told Summer as she took her seat and slid a a bright-pink bag bearing 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' on the side (and like, so fucking many gummies within) over the bar to Summer with a bright smile.

Look, Annie was a mom now. Somehow, using a phone as a phone again seemed to just track with that.

But, awww! Summer would also be flattered that Annie had thought to turn to questionable avenues to procure substances for her! Even if it was entirely unnecessary.

Truly, an 'it's the thought that counts' moment.

"Awww!" Even without knowing what was inside, Summer was going to beam happily that such a bright-pink bag even existed, and she happily pulled it forward to admire it. "Thank you, Annie! It is a happy birthday for sure."

"I feel like I missed the mark working for you last year, when this time it falls on your actual birthday," Annie noted, beaming right back, "but like, let me know if you need an extra set of hands back there, at least?"

For as long as she was here, anyway. There was also a significant difference since last year on Annie's side, in the form of how she was currently missing bath time and wanted to make it home to help with bed time too.

"But I'm glad it's been a good day," she noted. There were both Fandom factors and Smith factors to check on, when it came to Summer, and if she wasn't already sharing that like, her 23rd birthday had kicked off with her Grampa coming in through her window and yelling at her or something, that was a great sign. (And again, Annie didn't really know about the phone thing, so it was all good on the Fandom side, too!) "Can I have the first three jello shots? And you know what, I didn't get to try your drink last year -- I'll take one of those, too."

24th, actually! And, like, it didn't fall on Father's Day again this year, which was always a bonus, because that was so annoying when your father was Jerry Smith.

"See, the thing is," Summer pointed out, as she already started lining up the shots for Annie, which, really, Annie getting shots and a drink? That right there was almost all she needed for a present!, "I actually really enjoy working here every week? So, like, I don't mind at all working on my birthday, and it's still a pretty easy way to get people to, like, still want to buy me shots and stuff."

Because drinking on the job had never been a concern for her, like, ever, in her entire bartending career.

"Plus, I have vaguely potentially something in New York tomorrow, question mark, and Stark and I are spending the entire weekend in Ireland, so, like, there's no lack of time to celebrate. And, fair warning," she added, as she started to mix what she was giving the warning about, "this drink is certifiably terrible, but also, I think it's important, as I continue onto the next year of my life, to remember my awful, humble party girl roots."

Look. At least Annie definitely knew it was her 24th, even if certain narrative-scripting powers-that-be had a slipperier grasp on time.

"I prepared for terrible," Annie assured her, and she actually had, on all fronts. (Which didn't mean she would necessarily finish the drink, no, but it did mean she was prepared to be a little tipsy for the first time in over a year, and was reaching for the birthday cake shot already.) "What's in New York? That sounds fun."

Ireland did, too, but New York had also been presented as more mysterious, what with the question mark.

"I don't know yet," Summer admitted. "I was expecting the deets to be texted to me, but the phones are doing that thing today, in case you haven't noticed, so someone else out there is probably going to get all the sick plans and I have to wait until tomorrow to actually know for sure. Which is fine, it adds that extra layer of excitement and intrigue, but also kind of annoying. I've been hanging out with some friends out there more lately, so it should be a pretty good time."

And, behold, enjoy your terrible drink made up by a seventeen (maybe eighteen?) year old version of Summer, Annie! While 24 year old Summer desperately tried to ignore that that was seven (or six!) years ago, ooooof.

"I'm hoping there's karaoke. There better be karaoke."

"...okay, if the phones are doing a thing, I really hope Diego got my messages about all the milk in the freezer," Annie noted with a little face before doing the shot she'd selected. (She was gonna work up to that drink she probably wouldn't be finishing, yep.) "But that sounds fun! And dude, if you want there to be karaoke, I bet there'll be karaoke, that's an easy ask in NYC. Wasn't there karaoke at at least one bar for your 21st?"

Like. Here. But maybe also another one?

"....maybe?" Summer asked, and now she was thinking about it, and also wondering if she wanted to ask more about that message to Diego about the mil in the freezer, but, no, she was definitely deciding she was fine not knowing about Annie's freezer milk, especially considering what Annie's freezer milk was probably for. "I can't really remember, there were a lot of bars that year, but, like, I'd be shocked if there wasn't at least a little bit of karaoke. I do remember Lucifer doing Dua Lipa, though. That's something that definitely sticks with you."

And might be very soon to be unseated, but who knows? Only time will tell!

Annie's freezer milk was why she was able to even consider the Summer Smith tonight! Hooray for foresight!

"Might've been some at the end of the night after Rey and I tapped out, too," Annie pointed out, because she did remember most of that night pretty well. "Also, like, I kind of feel like we should Tweet that at Dua Lipa. What an endorsement."

She paused, raspberry champagne shot in hand, and offered, "...X it at Dua Lipa? I don't know what the right word is there, anymore."

The subtlest.

It hadn't been that long since their lunch date but long enough that Stark was going to lean across the bar for a kiss when he arrived.

"Happy birthday, Summer." He'd said more than once today and he would almost certainly say it again before her birthday was actually over.

And Summer would argue that since she was pretty much celebrating all the way through until Monday, that her birthday was lasting that long, too, so he might as well get used to saying it a lot!

It would probably help that she seemed to beam proudly as if she'd done anything particularly special beyond just, you know, not getting aborted or something, every time he said it.

"Thank you, Stark," she said, wondering a little if that kiss with the greeting was going to become a regular thing for him or if it was just a birthday thing. "Are you going to have all the shots tonight? You know, since it's my birthday and all."

It could be a regular part of the greeting. He was testing it out for today as a birthday thing though.

"I think since it's your birthday I should not do the last shot," Stark told her with a grin. "Because then I'll taste of tuna fish and jello."

"That's why you do the last shot first," Summer countered, "and wash it down with more shots or stronger booze. I can't believe you're actually trying to get out of the last shot on my birthday."

She actually could believe it. The real question was whether or not she'd let him actually manage to pull it off.

Stark gave a firm shake of his head but the grin was still there.

"No, I should convince other people to do the last shot for you and I should make sure I don't taste terrible at any point during the evening. Just in case. What if I have two of your drinks instead?"

There might be little birthday hats and party favors on all of the tables, just sayin'.

There is definitely a birthday hat on the mechanical bull.

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Caritas; Wednesday [06/19].

The Stage - 06/19.

The Bar - 06/19.

Re: The Bar - 06/19.

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The Lounge - 06/19.

The Back Room - 06/19.

OOC - 06/19.