“Come on, Carys. Trust me when I say that this party is [i]The [/i] Party in Port Byrne; the whole town is going to be there. You've got to come.”

Barely two hours after unloading her moving truck into the bungalow she was renting, and her new roommate was pushing for her to go to a party. The Party, rather. Carys ran a hand through her dark hair, trying not to let the exhaustion of moving furniture sour her mood. Audrey looked at her, an expertly arched brow quirking expectedly. They'd emailed and video chatted a few times before Carys had signed the lease and uprooted herself from New York, but nothing could have prepared Carys for the sheer will emanating from the leggy, dark skinned woman.

“The Party, huh?” Carys asked, sat on one of her larger boxes, looking out the massive bay window to the distant sea. It was strange to think that this was [i]hers [/i]-- this beautiful sprawl of a house, this fresh air, the path down to the water. And yet, it rang hollow in her chest. She would have given anything to go back a year, to her cramped Manhattan apartment, and have her mum back. She'd left Carys her childhood home, her keelboat, and asked her to come to Port Byrne, where her mother had grown up those many years ago. It had taken Carys a nearly a year of endless paperwork and meetings with lawyers to get here. Perhaps, she mused with a tired smile, The Party was what she needed.

“Alright,” Carys nodded, storm grey eyes crinkling in a tired smile as she rose to her feet. “I'll go.”



The sun had long since sunk beneath the sea when they set out. Audrey had been kind enough to lend her something cute and, remarkably, in her size. The high-waisted shorts were cut, she had thought, rather short for a late night on the beach. Audrey had laughed, shaking her head, and Carys was again reminded that she was no longer in frigid New England. The tucked tank top and red flannel were comfortable, and Carys had dug in a box for a pair of sandals. Hair braided loosely to one side, she felt surprisingly rejuvenated by a simple shower and clean clothes, even after a long day of unloading while still jetlagged from the nine hour flight the day before. 

Audrey filled her in on all the Must Do Things as they walked their lazy mile along the sand. Carys tried to remember them all; apparently this new home was much more lively than she had anticipated. 

The fires and music were impressive all on their own, but the crowd was...well, almost overwhelming, even for her. Carys let Audrey lead the way, smiling wide as the taller woman introduced her to someone every few feet. Audrey hadn't been exaggerating, Carys marveled; she wouldn't be surprised if [i]everyone[/i] was here. They were beyond friendly, and Carys found herself recharging, laughing and bright eyed.

“Oh, I've got a call--I'll find you when I'm done,” Audrey said suddenly, slipping away as Carys smiled and looked around. She felt a little lost, surrounded by laughter and joy and familiarity; she could see why her late mother had wanted her to come, but she didn't really fit yet--

She had been walking absently, a bottle of some local beer in hand, when she managed to collide directly with someone else. Her sandal slipped on the soft sand and she felt the jolt of falling, stomach lurching as she dropped and then suddenly [i]stopped [/i].

Someone had caught her, managed to keep them both from falling, and she'd sloshed a truly amazing stout on both of them. Carys blinked intelligently. Looking at her unfortunate rescuer, she quirked her lips in a wry half grin.

“Oops,” Carys said anticlimactically. She hastily shifted to return to her own footing, stepping back as they extracted and righted themselves. Wincing apologetically, she glanced down to survey the damage. Stout had stained her borrowed shirt a pale brown and his own was in no better shape. Shit.

“I'm really sorry about that,” she winced, looking up into blue eyes with a self depreciating laugh. “I wasn't paying attention, it's my bad. I'll get you a new shirt, I promise.”

[I]Worst first impression ever, Carys. [/i]