[h2][center][i][color=9e0039]Allison Hawthorne[/color][/i][/center][/h2] [center][i]Location: City Hall[/i][/center] [center][i]Time: Sunday, 7:30-ish PM[/i][/center] Dumping the plate and fork into a large trash can, Allison took another sip of the soft drink and worked her way across the room with Kriss in tow. He looked like a grumpy dog whose collar was one notch too tight. The knuckles on the hand holding the trauma bag had gone white. A voice reminded him that he was representing the SCVRS, which prompted him to stand up just a little straighter and loosen the muscles in his forehead, changing his face from a grimace to a blank slate. The duo arrive shortly and were greeted by the blonde woman, who had ordered food from a shirtless waiter. [i]Hey, feel free. We not short are we Vika. Sorry about nearly walking into you! I'm Marinalia Olympus, and this my sister Victoria, Ivans by thr bar.[/i] Allison gave the lady a polite smile, which withered away quickly. The smell of fruit and alcohol on her breath was overwhelming. Worse that than, though, was the old familiar scent of her dad's favorite drink. It wasn't as prominent (she was probably rubbing shoulders with the drinker), but it was far more powerful. She gritted her teeth hard as she forced the smile back onto her face, though her free hand moved involuntarily to her stomach, which was beginning to constrict. Her face turned slightly red as she tried to find a way to inhale clean oxygen. She knew she only had a few seconds to pass off her behavior without being rude. Thinking quickly, she raised her glass to her lips, covered her nose with it, and took a good clean breath of soda-infused air before lowering it to her side again. [color=9e0039]"Don't worry about it, I'm totally fine. Allison Hawthorne, at your service,"[/color] she said with a slight bow of the head. The woman seemed to pay her reaction no mind and instead tapped Kriss on the shoulder. [i]"Hi, welcome to the Gala."[/i] Kriss shriveled away from the touch. He did not like being touched. People are perfectly capable of communicating without poking one another with fingers. He let his German stubbornness take over and responded with a blank stare. Fortunately for the two of them, Marinalia soon excused herself to "fix a few things." Allison breathed a literal sigh of relief as the woman, and the cloud of alcohol surrounding her, turned and left. She looked over at Kriss, who gave her the same blank stare, and tried to think of something to say. It didn't matter. Kriss could already sense that she had regretted this decision and he latched onto it, amping up the guilt with a look of irritation. She turned back to see if Ashton was still present. The tall woman had already noticed them and was currently waving at them, as though she would have had any difficulty seeing her. Allison straightened up and lifted her chin. She wasn't going to let Kriss shut her down. Not this time. Chipping a smile back onto her face, she trotted carefully to the firefighter and her companions, one of whom looked particularly familiar. [i]"Hey... Someone get hurt you two? No injuries over here... Ones you can Fix anyway."[/i] Allison hadn't realized Kriss was still carrying the medical bag. She glanced at him inquisitively and was met with the exact same indignant expression, causing her to turn back to the bar. Before she could respond to confirm that they were not here to patch someone up, Victoria spoke again. [i]"Who's your freind Alison? You take him dress shopping before this? Bars open if you want somthing stronger."[/i] Her face turned a much more fierce shade of red than usual, and she stopped dead in her tracks as the comment hit her like a freight train. She was only 19. Her blood boiled silently at the suggestion, and she again found herself in a position where she had only seconds to reply before seeming rude. [color=9e0039]"U...um..."[/color] she stammered. The fresh scent of alcohol from the bar washed over her, clouding her mind further. She chided herself strongly in her mind. Victoria didn't know she was 19. She was just being polite. She wouldn't have offered if she knew, right? Allison tried to calm herself and take a deep breath, realizing at the last moment that she would just be inhaling more alcohol. She would have to try using the glass again, but she already felt ridiculous from doing it once. She placed a hand on the bar to steady herself, then removed it, alarmed that she might be unintentionally signalling for a drink. She glanced at Ashton, hoping to find some kind of aid, but she appeared to be paying attention to Victoria now. Despite his lack of expression, Kriss was actively reading the situation and he soon realized Allison was in serious trouble. She seemed to have stopped breathing. He considered letting her stew out of petty revenge, but he noted that, even with an open invitation, she still didn't want a hard drink. It dawned on him that if he answered Victoria's question and ended the conversation, Allison would never be allowed to make him interact with people at a party again. She would owe him. He stepped up beside Allison and looked Victoria dead in the eyes. [color=aba000]"I am Kriss. I shop for clothes on my own. Allison is not old enough to drink."[/color] He paused as he noticed the beverage on the table in front of the woman. He scowled and dropped a final thought on her in a voice dripping with bitter sarcasm. [color=aba000]"Alcohol poisoning kills six people every day. I hope I do not have to come back to pick you up."[/color] Without waiting for a response, he turned sharply towards the door and plodded away. Too shocked by the comment to speak, Allison followed him silently, walking backwards at first, then bumping into a chair, apologizing to no one, and slipping away. Too many thoughts were going through her head all at once and she was beginning to legitimately feel sick. They stopped at their table, where Allison collapsed into her chair and took a deep breath of cleaner air, coughing several times and holding her chest. Kriss watched her, mildly concerned that she might need medical attention, but it passed quickly. She set the glass carefully on the table as her face returned to a more natural color. [color=9e0039]"I'm..."[/color] she said, her voice fading out as she stared at her glass. [color=9e0039]"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dragged you over there."[/color] [color=aba000]"No, you should not have,"[/color] he replied in a more neutral voice than before. She winced. [color=9e0039]"I guess we should leave, huh?"[/color] [color=aba000]"Snap told me to keep an eye on things, so I will stay here."[/color] He looked at her disinterestedly. [color=aba000]"You can leave if you want."[/color] [color=9e0039]"Yeah, I..."[/color] she looked around again. [color=9e0039]"I shouldn't be here. My stepdad's gonna be so mad if he finds out I was at a gig with booze. I hope it doesn't stick to my clothes like it stuck to Mariana or whatever her name was."[/color] [color=aba000]"Marinalia."[/color] [color=9e0039]"Yeah, that. Ugh, I'm such an idiot. I should have known."[/color] She rested her elbows on the table and sunk her head into her palms as her face turned red again. Her mom had a nose for alcohol too and would smell it before she got through the door. Frankly, she probably wouldn't live long enough for her stepdad to kill her. -- [@PrinceAlexus][@Silver Fox]