[hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/7gwGxyR.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/sHP9Odv.png[/img][/center][right][b]Interactions:[/b] None. [code]The Warehouse Party.[/code][/right][hr][hr] [b]Sometime earlier...[/b] The warehouse was alive long before Lupe entered, bass thudding like it had its own heartbeat. She didn’t just walk in. She [i]arrived[/i]. [i][color=E14BC5]“Move, move, you’re so slow, papi!”[/color][/i] Lupe shouted in Spanish, laughing as she grabbed Alejandro’s wrist and tugged him through the crowd. [i]“I’m not slow, you’re just [b]crazy,[/b]”[/i] Diego muttered in Spanish from behind, but he didn’t resist as she hooked his sleeve and pulled him along anyway. Alejandro grinned at the nearest strangers, eyes wide. [i]“This is crazy, mami,”[/i] he said in Spanish. [i]“Like a movie.”[/i] [i][color=E14BC5]“Better than a movie, papi,”[/color][/i] Lupe shot back, spinning for flair. [i][color=E14BC5]“Because movies don’t have [b]me![/b]”[/color][/i] She ended her twirl by pointing both fingers at herself. Diego exhaled through his nose, scanning the exits. [i]“Yeah... that’s probably why people survive them,”[/i] he muttered to himself - albeit loud enough for Lupe to hear. Lupe gasped, feigning offense. [i][color=E14BC5]“Hey! Relax, [b]dad,[/b]”[/color][/i] she said, playfully sticking her tongue out. [i][color=E14BC5]“We’re here to have fun, homes!”[/color][/i] Alejandro laughed, slipping toward a group of people nearby. [i]“Let him be,”[/i] he said in Spanish, nudging Diego. [i]“He’s just mad he never swiped his card.”[/i] Lupe smiled like a fool, trying to hold in the laughter. As Alejandro just let it go. [i]“... I-”[/i] Diego began, then stopped, pinching the bridge of his nose. [i]“Never mind.”[/i] Diego looked between them. [i]"... I cannot stand you two,”[/i] he muttered in Spanish. They ignored him, or pretended to. The three moved like they’d done this a thousand times before. Lupe cut through the crowd like she owned the air itself. Alejandro drifted outward, catching energy and tossing it back into the circle. Diego stayed just behind, vigilant, precise, containing the edges of chaos. It was a rhythm. One [i]they[/i] didn’t even know they had built. [i]“But seriously,”[/i] Alejandro leaned close over the music, [i]“if we get kicked out, that’s on you.”[/i] [i][color=E14BC5]“... Paaaaaaaaaaaaapi, have you even [i]met[/i] Claire?”[/color][/i] Lupe said in Spanish, grinning. [i][color=E14BC5]“The only way you're getting kicked out of here is if you're Saylor, or Jeremy. One of those freaks.”[/color][/i] Diego snorted. [i]“She invited Vicky.”[/i] He jabbed a thumb in her direction. Lupe didn't even reply, she just blew raspberries and waved him off. Before turning her eyes the main event; the party! A group nearby cheered—someone fell, someone chugged, it didn’t matter. Alejandro’s attention snapped immediately. [i]“Oh no -look, look—”[/i] he said in Spanish, before vanished into the crowd. Lupe shook her head, still smiling. [i][color=E14BC5]“That boy’s going to get himself kidnapped one day,”[/color][/i] She rolled her eyes. [i]“All he has to do is start talking, they'll bring him back quick,”[/i] Diego replied. [i][color=E14BC5]“Or make friends with them,”[/color][/i] Lupe added. Alejandro returned like he owned the room, arm casually draped over June Summers’ shoulders. She didn’t flinch, didn’t roll her eyes — just stayed perfectly calm, surveying the crowd with that [i]“I see everything”[/i] look she always got. [i]“You won’t believe what just happened,”[/i] Alejandro said in Spanish, leaning a little closer to June. [i]“I convinced someone that they won't fall and break their neck by dancing on the table and they believed me!”[/i] Lupe’s eyes flicked between them, impressed. [i][color=E14BC5]“Papi... you [b]actually[/b] bagged her?”[/color][/i] she whispered in Spanish, bouncing lightly on her toes. [i]“Relax, I’m just her [b]bodyguard[/b],”[/i] Alejandro said in Spanish, shrugging like it was nothing. June spoke next, in clear, smooth Spanish: [i]“You’re loud.”[/i] Lupe froze mid-step, a little stunned, eyes widening slightly. The realization hit her, and a grin spread across her face.[color=E14BC5]“You speak Spanish?”[/color] She muttered in English, impressed. "[i]Clearly,[/i]" June replied in their native tongue. "[i]My stepfather was Puerto-Rican. And with him... you pick up some things.[/i]" Diego glanced between them, unimpressed, [i]“You’re both exhausting,”[/i] he said voice flat. Alejandro let out a quiet laugh, not even a little offended. [i]“And yet here you are, bro!”[/i] he replied, laughing. [i]“That says more about [b]you[/b] than [b]us[/b].”[/i] June’s gaze shifted to Diego, studying him for a brief second like she was filing something away. [i]“He’s the one keeping track,”[/i] she said in Spanish, calm and certain. [i]“You’d fall apart without him.”[/i] Lupe blinked once — then broke into a wide grin. [i][color=E14BC5]“Ohhh, she goootcha,”[/color][/i] she said, bouncing in place. [i][color=E14BC5]“I like her.”[/color][/i] Alejandro smirked, nudging June slightly. [i]“Told you you’d fit in,”[/i] he said in Spanish. June didn’t respond right away - just glanced toward the folding table bar, then back at them. [i]“You’re out of drinks,”[/i] Lupe gasped dramatically. [i][color=E14BC5]“That sounds like a problem!”[/color][/i] she was already moving. They drifted toward the table like it was inevitable. Lupe hopped up onto a chair, scanning bottles like she was picking weapons. [i][color=E14BC5]“Alright, papis, and mamis, what are we feeling?”[/color][/i] she said, looking between them. [i]“Something [b]normal[/b],”[/i] Diego said in Spanish immediately, rolling his eyes. [i]“That one,”[/i] Alejandro pointed at the most suspicious bottle without hesitation. June followed his finger, eyes narrowing slightly. [i]“That doesn't look normal,”[/i] [i]“Exactly,”[/i] Alejandro shot back. [i]“Absolutely not,”[/i] Diego said. [i]“Yes.”[/i] [i]“No.”[/i] June reached out, casually pushing the bottle a few inches away. [i]“You’re not making it worse,”[/i] Lupe didn’t wait. She grabbed both bottles anyway. [i][color=E14BC5]“Compromise,”[/color][/i] she declared, pouring recklessly. June took the cup Lupe handed her, inspecting it briefly. [i]“... I’m trusting you, Lupe,”[/i] [i][color=E14BC5]“You [i]should[/i],”[/color][/i] Lupe grinned. They clinked cups. [i]“For what?”[/i] Alejandro asked in Spanish. Lupe didn’t hesitate. [i][color=E14BC5]“For us, silly,”[/color][/i] There was a pause. Diego glanced at her — something quieter passing through his expression. [i]“... For us,”[/i] he repeated. June watched them for a second, then lifted her cup slightly. [i]“For surviving your bullshit, [b]mami,[/b]”[/i] she added Alejandro laughed. [i]“You’re already part of it,”[/i] They drank. The music shifted. Faster. Heavier. Lupe felt it instantly. Her head tilted. Shoulders rolled once. June noticed first — not the movement, but the change. [i]“There it is,”[/i] Alejandro followed her gaze and groaned. [i]“Oh no—she caught a beat,”[/i] he laughed. [i][color=E14BC5]“I always catch the beat,”[/color][/i] Lupe shot back in Spanish. [i]“Yeah, but now everyone’s going to suffer it,”[/i] Alejandro said. June’s lips twitched faintly. [i]“I want to see that,”[/i] she said in Spanish. [i][color=E14BC5]“Good,”[/color][/i] Lupe replied. She moved. Not fully dancing yet — just testing it, letting the rhythm crawl into her limbs. Alejandro followed, easy, loose. June didn’t dance immediately — she stepped with them instead, adjusting, observing, then matching just enough to stay in sync. Diego hesitated. Then sighed. Then stepped in. The four of them aligned, not perfectly, but naturally. Lupe at the center. Alejandro feeding energy outward. June stabilizing it. Diego containing the edges. People noticed. Of course they did. [i]“Okay okay!”[/i] Alejandro shouted in Spanish, pointing at Lupe. [i]“Go off!”[/i] [i][color=E14BC5]“Don’t encourage her,”[/color][/i] Diego warned. Too late. Lupe spun, dipped, snapped back into rhythm. Cheers erupted. Someone whistled. Someone tried to copy her, and failed immediately. June watched that happen, almost predicting it. “Yeah... that was going to happen," she said under her breath in English. Lupe bounced back toward them, breath quick, eyes bright. [i][color=E14BC5]“You are being boring,”[/color][/i] she said to June. [i][color=E14BC5]“Step it up.”[/color][/i] June tilted her head. [i]“Define ‘step it up,’”[/i] she replied in Spanish. Lupe gave her a smile that was almost seductive. [i][color=E14BC5]“... Just keep up, mami,”[/color][/i] Lupe shot back with a wink. June didn’t argue. She just adjusted — cleaner, sharper, more in sync. Lupe noticed immediately. Grinned wider. Diego shook his head — but there was a faint smile now. [i]“Wait—wait,”[/i] Alejandro grabbed Lupe’s arm. [i]“Where’s Kari?”[/i] Lupe paused mid-motion. Her eyes scanned the crowd. [i][color=E14BC5]“She should be here by now,”[/color][/i] June followed her gaze automatically, already scanning patterns in the crowd. Diego caught the shift. [i]“Worried?”[/i] he asked. [i][color=E14BC5]“Please. She’s just late,”[/color][/i] Lupe scoffed. Alejandro bumped her shoulder. [i]“She’ll show. You know she will,”[/i] he said. June nodded slightly. [i]“As much of a shut-in as she is, I doubt Elsa will let her read books all night,”[/i] she added with a dry laugh. Lupe exhaled. [i][color=E14BC5]“Yeah,”[/color][/i] she said. [i][color=E14BC5]“I know.”[/color][/i] Then the grin snapped back into place. [i][color=E14BC5]“Still—when she gets here, I’m calling her out!”[/color][/i] [i]“Of [b]course[/b] you are,”[/i] Diego muttered. [i]“Loudly,”[/i] Alejandro added. [sup][i]“Publicly,”[/i][/sup] June quietly added. [i][color=E14BC5]“[b]Very[/b] loudly, papi,”[/color][/i] Lupe confirmed. The bass dropped harder. The crowd surged. The rhythm tightened. Someone shoved another drink into Lupe’s hand. Someone shouted her name. Alejandro got pulled — then pulled himself back. June adjusted position without thinking, keeping the group intact. Diego shifted with her, locking the formation. The night settled into them. Lupe climbed onto a chair without warning. [i]“Here we go,”[/i] Diego muttered. [i]“AY—AY—watch her, watch her!”[/i] Alejandro shouted. Lupe raised her cup—alive, electric, untouchable— —and then... [i][color=E14BC5]“... Kari, [b]Mami![/b]”[/color][/i] [hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/bemGSrE.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/fGCaIL3.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/7gwGxyR.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/sHP9Odv.png[/img][/center][right][b]Interactions:[/b] Ella [@FernStone], & Nora [@NoriWasHere] [code]The Warehouse Party.[/code][/right][hr][hr] Lupe didn’t even try to hide the grin spreading across her face as Ella doubled down. [color=E14BC5]“AY. AY, AY - there it is, mami,”[/color] she laughed, pointing at her like she’d just proven a point. [color=E14BC5]“You’re insane. And that's why I like you, mami.”[/color] Lupe made the heart with her hands. She leaned back against the table slightly, eyes flicking over Ella’s posture, the empty cup, the zero hesitation. [color=E14BC5]“Two drinks in and you’re already making promises like[i] that?[/i] Caaaaaaaaaareful, mami,”[/color] Lupe added, voice dropping just a little, playful but [i]edged.[/i] [color=E14BC5]“I'll actually hold you to it.”[/color] Kari, beside her, lifted a brow at Ella’s poke, glancing down at her own arm like she was genuinely assessing the claim. [color=#eac6ae]“I wouldn’t underestimate her,”[/color] Kari said calmly, taking another small sip of her drink. [color=#eac6ae]“She's Ella. She's way more capable than we gave her credit for.”[/color] Kari laughed. Lupe snorted. [color=E14BC5]“Don’t encourage her,”[/color] she shot back—already reaching for another cup anyway. At the demand for pink, Lupe paused mid-motion—slowly turning her head back toward Ella like she’d just said something dangerous. [color=E14BC5]“Oh, you want the pink one?”[/color] she repeated, grin sharpening. She crouched slightly, digging into the cooler again—this time pulling out a clear, unassuming bottle that looked almost too innocent. She held it up between her fingers, letting the strobe lights flash through it. [color=E14BC5]“Alright... now we’re talking reckless,”[/color] she murmured. Kari’s eyes immediately locked onto the bottle. [color=#eac6ae]"[i].... Oh no,[/i]”[/color] she said under her breath. [color=#eac6ae]“That’s [i][b]Everclear[/b][/i]”[/color] Lupe shot her a sideways grin. [color=E14BC5]“And?”[/color] [color=#eac6ae]“Are you trying to [i]kill[/i] somebody?”[/color] [color=E14BC5]“It’s a [i]spice[/i],”[/color] Lupe corrected smoothly, already pouring. A splash of Everclear. Something bright pink. Something aggressively sweet. Something that absolutely should not be sharing space in the same cup. [color=E14BC5]“See, now [i]this?[/i]”[/color] she said, swirling the cup slightly, watching the colors shift. [color=E14BC5]“[i]This[/i] is what separates the legends from the scrubs.”[/color] Kari watched the mixture with a small, knowing exhale. [color=#eac6ae]“... If you say so?”[/color] she murmured, before crossing her arms. [color=#eac6ae]“Is this that [i]'concoction'[/i] made you try to fight a speaker.”[/color] Lupe pointed at her immediately. [color=E14BC5]“[i]Allegedly,[/i] mami. [b][i]ALLEGEDLY.[/i][/b]”[/color] [color=#eac6ae]“You even apologized to it after.”[/color] Kari snorted. [color=E14BC5]“[i][b]IT WAS PLAYING WITH ME![/b][/i]”[/color] Lupe shot back, then waved it off like that proved everything. She looked back at Ella, smile returning full force. [color=E14BC5]“But you swore on Sailor Moon, [i]though[/i]...”[/color] she hummed, dragging the moment out just enough to make it feel like a deal being sealed. [color=E14BC5]“Can’t disrespect [i][b]that[/b][/i].”[/color] She stepped forward and slid the drink across the table toward Ella like she was handing over something sacred. [color=E14BC5]“Congratulations,”[/color] she said, almost ceremonious. [color=E14BC5]“You’ve unlocked the deluxe edition, mami.”[/color] Then, lighter again— [color=E14BC5]“Drink it, and [i][b]if[/b][/i] you survive, mami... ”[/color] she jerked her head toward the dance floor, where the bass was starting to climb again, [color=E14BC5]“... You'll move up to the [i]next[/i] level.”[/color] [color=#eac6ae]“Please pace yourself,”[/color] Kari added quietly with a roll of her eyes. [color=#eac6ae]“You know someone's going to record it if you start wildlin'.”[/color] Lupe immediately bumped her shoulder. [color=E14BC5]“Coooooooooome, on,”[/color] Lupe grinned. [color=E14BC5]“If nobody records it, how else will we know what happens?!"[/color] Kari rolled her eyes but didn’t disagree.