2025-06-24 - Game Night & Hangout at Turning Leaf

Theo is catching on to the laid-back energy that can be felt here. He doesn't live here at Turning Leaf, but had heard that there was going to be a game night and figured he'd show up. He doesn't come empty-handed. There is a pan in his hand, and it looks like there are Rice Krispies treats in it. Scanning the area to see where he should put his contribution. He goes to the DIY snack spread.

With it being summer, he's in a pink t-shirt, tan shorts, and flip flops as he takes a look-see to see who's here and any familiar faces as he puts his pan down.

Peyton saunters in with all the elegance (and suspicion) of a feline. Her eyes are a metallic gold tonight as they survey the area and the people. A slow closing blink of her eyes as she realizes she's one of the first here. "For fucks sake, it's like I don't have a life." That is uttered more to herself before she opens her eyes and enters into the area more.

The blonde is dressed in all black (as per her personal standard), but she did trade the leather pants for a tennis 'skort'. Her black shirt has the neckline cut out and the sleeves shortened as well as a rough cut along the bottom edge where just a bit of skin shows. The shirt is an old Ramones shirt. She does move to the table to put down various overly done desserts.

A breath and then she puts on the most adorably charming customer service smile on her features to greet and make eye contact with whatever neighbors are here.

Standing near the pizza table, Avery stands laughing with a fellow employee, pulling cheese off a corner of her pizza. The cheese game was strong and there was a good cheese pull to that. Sign of a good pizza. Squeezing it off with a piece of pepperoni she used her fingers to eat it, her gaze wandering around the room at the others that start to appear.

Because lounge was the game she was playing, she'd pulled on a white tank top with a rainbow, light purple velvety lounge pants that hung on her hips, and a pair of flip flops that could easily be removed in a second.

At seeing Theo stride in a commanding pink t-shirt and then Peyton that soon follows, she lifts a hand and waves, "Hey!" excusing herself from who she was talking to and coming around closer to greet them both, "Glad you both came."

It is a rare night that both Michael and King are off at the same time, and so it is time for roomie gaming night! But will they co-op? Or battle to the death? Only time will tell. He's in jeans and a dark green t-shirt with the logo of his family's horse farm in Indiana on it, faded with age. And he has already acquired a plate with a slice of pizza on it and a bag full of candy from the candy wall in one hand and is seeking a beverage with the other.

Another non-resident is the next to turn up as Hayley steps inside, her head turning back and forth in a quick scan of the room before she relaxes and heads in a little deeper. Dressed in a gray sweater and denim shorts, she's also got on a pair of canvas sneakers that are laced up tightly to complement her casual look.

She lifts her hand, waving to the faces she doesn't know, and then heads in. The pizza gets a long, lingering look that promises of indulgence later, but for now, she grabs a beer from the cooler.

Then she turns to grin at Dodge, entering behind her, and points to a console. "Rematch time," she tells her, those two words giving away her Texan drawl already.

"RomCom Magician." Peyton offers towards Theo with a slight smirk curving her lips. Although, she's quickly smiling at Avery. And it may be a sincere smile too. Maybe. "Heya, thanks for having us. Really you had me at free food." Speaking of. There is glance towards Michael when he enters and then she upnods towards Hayley too. Peyton's attention moves back towards Avery. "I am amazing at Mario Kart. I mean, if we are counting last place as amazing."

"I am going to rematch you so hard," Dodge quips at Hayley. Dark-haired and dark-eyed, she's wearing a navy blue tanktop and a pair of pale wash jean shorts with white Vans slip-ons, and she also grabs a beer from the cooler, clinking the glass against Hayley's and turning to scan the room to see if she recognizes anyone.

Theo gets a friendly wave and she eyes the pan of Rice Krispies he brought, pulling an impressed look across her sharp features, and she starts to drift over in the direction of one of the consoles, apparently ready to get down to the business of this Rematch(tm).

So, everyone in the building has to know Dan's apartment, because it's the only one where the outer door doesn't open on just a patio, but a big fenced enclosure full of dogs of varying sizes, at least one of which has parkoured his way up onto the balcony of the apartment above his.

As a matter of fact, one of said dogs is with him, though it isn't his usual companion, the Malinois named Joker. This time, it's the smallest of the pack, the little white Shiba named Kiko. She trots along at his side, wearing a little canine smile.

Even though it's nominally a night for video games, Dan's got a tote with him, holding a Jenga set. He's in his usual off-duty uniform of dark jeans and t-shirt with a pair of black Chucks. There's even a scruff of golden stubble, as if he hadn't bothered to shave on his day off.

"Peyton." Theo greets that one first. His smile remains as Avery makes her approach. "This looks excellent!" Not that he ever hosted anything, but he can complement.

A wave to Michael and other not-so-familiar faces as he moves over to where the pizza is. He saw how strong that cheese game was when Avery was pulling at her pizza, and it made him want to have some as he went for a soda. Alcohol can come later. "Thanks for putting this together." This was said towards Avery. There is food, but he got a little distracted.

Seeing Danny, he brightens and says, "Daaaannnnyyy...." Yes, he's happy to see his torturer. (In training, that is.) He also smiles at Dodge and sees her eying the treats. "They are good and gooey!"

Asher is not a video game person. But Asher is a person who will watch their friends play video games while they cheer and/or heckle in the process. Asher is doubley that person when it comes with free candy. "Aves!" Asher calls a greeting out across the room. "I figured when I heard game night, you'd be here!" Hayley and Dodge also get a huge waves, "Bunny! Kitten!" At least currently they're not flinging glitter. Small miracles.

They're in their usual non-working uniform of a fake band tee, today's for Crucial Taunt, beneath a black linen blazer and a pair of comfy jeans. Their purple chucks are hand painted and embroidered. They are on the way to the wall of candy when white fluff stops them right in their tracks. They look at Danny, who they have never met. "Please tell me your dog makes new friends?" Asher really wants to make friends with this dog, even more than they want to grab a bag of candy.

Avery laughs, "Yeah, well, I knew the idea of free food would be too good for anyone to turn down. I know I'd sneak in, even if I just filled a plate of pizza and," her thumb hitchhikes behind her, "Split." A glance over her shoulder towards the pizza table has her noticing Michael and she offers a grin and upnod in his direction. "There is plenty over there," she says this back to Peyton as she turns back. "If we run low, I'll make a call for more.

"Hey, just glad people like the idea." She says to Theo.

More new face appear, some new, some familiar but not super familiar and she waves to them, "Hey! Welcome! Make yourself comfortable. Thats what this is all about!"

Head swiveling towards Ashers greetin, her grin is bright, "Ash! Yay! You came!"

King arrives in the company of (off duty) security, wearing her casual-time black jeans and Misfits tee and Docs laced up with rainbows. She's crunching on a bag of cashew caramel corn and saying to Michael, "You sharing your pizza or do I have to get a plate?" Roomies, man. You can't take them anywhere.

She has a beer bottle tucked into the back pocket of her jeans, which is fine, long as she remembers to remove it before sitting. She stands there a moment surveying the game choices on tap for tonight's pwnage fun. She glances over when Danny arrives with Kiko, waving hello to Pey, Theo, Avery, Dodge, and Asher. Her attention, so diverted, sharpens. She crouches and says, "Hey fuzzy." Whether the dog says hello is immaterial. She does get down to dog level in case. It's only polite.

Hayley isn't flinging glitter yet, and she waves to Asher as she clinks bottles with Dodge, taking a long drink from hers as she heads right over to a console with Mario Kart. "My favorite snack," she tells Theo in passing.

Then a dog, and she gasps loudly. "Ohmygod he's perfect!" she coos, which is her reaction to pretty much any dog, ever.

"Hey, Theo," Dan says, with a grin. "Brought more calories for us to run off tomorrow morning?" Because Theo the foolhardy has consented to train with Danny in the mornings.

To Asher, he says, grinning, "This is Kiko. She does indeed make new friends. More importantly, Kiko really likes to play Jenga and she's tired of just facing off against me. So I figured I'd bring her and her Jenga set along and she can play against newcomers." A beat and he adds, belatedly, "I'm Dan Kimball. I work on the Midway - Kiko and her brother and my other dogs are the Canine Circus." He's got a drawl of his own, oddly languid.

Kiko, hearing her name, wags her tail, looking up eagerly. Then King's before her and she sits and offers a paw.

Peyton allows her eyes to run up and down each of the people as they move around the area. Her lips quirk a bit, but she does keep looking back to Kiko. A warmer smile for the puppy. She winks towards Avery. "You don't have to invite me twice." This will have her moving towards the pizza to attempt to eat her body weight in it.

"Hey Dan! Hi Kiko!" Dodge greets as the dog wrangler and attendant dog enter, waving at the pair of them. "Koda sends his best," she relays with a short nod. "And I'm definitely down for Jenga after I defend my Mario Kart honor," she adds resolutely, nudging Hayley in the ribs.

She grins at Theo and glances at the pan again. "I'm going to be getting into those after I rematch this one. Don't want to get the controller sticky." That's her logic. She throws a smile at Avery, too.

When Asher greets Hayley and her with nicknames, Dodge gestures at herself. "Is that me? Am I Kitten? I love that. Purr, hiss." With that, she pads over to the console and sit down in front of it, letting Hayley get distracted by the dog while she pulls up a 100cc race and selects Yoshi as her racer. Always Yoshi.

Michael gives an up-nod of greeting to Theo at his wave and sees that glance from Peyton, lifting his beverage in a salute. "Heya," he says to Avery. "Thanks for hosting. This'll be fun." Seeing Danny and Kiko he grins in that direction. "Hey," he greets.

King asking if he's sharing his pizza has him extending the plate in her direction. Apparently, he's sharing. "Nah, we can share. I got sugar, too." He wiggles the plate and the bag of candy swings a little, rustling enticingly.

Asher lifts a hand to wave to King, but, for the most part, they're focused only on that cute little white cloud, and they guy that manners dictates must give permission before they can try to make friends. "Kiko!" The dog has a name, and is allowed to make friends, and that's all Asher needs to know. They drop to their knees to start getting to know Kiko. "Hi, baby!" Eventually, they glance up to Danny and take the rest of it in as well, right. Introductions, jobs, all the stuff that doesn't have to do with Kiko, except his job actually is beach dog. "Asher, Paramedic." It covers the basics, at least.

But when Kiko goes to say hi to King, Asher gets back up and tells Danny, "Ok. I need to get candy before I forget what I'm even doing here. Then I have to go hug Avery within an inch of her life before the games totally eat her alive." Dodge and Hayley will get hugged later, after there is no getting in the middle of rematch crossfire. "And then, I will absolutely let your dog beat Kitten (because calling Dodge a fox would make Asher blush) and Bunny, and me at Jenga." Because that sounds way more fun than letting everyone else beat them at video games instead.

"You're kitten," Hayley affirms in Dodge's direction, before she turns and whistles out briefly, then says, "Two more spots for Mario Kart right here," holding her controller up in the air. Then she turns, selecting Daisy without much hesitation, nodding to Dodge. "Rematch," she tells her. "And I -- there's Jenga?" she asks. "Well, if there's Jenga, I'm prepared to disappoint everyone, I am no engineer."

"Kiko was the dog's name?" she checks, then turns her head and calls out, "Kiko, I love you!" She quickly forms a heart with her fingers while waiting to see if anyone else joins.

King gives Kiko a shake. "Pleasure's all mine, Kiko, Jenga queen." She rises and immediately snags a piece of pizza to take an unnecessarily large bite before returning the piece to the plate. She gives Michael a thumbs up but forgoes saying thank you with a full mouth. She peers into the candy bag, probably looking for butter popcorn flavored jelly beans, and grins, then finishes chewing her way through a third of a slice.

King licks a smear of sauce from her thumb and snags some candy from the candy bag, popping it into her mouth to round out the carb/sugar pyramid. "King Sirota. If you choke on a Good and Plenty, Asher's got you." So sayeth the other paramedic in the room, just voluntolding her coworkers all casual-like.

"Oh hell yeah," Theo answers Danny. He has his own drawl. North Carolina, to be exact. Those who may not know him might have seen him performing at Lamplight, where he hosts his show, singing and telling stories, He lowers himself when Kiko is getting all the love and looking up at Danny. "I haven't played Jenga in forever. You are showing your age, old man." Yes, he's teasing Danny and is comfortable around him and his dogs. Even if there is only one tonight, he laughs when he hears Dodge. "Sounds reasonable to me." He will let Kiko smell his hand and pet her, smiling at her. "Who's the baby?" He likes dogs. He makes sure not to tempt the dog with his pizza after that greeting, as he rises again to take a bite, finally.

As Peyton makes her way towards the pizza, she overhears talk of Mario Kart becoming a topic by more than just one person. "Mario kart has up to 4 players and I will totally take on anyone that's will to try me!" she announces.

Those most of that is probably lost on the fact that everyone is loving on the dog whom she grins at with obviously cutness undertones, but there were enough people fawning over it at the moment. Moving over to the cooler, she plucks a beer and looks up at Michael as he greets her. A warm smile on her face as she twists off the top of her beer, "No problem. I didn't think it would be this popular but..." bottleneck angling towards the pizza, "I think the pizza sold it." Upnodding King too as she moves in closer to Michael.

"Jenga after this Very Important Rematch, absolutely," Dodge/Kitten agrees readily. She waits to see if anyone else wants to get in on Mario Kart against her and Hayley, catching a stray whiff of the pizza and then looking in that direction. Someone brought their appetite.

Kiko shakes properly, tail wagging. Dan's hovering by her, but he's not terribly protective. She's a performer, she's used to dealing with her public, apparently. Asher's attentions are accepted happily. "Hey, Asher," Dan';s voice is amiable. "And sure. She'd love it."

To Hayley, he says, "Yeah, I brought a set, since the princess here loves to play. She's here to take on all comers." As if Kiko, who is probably fifteen pounds soaking wet, were a prize-winning heavyweight boxer. "My girl, Kiko," he says to Theo, fondly indulgent.

He lifts a hand to Michael, grinning. "I'm gonna get pizza first of all," he says to the dog's admirers. "Then I'll set up for her. After that, I'm game for Mario Kart."

Michael glances down at the savaged piece of pizza and chuckles. "You can have that one. I'll get another one." He sets the plate down near wherever they're settling and the candy bag next to it so King can rummage around to her heart's content. Avery gets a grin and he says, "To be fair, I woulda come just for the games, but the food is a definite added bonus." He snags himself another gooey cheesy slice of pizza and brings that back over.

When he notices the fish bowl, he reads the chalk board and then grabs a slip of paper and writes his number in it, dropping it into the bowl. He's game. Then he grabs his own slice before Jaws (aka King) eats that one, too.

Peyton finds the fishbowl of bad decisions. She takes a piece of paper and puts her phone number in it. Then she pulls out her phone and starts to put other numbers in it too. People that are probably not even here. She does this while picking up a piece of pizza and shoveling it into her mouth. She does not put the number for Puff in there, but the others might have ends up in there.

Hayley motions Avery over, and introduces herself by motioning in her own direction and saying, "Hayley," with a smile. She's also eyeing the junk food, and she realizes, suddenly, "I haven't eaten yet today." A few blinks, and she decides, "After this match, I will feast."

At some point in the night, her number does get put in the fishbowl as well.

Theo has not decided what he is going to do tonight, as he grins at Danny when Theo asks who the baby is. He's got pizza, which is a good start. He starts to wander around as he enjoys the pizza. He took sips of his soda to wash it down now and then. Even if there are paramedics in here tonight, he doesn't want to embarrass himself and choke on a piece of crust or something.

He stops at the transparent glass fish bowl and laughs as he reads the instructions. Popping the last of his pizza in his mouth and wiping his hands on a napkin. Bending down to write his number on the paper provided, he throws it in the bowl as he wanders over to the candy wall to make a selection.

Asher hits up the candy wall. There is a scoop of plain M&M's, a scoop of peanut butter M&M's, a scoop of Reese's pieces, and a scoop of whoppers tossed into their bag. Then they top it off with strawberry Swedish Fish. Perfect! Snacks acquired, they drop their name and number in the bowl before they make their next stop on their tour. Avery gets a huge hug. "You look fantastic babes. I missed you!" But Asher knows Avery takes her games seriously. And since Dodge and Hayley are right there, they get hugs, too. "But I'm not going to interrupt your smackdowns, or your rematches, so have fun." To Avery, "We'll still get those catch-up drinks soon!"

Avery does not need a second invitation and she is sprint (as well as her can with a bottle of beer in her hand) for Haley and landing... hopefully gracefully on the bean bag beside her. A beaming smile on her face as she tucks hair behind her ear, "Avery. Good to meet you Hails." she says this as she grabs a controller and sets her beer down on the floor beside her. "Sorry, I give nicknames to everyone, If you hate it, we can revisit it."

Clicking through the buttons she starts picking her character and car, "Oh, you need to eat... But I get it. Games first. Make sure you eat, though, yeah?"
hearing Asher she turns her neck and nods, "You can't back out of it. I know! Lucky's! You promised."

King shrugs and reaches for what's left of the slice and calls, "May your pillow be cool on both sides," to Michael, claiming his former pizza. She has to finish this one before she can search and destroy more pizza slices. A glance is given to the bowl, she watches the roomie write something, glances at the sign, pauses to read it, and a thoughtful look takes over her features while she noms pizza. Hmmm.

"Don't think I've ever played Mario Kart before." Is that true or is she about to shark someone? Hard to say.

It's not long before she's dropping a couple numbers into the bowl. One's hers. One isn't. (Jack has entered the number roulette, though he knows it not.)

"Avery, girl, get 'em." Not yet on the field of play herself, she'll consider gaming after a bit more food and drink.

Dodge leans into the hug from Asher, grinning and wrapping her arms around them in a warm squeeze. "She's going to light me up, I think," she mutters to the medic. "But Jenga after!"

She smiles at Avery as she joins them at Mario Kart. "Hey there, I'm Dodge," she introduces. "It's already a nickname, but feel free to get creative. Kitten is in the mix, too." And then she's all game-business.

"Hails, Hay-you, Hayl-yeah, Hailstorm, Howly, Hurls, and ... Bun! I've had basically every nickname you can imagine at some point or another," Hayley assures Avery with a grin and a shake of her head. "Don't mind at all, call me whatever works best for you. I think most of them are cute," she admits as she settles back in to look at the screen, and once Dodge and Avery are settled in, hits that start button, reaching up to return the hug to Avery quickly in the time she has before the match starts. "Jenga soon," she whispers playfully to them.

The lakitu counts them down, the lights flash, and she's off on the countdown with the boost. She's not, by any means, a professional player -- but it's clear that she's at least someone passingly familiar with the game, executing techniques to make up for moments where reflexes aren't carrying her through. Drifts and boosts, item usage -- and a star being saved for right at the end.

Which is coming soon, and she activates it, trying to time it for the finish line.

Food before games, though Dan does drop his number in the fishbowl first of all. He drops into a seat, positioning himself where he can watch the Mario Kart and trying to refrain from just inhaling his pizza at once. Kiko eyes it hopefully and licks her whiskers. "Nuh uh," he tells her, after a mouthful of soda. "You know better than to try for people food." Her expression is unrepentant.

Avery was no professional. If it had been a reasonable profession, she might have considered gamer girl as a profession, which is why she decided to work at a theme park. That was much more reasonable. Knowing her way around a controller and the game, Avery is hooting, hollering and laughing like anyone should be in a good match of Mario Kart.

Where had she put her pizza down? Oh, damn... she forgot... anyway... there was more...

Back to Mario Kart!

"Yesssss!!" she calls as she makes it into first place.

Theo smiles at Asher when she comes by the candy wall. He's going for all the gummi with a handful of chocolate thrown in. Yum. He moves to find a bean bag by Danny and offers his bag of sweets to the man. "Dessert." His eyes trail to where the girls are playing Mario Kart. Looking around for Peyton, and if she's not too distracted, he'd gesture at her to take a seat by him if she would like.

Victim. Victim. Victim. Peyton chomps on her pizza and then grabs a beer. She looks towards Dodge, Hayley and Avery. Not yet. They are safe. Theo is a potential. If she's mean to Michael, he might not feed her. King? She's friends with Wes, so might have to give that a pass for now. Her eyes slide over Asher and then she moves to focus in on Danny. However, as the fates transpire, Theo invites her over.

There is a slow curl of her lips. EXXXCELLENT

She moves to drop down RIGHT beside Danny. "You know Theo, it is not nice to call a man dessert. It might be true, but really, more subtle." She winks towards both of them. "How have you both been?"

When Theo smiled, Asher made sure he at least got a wave about it. And once hugs have been delivered and the girls are getting cut-throat, Asher wanders back over dogwards, which is also towards Danny and Peyton, and Theo-wards as well. "Room for one more in the corner with the fluff-baby while the gamers do their things?"

"Theo's a li'l young for me," Danny retorts, with a curl of a grin that's positively vulpine in its slyness. No hint of a blush. He finishes devouring that first slice of pizza, wipes his hand carefully, and then reaches in for a couple pieces of chocolate. "All right. How 'bout yourself?"

Kiko's already unsubtly advancing on the prospect of a new lap to conquer, starting to creep over towards Theo. Her attempts at stealth are not effective, to say the least. "Sure," Dan says, "I'm here to, uh, critique their driving." He waves a hand lazily at the Mario Kart players.

Unaware of Peyton's machinations, King hovers by the number bowl, flicking in little pieces of paper with digits scrawled on in her slanted block print. She glances up to watch the disaster that is Mario Kart now and then.

Defeat! Agony! Dodge's strategy of all gas, no brakes has some shortcomings. She cuts corners and slams into bot opponents, and is basically an uncontrolled menace on the race course, causing havoc every time she gets within range of any other other racers... or course obstacles. The little dude in the cloud has to rescue her from certain doom multiple times. But at least she beats most of the bots.

"Looks like I will have to defend my honor another day," she sighs. "Today it is in tatters."

There is a dramatic sigh when Danny confirms that Theo is the kid in this situation, and a look of rolling eyes. Hard to say who he is rolling eyes at. Probably at both Peyton and Danny. He's distracted because the white furry ball is aiming for his lap. "Well, at least someone here likes me." He's crooning at the dog.

"Peyton, I just speak my mind. Besides, Danny already knows I have a crush on him." If he didn't, he knows now. "Sure!" He pipes up when Asher asks if she can sit with them. He then looks down and pulls out a gummy worm from the candy sack.

"Oi!" Hayley laughs when Avery beats her at the last second, gasping as she turns and looks at her, pointing two fingers at herself, then at Avery. "You and me, we're going to have a rematch of this someday. This is now a Rivalry, with a capital R, and you ain't safe from anything until I hit you with at least three turtle shells." And that's it for her being a sore loser, instead winking and lifting her controller and telling the hostess, "Really great game," as she stands and turns.

Dodge, well, Dodge gets a sympathetic hand on her shoulder and a squeeze, as Hayley reminds her, "I am never beating you in a photography contest, ever." Different strengths!

"Pizza," she announces to no one in particular, as she picks up her beer and starts to head that way, looking over options and getting three sizeable slices onto a paper plate that she supports from underneath.

Peyton is silent as if she's debating. Her lips curve up at Danny. "Oh, I don't know. What is the age difference? It would be a shame to miss out on his magic tricks. If you know, you know." Her eyes slide over towards Theo. "I think you are okayish." A slight smile to that before she looks up at Asher and flutters her lashes. "Of course you can sit with us." Ala Mean Girls. "However..." There is a sigh and a bit of a pout of her lower lip. "Do you have a secret to share? We are sharing secrets and Danny here was just about to tell us his." She takes a drink of her beer and looks towards Danny, lifting her brows up at him.

Avery drops the controller as she beats them both, "Yeah!" pumping her arms in the air, she's not the overtop winner at all... But she is.

To Hayley she says, "You gave me a fight for my life and I expect a rematch anytime, any day." Giving her a fist bump before pushing herself off the beanbag to allow someone else to take it.

Finally registering what other things were said seconds before the game she turns her head to Dodge, "I dig you current name, but give me time. I give people even with nicknames nicknames." laughing as she walks away toward the snack table, taking up a handful of cheetos from the bag and putting them on a plate, leaving her hand covered in orange dust that she is now searching a napkin for.

Asher has no idea what conversation they've walked in on, but. The dynamics between Theo, Peyton, and Danny are entirely and absolutely fascinating. They sit down, and offer more love to Kiko in the process. Their other hand gets a Swedish fish out of their bag and they nibble at the tail of it while trying to figure out what's going on at interplay between the driving critic, the young one with a crush, and with the blonde who is either enabling or pot stirring. Asher cannot tell which, but either way, they're impressed. This is a telenovela in all the best ways, and they and their candy are her for it. Well. Mostly they're here for Kiko, but, the trio of people surrounding fluff ball pupper time could absolutely be worse. But Peyton's Mean Girl callback gets a grin. "I'm glad it's only Tuesday. I don't own a single thing that's pink." As to secrets, though... Asher thinks. "Not really. I'm mostly an open book." Mostly.

Michael finds himself a seat not far from the game playing with his own slice of pizza, though he keeps the bag of candy within reach where King can share. He watches as the Mario Kart race is played, cheering on whoever happens to be in the lead at the time. And when Hayley wins he tells her, "Congrats!"

Then he calls out, "I'm up for next race if there's room." But first, he tries to finish up that slice of pizza so he can de-grease before playing.

Did Danny know that? Hard to tell - though there's the faintest lift of his usually heavy lids. He slants a look at Peyton, thoughtful, a little cynical. "Am I?" he wonders back at her, tone gone dry. "I think I'm a few drinks short of that part of the evenin'."

Kiko's decided that she's best served by going door to door for attention. Theo gets his share, then it's on to Asher, wearing her smile, wagging her tail, utterly confident of her welcome.

Hayley's victory earns her a mute thumbs up as Dan crams the last bit of his pizza crust in, before wiping his hands clean. "I'll race ya," he says to Michael.

King finishes up her offerings to the Bowl of Numbers and then makes her way over to drop into the seat nearby her shared stash of snacks, smoothly sliding the beer bottle out of her back pocket as she does so, lest carnage ensue. "Why does this remind me of the ski slopes..." she asks as someone spins out. She isn't familiar enough with the game to be able to tell who is who and what's what there.

Dodge winks at Avery and then leans over and nudges Hayley in the arm. "Okay, I need pizza, I need Rice Krispies, and then I need to do battle with a dog in Jenga," Dodge declares, setting down the controller and rising to her feet.

She spots the Bowl of Numbers and scribbles hers down, tossing it in the mix before she heads for the pizza, stopping along the way to tell Kiko, "You are the prettiest girl here."

"Thank you." Peyton offers to Dodge, even though she means the dog. "We just met, but that was good of you to notice." Peyton fluffs her hair. She's aware it was for the dog. She just doesn't care. "I'd play you Michael, but I'm afraid of no longer getting dinners when I win." She will lose. So much loss. Then her eyes refocus on the people (and puppy) with her. "How many more drinks do you need?" She hands over her beer towards Danny. Her eyes then move to Asher as they speak. "Mostly? What is the part that is left out of that?"

Hayley returns back to the scene of her crime, squinting at the screen as she sees Daisy in first place, and makes some connections. Pizza, and a rice krispy treat, and she is not really saying much because her mouth is full, thank you, and she's settling onto a chair near the Jenga to get a chance to eat. She still gives Avery another two-finger point, the symbol she has established means Rematch Needed, and she smirks at Dodge and the dog, nodding toward those who congratulated her as she swallows.

Settled in, she eyes the tower, full of suspicion as she watches the blocks.

Theo looks at Peyton. His own mood ring eyes looked at her different eyes, and then he laughed. "I think you are okayish too." He assures her. Mean Girls go over his head since he's the kid here or something. Chomping on more gummi candy.

Grinning at Dodge when she calls the dog the prettiest girl. "I agree!" He's just going to keep his mouth full for a few minutes. Chewing gummi is hard work after all.

Michael laughs when King comments about the ski slopes and says, "Kinda, yeah." Then he asks, "You gonna race?" When Danny says he'll race, Michael gives him a thumbs-up. Then he moves over to take a place at one of the TVs with the controllers so that he can get himself set up for the next race. Peyton gets a laugh. "Come on, see if you can do a repeat of the ski slopes. If you can take us all out a second time, I will make you dinner."

"Hi, baby girl!" Asher totally lets Kiko have full and free rein of their lap. They don't however let her have any of their candy. They heard Danny insist earlier on no people food. It's heart-breaking, but unlike Lucky and Winston, Asher doesn't think she'd win if she pushed with this one. So they just provide scritches and love, not treats. Hayley wins a round, and Asher calls out, "Wooooo! Go Bunny!" But when Peyton is asking about the 'mostly' Asher just gins up at them, "If I told you, they wouldn't be secrets." Dog Jenga is going to have to wait, because Asher has a lap full of Kiko and isn't giving that up without a fight. Then again... Dodge and Hayley would expect no less of them.

The others might have gone away to get snacks, but Avery falls back into a cushion as Michael comes up to take a controller. "You ready?" she smirks at him. Already moving her thumbs around to change out her character and car.

Shoulder bumping him, "You might have me this round, I don't know."

"No, thanks, I'm good," Danny says, as if Peyton's intent weren't clear. "More'n I'm willing to drink here tonight, let's just say," His tone's amiable, as he goes to sit cross-legged before the Mario Kart console, folding himself down a little gingerly.

Kiko's delighted to be distracted, sprawling on her back to offer a fuzzy belly and giving Asher a pointed look. "Oh, now you're stuck," Dan informs them. "She's the cuddliest dog I've ever met. Which is weird, 'cause Shibas are not known for it. I used to carry her around in my hoodie pocket when she was a pup and she loved it. You try anything like that with her brother and he'll carry on like you're tryin' to murder him."

King glances between Michael and Peyton and calls dryly, "This is how we all end up in the clinic later..." She doesn't actually sound averse, and goes right ahead and claims any unguarded pizza in range as her own. The black-haired paramedic is content to sip her beer, nom her slice, and watch the carnage unfold and grow, digital though it may be.

Theo starts hunting around for the chocolate he put in his bag. But it sounds like Mario Kart is about to begin again, and so his attention falls in that direction. He picks up his Coke to drink now and then.

"Doesn't he owe us both dinners?" Theo looks at Peyton. "Because of that whole animal escape?" Yes, he forgot the name of that animal. It was cute.

Dodge busies herself with the time-honored tradition of carb-loading, pizza folded down the middle the way God intended. She pads over to Hayley's side and smiles down at Kiko perched in Asher's lap. "Que preciosa," she purrs in between bites of that pizza, giving Danny a truncated wave with the hand of hers that is holding her beer.

Asher needs no pointed looks to be coaxed into rubbing Kiko's belly. They are beyond happy to oblige. "She's an absolute doll baby." Asher is fully smitten by the snow-white Shiba. Though, to be honest, Asher is usually thoroughly smitten by any and every dog that is ever in their line of sight. They finish their Swedish Fish and now have TWO hands with which to apply those belly rubs. But they grin at Dodge, "Please tell Koda this changes nothing. He's still amazing and perfect, too!"

Peyton pauses as Michael offers the ultimate Peyton motivation. "Be right back." She offers to the group. They are saved from her trying to start a shots game or something. For now. For Now.

She moves to launch herself over the couch. "I want Shy Guy in black clothing because I think he sounds like a cat when he makes his noises." She is hyper focused on this game. "Yes, Theo. He owes us dinner, so when I win he owes me two."

Michael returns Avery's nudge, shoulder to shoulder and grins over at her. "Maybe, maybe not. I've never actually played this game." Which doesn't mean that he can't figure it out, but he definitely isn't winning. He has enough trouble controlling his cart and figuring out what not to get hit by. He grins over at Danny and Peyton when they take up the other controllers and says "And they're off.." as he careens about. Yeah, that's not going to end well for him.

There needs to be cheerleading noise, and Theo is here for it. "Woooo hooooo! Let's goooooo teammmmm!" Yep, he's being obnoxious, but he did hear Peyton. "LUCKY." Theo likes food too. He has no idea how good of a cook Michael is, but he's willing to try it eventually. Currently, he has friends karting away, and he's interested.

Oh, she was not planning this well... Avery had thought it was just for Michael and her... but then more people came to pick up controllers. "Oh, uhhh..."....

The guys are all lined up, and she shoots off and fights for the fittest. "Are you kidding me? Another blue shell?!" she yells at the scream, not knowing where it came from.

Hayley smiles up at Dodge, swallowing her food and asking, "Has Koda met this one yet?" as she motions in Kiko's direction, a casual glance being thrown over to the Mario Kart but the attention being on the pizza. Which is disappearing from her plate at a rate that is probably not terribly wise, but she seems much more relaxed as she watches things play out.

"I think Koda understands," she informs Asher as she watches them petting the dog, who she clearly wants to pet so badly but potential tomato sauce hands plus white fur is a recipe for disaster that she's not about to trigger yet.

Then the frustrated voices come from those gaming, and her head turns back. "You've got this, Rival!" she calls out.

"I will convey your deepest admiration," Dodge assures Asher, finishing off her pizza and chasing it with beer. She nods at Hayley. "Koda met the whole pack on the beach, I have photos of them playing in the surf. It's adorable. I should get some of those pictures printed."

At 'another blue shell', Peyton pauses with the controller. Was that guilt? Surely not. Also, there may be more to come.

Dan grins at Dodge, before shooting another indulgent look at Asher. "She's got a flawless instinct for those who're willing to spoil her," he notes. "Little diva."

He chooses the cow, because why is there even a cow? "I haven't played it in years," he notes. This is backed up by his actions on the track. Which is simply heedless aggression, not much skill involved. "Yeah," he says, half-listening to the conversation behind him. "They were havin' a grand time."

Michael is a danger to himself and others on the road. One hopes he's way better at riding a horse than he is at driving a Mario Kart because he is just a mess. He careens this way and that, hits something that sends him spinning, probably crashes into someone else, and may even end up facing the wrong way at one point or another. It's tragic, really. Someone is going to be cooking again.

Avery falls back and awe's as she sees the players pass her by. "Ugh! I'm better than this!" she exclaims as she keeps pushing forward.

Asher laughs when Danny mentions Kiko can spot someone willing to spoil her. "Look." Asher is shameless when it comes to dogs. "The second you say it's ok, I'm hand-feeding her her weight in Swedish Fish. If she weren't a working girl, I might not even wait for the word, just for you to be looking the other way. But. She's a performer, so. I'll wait unless and until it is allowed." But when they learn there is a whole pack, and they all know Koda, too? They stare Dodge down, "I want a copy of those prints!" Then they stare at Hayley, "Make sure she makes me a copy of at least one of those prints!" They're even willing to bribe, "One hangover cure, on me, for a trade of dog prints for my apartment."

"You need to meet Joker." Theo grins at Asher. "He's the best." It seems Theo has a favorite of Danny's dogs. Slightly distracted as he tries to multitask. Eat candy, cheer, try to hold a conversation, repeat.

People are going to stop inviting Peyton places if they end up spinning out every time she shows up. There is a curve of her lips as she watches herself winning dinner. She's already trying to come up with what she's going to attempt to request. When Avery says she's better than this. Peyton nods once and deadpans, "So it seems."

"Oh, done, sold, I would have given them to you just for kicks," Dodge readily agrees with Asher, laughing brightly before calling in Danny's direction, "And I'll print some for you, too, Danny."

Watching the play going down, King finishes off her beer. She winces when Michael's avatar wipes out and says, "Suddenly glad you're mounted patrol and your vehicle has free will." There's a smile when she says that, and while her Mario Kartsaster roomie may not be able to look at her to see it, for fear of utterly wiping out during the race (again), it's certainly something that can be heard in the words she says. "Left! Your other left!" It's hard to say if she's still talking to Michael, or maybe Avery this time.

Avery looks over at King as she directs them back to her screen a moment later. "Oh fuck... I'm doomed." she murmurs as she looks at the screen.

Michael smirks over at King as the race comes to an end and he loses utterly and completely. He laughs, though, "Cornbread takes good care of me." He then congratulates Peyton and says, "Congrats. I owe Theo one dinner, and you two dinners." Yes, he'd forgotten about the capybara-escape dinner that he still owed them both, but now that he's reminded, he includes it in the tally. "Good race," he says to Avery and Danny with a laugh. "I'm not sure if I want to try Jenga against Kiko. There's only so much humiliation a man can take in one night."

"I thought I was," Danny says, a little blankly, before laughing. "Was better than that, I mean." Shaking his head, he yields his place to the next player.

He laughs at Asher. "Nah, no people food for her. Upsets her stomach and she'd be fat as a little piglet if I let her. Yeah, I got four more dogs. She's the smallest. Joker's a Malinois and Malinois are maniacs. Think a German Shepherd that does parkour and has a Border Collie's insane work ethic."

The offer of prints makes him beam. "Oh, sure," he says. "My family'd love 'em."

"Yay! Dinner!" This means Theo does not have to worry about making his dinner one day.

When the game seems to conclude, he applauds everyone. "That was fun to watch. Remind me, Peyton, to NOT play against you." He grins at her.

Avery throws up her hands and laughs. "omg" looking around. "This was the best. I've had so much fun. Take the controller from me." Passing it on to someone else to enjoy.

Stroling back to the pizza, she was going to eat her weight in it.

"What are we printing? Do I want one?" Peyton offers to the discussion around her but she's playing the game. As she wins, there is a large smile tossed to Michael. "We are going to be soooo good friends. You are going to be cooking me so much food." Then she glances towards King to sort of include her too, or rather not to exclude her.

Time for more pizza, as Kiko shows every sign of drifting off in Asher's lap. "Dodge there took some pictures of my pack playing with her dog. Real cute stuff - even if none of it ends up promo worthy, I'd sure love good pictures of 'em," he explains to Peyton, as he pours himself more coke.

Kiko starts to nod off pre-Jenga, and Asher just continues to gently rub the sweet baby's belly, more than happy to never ever ever move again as long as they have a lap full of sleeping, snuggling dog.