Drinking Party At 'Ferre's

[decipheredhieroglyphics]

Who: Combeferre, Courfeyrac, Bahorel, Bossuet - the Amis not lost in Africa (Joly, Jehan, you wanna come play too? -- no idea about Marius/Feuilly?)
Where: Combeferre's apartment.
Notes: Amis converge on 'Ferre's apartment for a night of drinking before they get serious about going after Enjolras and Grantaire who are currently, to their best knowledge, marooned somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Africa and very possibly in danger.

Status: ONGOING!

--


Combeferre had a little time before his friends came over, and decided to fill up the fridge a bit. He had been emptying it, part because he didn't want to leave anything perishable for when he was out of the country, and part from a lack of desire to trudge through the grocery store.

He picked up snacks and another six pack at the store, trusting that Bahorel and Courfeyrac at least would bulk up the booze supply, then, on the way back, stopped at the bookstore for some crash courses in Swahili. Maybe it wouldn't help, but it couldn't hurt -- better a chance of the locals speaking that than English or French, anyway.

Combeferre couldn't help worrying. Eight days now, with no word from Enjolras or Grantaire. He was still utterly and completely certain that Enjolras couldn't be dead, and he was less certain that Grantaire was stubbornly stuck to his side -- like, Courfeyrac had said, a barnacle. It was an apt description, anyway. He didn't expect, not really, that he and the others could just fly into Nigeria and take a powerboat down the river and find Enjolras and Grantaire huddled alone in a makeshift hut, ready and waiting to be rescued. No. If he knew Enjolras at all, his friends certainly weren't going to be waiting at the crash site--wherever it might be. He knew they'd have to find the crashed remains of the plane and ascertain a trail before they had any hope of finding Enjolras. And God knows how long that could take. Still, he wasn't despondent and he would hold out hope.

But what he shouldn't be doing, and he knew it, was worry himself to death. So he ruthlessly cleaned out the rest of the things in the living room. He piled the unsorted boxes in Enjolras' bedroom -- he considered it small payment for the worry and fuss his friend had been putting him through -- and tossed out all the old takeout remains from the past week. He figured it was clean enough for his friends, and loaded up the first Rosetta Stone disc while he waited for the others to arrive, or text him for directions.

Comments

[revolution_is_a_riot]

Bahorel took a few minutes to sift through his own stock of video games. Combeferre might have his own copies of Street Fighter, Marvel vs. Capcom, and the other big fighting game titles, but it never hurt to have extras along in case. If they weren't going to let him throw any real life punches, then he wanted to make sure he could throw some digital ones.

Gathering the beer, wine, and other assorted liquor that had survived the previous night's binging, he resolved that a detour (or two) to procure more spirits was in order.

"Let me know when you're ready." He called to Courfeyrac, heading out the door to put his load of bottles in the trunk of his car.

[courfeyraccat]

"I'm ready." Courfeyrac takes one final glance in the mirror to make sure he looks decent before grabbing his bag and heading out to meet Bahorel. True, they're only going to see Combeferre, and he'll likely be too drunk to care about his appearance in a few hours, but Combeferre deserves to have something nice to look at in the absence of Enjolras. "Do you know the way well enough, or do you want directions or just to carpool? Fair warning, I want to stop off somewhere and pick up a few things. Though you've got a nice collection started there. I think we should leave the 'Comrbrferrre' sign attached to the beers."

[revolution_is_a_riot]

"Just hop in, and tell me where to go. I was planning on making a shopping run anyway." Bahorel decided to ignore the comment about the sign. Some guys just didn't appreciate good handwriting. Hey, he was that drunk and Courfeyrac could still make out what all the letters were supposed to be.

"Anywhere else you need to stop, or were you just thinking about beer?"

[courfeyraccat]

"Given what you did last night and what we're planning to do tonight, you might want to be careful about putting that 'just' in front of 'beer'. But I was mainly thinking about snacks and drinks--there is more to alcohol than beer, you know. I want to get over to Combeferre's ASAP, though. I don't want him to get second thoughts about this." Courfeyrac smiles, following Bahorel to his car. "It's been too long since I've been drinking with him. I'm looking forward to it. At least as long as we all manage to be upbeat drunks."

[revolution_is_a_riot]

"Good sir, I am a famously upbeat drunk. Sometimes, I'm even a beat-up drunk." Bahorel laughed at his own joke, and pulled out onto the road.

A few short stops later, and they were pulling up into the parking lot of the old apartment building. Once out of the car, Bahorel loaded his arms up with their purchases, and nodded for Courfeyrac to lead the way.

[courfeyraccat]

Courfeyrac takes his share of the treats from the car, making sure to grab the beers with the sign attached to them, and leads the way to Combeferre's door. He knocks loudly. "Hey, Combeferre. Your distractions are here."

[decipheredhieroglyphics]

Combeferre pulled the door open. "Well, come in, then." He couldn't help grinning: ah, but it was good to have company.

"Good god, did you bring the entire liquor store with you?" He eyed the great amount of liquor in Bahorel's and Courfeyrac's arms with some dismay. "Are you sure we can drink all that?"

[courfeyraccat]

"We can certainly try. And one of the nice things about alcohol is it has a long shelf life, so what we don't get to can be part of the welcome-home party for Enjolras and Grantaire." Courfeyrac grins back at Combeferre, sidling into the room so that he can start setting things down. "I see that the boxes magically disappeared. We'll have plenty of room to get into trouble."

[revolution_is_a_riot]

"Yo."

Bahorel shouldered his way in after Courfeyrac, and deposited his arm-load of bottles and games on the floor, against one of the walls.

[decipheredhieroglyphics]

Combeferre closed the door behind them both, eyeing the things they brought with them.

"Good to see you again, Bahorel."

He picked up the bottles with his name written on them. "Do you know, I think I'm going to keep this little label. Each and every letter just screams how proud you were of managing that little feat. It almost spells my name, even."

Combeferre picked up some of the bottles and put them in the fridge. "Might as well keep them cold. It's a good thing I haven't bought food lately, because now my fridge is completely full of beer."

Coming back into the room, he answered Courfeyrac's question. "I put the unsorted boxes into Enjolras' room for now, the garbage into the garbage, and the rest is in my room."

[aneaglefarfromhisnest]

"Hello?" Bossuet called, knocking on the door with one hand and clutching the squirming white kitten with the other. He wasn't sure if Combeferre would like Nerium in his apartment, but if he didn't then it was a short enough walk back to his flat to drop the kit off. Over the past, hellish week, the little thing had grown terribly edgy and clingy, and Bossuet felt horribly guilty for leaving him alone too long. Even though he was a very poor substitute for Grantaire.

In all honesty, the silent waiting was getting to him, too. Lesgles dearly hoped that they would have a concrete plan in the morning. Until then, this would be a good night to get nicely drunk.

[courfeyraccat]

"Isn't the label awesome? Bahorel was so very proud of himself yesterday when he managed that." Courfeyrac grabs and opens a beer. "So, are we going to get right down to the drinking, or do we want to talk about important serious sober things first? Or should we wait until we're hung-over tomorrow for all that?"

A knock at the door sounds before Combeferre can answer.

[decipheredhieroglyphics]

"It's open," Combeferre called out. "Come in!"

[decipheredhieroglyphics]

Combeferre turned away from the group, calling towards the door, "It's open! Come in."

[revolution_is_a_riot]

"Lesgles!"

Bahorel gave his old friend a warm hug, careful not to crush the squirming kitten. "Glad you could join us!"

Turning back to the other two, he answered Courfeyrac's question with a question of his own. "Would sober discussion actually accomplish anything?"

[courfeyraccat]

"Not when there's a kitten here." Courfeyrac reaches for the cat that's squirming in Lesgle's hands. "I'm all for drinking tonight, planning tomorrow."

[decipheredhieroglyphics]

"I heartily agree," said Combeferre, unable to resist a grin at the wriggling kitten Bossuet brought with him. "Let's drink first. Tomorrow we likely won't want to drink again, which will give us plenty of time for serious planning."

[aneaglefarfromhisnest]

"Hush now, don't get fussy until after you are properly welcomed!" Bossuet whispered to Nerium as he entered the kitchen.

"Hello, everyone! Combeferre, Courfeyrac, good to see you again. And Bahorel, aren't you a sight for sore eyes! Feeling up to this, after your last epic night?"

It was good to see Bahorel again. Well, technically, for the first time in this life. And now Bossuet was far too tired to continue that train of thought.

"Combeferre, I hope you don't mind that a brought a visitor? I can drop him back off, but the poor boy misses his Capital R."

Holding out the cute white kitten like an offering, Bossuet offered up his own best puppy-dog eyes.

[revolution_is_a_riot]

"Speak for yourself, 'Ferre" Bahorel crossed over to the fridge and claimed a bottle. Taking a swig, and turning back around, he grinned to see the others standing together.
Like old times, indeed.
He felt his mind swim suddenly, as memories pushed their way to the fore, overlaying his vision with other (similar) faces. Steadying himself against the wall, he took another sip at his drink, letting the visions quietly play out. It was disorienting, yet comforting somehow.
And better yet, the arrival of Lesgles and his feline charge seemed to have distracted the other two from that damn misspelled bottle label.

[courfeyraccat]

Courfeyrac leans over to scratch the kitten under the chin. "Combeferre, just take a look at these eyes. You couldn't possibly want to send these eyes away."

Courfeyrac gives Combeferre his best impression of the kitten's imploring stare, though he's certain the kitten does a better job.

[revolution_is_a_riot]

"Quite well." Bahorel toasts Bossuet with his bottle, from his place by the wall. "Am I ever not up to a night out with you lot?"

[aneaglefarfromhisnest]

"We'll keep the computers away from you, promise!" Bossuet grinned.

"So, drinking tonight it is! Sounds good, I think we could all use the stress relief. Here Courfeyrac, take him and become his new favorite chew-toy."

He hands Nerium out to Courfeyrac.

[courfeyraccat]

"I don't know, if I asked you right after you got up this morning you probably would have bit my head off." Courfeyrac tried to disengage Nerium from Bossuet's hold.

[revolution_is_a_riot]

"Yeah. Hangover-me is a dick like that." Bahorel grinned. "Look forward to it again, tomorrow."

[decipheredhieroglyphics]

Combeferre pauses in pinning the label Bahorel had made onto a place of honour on the fridge, the better to enjoy it even long weeks from now, to scritch the kitten's ears. "Of course he can stay. There's no litterbox for him here, though -- just keep that in mind, eh?"

Combeferre opens a beer for himself. "Let's all get drunk in the livingroom. There's plenty of food, beer, and video games for us all -- and now, added to Bahorel and Courfeyrac and Lesgles, we have a cat to keep us all entertained."

It was hard to remember to be sad and fretful of Enjolras with all his friends (and an adorable little kitten) all around him.