14741/When in doubt. Just drink!

When in doubt. Just drink!
Date of Scene:	22 April 2023
Location:	Tabitha's Apt - College House
Synopsis:	Ali and Tabi get to work on a bender. The record industry should watch out!
Cast of Characters:	Tabitha Smith, Alison Blaire

---

Tabitha Smith has posed:
The thing that happened in Kansas was clearly a crappy mission. Tabitha's in her baby butch flannel and cutoffs look. Black and yellow flannel. Long enough her midriss is hidden, a sports bra binding her chest near flat while her clingy faded jeans are cut off at the tops of her thighs leaving legs bare. Old workboots, an XAVIER's baseball cap worn backwards and her usual yellow tinted cat eyes cement the epitomy of dressing.

Late night past curfew. She currently seems to be trying to carry a case of beer across from the mansion to the student dorm after hours, the blonde singing very loudly and off key. Luckily it's one of Lila's songs so Alison will never have to hear her own work being tortured. But still.

God she's singing terribly. And wobbling on her feet. she may have already been drinking. Now she just gotta go do it where she can't destroy much.

Alison Blaire has posed:
As if drawn to the second best Mutant singer, Alison was out for a walk herself. In her usual Mansion attire, a pair of black yoga pants clinging to her thighs and hips then loosening out around her ankles over sandles. The hoodie she's wearing is cut off just beneath her breast, scandalously high actually, high enough that if she lifts her arms above her head the pink bra beneath is visible. And her hair is up in a messy ponytail with a few tresses of curling bangs dangling across her forehead and cheeks.

Either a cigarette or a joint is smoldering between her fingers as she walks. Heading in vaguely the same place as Tabitha, but from another direction that will put her on an intercept course.

The announcement of her arrival is a sharp wolf whistle in the blondes direction. Playful, grinning, "Hey pretty lady. You need some help with those cases?" She asks, taking a drag from her joint. Because weed is legal in New York and she's a god damn adult.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
The drunk blonde peeks around when she hears the wolf whistle. Drunk enough the telepathy is nice and beaten down, the exploder in the awful flannel sees the offerer of help and grins. "Oh good damn yes. I need doors open. Other things open later too but whether that's a good idea I dunno." she grins.

Tabby totally letting the compliments do their thing. To be fair, she'd have let Monet who was on sight, or Emma probably run her down over the fashion choices but when you get lucky and have a friend propping you up that is way more therapuetic.

The weed smoke is inhaled via sniffing and she grins.

Unmade up face flushed, turning freckled cheeks bright red. "C'mon, I probably need somone saner than me during a bender. If I drink alone I'm just gonna end up doing something I don't want and probably involved existentiality!"

Alison Blaire has posed:
Ali has taken a much darker path of late, but she's not a monster. Whether Tabitha realizes it, since it's unlikely Dazzler will ever say it, she's absolutely Allison's best friend. So, seeing the troubled expression on the other blondes face? Her own shadows a little. Not quite abreast of all the goings on in Kansas, or any mission for that matter.

She reaches out with the joint and puts it between Tabby's lips for a drag, then motions ahead where she'll trail forward to get the doors open for her blonde friend. Nobody, not a soul, is allowed to insult Ali's mode of dress. Even when she looks like a big dumpy pot head, they can get bent. Woe be unto anyone who tried to dress Tabby down in front of her, too.

"Ah, yes... the classic 'mistakes were made' scenario. Come, my pretty friend, let's drink away our problems as our ancestors did." Pushing open the doors after stubbing out her joint... at least until they get into Tab's apartment. There's probably SOMEONE here who's mutant power is being allergic to weed.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Sometimes friends need friends. And for someone with her own loner tendencies. All but admitting it is probably a huge leap forward for Tabitha. The joint is hit, puff, hold, exhale, repeat and allow Alison to reclaim it in the rotation. As is tradition.

The cases are clinking and jostling as they head up stairs and finally make it in. Ali's been on the free access list for a while so the door doesn't have to worry about staying locked.

"Oh it's more preventing mistakes from like being made and shit. I'm half tempted to dump the payload of trauma on Jean or Emma and watch them like run! I think Lorna's out drinking somewhere as well. Alex, Sam, and Monet are probably doing their own thing too." she guesses. Tabby might have wandered off an started her bender before snagging the green haired woman.

Once in the apartment, Tabby sets the cases down on her table and starts the job of putting things in the fridge. At least as much as she can have room. Already chilled beers gotten out and popped open with a tilt of the beltbuckle keeping ratty denim shorts on hips. A little extra foam on the hard floor ignored.

She can mop later, for now. She and Ali have drinking.

"So, enough of my bullshit. How's yours going? So much crap when you just wanna create in your own time!"

Alison Blaire has posed:
Ali is no stranger to the dorms and heads up the stairs with realtive ease. This is how she keeps that big butt, by the way. Stair lunges. It's a good work out. Two or three at a time, wait on the landing for Tabby. Two or three at a time.

Until they're in the other blondes apartment. She slides one of the boxes off the top and sets it down beside the fridge to kneel and help her friend put away beer. Moving less important items out of the way. Food? Get outta heah.. There's beer. One which Ali claims, hooks the edge of the cap on the counter, and slaps with her palm.

She brings it up quickly to capture the foam and guzzles a few long drinks to balance out the bottle. Then and only then is she open to discussing her bullshit. "Uhh..." Eyes roll upwards, squinting, "Same shit different night, ya know?" She says, dropping into a seat with her legs extending out and crossing.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha while not as curved on the lower half as her friend, still has plenty of shape. She just has that underrfed look punctuated by way too much time in the gym since she stopped having a boyfriend with super strength and speed to spot her.

The couch is where Tabby leads Ali. Butts land comfortably. The ex-boyfriend was in mind when they got some really sturdy furniture. Since then it's entertained Ali and a bunch of their friends.

"I still think you're copping worse shit from execs and haters and all that crap. I get lucky and only have to deal with mindlinking my own clones and making them kill themselves while linked so the booms go off." she actually does seem to think fame and executive bullshit might actually be worse than fighting for mutant survival. "At least I can go upside a Marauder's head and take it off and not get arrested. Ugh. I can't beleive I said that. Think I'm getting waaaaay to comfy with killing. That sucks!"

Alison Blaire has posed:
One of Ali's legs hoists and dangles across Tabby's, laying back into the cushion with her arms pillowing back behind her neck with a grin. She takes a sip of her beer and sets it down on a table, then gets comfortable.

"I don't know, it's... I signed up for it? Like, I could get bent out of shape about all the execs and online haters, and sometimes I do, but really it's a small price to pay for what I /do/. I've really tried to reevaluate my priorities." Perhaps spending more time at the Hellfire Club is having a positive effect?

With a glance to Tabby, she reaches over and lays her hand on the other blonde's shoulder. Jostling and squeezing reassuringly, "On the plus side? They're pieces of shit, so.. nobody will miss them." Or maybe not.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
The tangle of legs has Tabby being comfy as she wraps an around Alison. Cheek on blonde ponytailed head and the girl sipping her beer with free hand, stashing it between cushions so it doesn't spill or end up out of reach breaking the snuggle.

With people like Sue Storm keeping the club in check, tabitha had heard it was actually pretty fun. Not that she can afford a member ship on her own. But she has friends.

There's a grin. "Well, there is like the whole self publishing thing. You could break contract, drop everything you can onto spotify and other digital platforms. Reduce middle men as much as possible. More time for making and performing your jams. And free time after!" she says and gives a knowing wink.

Alison Blaire has posed:
"The problem with breaking my contract is I lose the rights to all of my masters." Alison points out with a sigh, "Right now, I retain partial ownership so long as I remain on the label. I can collect royalties when they're used in movies.. but if I leave the label?" She shrugs and sighs, flicking her wrist indifferently.

"It is what it is, of course. I can always write more music, but a huge chunk of my revenue comes from my songs being used in other media. It's not really a sellers market. Nobody buys albums, not with spotify." Which, to be fair, it's not all about the money.

"I've been in talks with lawyers though. The Club has plenty of them, so if something can be done to get me out of my contract without losing my body of work? Rest assured it will be."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
The legaliese does kind of make Tabitha drift a littlle. "Like yeah. If you can't use your old shit. It kinda make sit hard to draw fans who've been with you from the start. The ones that like only wanna hear the classics." she says and hmmms.

"Well you've got merch and stuf as well right? That tee with your logo I never wear any more cause seriously, feels kinda weird. You gotta have somewhere were people like love ya but aren't gonna fangirl. You can still hear the squees on occasion from the new kids. But we get them out of it!"

Tabby's grin wide and she adds one armed hugs and squeezes.

"Just gotta be like seeing how long the contract lasts?"

Alison Blaire has posed:
"Ahh, yes..." Ali raises a finger and points to Tabby, "The label owns all the merch too... and most of my distribution deals.. honestly, signing a contract was a great idea when I started, but now that I'm old enough to do it on my own, it kind of handicapped me." She doesn't seem all that shaken up, but she wears those things internal rather than on her sleeve.

A grin on her face, she squeezes Tabby and kisses the blondes forehead. "I don't mind them squealing.. I try to still be good to fans. Even if sometimes I just want to be Ali' from the block." Coining an old Jenifer Lopez song. She winks and leans closer.

"You know, you've done pretty good distracting me from listening to your problems... I really have to commend you."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
There's a possibility that Lopez song might be older than Tabitha. Someone will have to google that. "Ali got way better cake than Jenny. And better hair than Becky." she points out sagaciously. More beer is worked on.

"I am still claiming to be one hundred percent 'That Bitch'." she'll totally swipe from another song.

"Hey, if anyone knows how to engineer a distraction, it's me. And we all got our shit to work though. No good bottling that shit. That's how blondes end up dabbling in homeless activities she doesn't need to do any more cause she has a home and people she trusts to do the funner things!" she points out.

Punctuated by extra hugs involving one non beer holding arm, and tangled legs.

Alison Blaire has posed:
"Oh yes... I also just took a De en Ay test and it turns out..." Ali double points at Tabby, squeezing her shoulder and leaning in to lay the side of her head against the top of her friends. Her leg scoots up, sliding beneath one of the other blondes and she shifts so's slipping against her back to wrap her arms around her abdomen.

"Cuddle mode, engage." She muses teasingly.

"Tabby, I don't tell you... ever.. I know.. but I love you." She kisses the back of her head, "You go out of your way for people and ... don't for yourself." Stroking hair back behind her ear. "So if you ever need anything, no matter what it is, I got you. I'm your Doc Holiday."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
It's a fine tangle of blonde women and Tabby is giggling. "I've probably got some references from all that eighties hair bands. But I know they're in there. I just can't remember them." they'll probably surface eventually.

"Hey, love ya too alison! I mean as best friend with the most awesome benefits package either. I'm a shitty girlfriend but I think I figured out where I'm best suited in the average relation ship around here." she returns and snuggles.

"So much ride or die!" she states and giggles. The kiss gets mmms and Tabby being very relaxed. "I'll be your huckleberry! And don't you forgeeet eeet!" she says and gets her references all twisted up again as the women hunker in for much more drinking, smoking and probably finding other things to consider violence upon.