Forums » General Roleplay » Summer Soiree: Pool Party (Closed)

It was a gloriously sunny day in Los Angeles, the weather the perfect mix of summer while not being too stifling hot.

The establishment that Lian worked at, The Red Rabbit, tended to do a lot of events for the public to join in and participate in. Despite it being considered a luxury location, tickets to these events were sold at a reasonable price with all the money from sales going towards one of the various charities that the owners of the establishment liked to donate to. Word of the event spread through social media, online advertising, and word of mouth. The theme for this event was called the Floatopia Pool Party where the large rooftop infinity pool would be packed with pool floats of various shapes and sizes for people to enjoy. Due to various laws and licenses, unfortunately the event would only be available to people 21 years in age or older.

Various grilled foods were available to guest at the buffet area set up close to the rooftop deck's bar, free since that was included in the price of the admission ticket. Some drinks were also free, but other cocktails or drinks were available for purchase with all proceeds, and tips, going towards the charity that admission costs were being donated to. Several staffers were on hand, aside from the cooks and bartenders, to ensure that things would go relatively smoothly and to ensure that people who took a dip into the pools were given towels after getting out of the water because despite it being a free event, service and the business' reputation was everything.

Music was pumped in through speakers around the rooftop, the DJ playing a mix of upbeat songs to get people dancing if they didn't feel like getting into the pool. Lian, despite her strong desire to get into the pool herself, was dressed in a cute, summery dress. It was something that made her blend in with the crowd, only a little access card attached to something around her wrist being an indication that she was actually staff. Her job was, as it always has been, was to ensure that people were having fun...and if they weren't, she would make sure they were somehow.

(( Restrictions/Notes: As the title indicates, this is for a modern/urban fantasy setting. Supernatural creatures are absolutely a-okay! No other restrictions at this moment. Just have your character show up and Lian will find them. ))

It was hard to say no to a party like what the Red Rabbit tended to toss together. Having grown up around many of them in her own right it always astonished Aimee how somehow they were able to do so much in such short order, but hey, she wasn't complaining. Each time a TRR post showed up on her feed she was always there to like, sometimes even comment, but mostly, she was always too busy to actually come. That is, until today. Of course, her going meant bring along Amell, because to quote Grandmother, 'a good girl doesn't go without a chaperone.' So along came her older brother to whom Aimee believed would do his best to ruin her fun while having as much he could for himself. Still, it was hard to ruin a Red Rabbit event.

Aimee dressed in a long cream colored sundress, the soft stonewashed cotton covered over in silky embroidery and pastel painted flowers, long hair pinned up and away from her neck in a large messy bun which seemed to glow white gold in the lovely California sun. Amell opting to dress in a pair of white linen shorts and crisp Havana shirt, topped in the traditional yellow-white hat with a stark black brim. To be petty he had worn the same Saltwater sandals as his sister, hers in white and his in black, unisex sure, but it nonetheless was a jab that had missed it's mark to get under her skin.

"Look at that!" Aimee crooned, her hands coming together, cellphone be darned as it muffled the sound of hands clapping and it was all too soon used to snap photo after photo of a particularly green and inviting pool float shaped like a dragon. "It is a dragon on it's treasure."

Amell snorted out a laugh, "And I suppose the swan is also guarding it's hoard?" The tone was derisive, as he would have rather have gone to the party and been allowed to do as he wished, but all the same, who wouldn't be impressed with the sheer number of floats in the infinity pool. "Come, let's get a drink." They were free after all.

Truth be told, summer was one of those times where you could realistically wear swim shorts as legitimate pants and no one would blink twice. So why would Matt spend his time in anything else? Hearing about the pool event gave him the perfect excuse to bust out his obnoxiously neon green swim trunks and a loose t-shirt and off he went. The heat didn't seem to concern him too much and once he was surrounded by people, it wouldn't matter. Crowds gave him life.

He approached the Red Rabbit, showed his ID and pressed his way onward to the rooftop pool where he couldn't help the grin that spread across his lips at the sight of all the floats. Oh, he was going to be lazy today. The demon had to be grateful his phone was water-proof because once he got in, Matt wasn't going to exit until his stomach told him it was time to. Despite the presence of other people - who he'd definitely get around to greeting once he commandeered a float, he was too social not to - he found himself picking a float shaped like a slice of pepperoni pizza and he was smitten instantly. Matt slunk into the pool and clambered onto it, wiggling around as he got balanced before he gave it a small pat. Good float. Now how to steer this thing in the direction of some people... nothing better than a giant pizza to get the conversation started.

Hanley showed up to The Red Rabbit in full gear. It was *battle time*. She wore her brightly-colored practical swimsuit, with the mesh and the ribbed curvatures on the ribs, and the sleek material, and the quick drying function... She had brought her bag with smaller entertainment items, and various devices, and her phone. Also a really cool kind of candy that changed colors and flavors and was on a stick, not that she thought the desserts would be boring. She just wanted to have the maximum amount of fun possible without being the center of attention. Which wouldn't be too hard- there were sure to be a wild variety of different people here. She was ready to dive in and swim, grab a cold drink, and enjoy the sun and company. She knew it would be a good bash, and she was glad her friend the Admiral had gotten her an invitation. He did owe her, but not so much any more, she supposed, checking her back one last time. Slinging her towel about her shoulders, she walked through the gate, wondering if they'd allow any photos. She'd love to get a picture of their lawn art.
Hanley clipped her hair back. She stretched, cracked her back, and looked around for the bag check, as she drew in a great big breath of party-food-scented air. Mmm, she hoped this would be a good party. Summer was really getting going.

Lian was at the bar and despite not being in staff uniform, no one who came to a Red Rabbit party that was strictly a guest would be garnishing biodegradable plant based plastic cups with paper straws that had colorful paper umbrellas and fruit slices. It took a few moments before the tray was complete and she gave a smile to one of the tenders as she took hold of the sturdy plastic tray in both of her hands. The cups didn't seem to be too heavy or clumsy for her to balance. After a few steps away from the bar area, dark eyes saw Aimee and Amell, which made her course of direction shift to intercept them before they got too far from the pool.

"Hiiii," she said with a large smile on her face. It was obvious that she was excited, by them or the event, it was difficult to determine. "You two look so cutes! So nice. So summer! Would either of you like a drink to start with? The ones with strawberries are a frozen strawberry lemonade blend with vodka. Aaand the ones with an orange is an orange cream slushie type thing with vanilla vodka. Aaaand the blue with a cherry is like a fruit punch with a mix of alcohol. Aaaall sweet and delicious! But if you want none of them, then you can go to the bar and get something else. You pick, you pick, you can pick. First time here? Returning customer? Are you going to swim or float too? I want to know your plans!"

It was hard not to notice someone paddling around in the pool on the pizza slice float, especially when they wore such bright colored shorts. Lian gasped sharply before crooning out, "Maaaaatt." Still holding the plastic tray with drinks towards Aimee and Amell so they could mull over their choices, "You're pizza topping and look so cutes too! Swims this way so that I can give you a drink. You want a drink, yes? Yes, the Matt wants a drink too. I can see and am happy to give!" With her hands busy balancing a tray, she gestured with a foot and pointed toes, as if she could hook onto his pizza slice and pull him to her.

Her attention shifted towards Hanley as she walked past, "Oh hi! Your swimsuit is cutes. I like the colors. If you want to put your bag somewhere safe, you can put it there..." Carefully, she gestured with her chin towards an awning that served as a coat/bag check for people who didn't want to worry about things accidentally falling into the pool. "Or you can keeps with you when you claim where you want to sits. On a reclining chair in the sun, under a cabana in the shades...you pick. You want a drink too? They are sweets and delicious!"

It wasn’t so much that Aimee was surprised the cheerful woman popped up out of nowhere to offer a cornucopia of delightful frozen drinks, it was just that Aimee was surprise the beautiful woman popped up out of nowhere to offer a cornucopia of delightful frozen drinks. She really needed to pay more attention but there was so much to look at and despite the summery relaxed mood to the rooftop party, it always felt like there was never enough time. Amell flashed blue eyes to his sister and grinned picking up two drinks and shoving whatever random one happened to be in his left hand to Aimee after taking a sip of it. Tasting deliciously of blue.

“She can never decide anything when given an option.” He teased, his tone light and flirty as he took a sip of his own orange drink, the woman was far too gorgeous to not pay attention to and while it was obvious she worked at the Red Rabbit, he had no qualms about being obnoxious.

“Thank you!!! Oh my gods, I love your dress toooo!!!” Aimee sang with an energetic smile, talking over her brother. Perhaps the words were a little too loud, but they were no less sincere as she seemed to feed off the energy of the dark haired fae. She drank deeply of her cup and couldn’t contain a sound of delight. “Wow, that’s so blue!” And that was it, her mouth was off to the races to try to out talk the friendly host. “This is our first time here, I keep meaning to come to a Red Rabbit event but I am always too busy or too far away but we happened to be in town and didn’t have any plans and it was simply kismet! I plan to swim, but Amell here sinks like a rock every time he gets into water, I swear my brother is one with the bottom of a river.” Perhaps it was an exaggeration, but not by far as Amell really did do his best to avoid the deep end, though it didn’t stop the man from raising a brow Aimee’s way.

“Oh, look who's talking ‘my hair can’t get wet in the rain,’” he laughed and looked towards the Pizza drifting their way with a grin. “Oh my, that looks delicious.” The words said with an elbow Lian’s way only just enough to lightly brush her own.

“Oh hey! That’s a-dorable!!!! Mister, can I take a picture of you on your pizza, please!!?” Aimee asked the Pizza topping man, cell phone in one hand and already raised to take the picture. “Please, please, please, please, pleeeease!!!” It was only fitting as she had one of the swan, one of the dragon, and planned to take one of a large banana that was bobbing near the edge of the pool before she hoped to jump in and leave Amell to his own devices.

While Aimee literally begged to take a picture of the demon in the pool, Amell turned to Hanely as she was addressed by Lian and smiled her way, “I recommend trying the orange drink, it’s pretty good.”

The demon was more than pleased right now, his acquisition of the pizza slice pretty much the best part of today as he floated freely in the pool. He hummed as he heard his name and then paused for a second. Wait, his name? Who knew his name here? Matt swiveled his head, shoving hair out of his face - he really need a trim - before he spotted Lian. Matt's grin was wide, "Hey there, LiLi." Memory flashed to the last time he had seen the woman and he wanted to give a laugh. She'd helped more than she realized.

"Yeah! Yeah, I'll take a drink, let me just..." He squirmed around a bit, intent on paddling his float towards the woman and grabbing one of those drinks. Hopefully he could accomplish all of that without spilling a drop or falling into the water. Matt could swim but it'd be a shame to lose out on a free drink due to clumsiness.

Of course, bringing his float closer meant that he was also near enough to Aimee and Amell to acknowledge them as well. Easy smile on his lips that only grew at Aimee's excitement over his float. "Picture? Of course! Want me to pose?" It was asked with quite the teasing tone, several exaggerated poses given so that she could take her shots before he settled down. "I know, the pizza's just got that appeal, I'm humble enough to admit that I'm nowhere near its level." Humble wasn't exactly something that could be used on Matt but pretending was fun.

As Amell recommended the orange drink to Hanley, Matt pointed at Lian's tray, "I'll take an orange one too then." He glanced over to Hanley, "Solidarity and all that. Welcome to the party." No one at all could say that Matt wasn't enjoying himself.

Hanley smiled at the woman- Lian, wasn't it? -and thanked her. "I love your dress, too! It's really pretty. Uh, this looks like a great party!"
She turned toward the pool, and looked at the bag check, before turning back to the partygoers she'd encountered. "Hello!" the captain beamed at the first two guests and added a "Thank you!" to the one who had suggested a drink, before bowing to the lovely professional.
"I would like to try the orange one," she admitted, taking one from Lian. "Oh my divine, literally everything here is gorgeous. Is that a- is that a pizza?" Hanley gasped, waved to the handsome young man at the pool, and cheered him with her drink. "Hey, thanks," she said. "Have you been here before?" Everyone she'd seen yet looked so comfortable. In their element. It was magical. Well, she might as well get to it!
She smiled at Lian, and enthused "The drink is so good! Thank you! The strawberry ones are so cute but I love orange."

She eyed up the pool toys. There was a dinosaur that looked promising. Fluorescent. Tail gleaming. Head high. Center filled with tiny glittering clovers and mandalas. Hanley nodded to herself, saluted her newfound acquaintances, and went to set her bag in the check.
"Hey- I didn't get your name," She said apologetically to the blonde lady, on her way back. "Thanks for the suggestion, I'm not really used to casual parties. You can come hang out with me in the pool if you want, though, I'd be happy to chat!"
Ah, summer. What a season. The people, the places. The things.

That dinosaur, though. It looked *awesome*. She knew which one she was going for! And golly gee, was that drink good! She took another sip.

Umar Abbzan had been staying at The Red Rabbit for two days now. He flew in town from the small Arabic nation he was born and raised in. There was a business convention in town and he figured he’d stay in as luxurious and exciting a place as possible. His background was shady to some, being born of the former ruler and dictator of his homeland.

His teenage years brought war and saw his father violently taken out of power. There are memories he wants to forget. A place like this one makes it easier for him. Mirrored sunglasses help him hide his eyes. Rich tan skin soaks up the sunlight, showing the military officer’s strong physique.

He has spent much of early party circling the environment, saying hello to a few people and having a laugh. Umar was floating near the edge when he noticed a worker with a tray of drinks. He tossed his arms over the side, laying on his back, until he drifted closer to the edge.

Umar saw a picture was about to be taken. He twisted his arms awkwardly, tilted his head and stuck out his tongue. In the process, he successfully photobombed their effort. Bright neon green shorts matched a little bit of trim on the retro cartoon rocket-ship float he laid back on.

“Habibti, habibti... One drink for me, yes? Blue, no?” He sat up on the float and twisted so he leaned against the edge. Although he was Middle Eastern, he followed no religion. This meant he wasn’t forbidden to drink alcohol. His accent was heavy, especially on any ‘r’ he said.

The fae canted her head slightly as she look at Amell took two of the drinks and handed one to Aimee before explaining why he chose for her. It seemed like less fun, having a choice taken away and having a choice of a fruity fun drink made for you without much thought or consideration. Lian wanted to say something biting, there was glimmer of a look in her eye, but instead as Aimee piped up instead and talked over her brother, an all too wide and happy smile blossomed on her face, a picture of perfect customer service. It also helped that there were compliments. She didn't like to say she was a vain creature, but she was. And Hanley's additional compliments made her seem to puff up slightly, a tremble going through her body as if she were a bird ruffling its feathers. "Soooo nice, sooo kind," she sang softly.

"First time?" she gasped when the blonde admitted that the opportunity to arrive or enjoy never came up before. To the jokes, she smiled and laugh, even if she didn't fully understand what was said. Sibling rivalry was something that was a lost concept to her. Feeling the elbow on her own, even with the light brush, she looked to Amell and laughed again. "Since she doesn't get to chose, maybe next time, I will decide for you?" she posed with a bit of a laugh, being just as light and flirty as he was earlier. Sure, she could've been referring to the drinks they were talking about earlier, especially given that she was handing them out at the moment, but perhaps there was more meaning behind what she said in such an open manner.

When Matt floated closer, even as Aimee asked him to take a picture, Lian bent down at the waist with all the grace someone should not really have. There was something about her movements that seemed more flowing, like water being poured from one container to another, shifting and moving with a slipping grace and power. It seemed like she should have knocked over the tray of drinks, especially since she was leaning down to hand an orange one directly to the the pizza topping's hand. Yet the way she held the tray balanced, even so that Hanley would have no issues taking one for herself, she made it seem as if she had been doing this for hundreds of years. She made a few 'ooope' noises to ensure that Matt got the drink and wouldn't lose it to the pool before she let it go. "Yes, take a picture! And yes pose!" she cheerfully crowed, giggling wildly. "I will help!"

How she would help would honestly be a mystery, until her bare foot extended and came to rest on the corner of the floaty pizza's crust. It sort of steadied the thing so that Matt could shift around and pose if he wanted to, not having to worry about using a hand to steer himself while the other held onto the drink. But there was a wild giggling that came from her suddenly, her leg bouncing up and down for a moment to jostle the float - hard enough to threaten sending him into the waters, but not enough to actual do so. "Rough tiiiiiides, big waaaves, be caaareful," she teased with that melodic crooning of her voice, her eyes closing halfway as if she were savoring something.

As Hanely complimented the drink, she smiled, "I'm glad you enjoy the drink! It's nice and sweet and orange and yum. I'm glad you picked the one you love, but there is more time and more drinks and you can enjoy more if you wants, get different flavors if it pleases." Dark eyes watched as the woman saluted and then moved off to check her bag, a giggling leaving her before she bounced her leg a few more times to lightly jostle Matt.

"Blurry pictures, blurry pictures. Action shoooots!" she crooned in lilting tones, unable to help the smiles and giggles, though it grew a touch more wild with the photo bomb that took place. Her gaze flicked to Aimee, not really seeming at all apologetic for making a good picture a touch more hard to get. And while it was always fun for her to tend to customers, it was more fun when she actually knew them. "Alone?" she asked Matt, her eyes flicking around to the other floats to see if there was a companion and when she visually confirmed that who she was looking for wasn't there, she looked back to him and grinned. "The LiLi will make sure that you are not lonely. Aloooone, but not lonely. New friends, new friends, new friends." She stuck out her chin and moved it around, trying to indicate that everyone here at the party was now a new friend. Looking to Hanley, she added, "Don't be shy, go in, pick a plastic pal and have fun fun fun funnnnn."

There was a noise from her, a small whoops, as Umar called her over for a drink. She smiled at Matt and giggled as she lifted her foot off his float, "You're freeeee!" There were a few small and graceful steps that brought her over to the man on the rocket ship as she came to squat down by the edge. The tray with the few remaining drinks moved with her, balanced all too well in her hands before she rested it upon her lap. "A bluuuuuue one, no?" she said with a canting of her head. "Does this mean...you want the pink one? Or the orange one?" She smiled and giggled at him, knowing what he meant, but having to tease. A hand picked out one of the blue drinks and held it out towards the man, "Having funs floating, floating on water like a bug on a leaf? Not too noisy or too lonely?"

“Yep, first time, but hopefully not the last.” Aimee said cheerily, taking another drink of her blue before her attention turned to Matt, though not all of it. She was no stranger to the beauty in the supernatural but all the same like watching a crane dance for the first or the hundredth time seeing the majesty that flowed from what was clearly not a human creature would always be attention grabbing elegant. And Lian was surely a beauty.

“Oh of course not!” Aimee said with a bright smile as she finished snapping far too many pictures of the pizza topping, “You are on top of it, how could you be on the same level.” She laughed and continued taking pictures, turning her phone to catch more of the photo bomber and make sure he was part of the shot on purpose. Even Lian’s rough waters didn’t deter her spirits as her phone camera was the reason for its high price tag and did a good deal to make up for her own lack of skill or ‘steady hand.’ Soon she shoved her phone at Amell who was thankfully deft enough to not let it fall and instead slipped it easily into his pocket. “What are you g--” While he was going to ask Aimee what exactly it was she was doing, he got his answer as she stripped off her sundress to show the fluorescent turquoise bathing suit beneath. A high necked one piece that tied at her neck and dipped down to show her back to her waist, by all rights the least modest things she was allowed to get away with.

“Oh, My name is Aimee,” She said with a bright smile and a giggle, “And that linen wrapped weirdo is my brother Amell What was your name?.” Her words solicited a raised eyebrow from the man but he just laughed and drank more of his orange beverage as she paused to hear the lovely girl's name before crowing, “I’ll meet you in there!”

With those words Aimee tossed her dress and cup onto the closest unoccupied lounge chair and took a leap into the pool. Tucking up into a tight ball, the woman wanted to think she would make a cartoonishly extravagant splash to soak the whole party, instead of the inconvenient sprinkle that hardly made it to the closest edge of the pool. As her head slipped under, her world changed as it always did. The rushing sound of water muffling the sounds of the music to all but the bass, the tiny pops of bubbles against her skin somehow always heard in a subdermal way as they danced and licked and fought for the surface of the cooling water. Cheeks puffed with air, the blonde stayed under to enjoy the freshness of the pool the best she could, who didn’t like swimming?

“A pleasure to meet you,” Amell said with a smile, sticking his hand out to shake Hanley’s. “Don’t worry, casual parties are far more fun than stuffy uptight ones. I’m sure you’ll get used to it in no time.”

Matt heard a call from Hanley and patted his float with a smile, still cautious not to rock it too much. "Yeah it is. Pepperoni I think. Pepperoni and Matt pizza." Lian's help in keeping him steady during the posing meant that even when Umar came around to photobomb, the pictures wouldn't be ruined by him wobbling around. Demon lit up at Umar, giving him a thumbs up at him also having neon swim trunks. "We're neon friends!" Once the pictures were done, however, and Lian started to jostle his float, thighs gripped it tightly and he held up a finger as he downed his drink all in one go. The best way to prevent your drink from toppling into the waters and losing it is to make sure there's no drink to lose in the first place. He was doing a pretty good job so far in making sure he didn't end up flopping back into the pool though his luck would only last so long. Cup was passed back to Lian before she could wander too far away, he'd most likely have more to drink when he was done enjoying his time in the pool.

Question as to whether he was here alone had him bobbing his head in a nod, "For now, yeah. Who knows about later, maybe I'll convince him to swing by. But you know I always welcome new friends." He was practically crooning that at Lian, always grateful to the random acquaintance that got him back on track. Everyone here was a potential new friend for Matt, who was a social butterfly in all the right ways for all the wrong reasons. Though those reasons were few as of late, he was being good. He was shocked too. Matt tugged his shirt off finally, aiming at an empty chair and flinging the shirt, pumping both fists in the air when it landed perfectly. Beautiful.

He was about to mention something to Aimee about sending him at least one of those pictures so he could forward it but she was diving into the water. Thankfully, it wasn't too big a splash and he wasn't caught in the crossfire but that didn't stop him from turning his pizza slice with a few quick moves and waited for her to resurface. No doubt that the minute her head popped above water, he'd playfully launch a few splashes in her direction. Gaze flicked to Amell and he'd call out, "Not joining us?"

Hanley smiled at Lian, whose elegant charm seemed to make her almost instantly comfortable. "Thank you!! I'll be sure to enjoy."
She watched as the woman delivered a drink efficiently to a mischievous, heavily-accented fellow relaxing in the pool. Nice floatie, she thought, wryly, looking at the rocket. I wonder if it has accurate boosters...

She laughed at 'Matt''s rejoinder, and shot finger guns at him. Whether or not that sounded like a good pizza topping, it was a pretty funny response.

"Glad to meet you, Aimee! I'm Hanley, but you can call me Dee if you wanna." She said cheerfully. She reached out to shake Amell's hand, and laughed as the turquoise-clad girl leapt into the water. Well, that was one way to go about it.
"Pleased to meetcha," Hanley said to the blue-eyed young man, with a small smile. "And hey, thanks for the recommendation." She added, swigging a little more from her drink. "I'm probably gonna go get in the pool in a little bit, you planning on touching it at all?"

The water glared blue in the sun, but there were parasols nearby, at least. Something smelled like strawberries... It was probably the strawberries. Hanley caught herself from laughing out loud at something that hadn't actually been said. This would not be that kind of awkward party.
But then again, it wasn't some diplomatic ordeal. She could have fun. It was a soothing thought, and she relaxed a little.

The fae lingered for a while, ensuring that Umar had a grasp upon his drink before she let her grip from it release so that the pool didn't end up drinking it instead of a person. Shifting her stance a bit, she reached out and took the empty cup from Matt and placed it back onto the tray that was balanced precariously on her lap. Her gaze flicked around the pool and caught a bright turquoise coloration of Aimee's suit as she prepared to get into the water. It was hard for her not to watch such a brightly colored thing in motion. It seemed as though her eyes were rippling, but that could be easily dismissed as catching the reflection of the water. In a fluid motion, she rose to a stand once again, an arm keeping the tray of remaining drinks steady and upright. The breeze carried names and Lian caught them in her ear, holding them in her mind to use at a later time.

Handing off the tray to a passing employee, she gestured for them to distribute the rest of them as she moved towards the chair that Aimee had left her items on. She didn't wander too far from the pool, wishing to listen in to conversations that were going to happen and simply be as close to the water as she could without actually jumping in. Pulling something out of her pocket, the fae threaded a straw through a hole and secured the stretchy disc of material around the rim of the cup. It was a cover to serve many purposes - most would think it was so that no one could slip something into the drink, but it was actually to save bees from meeting a sweet and sticky death. She paused in her work to clap her hands, showing approval and delight for the blonde's dive into the pool, even if the splash wasn't all that big.

The smile on her face was exceptionally wide, even when Matt crooned back his answers to her, "New friends, old friends, friends are friends are always welcomed in The Red Rabbit. We will see if he comes, if not, it's okay, you are here and you are having funs!" Turning back to the chair she was at, Lian picked up Aimee's dress and gently draped it over the back of the chair, smoothing it out with a gentle touch of hands so that it wouldn't get to be too wrinkled while she swam...and also to show that the chair was reserved. Quick near dancing steps moved over to the chair with Matt's shirt as she gave it the same treatment.

Her gaze turned to Amell and Hanley, "Join! Join in the water. Swim, swim, float, float. It's not a pool party if you're not in or on the pool. It's just by the pool party and that's not what this is." The fae grinned so wide, it looked like it must've been hurting her cheeks. "You can place phones here," she said, a hand reaching out and patting the seat of the chair. "I will watches, other staff will watch. No one will steals, no one will takes. And if wanting pictures, I will help, I will do!" Honestly, she wasn't great at technology, but she was more than willing to offer help where she could offer help.

((Note: Working a holiday weekend slowed me down, but I'm back on track! Anyone is still able to join this scene at anytime. ))

Amell looked to the water tentatively at Matt and Hanley’s inquiry, it was clear there was hesitation about actually climbing into the water. “Um…. Not much of a swimmer.” He admitted with a shake of his blonde head. He chuckled and gestured for the beautiful woman beside him that she was free to join the others. “But, lovely miss Hanley, I am sure Matt here would be delighted for you to join him. Please, don’t hesitate on my account. Take a closer look at that pizza.”

Aimee could feel the air in her lungs becoming less and less of what she needed, finally blowing a torrent of the useless gas from her mouth and nose as she turned her head to the surface and kicked off the rough bottom of the pool to break the surface. She sucked in a breath of air and because Matt was there to ‘rudely’ splishy splash about, Aimee ignored everything she knew about sanitation and took a big mouth full of pool water to shoot right back his way. Once she was free of her mouth full of water, Aimee could not help laughing and giggling like the adult child she was grabbing the closest float toy to her, which happened to be a rideable rooster, and climbing on her new trusty steed.

“I am naming this rooster Cluckers, because I am sooooo original, and I will love him till the day he inevitably betrays me for a handful of corn.” She said with a beaming smile and a chest puffed with pride at her find. Looking over to Lian, she waved and called out. “Thank you! That is so kind of you!!! Will you be able to join us? Pleasssseee!!!?” Perhaps it wasn’t appropriate for someone who worked there to join them in the pool, but why not? It didn’t seem fair.

“Matt, don’t you think she should join us?” She planned to ask the man for his Instagram handle when she had her phone back again to tag him, or at least a number to send the pictures, but unfortunately, it had slipped her mind the moment she slipped into the water.

“Naw, I’m good.” Amell laughed and moved to sit on the edge of the chair his sister's dress was claiming. “Not that I think our stuff will be stolen, but maybe I’m just a cat who doesn’t like to get wet. A 'beside the pool' party sounds to be just what the doctor ordered." He took another sip of his drink enjoying the sweet and tangy summer freshness.

((Don’t worry about it Som, the 4th is busy for everyone, myself included I for one and having a blast and hope others are too!! ))

"Thank you very much, Lian!" Hanley performed a flourishing half-bow to their hostess, and bid Amell adieu. "I'll be going, then- don't get too lonely," she teased, and took another sip of her drink. "If you feel like chatting again later, I'll be here for a while... You can probably find me at the drink table, if nothing else. Gotta get me one of those... strawberry thingies." She shot him a finger gun, patted her belly, and then made her way towards that sparkly dinosaur. She turned around and waved one more time at the cheerful man, before climbing aboard, stowing her cup, and kicking off with a bump and a faint splash. The woman rocked around a bit on the water as the float settled, then let out a squawking cry and started paddlin'.
"Coming at ya!" she called, laughing, and she splashed a wave with her foot. She was... pretty sure... that it wouldn't hit anybody in the face. Whoops.

Oh no, was he late? Did he miss the party? Late, yes. Missed it, no. Excited ocean blues washed over the crowd after he'd gotten past the 'guards', as he mentally referred to them, and took in all the brightly colored swimwear. Huh, he almost felt underdressed in his own pair of plain charcoal grey swim trunks that halted at his knees in length; hardly as festive. The vampire also sported a simple white cotton t-shirt over his torso. Modest mouse? Pfft no, but he wasn't gonna be running around the city half naked for everyone and their mama to look at. He'd ditch it before hopping into the pool for sure, but until then, the pale fabric did well in complimenting what was a rather nice tan. Oh the perks of being a daywalker, making it so much easier to look like a normal human.

A subtle twitch at the corner of his lips slowly danced upwards into a warm pearly grin when his gaze fell on the woman with the drinks. Yep, that looked like a good idea. And from what he'd heard since he'd gotten there, the drinks seemed to be a hit, especially the orange one. His thoughts were cut short, however, when she'd handed the tray off to another employee and Jack shifted gears to approach the new drink carrier. A blink later and he'd be happily sipping on a blue one, making his way towards one of the empty chairs by the pool. Those blue orbs of his moved from the pizza floater to the woman in turquoise, as well as each other occupant of the pool, offering a friendly smile in greeting to any that actually paid his arrival any mind. The blondie took his seat and settled in for now, enjoying his drink and- wait.. what? He couldn't help it, he burst out into a fit of amused laughter when Aimee declared the rooster floaty would betray her. She wasn't the only adult-child at the party, as he found the remark far funnier than it probably was.

"A 'beside the pool party' can be just as fun," he finally chirped in, joining the conversation with a casual shrug and an 'I gotchu' type of smile towards Amell. "Also? It's far easier to enjoy a drink when you're not bein' tossed around by unpredictable troubled tides," he added playfully. He laughed again when Hanley splashed that wave. Point made. Unpredictable. Troubled. Tides.

((Sorry if that was a bit all over the place. I'm horribly rusty. xD))

“No.. Yes”, Umar teased as Lian played with his choice of color for the drink. “Thanks so much” he added. Umar was just as careful taking the drink as Lian was in handing it off. He tried balancing himself while sitting upright on the floatie.

Just as Lian asked him how floating around was, he decided to stand. There was a sudden splash as he rose. Umar wanted to make sure he didn’t comedically topple over, drink in hand.

“Great atmosphere, you know?” He carefully moved to sot on the edge of the pool. “Shookran”, he said as she started to leave. “Just before, he reached into a bright, neon green fanny pack slung across his waist and offered Lian two foreign coins. They looked to be worth a few dollars each, depending on the exchange rate.

Umar sipped his drink quietly, content on listening to the others nearby speak.

Despite not being a life guard, and there technically not being any life guards on duty, Lian kept passive attention on Aimee. If she had stayed under for too long, she would've have jumped in to rescue her because someone drowning would've been a horrible way for a party to end. Though the playful blonde surfaced without issues, her own laughter and delight and enjoyment bringing a wide smile to the fae's features as there was no better music in her opinion. "Cluckers is a good name!" she called out enthusiastically, giving a thumbs up gesture as strongly as she could to show her approval. Looking back to Amell, she leaned a touch closer to him to whisper softly, "Water is fine, water is nice, but will not force you into it. You stay where you wants, anywhere is fine."

It was tempting to jump into the pool, to get into the cool waters too, and there was a small shuddering of excitement that rolled through her body as she bit down on her lower lip for a moment as she thought about getting into the water. But it was too soon into the party and there would be other guests she had to attend to. So after a shaking of her body, much like a bird would ruffle its feathers, she cooed out, "Maybe soooooon, maybe soooon..." It sounded more mysterious than she honestly meant it to be.

She gave a waving like gesture to Hanley to dismiss the bow and words of appreciation, Lian smiled and said, "It's a pleasure to ensure a guest is happy!" Watching as she got onto the sparkly dinosaur, the fae was content that she was settling onto the float just fine and wasn't in any trouble. Lian turned her attention back to Umar as he held out something for her. There was a small gasp of excitement as the coins appeared to look nothing like the US currency. The sound they made when she took them into the palm of her hands confirmed as much. Gripping and releasing them in her hand over and over, she half-closed her eyes to savor their sound for a moment before she smiled brightly at the man. "Thank yooooou," she crooned out with a giggle. "Nice gift, lovely sound, yes, yes, yes. I am happy you are enjoying the atmosphere, enjoying things, let me know if you need something else."

Her eyes had watched as Jack settled onto a nearby lounge chair. Her eyes lingered on him for a moment, observing his lack of colorful clothing, and smiled wide before saying again, "Beside the poooool party...." The fae nodded her head several times before she started to walk away from the pool, still nodding as she repeated over and over again in a sing-song voice, "Beside the pool party. Beeeside the pooool party." It wasn't long until she was gone from view, having walked towards the bar and vanishing into one of the doors in the structure behind it.

Within a few moments, she was back in view, her arms filled with colorful pool noodle water guns, her smile just as wide as ever. Unceremoniously, she dropped the pile of them at her feet, giggling wildly as they bounced around - a few landing in the pool's water, a couple rolling under the chairs nearby. With her foot, she nudged one over to Amell and Umar, nodding her head in an encouraging manner, "Beside the pool party!"

In a far too fluid motion, she bent down and picked up one of the bright blue devices. Sticking one end of it into the pool, she drew back on the handle to fill it with water before turning around and aiming it at Jack. "You sits and stay comfortable, I will bring the pool to you!" she sang out to him all too sweetly. Pushing down on the plunger, she aimed the stream of water at his feet and shins, ensuring to keep the water away from anywhere that might potentially be holding electronic devices. People tended to get upset when their phones got wet. Her laughter was loud, uncontrolled, and something that shook her entire body. It was clear that just as much as the guests were having fun, she was as well.

But the stream of water didn't stop there. Once the thing was empty, she refilled it and gave equally attentive water streams to the guests in the pool - Hanley, Aimee, and Matt - as well as Umar and even Amell. Though unlike the kindness she granted Jack and the others, she might've been aiming for Amell's ear.

(( OOC: Again, sorry for the delay... *cries in overtime at work* ...I have days off soon, so replies shouldn't be as delayed! ))

Umar couldn’t help but smile slightly as Lian seemed excited about his currency. His homeland was quite an obscure place. Coins from such a distant locale could be hard to stumbled upon. “Yes, we use precious metals for our coins still”, he said as she mentioned the sound. They were different than the materials like copper or nickel used in many countries.

He began to look around, having a quick sip of the cocktail. It was tangy, sweet and very relaxing. Umar saw the water gun noodles being handed out. He set his drink to the side after another sip. He moved away from it slightly after grabbing a noodle.

As the water began to spray, Umar moved to spray towards Hanley and Aimee. He climbed back onto his rocket ship float, lay on his tummy and paddled forward. Lifting the noodle gun, he sprayed the others while drifting forward. A few low toned chuckles burbled out as he switched between paddling and firing.