And surely you’ll buy your pint cup! [And surely I'll buy mine!]

[didorothy]

[what do all responsible 70's cops do on New Years Eve? No bloody clue, because this is A Division's CID, and they are very hammered. Exempting Sam, of course. They are so hammered, indeed, that they are singing a rousing drunken rendition of Auld Lang Syne]

[seeing that Gene is the Guv and therefore Man of the Minute/Hour/Year/eternity, he's been elected to talk first. which is, of course, turning to Tyler and slapping him on the back. take note, Gene is well on his way to being completely and thoroughly pissed] Oi, Sammy-boy. I didn't hear you singing, you lousy fart.

[Sam's not drunk, because he's the Designated Driver. (He designated himself.)] Probably for the best, Guv. [after briefly considering telling Gene he's had enough, Sam opts to pull away from the group so he can just watch them in amusement]

[Ray is well on his way to being pissed as well, and tips back a pint] He'd probably sing it all wrong anyway. [because Ray apparently can't even be fully friendly on the holiday. oh well, at least he's trying to sound vaguely joking about it]

[The dorktastic Chris, meanwhile, is trying to fix some streamers with one hand while drinking from a pint in his other hand.] C'mon, boss. Can't just stay shut up. 's a holiday. 

Skelton's right. [makes his way (drunkenly) to where Sam tried getting away, finishing off yet another pint of his own and letting out a long belch] Carling, get me another. And if you're a member of this team, you're bloody well singing in the New Year, Gladys.

[Sam responds quite mulishly to (everything) emotional manipulation] Maybe I should apply for a transfer, then. I hear DCI Bell doesn't turn his team into a college fraternity on the night with the highest incidents of violent crime in the year.

Will do, Guv. [Ray completely ignores Sam in favour of getting Gene another pint]

[Chris pulls away from the streamers, looking pleased with himself and drinking some more. Then he turns to Sam.] It'll be all right. We do this every year.

[snorts, taking his glass from Ray] That's right. So either step up or you can join that precious statistic of yours.

[Sam just shakes his head] Not playing, Guv. Threaten all you like, but I’m not drunk enough. And I don’t intend on becoming that hammered, either. Someone has to drive.

[Ray smirks] Boss, if you do apply, tell me when it goes through. I'll throw you a goin' away party. [and with that said, he pulls himself a pint]

[Chris is back to ignoring all the bickering and looking at a bag, which he digs into. A moment later he pulls out a party popper.] Look, look, Ray. [Then he tugs on the string and makes it explode. He finds this exciting]

Look, Dorothy. I'll give you to the count of ten. If I don't hear you killing old women with your singing, you're gonna regret it. We understood?

[Sam takes a drink of his whisky] I'll spare you the embarrassment of stumbling after ‘one.’ One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Well, Guv?

[sniffs, downing his pint, then nods] Right, then. You asked for it. [reaches across the bar, grabs a bottle of bourbon, and nonchalantly opens it up over Sam's head]

[Sam jumps up in horror] You bastard!

(OOC: Threadhopping: expect it. Expect it wild and drunken and ridiculous.)

Comments

[contract_star]

They...won't be coming after anyone anytime soon.

Sapporo will be safe.

[didorothy]

[raises both eyebrows]

What does that first bit mean?

[contract_star]

[Hei debates whether to tell Sam that his girlfriend summoned some monsters and that she and said monsters slaughtered an entire floor full of people.]

[Coldly,] It means that I left enough of a mess there that they won't be recovering anytime soon.

[didorothy]

And Diva?

[he's dumb, Hei, but not a complete idiot]

[contract_star]

She was drugged. [Truth!]

[didorothy]

So she didn't help you get out?

[he speaks calmly and knowingly]

[contract_star]

No. She was practically unconscious by then. [Also truth! Watch Hei dance around it~]

[didorothy]

Hei. I know she killed people.

[contract_star]

[Sighs.] Stupid...

Alright, yes, Sam. She killed people. But she had no choice. They were--it's PANDORA. It's my fault she was in that situation. It's my world.

[didorothy]

[he isn't really looking at Hei, isn't even really blaming him, but he is upset and it's breaking through the edges of his control]

It shouldn't have happened. None of it, it...

No point in moaning over it. Just have to work from what we've got. Right? I shouldn't be merged with the bloody Master but I am, so who am I to blame anyone over PANDORA when I'm willing to drag the whole Plane into war? Maybe it is your fault, but it's Gene's fault I'm in my mess, and I've only ever decked him once for it.

[contract_star]

No, Sam, that's the thing. I can sever realities. If I'd known PANDORA was there...

[Trails off and rubs his forehead. He's still too tired to argue something like this with Sam.]

[Long pause.]

I still want in.

[didorothy]

Not worth severing a friendship.

[raises an eyebrow]

Have you talked to Misaki about it?

[contract_star]

But I could cut it off. Maybe I could. I don't...I haven't done it in awhile, but...even if I could just cut off PANDORA...

[He suddenly feels very helpless.] I hate feeling responsible for an entire world.

[Shifty look.]...No.

[didorothy]

You're treating the symptom, not the cause.

[frowns and reaches out, patting Hei's shoulder] Sorry, mate.

You have to talk to her before I can do anything. Or would you like to be responsible for her cutting my balls off and shoving 'em down my throat?

[contract_star]

...Are you going to tell me to bring down PANDORA now, too?

[Just sighs, looking away.]

[Sharp look.] We're not married, Sam. We don't need each other's permission to do things.

[didorothy]

Already did, remember?

[raises an eyebrow at that] You might not be married, but she's helping me run this operation. She said she didn't want you involved and I said you didn't want to be involved. I don't intend on starting this by going behind her back.

[contract_star]

Last time it was just the Syndicate. I'll just add PANDORA to the list, shall I?

She's... [Deep frown.] She never told me.

[didorothy]

Forgive me for mixing up your malicious organizations. You have a few too many of 'em, don't you?

Never told you what?

[contract_star]

PANDORA...isn't quite as malicious. A lot of their research is legitimate.

That she was involved. I didn't even know you'd asked her.

[didorothy]

It's government, isn't it? They're the ones that held Misaki, before.

[frowns] Didn't she? I guess... she probably didn't want you involved.

[shoves his hands into his pocket - now he's the one trying not to apologise for putting someone Hei cares about in danger]

I trust her and she's a cop. I need that.

[contract_star]

They're like the Syndicate in that they're not part of any one government. They're like...a much more powerful version of the UN. Just about everything we know about the Gate comes from them, but of course... [Shrugs.] You already know about the darker side.

[He's quiet for quite awhile, staring at Sam with an unreadable expression.]

I understand.

[didorothy]

[Sam sighs and runs his hand over his face]

I keep getting these headaches... The whisky doesn't help.

Just... you're in you want in, but we have to tell her. Deal?

[contract_star]

[Weak smile.] Don't...even talk to me about headaches.

[Nods.] Deal.

[didorothy]

[looks up at him]

You've been having headaches?

[contract_star]

[Blinks.] No. Well, I mean...

[Frowns a little, trying to figure out how best to describe it.] When I was in PANDORA, I did something. I used...some sort of augmented version of Bai's power. I'd used it before, that time in the Gate, but everything was fine that time. I've even used it since then, but this time in PANDORA, it was...

[Rubs his head, remembering.] It hurt. [Understatement of the century :|]