"Enjoy is a bit strong, Summer. The roses were lovely, though, thank you." He responded lightly, placing a friendly kiss on her cheek. "We'll see how I feel after the movie."

Barnaby gave a polite peck to the owner of the vessel as well, although he took the briefest of seconds to whisper, low enough that Summer wouldn't hear, "It's good to be back aboard."

With a little teasing smirk he'd pull back, following the pair to Mars' entertainment quarters. As they rounded the corner and the sectional and flatscreen came into view, Barnaby inwardly smiled; fond memories of the room sprang to mind, although he kept his thoughts to himself.

"I'll have a rum sour, thank you." The stewardess promptly prepared his drink - a more tropical cocktail given their location - and, with it in hand, he too reclined into the cushions of the couch.

It was some distance away from Martín del Mar, leaving room for Summer to sit between them if she felt so inclined.

Martín del Mar + Summer Atreides
mission: SLUMBER PARTY
outfit check

☉

Summer waved her hand away at the person carrying her things, approaching the couch where Martín del Mar sat and taking a seat beside him. Offered refreshments, she requested a sweet wine, her glass offered shortly after.

BARNABY FINCH made her smirk crack wider on her face, though she hummed as he pressed a quick kiss to both of their cheeks.

"I feel like you're not going to remember much of the movie, Barnaby," she warned, sipping innocently from her glass.

Of course, Summer didn't come here to watch a series of children's movies. She came here for gossip, fun, drinks, and much more. Though that was made clear in their conversation as they scheduled this meeting. The movies?

It was all a prank. Perhaps part of her grand scheme to get this idea planted in their heads.

"Mars, what did you do to the spare chocolate we didn't eat? I was wondering... did we have enough to give to our dear friend?"

Of course she meant the ones that they didn't burn and weren't a complete mess.

Martín del Mar & BARNABY FINCH

☉

Ever a lover of social drinking - as Martín del Mar would know by now after their drunken fun in Petalburg Woods - Barnaby took a generous sip of his drink before responding.

"Really?" He asked in a bluntly incredulous tone. "Summer, how could you keep this from me? Come on, then, let's taste these chocolates."

Summer Atreides , showing even the slightest hint of domestic inclination? It was a shock, to be sure. Unfortunately for Barnaby, what came as even more of a shock was the big reveal of these homemade sweets.

An apologetic stewardess brought them out on a porcelain plate. She hesitated for a moment, looking to her employer for confirmation, before slowly placing them on the coffee table in front of Barnaby.

"... Oh. These look..." A not-so subtle glance was thrown Mars' way, with an expression that screamed 'you've got to be fucking kidding me'. Half-melted and re-hardened, partially burnt, with an unusual color for... what were these supposed to be again, chocolates?

Barnaby looked from one friend to the other, candidly suspicious. "... you're fucking with me, right?"

Martín del Mar + Summer Atreides
mission: SLUMBER PARTY
outfit check

☉

To say that was quite the overstatement of the year. Summer let a bowl burn on the stove, after all. She knew Mars was playing some sort of game, and she couldn't help but be enticed to see what reaction would be pulled from Barnaby.

"Mars, too. I wasn't the only one working in the kitchen. He helped with these."

Two could play at that game.

The stewardess brought the leftover chocolates, and Barnaby was offered them. Summer waited for his reaction, but she frowned. Of course, she was no professional, but...

"What? Surely you don't think that they look awful?"

He wouldn't completely insult her to her face like that, would he?

Martín del Mar BARNABY FINCH

☉

What to do in a situation like this, where Barnaby was the obvious butt of the joke?

He could deny them their laughter outright by simply refusing the chocolates - but that would be no fun. He could talk his way out of the situation and steer their conversation elsewhere - a good workaround. Or, he could simply dive in head-first and bear the consequences later.

Despite his better judgement, he chose the latter route.

"Fine, fine. You two worked so hard, how can I refuse the fruits of your labor?"

His expression still extremely skeptical, Barnaby gingerly picked up one of the sweets, slowly turning it in his fingers to inspect the severity of it's... perversion. It looked awful. A taste would tell the true story, though.

A small bite, followed by an immediate grimace. Hesitant chewing, then stopping after a few moments... without swallowing.

"Effscue me—" Barnaby mumbled, covering his mouth as he spoke, and rose from the couch. He hurried to where he remembered the guest restroom being, surely leaving his two companions rolling in their seats.

Martín del Mar + Summer Atreides
mission: SLUMBER PARTY
outfit check

☉

For Summer, it was difficult to tell if this really was a joke or not. She hardly remembered making this chocolates. She was near blackout drunk when she and Mars were in the kitchen, burning a bowl on a stove and scraping bits out of the melting plastic.

So, as she watched him take one and eat it, she couldn't help but smile.

Before Barnaby's visceral reaction showed.

"Oh, Arceus. You think he's actually getting sick?" she murmured, glancing back at Mars.

For a moment, while it was actually sort of funny to see him react in such a way - because it was Barnaby, prim and proper - she was concerned that maybe they poisoned them. Had they put anything inedible in there?

"I don't remember what's in there... is there plastic in this...?"

Martín del Mar & BARNABY FINCH

☉

As Martín del Mar approached the bathroom door, he’d hear the sound of running water interrupted by the dulled tone of splashing on porcelain and the clearing of Barnaby’s throat. Although the admin couldn’t see it, given the context it could be surmised that Barnaby was washing his mouth of the ‘chocolates’ he’d been gifted.

After a moment a squeak of the faucet announced his departure from the bathroom. The door was opened, revealing a slightly pale-faced BARNABY FINCH.

"Martín." Pausing in the doorway, he spoke more sharply than he'd usually do with his friend, although an acutely perceptive person might be able to catch the undertone of mischief there as well.

"Are you trying to poison me? If you find my company so detestable you can just tell me so without scheming an assassination attempt."

Was Barnaby honestly so put off by the dreadful chocolates? It was true that they had been positively horrible, but enough that he would take a tone with Martín del Mar?

Not quite. In truth, he was simply fishing for placating compliments to stroke his ever-hungry ego. Typical for such a vain person.

Martín del Mar + Summer Atreides
mission: SLUMBER PARTY
outfit check

☉

He was cute, wasn't he? And Barnaby knew it.

Given this confidence, seeing his whining elicit such a reaction from Martín del Mar was wholly gratifying. The admin didn't shower him in apologies or assuage him with compliments; no, he scolded him.

Which was even better.

"I'm not in the habit of swallowing things I don't like, no..." Barnaby arched an eyebrow and mirrored Mars' playful smirk, knowing the innuendo was quite obvious.

"Alright..." He continued in a more placating tone, blushing the lightest pink as his friend's lips grazed his cheek. "I'll be on my best behavior."

There was a catch, though.

"But." Just before Mars would pull away, Barnaby lifted a hand and pressed it to the small of the other man's back, holding him in place momentarily. "I get to decide how you make it up to me."

With that said, he released Martín del Mar and followed him back out into the lounge area where Summer awaited their return.

"My apologies, Summer..." Said in a not-so apologetic voice, although his expression was pleasant nonetheless. "Now, where were we? Are we actually going to watch the ogre movie?"

Martín del Mar + Summer Atreides
mission: SLUMBER PARTY
outfit check

☉