"Uhuh! Hitoshi's my name, Admin-san. Pleasure to meetcha!" The Blade of the Hasegawa speaks with the country accent of rural Johto. "And this here's my good buddy, the rookie!" Having met this man five minutes ago, he has already decided he would cut a bullet for Steven Campbell.[break][break]
Cards are dealt, and with it their fates cast. Looking at the cards, the dog does some rudimentary math in his head. Most math he can't do, but cards he can manage. A lifetime ago, he enjoyed spending his money this way. Sometimes, he had the poor fortune of getting more.[break][break]
"What department do you run, Admin-san? I usually work with Senpai and Blondie, 'cause I'm good at cutting stuff and all." At the mention of cutting, his Kartana starts chatting excitedly. Amber eyes flit to jayden cross at the mention of 'senpai'. If he had a tail to wag, it would kick into overdrive.[break][break]
"Rookie, what kinda music do you play? It better than this crap?"

You suppress the urge to sigh as you accept the glass of whiskey you've been given. It's too early in the night to be annoyed. You have to save it for when it counts, like when you open your gift later tonight. Knowing your luck, you'll get some dogshit like a literal white elephant, or green slime, or an armed bomb. Arceus, you REALLY hope you don't get green slime. If you get green slime, you'll go fucking nuclear on the dumb son of a bitch who foist it upon you. You'll fucking KILL them.

Yeah, you need to save your righteous anger for that. So instead of biting back at Xenon and her stupid comments, you push your irritation aside and take a sip of your drink. Then, the conversation of topic turns to your plus one for the party.

"Hello big lady! :D My name is Meltan and I come from Meltan Village but I left so I could become the strongest Meltan ╰(▔∀▔)╯ and to do that I need to--"

This spiel must sound completely incoherent to literally everyone else in earshot, huh? That's probably for the best. The knowledge of Meltan Village is a heavy burden to bear, a festering and all-consuming brainrot without cure. It is a treasure none can possess, a paradise none can enter, a Mel none can tan. The fewer people that are forced to carry that weight, the better.

"--Mel Mel Meltan Mel Mel Meltan Meltan! Mel Melt (´꒳`)♡ Mel Mel Meltan!"

"...Yeah, he's Meltan."

---

Xenon Antheil

"Thanks." Howard told the barkeep, before kicking back the beverage. It tasted like apathy, the painful mixture of a middling mixologist who had little care, or need, for a tip. Good thing too, because Howard's wallet was empty.

On the bright side, it tasted better than it could've, given Elisabeth was footing the bill.

"Trust me, Makoto. You have no idea." Howard told them, his tired expression saying more than words ever could. He pet Tsukiko casually, his heart melting slightly at the luxury of petting such a sweetheart. Organization meant collaboration, which meant interaction. Interacting with many of Team Rocket's busy higher ups for a party was something dangerous. Howard envied Amor Rose. The Head Scientist got to show up and revel.

"I'm glad you're enjoying the party, though. I put a lot of work into organizing it. Procuring luxuries isn't cheap, and Kyogre isn't making it easier. It's sunk two of my smuggling ships." Howard huffed, before relaxing. Maybe through Tsukiko, or maybe through the Wish that might've graced him. "Enjoy the party. Amor will be back to bossing us around soon enough."

How ominous. What was even more ominous was the sudden chill that Howard got. Was someone... gawking at him? Howard turned into the crowd, only to miss ALOE EON by seconds.

"Strange..." Howard turned back to the bar, where a Stakataka brick stared at him. Howard blinked at it, and it rolled away to survey another person. It, and the dozens of its brethren. Howard couldn't bring the whole Ultra Beast, but nobody would judge him for bringing a handful of bricks to watch the establishment, no?

Bending rules he himself had laid seemed delightfully Rocket.

"Arceus above, I agree. The playlist here is terrible. I'm glad somebody shares my tastes." Howard raised a glass in toast. "Praise mint frost, king of terrible tracks."

---

DRINKING
OPEN TO INTERACTIONS
CHATTING WITH AMOR AND MAKOTO AND VIO
STAKATAKA IS WATCHING
BYE BYE BARKEEP

Tsukiko's fur is soft and pleasantly cool to the touch, as howard slayte pets her - her tails swishing happily at the attention. She pushes her head up into his hand, encouraging the petting, and even briefly cranes her neck to give him a little affectionate lick. She appeared visibly proud, in being able to make Howard feel even the slightest bit better.

Makoto nodded to him at his words - before attempting a slight smile, as they (almost teasingly) mused "Don't people usually talk about their boss... When their boss isn't there to hear it?" Of course, they wouldn't talk ill of Amor Rose - at most perhaps commenting on his eccentricities. But he was the one who had allowed them to have some direction in Rocket, and they were appreciative of that.

As Madeline McKenna joins them though, Makoto blinks a bit - both at the approach, and her just casually revealing what her gift was. Fishing stuff...? They were pretty skeptical that it'd be able to reel in Kyogre too, and it was hard to say how many people here were into fishing... But all the same, they'd give a little nod in acknowledgement.

They weren't really interested in shots though - they weren't here for alcohol, and they already had a (nonalcoholic) drink with them that they were sipping.

CASPIAN LEVESQUE appeared to think differently though, as they watch him snatch a shot to down. Not long after, he retrieved some red - though Makoto was no more interested in it than they were in the prior booze.

Instead, as he asked about the party, they'd give a little smile and nod. "I've... Been enjoying it," They spoke. It was a lot to take in - but being able to spend time with their more direct coworkers was nice. It helped them feel like they belonged. "How about you?"

Though even as they questioned Caspain in turn, their gaze can't help drifting to the Dratini that accompanied him - a cute little dragon, and apparently a very intelligent one to have been helping him before.

(The clonk-clonk-clonk of a Stakataka brick rolling across the bar, though, would prompt a puzzled blink and stare from Makoto as they watched it go.)

The admin's coy smile said it all - there was no escaping this table, or him for that matter. Even if he did somehow manage to slip away, there was now this dog man attached to his hip. A shackle meant to keep him down.

Swallowing down a look of defeat, Steven looked to match BARNABY FINCH 's smile, meeting his class-A pleasantry with some of his own.

"You're too kind, but if you say so."

It took only a second for a replacement waiter to be sent out, and additional one for Steven to find his seat at the table. By the time he returned, the cards were already in movement, and with them, their fate.

"A bit of everything," He doesn't even glance at Hitoshi Inoue when answering, eyes too busied with looking at his hand. "Metallica, System of the down, and Avenged Sevenfold are favorites, though."

Years worth of boys' nights spent at home had trained him thoroughly in the art of poker. Maybe not enough to scam the most technical players out of their money, but he could definitely hold his own. The only question was...should he?

"Is Lady Luck still favoring you tonight, Admin Bee?"

The assistant and witness of many women fawning over his boss didn't even need to look up to know it was another hot woman draping herself all over BARNABY FINCH. It didn't matter who it was or how she looked like -- all that mattered was she helped solidify his decision.

Tonight, Steven Campbell plays to win.