I guess this is the part where I talk about how this is my first MBAV story and I certainly hope that everyone out there enjoys it. My style is a little different than what I've seen in this fandom (yes - I've been reading your stuff and have been a very lazy reviewer - sorry). I'm also a slow updater (you've been warned) but if I slack off too much - let me know.
I'm always looking to collaborate so if anyone has any interest in that - PM me. I'm also a Beta but I do make mistakes - if you notice something please point it out to me so I can correct it.
Thanks for reading - Gemma
Dedication: To the one and only TOBN (TiredOfBeingNice) for being a super cool writer on this fandom.
Disclaimer: I don't own MBAV. I did not invent Kings Cup. Under-age drinking is illegal. Okay. I think that covers it all.
Chapter One: The Rules
At the Vampire Council Estate
"I cannot believe you destroyed the Lucifractor," Jesse tells Ethan in astonishment.
I can't believe it either. Ethan thinks to himself.
"So what happens now?" Sarah asks.
"We celebrate," Jesse grins. He makes a beeline to the Vampire Council's wine cellar, towing Benny and Ethan behind him.
The cool space beneath the old building houses thousands of bottles of every kind of alcohol imaginable. Ethan and Benny can only stand there in wonderment at the collection that probably took centuries to build. Jesse wastes no time selecting bottle after bottle until his arms are loaded.
The trio's next stop is the kitchen where Sarah, Erica, Rory and Anastasia are waiting for them.
"What are you doing here?" Anastasia snaps at Jesse. "You were banished from White Chapel."
"Yeah, about that." Jesse cracks open a bottle and inhales the potent flair of aged rum. "Figured you might pardon me since I saved your ass."
At the glaring exaggeration of actual events, Benny elbows Ethan. "Say something," he hisses to his friend.
But instead of speaking up and taking credit for his heroism, Ethan reaches out and touches one of the bottles on the table. He instantly gets a vision.
And it's a good one.
He decides to keep his mouth shut as Jesse and Anastasia argue about overturning the Council's decision.
They can all tell that Anastasia is not happy about allowing Jesse to remain in White Chapel but she doesn't exactly have the resources to enforce his banishment either.
Jesse fills shot glasses and offers a toast. "To vampires!"
"To vampires!" All the fanged creatures in the room agree and pound their shots of rum. For Jesse and Anastasia it goes down smooth. Sarah and Erica both cough at the firey sensation in their throats. Rory's eyes water and he opens his mouth to exhale repeatedly.
Ethan takes a sip and spits it out in the sink because it burns his entire mouth. Benny doesn't know how to open his throat to throw down a shot and ends up spilling the rum all over his shirt.
Jesse looks at the two of them with disapproval as he refills the shot glasses for himself and Anastasia. "How about we have some real fun?" he says to the group around him.
"Oooooh, like play Minecraft!" Rory shouts excitedly.
"No," Jesse gives the boy a tired look. "I was thinking a game of Kings Cup."
"I'm in," Erica agrees immediately and begins to add rum to a sea of large red cups.
"Not too much," Sarah says as she oversees her friend. She dumps the excess alcohol into empty cups.
"Here add some soda," Jesse removes a few two liters from a cabinet.
"What's King's Cup?" Ethan asks Benny, who can only shrug.
"I think it's LARPing game," Rory tells them. "Oh, can I be a knight?" he asks Jesse.
"What is he talking about?" Jesse asks Sarah, who simply shakes her head cluelessly.
"In King's Cup," Rory bounces excitedly by Jesse's side. "I want to be a knight!"
"There is no knight in King's Cup," Jesse tells him adding a "Did he take his medication today?" Sarah's way.
"No knight?" Rory pouts. "That sounds like a stupid game."
"It's a drinking game," Erica snorts at Rory.
"Why do you need a game to drink?" Rory asks.
"Why do you ask so many questions?" Anastasia growls as a fourth shot tumbles down her throat.
"Okay everybody," Jesse announces. "Grab a cup and have a seat at the table. I'm going to explain the rules!"
Everybody takes a large red Solo cup and walks toward the large round table. Sarah and Erica sit next to each other. Rory jumps into the seat beside Erica. Ethan makes a move to sit beside Sarah, but thanks to Jesse's vampire speed that seat is already taken.
Benny sits beside Rory, which leaves three of the eight chairs empty. Ethan looks at Anastasia who in addition to her cup has also brought a pair of shot glasses and a full bottle of rum into the room. She takes the seat beside Jesse and begins to pour them both shots.
Ethan hurries into the seat beside Benny, leaving a one chair buffer between himself and a soon to be drunk thousand year old vampire.
"Thank you," Jesse accepts the shot from Anastasia and they drink in unison. "Everyone ready for the rules?" he asks looking around the table as the rest of the guests nod. "Good! Here we go."
Jesse takes out a deck of playing cards and begins to shuffle them. "We're going to play by the Hooligan rules tonight," he explains. "We all take turns in a circle picking cards from the deck. Each card means something different and we all do whatever the chosen card refers to."
He pauses to sip at his drink. "You guys good so far?" The vampire looks across the table at the nerds.
"I think we're good," Benny says as Ethan and Rory nod in agreement.
Jesse continues to shuffle the cards. "Here's the rules."
"2 is You. If you pick a 2 you point to someone and say 'you' and they have to drink.
3 is Me. If you get a 3 that means you have to drink.
4 is Floor. When someone draws a 4 the last person to touch their hand to the floor has to drink.
5 is Guys. All the guys drink.
6 is Chicks. All the ladies drink.
7 is Heaven. When someone draws a 7 the last person with their hand in the air has to drink.
8 is Date. That means you pick someone to drink with you. And for the rest of the game they have to drink whenever you do. No exceptions! And you can have more than one date.
9 is Rhyme. You say a word and we go around the table rhyming other words with it and you keep going until someone messes up or repeats themselves. That person has to take a drink.
10 is Categories. The person who picks the card selects a category and we go around the table listing things that fall under that category until someone messes up or repeats themselves. That person has to take a drink.
Jack is Never Have I Ever. Does everyone know how to play?"
"Uhhh," Ethan looks at Benny.
"Maybe you could tell us how you play," Benny says. "So we can make sure we all play the same." Beneath the table he and Ethan high five at the his smoothness.
"Fine," Jesse pauses to sip his drink. "Everyone puts up five fingers and the person who drew the card starts by saying something they've never done. If you've done it you have to take a drink and put down a finger. It keeps going around the table until someone has no more fingers. That person has to finish their whole drink.
"Sounds intense," Ethan whispers to Benny.
"Queen is Questions. If you pull a Queen you have to ask the person next to you a question. But they can't answer it. Instead they have to ask the person next to them a different question. If you mess up and answer a question you have to drink.
"King is a Rule. That means the person who draws a King gets to make up a rule for the rest of the game.
"A rule?" Rory asks. "What kind of rule?"
"It can be anything you want," Jesse answers. "For example: you can never let your drink out of your hand. If you do and you get caught you have to finish the whole thing. It can be any rule you want and anyone who breaks it has to finish their drink. Understand?"
"Uh-huh. Uh-huh," Rory's head bobs and he rubs his palms together.
"Ace is Waterfall. So everyone has to start drinking and you can't stop until the person next to you stops, starting with the person who drew the card."
"And finally, there are two Jokers." Jesse flashes the cards to everyone before sticking them back with the rest of the deck. "At the end of the game, the two individuals who pick the Jokers are locked in a closet together for exactly five minutes."
"Like Seven Minutes in Heaven?" Benny grins.
"No," Jesse tells him. "They have five minutes to changes into each other's clothes. This includes shoes and undergarments."
"Ew," Anastasia throws down another shot. "I've been around a long time and I've never heard of that happening during Kings Cup."
"Oh, it gets better," Jesse grins. "While our two jokers are getting dressed, the rest of us get to create our own variety of alcoholic beverage in the Kings Cup." He gestures to a large stein sitting on the table. "The loser of the Joker exchange has to chug it."
"Ugh," Sarah frowns. "We've never played like that before."
"I told you," Jesse places an arm around her shoulder. "These are the Hooligan rules. So let's review shall we?"
2 is You
3 is Me
4 is Floor
5 is Guys
6 is Chicks
7 is Heaven
8 is Date
9 is Rhyme
10 is Categories
Jack is Never Have I Ever
Queen is Questions
King is Rule
Ace is Waterfall
And the Jokers battle for the Kings Cup.
"Everyone got it?"
There are nods across the table.
"Let's play already," Anastasia demands as she reaches out to the deck and flips over the first card. She draws a Queen and turns to Ethan. "Do you wanna make out?"
"Not really. No offense though." Ethan spine presses back against the chair defensively. There's only one vampire he wants to kiss and it's not Anastasia.
"Ethan!" Sarah exclaims as Erica and Jesse burst into laughter.
"Drink up," Jesse tells him.
"What?" Ethan looks down at the cup in front of him. Even from this distance he can smell the potency of the rum. "Why?"
"It's a Queen," Sarah explains to the Seer. "You're supposed to answer with a question."
"And you didn't, so now you have to drink," Erica adds.
"Drink. Drink. Drink." The vampires chant.
Oh shit. Ethan thinks to himself as he lifts the cup to his lips. He hopes that he won't pass out before he gets the chance to see his vision come true.
To be continued...
Reviews are always appreciated.
