[closed] a little party never killed nobody

[spellslots]

who: The IPRE + friends
what: A dinner party!
when: Novemeber 18
where: Chez IPRE
warnings: some mild drug use (alcohol + marijuana)

Party time, motherfuckers. After sending out invitations, the IPRE (mostly Taako, because he's the most extra of the group) spends a significant amount of the week preparing for the party, making sure they have all the food, decorations, and wine necessary to put on a good evening. The whole point of this is to be a distraction from a shitty month, and to get everyone together, since they have a range of friends who haven't all met each other. They've been talking about doing something like this for months, so it's nice to finally pull it all together.

Upon arrival (and despite Taako and Lup's involvement) the decorations are minimal. Couches have been transmuted from their regular fabric to rich velvets, there's a little glitz and feathers here and there, but they didn't want to go too hard on the theme. It was just a way to have a little fun with the evening. The bar cart, on the other hand, is definitely in line with Speakeasy, featuring a lot of gin and whiskey based drinks, though anyone with a preference for wine or beer won't be disappointed. The start of the evening is dedicated to introductions and mingling, probably helped by the alcohol, though there's also cheese and antipasto plates set out, just in case anyone was worried about not being fed at something hosted by two chefs. As a way to break the ice, and to get people talking and having fun before the evening really kicks off, the brick wall of the small living room has been set aside as the designated backdrop for a 'photo booth', which mostly consists of a few instant cameras, including one that takes what are essentially magical gifs, so long as the button is held down for 5 seconds. There are a few props that match the theme of the evening - fur stoles, feather headbands, felt hats, long strings of pearls - to make the photos a little more fun. Once everyone is seated in the dining room, it's time for dinner. The food brought out for the main meal is warm and rich without being too heavy, slow cooked meats and roasted vegetables can be mixed with salads and lighter sides to avoid anyone slipping into a food coma before dessert has even begun. Everything is set in the middle of the table, for people to serve themselves, so they can pick and choose what they want to try. Lup has made at least one incredibly spicy dish, so be careful.

While there's no rush to leave the table, eventually plates are cleared away (by magic, so none of the hosts have to stop chatting) and everyone is ushered into the larger of their living rooms, where the small coffee table has been replaced by a seemingly floating table that's large enough to accommodate all the desserts. There are various pies (pecan, pumpkin, cherry), apple & maple cake, chocolate tarts, brownies and trifle. There aren't quite as many options as there were on the dinner table, but it's near a thing, especially when the section of the table devoted to cream, ice cream and sauces is taken into consideration. Dessert is an extended affair, pies will stay warm and ice cream will stay frozen for as long as they remain on the table, so people can return and try more even as the rest of the night presses on. And although the food is, really, the main attraction of any kind of event that Taako is involved with, that doesn't mean there aren't things to do other than eating. Once the dining room table has been cleared, (plastic) champagne glasses are laid out in what might be a familiar formation to anyone who went to college, especially when a ping pong ball is added to the mix. It's beer pong! Except it's actually prosecco pong, because this is a classy joint, not some frat. Or at least, that's the excuse. There are a few other things to do, mostly in the more generic range of party games, including a deck of Cards Against Humanity that Taako discovered a couple weeks ago and had been delighted by. He's definitely going to wrangle people into a game of Never Have I Ever, maybe Truth Or Dare, and anything else he can think of that requires drinking alcohol and saying stupid shit. What better way is there to get to know people? As things wind down, the backdoors open up into the courtyard, where a fire is set up, cushions and blankets placed outside for people to curl up with. The fixings for s'mores are available for anyone who somehow still has room to eat more food, and there's mulled cider just in case the fire isn't enough to keep people warm. It's a nice way to wrap up the evening.

Comments

[spellslots]

Fuck, tell me about it.

[In a way, a part of this is an apology for his own shitty behaviour the past month, even if it wasn't entirely his fault.]

You think these idiots had fun?

['These idiots' being their friends.]

[scholiast]

Yeah, course.

You throw a great party Taako, always have.

(She's loved every bit of it, and he knows how she is with parties.) We've cultivated a good little crowd here, huh.

coward

[spellslots]

[He's pleased with that compliment, evident by the little self-satisfied hum he does.]

They're not terrible. [He likes them a lot.] Kinda wish we had the rest of the crew here, still.

[Even with new friends, it's hard not to miss Merle, Barry and Davenport.]

its just that its your mo and i dont want to take that from you

[scholiast]

Yeah, me too.

(She puts her arm around his shoulders, gives him half a hug.)

But I'm so glad that you're here. And Lup, and Magnus. I can't imagine what I'd do if you weren't.

im sorry we dont all have a character with a consistent fandom interpretation!!!

[spellslots]

You'd sleep in your office and forget to eat.

[He loves her but he's not at all missing out on a chance to drag her for her terrible lifestyle habits.]

😘😘😘

[scholiast]

Okay, yes, but I meant emotionally.

Besides, I still do that sometimes. (Ooopsie.)

:T

[spellslots]

I'm gonna put a fucking arcane eye in your office so I can keep an eye on you.

[He can't believe he has to Mom her]

<3

[scholiast]

Only ever as a mistake, unclench.

Beverly always checks in with me at the end of the day anyway, so I haven't slept there in a while.

[spellslots]

Oh, right, that's a girlfriend job.

[He can rest easy now! Knowing that Beverly will make sure Lucretia doesn't sleep in her office.]

You're gonna send her home with some food, right? We might have gone a little overboard.

[scholiast]

Yes, for my girlfriend to do.

(she has a girlfriend!)

Oh, for sure. If I can somehow eat these leftovers for the next week or so I will want for nothing else.

[spellslots]

Gross.

[He's just tormenting her for being a sap about having a girlfriend.]

If you ask real nice I might even let you take a couple bottles of wine with ya.

[scholiast]

... Yeah.

(It's cool, she knows.)

How very generous! You should host more often.

[spellslots]

Nah, we're gonna have the next one at your place.

[That makes sense.]

[scholiast]

I don't think that it's big enough!

But I've love to throw a little dinner party some time.

[spellslots]

[Taako hums, partway between amused and questioning]

Who all are you gonna invite?

[scholiast]

You, Lup, Magnus, Beverly... um, Beverly's friend Jim? He's lovely.

That might be all we can fit. (It's not a big place.)

[spellslots]

Jim's a good dude.

[Taako hasn't run into him for a few months now, but that's not any particular issues one way or another.]

If you're hosting does that mean you're gonna cook?

[scholiast]

... If I cook nobody will come.

[spellslots]

So we're ordering take out?

[Is he fishing for her to ask him to cook? Maybe so.]

[scholiast]

Or Beverly might make something. I don't know, this is all hypothetical.

(If she asked Taako to cook, they may as well all just go to Taako's again. He wouldn't enjoy her small kitchen!)

[spellslots]

Nah nah nah, you've said it out loud, it's gotta happen.

[Those are the rules]

You could do like, fondue. Not a whole lotta cooking there.

[scholiast]

Oh, like a cheese fondue...

(Or oil, for meat. She likes that idea a lot actually.)

That's not bad.

[spellslots]

I'll give you that one for free.

[Instead of making sure everyone knows it was his great idea.]

[scholiast]

Thank you, kind sir, for your generous contribution.

(She clinks her mug of mulled wine against his.)

[spellslots]

I'm detecting a little bit of sarcasm.

[Also it's weird to be called sir by anyone who isn't Angus, even if it's mocking.]