riverviewlogs | [closed] a little party never killed nobody

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[closed] a little party never killed nobody

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ummmm, Taako? Hate to break it to ya, but inviting more people who I barely know on this hypothetical skinny dipping adventure is, like, the literal opposite of what'd make me willing to do it. I was thinkin' temporary invisibility spell not bring Thor.

[ And apart from the whole modesty issue (though Cisco's not going to say it because it'd be a bit of a downer) Cisco is sure that would be crossing a couple of morality lines for him, in terms of having a long-term boyfriend who has got some definite jealousy and body image issues, and also in terms of just plain not wanting to be a creep. But it's always hard to tell when Taako's joking and when he isn't, so Cisco's just gonna move this game right along. ]

Besides, knowing our luck we'd just get attacked by a river monster or something. By the way, getting attacked by an underwater monster is also on my 'never have I ever' list.

Don't be a baby.

[Taako sticks his tongue out at Cisco as if to show just how mature he is.]

We'll go skinny dipping in a pool, no monsters there, unless I get weird with spells.

[He knows it's his turn to say a thing but he's having too much fun teasing Cisco.]

[ Cisco is not above sticking his tongue out right back. A pool sounds mildly more tolerable than the river, but he looks like he actually might be vaguely considering it, 'til Taako mentions getting weird with spells, and Cisco makes a face that's half curiosity, half disgust. ]

Nope, alright, that's it. You've changed an difficult 'maybe' into an unshakeable 'no'.

[ And he crosses his arms over his chest, as if to declare that that is that. He's not about to deal with spectral eels or whatever the hell it is Taako's referring to, even if he's sure it would make a great prank for Taako and Lup and the rest of them. No sir. Not him. ]

That's cool, I'll just toss you straight into the next body of water we're near.

[Which technically wouldn't be skinny dipping but that's not the point.]

Never have I ever said I love you to a partner.

[THAT'S NOT A THING TO BRAG ABOUT]

[ Cisco opens his mouth to correct that that's not even remotely what skinny dipping is, but stops before he's even said a word, preemptively just giving up on that one. Sure. Taako can toss him in a fountain or whatever, why not. Weirder things happen every day.

Then Taako's boasting he's never said 'I love you' in the context of a relationship and while the fact of it doesn't surprise Cisco, really, the fact that he would bring it up kind of does. Even with their 'no explanations' rule, he's really setting himself up for some probably unwanted scrutiny, there. After all, the guy's a couple hundred years old. Never?

Cisco takes his sip. He's glad for the no explanation thing, now. No need to get into him being a teenager who got way too emotionally attached and scared people off before he realized he should be a little less honest, a little less quick to love anyone who stayed with him for more than a month or two.

The thought of his younger self, so desperate to be loved, and of Taako, so afraid to get attached to people, is all kind of a downer. Time to drag things forcibly back towards the comedic. Even if Cisco's pretty sure he's diving on a landmine here. There will definitely be reprisals. But... ]

Never have I ever accidentally made out with a lesbian in a club, under the mistaken impression she was a twink.

[The look that Taako shoots Cisco is almost placid, as if he's just commented on the weather, and his tone matches it perfectly when he says:]

Hey, Cisco, my man, do me a solid and put your drink down.

[ Cisco immediately clutches his drink closer to his chest, eyes narrowing: ]

Why.

[Without missing a beat:] Cause it'd be a real shame to spill booze on the floor when I turn you into a cockroach.

Whoa whoa whoa, come on, let's keep the Kafka levels at a minimum here, okay, it's just a game!

[ Cisco holds up one hand in a placating gesture, clinging onto his drink with the other. He's pretty sure Taako's just giving him a hard time and not serious (or else he'd have just done it rather than threatened), but he's not entirely gonna take that risk. ]

Anyway it's not that bad! It coulda happened to anybody!

Clark let me turn him into animals.

[He misses Clark :(

But in the interest of not dwelling too hard on that, Taako continues to wiggle his fingers threateningly at Cisco.]

Any two gay idiots could've both managed to get the other person's gender wrong?

[Actually you know what that sounds reasonable]

Nobody wants to be a cockroach, Taako. Even cockroaches probably don't wanna be cockroaches.

[ At that first finger wiggle Cisco does start a little, but then laughs, shaking his head at himself. ]

Statistically speaking it's probably not that unlikely.

[ Of course the less likely thing is the making out prior to any sort of communication that would clear up such misconceptions but Cisco really doesn't want to be a bug so he's keeping that to himself. ]

[Taako laughs a little at that start, but only because he knows he's not gonna do anything to Cisco.]

Statistically speaking that's the last fucking time I make out with a stranger.

[It's a rarity for him anyway, so he can't believe he screwed it up so badly.]

Fuck, okay, let's move on. Never have I ever said the wrong name in bed.

[He has no idea if Cisco's done that or not, so he's not targeting the poor dude just yet.]

Probably gonna be the last time for her too, huh?

[ Okay, he had to get that one last tiny tease in, and now he is done. But now the conversation is in comfortably embarrassing territory, rather than anything that might get too revealing, like Taako's whole lack of emotional intimacy thing or whatever.

Cisco doesn't drink, or not-drink decisively, right away after that round. He sits there for a moment, squinting and looking off into the middle distance. It could not be more obvious that he is thinking hard and trying to remember if he ever has, in fact, said the wrong name in bed. In the end, he shrugs and doesn't take a drink. If he had ever done that, he doesn't recall, so does it really count? The fact that it wasn't an immediate and decisive 'no' is mildly embarrassing, but hopefully no one (except Taako, whose head Cisco definitely saw turn in his direction) noticed. ]

Never have I ever been to an orgy.

[ It's worth mentioning, and if anyone DOES end up drinking for it, that'll definitely be hilarious. ]

[Taako flips Cisco off, but there's no more threats of bug transmutation so he's probably safe.

Or maybe he's just waiting until Cisco least expects it.]

Does it count if I didn't participate? Cause I kinda ended up at a couple during Carnivale but I was with Eddie then so like... you know.

[He didn't even purposefully go to them, he and Bryn just went to a lot of clubs during that celebration and sometimes orgies would just happen.]

Naw, man. Totally counts, drink up. I went easy on you with the jumping off a car one, but once you're in the door, you've been to an orgy, and that's that.

[ It might not be the exact same thing, but Cisco is still rather amused that Taako had apparently ended up wandering through not just one, but multiple orgies during the Carnivale. Based on some of the stories Cisco had heard, you couldn't go anywhere without stumbling across some giant sex party. But that doesn't mean he's not gonna give Taako a little bit of a hard time for it. ]

Edited 2017-11-25 06:04 (UTC)

That's super unfair, I didn't even get to enjoy 'em and I still gotta drink?

[He's just fussing for the sake of fussing, though he does turn around in his seat, leaning over the back of it so he can holler at Rin, who's probably busy having a polite conversation with someone and did not ask for this at all:]

Rin, darling, we gotta go to an orgy sometime, remind me later!

[He doesn't actually wait for an answer before turning his attention back to Cisco.]

Never have I ever had a threesome.

[ Glancing over at Rin, Cisco bites at his lower lip, trying very hard not to bust out laughing. It's such a very very Taako thing to do, isn't it? And hopefully Rin is prepared for all that.

But immediately after, Cisco regrets how much attention Taako has just drawn to them, right in time for the next round. True, the question's not all that embarrassing intrinsically. In fact, a lot of people would've been downright boastful, taking a drink for that. But Cisco's too embarrassed to play it off with braggadocio. Instead, he just raises his glass for a sip and is glad once more for the no explanations rule. Even his ears are blushing a little bit.

The only comment he does make is: ]

Honestly not all they're cracked up to be.

[ What exactly he means by that is just going to remain a mystery, because they are moving right along, thanks. ]

Never have I ever... dumped somebody.

[ He says it with a small shrug, as if to indicate he knows it's probably a fairly uncommon one. He'd been dumped, certainly. Had relationships that drifted apart, ones where they both realized it wasn't working and called it quits together. But he'd never been the one to break up with someone, where the decision was his first and his alone. ]

[Rin's of course, dear is delivered about as casually as Taako's question, because neither of them are being serious here.]

They always seemed like they'd get tricky.

[Which is why he's never really bothered with one.

But when Cisco gives the next response, Taako opens his mouth, closes it, squints a little.]

Did the dumping have to like, happen? Cause I've left people but never, you know, dumped them.

[He ghosted them, is what he's saying here.]

[ Cisco speaks Taako fluently by now, and so he confirms, eyebrows raising: ]

Ghosting counts as dumping.

[ It might not be the same as a dramatic in-person break-up, but the sum total is still Taako making a decision and the relationship, such as it was, being over. At the very least, it would seem that that was what had happened between Taako and Magnus, even if their thing had never been anything official. It's still enough to earn Taako a drink. ]

[Well, that's probably fair; Taako takes a sip.]

I'm sounding like a real dick tonight, huh?

[Not loving anyone, ghosting people, it gives a certain image about Taako that isn't... wrong, but still.]

Let's uh... never have I ever cheated. I've got that going for me.

[He knows Cisco hasn't either, so this isn't going after him, Taako just wants to at least make that clear.]

Naw.

[ It's just a single syllable, but there's not a hint of sarcasm in it. It's true that Taako's not the kind of person Cisco would ever want to date, but as a friend, none of that sounds dickish, or cruel. Scared and avoidant, sure. But Cisco's got a sneaking suspicion that Taako would rather come across as a dick rather than come across as someone afraid of being abandoned or hurt, so he keeps those thoughts to himself. But he does lean over, bump his shoulder against Taako's in a friendly way, and make an internal note not to ask anything that might continue along that same vein.

It doesn't surprise him, that Taako's never cheated. Not after the conversation they'd had, when things were starting to get real with Rin, and Taako was uncertain how to proceed with Magnus. Cisco smiles fondly, and when it comes back to him, asks a question he's almost sure will yield a more light-hearted response: ]

Never have I ever sustained a serious injury whilst having sex.

[ There is no way Taako and Magnus didn't dislocate something at some point. Right? ]

Aw, fuck.

[Taako has to put his drink down because he needs both his hands to cover his face, from behind which he mutters:]

We fucking died.

[He's laughing a little bit, but also just - god that's dumb, it's so dumb that it happened.]

You what?!

[ This is just one of those moments where Taako talks about dying like it's a normal and light-hearted thing and Cisco hesitates just a split second before he follows suit. But surely if it were bad and he didn't want to talk about it, he wouldn't have brought it up, right? ]

Okay. I'm overriding the no explanations rule here. I gotta know. I gotta. Like, just- how?!

[ He's not sure he wants to know but also he really really wants to know. ]

[It would be mean to withhold an explanation, which is exactly why Taako is tempted to do it, but he's not that cruel.]

We, uh, it was this really cool planet with these fucking crystalline waterfalls and we were like, hey let's fuck on top of one of those. [He pushes his hands up through his hair, uncovering his face so Cisco can see his welp expression.] Did not go great.

[ Cisco just nods sagely for a few moments before he says: ]

You know, realistically? Can't really blame ya. That was, uh... a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Literally.

[ Does that even count as a bad pun? He's not sure. And of course the logistics of the whole thing were probably just as horrifying as they were funny in hindsight, but Cisco's going to stick to thinking about the funny. ]

[closed] a little party never killed nobody

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oh, worm

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