[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

[bunnyhopped]

[ Hana finds Qiri sniffing at her ankles at some point as she's standing to refill her drink; having become a new dog owner recently, herself, the feeling of a puppy's wet nose has become familiar and Hana whirls on her heel, possibly half-startling the dog in the process. To Hana, at least, it's a totally pleasant surprise. ]

Aww, what a cute puppy!

[ Drink forgotten on the counter, Hana gets down on the floor on her knees so she can give that adorable puppy a good scratch on the head. ]

You can probably smell my puppy on me, huh?

[inlaid]

[Qiri is far too interested in the smells on Hana, imperceptible to the human nose, to be bothered by how she's startled. However, he's already learned how people sound when they address him and at once looks up with a tock-tock of the tail. Attention usually means petting or food and either would be welcome.

Bryn wanders by a moment later, keeping an ear out for any mentions of "puppy" at the party to make sure he's not making a nuisance of himself...and is glad to find once more it's the opposite.]

He's got a pretty good nose for that sort of thing. Did you bring yours with you too?

[bunnyhopped]

[ Hana looks up with a smile when Qiri's apparent owner approaches, continuing to pet the dog, this time scratching between his ears. ]

Ah, no, I didn't. I wasn't sure if I could! Pacchan's probably sitting around at home with my roommates.

What's your dog's name?

[inlaid]

Qiri.

[The dog in question seems to be in a state of rapture, being pet by yet another person who knows just where to find the good spots.]

That is the cutest name I've ever heard for a dog, though. Pacchan. Do you have any pictures of him at least?

[bunnyhopped]

[ Hana's had a bit of practice, now, from petting Pacchan, so Qiri can thank the other dog for that when they eventually meet.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and when she's prompted to show pictures, Hana stops the pets so that she can fish her phone out from the small purse she's brought with her. ]

Pacchan's a girl and— oh, I have a ton of pictures of her!

[ When she pulls up her photo album, it's readily apparent that Hana has taken nothing but pictures of Pacchan lately. The first one to be shown is one of the silly dog chewing on Hana's hair. ]

That was just this morning. I went and laid next to her on the floor, and then she started chewing on my hair! [ she laughs it off, at least ]

[inlaid]

[Bryn bursts out laughing, at the picture, because it reminds her so much of one or two she's taken herself. Fishing out her phone, she starts sorting through her own gallery of Qiri pictures until she finds, oh, yes, there it is.]

She looks lively. Probably keeps you on your toes, hmm? This was Qiri last week.

[And then she holds up her own screen, showing a picture of the puppy chewing on a blanket, that Bryn was clearly snuggled under at that time.]

No matter how many toys I find for him to teeth on he just can't get enough of everything else I have in my place instead.