[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

[umbrastaff]

I'm gonna crush you!

[This is one dangerous match, and Lup is in the zone until the ball catches fire and she has to put it all out like that. She joins Hana in the laughter, using mage hand to pick up the poor ball (and sliiightly moving a flute).]

Aw, fuck. Is burning shit a penalty or an instant win?

[bunnyhopped]

It's totally a penalty? Obviously.

[ Look, impressive as it was, it's unfair because Hana can't set balls on fire herself. There is no justice in the universe. ]

[umbrastaff]

Awww.

[She sticks out her tongue a bit.]

Your turn, then. See if you can beat me.

[Especially since she cheated a bit with the flute.]

[bunnyhopped]

Of course I can!

[ Hana sticks her tongue out in return!

And then she takes a step back, squinting her eyes and getting into her ball-tossing stance. It's a little challenging, what with how much she's had to drink even before playing the game, to rely on her excellent hand-eye coordination when said coordination is a bit impaired. But she tries her hardest, even performing a few test swings with her arm before she throws the ball—

which lands on the table—

but then bounces right into a flute. ]

[umbrastaff]

[There's a tense moment as Hana gets ready, and when the ball lands in the flute you might think that Lup would be dismayed that her cheating didn't work - but no, Lup cheers far too loudly than what would be appropriate, and is beaming at Hana.]

Holy shiet, girl! Is there anything you cannot do?

[bunnyhopped]

[ Hana is positively cracking up, probably also far too loudly than what would be appropriate, and she even slaps her knee. That— was entirely an accident. Her aim was so off that she hit the table instead of landing a straight shot, and it was luck that had the ball bouncing right into a flute - though not the one Hana had been aiming for originally.

Ah, hell, she'll take it. ]

Nope! I'm just too good at everything! Now drink up, Lup!

[umbrastaff]

[She grabs the flute and tosses back the drink with a little finger gun pointed at Hana, 'firing' as she finishes.]

I'm gonna get you back for this, Miss Song! It's Lup's turn!

[She takes the ball and flicks it before sending it flying towards a flute. It sails in quite perfectly - because fuck this shit, now Lup is out for revenge.]

Drink up!

[bunnyhopped]

[ Hana watches as the ball just effortlessly shoots into the flute with a perfectly-arced throw, pouting afterwards. ]

Ugh, no way!

[ She plucks the ball out of said flute before she holds it up at Lup and downs the drink. Then she rather indelicately slams the flute back down onto the table. Look, she's had a lot to drink? ]

I swear, you guys better not be using magic for this!