[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

[franciscoramon]

Humans who had their DNA altered by a wave of dark energy that got released into the city after a particle accelerator exploded. Gave people powers. Controlling the weather, teleporting, mind control, visions of the future, that sort of thing.

[ At least Loki is familiar with the concept of superheroes; that's one thing Cisco won't have to explain. ]

A couple of those metahumans can run fast enough that they rupture space and time and can end up a week in the future or hundreds of years in the past.

[dothelokimotion]

[ . . . Dark energy . . . He had not realized the mortals had mastered it. ]

Dark energy should not be able to infect others.

[franciscoramon]

You're telling me. That's not normally how dark matter acts at all, but... the explosion caused some kind of momentary rift between the dimensions. There was all kids of stuff going on that we still barely understand. It was a one in a billion type freak accident.

[ Not so much an accident. Cisco knows that now. But he's not gonna get into all of that. ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki isn't buying that. ]

A very specific accident, it seems. And perhaps, not an accident entirely?

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco does a tiny double take, surprised that Loki had drawn the correct conclusion so quickly. Then again, there might have been signs. Something that shifted in his own tone of voice or expression. Cisco knows he's never been a very good liar. ]

Yes and no.

[ He could leave it at that. He doesn't owe Loki an explanation, prince or not. But there's no particular reason to keep it hidden, either, except that it's not exactly fun entertaining party chatter. He keeps his explanation brief. ]

I actually worked at that lab, and at the time we figured it was 'cause of the storm, but it wasn't. My- our boss had tampered with things and made adjustments in secret. He wanted it to explode. The stupid thing is it would've blown anyway, in a few years, and that would've been a freak accident, but he sped things up so he wouldn't have to wait.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki nods. He isn't surprised, after all or particularly bothered. He is curious on what kind of dark matter they are playing around with, but he knows better than to ask at Taako's party. Later, perhaps. ]

I suppose rationality matters little when it comes to results.

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco's eyes narrow, his head tilting to the side. He keeps his voice light, but there's a definite edge of we're done talking about this when he responds: ]

Kind of a weird way to put it, but, yeah, I guess. Rational decisions weren't his strong suit.

[ And now Cisco is well over his quota for his daily amount of talking and thinking about Eobard Thawne, so he asks, just a touch stiffly: ]

Is it your turn or mine? I think it's yours.

[dothelokimotion]

It's yours.

[ Loki easily makes note of the discomfort. While it does not matter to him, he files it away. He's too paranoid to dismiss any kind of information. ]

I spoke last of schools, after all.

[franciscoramon]

Right. Yep.

[ Cisco's always been fairly easy to read; it's almost a physical thing, the way he pauses, hits the brakes on any incipient, messy, unpleasant thoughts about Eobard, and sets them aside. Then he's back to smiling, a little wan at first, but gradually becoming easier. He deliberately chooses something light. ]

How 'bout this. You said never have you ever slept with a supervillain. What about... never have I ever slept with a superhero.

[ Worth a shot anyway. ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki opens and closes his mouth. With a strange expression on his face, he reaches for his glass. The ultimate calling out. ]

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco is visibly and unabashedly delighted by this turn of events. All traces of annoyance or darkness are swept away and he just grins. H'd guessed right, after all. ]

Do I get to ask who?

[ Which isn't the same as asking, technically. Just asking if he can ask. ]

[dothelokimotion]

I suppose you can, since it is not a secret.

[ But he huffs all the same. ]

Most know him as Captain America.

[franciscoramon]

Oh!

[ There's clear recognition in Cisco's face - he had honestly been expecting some variation on 'fuck off' rather than an answer, and certainly not a name he had heard before. Still, he masters his surprise quickly enough, grinning from ear to ear. ]

I've heard a lotta good things. Never actually met him, though.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki doesn't know what to make of that smile. He takes another sip of his drink to hide his expression. Neither Steve or Loki have advertised their current status, but it's not a secret either. Steve prefers his privacy. He is the opposite, never been keen on hiding too much of himself away, like a secret shame.

But he is none of those things to Steve, so it is easy to bear. ]

It was not his good that attracted me.

[franciscoramon]

What was it, then?

[ Cisco seems genuinely curious; he really doesn't know a whole lot about Captain America, aside from the fact that at least some version of him is friends with a few people Cisco knows - Tony, Sam, Peggy - and that they all seem to look up to him. ]

Was it a one time thing or are you two together?

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki debates on what he should say. For him, it was oddly clear-cut even if feelings for Loki were messy, complicated matters. He doesn't trust easily and he's very used to being let down. He'll never be fully rid of his insecurities and the uncomfortable sensation he carries with him, the sign of an impostor, a fake among real people. ]

I am a difficult person. So is he. But we made a choice to work as one.

[ He pauses because Loki rarely expresses sentiment, but Steve deserves that, even in a third-party conversation. ]

We are together.

[franciscoramon]

That's actually really romantic.

[ He'd been expecting an answer that was either flippant - a comment about looks, or a joke about some circumstance or another - or perhaps something a bit cliche. Loki's answer just seems very honest, and real. It kind of throws him for a loop. ]

Were you two together before you came here?

[dothelokimotion]

[ There's a dry chuckle. ]

No. Such a thing would not be possible.

[ Even if they hail from different yet similar universes, no one would have deigned to trust Loki so intimately. Would bother getting that close. ]

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco, meanwhile, just assumes it's the latter explanation. It's a common enough story, in this place, considering how many and varied people's home universes were. So he just nods a little and says: ]

Different universes. Got it.

[ A part of him wants to ask if they've had a talk about if either of them wants to return home, and what they'll do then, but he's aware that would be crossing way over the line, and probably not fun light party talk, either. So he allows his curiosity to go unsatisfied for the time being. ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ It's still up for discussion. Loki can't ask Steve to come with him, especially when the possibility of death has escalated. He has his people to look to. His brother to protect. Suddenly, his hands are full with things he is afraid of losing. ]

I believe it is my turn. Though this would be easier if I knew anything about Earth.

[franciscoramon]

Can't be all that different than Asgard, can it?

[ As soon as Cisco says that, he seems to reconsider, laughing softly and admitting: ]

Okay, maybe it can. Seriously, though - you're dating a guy from Earth and still don't know anything about it?

[ Loki probably knows more than he realizes, Cisco figures. ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki pauses, mulling over it. ]

I have seen some of your media and obviously met a fair many humans. But they were, I assume, not the norm.

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco really doesn't want to think what Loki must believe about Earth, if he's mainly learned about it through movies. Cisco loves movies! But real life is a lot more laundry and a lot less car chases. ]

And what makes you think I would be?

[dothelokimotion]

[ Considering the people he knows from Earth, it is a mix of ideas. ]

Are you saying you don't do normal things?

[franciscoramon]

I'm saying... I do normal things and also some not-normal things, too.

[ A great deal of his life had been fairly normal, before the particle accelerator explosion. Since then... less so. ]

I mean, I work with superheroes, we already established that. That's pretty damn not normal.