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

(He's not getting off that easily, convincing or not. Lucretia doesn't look up, but addresses the dog as she scrunches her fingers behind his ears.)

I mean: don't pour your wine into the house plants, because it's bad for them! Yeah?

(Ohhh and he likes the pats, too. He's so lovely.) Brantz, huh? Did– wait, is he transmogrified?

(That's... impressive, admittedly.)

I would never be so gauche.

[ But, fortunately for the both of them, the glass is nearly empty, anyway. He allows himself to take the final swig, knowing that such a little sip won't affect him much.

Brantz, meanwhile, soaks up Lucretia's affection like he's never been pet in his life.

(Which is patently untrue, but he remains desperate for love.)

Rin shrugs at the question. ]

And I don't know; magic isn't my thing. I just found him one day. Or, rather, I found a dog statue. And he came out of it.

(Okay. Lucretia isn't content to let him play dumb but doesn't want to get into it at the party either so she diverts her mild irritation into giving Brantz a really, really good scratch. He is a very content dog.)

Huh. Is that why he's so still?

(She means it kind of jokingly but Brantz is far less wiggly and excited than Bryn's dog. Perhaps it's because she associates magic with Taako and Lup, the only elves she knows, but she's surprised to hear that magic isn't Rin's thing.)

What class are you?

[ LMFAO ]

No; he's just hoping if he doesn't move then you might scratch him like that forever. Isn't that right, sweetheart?

[ Brantz barks. Maybe so.

To the question, Rin looks truly puzzled. ]

Hmm ... the highest?

[ He's not trying to be a smart-ass. He just doesn't understand how she's using the term. ]

To be honest, he isn't wrong. (Lucretia could quite possibly stay stooped forever to pat Brantz, except that it's starting to hurt her back, so she gives him a last ruffle before she stands.) I've missed dogs.

(Thankfully she catches Rin's brief confusion, because she'd been about to give him a look.)

No, I mean– magic isn't your 'thing', so what do you do instead?

[ Brantz pushes his wet nose against Lucretia's leg; he is, apparently, never satisfied.

Rin shrugs. ]

I'm a merchant. Was one, anyway. The caravan packed with most of my stock didn't make it through the portal with me.

(Lucretia chuckles, and glances down. From where she's standing she can reach the top of Brantz's head, tall as he is, so she keeps patting him there.)

What kind of merchant? (Well, his charm would be very well suited to him in the trade business.) As in, what kind of things did you sell?

[ Brantz is extremely pleased with this arrangement. To show his appreciation, he starts trying to twist his head around and lick her hand. ]

Oh, a little bit of everything. Artifacts, potions, curios. I had an excellent supply of cosmetics.

(Lucretia really is trying to have a proper conversation with Rin but every so often Brantz slobbers on her fingers and she starts to laugh while he's talking.)

Sorry– cut it out! (She doesn't mean it though. She wipes her fingers on Brantz's ears.)

I take it you had a fairly routine life, in that case?

[ Brantz whimpers a little, but it's clearly designed to elicit sympathy. He obviously gets no attention from Rin. Or anyone! Ever. ]

Utterly boring in every respect. Long weeks on the road, short stints in a town, rinse and repeat.

[ Not entirely untrue, really. He was on the move a lot--or used to be, before being grounded here in the Quarantine. ]

(Uh huh. It's cool though, he does not need to try even a little bit to win affection from Lucretia, who clicks her tongue at his little whimper and knuckles the top of his head gently.

Hmm... Rin's story about living in a caravan and having a bad time is making her feel guilty suddenly! She doesn't look up from his dog when she replies.)

Do you find it strange, being here now? Is it quite a large contrast to being at home?

[ Brantz is extremely happy with the situation, and shows it by continuing to press his big furry body against Lucretia's legs.

Rin, meanwhile, just looks a little put out. ]

Truthfully, I'm restless. But aside from ranging into the jungle and the abandoned city, there's not much for a world traveler to do. One adapts.

[ Also, no one's actively trying to kill him, so that's a plus. ]

I know what you mean. I– there's a lot for me to do here, but I still feel displaced all the same.

(She should probably be used to it, considering she's a traveller.)

I thought I might get used to it, but I haven't yet. Do you wish to return home quite badly?

[ He doesn't want to return home at all. But he knows he has to. He must.

To Lucretia, he just smiles; flashes his even, white teeth. ]

Well, I have a few reasons to stay, these days.

(She wouldn't have guessed, not from that blinding smile. She blinks.)

Oh?

(And then, shrewdly,) Taako being one of them, perhaps?

I'd say he's the main draw, really.

[ That, and, like, not being hunted by assassins. ]

(~~the main drow~~)

That's sweet, (Lucretia says, and means it,) have you told him so?

[ Slightly uncomfortable ... ]

I'm sure he already knows.

[ He's definitely not sure of that. ]

Sure. (Honestly, it's anyone's guess if Taako knows that or not. He's not forthcoming with his feelings. Like, famously so.

But she can tell this isn't a conversation Rin really wants to get into, so she changes the subject.)

Of all the places we could have become stuck, though, I suppose I'm glad that it's here. It's not exactly a dull spot, huh.

Sometimes dull is nice. Restorative.

[ Not so much for him, really, knowing that he can't have this forever. But, while he's not foolish as to think his family can't reach him here, it is nice not to be chased by assassins all the time. ]

We are in some manner of liminal space here, I think. Some sort of in-between. I feel out of sorts, but at the same time, I'm trying to consider the situation a respite.

An in-between...

(She chews on that one for a while, thinking.) You mean, because everything at home is on pause? As if this place functions as a kind of... interlude.

(Hmm.)

I've been wondering if this place exists in my current universe, or if this is all on an adjacent plane some how. Alternate.

Right.

[ He shrugs. As with anything requiring an ounce of deep thought, he's going to feign ignorance. ]

Well, that would be nice, wouldn't it? Your realm sounds much fairer than mine.

(This is what she can't stand about Rin: she's just trying to talk, but he can't resist making snide little remarks all the same. Ugh.

She hides her annoyance by reaching out to start scratching Brantz again.)

In some ways it is, sure. I can't imagine you'd like the possibility of the Hunger finding us here, though.

[ Hey, he's being sincere! He WISHES his world didn't hate drow so much. It'd save him a lot of time wrt disguises and fake IDs. ]

Didn't you resolve that situation? Or --- no? You all have such interesting lives. Hard to keep up.

(Maybe this is the problem, that she can't help seeing his remarks as a bit snotty. Lucretia has to take a moment to pointedly remind herself that she's fabricated a lot of the meaning behind Rin's demeanor.)

I haven't resolved it, but Taako... has?

(time shit. it's complicated.) Interesting isn't quite the right word, but I understand what you're getting at.

[closed] a little party never killed nobody

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