[semi-closed mingle] kigu party!!!

[spellslots]

who: The IPRE + cr + adjacent cr
what: exactly what it says on the tin: it's a kigu party lads
when: second weekend of march
where: Casa Del Taco
warnings: none atm! will update if necessary


[There's something strange about knowing he's been here an entire year. Twelve months ago Taako stepped out of the portal into this world and while it's tempting to be kind of morose about it (especially after the past month) he's trying to kick things into a slightly more positive gear. The party is his idea but the theme is Hana's, an idle suggestion about how fun it would be to get everyone into a kigu. The best part about the idea is that it requires minimal effort on Taako's party, because for all that he loves going all out for parties, sometimes it's nice to just throw something together. Especially when he's more interested in sorting out his relationship with Kravitz or hanging out with Barry, who he hasn't properly seen for over a decade. So it's a party but it's a laid back party, texts are sent out a week in advance and he spends any free time preparing for the night.

The house is left relatively undecorated aside from the addition of several oversized cushions and beanbags in the living rooms, but Taako also casts Magnificent Mansion to expand the space. He adds two home theatres, for movies, video games or karaoke, depending on who's in control of the room at the time. There are also extra bedrooms, in case anyone wants to crash for the night.

While the theme of the night - wear a goddamn kigu and look cute as fuck - isn't being enforced by Taako, it is being enforced by Hana, so anyone brave enough to get past the door without a kigu might have to spend the night avoiding a tiny meka pilot.

As expected for a party hosted by the twins, food plays a fairly big role, although like the rest of the evening they've gone for a more lowkey affair. Sliders, falafel, tamales, vegetable platters with dips, about five different kinds of fries (zucchini, polenta, kumera, potato, jicama) and mini pizzas; things that are easy to pop on a plate and eat without making a mess, but it's all fresh and delicious. The dessert and snack options are a little more impressive, between the flavoured popcorns and well kitted out waffle bar. There's candy and Taako's signature macarons, along with a veritable selection of wine, beer and punch, the latter both spiked and virgin.

Rather than do something as simple as baking cookies for everyone, Lup and Taako have a much more fun idea in mind. They've prepared separated batches of sugar cookie dough and laid out spices, flavours and additives; there's cinnamon, vanilla, choc chips, butterscotch, lemon juice, and mint, amongst pretty much any baking ingredient (here's some ideas for inspiration). Be careful not to mess up the wet/dry balance of the dough, although ruined cookies can be a bonding experience. Once they're baked (it doesn't take long), there's confectioner's sugar, butter, milk, water for whatever icing characters desire, as well as toppings such as sprinkles and crushed nuts.

There are a few things to keep people entertained throughout the evening. The sun room has been delegated as a mini day spa kind of space, with sheet masks, nail polish, lotions, and an assortment of hair care tools. There's nothing that's too complicated or that'll get too messy, but anyone who wants to get comfy and indulge in a little self-care is more than welcome to kick back and relax.

In those home theatres there are movies, games and karaoke songs from all different time periods and realities. Anything from Taako's media library is available, plus some extra video games that both Hana and Cisco supplied, from racing to PVP battles to VR. And a few very bad dating sims for shits and giggles. In the rest of the house, more traditional games are available, whether that’s board games like Clue and Twister, or party games like truth or dare and two truths and a lie. At one point someone breaks out a bag of marshmallows to play fluffy bunny. (There are so many of these things, make them up, I'm not your dad.)

Despite the general atmosphere in the rest of the Quarantine during Sampremi, the party is kept relatively tame, although some of the games might get a little risqué as the night goes on, it's not as if he can control what people do. So long as everyone's having fun, he's happy.]

Comments

[scholiast]

Oh, sure.

(Lucretia pauses for a moment to reflect that not so long ago that sentence would have a) confused her and b) concerned her. Now, she knows enough of Loki and Thor to accept it without any reaction at all. Sad.)

And did he enjoy that game as much as you did?

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki shrugs. ]

He whined about it, but I don't think he complained overly much.

[scholiast]

That's considerate of him.

(The annoying thing about this kigu is the wings are attached to the arm and they're actually quite cumbersome. Lucretia pauses, and pushes the sleeves high up her arms.)

[dothelokimotion]

I think it has more to do with the sanctified idea of masculinity in Asgard.

[ He glances at his nails briefly, a shadow on his face. ]

They would have never allowed me to do this.

[scholiast]

(Lucretia, who has lived with Taako for a century, can not for even a second fathom this.)

... Why?

[dothelokimotion]

[ His lip curls. ]

Asgard had very fixed ideas on masculinity. You've met Thor. They were all like that.

[scholiast]

All of them? Really?

(It's hard to wrap her head around this. Gender roles aren't really a... thing where she comes from.)

How bizarre. But you've escaped that, clearly.

[dothelokimotion]

I was an outlier. A noticeable one.

[ He couldn't fight with a sword. He lacked the same interests. Loki was the tag-along among Thor's friends and it only became more and more noticeable the older they got. When Thor was guaranteed a throne and Loki had . . . ]

[scholiast]

(She nods. It's impossible not to think of herself standing in the midst of the IPRE, hugging her books tight to her chest as the rest of them postured about her, confident and open and friendly and funny. It isn't on the same level as what Loki had to go through, but Lucretia does get being the unmistakably odd one out.)

I'm glad. I wouldn't find you interesting at all if you were the same as Thor.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki smiles blandly. He's interesting, but that's as far as it goes. ]

Of course not.

[scholiast]

(She'd meant that quite sincerely all things considered so she's a little thrown by his response, but shrugs it off, gaze dropping back to her hands.)

Don't tell Thor I said that, I suppose.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki snorts lightly. ]

Why would Thor care?

[scholiast]

Honestly, I don't know him well enough to know for sure if he would or not. I'm covering all of my bases.

[dothelokimotion]

[ A part of his bland demeanor slips a little in good humour, fragile and real. ]

It'll be our secret.

[scholiast]

(She chuckles.)

Terrific.

(And then gestures with her bottle of nail polish, having finished one hand.) Swap with me? I've decided I'm doing alternating colours instead.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki fetches the bottle. ]

Only that? Nothing else?

[scholiast]

Why, should I be attempting patterns or something? I can't be bothered, it's so fiddly.

[dothelokimotion]

Is it really?

[ Says Loki, a man who may not breathe style the way Taako does, but has similar thoughts. ]

I always find it's worth experimenting.

[scholiast]

(don't @ her she's really just being lazy.)

Fine. Get all the colours then, if you're going to be pedantic.

[dothelokimotion]

I was merely offering options.

[ But he dutifully fetches ALL THE COLOURS. ]

[scholiast]

You're merely being a pain is what you're doing, (Lucretia mutters, but only once he's out of ear shot.

Once he comes back, she motions for him to come sit.) Hold out your hands.

[dothelokimotion]

[ He blinks, but obediently holds his hands out, curious to see what she'll do. ]

[scholiast]

(She takes one of his hands and does a base coat of black on his thumbnail, then dries that instantly with prestidigitation; on the top, she uses a blunted toothpick thieved from a little bowl on one of the food tables to daub in a little green snake.

To match his outfit!)

[dothelokimotion]

[ His eyebrows climb up as he watches in renewed interest. Loki isn't actually all that familiar with nail art and the various designs that come out of it so his gaze is oddly genuine in its attentive phase. ]

[scholiast]

(This is actually very easy to do with cantrips; she completes one entire hand in black with various little motifs overlaid. The green snake, his gold helmet, a comic-book style explosion in red and orange and yellow, a tiny, golden silhouette of Asgard remembered from a snowglobe of Thor's she had seen, and finally, a blue crystal, which she puts a little top coat of glitter over to finish.)

There you go.