GP - dreaming of a black christmas

[lcrpg_npc]

The repurposed railway arches that housed Beagle's bar and restaurant were decked in shades of black: black christmas trees glittering with sparkly and satiny black ornaments, black wreaths with perfectly tied bows, black garlands draping along the walls and bar, ribbons edging the long banquet benches in the restaurant dining room. A gentle snow seemed to fall from the ceiling, a specially designed lighting effect much more pleasant than the cold and wet that would've accompanied real snow. Christmas music played over hidden speakers, setting the mood without interfering with conversation.

The Kraken Black Christmas feast was a different spin on the holiday than you'd find most places, and yet, a christmas feast all the same. All the flavors of the season were there, both in the bar's specialty cocktails and in the feast itself, served banquet-style to those fortunate enough to get tickets - mulled wine, egg nog, roasts and stuffing and puddings, and so much more. Yet the food and drinks all shared the same theme as the decor, shades of black augmented with squid ink, charcoal, or black sesame seeds.

Guests had been encouraged to continue the theme with black festive attire, but it wasn't required, and spots of color could be found here and there along the table or mingling in the bar. There was one thing everyone could agree on, though. No matter how black the theme, the mood was anything but dark.

Comments

[faizel]

The tickets had been a gift from a thankful parent of one of his students, and while he'd been unsure about attending, he had eventually decided to come have a look. After all, if it turned out not to be to his liking, he could always leave, couldn't he?

Dressed in mostly black, the wizard lingered at the bar while he waited for the feast to begin, drinking in the aesthetics and the guests. His gaze drifted over the room as he sipped his cocktail, feeling a bit out of place, and wondering if he shouldn't pass his tickets onto someone more eager to attend than himself.

[akatawitch]

Someone at least was hoping that he wouldn't come to that conclusion, as Sunny approached and, feeling bold she supposed in her armor--such was the only way for her to think of wearing white or black--she lay a hand on Faizel's shoulder and planted a quick, soft kiss on his cheek. "I didn't think this would be your kind of thing."

She didn't think most things that included mingling would be his kind of thing, quite frankly.

[wandandawolf]

Power called to power. Or he sniffed it out, or something. There was something...not quite there about the bloke Remus had been watching, and he wasn't the usual scent of the wizards he knew, all carved wands and dusty power, or the sharp hot-metal sting in his nostrils he'd learned to associated with the Cabalines. No, this was something different.

So of course Remus made a bee-line right for it, and eased himself onto the stool next to the other man. "You want a different drink?" he gestured, pulling out his wallet. "That one doesn't seem much to your liking." Understanding better than most the desire to hang back and be a wallflower, he smiled: "C'mon, it's a party. You're doing fine and you look a treat." If his eyes briefly glinted gold, well, that just had to be a trick of the light, didn't it.

[codenamemilady]

Desrochers had sent Milady a ticket to the Black Christmas feast, but no information or specific objective. Whether that was his incompetence or a desire for her to fail, she wasn't sure. She'd chosen to stand out, rich blue stark against black lace and thigh high boots accentuating shapely legs. The more people focused on her body, the less they'd suspect she was discreetly watching everyone and everything.

She stepped away from the bar taking a sip from a black cocktail, then stopped short before she bumped into someone. "Sorry. I should be paying more attention where I'm walking."

[wispofathing]

"S'all right," Curnen assured her with a bright smile. "I got it on good authority that I'm hard to see." Even in heeled shoes (which she was finding she didn't enjoy even with extra height), Curnen was still pretty small.

OTA

[miss_ives]

Vanessa had dressed to fit the theme, in a black lace dress with long sleeves that was quite her usual style. She wore discreet eye shadow, and a hint of dark red lipstick was her only concession to colour. She had secured a ticket for the banquet but, having stayed rather late at work, the empty seats were rare. She made for one now, and asked the people on either side of it, "Are you holding this seat for someone?"

Re: OTA

[show_me_something]

"Not at all, Miss Ives." Victoria waved a hand toward the seat beside her. "Please, join me." It had been quite some time since she'd met the intriguingly observant younger woman, but Victoria rarely forgot a face. The evening looked to be more enjoyable now, with her for company.

OTA

[hardertohide]

Dutch hadn't splurged and got herself the full ticket, but she'd managed to snag one of the bar only ones. Honestly, she just wanted to enjoy the rum. She didn't care much about the rest of it. So she found herself at the bar, dressed in her usual black skinny jeans and a black mesh sweater, not having made much of an effort to dress up.

She really was just here for the Kraken.

Right then, she was tasting the first of their three black cocktails, the Kraken Black Blitzen. She took a sip, then frowned curiously. "What do you think, cranberry?" she asked the person next to her, since she'd made a point not to ask the bartender what was in it.

Re: OTA

[akatawitch]

"I think so," was Sunny's answer as she squinted at her glass. "Don't ask me what else is in it, though, I wouldn't have the first clue." Not being much of a drinker she just didn't have enough experience to tell.

[akatawitch]

Typically, Sunny hated wearing black. Hated people seeing her in black. Hated referring to herself as black. She always felt like she looked half dead. But her friends had convinced her it would be amusing because what white people nonsense was this and Mama was looking for ways to spoil her in another holiday season spent apart and... she found a way to make it bearable. She was watching everything with more than a little amusement in her eyes, taking in all the details she could. Chichi would die laughing.

"Release the Kraken?" Sunny murmured into her drink as she investigated one of the ludicrously black Christmas trees.

She wondered if anybody would get that reference.

[wandandawolf]

"Why would you want to do that?" Remus said, having overheard her. Benefits of supernatural hearing. He reached across to gently clink his glass of...something smoky and black and bitter...against hers, eyes smiling. "We had one in the lake at school. Terrible for the swim team." Was he joking? Could he be joking? Oh, maybe.

"You look lovely," he added, the smile in his eyes managing to touch his lips. He might have felt like he was being torn in two directions at once, but he could hold it together for his friends. He always had. "Here's to parties."

[toujours_impur]

Sirius had been passing the woman just as she spoke, just close enough to catch the murmured question. He turned and looked her over, liking what he saw. A flirtatious grin spread over his face and he retorted in a low voice, "If you'd like."

[show_me_something]

The idea of a completely black feast appealed to the side of Victoria that didn't get to host parties as often as she would like, so of course she'd bought a ticket. It would've been two, if Ivan had been in London, but unfortunately he had business in Tajikistan which couldn't wait. In deference to the evening's theme, she paired an elegant black gown with a moto jacket enjoying the contrast. And the pockets that were so convenient for carrying a weapon or two. At least - a lady should keep some secrets, after all.

"Oh, I am looking forward to tonight. I hope you are," she said, with an easy smile for the person seated next to her.

[0_0_7]

"But of course," Bond replied. He'd slipped in beside her quietly but was quite sure she knew him by sound and scent alone. He had a black martini glass in hand that had inky black liquor in it that he sipped leisurely.

"The food alone was worth the price of the ticket, but the company makes the party."

[offthebeatenpath]

Kendall often received tickets to various events from clients (such as the owner of the Beagle restaurant), and when they couldn't attend, they passed them on to artists who might appreciate a night out, free food, etc. At least that's what they'd told Em when giving her two tickets to the Black Christmas feast.

The idea behind the night sounded like something Sabine would've loved, while Em was more interested in the preparation of the food itself. More importantly, it was free food and drinks, compliments of Kendall's client. Neither she nor Jag were going to turn that down.

Em rarely wore black, associating the color with her cousin who dressed to make an impression, while Em preferred to blend into the background. But tonight, when most everyone would be wearing black, she'd found a long-sleeved shift dress Ollie had convinced her didn't look too bad on her.

She nibbled on a black macaron, waiting for them to begin seating for the meal and trying not to think about swiping a bottle of bubbly at the end of the night. The memory brought with it a shy smile with a hint of sadness to her eyes. Then she felt someone's eyes on her, they'd noticed. If she was lucky, they wouldn't ask.

[jageskro]

"What's got you smiling like that?" Jag asked with a brief, curious frown, as he held a (black) cocktail out to her.

[jageskro]

Jag didn't own a lot of black clothes at all. He liked earth colours better. So he'd borrowed clothes from Jake, since they were sensibly the same height. It meant the trousers were slightly too long, but the black henley shirt fit him well enough. Of course, the minute he'd seen Em in that dress, he'd felt woefully underdressed.

It didn't stop him from coming, of course. There was free food and drinks, and he could look at Em in that dress all night.

Right then, he was sipping a thematically black cocktail and wondering when the food would be served. "Is all the food really going to be black, too?" he asked the person next to him, wondering how that might work.

[akatawitch]

After talking to Em, naturally Jag had been Sunny's next stop to find out about this person her friend was seeing. She had a nagging sense that his face was familiar, but... well, she couldn't place it.

"That's my understanding, yeah. I suppose the point is take our attention off of visual to focus on other senses. Like one of those blindfolded dining experiences, except slightly less why the hell would you do that."

[0_0_7]

Bond had tickets, but of course he did. And he was dressed for the occasion in a black Tom Ford, perfectly tailored, with a black shirt and tie. The black only served to make his eyes seem all the more blue and he smiled warmly as he wheeled his way around the party, making contacts and enjoying himself.

He'd stopped for the moment, a black martini of some sort in his hand. He thought it tasted quite a bit like chocolate and coffee but it was pitch black. He sipped it and stood, unbeknownst to him, under a sprig of black mistletoe tied with black satin ribbon that hung down from the bunting that decorated the bar.

[quartermaster_q]

Q had only barely had time to stop off and get changed, but he had pulled on something simple and black before rushing over to meet Bond.

Taking a moment to clean his glasses and fix his hair, Q made his way over to the double-o.

"Looking for a stand in for me, were you?" he asked, nodding up at the mistletoe.

[willysilver]

The tall fae with green eyes had gotten two tickets, but rather than invite Fin he had chosen to invite his newest, and, it seemed, only friend Curnen. He had even bought her a gown for the evening so that she could feel elegant and special for a night.

For his part he had raided the closet of the Phouka and wore fitted black trousers and a black silk shirt with a black on black brocade waist coat and a slim cut coat of the same brocade. He stood out for many reasons as he nibbled on black rice sprinkled with black sesame seeds and enjoyed a lovely bit of pickled veg that had been soaked in squid ink. It was delightful.

[wispofathing]

Even dressed properly--in something that fit well and was appropriate to the occasion--Curnen knew the two of them made something of an odd pair. She felt more like a child playing dress-up than anything, not that she was particularly self-conscious about that. She was grinning when she asked, "Ashamed of me yet?"

[wispofathing]

To say that finding herself here was a surprise for Curnen was something of an understatement. She had gone through her London life almost criminally underdressed for everything, so when Willy had invited her--a surprise in itself--she'd had to point out that she didn't have anything to wear. At least if he didn't want to be ashamed of her.

That got fixed in short order. Curnen wasn't sure she'd put her hair up since her wedding, but she did try valiantly, and as far as she was concerned, she didn't look half bad at all.

And then there she was, out on the town with a Seelie prince. Bliss was going to have a heart attack, but how could Curnen even think to say no?

Her manners could not be so easily tamed, though. She wasn't an animal or anything, but she was openly inquisitive and enthusiastic and very not-British altogether, and her constant refrain for the night seemed to be settled on a brightly curious "What the hell is this?"

[prince_of_nymphs]

Fin hadn't known Will was coming tonight. He, himself, had been given a pair of tickets by a friend at the last minute- And when he'd gone to find Will to invite him along, had found the fae's flat empty. Assuming he was off busking or playing a gig, Fin had come alone, passing his second ticket off to someone outside and heading in alone.

The shock when he saw Will already there, with someone else, was just enough to sting. The other fae hadn't even mentioned he planned to attend. Still, he supposed they both had their own lives now outside of each other. ...Or was this supposed to hurt him? Was this punishment of some sort? Fin was never sure when it came to Will.

Embarrassed and a bit wounded, he traded his banquet ticket with someone who'd only paid for the bar, intent on getting thoroughly sloshed before heading home. Better to drink those strange feelings away than dwell on them too much.

[akatawitch]

So drinking like that wasn't a concern at all. Sunny considered the wisdom of approaching Fin at all, but... ultimately her inability to leave well enough alone won out.

"Liquid dinner tonight?" Okay, so her need to comically miss the point was coming along, too.

[hollow_moon]

Valentine wasn't here as a guest, not really. He was more here as a friend of the organisers of the event. Had even kicked a bit of money at the whole thing, and been rewarded with free alcohol and an invite to come hang out. He'd brought a date, a pretty little blonde who was fresh off the runway in Milan. ...Literally. In fact, he'd flown out to meet her right after the show and brought her back himself. It had been too long since he'd indulged in simply being a Collingwood.

Leaning against the bar, he chatted absently with anyone who came over, checking his phone now and then as though expecting an important call. When his date wandered over, he spared her a smile and little else more- Other than standing nearer when she said she wanted to take a selfie. It took her several goes before she decided she'd gotten her angle, but it was clear in the way she promptly walked away that they were only here together to serve one another's needs. Val wanted Instagram's pretty face of the moment on his arm for a bit, and she wanted the publicity of being romanced by a Collingwood. Nothing more, nothing less.

[codenamemilady]

Milady found herself next to Valentine Collingwood as she waited for the bartender to mix a Blitzen. "Accessorising for the holidays, Mr. Collingwood?" she asked, glancing briefly to the blonde who'd entered on his arm, then back to him, a hint of smile playing in feline eyes.

[utterly_mysterious]

Angelique had come on a date, with a gentleman who was more interested in presenting her to shock his brothers (and probably deflect questions about why he wasn't married yet) than in her after-hours services. Once they'd finished with dinner, Angelique had a generous tip of cash to spend on drinks and the rest of the evening to mingle.

Her black lace dress rustled with crinoline, a little cap and veil perched on her upswept dark curls and brushed her forehead, and the elbow-length black gloves stood out sharply against her fair skin. She carried a martini glass full of something delicious and, naturally, black, in her fingers as she wandered from table to table in search of familiar faces.

[akatawitch]

"How are your feet not tired of those shoes?" Sunny asked brightly in lieu of a more typical greeting. Being as tall as she was and pursuing athletic activities, she didn't often wear heels and... yeah, her feet were killing her by this point in the night. She was in a chair already, but just barely resisting the urge to toe the damn shoes off.

[wandandawolf]

Sirius had wrangled them both tickets. He'd charmed someone who knew someone who - there'd been something about a party, and a game of indoor cricket, and a pet otter? - Remus had lost track of the story at that point, if at all he'd been tracking it.

Suffice to say, they were both there. And Remus had been dressed for the occasion, with Sirius playing the role of extremely handsy tailor. It had taken more than few firm comments before Pads had stopped coming close to sullying the dressing room of the men's boutique in a rather uh, inappropriate fashion.

Pads was out amongst the crowd, and Moony was leaning against the wall with a cocktail in hand, fingers drumming against the glass. This close to a full moon, the sound felt percussive and hard in his ears. This close to a full moon, he could practically smell every single person in the repurposed railway setting, and the underlying stink of disinfectant and paint and years and years of disrepair that lurked underneath the present. Knowing where his lover was, and keeping a nostril on him, was practically child's play. This close to a full moon, he slept poorly and woke worse, stretched out thin and pounding. As the day drew on, energy built in him, a thrum of something clawing its way out, surging. He was almost high at nighttime: he felt like he could be awake for days.

He felt like he could kill everyone without blinking. Fortunately he still seemed to care enough for that to a problem.

"Ah, well, bottom's up," he said to himself, and sank the cocktail in a few gulps.

[harrowgate]

"Darling, pace yourself, the night is young," came a clear, familiar voice as Felix strolled up to Remus' place against the wall. He had refused to dress entirely in black, and instead wore a three-piece suit with purple satin details, a shirt of the exact same hue, and a tie that sported the same dark plum. He carried a highball glass in one hand with, of course, something black in it, though the glass itself was half lost amid the bright tattoos curling the wizard's fingers.

"Every time I find you, you're decorating the wall," Felix observed with a smile that was broad and warm, and rarely earned by anyone. "And while you make a truly fetching decoration, you do force one to travel far to find you. Hello again, Remus."

[toujours_impur]

While Sirius had had loads of fun helping Remus pick his outfit for the evening, when it came to his own, he didn't have to shop long, for he knew exactly what he wanted to wear. Yes, it was bloody scorching, but he did love him some leather, and he thought he pulled it off quite nicely.

The idea of an all-black meal was rather absurd, even to him, but the drinks were all intriguing enough that he determined one of each was called for, and so he was working his way down the list. Though it was probably a good thing there were only five drinks on the list, for it had taken him several moments to remember if he'd just finished the third or the fourth when he'd gone back this time.

Fresh drink in hand (fourth, for anyone keeping score), he started making his way back to Moony, though making his way across a room could sometimes take him a while, as he stopped to look more than a handful of partygoers up and down with a flirtatious grin.

[shannonteverius]

Shannon arched a golden eyebrow at the leather suit Sirius wore. "That's a bold choice," he said. His own outfit was cooler, though it didn't adhere completely to the evening's theme.

[cold_blueeyes]

It was nice to be back in London, to be back home. While everything wasn't exactly back to normal, he and John were good for the most part, and between that and the progress Bobby had made in therapy, he was in a pretty damn good mood tonight.

He'd even been in a good enough mood to ignore all of John's snide remarks about the sweatshirt he'd chosen to pair with his black jeans, although in concession to the fact that it was ridiculous and also likely to get warm after a while, he'd also worn a more John-approved tee beneath it.

While some of the black food seemed rather dubious, he'd deemed the nori chips worth a try at least, and they weren't half bad, especially with the rum and ginger beer drink he'd chosen. All in all, he was having a great time, smiling and cheerful as he hadn't been in months.

[Feel free to run into him wearing either shirt. ;)]

[prodigalflame]

If pressed, John would have said he'd made no snide remarks. The looks he'd given Bobby had spoken for themselves, however.

He came up from behind his fiancé to swat him on the ass, before draping his arm over Bobby's shoulders and reaching to take a sip of Bobby's drink. "Well, don't you look like the world's most handsome accountant." He handed back the drink, and kissed Bobby on the cheek. "You're totally gonna pull off the 'Dork of the Year' award when you join some firm, you know that?"