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

[akatawitch]

Sunny started, not having really expected an answer and not from a ridiculously pretty white boy. It wasn't often, maybe ever, someone smiled at her like that. "Um." Heat rose in her cheeks and she felt a damn fool for it. "No, no thank you."

[akatawitch]

Sunny didn't feel lovely. She felt like an idiot, but she didn't feel as though she could really say so. "It's a line from this really stupid movie," she explained, finding a little smile for him. "Hello, Remus."

Re: OTA

[miss_ives]

"Victoria," Vanessa greeted her with a warm smile, and took her seat beside the older woman. "An unexpected pleasure."

[hardertohide]

"I'm not sure where the sweetness comes from either," Dutch stated after another thoughtful sip. The cocktail tasted like some sort of Christmas cake, and she was hoping the other cocktails weren't the same kind.

[jageskro]

"Now I feel like we're missing out," Jag remarked with a small smile. "Unless it's the not fun kind of trouble."

[hardertohide]

Dutch was watching him curiously, for the same reason anyone who ran across someone they'd met while three sheets to the wind ever watched them: because she'd quite forgotten where she knew him from. But he did look familiar, and she hated that feeling. "Where do I know you from?" she asked when he walked by her, caring very little that her question might come off as a line.

[jageskro]

"I don't know, I can sort of see why you'd do that," Jag answered. He wouldn't want to, personally, but... yeah, whatever. "The idea of black food sounds like the opposite to me, though. Like the visual will be seriously distracting from the flavour. I mean, it's all going to be black. Proper black, I'm guessing."

[akatawitch]

Sunny huffed a soft laugh at that. "Yeah, probably. There's studies about colors affecting how we taste things. Here's hoping black doesn't code as 'char' or something."

[faizel]

"Honestly? You just- I suppose it feels like you understand me," he admitted. "I like that. I've never really had anyone in my life who didn't find me difficult to talk to, let alone pleasurable to talk to. I feel like we share something. ...A connection."

[faizel]

"Faizel," he replied with a polite bow of his head, before taking the offered hand. "A pleasure to meet you."

[prince_of_nymphs]

Fin smiled softly, leaning into the touch and covering her hand with his.

"You're very kind to say so," he assured her. "My heart will be alright though. Honest."

[quartermaster_q]

"If you like," Q nodded, happy to do anything when it involved more time with James.

[codenamemilady]

"Tonight I'm unconstrained, free to rove as the mood takes me in the moment, before moving on to the next thing that catches my eye." For the moment that was him, but neither would be disappointed, Milady thought, when she moved on to someone else.

[codenamemilady]

What Milady wanted always had something to do with things, and she bent under circumstances only as far as she must for her own personal greater good. But this little thing, well, Milady imagined it would be easy to be overlooked. "Size isn't everything."

[show_me_something]

A gentle laugh bubbled up as Victoria shook her head. "Perhaps for the best. You're really too similar to get on, if I had to guess." Ivan was a teddy bear with her, but he and James interacting could be inviting trouble, whether they were getting along well or at each other's throats.

[show_me_something]

"No mountain Martha Stewarts?" There were hierarchies involved, and Victoria had traveled many places were food at all was a luxury. Art statements with food were frivolous at best. "I'll admit to making statements a time or two with my cooking, but no matter how beautiful it looks, how it tastes will always be most important. But there's fun in finding out. Which was what Victoria was looking forward to tonight.

[show_me_something]

"That's the idea, I believe," Victoria answered evenly, but there was a twinkle in her eyes, the corners crinkling with humor.

Re: OTA

[show_me_something]

"It's been far too long," Victoria said by way of agreement. "I hope you're well."

[offthebeatenpath]

Rather than get into what kind of trouble she'd been remembering, Em looked up at him through her lashes and smiled. "I'm sure we'll find our own kind of trouble."

[offthebeatenpath]

"What about you? How are things with Faizel?" Sunny'd been blushy-unsure-happy about him at Winter's treehousewarming. Of course Em was going to ask.

[miss_ives]

"As well as can be expected," Vanessa answered with a polite smile. "And yourself?"

[jageskro]

"The cocktails are working out char-free, I've found?" Jag pronounced hopefully, raising his glass slightly to emphasise his meaning.

[jageskro]

Fuck, she was just so beautiful when she looked at him like that. Jag had raised his hand to brush his thumb over her cheek before he'd thought anything of it. "That a promise?"

[akatawitch]

Sunny wanted more than anything in that moment for them to be alone together. Not... well. But curled up quiet together, like she had with Anael, maybe. Except maybe more kissing. She just wanted to be close and she wanted it right now.

As it was, she just lay her hand on his. "Maybe not for the same reasons," she murmured, "but I feel the same way."

[shannonteverius]

"I haven't found the courage," Shannon said with a shake of his head. "Though I am reassured to see that you haven't died from it yet," he teased.