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]

Faizel looked a bit startled by the kiss, and he blushed a little as he ducked his head slightly and smiled.

"I just mean... I would like to show you where I spent most of my youth, even if not all those memories are good ones," he said, still looking a bit pink and clearly not certain how to react.

[akatawitch]

"And if you'd like to show me, then I'd like to see," Sunny affirmed, equally not sure how to react to this shyness but not minding it. She smiled. "I can't decide if introducing you to or sparing you from my friends would be the greater kindness."

[faizel]

"I'd like to meet them," Faizel said honestly, looking over at her and taking her hand. "I mean, if the chance ever arose, I'd love to meet your friends," he added, giving her hand a brief squeeze, then leaning over to kiss her cheek in return.

[akatawitch]

Sunny squirmed a little at the kiss. Her smile was probably verging a little on silly. "Well, there's always Skype. It's our primary mode of communication, these days."

[faizel]

"Oh, the, computer phone-thing, right? I've never done that. I have a laptop, but I just write on it mostly," Faizel admitted. "Technology and my magic don't always get on. I've only just mastered my phone. Went through a few of them before I figured out my magic was reacting to them. I wrote a paper on it, actually."

[akatawitch]

"I can safely say I've never had that problem," Sunny laughed. It sounded like quite the pain in the butt, yet she couldn't help being amused. "Maybe we should find out if you're kryptonite to my computer before we try it."

[faizel]

"That... Might be wise, actually," Faizel replied seriously. "Though my laptop likes me quite well, for what it's worth."

[akatawitch]

"We'll figure it out," she assured him. "I don't think Chichi will let me do otherwise."

[faizel]

Faizel smiled, but it faltered slightly as he realised he had no one to introduce her to, outside of a few academic peers. ...There was his mother, of course, but, well- Best not to cross that bridge unless needed.

[akatawitch]

Sunny smoothed one of his dark curls away from his face, mostly for the sake of touching him. "What's wrong?"

[faizel]

"Nothing, nothing just- Well, I was wishing I had someone to introduce you to, that's all," he admitted. "I forget sometimes just how isolated I am. I don't exactly have friends. ...Not unless you count Winter and them, but, well, they're likely better friends of yours than mine," he pointed out with an awkward laugh.

[akatawitch]

Sunny shrugged, fingers stroking down his cheek, then along his jawline. "You come from what you come from. And you're more introverted than I am."

[faizel]

Leaning into the touch, Faizel smiled softly. "I know, I just find myself wanting to show you to the whole world, I suppose," he said quietly, looking confused, as though he wasn't certain why that was- Only to be distracted as the food was served.

[akatawitch]

Sunny didn't quite know what she was feeling either, this weird excitement that made her want to squeal and bounce up and down like a child and kiss him and she couldn't decide which. So she did none of them, just... wriggled in her chair while her face turned bright red. "Well," she found it in her to say somehow, "you'll just need to make more friends, won't you?"

[faizel]

Faizel looked surprised by that, but his smile grew slightly as he nodded his agreement.

"I suppose I will, yes."

[akatawitch]

That smile made her stomach flutter in this really weird way that Sunny didn't know what to do with, but her brain seemed to find the words without her asking it to--oh God, I think I could fall for you.

It was so sudden that she couldn't do anything with it other than push it away.

"You're easier to like than you think you are," she said.

[faizel]

"Thank you for saying so, but it's not that- Not anymore. I'd like to think I'm a better man than I was a boy, I just- Well, I suppose I don't really try and make friends usually. You're, um- Well, to be honest, you're an exception to the rule for me, in many ways."

[akatawitch]

"Because I've tried to put my tongue in your mouth?" Sunny teased. It was along the same lines of 'because I want to get into your pants' but she wasn't sure how well he'd deal with that one.

[faizel]

Faizel opened his mouth to speak, then closed it- Then opened it again.

"Well, um, that, but also- You're the first person I've met where I sort of wanted that," he admitted. "I've never really, um- It's not that I don't find people attractive, I do, just, it's never been a priority of mine to try and be near someone before. ...But, I do feel that with you. I like being around you. I like being close."

[akatawitch]

"Oh." Sunny wasn't sure how she should feel about that, but she felt (perhaps absurdly) flattered by this.

"You're not my first," she said softly. She'd had her share of crushes running the gamut from chaste to... well, with Phouka was there anyway to think about it other than knee-wobbling lust? "But you're one of very few I've felt... I can trust." Regardless of the truth, there had been few men in her life she felt really saw her and not some exotic animal.

[faizel]

"Good. ...Good, I- I want you to feel safe with me. I feel safe with you," he said softly, his words honest and quiet.

[akatawitch]

Sunny hesitated a moment. "Why me?"

[faizel]

"Why do I feel safe with you?" Faizel asked, not sure what, exactly, she was asking.

[akatawitch]

Sunny considered how to ask this. "What made me, um... especially interesting?"

[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."