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

[utterly_mysterious]

The last bit sounded like it might be even more important than the others, but maybe not something Angelique ought to pry into too deeply. She had to recognize cues like that, in her profession. "He sounds like quite a gentleman. And you sound positively a-flutter," Angelique told her with an approving smile. "So, you like each other and you appreciate one another's finer qualities. Why the blushing?"

[akatawitch]

Sunny squirmed. "I don't know! I've never done this before, I guess." She wasn't used to feeling squishy inside without pain following. A little or a lot, sooner or later.

[utterly_mysterious]

"Oh, lamb," Angelique told her with fond smile, "there's always a first time. If you were already an expert, there'd be no reason to try, would there? The whole adventure is in the discovery."

[akatawitch]

That got a smile out of her, small and awkward though it was. "I don't think I've ever been so scared or enjoyed being scared so much in my life."

[utterly_mysterious]

"Then I believe, as they say, you're doing it right," Angelique assured her. Then she leaned in just a bit more, head tilted. "So, are you going to point him out?"

[akatawitch]

Sunny glanced around before she found Faizel in the middle of what looked like an awkward conversation with Remus. She wondered if she should save him by letting him know he was talking to another wizard, but. Well. Faizel was a grown man. He could take care of himself.

She didn't point, but she jerked her chin that way. "Guy holding up the wall over there, wavy black hair," she said, to distinguish him from the other awkward guy he was talking to.

[utterly_mysterious]

"Cute," Angelique approved as she followed Sunny's direction and got a good look at the dark-haired fellow. Even from this distance he looked rather adorably out-of-place, though Angelique understood that made him even more attractive for Sunny in particular. "Oh, well done. He's darling."

[akatawitch]

"Isn't he? I could eat him up." Though once she said that, Sunny was ducking her head like she couldn't believe she'd actually said something that silly.

[utterly_mysterious]

"In my experience, men do appreciate that, yes," Angelique murmured with a little lilt of a tease. Sunny was so bold and so confident when it came to the opinions of others that it was rather odd to see her unsure of herself in any matter. Sweetie, Angelique wanted to say, I'm a professional, ask me anything.

"I... do have quite a bit of experience," she offered, letting the tease fall away into an honest offer, with a small and almost hopeful smile.

[akatawitch]

"I... don't," she admitted. Not that it probably wasn't glaringly obvious to Angelique. "I mean, I'm not without, but. I don't think it'll be needed just yet anyway."

[utterly_mysterious]

"That's right, you're taking things slowly," Angelique said as if she'd just recalled, and she approved highly. "But should you ever like... I have something of a unique perspective."

That was just about as close as Angelique ever ventured to confessing the disparity between her dress and her body in public.

[akatawitch]

Sunny smiled at that, though it was a bit uncertain around the edges. She'd never talked about sex with anyone in a serious way, outside of very clinical (and thorough and unembarrassed, she had to give credit) conversations with her mother.

"Right now I think we're just trying to get past the hurdles of little experience and less confidence in body image." She had worded it deliberately so that it wasn't entirely clear who she was referring to. Context would make it sound like she meant only herself, but she meant Faizel, too. Only she couldn't come out and say it. It felt too like humiliating him.

[utterly_mysterious]

Angelique didn't need to know the details to sympathize. She dipped a small, understanding nod. "As long as you're talking, you'll work it out together, I have every faith. So many people seem to think that the path to intimacy is through taking your clothes off, but that's nothing. There's an entire industry showing us how humans can screw each other without feelings. We don't have porn showing people being honest about their needs and feelings. That's the only actual intimacy we have."

[akatawitch]

The smile softened into something more real, and Sunny's body relaxed a little from the tension of her squirming. "I guess so."

It just sucked that she wanted so badly to touch him, for him to touch her, and he... couldn't handle it.

[utterly_mysterious]

Angelique reached out unselfconsciously and put a hand on Sunny's, giving her hand a little squeeze. "You're worth it. He's worth it, from what you've said. By the time you get to bed, you'll know each other so well, it'll be practically film-worthy."

[akatawitch]

"Oh God, I hope not," Sunny laughed, and her mind picked out a random film sex scene--Titanic, apparently--making her laugh harder.

[utterly_mysterious]

Sunny's laughter set Angelique to giggling as well, and she waved a hand as if she could brush away that last comment. "No, no, no! Not that kind of film," she protested, laughing.

[akatawitch]

"Still, I needed that," she said as she wiped at her eyes. Sunny still wore very little in the way of makeup, so she could do this without fearing messing up her face.

[utterly_mysterious]

Angelique loved feeling that she had helped someone, even with just a small thing, in a small way. If she had given Sunny a moment of perspective on something clearly quite important to her, then that left her with a particular warm glow. "Normally, this is where I'd tell you to go and get your man," Angelique admitted, "but I'll leave that timing to you."

[akatawitch]

"He seems to be making a new friend, so I'll let him be for right now," Sunny said with a little smile. "But thanks. If I have questions, I'll remember you offered."

[utterly_mysterious]

"What else are friends for," answered Angelique, and if she tried to cover her shyness at saying such a thing with a seemingly careless little twirl of her hand, she didn't think Sunny would call her out on it. 'Friends' -- actual friends -- were as new to Angelique as Faizel was to Sunny.