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 startled, then embarrassed, and it was obvious he had no idea how to react or respond to that as he looked away nervously and reached for his drink.

[akatawitch]

Sunny flinched back, taking away her hand. Usually she had so much of a better filter than this. "I'm sorry."

[faizel]

"No, no- I... I'm flattered, it's just- Here might not be the place for... I mean, it isn't the place, is it?" he asked, genuinely unsure what was or wasn't appropriate, and feeling a mixture of anxiety, fear, and interest- A combination that left him unsteady.

[akatawitch]

"No," Sunny answered with an unsteady little laugh. Of course, she knew some people wouldn't be intimidated, but she wasn't one of them. "No, it's not. I'm sorry, I just..." she didn't know if there were words for it. "I got overwhelmed, or something."

[faizel]

"I apologise. Please, tell me what I did, and I promise I wont again," he said softly, looking concerned, and perhaps a bit guilty.

[akatawitch]

"Oh." Sunny started. "Oh, no, don't apologize, it wasn't... I liked it." It had been a heady feeling, and it felt really good.

[faizel]

Again, Faizel looked puzzled, but he smiled and nodded a bit, deciding that so long as he'd not done anything wrong, things were probably fine.

"I'm looking forward to dinner, I hear it's to be a real treat."

[akatawitch]

Sunny tried to behave herself. She wanted to explain, but... not here and now, perhaps. "Promises to be very interesting," she agreed.

[faizel]

"Have you ever been to an event like this before?" Faizel asked curiously. "I didn't even know there were such things. I mean, I understand it's in part to promote a product, but how strange to break bread with complete strangers. ...I quite like it, I think, actually. Even if it's a bit intimidating."

[akatawitch]

Sunny shook her head. "Not unless you count school events. Not gimmicky, certainly not very fancy, but eating with strangers in your good clothes, yeah."

[faizel]

"Mmm, I suppose I ate daily with my peers when I was young, and I didn't know any of them well, but it was never formal," Faizel admitted.

[akatawitch]

Suddenly overcome by a memory, Sunny started to giggle. "Oh God, no, I do have one. Sort of. Sometime when we're not in public, remind me to tell you about Zuma Rock."

[faizel]

"Zuma Rock?" Faizel echoed, commiting the name to memory and nodding. "I'd very much like to hear that tale, Sunny."

[akatawitch]

Sunny grinned. "Somewhere in there is the story of the first time Chichi nearly got us all killed."

[faizel]

"...Killed?" he asked, not sure why she was smiling while speaking of such a grim possibility. "That doesn't seem like a joyful thing."

[akatawitch]

"Embracing the nightmare is my favorite coping mechanism," she said to his confusion.

[faizel]

Faizel continued to look baffled, but didn't argue. Instead he nodded slowly and sipped his drink.

[akatawitch]

Moments like this, Sunny hovered between finding inability to find words really cute, and despairing of the idea of actually communicating effectively. It was not a state she particularly enjoyed, but she smiled anyway. "You think I'm a little off, huh?"

[faizel]

"No, not at all," Faizel assured her. "It's more you smile like that and brush off the worst in life so easily that I can't help but wonder how queer I am- Or if you're simply so much stronger than I. I survive by going cold, but you burn warm always," he said softly, pushing his hair back and looking at her for a long moment.

"It's admirable. ...Enviable, even."

[akatawitch]

"I don't think that's weird at all," she said honestly. This had just always been her way of dealing with things and she was probably even a little afraid of what would happen if she looked seriously at all the things she had laughed off over the years. "And I don't know if I'm stronger so much as I just... work differently."

[faizel]

Faizel nodded a little, then reached out and took her hand again, squeezing. It was a small action, but he hoped she understood that to him it was quite big still. Every touch, every attempt to make the first move when it came to contact- That was him trying.

[akatawitch]

She did not, perhaps, entirely understand the significance of the gesture, but she did notice that he was touching her and for that reason it was noteworthy. A reminder that it wasn't that he didn't want her, but that he was even less ready than she was.

Sunny just wished she didn't want to touch him so badly.

Her thumb rubbed slow circles over the back of his hand. Not for any particular reason, just drawing what she could out of this simple contact.

[faizel]

"I'm very glad i ran into you tonight. I'd much rather be here, with you, than alone with my reading," he said quietly.

[akatawitch]

Sunny's small smile was lopsided. "Coming from you, I take that as a high compliment indeed."

[faizel]

Faizel beamed at that, quietly pleased that he'd said the right thing.