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

[shannonteverius]

Shannon wondered if Remus had had a little too much ink to drink, but at the mention of Felix the soft smile returned to his face. "We're doing quite well," he said. "I feel like we've become even closer recently. Yet he still manages to surprise me in unexpected ways."

[wandandawolf]

Thinking of what he knew about their relationship, Remus believed - hoped - that it was not some sort of false state of revelation on Shannon's part. "How long have you two been together?" he asked. They'd been together when he met them, he thought, so it had to be more than a year. "There's often a tipping point for the closeness, from what I've been. But if he can still surprise you, after more than a year, that's a very good sign." He snorted, softly, and had another sip of his drink: "Sorry, I don't mean to pry. I went to a private school and got to play relationship counsellor to a lot of friends who married their teenage sweethearts. Trust me, I've seen a lot."

[shannonteverius]

Shannon's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Not much has changed for you then, I'm afraid," he said with a soft laugh. "Felix is my teenage sweetheart."

[wandandawolf]

"And Sirius is mine," Remus admitted, with a bit of a wrinkle to his nose. "So maybe I should be your counsellor and you can be mine, hmm?"

[shannonteverius]

"Why not?" Shannon shrugged. "The least we can do is vent to each other." He took another sip from his glass, pretending it wasn't such an off-putting color. "Though I'll expect anything said will be held in the strictest confidence."

[wandandawolf]

Remus chuckled. "As I said, private school. Sort of everybody's friend, when I wasn't being a prefect. I know how to hold my confidences." He didn't press Shannon's ability to keep secrets, and took it largely on trust. He knew the man worked in something government-y, and generally, they were a secretive sort, if a bit conspiratorial and prone to leak whatever to the Daily Prophet if it made them look good.

"...Drink's not terrible, then?"

[shannonteverius]

"Not terrible is a good way to describe it," Shannon said. That was as close to a compliment he could give the black liquid. "Though I hope whoever threw this mournful excuse for a party has come to their senses and learned the error of their ways."

[wandandawolf]

"Oh, I don't know," Remus said, looking around at all the decorations and the spread and the general....theme of the event, "you can't say it's not memorable, can you? And that's half the battle, for something like this."

[shannonteverius]

"Like the benefits of bad publicity?"

[wandandawolf]

Remus' reproachful glance said that he thought that was a bit harsh...if true. "Think of it this way," Remus suggested, with a bit of a twinkle in his eye, "next year, they'll definitely know who likes the idea and who doesn't. It's a way of cornering a very particular market."

[shannonteverius]

"I can't see the point of cornering a market like this," said Shannon, "but to each his own, I suppose."

[wandandawolf]

"Well, now you know not to come next year," Remus observed. "Or not to let Felix drag you."

[shannonteverius]

Shannon wondered what Felix thought of the event. Occasionally there were things Felix appreciated that Shannon did not understand. This party could be one of them. He'd find out later.

"What about you?" he asked. "Will you be here next year?"

[wandandawolf]

"Depends on Sirius, really," Remus commented, after a brief moment's thought. "He got the tickets, he likes parties, and people...I mostly tag along to keep him out of trouble." He shot Shannon a rueful glance: they might have had that in common when it came to their partners. "Mind you, it doesn't often work, but it's always entertaining to watch the results. What about you? Would you tell Felix to sod off?"

[shannonteverius]

"Felix is welcome to attend parties without me," Shannon said. "Though it would depend on timing with this one. I do insist that we spend Christmas together."

[wandandawolf]

"It is a time for loved ones and family," Remus agreed. "Do you have a large gathering at Christmas?" He didn't really know anything about Shannon's background, but he had the sneaking suspicion he was a bit of a toff: political types often were, of course, and Felix seemed like the type who'd enjoy having a well-connected lover. The better for gossip.

[shannonteverius]

"We have dinner with my brother and sister around the holidays," Shannon said. It usually consisted of his siblings glaring disapprovingly at Felix while Shannon attempted to keep the conversation rolling. Sometimes he had help if either Stephen or Victoria were dating, but that wasn't always a benefit. He supposed it was appropriately awkward as family gatherings went. "What about you? Do you and Sirius do anything special for Christmas?"

[wandandawolf]

"Sounds...like quite the ritual you have there." Smaller gatherings could be more fraught, Remus thought: less places to hide. Not that Felix would be the one doing the hiding, but other people might want to hide from him. "This will be our first Christmas as a couple, so we'll probably have a quiet day in. Neither of us has much family around London, although there is a godson to visit." Who happened to be a decade older than either of them, at least.

[shannonteverius]

"You have a godson?" Shannon asked. It was the first he'd heard of it.

[wandandawolf]

"Sirius has the godson." Remus shrugged apologetically. "I just sort of tag along. Both of us went to school with his father, though, so it's basically family."

[shannonteverius]

It was more baffling to hear that Sirius had a godson. "What is his name?"

[wandandawolf]

"Harry," Remus offered. That was the easy part. The rest...would be tricky to explain.

[shannonteverius]

"He lives here in London?"

[wandandawolf]

"He does," Remus replied, and hoped the conversation wouldn't get any more deep than that. "Your family is not exactly suburban, I gather?" Changing the subject was a tried and tested technique.

[shannonteverius]

Shannon laughed. "Not exactly, no." He couldn't imagine what his family would be like if they hadn't been in politics.