happy holidays { open }

[disasdeer]

A HOLIDAY PARTY

I. Arrival

There were postings around town, and fliers going out around the end of November. The holiday party starts early evening, December 1, thanks to the help of several hands. They had worked for a couple of days prior to the start to get the large ballroom decorated to everyone's liking. He had rented out a large ballroom, and started decorating the day before, adding finishing touches early on the day of. Everyone was invited - and while there's no real dress code posted, everyone is invited to dress their best for the sake of the party.

When one approaches the building, there's a clear set of rules posted outside written in neat script:

There's only a few easy rules to ensure everyone enjoys their night:

One, no fighting - if you have to - please take it outside.
Two, no weapons on the premises.
Three, all children under the age of sixteen must leave before nine in the evening.

Welcome in. Grab a mask if you want - or don't - and join the party.

II. Welcome In

When walking through the entrance, the first thing that is easy to notice is how it is decorated. It has the colors of the holidays - red, green, blue, white. It’s mostly deeper shades with pops of brighter shades of the color. On the right of the entryway there is a table with a dark blue cloth over it. On top of it is a wide array of masks - different styles, shapes, sizes. Whatever their heart may desire, you can find here. Masks are, of course, optional! But who doesn’t love a great masquerade?

Above it is a sign that says Yours to Keep - so they may keep whatever masks they pick up.

Next to it is a large book with lined paper where people can drop a short message about the winter holiday they celebrate at home - their favorite part, how they celebrate, anything they'd like to share with other people! This will be picked up at the end of the party.

Not much further ahead is a dancefloor to the left - spacious as ever. To the right is catering - set up as an elaborate display of food and tables arranged so people can sit and eat. There’s food from a variety of places, including Golden Silence. They’ll find not only savory foods, but sweet desserts. In the back corner, not far from the food is a bartender, who is happily serving free drinks for anyone of drinking age.

Past the bar is a hallway with a couple of private rooms. These rooms are quiet - with none of the noise of the party being able to reach them. They're perfect for stepping away from the party for just a few moments of peace and quiet. In this rooms, there's decks of cards and a few simple board games. Each room can hold up to four people and can be locked from the inside.

Don't worry - there's signs posted everywhere so they'll will be able to find what they're looking for.

III. With So Much To Do

A. Dance the Night Away

The music at the party is provided by a variety of individuals. Various talents have been invited through the night, even! If no one is set to perform, there's a playlist set to play. The music goes on non-stop and the styles that will be played will vary. Most of the songs will be fairly upbeat through the night. Some of them are slower paced - so pick a partner and dance.

B. Mistletoe

Throughout the venue there's going to be mistletoe set up in a few spots throughout the building. The spots they're hanging are easy to identify. Most doorways have mistletoe hanging from them. There's also a few prime spots where there's some hanging - such as the corner not far from the bar. It's a perfect place to steal a kiss.

B. Charity Raffle

Near the food, there's a sign directing people to participate and purchase tickets for the charity raffle for a few prizes for people. There's donations (or things purchased) from a few businesses around Camelot. All funds raised from the Charity will go towards helping everyone who lost things during the events with Celliwig/Lestari. There's a variety of things: brunch for two, a date package, opportunities to learn a new skill, and other experiences. Several prizes will be raffled off, and people may purchase as many tickets as they want.

IV. Late at Night

After 9 in the evening, the entire feeling of the party changes. The lights get lower and glowsticks become available just off of the dance floor where they weren't earlier in the night. The music remains upbeat, though there's no performers for this part of the evening - only a playlist cycling through a variety of songs. This is a perfect time to grab a partner for a dance, or grab a drink. There's no real end of the night in sight, people are welcome to stay as long they'd like - even into the next morning if they should want.

Just be sure they're out by lunch the next day when clean-up starts.

Some quick ooc notes:

Anyone is free to assume their character participated in helping decorate.

Anyone who is a musician may get a short time slot to perform (15-30 minutes).

Feel free to have your character win anything from the raffle if you want - I'm not particular here!

Please mark anything NSFW as such in subject lines.

Have any questions? Drop one in my question thread!

Comments

[garyoutensei]

[ Baiken took the drink back with a shrug, pulling a long swig from it and wiping at her lips before finally addressing the autumn-colored elephant in the room, gesturing with a nod of her head to Kate's attire. ]

So uh... what's with the dress? That doesn't seem like your usual thing.

[morns]

( ugh, let her take a drink of the beer the bartender gives her first. )

Bad bet. ( a shrug rolls across her shoulders. it had seemed like a sure thing at the time, but apparently not. ) Don't know how people wear this shit.

( does she look good? yes, of course. but that doesn't stop this outfit from being hideously impractical in Kate's eyes. ) Fucked if I need to run.

( you can literally teleport but ok Katherine. )

[garyoutensei]

I've worn western style dresses before... hard to put on, uncomfortable as hell, and get the annoying kind of attention.

[ Well. Annoying by Baiken standards. And honestly the "hard to put on" point probably applied a lot more to her than it did to Kate, given the obvious. But still. ]

You gotta wear it all night?

[morns]

( you know, she's not sure, and she shrugs. )

Why? You want to try it on?

( she'll help you into it if you like, Baiken. though she may also walk out wearing that suit. )

[garyoutensei]

[ Baiken chuckled, shaking her head. ]

Hard pass. I wouldn't even fit into that thing. I'd be having an even worse time than you. Sorry.

[ Wish she could help, pal, but like hell was she going to invite that kind of torture on herself, even for the sake of someone else. ]

[morns]

( damned big tiddy committee. :| )

Fine. Buy my next drink, then.

( call it compensation for not being able to swipe Baiken's suit. )

[garyoutensei]

Hmph. Sure, I'll buy you a drink. Hell, I'll buy you a few, if it helps. Lord knows I'd want to be smashed out of my skull if I was in your position.

[ And, well, it was Claude's money she was spending, so who cared? ]

[morns]

( her favourite way to drink booze - on other people's money. good choice, Baiken. )

Won't say no. ( hm, but in that case... hold on, what was that wine she tried when helping Louis find drinks for this. AH.

one bottle, two glasses please, bartender. )

You alright with white?

[garyoutensei]

I'm not picky when it comes to western-style wines. [ Baiken shrugged. ]

So long as I get a buzz from it, I'm not gonna complain.

[ And again, someone else's tab. ]

[morns]

( welp, in that case. bottoms up. the bartender is kind enough not to judge the amount of wine Kate pours into each glass — definitely more than one probably "should", but she's paid for the whole bottle so fuck it — before sliding a glass to Baiken. )

It's good.

( by good she mostly means "high percentage". but it does taste nice, almost citrusy, as it goes down. )

[garyoutensei]

[ Baiken took up her glass.

Sucked in a breath.

And then downed the whole thing in what was maybe three gulps, at most, as if she was somehow being challenged to drink it as fast as she could, though done with the casual air of someone who is just used to this kind of thing.

A sniff, once she her glass down, and she rubbed at her lips. ]

Yeah. Good.

[morns]

( not quite how she intended Baiken to drink that, but given that she chugged a beer not too long ago, Kate has no space to judge. )

That kind of night?

( c'mon, Baiken, you're not even the one wearing the dress, do you really need to chug like that? )

[garyoutensei]

This isn't really my kind of party.

[ Though for the time they'd known each other, it wouldn't be a stretch for Kate to think that nothing was Baiken's kind of party, but a formal event like this was especially awkward for her. To say she was a fish out of water was an understatement... more like a bear out of the woods. ]

[morns]

( yeah, fair. Kate doesn't feel at home either. but she likes Louis enough to try and pretend this is her scene. )

What is?

( that's a genuine question as she takes another drink of wine. everyone has some kind of party, right? even if it's just in the figure of speech way. )

[garyoutensei]

I prefer to do my drinking in quiet company, really.

[ Hell, Kate probably remembered Baiken insisted on being a wallflower at her birthday party, too. ]

Crowds bother me because I don't like the possibility of my right side being brushed by. High society like this bothers me because I feel like I don't belong. Rowdy parties get too loud...

I guess I'm just not a party person...

[morns]

( they're definitely on opposite ends of the spectrum there. crowds and rowdy parties make Kate feel better. she's just a tiny, insignificant cog in the mix, distracted from her own thoughts by everyone else's talking. )

Quiet pub person?

( though, if there's alcohol, it sounds like party enough for Kate.

speaking of: more wine? she needs more wine. )

[garyoutensei]

Something like that.

[ Baiken did too, extending her glass out for a refill. ]

Either way, it's definitely not a scene like this.

[morns]

( more wine! and she possibly pours a little too much in the glasses. who needs to let wine breathe, really? )

Hear there's rooms in th' back if you want summat quiet.

( or private, she supposes. )

[garyoutensei]

What, you trying to get me all to yourself? [ A small, almost derisive chuckle, though there was clearly no insult meant by her words, more just... obviously joking.

Mostly. ]

[morns]

( there's the briefest lifting of her brows. look. Baiken is hot, she isn't gonna deny that. )

Can't say I'd complain.

( depending on certain factors, like how willing Baiken was to let her be dictating the pace. )

[garyoutensei]

[ Baiken took a long drink of her wine, a low chuckle in her chest as she set the glass back down, licking her lips in what was probably a purposeful display... ]

Cut out that weak shit. If you're actually gonna proposition me, do it with guts or not at all.

[morns]

( that gets a raise of the brows, a smirk playing at the lips. that's different. good, but different. Kate's used to casual propositions accepted casually — keeping things take it or leave it because this is only ever a way to kill time and thoughts.

but very well.

she's not so good with words, unless Baiken is looking for the poetry of "nice suit, wanna fuck?", but there's an easy and more practical way to ask that question:

Kate shifts out of her seat, leans forward, and curls her fingers into the collar of Baiken's suit, tugging her forward into a kiss. )

[garyoutensei]

[ Well she asked for 'guts' and there wasn't a lot more gutsy than that. Baiken appreciated it, and it showed in the way she pressed right back, letting out a low hum as she locked her lips to Kate's, tongue pushing past to taste the wine that lingered there. Her hand, leaving her glass on the table, looped about the other woman's waste to draw her in that much closer, chest to chest.

Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she was aware Claude was probably somewhere within eyesight of this. He probably had some smugly satisfied remark about how "see? aren't you glad you showed up" prepared, and she also knew he had the self-restraint to hold it back until later.

Whatever. That was gonna be future!Baiken's problem. In the moment, she just let herself enjoy the kiss, and the taste of Kate's lips.

... Good wine, indeed. ]

[morns]

( this is easier than trying to be wordy about shit. there's no shyness to the kiss, all tongue and the natural shift from where she's leaning over to slipping into Baiken's lap, fingers idling their way ever so gradually into pink hair that isn't her own.

whether or not anyone is watching doesn't matter in the moment. this is easy and natural. it feels good, and a low rolling noise escapes Kate as she pulls away. it's not quite a laugh, but it certainly seems amused. pleased.

distracted. )

That better?

[garyoutensei]

Oi... what direction did you say those private rooms were in?

[ Which was probably as good an answer as Kate could expect. Especially with the way Baiken's arm scooped low, holding tight around the other woman's backside. It seemed at first Baiken was securing Kate in her lap, but... she instead slipped out of the stool entirely, arm plenty to hold the other woman up and keep her close. ]