Open: In a shout of joy at the only shrine where you come benighted and leave benign

[vineleaves]

Dark has come and gone again, which means it’s time to party.

In some ways the party is very similar to last year’s - same large banquet room in the mansion, a similarly large abundance of food and drink, and the promise of a night full of letting loose for everyone in attendance. It’s far from a direct clone of the previous party though. For starters, Dionysus has had Claudius help him in all of the planning (sometimes a god’s blessings come in the form of enrichment for one’s enclosure). They’ve gotten several of the mansion’s residents to agree to play live music during the night, and Dionysus was able to find some, ah, more widely appreciated CDs to play during the breaks between performers.

The room has been decorated to the nines again, but where last year he had green vines draping on the walls diffusing the glow from the twinkling fairy lights, this year he has strung up swooping vines of silver, glittering almost like tinsel. The large food tables have an almost ridiculous amount of things to munch on; there should be something for everyone there.

It should go without saying that the beverage tables are well-stocked, considering the host.

The festivities are starting a little earlier this year than last, out of respect for those who may or may not have earlier bedtimes. Come dressed in your finest, it’s a yearly tradition now!




Just as there was last year, there is to be an ‘after party’. If your character is part of the standard Orgy Invite Crew, they will have received another invitation to that half of the evening as well. Just like last year, this part of the event is to be handwaved, for obvious reasons.

Comments

[futaille]

"Having a good time with my friends and loved ones. Which, of course, neatly maps to both parties, even if the nature of those good times shifts slightly."

[timebethine]

"The best occupation that any man can claim," says Laertes, his gaze softening, and he kisses the corner of Grantaire's mouth. "What foods or drinks wouldst thou recommend most?"

[futaille]

"All of the drinks are obviously wonderful, given who supplied them, but if you want an interesting novelty, I do recommend the jello shots."

[timebethine]

"The ... jello shots?"

[futaille]

He grins. "Oh, you're in for a treat. Follow me." He turns to head back to one of the beverage tables.

[timebethine]

Laertes follows behind, expression bright and quizzical.

[futaille]

And he promptly leads Laertes over to a colorful array of shots. "Choose whichever color strikes your fancy," he says, sweeping up a green one for himself.

[timebethine]

Laertes eyes them thoughtfully--for obvious reasons, jelly desserts are not often consumed in his household. He studies the vivid sapphire-blue for a moment, entranced, before selecting a ruby-red shot. "I must keep to my color," he says, grinning. Then his attention is arrested by the unusual movement of the (liquid?) inside.

The shot wobbles in the plastic cup. He gives it an experimental squeeze between thumb and forefinger, and the jello squashes up toward the rim. "Thou eatest it," he realizes.

[futaille]

"In the way of most gelatin, it's somewhere in the nebulous space between eating and drinking. As so." He squeezes his a bit to loosen it from the sides of the cup and promptly dumps it into his mouth.

[timebethine]

Laertes laughs, then copies Grantaire, sucking down his red jello.

Sunny's right about the texture. It's like a worse custard--and the flavor can broadly be described as red. Even as sweet as it is, Laertes makes a face. "Is this thine invention?"

[futaille]

"Oh, not remotely! I believe that in this particular form, it's a twentieth century concoction. I do think it's entertaining, though."

[timebethine]

"How didst thou find the green?"

[futaille]

"Vaguely related to citrus, I think. So probably meant to be lime."

[timebethine]

"Ay, these flavors are more sketches than portraits from life," says Laertes wryly. And, because he doesn't love himself enough, he reaches for one of the green ones and swallows it down. "Ay, it hath a passing kinship with lime, but from no legitimate branch."

[futaille]

"The poor bastard lime." He grabs a red one for himself and downs it. "Ah. That is in the same genre as the red effervescent drinks that often populate the refrigerators."

[timebethine]

"The ones Galahad prefers," Laertes says, agreeing. "But it hath a touch of cherry, too--from the distaff side, perhaps."

[futaille]

"Some sort of cherry, surely."

[timebethine]

"And what of the blue? A bilberry?"

[futaille]

"I cannot quite pin it down for certain."

[timebethine]

Well, there's only one way to answer that question--a shot of blue raspberry straight down the gullet! "'Tis some kind of berry, but 'tis sugar above all else."

[futaille]

He grabs one of his own and downs it. "Hm. I agree with you. It's a sugarberry, if that even exists."

[timebethine]

"It may; when I was newly come here, Susan told me of a fantastical fruit of toffee, and I conjured one for her from the cold box."

[futaille]

"Do you know," he says, grabbing an orange shot, "that makes me wonder if the house could conjure a fruit or vegetable we invent wholesale." He downs it.

[timebethine]

Laertes puts a hand down on the table and turns to regard Grantaire with all of his attention. (This will absolutely last all of three minutes.) "What's thy proposal?"

[futaille]

"I've not entirely refined the idea just yet. It may be more suited for Rainbows, anyway. Perhaps something that combines the best properties of standard choices. Like the crunchy skin of an apple with a more tart and citruslike flesh."