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

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Of course," says Susan, unaffected save for the relief of having a clarity of expectation. It's what she thought his answer might be, except there was a little flush of doubt since he did mention missing cunnilingus. "But it shan't be an issue if I attend? It's all right if you'd rather I didn't, you know. I'm not yet committed entirely to the idea, and it isn't as if I'm starved for alternate arrangements." In fact, the largest reservation she's got, after the lack of other women, is that she should hate to end a party without Lancelot carrying her off.

[sagramore]

Sagramore can feel his own relief, as if he'd expected she'd be upset with him for declining to do what's expected of him.

"No, no, please come if thou likest. We'll just be conscious of what we're doing. Is Lancelot invited this year?"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Whilst I'm certain Bacchus would delight in inviting him, I believe he might do so only if it ever occurs to Lancelot to ask for an invitation," Susan confides. "And I don't expect that's terribly likely at the moment."

[sagramore]

"Still shy?"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Would you call it shyness?"

[sagramore]

"Something like that. He knows his worth in arms, but doesn't see it yet among friends."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

It's interesting, Susan thinks, how she's got such a different experience of Lancelot to some of the other people here. He wasn't slow to sleep with her, and the only times he's seemed at all uncertain of his value to her is when his traumatic neuroses have got the better of him. It makes her fiercely glad that he's got that self-assurance with her. But still -

"I imagine it's more sexual uncertainty than it is social."

[sagramore]

Sagramore considers that, and nods. "Fair enough. There's probably a considerable amount of things he's new to."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Though," as she continues working through the thought, remembering the times that Lancelot has told her he finds strangers very difficult to read, "I imagine the fact that the invite list includes people he doesn't know particularly well certainly doesn't help."

[sagramore]

"So thou art saying thou needst a smaller orgy, with Laertes and Etienne."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Or at the very least, one that hasn't got people he isn't friends with."

[sagramore]

"That seems fair. It's an act of trust, isn't it? Even in a place like this It's hard to trust strangers that way."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Yes, I suppose it must be." It's not a concern Susan has shared, but she can imagine how someone might have that sort of concern.

[sagramore]

"He's not used to being liked, as thou knowst." And of course he wasn't supposed to care about that, either.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"No," Susan agrees; it's one of her endless list of issues with the environment at Camelot. "And he's tremendously new to being able to make choices for himself."

[sagramore]

"So I suppose the obvious thing is to offer him a bespoke orgy and let him turn it down," with a slight smile.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I expect I ought to discuss that sort of thing with Laertes and Grantaire first, even if I don't expect him to jump at the opportunity."

[sagramore]

"Yes, I think that's fair."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

But Susan already knows she shan't. It's the sort of thing that she would end up worrying Lancelot might agree to for them, rather than for himself. If he brings it up first, that's a different matter, and she can have the necessary discussions at that point.

(And perhaps she ought to wait for an orgy that doesn't follow a party like this one? It really does seem ever so unappealing to send Lancelot off on his own from a party whilst all of his lovers stay behind for sex. He's got a different relationship to that sort of thing than Susan, but she would hate it if she were in his place. It feels like it would be different to go off to an orgy that hasn't got a gathering beforehand. The only upside of this particular sort of arrangement, with Lancelot going home first and not carrying her off at all, is that she might get him to playact at possessiveness afterward, and she hasn't even brought that up as a possibility yet. But if Constance does choose to accept a belated invitation... well.)

"Regardless," she says, and tilts her head. "Thank you."

[sagramore]

"Oh, I'm always happy to consult."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I do appreciate it," says Susan, earnestly. Her gaze falls again to his glass of champagne and then studiously away. "It's lovely that so many people come out to things like this, don't you think?"

[sagramore]

"It is nice," he says, and then, overcome by a sudden self-consciousness, he adds, "It's just the one drink. Since it's a special occasion."

Immediately he wishes he hadn't said it, hadn't drawn her attention to it and made excuses for himself.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan takes in the look on his face and says, at a volume slightly higher than the one she's been using all along - but not quite so loud that it would draw anyone's attention - "My word, it got loud in here, didn't it? I'm afraid I couldn't make out what you just said. Something about Sunny's party dress, perhaps?"

[sagramore]

"Oh," faintly relieved. "She chose it herself."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"For the special occasion, was that it? It's charming."