simplestgift: (Just a little idle talk of this and that)
Archie Kennedy ([personal profile] simplestgift) wrote in [community profile] lucetilogs2011-11-30 10:14 pm

Comfort and Joy

Who: Come one, come all! ...In formal attire.
What: A Christmas ball, old world style.
When: December 1st, beginning around five in the afternoon and ending when the last person leaves.
Where: The rec center.
Summary: Earth's eighteenth-century peeps are throwing one hell of a party.
Rating: Well, considering no one is serving water? Probably PG-13 for alcohol consumption and the results thereof (there's coffee and hot chocolate!).

The recreation center has been utterly transformed.

The doors open to a host of candles and a warm, old-world smell and feel. The scent of food and spices hangs in the air—mulled wine, wassail, evergreen boughs, fresh bread and roast meat. Cream brocades, simple but elegant, are draped over the walls. Traditional red rugs have been thrown over the floor. Gone are the billiard tables, ping-pong, and foosball. It looks like a different place entirely, every table impeccably dressed with light linen cloths and set with fine china and crystal. At least one-half of the room is cleared and ready for dancers.

The tables are lit with candles, and five chandeliers have been temporarily added to the room for more light, giving the room a golden glow instead of the sterile luminescence of fluorescent lighting. On the tables, boughs of evergreen and holly surround the candles, and mistletoe has been hung discreetly here and there. In one corner of the dancing area, by a large and beautifully decorated fir tree (Buffy’s insistence), the musicians are set up to play, unobtrusive to the diners but essential to the dancers. Leading them is Frederic Chopin himself, and few here can say they have had anyone better play for their pleasure.

Things will begin with a grand dinner late in the afternoon, with a light supper (mostly consisting of cold meats, bread, and other lighter fare) at around nine o’clock. The selection of food on the tables is enormous. Most of it is meat-based and some of it is simply meat. Roast beef with mushrooms, goose in giblet gravy, herbed chicken, baked salmon, and a whole pig are among the choices. There is some hope for vegetarians, though, with spinach mixed with bread crumbs and cheese on small toasts, turnips (or rutabagas if you speak American), onions, carrots, parsnips, mashed potatoes, asparagus in breadcrumbs, and savory onion and wild mushroom pies. There is hot fresh bread and rolls with butter and heaps upon heaps of small mince pies filled with fruit, molasses, and yes, a little minced lamb. Moreover, there are fresh winter fruits like oranges and mikans and many different desserts, such as Christmas pudding, a rum chocolate dessert, and spotted dog with custard. Sit and help yourself. For a complete list of the food offered, take a look here.

Among the drinks throughout the evening are wassail, tea, hot chocolate (less sweet and much more intense than most modern characters would be used to, made with cinnamon, vanilla, and a hint of cayenne pepper), coffee, brandy, wine both mulled and plain, port, sherry, and gallons of rum punch. Even though the food is fantastic, overseen by Jack Aubrey, the conversation is the point of the game, and who knows who they will wind up sitting beside. At the center of each table is placed a pineapple as a sign of welcome and wishes of prosperity.

There is dancing light as the music itself, with Archie Kennedy and Elizabeth Swann teaching the steps of each dance before striking up the music and letting everyone go to town with it. They are poised and elegant but relaxed and seeming to glide as they demonstrate the motions with an effortlessness that comes with years of practice. They were both raised on these dances and this sort of social function and seem completely at home here. The dancing begins after dinner with the minuets and continues after a light supper with some informal English country dances. Anyone unused to dancing like this may find that it’s harder than it looks, but when one gets used to it, it feels very graceful, beautiful, and…fun! The activity will only end when there are too few dancers left to continue, and will continue all night if possible. As dancers pass each other or move hand-in-hand, eye contact can be made, quiet words exchanged, subtle (or not) messages passed as they spin through the room, or perhaps the room spins while they remain still.

It might depend on how much they’ve had to drink.

Those who do not wish to dance have other activities to participate in. In one corner, card tables are set up with multiple decks of cards stacked up, and there is even a box or two of dominoes and a handful of dice. The tables themselves are round and made of polished rosewood or mahogany. This area is well-lit and on the opposite end of the room from the musicians and dancers, probably as a mercy to the tone-deaf Horatio Hornblower who loves cards but can’t abide music. Here, discreet (or indiscreet) gambling is inevitable. There may be no money here, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to wager.

Are you lingering at the dining tables, drinking and talking loud and laughing with friends, or will you shyly sit and watch the dancing and games and hope to be invited in? Are you sitting quietly alone and listening to the music as your foot taps on its own, or are you unable to sit still and ready to dance all night if they’ll let you? Are you playing cards with a few new acquaintances, or are you hanging on someone’s arm and helping them cheat?

Whatever you do, have fun.

hope you don't mind action format!

[identity profile] wannabolt.livejournal.com 2011-12-01 06:55 am (UTC)(link)
[Formal shindigs aren't usually Dash's thing. The gala proved to be a total snooze-fest until she and her friends messed it up. But on the other hand, the Rec Center is an awesome place, and no Luceti party's disappointed her yet!

So, guess what, Lucetians? There is a colorful, cartoonish looking pegasus hanging around. She kinda stands out.

She'll be hovering around the room, peeking at some of the games and then hanging by the food while avoiding anything with meat.]
Edited 2011-12-01 06:58 (UTC)
talontrot: (aren't i the cutest asshole ever?)

I totally do not mind.

[personal profile] talontrot 2011-12-03 01:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[Hey, Dash. There is an equally-colourful, equally-cartoonish bird hanging around in her black tuxedo vest and bowtie. She... stands out just as much in all honesty.

Right now, she's perched on the back of a chair - because what self-respecting bird sits in a chair (except for Kazooie herself when she's lazy) - nibbling away at some orange and side-eying the grosser-looking dishes.]


Hey, Dash! Glad to see somebody cool here.

[identity profile] wannabolt.livejournal.com 2011-12-04 04:53 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, no kidding! Everybody's so... fancy shmancy.

[And as a result, mingling is kinda boring. She'll go ahead and hover over to Kazooie, though.]

Rarity'd fit right in.
talontrot: (i remember better days on the n64)

[personal profile] talontrot 2011-12-08 01:25 am (UTC)(link)
[Kazooie grins up at her, craning her neck so that she can get a good look at the pegasus.]

Fancy-shmancy is right. I got all spiffed up for this, but I don't look half as stuffy as some of these guys.

... 'Least the food is pretty good. Though there's a lot of meat around. You don't like that stuff much, right?

[identity profile] wannabolt.livejournal.com 2011-12-08 05:40 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, all the frilly dresses just make me think of the Grand Galloping Gala.

[Bleh, that party was such a drag.]

And meat's not really my thing. I'm stickin' to the vegetarian stuff.
talontrot: (aren't i the cutest asshole ever?)

[personal profile] talontrot 2011-12-10 02:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[She nods.] Hey, I know how it is. Banjo's always been more for honey and stuff, anyway. And they've got oranges!

[Mmm, oranges. They're always delicious. Though Kazooie is used to them telling her that.]

We could at least go play cards or something!
daisy023: (What was mine)

[personal profile] daisy023 2011-12-04 06:04 pm (UTC)(link)
A human almost seven feet tall notices that there is a pony in this party.

...

A flying, rainbow pony, in fact. Why is there a flying pony in here?

Before she has the chance to answer her own question, Daisy dodges it a little too late by Spartan standards -- cutting it close. She is going to blame this on Luceti's halving of abilities, her encumbering massive dress, or on her bafflement.

[identity profile] wannabolt.livejournal.com 2011-12-05 06:29 am (UTC)(link)
[Well, Dash'll catch a glimpse of Daisy as she tries to dodge...

And then she'll hover over.]


Hey, I don't think I've seen you around here.
daisy023: (Huh?)

[personal profile] daisy023 2011-12-05 06:33 am (UTC)(link)
"... I think I have, ma'am."

Daisy immediately spots the pair of wings... Wait. No. A second pair of wings, which remain tightly tucked in. A sentient, much akin to Kazooie.

"I thought I saw rainbows on the sky too often."

[identity profile] wannabolt.livejournal.com 2011-12-06 05:51 am (UTC)(link)
Yep, that was me alright.

[She says this like she's proud of the fact, shifting so she's hovering in an upright position.]

But I can do more than make rainbows. I've messed around with the clouds a few times.
daisy023: (Why are you smiling?)

[personal profile] daisy023 2011-12-06 10:15 am (UTC)(link)
The giant had meant blurs of a rainbow in the sky, well out of rain seasons. It sounds -almost- too fantastic to be believed.

"Clouds? You have metereological powers?" She doesn't remember that part from Greek mythology, but it's reasonable. "You don't happen to bring over thunderbolts, do you?"

As far as she knows, there is only one Pegasus in Greek Mythology, but this creature may be another pegasus.

A pony pegasus. This will earn her a psych eval if she ever returns alive.

Lovin' on the action format

[identity profile] amurui.livejournal.com 2011-12-07 05:51 am (UTC)(link)
[And Senri will be hanging around the food as well. He will also be staring at the really funny looking horse. It isn't really malicious on his part: he's just never seen anything looking remotely close to rainbow dash before, and really can't convey his fascination and bewilderment any other way.]

Every day I'm actioning~

[identity profile] wannabolt.livejournal.com 2011-12-08 05:27 am (UTC)(link)
[Pfff. Dash is used to stares by now. So much so that she'll just tuuurn her attention to him and give a casual wave with her hoof.]

Hey.

[identity profile] amurui.livejournal.com 2011-12-08 06:24 am (UTC)(link)
[and instead of giving a normal human response he's going to try and reach out to pat her like a wide eyed 4 year old looking at the ponies in a petting zoo.]

[identity profile] wannabolt.livejournal.com 2011-12-08 11:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Uh.

[She raises a brow.]

What are you doing?

[identity profile] amurui.livejournal.com 2011-12-09 09:39 pm (UTC)(link)
[Why, he's trying to pet you of course! But that at least makes him stop mid-reach to think maybe, just maybe, the pretty horse thingy doesn't want to be touched. ]

[identity profile] wannabolt.livejournal.com 2011-12-10 02:11 am (UTC)(link)
[Pfff, she's so not a thingy. But Dash blinks a few times and then crosses her front legs.]

Ooookay. I guess you're not a talker.

sorry if he creeps her :'|

[identity profile] amurui.livejournal.com 2011-12-10 03:32 am (UTC)(link)
[Ding ding ding! An accurate observation.

...

Yeah he's just going to take his hand back now.

...

and just keep staring.]