simplestgift: (Turn away.)
Archie Kennedy ([personal profile] simplestgift) wrote in [community profile] lucetilogs2012-12-01 11:05 am

Comfort and Joy

Who: Come one, come all! ...So long as you're appropriately dressed.
What: Luceti's second annual Christmas ball, old-world style.
When: December 1st, beginning around five in the afternoon and ending when the last person leaves.
Where: The Battle Dome.
Summary: Earth's eighteenth-century peeps are throwing one hell of a party. Again.
Rating: Well, considering no one is serving water? Probably PG-13 for alcohol consumption and the results thereof (there's coffee and hot chocolate!).

Upon stepping into the program at the Battle Dome, snow crunches beneath your feet. Great flakes of it drift silently from the dark sky above. And ahead...





The chill in the air is penetrated by the promise of warmth and light within the castle. As you approach, the music and festivities from inside reach your ears--tambourines and laughter and the clink of china dishes.

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--and you're only in the entryway.

Inside the dining room, cream brocades, simple but elegant, are draped over the walls. Traditional red rugs have been thrown over the floor. The single long feast table is impeccably dressed with light linen cloths and set with fine china and crystal.

The tables are lit with candles and chandeliers, giving the room a golden glow. On the tables, boughs of evergreen and holly surround the candles, and mistletoe has been hung discreetly here and there. In one corner, by a large and beautifully decorated fir tree (Buffy’s insistence), musicians are set up to play.

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.

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, 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.

In the ballroom, 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! In fact, it's perfectly acceptable to goof off during these dances, as long as you're charming enough that people aren't irritated with you when you mess everyone up. 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 quiet room, 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 quietly away from the ballroom, 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.

This being a castle, there are other rooms to explore. Up in the towers are bedrooms, nooks and crannies, and a large private library. Sneaking back to the kitchen between meals for a preview or stolen taste of supper to come is not out of the question, either.

Are you lingering in the dining room, 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? Are you content to enjoy the presence of people, or are you exploring the castle with a special someone?

Whatever you do, have fun.
starfishlovesyou: (pic#5068341)

[personal profile] starfishlovesyou 2012-12-03 02:15 pm (UTC)(link)
It's okay, Fuuko is sure that Ven will be able to think up plenty of other ways to make more starfish when the right inspiration strikes.

[Just a few more dominoes on top and voila! It's a pretty blocky looking starfish, but it's vaguely star-shaped all the same.]
risingwinds: (we just gotta believe!)

[personal profile] risingwinds 2012-12-04 06:15 am (UTC)(link)
[And at that, he'll give her a thumbs-up! Blocky or not, it's still pretty neat.]

Maybe I can make a starfish outta bendy straws. That shouldn't be too hard!
starfishlovesyou: (pic#5068266)

[personal profile] starfishlovesyou 2012-12-05 03:05 am (UTC)(link)
Fuuko thinks that a starfish made with straws would work very well! The bends in the straws would be completely wonderful imitations of the points of a real starfish.

[Hwaaah~ There's a happy sigh there, but she's not slipping off into her happy starfish wonderland just yet.]
risingwinds: (this is my Terra impression)

[personal profile] risingwinds 2012-12-07 03:27 am (UTC)(link)
Exactly! All we'd need is some hot glue, and we'd have some quick and easy Starfish decorations!

small>[But, oh. He can take it up a notch...]

Or we could get a bunch of red and green pipe cleaners to make Christmas starfish!
starfishlovesyou: (pic#5068357)

[personal profile] starfishlovesyou 2012-12-07 09:48 am (UTC)(link)
[Ven no, stop.]

Do you think we could make lots of Christmas starfish and put them on top of every Christmas tree in the village?! It would be a very starfish Christmas, Fuuko is absolutely positive that the starfish would enjoy something like that!!

[Just look at the determination on her face. Screw having a white Christmas, Fuuko wants a starfish one.]
risingwinds: (Neener neener neeeener)

[personal profile] risingwinds 2012-12-08 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Hey, I don't see why not! People usually use stars to decorate Christmas trees anyway. Starfish would just bring it to the next level.

[That's okay. Ven's got a big, doofy grin. The whole idea sounds awesome, and he's happy enabling her!]
starfishlovesyou: (pic#5068270)

[personal profile] starfishlovesyou 2012-12-11 11:58 am (UTC)(link)
Yes, the next level, the level that can only be obtained with the help of the starfish.

[Starfish on trees. Starfish spending Christmas together. Starfish. Everywhere.

... Aaand she's gone.]
Hwaaaaaaaah~! So cute!
risingwinds: (tee hee)

[personal profile] risingwinds 2012-12-13 03:46 am (UTC)(link)
[...Awww. Well, Ven's not gonna knock that enthusiasm of hers. Besides, it would be pretty cute.]

We could make it our own personal project if you wanted.
starfishlovesyou: (pic#5068324)

[personal profile] starfishlovesyou 2012-12-18 04:28 am (UTC)(link)
[It's going to be pretty hard to get a proper response out of her right now, but she does nod her head a few times through the trance. Making starfish with Ven, yes, she would be mad if she ever said no to something like that. She even starts swaying a little in happiness, moving from side to side very gently.

... Except she ends up knocking over the domino starfish mid-trance during her bout of swaying.]
risingwinds: (... No I'm not into bondage Aqua)

[personal profile] risingwinds 2012-12-18 06:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Yikes!

[Pardon Ven as he flails and attempts to catch the dominos. All that hard work can't just go to waste. He must defend the starfish at all costs!]
starfishlovesyou: (★On her way back)

[personal profile] starfishlovesyou 2012-12-20 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
[Just as well she doesn't catch the flailing, Fuuko is too busy skipping down a beach in the snow with a bunch of starfish all wearing Santa hats and singing Christmas carols. In her head.

When she comes to and notices the starfish is wrecked then she's going to be absolutely distraught. QUICK VEN. DO SOMETHING.]
risingwinds: (But I swear I wasn't looking at 'em!)

[personal profile] risingwinds 2012-12-23 02:38 am (UTC)(link)
[Ack! Wincing, Ven whips up a Stopga spell in hopes of freezing the dominos before they make a tremendous mess.

If it succeeds, he'll be hurriedly trying to piece it all back together before Fuuko notices. Key word: trying.]
starfishlovesyou: (☆And quietly look down)

[personal profile] starfishlovesyou 2012-12-23 10:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[Pop. Oh, she's back, and staring at the stopped, ruined but being put back together by Ven starfish.

Hmm. This can only mean one thing.]


What sort of weird guy comes along and attacks a starfish like this right under Fuuko's nose? Fuuko didn't even notice them do anything!
risingwinds: (scritch scritch scritch)

[personal profile] risingwinds 2012-12-27 12:32 am (UTC)(link)
[...Oh man. He can't just tell her she accidentally knocked 'em over. That'd probably just upset her! So, no. Gotta come up with an alternative. Something harmless.

Er...]


Well, whoever it was, they had to be some kinda ninja! I mean, I sure didn't see anybody.

[...Heh, heh.]

But don't worry, Fuuko! We'll fix this starfish up, good as new.