citylogs | [open] a birthday celebration

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[open] a birthday celebration

WHO: lestat & all of you~
WHAT: lestat is hosting a party for a certain someone's birthday!
WHERE: a bistro in district 3
WHEN: october 4th
WARNINGS: N/A so far. will update as needed!

[ In the early morning hours of the 4th of October, a photograph of a handwritten notice goes up on the network. It’s in flowery but surprisingly legible script, as if he’s learnt to create letters purely by reading them and has jumbled together an amalgamation of different typefaces to make each letter he writes as interesting as possible. The details are as follows: ]

This is an invitation to any and all, to attend a soirée this evening, in celebration of my companion’s birthday.

I’ve attached a photograph of the location; a fashionable little bistro highly recommended to me by someone who clearly knows a thing or two about style. Festivities start at 6 o’clock this evening, though you are more than welcome to be fashionably late. We will go until sunrise. The dress code is: eye-catching.

There will be food, there will be wine, there will be merriment. Games, dancing, live music. Who amongst you could turn their nose up at a free bar and the chance to boogie? I know that technically this entire place is a free bar, what with the distinct lack of economy, but I’ve acquired the assistance of a bartender, just to tempt you…

And, failing all else, there’s the certainty of stunning conversation - and isn’t that something that we all can enjoy, even those of us who don’t groove with the party scene?

Be there, or be square.

xoxo

[ Some of you might remember him posting asking for help planning this little get together, and it’s going ahead with all of Lestat’s best intentions for a night to remember. Whether you know him or don’t (and haven’t been put off by his hip use of old slang he still thinks makes him sound cool) you’ll be welcomed to the festivities with open arms and a warm, sharp smile.

Come on down, don’t be shy. Have a little dance with the devil. ]

The Bar

[ Gleaming in hard wood painted a stunning chic black, the bar is the first thing to delight your eyes with upon entering the bistro. Bottles line the back wall, shining in the low amber lights, and so too the bottles lined up in front as your gracious bartender for the evening, Daan, sets up shop. Perhaps you have a drink in mind, or would like him to surprise you (with varying results), or maybe you’re here for the crowd gathered around and chatting amicably as they nurse their chosen poison.

Lestat himself has taken up prime position there, often with a rather steadfast arm around Louis, whose expression isn’t exactly dour but isn’t particularly placid, either. He gives off the very clear expression of someone who’s been tricked into coming here under false pretences. Probably because Lestat had been positively evasive of even mentioning the B word (birthday) all evening, even going as far as to ignore completely any mention of Louis discovering his plotting before tonight… though whether that be from embarrassment over failing to make his post private despite Armand’s very clear instructions, or simply down to his impish nature, isn’t clear.

What is clear, is that Lestat is having a lovely time in wonderful company, and is a veritable font of energy. He’s usually pretty upbeat, of course, but tonight there’s a particular vigour about him that is clearly different, though not in a strictly bad way. When he’s not hanging off Louis’ side or parading him around to introduce him to people he hasn't met yet, Lestat is leaning over the bar to watch Daan work, or perhaps butting into a nearby conversation or starting a fresh one up with someone looking a little too quiet. ]

The Stage & Dancefloor

[ Great care and attention has been made to stagger the assortment of tables in the room so that each one has a perfect view of the man-made stage and its attached square of space serving as a dance floor. It’s nothing more than a few flat platforms on which the players can stand along with a wall of lined up instruments and some speakers Lestat found at the music store in the mall, but it’s unmistakably the intended highlight of the evening's entertainment.

A dark blue electric guitar beside an acoustic one, a simple spruce violin, a small drum set, a standing keyboard and three microphones is his haul, and they are left available for anyone who'd like to jam. If Lestat sees you looking with the barest hint of interest, even if there is not a single musical bone in your body, if he will pull you over to try something out - what better way to learn than in a room full of people watching you? :)

Toward the middle of the evening, Lestat will take Louis' hands in his own and kiss them, and then kiss him, and leave to climb up onto the stage himself. He’s dressed in a burgundy corduroy jacket over a crisp black shirt; the collar undone to reveal a host of twisted chains at his throat, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his wrists and fingers adorned with similar finery. Tight leather pants, and black boots with a red sole. His nails are painted black, and there’s a smudge of dark red around his eyes, which makes the pale silver-blue of them look almost eerie in the spotlight. (Well, he did say eye-catching was the dress code.)

He’ll take the microphone, lift the electric guitar into his arms and begins to play, and to sing. It’s a cover arrangement, of course, as anyone who enjoys 70s rock music will be able to tell.. but he sings it well, with a practised and enchanting stage presence that is hard to look away from; snaking hips, spectacular crowd work. No, it’s not his vampiric thrall (probably), it’s just that Lestat really was born to perform and he knows it.

He also picks out another song to play a little later on, assuring the crowd very loudly that they must keep this song's existence a complete secret and then "accidentally" name-dropping Steve Tyler as the guy he was jamming with when the song was created. ]

Party Games

[ Lestat has assigned a little space toward the back of the room and has littered the tables with a handful of silly party games, packages of cards, even a small set of plastic chips for gambling (though what exactly the ante will be is entirely up to you). It looks very much like he’s raided the toy aisle in a supermarket which… isn’t untrue, but he’s done so with at least a little care and attention for what kind of party he’d like this to be. There’s no board games, put it that way.

Who Am I?: Take a sticky-note and ask someone to write the name of a famous figure on it, and stick it on your back. You must walk around and ask the other patrons of the party yes/no questions in order to figure out who you are.
Treasure Hunt: Take a paper from the table; on it you'll find a series of descriptions such as "Someone who's favourite colour is blue" or "Someone who has siblings", "someone who's broken someone's heart" etc. Talk to party goers until you find a person who matches each prompt. You may only use one person once. The winner gets a prize!

Bulla has graciously offered to host a round or two of games for all in attendance; the assortment will be varied and both she and Lestat will be no doubt open to any suggestions of things to play. If you aren’t the type to get involved in such things, it’s quite unfortunate because oh, it looks like this one needs a partner and here is Lestat without one! ]

The Veranda

[The way outside through the large glass doors at the back of the bistro is lit in an almost storybook manner, with lights pinned from the doorway to the exterior fence in loose criss-crosses. The furniture has been moved to accommodate a large table running down the centre of the floor, full to bursting with plates of food. It seems the intention here is similar to a “pot-luck” - a concept that has Lestat gleeful as a child over the absurdity of such a thing - only as this place has no real necessity for cooking and as Lestat has no idea what kind of food typically is seen at parties, the guidance is simply to go into the kitchen and take advantage of its seemingly unending capabilities in order to emerge with a bowl, plate or tray of whatever you deem appropriate for a party such as this.

Obviously, this has resulted in the table being full of an incredibly disorganised array of treats in all shapes and colour - which naturally has attracted Lesat into staring at it all like a magpie, asking questions of every meal that people pick at, questioning the flavour and the method of preparation, all the while twisting a glass bottle of some thick scarlet substance around and around in his hands. ]

--
[ happy birthday louis!!! feel free to mingle, thread-hop, eavesdrop, do whatever you'd like. go wild. it's a party!

lestat is down for anything, so if you want to assume your character has made a playlist, brought a game along, has suggested a party game and is bullying people into playing it, or even if you want to assume that lestat saw you in the street nearby and whisked you in to the bistro against your will, please go for it. literally anything goes, i am SO easy and so is lestat. :) ]

Threaded | Flat

( Louis has never been a fan of parties, nor of any kind of public attention. He's introverted to a fault. If it were up to him, he would forget the date entirely and spend it the same way he spends every other night. But this party, he suspects, is more for Lestat's sake than his, and so he lets himself be led along, feeling a little like a child's balloon bobbing at the end of a string. Under other circumstances, he might have protested more strongly… but it's so good to see Lestat acting like his old self that Louis can't find it in himself to complain too much.

At the bar, he can be found with Lestat's arm draped over him possessively; Louis can feel his cheeks burn when someone's eyes linger on them too long. He looks tolerant, albeit out of his depth. Now and then, though, you might catch him sitting quietly by himself and watching the crowd, a brief respite from all the activity. He's let Lestat dress him in more colors than usual (which is to say, any at all) for the sake of the dress code, and occasionally he gets distracted staring at the multiple rings on his fingers. How does anyone wear this much jewelry at once?

If approached, he'll offer a small, polite bow and a softening of his expression that could almost be mistaken for a smile. He has to fight the urge to apologize for demanding someone's attention when he doesn't particularly want it in the first place. )

Thank you for coming. Are you enjoying yourself?

( Or perhaps you catch him casting vaguely longing glances toward the door… or staring rapt at the stage while Lestat performs, so obviously smitten that he might as well have hearts in his eyes. )

( ooc. I'll be tagging others' toplevels as well, but if you'd like something specific with Louis, he's here. Wildcards welcome! Force him to play party games! He's too polite to refuse! )

[To his word, Daan is occupying a little area to do his bartending, having brought his own supplies. His sleeves are rolled up and he's prepared to do it all. Daan will take requests, try something new if you want a surprise, or you can just like... have water or milk or something.

As opposed to how he has been, Daan looks more relaxed as he tends to the drinks. Happier? Well, hard to say, but he doesn't really look miserable either, so that's gotta be something.

So, he addresses whoever is up next:]

What'll it be?

[Some things exist naturally together--tea and biscuits, summer and the seaside, socialites and parties. Has Dorian met the birthday boy? No, but that's not the point. The point is to make an entrance, look amazing, and enjoy yourself.

He begins the evening at the bar, engaging in conversation with anyone who looks remotely interesting and being sociable with anyone who approaches him. He is interested in making connections here, especially given how many people in the city are some level of extraordinary.

At the keyboard, he takes the time to play a few pieces that are unconventional for a 21st-century party, but appropriate for a 19th-century salon or a very classy restaurant. Not dance music, but certainly conversation music.

Naturally, he will take part in party games, in spite of not being "up to date" with celebrities. He'll approach you with one of two requests:]

I beg your pardon, but I need you to think of someone who was famous before 1892.

[Or:]

Good evening. [He holds up a slip of paper between two long fingers.] I've been solemnly tasked with finding someone who's been in a fistfight.

[ There was a moment there where Johanna's fall looked like it might be looking up. In classic Constantine fashion, it didn't last. But she's keeping her personal angst thoroughly to herself.

... Never mind, she's going to go check out this party with vampires that she knows for a fact can read minds. There are several questions she has.

At the bar, she perches on a stool at the end of the bistro with a cocktail. Her attire is decidedly not eye-catching -- black slacks, black sleeveless turtleneck. Dress codes are for suckers.

Later in the night, she may catch the eye of another party goer and wave a slip of paper at them. ] Is your favorite color blue? I'm hoping there's a prize for this.

[ Hob can be spotted enjoying the atmosphere of the party, usually with a drink in hand. Sometimes he takes a little something from the spread to nibble at, but he's mostly interested in watching all the activities going on. He may not be engaging in party games, but he does enjoy watching others play. And the performances during the evening catch his attention, too.

If approached, he offers a polite smile and a nod in greeting. ]

Good evening.

( Since Eddie is still relatively new here, he spends most of the first half of this shindig as a wallflower, looking to see if there's anyone he recognizes. At least there's booze, and he wastes no time hitting the bar, getting a drink to calm his nerves. It's not that he doesn't do parties; it's just that the parties he's been to have mostly been thrown by jocks with too much money at their disposal, only inviting Eddie for his connection to the illicit substances he has access to.

Eventually, he does calm down enough that he might be in more of a talkative mood, though he isn't quite brave enough to approach anyone yet, letting people come to him. It isn't until he spots the setup by the stage that his interest is immediately piqued. He isn't the first to pick up one of the instruments, but once Lestat has warmed up the stage (and after another drink, let's be honest), he approaches the array of instruments like a kid in a candy store, all wide-eyed and awe-filled. Considering what happened the last time he picked up a guitar, he's understandably cautious, but as soon as he has his hands on that electric guitar, it's almost as if something shifts in the metalhead.

Not wanting to immediately blow out the eardrums of every partygoer with thrash metal, he decides to warm up with a little Zeppelin. If someone were to request something a little heavier, though, he might oblige them. )

Any requests? I can't promise I'll know it ( especially if they were released post-March 1986 ) but if I've never heard of it, you can be damn well sure we're gonna improvise something fun.

[ After greeting the birthday boy and dropping off his gift, Armand can be found at various places during then night.

He lingers by the bar for some time, ordering cocktails he likes the look of and those he's not seen before, eventually abandoning them to those that approach before they can order their own.

For a short time he occupies one of the tables facing the little stage area, he's out of the way in a darker corner, content to watch what unfolds but claps politely with the others for those that occasionally take over the music arrangements.

Eventually he ends up at the games table, deck of cards in hand, where he sets out a game of solitaire, then what appears to be a tarot reading and finally dealing a few hands of Blackjack. He handles the cards expertly each time and is deeply polite or familiar to anyone that approaches him throughout the night. ]

[Now, what was Hu Tao doing here? She simply wanted to enjoy herself and have some fun, of course! Between trying to know the people of this strange new world and spending her time relaxing, she couldn't turn down the offer of being able to sing for the birthday boy!

That said, that didn't stop her from singing a little merry tune as onlookers give her a curious look.]

[ Someone talked him into not showing up looking like a complete caveman, so Ethan is dressed in about the most colorful coat he has ever worn before -- with this beneath. No, the fact that he is clothed in blood red has not been lost on him, he had plenty of time to laugh over it before coming to the party for obvious reasons. Mostly Armand reasons -- though he might have some business with Lestat and Louis as well, but that's for another time.

He's not going to be the party pooper.

After sauntering into the venue, he divvies out a handful of friendly nods before making a beeline for the bar. Between getting cuffed to people, getting busted by Vanessa and being fresh off of his first City transformation? A drink is just what he needs. The bandage for his forearm is hidden well enough but the gauze around his hands are not, not that he's aiming to hide them.

Upon witnessing the spectacle that is Lestat's performance, a sharp whistle rings out from the onlookers, then, once he's walked away from the stage and he can heckle him properly. ]

My condolences to Mr. Tyler.

[ there's a shadow of a man that keeps away from most of the festivities and hoopla, staying mainly against the edges of things to simply observe. he's not dressed in any elaborate finery as the public invitation had suggested, but the dark clothes and jacket are of fine quality, at least, and he's as fair in the face as the hosts.

... even if he hasn't met said hosts yet. really, he's just here because it's a public-ish event and his friend is here too.

but if someone were to approach him, he turns his head to face them, dipping his chin in a subtle nod of acknowledgement. ]

[ I am very late, Midnight was here the whole night. He's more of a spectator for the party games, but he can be convinced to participate in the treasure hunt, with the prompt Someone who has attended college/university in tow. He will just go up to someone and ask if they have point blank!

Other than that, though, Midnight attended the party for one main reason: the Stage has electric guitars, and he has been practicing for... perhaps not this specific reason, but close enough. He'll mostly be learning from other musicians and playing back up for them the whole night, but occasionally, he'll play a few hits from Terra, mostly from the Higashi and Yan regions that may sound close enough to some Earth songs for heads to turn, but mostly are Terran originals. Feel free to come up to the stage and strike up a conversation! He'll likely grin at anyone looking on and open the conversation himself if necessary. Why not? He loves a question, and there's no better way to hear one than to offer one in return. Such as: ]

'Lo there. Enjoying yourself?

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⚰️✨ the birthday boy (open)

birthday bartender [open]

Dorian Gray | Penny Dreadful | OTA