happy new year! (party edition)

[unrequite]

WHO: Anyone who saw Midnight's network post about Seventh Hell's grand opening!
WHAT: Happy New Year! We survived! (At what cost!?)
WHERE: Seventh Hell
WHEN: New Year's Eve, starting at 6 pm.
WARNINGS: Alcohol! Maybe more, please mind individual thread warnings!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

SEVENTH HELL WELCOMES YOU!

It's been a rough half a year. Kidnappings, atmospheric horror, murder (technically), aesthetics, disappearances, reappearances, and the creeping sensation that you aren't alone...

Hey, at least there's drinks.

When you descend the stairs to the underground club, there's music playing, the lights are low, but boy, are there a lot of them. The bartender welcomes you in. Order something, make yourself comfortable! The booths along the mirrored walls, lined with chandeliers and discoballs, are decorated with a sprinkle of shining confetti and host a variety of simple party snacks. (In fact, if your character arrived with some food to share, a bartender will guide you to the tables to help you set it up. They'll get you a drink for your trouble. How thoughtful of them!)

Grab a snack and a drink! It's no planetarium, but there's a variety of party activities to engage in. (Or make up your own! Seriously, this is a pretty casual affair.)

Every guest will receive one ticket for a raffle. There will be three winners, and each winner can choose one out of 3 prizes:

1) One date with one participating host club staff member. (If your character is a current host club staff member who would volunteer for a blind date, please PM me so I can add their name to the list.) Current list of participants: Midnight, Don Quixote, Astarion, Armand
2) One specialty drink named in the winner's honor.
3) One 12 in x 12 in square on one of the mirrors of the Host Club to leave a permanent mark! The winner will be invited back at any time to take paint markers, paint, permanent markers, etc, to leave a short message, work of art, or anything that can fit in a square foot of mirror space in a discreet, aesthetically pleasing area of the host club. (Kaveh chooses where.)

Winners may choose prizes previously chosen by other winners. Winners may forfeit for others to have a chance at a prize, but may not give away their prize to someone else specifically. In the case that one chooses the third prize but lacks the requisite skill or confidence to create a permanent fixture, one can outsource the space to a willing artist or writer within reason.

!

OOC: RAFFLE DETAILS

I will be rolling the results of this raffle on January 2nd, before the start of Alba's player plot! Don't worry about keeping up with the results, I'll PM winners individually. The only requirement for entry is to participate in one thread on this post! If your character would forfeit their prize, please let me know via PM so I can remove their name from the pool! EDIT: All prizes have been claimed! Congratulations to Hob, Yi Sang, and Altria! 🎉

MAIN SEATING (PARTY GAMES)

The back booths of the establishment, along with the standard decorations, have been supplied with small cards. The rules of two different party games are written on each:

NEVER HAVE I EVER

A getting to know you game! For groups of 5 or fewer players, begin with 5 points. For any more than that, it is suggested to start with 10. The goal of the game is to be the last person with points remaining.
1) Everyone in the game starts with five points each. Keep track of your points with your fingers!
2) The first player describes a short scenario that they have never experienced.
3) The other players must put a finger down if they have experienced said scenario. If they, too, have never experienced the scenario, their points remain unaffected.
4) Move onto the next player and repeat steps 2 through 4. The last person with points remaining wins!
5) BONUS: Drinks may be substituted for points. Simply take a drink when you have experienced the scenario! (Please drink responsibly!)

KING'S GAME

This game requires straws, chopsticks or a deck of cards. Please ask a bartender for supplies!
1) For the amount of players in the game, arrange the same amount of straws or chopsticks. For the card version, please use one suit.
2) Assign one chopstick/straw as the "king". For the card version, use one King of your chosen suit. The rest of the cards, chopsticks, or straws should be numbered from 2 to 10 (or however players choose to play.)
3) All players choose a game marker at random. Do not show the other players your number.
4) The King must first reveal themselves. For that round, they must issue a dare to up to two numbered participants. (e.g. Numbers 2 and 5 must end their sentences with "meow" for the next two rounds. The King can choose themselves as one of the participants.)
5) Shuffle the game markers, choose a new King, and repeat!
6) For a challenge, add points for completed dares and drawing the King! The first player to 10 points wins the game. For this mode, it is suggested to add a punishment of a drink for anyone who refuses their dares.

(Please drink responsibly! For the sake of tonight's festivities, we ask that all time based dares end before midnight.)

!

OOC: THREAD SUGGESTIONS

For the purpose of these prompts, feel free to handwave other participants, or to use these prompts as jumping off points for any specific threads you want! For example, one might like to use the King's Game to get into a scenario where one's character has to hold hands with another character for a few minutes for a dare. Please be creative!

THE STAGE (PERFORMANCES)

Eddie Munson (thefreak) will be headlining, with Midnight as backup whenever he can wiggle free from his bartending duties. In between sets, anyone is free to pick up an instrument and a microphone and try their hand at ringing in the new year with a bit of song.

THE BACK ROOMS (NO, NOT LIKE THAT)

There are currently three rooms available for formal guest activities! The rest of the rooms are locked and will require permission for entry. (They're all empty!)

THE GREENHOUSE (featured host: Fearne)

You were... You were underground just a second ago, right? Pull up a seat, settle in, and enjoy being surrounded by plants, a mildly hydrated atmosphere, and light, friendly conversation between fellow guests. There are no activities here, but it does seem like people are free to start up their own round of party games in this somewhat quieter environment... It would be a nice place for a game where one might want to be heard over all that music. (Suggested games: Word Association, 2 Truths and a Lie, 20 Questions.)

THE COFFEE SHOP (featured host: Chesed)

For anyone who needs caffeination to start their new year right. Featuring nondescript coffee shop music, a mildly chill vibe, and comfortable seating, come grab an espresso and pretend you have some important project to deliver by some very specific deadline next year. For this occasion, board games and cards are available for those who want a little more involved with their gaming experience for the new year. (Suggested games: Poker, Uno, Jenga.)

THE PET STATION

Congrats, you printed yourself a dog! Or a cat! Or something! For the purposes of showing off one's pet and getting them some proper socialization, for one night only, there is a pet area monitored closely by one of the club's staff members where one can drop off their furry friend. Get that pet socialized! Get yourself socialized! Please, make a friend before the year ends. It's good for you.

code

[ ooc: If any part of this post is in error, PLEASE do let me know! I made this in like two days in between work and I barely know left from right. Also, host club members especially are encouraged to PM me with any details or updates about this event they'd like for me to add. Thank you, and please enjoy your IRL new year! ]

Comments

louis de pointe du lac (the vampire chronicles)

[deathoftheauthor]

➛ main seating (wildcard)

( Louis is relieved to be a mere guest at this party after spending most of the Gala on his feet. While he doesn't look exactly like he's in his element, the comparative lack of pressure means that he's feeling rather relaxed — he can wallflower as much as he'd like to, but mostly he stays near Lestat (in a shirt that Lestat clearly suggested, covered now and then by a solid black blazer), socializing and even letting himself be pulled into the occasional game. )


➛ party games

( The rules are simple enough, even for someone like Louis, who typically avoids anything that might be described as a "party game." Never Have I Ever is surprising — he's done a great deal in 200 years, even for someone who doesn't get out much. )

Never have I ever seen a ghost.

( Or perhaps you've caught him in a round of King's Game, and his number is about to be called. What kind of dare will you subject this poor vampire's dignity to? Come on, you might not get another chance. )


➛ greenhouse

( Parties are loud. In intervals throughout the night, Louis can be found in the greenhouse, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere in his own way: carefully stroking the broad leaves of some tropical plant with his fingertips, his green eyes wide and soft with fascination, or playing solitaire cross-legged on the stone floor with a deck of cards he lifted from the coffee shop. If he's approached, he'll offer a courteous nod. )

Good evening. Are you enjoying yourself? I didn't expect to find a place so peaceful here.

( How to care for your introvert. )

party games.

[fussiest]

[ kaveh considers the premise. he still has all his fingers up, but that's not for a lack of trying, and far more because when you've spent most of your formative years in school and then rehauling the architectural playbook for your entire nation, you don't have much time to do much else with your life.

a ghost, though? ]

Well, asserting that suggests there are people there who can see ghosts. [ kaveh thinks about this. ] Oh, but I suppose there must be. This place turned Netzach into a duck. I suppose anything can happen. [ kaveh makes a face, ] Do the apparitions from the mall count as a part of this game, or do those not fit the strict definition of what a ghost is?

[deathoftheauthor]

( Louis wondered before he spoke whether the visions from the mall or the haunted house would be a point of contention for anyone. Part of the reason he'd said it, in fact, was because he thinks it's an interesting topic, and one with implications both here and in their own world.

He shakes his head. )

There are people in my own world who claim to see ghosts, but we have no scientific way to verify such claims. Some believe, and some don't. We don't know what those apparitions in the mall were, but I did indeed encounter them. Several, in fact. But a ghost is the spirit of a person who has died, and the strange thing is that one of them assumed the form of someone who I know is very much alive. In a manner of speaking, at least.

( His eyes seek out Lestat rather obviously, wherever he's gone to in the crowd. )

If it was a spirit, it wasn't his. So it couldn't have been a ghost, or at least not in the traditional sense.

[fussiest]

[ kaveh traces the line of louis' gaze. lestat, kaveh thinks, is a resplendent, golden halo in the crowd. he is the sort of man that you would need to be blind to miss. louis' gaze is drawn to him like a flower for that first, singular lancelet of light from behind cloud on a cool, spring morning. kaveh flips through his recollection: they had been together at the gala, and they are together now.

lestat, then, must have been the apparition that had appeared for louis in the bowls of the mall. kaveh had seen alhaitham. suddenly, kaveh thinks, he can understand it, what it must have been like. ]

Not in the traditional sense. [ kaveh echoes, and cants his head in a gesture of acquiescence. ] From the usual definition of a ghost, I concede - that a man that you can still see walking, breathing and existing has left for you an afterimage of himself in the mall would hardly constitute as a ghost.

[ then, quieter: ]

But perhaps my definition of what makes a ghost is in the realm of romance, though not the kind that bleeds roses and such. I had seen for myself a flesh-and-blood man as well, one that I knew to be alive - but I've always thought that whatever that haunts you must be a ghost. And that man had haunted me for such a long, long time; though perhaps I had haunted him too, in turn.

[deathoftheauthor]

( Louis listens with the unsettlingly intent focus of a being who sits still as a statue when at rest. They're getting rather more philosophical than the game demands, but Louis never really cared about the game to begin with. What Kaveh says strikes a chord in him, stirring memories from long ago but never buried very deep beneath the surface. )

That sounds all too familiar.

( He and Lestat had spent a century apart before their reconciliation, and an ocean of bitter regret lay between them all those years. Yet not a night passed that Louis didn't imagine the ring of his laugh, or the tap of his cane on the cobblestones. He had no way of knowing whether Lestat was alive or dead in those days, but Louis was haunted by him just the same, and the memory was far sharper than grief.

He leans forward slightly, lowering his hand to prop up his chin without losing count of his fingers. )

You parted ways with this man? Left with regrets?

( He's projecting, but it doesn't sound so far off the mark. )

[fussiest]

[ when kaveh thinks of regret, he recalls the house.

situated at the heart of the great divine tree, it was precisely fifteen minutes' distance to the akademiya, was renovated from a research centre into a three bedroom residence, and situated on a street zoned primarily for single-family housing, with a few duplexes across the way on the other side of the aqueducts. it had an eastern exposure. each morning when treasures street opened its doors for the day's commerce, one could hear through the northern windows the call of kulfiwallas and street hawkers lined up with their wares greeting the day's customers. it had these gorgeous moorish arches and high-vaulted ceilings embedded with the green and golden mosaics characteristic of moorish-style dwellings.

the original plans for the house were scrapped when their project dissolved and they parted ways. and they never did come up with one solid floor plan. but kaveh can see in the fabric of the house the work, the research, they put into testing materials, construction and manufacturing techniques, geographical and cultural concerns, overall aesthetic themes and choices. if kaveh closes his eyes, he can see ghosts of them, in the same way that sometimes kaveh feels the ghost of the people they might have been - together - if they hadn't had that last fight.

they never talked about it later. when kaveh moved in. they never talked about the house. the project. the fight. it felt like kaveh wasn't supposed to ask - like it had become something buried. you aren't supposed to dig up corpses. but just like everything else that comes back to haunt him, this too was one of them. in the mall, it had been alhaitham who had haunted kaveh. but that in itself hadn't been an unusual state of being for alhaitham, who had haunted kaveh long since before that, and continued to do so, like a spectre, like vengeance, like condemnation.

louis listens with the weight of his considerable attention. midnight's bar is replete tonight with laughter and the smoky charm of lowkey anticipation. because it will be the new year, because alhaitham is back at their apartment reading up on combustion engines, because it is louis, who looked to the golden halo of lestat's presence, asking, kaveh says, ]

Yes. It was a decade ago, though to the you of now, that may seem like but a breath of a lifetime - to us, it seemed like the stretch of an eternity. I used to characterise it as a chasm between us, you know - one which brimmed with the ill-will and the accusations and the fury and the hurt, but one which no matter what we tossed into it the gap never seemed to close. [ the drink kaveh pulls from the table is a glass of grape juice. he didn't intend on getting drunk tonight, still doesn't intend to, but now wishes he had something stronger. kaveh takes a long, contemplative sip. he continues: ] It's not a particularly fascinating story, so I'll spare you the details. But Alhaitham and I had an argument, that long decade ago. We said things that we both regretted later, when we weren't the young men that we had been. But the damage had been done. We parted ways, with regrets. Alhaitham has haunted me sense, and I him. Or perhaps I've just haunted myself this entire time - I never figured the difference.

[ kaveh presses a rueful smile into the tuck of his lips. he looks to louis. ]

Was it Lestat? Your eyes are drawn to him, you know. Like a flower to light.

[deathoftheauthor]

( Louis is so drawn into the story that it's almost startling to actually be asked a question in return. It's a strange thing to feel such a powerful communion with the bones of what is certainly quite a personal tale; it's as if he'd forgotten himself for a moment, consumed by a story eerily similar to his own. He looks a little bashful, tucking his hair behind his ear with a soft exhale. It's unsettlingly vulnerable to be seen with such clarity, but there's something reassuring in it, too. If his love for Lestat is the pillar supporting the weight of his soul, then it is a sturdy one.

He nods. )

Yes, it was Lestat.

( His gaze falls to the light dancing on the mirrored wall, his expression thoughtful as he considers where to begin, how best to connect his own story to Kaveh's. He's told it before, his life story is available in paperback, but it's different like this: companionship, not confession. His voice is low and quiet, regretful but not pained. He and Lestat have finally mended things between them, and Louis is distant enough from it now to feel some sympathy for the young, foolish things they both were. )

The chasm between us was there from the start. There were no bridges to burn.

A vampire is not born by accident. Lestat came to me and offered me this — the Dark Gift, some call it — and I accepted. But as you might imagine, a man content with his life isn't likely to leave it behind. When he found me, I was miserable and self-destructive, searching for punishment or enlightenment, and I put the burden of both upon his shoulders. Lestat was not the person I expected him to be, and I blamed him for my disappointment. We were both so young and so quick to anger... and Lestat had only been a vampire for a decade or so, though I didn't know it then. That is a very short relative time in the life of an immortal creature, and certainly not enough to gain the wisdom of millennia.

We lived together for decades that way, arguing, resenting each other, never finding common ground. It was bitter and unhappy, but I knew no others of our kind. And often I would stare across that chasm, lonely and longing to be understood, without ever realizing that all the while, Lestat was staring back and hoping for the same.

( Louis couldn't imagine that anyone would want him, desire his companionship, when he loathed himself so completely. Lestat must have wanted his money. What else? It took him almost two centuries to see the truth, and he still doesn't completely understand the reason for it. )

When we parted ways, it was sudden and vicious. I didn't see him again for a century, save once. But I thought of him always. I missed him, in spite of the misery. I tortured myself by imagining all of the ways that things might have been different... imagined his voice laughing at me for being so maudlin.

So yes... I suppose I do know what it is to be haunted that way. There is a void where that person once was, and no amount of guilt or regret can fill it.

( Good party talk. )

[fussiest]

[ the rtawahists have debated the concept of self-fulfilling prophecies since the discipline began. if the myths they tell the first-years hold water, the very first rtawahist founded their darshan on the sole argument that because it was foretold that the darshan exists, therefore he must found it - and then subsequently the second rtawahist of his darshan stepped into the ring argued that because the concept of the darshan already existed beneath the eaves of the irminsul, so thus was it prophesied - and the rest merely followed the way water flowed downstream. or so it goes.

kaveh could believe it. he is no rtawahist scholar, no veiled owl of the good and velvet night, but kaveh is thinking of it now as he considers the probability of two stories converging, each a mirror of the other. kaveh can imagine it, the pride of two young men, each poised with devastating intent reaching for mutual self-destruction. kaveh knows it, the resentment and the longing, the bitterness and the unhappiness. if kaveh closes his eyes, he can still see it, the loss of that inexorable piece of the chain, the way the heart misses what the mind refuses to remember. hadn't he said so to alhaitham himself?

i'm tired of it. i am tired of remembering it, of having it hang over our heads as if a sword waiting for execution. ]

Because it is akin to a Sword of Damocles, that perpetual reminder of their existence. [ kaveh says, soft as dust, ] I have always thought that when you miss someone, you miss two people. You miss the person they are when they are with you, and you miss the person you are when you are with them. Nothing makes a room emptier than wanting someone in it. Isn't that so?

[ slowly, kaveh shakes his head. ] I think you might understand this, when I say that even after reconciling, that old hurt needs time to heal. For the longest time, I was second-guessing everything he said simply because I remember what was already said, and wondered if there was anything more to be said. I was tired of finding the laughter between us again and the delight, and all the good in us, only to have that old argument wash it all away.

Louis. [ kaveh looks at him, the young man with the soul of an ancient thing. ] Are you still lonely now?

[deathoftheauthor]

( Louis is surprised by the question, the compassion in it, and it takes him a moment to find his voice to respond. He shakes his head side to side. )

Not as often as I used to be. This is the first time I've spent any time around mortals who know what I am. People here are kind... much kinder than I deserve.

( Louis' expression is wistful, both tender and quietly sad. It means he feels guilt each time he accepts a compliment or a thoughtful gesture — as if he's deceived them somehow, manipulated his way into the good graces of human beings who can't possibly understand what he is. Still, it seems he's too starved to deny such affection completely, and that makes him feel guiltier still. )

I do understand what you mean. Every word of it. He and I found one another again not very long before we were brought to this place... sometimes I forget just how brief this time together has been. I still now and then find myself second-guessing his motives, searching sweet words for hidden barbs that aren't there. And then naturally I resent my reflexes; my suspicions only make me feel unkind, as if I haven't properly learned to forgive as he has. But then, Lestat is better at forgiveness than I am.

( He's matter-of-fact about it, as much as anyone can be about self-criticism, as if he's gone through it all in his head often enough to solidify his problems, just not enough to know how to fix them. But the present tense in Kaveh's story makes Louis curious, and he tips his head, regarding him with a wondering and hopeful expression. )

But you have reconciled? You and your companion?

( For lack of a better word. )

[fussiest]

[ much kinder than i deserve, louis says, with a smile washed with sorrow. it reminds kaveh much of that saying - that when you toss your sorrows into the sea, you are still left with the sea. there is an injustice here, kaveh thinks, though he isn't certain if it's an injustice imposed upon louis by the world, or an injustice louis has imposed upon himself. perhaps it's both, and perhaps they're linked, and perhaps it is also what it means to be a vampire. kaveh remembers the way louis had looked at kaveh that night, surprise rising in that quiet tone of his that someone would create something beautiful for him. something in kaveh aches at it.

forgiveness, kaveh thinks, must be both given to the one who hurt you, and also to yourself, the you that hurt someone else. ]

... we have. [ kaveh's smile is a small budding thing, a single rambutan flower in spring. ] It took many years of us not-talking, not-understanding, not-working in order to find the fault in both each other, but also in ourselves. And then to find that good again. Once, our paths diverged because our views were incompatible. Now, our views are still incompatible - but we have found a way to walk that path together, so that though we may not fully understand each other, we can share in companionship.

[ it had been kaveh's mother who taught him that, after so many years. kaveh looks to louis for a moment. he thinks of the starburst of lestat's existence. ]

And you and Lestat? Do you walk your path together?

greenhouse

[unrequite]

I was, until I saw one of my guests seated on the floor. On stone, of all things, my darling, not even a pillow to cushion that sweet backside of yours.

[ ... Okay, he shouldn't have said that last bit, but he is just a tad too tipsy to be a perfect host. He's going with more or less acceptable.

He casts around, then walks to a nearby set of wicker furniture, then sets to unfastening its cushions from its seats. Sit where you will, Louis, but you will sit in comfort. ]

[deathoftheauthor]

( Louis' cheeks go pink, his eyes wide and owlish, blinking at Midnight like he isn't sure if he heard him correctly even with his preternaturally perfect ears. He doesn't know quite how to respond to something so courteous and yet so openly flirtatious. The other vampire is unfastening the cushions from the chair by the time Louis finds the words to speak. )

Oh, no, please, you needn't do that, I promise I'm quite comfortable right where I am...

( It's half-true: Louis doesn't get the aches and pains that a mortal might from sitting on the cold stone for too long, but he's still someone that appreciates creature comforts, especially when he has someone else to blame for his indulgence. He tucks his hair behind his ear, composing himself. )

But, if you insist. You're much too kind... and very talented. Congratulations on your success.

[unrequite]

[ Midnight tuts in a way that probably wouldn't be out of place on the lips of his mother and, motioning with his cushions, gently encourages Louis to stand so he can place the cushions under him and his cards. ]

There. Now I can happily accept your commendation.

[ He grins. He's a bit tipsy, but no amount of intoxication can change his taste for a good compliment. ]

A success it must be, then, especially if it falls from your lips. Though I don't know what I could have contributed in the way of talent. Perhaps some hard work, but most lovely things are the fruit of hard work, aren't they?

[deathoftheauthor]

( Louis stands obediently, and when he sits again, he does have to admit that the cushion is preferable to cold stone beneath him. )

Thank you. Would you like to join me, or are you busy with your duties?

( Manners. He nods, acknowledging the truth of Midnight's observation in spite of any alcohol he may or may not have consumed this evening. )

At the very least, it takes hard work to make anything last. Shall I compliment you on your diligence instead?

[unrequite]

My duties are my guests, darling. Attending to them, looking after their needs, providing them with lavish amounts of attention. And I don't see any other guests here, do you?

[ Midnight grins, makes to sit, then clumsily crawls up to nab a cushion for himself so he, too, can sit in comfort. He is a very unbothered drunk, the sort to be even more impulsive while the world is soft and full of wonderful lights. ]

I am happy to be noticed for my work, darling, though it isn't much, really. There's still much to do and maintain around here, and outside of occasions like this, I'll strictly be serving the bar and minding the grounds. If I want to quench my thirst for hosting, I'd better do it before the opportunity passes me by, mm?

[deathoftheauthor]

I suppose that makes sense.

( Though he isn't sure why Midnight wouldn't want to do this every night, if he enjoys it so much. Even if just for a little while. )

You're a very charming man.

( Louis says it as though it's an obvious thing, his tone warm and straightforward. )

Well-suited to providing company, though I confess that I hardly know what sort of company I crave.

[unrequite]

Thank you. I love to hear those sorts of things from beautiful people; that your sincerity shines through is nothing less than the most precious of gifts.

[ Is he drunk? A little, but definitely enough to say this with the all the tipsy heartfelt gratitude in his heart. ]

Not everyone is in need of company. It's the sort of thing one must learn in my line of business, you know, the difference between loneliness and a peaceful solitude. I can't say I'm good at sorting out the difference, but I don't begrudge anyone time alone. The silence is... nice.

[ Midnight pauses, then leans to Louis. ]

Of course, I'm very good company, should you like to dally with the concept every now and then.

greenhouse. it may be jan 6 but it's 12/31 in my heart

[beanallright]

[ Chesed returns the courteous nod with an easy smile. ]

Of course, there's a little something for everyone~

[ His gaze strays from Louis to the in-progress game of Solitaire spread on the stone floor. Recognizing the deck of cards, the man lifts an index finger to his lips, warm expression still on his face. ]

Ah, don't worry. It shouldn't be too difficult for me to find another deck of cards. Think of the ones you're using now as a little party favor from tonight's event.

i'm a snail lately, i love late tag-ins

[deathoftheauthor]

( Louis winces slightly, a little embarrassed to be called out on his card theft. He recognizes the man from the coffee shop, but they'd both been occupied in conversation then, and Louis hadn't properly introduced himself. )

Ah... thank you. I did intend to bring them back.

( He hesitates, trying to get a sense of the man's demeanor, and whether he's being teased for his minor faux pas. )

I hope you won't take it as a slight against the coffee shop.

sorry about his tildes. he's just like that. closes my eyes

[beanallright]

[ Chesed shakes his head. ]

Oh, no, it's always nice when things make their way to people who appreciate them~

[ Besides, it shouldn't be too difficult to find another deck of cards for the coffee shop. Any old set of cards will do. ]

In fact, it's more of a compliment on my taste in card designs. I was the one who picked them out, you see.

[ He takes a seat by Louis, trapping the other with his company. ]

I'm Chesed, by the way~

please tilde away, louis needs it

[deathoftheauthor]

Chesed. ( Louis nods politely. ) It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Louis.

( Louis is a little surprised to be joined with such enthusiasm, but he doesn't mind that. His interest and curiosity is piqued when the man says the cards are of his choosing, though, and turns his attention to appreciating them more thoroughly, wondering what that taste might say about a person. )

Your taste is very fine indeed. Did you do all of the design work there yourself? Do you own a cafe in your own world?

[beanallright]

Ah, no, the pleasure's all mine. After all, our establishment can only exist with the support of future loyal patrons like yourself~

[ The cards in Louis' hands are of a simple design. They were not overly showy, and most of the quality was in the cardstock material. It was a sturdy deck of cards, covered in a smooth protective coating. The texture allowed for ease of shuffling.

Chesed hums thoughtfully as Louis poses one question after another. ]

I don't, no, though I often made coffee for my associates. I suppose my office became something of a cafe so I've had plenty of practice~

[deathoftheauthor]

I see.

( A small, vaguely guilty smile. )

Forgive me if I'm prying. I'm unaccustomed to small talk. It feels strange to ask about one's occupation in another world when such things matter so little here...

( He spreads his hands in a sort of apology. )

I'm fortunate in that my wealth was inherited, and all I had to do was manage it sensibly. But that good fortune has left me without much experience in the way of... community engagement, I suppose I'll call it. I would never think to take on something like this.

party games.

[lupusintus]

The longer I'm here, the more I think I see.

[ Ethan walks up behind him with his hands stuffed in his pockets, wearing what will likely be a very familiar shirt because it belongs to Lestat. Unfortunately, he isn't able to button it up due to his larger frame. Exasperation isn't a strong enough word for what he feels right now, but he did accept the terms. He could have just as easily declined politely but he isn't one to back down from a challenge.

Plus, seeing Lestat wearing something "boring" for a change nearly makes the experience worth it. He plucks at the material of the shirt, lips pursed, before grinning at Louis. ]

Never have I ever worn a gaudier shirt.

[deathoftheauthor]

( Louis turns, and his eyes fly open wide when he's faced with two things he didn't prepare for: the first is Ethan's bare chest, and the second is Lestat's shirt hanging off of him and looking even more gauzy and insubstantial than before. )

Ethan?

( He blinks owlishly, bewildered and vaguely scandalized. )

... Do I want to know what happened?