cuddlecity | EVENT: A VERY NICE BALL.

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EVENT: A VERY NICE BALL.

Blink, and a week goes by; close your eyes, and the evening of the fifteenth comes to life, the cool glow of moonlight illuminating the quiet streets of the city. For once, it seems like the entire city's come to a standstill — many of the local businesses have closed early today, with signs advising they'll reopen first thing in the morning, and even the dependable, cheerful squawks of the street vendors have hushed for the time being. Hurried as this year's event may seem, the annual celebration is a city tradition that's not to be missed; bakers and booksellers alike know this all too well, and any lingering souls in their shops will be gently but firmly shooed to the exits by late afternoon. They've got to get all dolled up too, after all, and such finery takes time.

Whether the Social Committee's video enticed you or you've been dragged by the metaphorical scuff tonight, the Samhain Ball hopes to offer you an evening of seasonally appropriate escapism. There's something for everyone tonight, from the comforting swells of smooth jazz and upbeat swing pouring out from the stage where a live band plays, to the mouth-watering smells and tastes of a gourmet plated meal served early in the evening, to even the simple beauty of the decorated ballroom itself.

The first hour or so of the evening allows for guests to enter at their leisure through double doors at the north end of the ballroom, where all are greeted by the smiling faces of Flora and Cornelius in their matching cream pantsuits. Should you choose this main entrance, you and your companion — or companions, if you've brought more than one — will be announced in grand style, befitting the occasion. (Savvy — or sneaky — attendees may note the auxiliary entrance on the west side of the ballroom. Follow the garden path, and be mindful of the sprinklers. They do have a tendency to go off at the wrong moments.)

Take a look around, and soak in the sights. The ornately carved ceiling of the ballroom has been obscured for the evening with tasteful black draping dotted with the gentle glow of strung lights. It lends a twilight quality to the evening, enhanced by the soft flicker of tea lights placed at the center of each table on the east side of the ballroom and the sconces hung on the wall throughout. Each table, too, features a soft cream tablecloth and a bounty of autumnal florals, perfectly arranged to match the golden chairs surrounding. There's plenty of seating for all, and no assignments — feel free to claim a table for you and yours, and free your hands of anything you may not wish to carry.

The slow fade of music from the stage signals attention to a single woman illuminated by spotlight, whose silhouette should look familiar to anyone who's spent time in the city. With a small, tired smile, Mayor Drake welcomes you and yours to the city's annual Samhain Celebration Ball; her speech is short, but touches on the importance of the holiday, from the appreciation of the harvest to the welcoming of the new year, and reminds both natives and visitors alike to take time in the coming months to cherish their blessings — including this most immediate one, the promised Samhain feast.

Once you've settled around a table, the ballroom welcomes you to chat with strangers and friends alike, encouraging conversation with soft instrumental music and the quiet, pleasant generosity of passing waiters carrying flutes of happily bubbling champagne. A little liquid courage never hurt anyone, after all.

Dinner is an affair in itself, plated and served by hushed but skilled waiters whose capable hands whisk courses in and out with no more than a smile. No matter your dietary preferences or needs, there's an appetizer, entree, and everything in between available for you — simply raise a hand, and a member of the waitstaff will be at your side to assist in taking your order when you're ready. Linger as long as you like at the table; there's no rush to leave, but when you're ready, let the swells of the music from the stage entice you to the west side of the ballroom, where a dance floor's lit by the warm glow of so many twinkling lights overhead.

The music itself goes on through the wee hours of the evening, so there's plenty of opportunities to fill your dance card with any number of partners. The songs themselves vary from gentle waltzes perfect for cheek-to-cheek swaying to faster rhythms suited for swing dancing's signature dips and twirls, and requests are always welcome if you've something particular in mind. There's even a microphone tucked to the side, just in case you feel the urge to croon with accompaniment to someone special as the night goes on.

Of course, if you don't feel like dancing, or just need to rest your feet, there's plenty of entertainment tucked in the hall. In a small room just off the ballroom, you might find a collection of old-fashioned photobooth machines, ordered on accident and set here where they won't clash with the rest of the decor. They're operational, of course, and free of charge; feel free to take a few silly photos, but be sure to wait for them to print. There's the gardens, too, equally decorated with twinkling lights, though the effect is muted by the moonlight that trickles through the canopy overhead; the adjoining hedge maze and walking paths have often been a perfect site for quiet walks and romantic interludes in years past.

While a perfect world might allow such a charmed evening to last forever, unfortunately all good things must come to an end, and as the late hour of the evening gives way to the promise of dawn, a familiar tune is played to signal the end of the event. As the lyrics go, you don't have to go home... but you can't stay here. Time to make your way to the exit, and see where else the night takes you.

Whew, talk about words. Should you need a recap: be pretty, because this is a fancy event. Bring a friend or come stag, whatever you choose; eat, drink, dance (or don't) and be merry, for this is an event without any dramatic accidental consequences. Well, except the sprinklers... and maybe your own excessive consumption of champange, but that's up to you!

And, though we say it every time, please don't forget that your mod team is here for you with answers to any questions you might have, whether related specifically to this event or the game in general. If you have any further questions specific to this event, we encourage you to ask away on our QUESTIONS COMMENT here in this post. If you have general questions, or prefer a more private venue, our GENERAL INBOX (and SCREENED INBOX) is always available for you.

Enjoy your evening, cuddlers, but if you would, please — save the last dance for us?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Making an Entrance

Helping Kendra was part of the reason Jax had decided to attend the ball. He had been on the fence about the entire thing, at first. Although, he certainly enjoyed cutting a swath with the team whenever a mission required they dress formerly - after all, he looked damn good in a suit, if he said so himself - those events turned out a little dull the moments before things got out of hand. Jax wasn't sure he wanted to handle an entire evening of small talk, bowties, and figuring which spoon was the right one.

That said, he had been curious to see how the city liked the results of his culinary efforts. (And, of course, he had been eager to try them out for himself) He also realized that if this event was popular as they'd made it seem, it was a good opportunity for him to get his socializing on. He'd been admittedly a little slow on that front; his focus primarily on other factors.

Jax fidgeted with parts of his attire as he took the steps to the building and entered it. Previously, he had been running errands. This lead him into rushing in an effort to avoid being too late. He was working on his watch when he realized that they were announcing people.

Really?

He paused abruptly, but had the decency to move slightly to the side, as he shot the entrance an incredulous look. However, he hadn't realized just how close the person behind him had been.

"Hey, sorry." He murmured in response to the person's sharp warning. Jax two stepped quickly and just narrowly avoided stepping on their feet.

Dinner Conversation

"Mind if I sit here?" Jax leaned in slightly. Close enough to be heard over the music and chatter yet far enough to be respectable. He gestured to the next seat over. It was one of two currently unoccupied seats. The other having a shawl tangling over it's back. Meaning it was either taken or someone had left it there while dancing. Or whatever.

It was almost dinner time. The waitstaff were already making their way through the tables and mingling crowds taking in people's orders.

Wildcard
[hit him with your best shot, fireaway. find me at

backstreetsmallfry or PM me! ]

Edited (messing around with html (badly)) 2017-10-17 02:28 (UTC)

( the shawl is probably thea's, abandoned as the other girl flitted from place to place during the night. she'll come back for it eventually, but the seat in question is absolutely free for the taking; kara is all too happy to beam up in jax's direction and encourage him to take a seat. )

Please! It's all yours, ( as is the sure-to-be delicious meal that's coming up, which she's more than excited about. ) I'm starving... hopefully we won't have to wait too long.

( the priorities of a girl with a super appetite. )

Thanks. [ He smiled gratefully as he eagerly sat down. He removed the shawl from behind the seat and placed it carefully, out of the way, on the table. Jax didn't want it caught up between the movement of people and food.

Once he settled, he returned his focus to Kara and his smile widened. It seemed they were of the same mind. ] I think they'll be here before we know it. [ He gestured to a waiter taking orders a few tables away from them. ] And yeah, I'm getting a bit hungry myself. I wonder what's on the menu. Any ideas? [ Beyond the appetizers Jax hadn't a clue. Not that it mattered too much to him. He wasn't terribly picky. He had, for the most part, outgrown his childhood distaste for vegetables -- asparaguses, in particular. And if he could brave that, Jax doubted he'd have any trouble with the main course.

Especially if it was of the beef variety. ]

Edited 2017-10-21 21:44 (UTC)

I think it's supposed to be personalized? When I was volunteering, one of the coordinators was talking about getting menu options from the city.

( kara's thrilled to have a seatmate as ready for a good meal as she is. she's heard a few whispers about what's on offer, but every rumor has been as unique as the person who'd suggested it — small, dainty portions for smaller guests to table-bucklingly heavy entrees for the hungrier among them, to even strange dietary offers she wasn't entirely sure she was ready to believe.

luckily, kara's alien metabolism was more of a 'seconds, please' than 'stranger things' arrangement. )

I'd honestly eat anything. What do you feel like?

( maybe it was a charlie and the chocolate factory style event, and if they wished hard enough, it would arrive in front of them. a girl could dream, right? )

[ Jax's brows shoot up and he peers at Kara - more her words, really - from the corner's of his eyes. However, the look contemplation is brief. That was .... a lot of ... options. However, surprising and accommodating seemed to go hand in hand with this place, he was quickly noticing. So it wasn't too hard to believe. A slow grin softened his features. ] That's gotta be a new spin on all you can eat. [ He leaned back, a little, after letting out a low and brief whistle. ]

Anything, really? There's nothing you've been dying to try? [ This time the skepticism is directed at her and it's fully good-natured. ] And, well, Kendra, some others, and me ... we helped out with some of the appetizers. I know for a fact that the pumpkin soup's amazing. So I guess, I'd start with that and -- this is gonna sound weird ... but I could do with a really good turkey sandwich. If they really have a range of things, [ He shrugged. ] I could go for that.

Pumpkin soup sounds delicious. We used to have butternut squash soup for Thanksgiving at home, but I've never had a pumpkin soup before. ( she'd eat just about anything, but as good as pumpkin pie is, kara's quite sure a soup variety must be equally good. hopefully more savory than sweet, but either option would be tried. ) You made it?

( she's not a very good chef, herself. following directions on premade cookie dough or heating up turkey with laser vision is about the best she can do, if she's quiet honest; making something delicious from scratch is better left in eliza's capable hands. )

That's really impressive! Was that at the cooking school here, or did you already know how?

Trust me, it is. This one in particular but also in general. Butternut squash is a classic, and I'm a fan -- but a good pumpkin soup, with or without extra vegetables in it. [ Man, this whole dinner affair - from cooking to this moment - had been increasingly leaving him nostalgic for his grandmother's cooking (and his mom's too). It was easy not to think about when traveling through time -- the food often different or, despite Gideon's efforts, just not the same as something home made. But this, talking about holiday food shared with family made more than his stomach twinge.

Jax set those thoughts aside. ] Yeah, well, me and Kendra. [ Despite his smile, Jax's shrug brushed aside her praise. He was really proud of the results, but it had been a joint effort. ] I remember some of the steps but I'd never tried it before. Kendra suggested something to go with the theme and I helped out some. She's a really great teacher. [ He stated; a sincere mix of loyalty, honesty, and promoting his friend. ]

( jax, please talk more about food. the longer you talk, the more enthralled kara looks with the conversation — and she is, genuinely, quite enthralled. chin in her hands and smiling, leaning forward, the whole nine yards. )

Clearly, she had a really great student too, or I don't think they'd be serving your soup at an event like this. ( a mental note to definitely order said pumpkin soup when and/or if the waiter ever came around to ask them what they wanted. and if they didn't, kara would definitely be seeking out any opportunities for leftovers at the end of the night anyway, so she'd just have to see if she could manage to bring home a small container of it then. ) I've heard really good things about the cooking school, but I just haven't had time to check it out.

I wonder if she knows how to make chocolate pecan pie.

( that, jax, is her favorite. if she sounds a little wistful at the idea, you're not wrong. )

[Glancing up from where he's sat down to eat, Vasquez is half expecting to see Buffy back already, but when he sees it's a different man, he gestures to the seat, having been eating most of someone else's meal when he finished his own too-small plate and found himself hungry. One thing he doesn't like about this little party is that the liquor isn't strong enough and they don't seem to think people have appetites.]

Be my guest. Maybe you will be kicked out later, but you can take it for now.

[He studies him curiously as he gnaws on a dinner roll, maybe trying to assess the man like he always does with strangers, but it means that he's staring at him intently, probably longer than's polite. Still, as he leans over, he gets the waiter's attention to order some more for himself, gesturing to the man.]

Do you want anything, while you're here?

[ Jax chuckled lightly; his expression was filled with amusement as he slid into the chair. ] Thanks, man. [ The word stretches out with a long 'a' and the 'n' is pronounced far more definitively as Jax avoids turning simple gratitude into a bemused question.

Was there something on his face?

He barely settled before the man shifted gears and Jax's, in a way, followed suit as his confusion shifted into tentative appreciation for the casual consideration. ] Uh, yeah. Sure. Sure, I could eat. Thanks. [ He repeats. ] Food's pretty good. . [ Idle conversation starter as the waiter heads their way. ]

Food doesn't have to be good to be eaten.

[At least, for Vasquez, the last two months have been filled with him eating everything in sight because he's been paranoid that it's all going to go away. That, and he's probably got about twenty pounds he needs to put back on, what with having lost so much while in hiding.]

Have you been dancing all night? Is that what people do at fancy parties like this?

[ The corners of Jax' mouth turned downward in consideration before he shrugged and nodded in quick succession; an easy acceptance of the other man's point. ]

I always figured it was "mingling". [ He said with a chuckle. Idle small talk that might turn into something more. If the people in conversation were lucky. Or feeling bold. So, basically, like prom at a big school. But worse (or better, he supposed depending on one's perspective). He had managed to fair well for his junior prom. Senior. Had been another matter.

One that didn't matter now. Particularly since Jax was determined strike out a little more. ] But yeah, people dance at these things too. Mostly, I've just been looking around. How about you? [ Jax could make a guess but he chose not to voice it. ]

I don't know that I know that word or like it.

[Mingling? What the fuck is a mingle? It sounds like the kind of English thing that's bullshit and annoying, at that, but Vasquez is trying to be polite and friendly, not make enemies, so maybe he shouldn't say that one out loud.]

I was invited and thought in my best interest, I put on a suit, comb my hair, make an appearance. Learning to dance like this was not something I thought too much about, though. It's all exhausting. They should serve more drinks if they expect us to stay all night.

It's uh, [ Give him a moment. ] like -- it's just making social, more or less. [ No. That didn't capture the sentiment of it. Nor was it particularly helpful in drawing a distinction -- not that actually was a big distinction. He supposed anything could fit it as mingling. Jax tried again. ] Basically, people go around the room and chat with each other. It's like small talk, making nice, but with the sense of getting a feel of the scene and the people around you.

It has it's pluses. It's pretty useful way to meet people quick. And a party like this has it's own icebreakers -- [ Would he know what that meant? ] Ways to break through that awkwardness of talking to a new person.

[ But Jax wondered if this guy got any of that. Awkwardness. He seemed pretty straightforward. However, that was just a first impression.

Jax nodded slowly, his smile of understanding spread just the same. ] Sounds about right. And you never know, they just might. They could be saving the harder stuff for later.

[That's why he doesn't like it already. Being social is something that Vasquez is forced to do recently, and even before the bounty, he wasn't exactly the kind of friendly person that reached out and made acquaintances. He more tolerated them.]

What are you trying to accomplish with all the talk? Trying to find something out?

[Because why else would you willingly talk to strangers? They must have something. Well, or they're pretty and can offer something very intimate, Vasquez knows a thing or two about courting conversation for that.]

Where I come from, people don't start talking to others so easily. Trust isn't so quickly given.

[He raises a brow at the possibility of more drinks coming later.]So why are you staying? For the mingling? Or the drinking?

Me, personally? Or just in general? [ Jax crossed his leg, settling the ankle of his right on top of his left, as he sussed out if that 'you' was general or not.

Jax pondered the other man's words for a second. He never thought about it that way. If anything, he saw some types of mingling as a perfunctory type of social reaction. Or like he said, an icebreaker. But there could be a sort of openness required - even if a person was just shooting the breeze.] Sometimes it can be. You know, people looking to make a friend. Looking for a connection for whatever reason. Sometimes it's just people talking about the weather and other boring stuff. Just making conversation because you don't want to keep the wall company.

I'm Jax, by the way. I'm realizing I never said. [ Jax extended a hand. He figured he should introduce himself before satiating his curiosity about the his dinner partner's perspective. ] And since I'm kinda here for the mingling, I probably should've. [ He was also there for food.

Speaking of which, the waiter returned with their order. ]

You, personally. When you go talk to others, why?

[ It might be a stupid question, seeing as he's sitting here talking with a stranger, which means that he shouldn't even be asking, but his curiosity is flaring. ]

Where I come from, friends and allies, it happens because you have a purpose in common. It's because you want the same thing, so because of this, then you connect, bond.

[ Or, if you're like him and Goodnight, you sass at him and poke until you find common ground. Perking up when the waiter returns with the food, he's already working a napkin into his lap, eager to tuck into some more food. ] Vasquez. I'm Vasquez, and I hope you're very hungry, because I will not be very polite in my eating.

[ Jax shrugged. He barely had to think about it. He went with the rationalisation he has given himself (despite all of his internal, and a little external, complaints about mingling). ] I like meeting new people, some times. [ As a football player it had been important for him to socialize. And as a could have been, an injured high school graduate who needed to work, those skills kind of fell to disuse as his classmates moved on with life and his family, his job had become his priority.

Yet in both scenarios, despite adapting to circumstances and environment, Jax considered himself fairly sociable. ] And I figured this was a good place and time to just that.

We've got some of that too. [ Jax stated after a thoughtful mod. Vasquez' words bringing to mind the number of times he'd ended up forming connections through a shared cause ... among other reasons. ] I've met some of the most important people in my life that way.

[ Jax snorted in good humor but he shot Vasquez a curious sideeye. ] I can handle myself, man. Eat how you want, I'm betting I've seen worse. But I hold the right to shove your hand out of the way if it reaches for something of mine. [ He grins to show he's joking. Mostly. After the crew and church events, Jax knew how to protect his plate along with whatever else he might want to the table. A dirty look could go a long way. ]

[As soon as the food's in front of him, Vasquez turns out to not be a very attentive conversation partner, his face buried in the place as he hunches over and starts to eat, glancing up every once in a while, but not speaking much until he's chewed (a little too much with his mouth open) and swallowed the majority of the plate.]

Maybe if you don't eat quicker, then I'm going to start reaching, hombre.[It's a light warning, not really a warning at all, seeing as he's not in the mind to actually steal a man's food (which is more of a sin than other things, to him).]

These important people? Are they here too?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT: A VERY NICE BALL.

Jax Jackson | OTA

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Dinner Conversation

Dinner Conversation

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Phone tagging, please excuse any errors

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