007 ✽ Bubbles in the Wine

[giglio_madonna]

Who: Luce and practically anyone that's had CR with her
What: On another side of town, it's a different mafioso's birthday.
When: March 14, in the evening
Where:
Warnings: None planned

Since the start of the month, those who know her even faintly will find themselves contacted one way or another to let them know that they were invited to a birthday party on the 14th. There's no pressure, of course, and there's no need to bring gifts.

Luce finds that she'd be perfectly content just seeing all the people she hasn't been able to see for ages now.

Today is finally the day, and the location? The top floors of the exclusive hotel Sol, which is quite an impressive feat. When the invitees step inside, they'll see why. It's taken Luce constant persuading for this for months now, inbetween everything else she's had to do lately, but goodness knows if she isn't willful. On various tables that are kept carefully restocked, one can find various rice and lamb dishes, plus plenty of piping hot bread including some that's stuffed with all manner of delicious things. Fortunately for Luce's continued existence, she didn't make all of it.

...Besides the cookies. Those she made. And the cake? That'll come later, of course.

There's more than just food and conversation, however. Everyone who comes in will be invited to participate in a little game. Somewhere hidden in the party are various small golden eggs. If you bring one to Luce, you get a prize of some sort. Feel free to note that "bring" is the key word and not necessarily "find". Take that as you will.

Comments

Luce - ota

[giglio_madonna]

[And there's the birthday girl herself. Foregoing any white or long dresses today, she's in a shorter little number with bright colors that seem to match Sol fairly well. As usual, she can be found just about everywhere and happily greeting every new face she manages to spot. Feel free to come up to talk to her, whether she's on the way somewhere else or dropping by the food tables.]

[There are still quiet moments as well, where she lingers by the indoor pools and hums some quiet satisfaction whenever she looks out to everyone else.]

[sailorgenerous]

[Rarity approaches Luce near one of the food tables with a bright smile.]

Happy birthday!

[She offers Luce a small white box, inside of which is a pendant on a silver chain.]

I know you said gifts weren't necessary, but I saw it and thought of you and I simply couldn't resist.

Re: Luce - ota

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Hello beautiful! You got a permit for that deadly body?

[His cheerful grin says he knows his lines are horrible and he's totally fine with that. To make up for it, he cheerfully offers up a box to her, a little flimsy but more skillfully-wrapped than one might ever expect from a meathead like him.]

[faithfulflame]

[Lingering by the pool hmmm? well, don't expect to be left alone for long. Rei slips over and slides an arm around her from behind.]

Shouldn't you be out buzzing around like an extremely pleased bumblebee?

[lightthedarkness]

Happy birthday, Ms. Luce!

[Usagi says, still incredibly nervous and feeling even more undressed than usual. Since she was on a tight budget (even as things were getting easier), she only had a one business casual dress and one semi-formal dress. She went with the latter, hoping it would be enough. So there she stood, in a blue and floralpatterned dress, her blonde hair in her usual buns. Even her semi-formal was out of place, though, among all these stars. She almost didn't make it up here as the security thought she was trying to sneak in.

But still, she had gotten here! And Usagi went straight for the birthday woman a bouquet of the flowers she was represented by in her band in arm. She handed them over to Luce.]

These are for you, and I really wish you the best today! I'm sorry I'm a little under-dressed for this, but this is an absolutely beautiful place.

[dishevelment]

[Dressed in flowers for a veritable flower herself, Koumei approached Luce almost shyly amidst the crowd. Things had been quiet in recent months-- due to a combination of factors that included being busy with work and inter-label politics-- and he admittedly felt a little out of place in a party this grand.

In his hands was a small, simply wrapped box containing a delicate looking necklace, which he then offered her with a sheepish little smile.]

Here. A little present for the lovely flower on her birthday.

[sponsorigami]

[ From Ivan is a beautiful cascading bouquet of origami flowers done in music sheet papers. Ivan has folded many types of flowers (and of course the bands' flowers are in there). The glass vase has colored glass at the bottom, hiding some strands of battery operated LED lights to make the whole thing sparkle and gives the origami a warm glow. Part of the strands are hidden in the bouquet too... along with the switch to turn the whole thing on. ]

It's for your room.

[exhumerus]

[Sans is present, but it seems like he's kind of missing out on the festive atmosphere. He's largely just dressed the same as usual, and when he approaches Luce its more shifty than congratulatory. It doesn't look like he's been sleeping properly lately.]

Hey Luce - got a second to talk?

45 Years Late with a BA in English

[stylistic_disloyalty]

[Obviously, even though there are two parties happening tonight Luci has to make an appearance at both. Once Squalo seemed blitzed enough to get himself into trouble, Luci considered her job done and headed across town to Luce's. A quieter affair, yes, but quite suited to the Holy Mother of Bass. Elegant and upscale.]

[She hovers on the edges of the party, waiting for Luce to be otherwise unoccupied or alone-- which is a bit of a feat considering she's the star of the show tonight. But eventually when she's by one of the pools and seems to be contemplating the crowd, Luci catches her eye, looming from behind one of the decorative alcoves. Silently, she beckons for Luce to come to her with a finger, but if that isn't to Luce's liking obviously Luci will just switch tactics and go to her.]

[...but come on, secret alcoves were made for something right?]

Pao-Lin - OTA

[i_am_not_cute]

[This girl has a dress for almost every occasion and Luce's birthday party is no exception. Granted, in this case she may have possibly gone out to buy the dress in question after seeing where the party was gonna be held. Given the decor, how could she have passed up this lovely Arabian Nights-inspired dress?]

A. 'Cause you're hot and you're cold, you're yes and you're no

[Participating in that golden egg hunt? If Pao-Lin sees someone clearly looking for an egg, or if someone outright asks her, she'll give a hint or two about where to find one. What a helpful young lady!

If you catch her during one of her hungrier moments, though, she might demand a fee for her advice...]

B. Who is that girl I see, staring straight back at me

[Later on, Pao-Lin's kicked off her platforms and is seated at the edge of an indoor pool with a plate of food in her lap and her bare feet dangling in the water. This place is super cool! Her own birthday is coming up; she wonders what she'll do for hers.]

A

[sailorgenerous]

[Rarity may be very surreptitiously looking around in plants to see if there are eggs hidden. She also may not be as good at subtlety as she thinks she is. There's something about a treasure hunt that's appealing to her in ways she can't quite explain, and she feels as though she ought to be better at it than this somehow.]

[But for right now, she's definitely on the hunt.]

Ivan - OTA

[sponsorigami]

[ Ivan's dressed more casually despite the location, sporting a pink scarf and patterned shirt. He's mostly trying to make sure things go smoothly for both the birthday flower and the guests. He'll be hopping around from point to point, taking care of various things.

He has also helped in the golden egg search by hiding his own golden origami eggs. They are a challenge to find, just peeking from behind thing and letting their flat dimensions work to their advantage. But... he's not so cruel that he won't give hints out. ]

[sailorgenerous]

[And this is Rarity, taking his arm and offering him a plate of bread and lamb.]

Ivan, dear, take a break! That's what the party is for, after all. I'm certain the staff will handle anything that comes up.

[dishevelment]

[Koumei wasn't going to get in anyone's way-- not with everyone bustling around as they were. Instead he'll keep to himself and make small talk on the sidelines, when he wasn't subtly looking for eggs of all sorts hidden amidst the decor.

There had to have been a significance of golden eggs and origami eggs, as well as a reason why they were so different, and it was an interesting puzzle for him to ponder over.]

Rarity - OTA

[sailorgenerous]

[The venue is stunning, and Rarity is terribly pleased with her choice of dress for the occasion. She does take the opportunity to admire the decor; she also goes for a bite to eat, though mostly the rices and breads - she's finding meat less and less appetizing as time goes on.]

[She might also surreptitiously look for the golden eggs, though it won't become a full-on hunt without some encouragement or competition.]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Daaamn. Girls just keep getting prettier every time I get out.

[Jecht flashes a grin her way as he catches sight of her going for the bread, even stopping to admire. Though it's not so blatant as checking her out, fortunately.]

[faithfulflame]

[Rei opted for a simple red dress, dark and long, well covering, but that doesn't mean she's not not impressed. Rarity never fails to do that, and Rei finds herself beaming at her friend as she approaches.]

You look stunning tonight, dear.

Jecht! OTA!

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

As usual, Jecht had elected to class up the joint by not wearing a shirt. As usual, Jecht was raiding the hell out of the food.

Frankly, it's a miracle he made it here tonight -- made possible by just how generally unimportant he was. No big name, no lead man, no troublemaker... just a drummer who didn't make waves in Pride. And that was pretty much how he liked it.

But if you don't want to catch Jecht being his usual self... you can find him floating in a pool, not even having bothered with changing out of his usual shorts. On his back, hands behind his head -- floating like he was born to the element, and looking uncharacteristically at peace.

[scalpedsociety]

Admittedly Aramat loves watching Jecht swim, it's a moment of utter freedom that beautiful to look at.

If Jecht looks above him, he'll find a familiar figure near the edge of the pool, watching him.

Aramat Drawdes/Tamara Seward | OTA

[scalpedsociety]

It's rare to see Miss Drawdes in clothes are AREN'T on the Goth Color Wheel™. (Dark colors, reds, whites and blacks.) But this time she's radiant in lots of rich colors matching the decor.

She'll be sitting nearby the pools admiring all the greenery around them. She'll also be peering into plants, wondering if any eggs are there.

[dishevelment]

[Miss Drawdes isn't the only one hunting for these little treasures. So is one Ren Koumei, the softspoken pianist with fiery hair. A drink in one hand (a strong coffee-- nothing harder), he tried to be subtle in his examinations...but there was no hiding the little paper egg he tried to cover with the sleeves of his light jacket.]

Usagi Tsukino || OTA

[lightthedarkness]

[You know what feels incredibly awkward? Being at a celebrity party when you are a rescuer and just pretending to be a fan who got invited by a very gracious hostess. She even felt under-dressed in her floral patterned dress. She wondered why you would have a pool party... and not have anyone in the pool. Maybe that was a rock-star thing? She couldn't go in anyways, she didn't have a swim-suit. It wasn't exactly a priority.

She had a champagne flute in hand but was only sipping here and there. Usagi wasn't what you would call a wall-flower, but she felt nervous with so much security from Virgo and just herself. She just needed to blend in...

Deep breaths.]

They're not going to bite... [She tried to convince herself.] Stop being so shy... [She knew so many of these people but she just found it hard to jump in way more than usual.]

[sailorgenerous]

[Of course, being shy means nothing if there's someone terribly outgoing near you. Rarity has made a beeline for Serena and is not taking no for an answer.]

I adore your dress! You simply must tell me where you got it!

[i_am_not_cute]

[Fortunately, Pao-Lin is here to help break the ice a little for Usagi. Her motive isn't entirely generous, though -- she knows that this is the girl that's got Rei a little concerned, so she wants to take stock of Usagi while she has the chance.

So here she is with a plate of stuffed flatbread.]

Hey, have you tried the bolani yet? It's amazing!

Sora and Jamie | OTA (slides in here two weeks late...)

[consocius]

Back around New Year's, Luce had told Sora that she and Jamie had run into some 'trouble' a while back and she'd been trying to give him his space, so he'd kept this in mind when asking Jamie to come with him as his date to Luce's birthday party. A few months had past, and both Luce and Jamie are extremely important people to Sora. If he could help them get along somehow or mend whatever they'd been through, he wanted to do that. This seemed like an appropriate opportunity. It also meant that the two boys could mainly stay together through out the party and Sora hopes that will ease Jamie's nervousness some.

Sora comes dressed in pink and pastels to welcome Spring, entering the hotel's extravagant and awe-worthy party area with his arm linked with Jamie's. Which wasn't really an unusual sight, even before they were dating. Sora's been close and affectionate with all his band mates since the beginning.

For the most part, Sora remains true to his intentions and stays by Jamie for the duration of their stay at the party, though he can be caught to talk to alone when grabbing food or drink, or a few times through out when hunting for eggs too.

If it's the food table where the chance meeting is occurring, feel free to comment on the fact that he's putting some of everything on his plate.

Re: Sora and Jamie | OTA (slides in here two weeks late...)

[off_the_edge]

Cloud, dressed plainly - by his standards - in a dark red leather jacket, a knitted blue roll-neck, and jeans, is deep in his usual party routine of avoiding eye contact and looking confused. Occasionally, he's even giving up at that, and reading A Beginner's Guide to Dark Magic as research for his concept album. When he reaches for a drink only to see it picked up by Sora before he can get to it, it's the first opportunity he feels he's had to talk to anyone.

"Oh, it's the worse clone," he jokes, rolling his eyes. "We've not actually met in person, right? Are you and Roxas..."