Christmas Housewarming 2018

[Lucy Mitford]

A year had gone by, and Lucy was finally moved into her new New Haven townhouse. She would never feel that it was an entirely finished project, but she felt comfortable enough to throw open the doors to her friends to hold her annual holiday party. Cards went out with the new address on the back for the informal holiday event!

Her new home was not too far from her last, on a pretty New Haven street dusted with snow. It was a stone building with an elegant facade, rising three stories shoulder to shoulder with the buildings on either side. The front door, warded with a discreet but powerful sigil of protection, opened to any coming to join the festivities and do no harm.

The house was decorated in twinkling white lights with a real Christmas tree and live garlands filling the house with the scent of pine. The tree was decorated in pretty (but impersonal) ornaments in a gold and cream theme with the occasional pop of red. From the first floor entry, guests were guided into a formal but comfortably furnished living room which opened to a large kitchen and dining area towards the rear. Although there is clearly a back garden beyond the kitchen through french doors, it appears to be as yet unfinished and wild. The first floor also has a dining room where a buffet of good eats and treats is on offer. Lighter snacks and treats, as well as a bar with both alcoholic drinks and not, were on offer in the kitchen where there is additional seating and space to socialize. A sprig of mistletoe dangled from the encasement between the kitchen and living room and a fire was kept up in the living room fireplace.

Guests were also welcome up to the second floor, away from the music and noise downstairs. The main sitting area was perhaps cozier and quieter than downstairs, a fire roaring, the coffee table playing host to bowls of spiced nuts and individually wrapped truffles, the mantel festooned with live garland and twinkling lights here as well.

In general, the townhouse was elegantly decorated and, it being Lucy's home, was filled with art of different styles and periods connected only by Lucy's personal taste. Lucy happily took anyone interested on a home tour, giving copious credit to the hard work of her friend Candy who did much of the renovations, and Bailey who helped with the interior design.**

With the home noisy and crowded, Kitty, Lucy's tabby cat, stayed mostly in the master suite upstairs, but occasionally ventured down for some attention.

The record player had music going, Christmas-themed but nothing too treacly, and Lucy made sure to flip it over and put on the next thing to keep up the festive mood. Gifts were piled beneath the tree. Guests should take a moment to peek beneath it to see if there is one with their name!

((This is a board event! I'm getting this posted much later than I expected, but please feel free to post at your leisure. You're welcome to write something longer to go here, or just a brief note about your character's attendance. If anyone is interested in writing with me, especially a gift exchange, I would be delighted!

**I do not have a precise home tour of Lucy's townhouse, but if you're curious, I can happily share my inspiration pinterest board. It's not exact, just inspirational.))

[Benjamin Piers]

Benjamin arrived at Lucy's party with a bouquet of silvered winter flowers and a small gift for her, along with photos of her horse. He was all casual in dark grays set off with a bit of green here and there, his hair on the long side, his tan deep and rich.

So much had been going on to keep him busy, between acting, training himself and Star, and the children, he'd cheerfully settle by the hearth upstairs and catch Lucy to talk, quietly letting her know how everyone was doing.

He had a few questions to ask her... Did she know how to move herself from reality to reality, how well was she commanding the energies at her fingertips... cryptic and strange, but all with his usual warm smile.

Benjamin always shone sunshine, he was always a bright star. He was all that as he visited his friend.



"It's a dragon's breath opal. They're not really opals." he noted whenever she had opened the small gold wrapped box he gave her.

[Gren Blockman]

Gren and Izira appeared at the door of Lucy’s new home, riding Gren's steed, Alfred the Disgruntled Unicorn. Carrying a book of carols, they prepared to usher in the holiday with song.

“We Three Kings Of Orient Are . . . “, they began.

Alfred butted in. “ . . . tried to smoke a rubber cigar! It was loaded! It exploded! BOOM! We Two Kings Of Orient Are . . . “

Gren looked exasperated. “Why did you have to ruin a beautiful Christmas Carol like that? See if I ever take you wassailing again!”

Leaving his trusty steed outside (and hoping he wouldn’t nibble on any outside Christmas decorations), they entered the townhouse and began socializing with Lucy’s guests.

They left Lucy a present of Bamboo Washcloths and Bamboo Toothbrushes. “Did you know you can’t recycle plastic toothbrushes?” Gren asked helpfully.

“Too bad they don’t make Bamboo Toothpaste.” Alfred said, sticking his head through a window.

“Hey! I told you to stay outside! You’re letting all the heat out!” Gren pushed Alfred’s snout out and shut the window. Alfred stuck his nose up to the glass and his snorts created a circle of fog on the pane.

[Delahada]

Still exhausted from a post-autumn hangover, Salvador arrived on the heels of his Cajun lover and shambled his way inside wearing an old pair of worn jeans, his usual boots, and a somewhat festive hoodie. He had opted for comfort over fashion. After mumbling a tired greeting to Lucy, and thanking her for the invite, he wandered his way to the kitchen and deposited a bowl of cranberry almond spinach salad on the table to add to the buffet. A bottle of Pama found its way to the bar, adding itself to her collection of liquors, when nobody was looking, as well.



After acquiring himself a drink, Salvador roamed aimlessly around the townhouse, investigating its nooks and crannies, until he found the upper level. It was quieter and cozier and the absolute perfect place for him to not socialize while pretending to socialize. He oozed into an armchair, slouched like a degenerate, and lounged there the rest of the night. Certainly not the first to arrive, neither was he the last to leave. He spent a great deal of time simply listening; it was unlikely he inserted himself into any conversations at all, but if engaged by others he did not necessarily ignore them. When it was time to depart, he once again quietly thanked Lucy for her hospitality and went on his way.

[Lucy Mitford]

No matter how busy the party would end up being, Lucy made sure to set aside time to visit with each of her guests.

When Benjamin pulled Lucy aside for a quiet fireside chat, Lucy settled in for an unhurried conversation, cradling a glass of wine in her lap as she answered his questions. She wasn't entirely sure what he meant from moving from reality to reality, but she had a feeling it was not something she had tried yet---nor would she any time soon. But she was feeling confident in her command of her powers, something she spoke quietly about. She attributed that command to both practice and meditation, her powers still very much centered in her emotions. It was a conversation she was not shy about with Benjamin, but she did her best to not broadcast it to all of the party attendees.

When he produced the gold-wrapped box, Lucy begged his patience while she hurried down the stairs and returned with a large box for him in exchange. Inside was a decorative bridle for Star. "I wasn't sure if Star would wear the head part, but maybe the chest piece." She showed him how to adjust the size for his large vanner.



The necklace he bought her was lovely, and Lucy's eyes lit up at the sight of it, leaning to give him a hug in thanks for the lovely gift.

When Gren and Izira arrived, some of the already-arrived guests called Lucy to the door to listen to the caroling. She tried not to laugh at Alfred's interruption (and not to stare), but she did quickly snap a couple photos of the foul-mouthed unicorn for her phone and quickly texted them to at least a few invited guests who had not yet arrived. Don't be late, you're going to miss the Yule Unicorn!

Gren and Izira were thanked for the lovely and virtuous gift of eco-friendly bathroom items. Her gift in exchange for the couple was a little set of useful kitchen treats from local producers including a sage plant, fresh olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar, and cooking sea salt.

[Lucy Mitford]

Lucy couldn't recall ever seeing Sal eat anything. So when she finally went to visit with him upstairs for a brief spell, she brought with her a recently-opened bottle of Gran Reserva Rioja and two glasses. With the pretense of needing his opinion on the label, she poured them each a glass and settled in to keep him some company.

Sitting on a couch beside his armchair, she didn't try to get him to talk too much, rather she recounted some of the society things he might have missed while he was away before the solstice. She briefly described Eri and Mallory's wedding, the Winter Gala, and the recent opening at the Unifier Brewing Company. When he seemed entirely uninterested, which she would guess would happen in relatively short order, she mentioned that she had recently acquired an art piece she thought he might be interested in, and would he like to see it?

If he did, she led him into the next room, a guest bedroom, and showed him a framed piece resting on the dresser and leaning, not yet on the wall.


Gabriel Orozco

While she was curious what he thought, she didn't ask, and wouldn't be offended if he had no reaction to it at all. At this point, she was used to that.

[Bailey Raptis]

Bailey stayed unusually quiet this evening, even by his standards. He spent a great deal of the evening ducking outside, a good ways away from any doors and windows, to smoke cigarettes in the cold. Thankfully, Eden had gifted him a new jacket for Christmas - a navy blue women’s long coat, whose original ragged lining had been replaced with a floral print that she had sewn inside. It was a little bit of comfort, at a time when he needed it badly.

The same went for the outfit he wore underneath the coat tonight. He was past the point of caring if anyone had ever seen him in this outfit before -- it was the fashion equivalent of comfort food for him. And hey, it was still in good condition. The white Fair Isle sweater, faded gray jeans and black slip-on sneakers fit him like new and looked the part, too. He did keep the red pom hat on at all times, though -- even inside.

The only times Bailey seemed animated was when asked about helping alter Mallory’s wedding dress (the fashion world had started whispering about it --and him -- soon after the news came out in the local newspaper’s wedding announcements) or when asked about helping with the townhouse’s interior design. He welcomed the distraction from the weightier topics that had been plaguing him lately.

[JewellRavenlock]

Jewell had been world and dimension hopping lately (possibly -- she was rather hush hush about her whereabouts and what she was up to these days in general), but the holiday season belonged to RhyDin and one night belonged to the lovely Ms. Mitford.

There was a hideous, tacky, Christmas-themed gift bag in hand for Lucy. Jewell laughed as she handed it over, “I promise you, what’s inside is much better. I’m just horrible about remembering to get a bag or a box until the last second though and that’s all they had left.” The inside really was much better -- a collection of gifts from France to help Lucy relax while she was setting up her new home. There was a jar of lavender bath salts (with real lavender), bath oils, a bottle of real champagne, a bottle of red wine, two romance novels, and a collection of December 2018 issue magazines from Earth.

The Empress was in the mood to mingle, drink, and be merry. She moved throughout the charming new townhouse, grabbing a tour from Lucy at some point during the night. She spent as much time downstairs being sociable at large as she did upstairs, enjoying quieter conversation with friends there.

She stayed late into the night, content to wait to have a real chat with Lucy until after many of the guests had already left for the evening and extract a promise that they would celebrate New Years Eve together at least for a little while.

[Patrick]

“Look up.”

Patrick smiled at Penny’s face as she tipped it toward the sprig of mistletoe dangling innocently over their heads. He’d noticed it during their first pass-through to the kitchen, where they dropped off Lucy’s housewarming gift and a tin of homemade peppermint bark on arrival, and purposely led the wizard back through that same doorway into the living room so he could have the pleasure of pointing it out.

“Oh,” Penny replied, the faintest hint of pleasure coloring her cheeks. She grinned, stepping nearer to close the distance with a warm kiss that lingered.

The pilot had stars in his eyes for the rest of the night.

They happily chatted with Lucy’s other guests (though others might have noticed Patrick’s polite avoidance of a certain pretty Empress) over food and drinks in the kitchen and also the living room where Patrick gravitated to a cozy spot near the fireplace. He remained in Penny’s company throughout the evening, keeping close, and often found cradling her hand in his with the sort of glowing, giddy pride that often accompanied young love.

When Trick did break away from the wizard, it was in search of a moment of repose and the cat he knew Lucy to own. For a time he sat quietly in the hallway on the second floor making his acquaintance with the feline, happily providing his lap as a perch and a new location to be shed upon. After Kitty had had her fill of being loved on, Patrick tried his luck with another non-social creature. This one he did not touch, but the conversation he shared with Salvador was pleasant, if brief.

At the end of the night, upon realizing it was snowing, and after wishing Lucy a happy new year, the couple departed to enjoy a long walk home through the wintery scene.

[Canaan]

Rhydin’s Best Cajun came bearing gifts! It wasn’t something he made a habit of doing, but this was a housewarming party in addition to a holiday get together, after all. He greeted Lucy warmly and left the ghost of a kiss on her cheek in passing, making a bee-line for the wonderful scents wafting from her kitchen. There he found an out-of-the-way corner in which to stash his present: a cream colored glass aroma diffuser along with several bottles of summer/beach themed oils hand-crafted by Canaan himself -- allowing Lucy to enjoy the illusion of a coastal climate even here in her new home.



He tried his best to keep from monopolizing the host, and had no trouble at all engaging anyone and everyone in conversation, moving from room to room like a bee in search of nectar, sampling the company of absolutely everyone in attendance. He spent a good chunk of the evening in Jewell’s company, and was sure to catch up with Benjamin as well, since he hadn’t seen the man in quite a while. A couple times he even joined Bailey outside to smoke a cigarette or two, sharing with him his radiant warmth and company, if not conversation.

Toward the end of their stay, Cane wound up in the sitting room with Salvador and whomever else happened to be there. He brought with him a fresh glass of wine and a bowl of Sal’s own cranberry almond spinach salad, happy to share should the other man develop a desire for either. For a while he sat perched on the arm of Salvador’s chair, but eventually moved to occupy his lap until the Spaniard decided it was time to leave.

[Sard]

It shouldn't surprise anyone that the biker showed up wearing jeans, boots and a denim shirt, clothing tough enough to survive abuse, worn enough to prove they already had. Sard came bearing no visible gifts, nor did he search the tree to see if any waited for him, but instead greeted Lucy quietly before exploring the house from top to bottom. He didn't pause for polite conversation or inane chatter, though there were a few faces that earned a grunt of acknowledgement in passing.

The mistletoe got ignored completely. At least the Greenswarden wasn't wearing the sweater Pharlen had sent him - depicting a sprig of mistletoe situated just above the hips, and he'd had the implication explained to him. Garnering kisses, regardless of the location, just doesn't appear to be among his intentions. Instead, Sard disappeared after his exploration of the house...

That garden behind the building didn't get ignored. That was the ultimate goal of the Greenswarden's exploration, and where he disappeared to. A few hours, callused fingers brushing a leaf here, a stem there, a gentle touch that not many people are ever likely to discover him capable of. The changes left behind may be subtle, they they're there. Vigor and vibrancy of life restored to neglected growth, where it was likely to be desirable. Weeds missing - not torn out, but simply gone, growth reversed to revert them to seed, the seeds extracted to prevent regrowth. Tiny changes, just the beginning.

At some point, Sard would venture inside again - just to collect Lucy, long enough to step outside with her. There are matters to discuss. Style and design, mainly, but also the matter of life. The vegetable life she might desire, what already existed that she might prefer gone. Sard had given the promise of a glass-roofed summerhouse, and it's time to begin.

It's a brief theft of the fire-haired woman from the other guests, just enough to confirm the necessary details, before she's released back to the warmth of the indoors. And Sard to the quiet of the night, slipping away early to avoid any need to try and socialize further.