[OPEN] Dendarii Halloween Party!

[dendarii]

WHO: Dendarii staff Halloween party! Staff friends/CR and café employees are welcome. Party crashers in general also very welcome-- it's a café, feel free to show up and demand coffee! Or assume Miles invited you.
WHERE: The Lucky Cat Café!
WHEN: Today (Saturday October 29), in the evening.
WHAT: The Dendarii Security Corp. is having a staff party for Halloween, costumes mandatory strongly encouraged. Guaranteed night of silliness and meeting your coworkers you have probably forgotten exist.
WARNINGS: Tacky Halloween decorations?


to the Lucky Cat Café and the first annual Dendarii Halloween party! Since this is the first Halloween that the Barrayarans have ever experienced, they’ve gone for the full experience. Fake cobwebs hang from every available surface. Someone (it’s Miles) has dumped out several bags of those plastic spiders all over the place as well. Mostly into the webbing, but. Well. He was a little overenthusiastic.

Which goes for the rest of the café in general. Name a tacky Halloween decoration and it’s totally here. Fake plastic skeletons hanging from the ceiling? Check. Motion-activated witch that sings an annoying song when you pass it? Double check. Fake bats, crudely carved jack o’lanterns, black cat silhouettes … All of these things are completely necessary for a proper Halloween celebration.

The spread of food is equal parts lavish and hackneyed as well. It’s being tended to by a dour, large-nosed wizard and his hyperactive bird familiar. Who are totally not the Emperor and his pet boyfriend, what are you talking about. In addition to the array of finger food, there’s a huge bowl of spooky punch - made with blueberry-stuffed lychees for that authentic eyeball look! Be careful, though, as there’s two bowls … and one of them is a little more adult than the other.

There are tables set out for traditional Halloween activities as well. One is home to a slew of pumpkins and plenty of carving knives to go with it. There’s also a big ol’ metal tub with ice cold water and apples for bobbing. And don’t forget your goodie bag before you go home! They’re filled to the brim with candy and snacks.

There’s only one catch: if you’re at the party, you must be in costume. Fortunately there’s also an assortment of cat ears and alien bopper headbands available if you forgot to wear something slightly less embarrassing.

Join the party! Carve some pumpkins! And enjoy an evening on the Dendarii.

 

Comments

[dendarii]

Cat ears then? I could wrangle up a vampire cloak.

[jacksonian]

[ Intensely: ]

Definitely not cat ears.

[dendarii]

Vampire cloak it is then. I'll be right back.

[ Quick as a flash, he shifts into a bird and flies off to go retrieve said cloak. As promised, there's several of them draped over one of the café's counters. ]

[jacksonian]

[ Irritably: ]

I didn't say yes to that!

[dendarii]

Too bad, Mark~

[ He flutters back, offering the black cloth with one outstretched talon. ]

[jacksonian]

[ He crosses his arms and shoots Miles a Look. ]

I'm not going to take that at all. But I'm especially not going to take that from a bird.

[dendarii]

I'm not a bird tonight. I'm Gregor's familiar, obviously.

[ He continues to waggle the cloak at him. ]

[jacksonian]

[ Mark is unmoved by this distinction, and keeps his arms crossed. ]

[dendarii]

[ Such a sigh. ]

All right, all right. But I'm leaving this here.

[ He drops the cloak - and flutters to just enough distance to flip back to human without bumping into anything. He's gotten quite good at this. ]

[jacksonian]

[ And Mark does pick it up now, frowning dubiously. This thing looks dumb. ]

[dendarii]

[ Oh probably. But at least it's black? Miles ducks over to punch bowl and returns with two glasses. Offering one to Mark. ]

Thanks for coming, by the way.

[jacksonian]

I'm paying for this, aren't I?

[ Indirectly. He folds the cape over his arm and takes the punch. ]

[dendarii]

Er.

[ Miles does some math in his head. Yes, almost certainly ... ]

On some level, you're paying for most things.

[jacksonian]

[ He gives a little wave of his hand. ]

So I'm obligated. To make sure you're not misspending my money.

[dendarii]

You can admit you're enjoying the party, you know.

[jacksonian]

What if I'm not?

[dendarii]

... Aren't you? This holiday is hilarious. And we've got plenty of food.

[ Concern crosses his face. He really was hoping Mark would find this fun too. ]

[jacksonian]

[ Mark sees that sudden concern and looks away, feeling suddenly very uncomfortable. Jesus, Miles, be cool. And anyway, Mark barely even knows what it is that he likes and what he doesn't like. ]

It's fine. It's not the worst.

[dendarii]

[ Miles just wants his younger brother to be happy too. At least when Miles is making a special effort to be likeable. ]

Well as long as it's not the worst. [ He does cheer up a bit, despite that ringing endorsement. ] I'm sure Winry and Ed will be here later too.

[jacksonian]

[ Mark looks suddenly rather nervous. ]

Oh. Uh, yeah.

[dendarii]

[ Miles spots that instantly. Opens his mouth to comment ... and pauses. ]

Is ... er ... how are things going with them? I admit I haven't seen them much recently.

[ Because Miles has been out and about mostly. ]

[jacksonian]

[ Um. He suddenly turns taciturn and shy. ]

It's...fine.

[dendarii]

[ Oh boy. It's a fine line between prying and concern here... ]

Fine? Well, that's good to hear. I'm not as close to them as you are.

[jacksonian]

Yeah. That's how it goes sometime.

[ He looks away, deliberately evasive. ]

[dendarii]

Just so. We have different relationships, after all.

I hope things aren't awkward due to what I said at the festival?