HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[paradisamods]

All that clamor from the lion dance prancing down the halls should be enough to draw attention to the party, even without actual invitations. If not the noise, then perhaps the delicious smell wafting under every door and leading back to the ballroom.

The castle is vain, if nothing else. It has decorated the ballroom in the deepest red and brightest gold with auspicious greetings in the common language tastefully posted about the hall. May your happiness be without end, one says, while another goes May all your wishes be fulfilled. Small order, all things considered.

Round dining tables (with the turning glass part) are set up in the middle of the hall, each with about ten chairs and piles of food fit for a whole village. There are two more lion dance teams hopping about the hall and making a racket while occasionally nabbing that dumpling straight from your chopsticks. That should the least of your concerns, however, with many residents still aiming to settle their grudges before the new year.

Watch your back.

[ ooc; IC mingle log for Lunar New Year plot, feel free to make your own threads! ]

Comments

[secondchances]

[Steph always checks out the food first at these gigs. Of course, after her cheesecake binging earlier this month (and the aftermath... ugh), she's a little more careful with her stomach.

But a little won't hurt, right?

She eyes the oranges for a moment before going for the barbequed pork. YOLO.]

[bezazzled]

[Steph's gonna have to get in line, because there's a little girl that moves in front of the barbecued pork just before Steph can reach for them. Mabel's plate is already piling up pretty high, but she's sure with some creative maneuvering she can fit some of that pork on her plate.]

'Scuse me! Hungry girl with a big plate coming through!

[secondchances]

[Wow, rude. Excuse you, child.]

Easy there, short stuff. It's rude to just barge in like that.

[bezazzled]

[Oh whoops. Being called out like that is not fun.]

I know, but have you seen this food? It looks so good! And I literally have not eaten all. Day.

[She frowns a bit sheepishly.]

But I'm sorry, that was really rude of me.

[secondchances]

[A child... apologizing! Even after all this time, and interactions with kinder kids than Damian, Steph always expects a fight. Huh. Right. Must be a more normal kid.]

Just don't let it happen again, okay? I could have been starving and decided to eat you.

[eaglet]

[Connor has actually never seen half these foods before in his life. His experience with food he's unused to has been an adventure in pain so far, so he's very cautiously eying everything. Eventually he picks up an orange, though he can't actually figure out how to eat it...

Maybe it's... like an apple... should he bite into it, or. He glances over at Stephanie, though he's not about to ask her for help because that would be rude. But maybe she'll catch on anyway.]

[secondchances]

[Steph's proud of him for showing up. She knows he's not the most social of kids.

And she knows that look. She holds out her hand for the orange.]

Let me guess... new to you?

[eaglet]

[Connor grimaces a little sheepishly, but gives it to her.]

Is it obvious?

[secondchances]

To me. But here, let me show you how to eat an orange. It's easy peasy.

[She makes sure he's paying attention to the way she uses her thumbnail to start separating the peel.]

You pull this stuff off, and eat the wedges inside. There might be seeds, though, so be careful.

[She takes a piece for herself! Mmm.]

[eaglet]

[Seeds? Huh... alright. Connor watches carefully, then shakes his head.]

What part of the world does this come from?

[secondchances]

Uhh... [Blindsided with easy questions!] Warmer parts. Like... Florida? Is that a thing yet, in your time? [Now she's just muttering to herself while holding the orange out to Connor.] Or was that still owned by the... Spanish? I borrowed history books from the library, I really just need to do the reading part.

[eaglet]

Florida -- no, that is British now. Spain ceded it after the war.

[This is said pretty distractedly, as he's more interested in the orange she's handing him. He tentatively peels off a section like Stephanie had, then pops it in his mouth.]

[dgaf]

[ Meanwhile, this girl's just watching from the other side of the table with her plate of assorted dumplings arranged like little submarines ready for attack. One needs order in one's life sometimes.

Her smile is so fake that she might have a) poisoned all the food on this table or b) slipped a whoopee cushion on her chair or c) both. ]

The red ones are better.

[secondchances]

[Steph knows that smile. It's somewhere between Gotham crime queen and Jordanna when she's trying to get an extension on a paper from a professor.]

What red one?

[dgaf]

[ She points to the meat coins. The spicy ones especially. ]

[secondchances]

[Steph will tentatively put one on her plate.]

If it sucks, I know who to blame.

[dgaf]

[ It's salty sweet, not to everyone's taste, but she reaches for another piece and takes a bite before Steph does then hums in an exaggerated manner. ]

[secondchances]

[It's not really Steph's thing, but she downs it anyway and only makes a little bit of a face.]

Could have been worse.

[dgaf]

[ Effy grins, chucking the rest of it into her mouth. ]

Now the salad.

[secondchances]

[She vaguely registered the rough looking hottie over yonder, but the food was her first priority. That accent, though--that definitely catches her attention.

Ohgodhe'stalkingtoher.

Sure, she may technically be in her twenties now, but deep down she'll forever be a sixteen year old girl. Hot damn.]

Hi.

[Meat. Right.]

I'm sure almost everything is good, but you can never go wrong with barbequed stuff. [So onto her plate it goes!]

[secondchances]

I don't know if it has an official name, but it's barbequed--the way it's cooked. [He's either from a place with dragons or from some time in history. Fantasy or Historical?: Steph's favorite game.]

Do yourself a favor and ask the castle for some barbequed ribs after this gig is done with. You'll thank me.

[secondchances]

Stephanie. [And since she knows how you people do, she offers her hand--a kiss or a shake, it's kind of vague depending on what he knows.] Yours?