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 Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 9:45 am
((This is an open RP. ICly, feel free to have attained one of the invites from whoever you like. I assume Jada just sort of passed some of them out and told the person she gave them to, to bring a friend.)) Planned for all of two months ahead, the Fondue Haus was reserved for the use of a select group from between the hours of 8pm and 11pm on February 13th. Namely, this select group would be anyone who decided to arrive on time. The building looked like an old-fashioned cottage, free-standing among the buildings of Destiny City. The sign was distinctive, a wooden hanging decorated with an open pot, a bright green spoon resting against the pot. The front had a single door, and lines of windows. Those who looked in through the upstairs windows could see candles gently lit. The downstairs were blocked off by heavy draperies until after the restaurant had been opened for the party. There was room in the restaurant for up to 200 people to be seated and dine comfortably in the restaurant, and the number of people who would be permitted in would most likely be no more than half of that. 120 tickets had been printed up, little invitations on quality paper, the design at the top lightly embossed to prevent forgeries from popping up.
Jada was holding a copy of one of the papers in her hand as she opened the door to the restaurant at 7:00 P.M. Immediately the head waitress was at her side. "Miss Chamberlyn, the details have all been completed. There are white carnations on every table, one for each attendee. Your table is upstairs, as you requested. We have the banner, it just has not been hung yet."
She loved her daddy for helping her with this. She might not be able to avoid the actual day itself (stupid Valentine's!), usually complete with a blind date her mother had selected. Today, however, was the day that her daddy made everything better through spoiling her rotten. When she had approached him with the idea, she had never thought he'd go for it. Yet he had, and so she'd gone through the whirlwind of planning. There was a bit of a bitter taste in her mouth, considering her co-planner, Vivian, was still in a coma in the Destiny City Hospital. Still, tonight would be a night for nothing but fun and enjoyable conversation. There could be up to four people at most of the tables in the restaurant, but the upstairs was slightly different. That was where the majority of the party would be held. The downstairs booths were blocked off as the only thing that would be happening down there was dancing. It had taken some minor reworking to make the dance floor fit, but it had.
The invitations had been passed around at random to students at Crystal and Meadowview. The snub to Hillworth had been a bit deliberate, but there was nothing to say they might not have been invited by someone else. As for the Sovereign Heights students, she had passed out several invitations there as well.
The help was scurrying around like squirrels, and she watched them for a few moments before moving up the stairs to inspect everything up there. The tables and booths had been moved around to accommodate a more open environment than the cozy, romantic air that the Haus normally had. It was still intimate, the general air was the same, but it would be easy enough for the participants in this little fete to be able to see each other. "Please remember to card the guests appropriately." she heard the head waitress murmur to the waitresses, and smiled. She spent the next fifteen minutes delegating a few last-minute instructions, then adjusted her makeup in the small woman's bathroom. Something she hadn't considered when choosing her venue. Still, if this party went over well, perhaps next year she would hold it somewhere larger.
The dress that Jada had chosen to wear was elegant enough, a deep blue of chiffon in a mermaid cut. Sleeveless and strapless, almost skintight; she was very pleased to have found something this nice. At 7:25, she took a position by the door. As hostess of this small party, she would at least be present near the door in order to greet the guests who arrived. She'd never hosted her own party. Her insides were gripped with stress, but she remembered to simply curl her toes inside her shoes rather than wring her hands. If she had to have a nervous habit, at least it would be hidden under a gown. And at 7:30, the doors were opened and the windows had the heavy draperies pulled back to allow in the rest of the fading light.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:04 am
As far as she could remember, Fallon had only been late twice in her life. The first, her father forgot his wallet and didn't realize it until they were halfway to her ballet class. The second, a terrible car accident in Destiny City made her seventeen minutes late to Ballroom Dance Club. Both had been mortifying.
That night, Fallon arrived to The Fondue Haus at exactly 7:30PM, stepping through the doors and shrugging out of her cream peacoat. It was the place she and Jada had discussed (though Fallon had been wrong about the name), and she was thrilled to actually get a chance to eat here. The hustle and bustle was refined, and it brought a smile to Fallon's lips, one that only widened when she saw Jada standing just to the side.
"Jada," she said, smiling. Reaching into her small silver clutch, she pulled out the invitation the dark-haired girl had given her earlier. "You look wonderful." Compared to Jada's, Fallon's dress was simple and quiet. It was a long-sleeved black dress with a boat neckline that fell just above her knee. The material looked like a simple fabric from far away, but up close, it was evident that it was made from a series of tightly sewn pleats that bent upward toward the silver belt that was clasped at her waist.
Someone approached and took her coat, another checking her ticket. Fallon smiled at both, but her eyes wandered back to Jada. "You've really outdone yourself," she said, sounding more like a middle-aged socialite than a fifteen-year-old schoolgirl.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:34 am
"Fallon!" Jada beamed at her classmate, leaning in to brush a kiss on the air near the young woman's cheek. "I'm so glad that you made it. You look fabulous." And she did, so elegant and understated. The black dress against Fallon's dark skin looked so nice! "I love that dress."
She saw one of the staff members outside, feet waving from the roof, and her purple eyes narrowed. "Darling, your seated with me." one of the waitresses nodded an acknowledgment. "I'll see you in a bit, do you mind?" She was going to rip that leg-waver a new hole when she got to them! Out of sight of the guest(s), of course!
It was only 7:30, the party didn't officially begin until 8:00. "I've still got a few additional details I thought had been taken care of. It is an open bar, nothing alcoholic, but lots of possibilities." her eyes crinkled at the corners from her smile.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 11:31 am
It had been almost two weeks since the night that Obsidian had punished Variscite. Her black eyes had healed, and the swelling had receded greatly. Still, it took Dale a lot of make-up to get back up to some semblance of her best.
Sometimes she wondered if she'd ever be at her best again.
So, her outfit seemed even more dramatic than usual, as if she was trying to detract from the bandage that she still wore on her cheek and around her ribs. She wore a white coat with shimmering, diamond-shaped black edges on the sleeve. It had black feathers lining the collar, which was high. It added to the metal choker that she chose to wear (to hide the bruises) which had large rubies lining it like a beautiful slit throat. It matched her equally red lips, a large difference from her usual gold lipstick.
Underneath the long coat was a black vest that was almost as long as the coat itself, and gave it the look of flower petals around her knees instead of just fabric.
Despite the eccentric outer layers, the silk white shirt and pants underneath were surprisingly plain, except for the gray sash underneath that was embroidered and wrapped with silver wire leaves and vines. Her black boots were also plain, with high heels that only added to her already considerable height.
Yes, all of this would certainly detract from the bandages around her fingers and arms, of course.
It was a few minutes after Fallon entered that Dale made her dramatic appearance.
"Oh," she said. "I didn't' think that others would get here so early." She smiled, almost a little sheepishly-- though she didn't think that she looked so. "I'm sorry, I hope I haven't missed much? The last thing I want to do is to step on any toes, believe me."
She shrugged, lifting up her long, pointed nails-- black, with white details intricately painted on each one.
Dale definitely didn't want her injuries to be noticed. Well, if you can't look your best... shock them.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 11:54 am
The next person to step in the door after Fallon was almost eccentric in style. Well, one thing this young woman was not was repressed. And the colors were stylish enough. Jada might not ever wear something like this, but she approved. She stepped forward, greeting the stranger with a smile. As with Fallon, someone took Dale's coat, should she like, while the another accepted the entry ticket.
Careful note was being made of which coat belonged to which face. Any mistakes would be coming out of wallets- and hides. That had been made perfectly clear in the earlier meetings with the staff. "You haven't missed a thing." she reassured the young woman. "And no toes are being stepped on. The party itself will not start until 8:00, however we have drinks and some music, as you can see." she gestured at the dance floor and the setup there for music.
She extended her hand towards Dale, smiling. "Jada Chamberlyn. A pleasure to have you here."
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:05 pm
Damian hadn't been invited to Single Awareness Day. Most females in their right mind wouldn't invite him to a party that was going to be chock full of single ladies he could hit on. Unfortunately for all of them he had picked a flier up off the ground of the quad at school. Because of this his invitation was a bit crumpled and smudged, and had a shoe print on it. But still! It was an invitation so it should get him in, right?
He arrived at the Fondue Haus just behind a girl dressed in what looked to be a costume instead of a dress. After asking his step-mother about the restaurant and what he should wear he was dressed almost appropriately. He was wearing new jeans that he had picked up just the other day at the mall, a black shirt with the print of a tuxedo on it, and a suit jacket he had stolen from his dad. Okay so he wasn't dressed appropriately at all, but he had an invitation! So he'd get in, at least he thought so.
Stepping inside the Fondue Haus he shrugged off his jacket and gave it to the person who approached him, along with his ticket. Glancing around he noticed he was the first guy to arrive, this put a grin on his face. "Hey girls"
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:11 pm
Dale regarded the young coatsman with a polite smile, but shook her head. She liked the feeling of soft feathers against her neck too much to take it away just yet.
"I'm happy to hear that. I've had my toes stepped on before by young dancers, and it isn't pleasent." Dale's red lips parted to reveal her white teeth in a smile as she regarded the Jada.
Beautiful. She would love to swim in the depths of those dark eyes over a drink or two.
Dale lowered her head in a pseudo-bow as she took Jada's hand with her fingertips-- she didn't want to display her bandages to the world. Instead, she lifted Jada's hand to her lips and grazed her lips on the knuckles-- careful not to leave a red lipstick stain.
"It's a pleasure to meet the hostess of this lovely party. It's nice to celebrate kinship without the ties of Valentine's Day attached, don't you think? So many lofty things to hold ourselves to. No... I like the idea of this party much, much more."
Dale's smile almost disappeared when she saw the next person enter. But she shrugged it off and instead let a condescending smirk grace her painted face.
"... It's a pleasure. My, my, I was almost afraid that this party would be full of just bachelorettes."
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:25 pm
Well, the kiss was not something that Jada had been expecting from the other young woman, but she accepted it with a smile. "May I have your name?" she asked Dale, and then the door was opening again to admit someone else. She turned her gaze from the oddly-dressed young woman in front of her to take in the newcomer, a warm smile on her face.
Oh. Oh dear. Not what she was expecting, but then she had decided to allow this to be an open party. Denims and a tuxedo t-shirt? Her eyes tightened the slightest bit, but her smile remained serene. He would be going in the corner. Definitely, most definitely in the corner! "Jada Chamberlyn. You are?" She motioned, and someone stepped forward, neatly and courteously plucking the invitation from Damian's hand. It was legitimate. One of the hostesses stepped to Damian's side, ready to escort him to his table when he was ready.
"And no, apparently not all bachelorettes. I allowed the tickets to find their way around as they would. My only request was that all who attend be single." As one would naturally assume from the title of the invitation. "I wonder how many other gentlemen will be attending?" her voice trailed off and she looked out one of the windows thoughtfully. Two more people came in, and were greeted and seated. 5 out of 120 possible attendees had already arrived, and it was not even 7:36.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:27 pm
Had Grayson literally not been shoved down the street for the last two blocks by a petite bluenette, there was no way he would actually be going to the single's awareness day... thing. It really wasn't his type of gathering, for one, and for another, he was going to have a hard enough time on Valentine's without reminding himself the day before that he was single... as usual. While this was normally not much of a concern to him, the recent tumult in his life had left him more than little emotionally raw, especially when it concerned matters of relationships and couplings. Dani didn't know that, of course, because she had a very limited knowledge of his personal life -- and that was the way it was going to stay -- but he would have still liked to be left alone.
She was impossible, though. Pushy and aggravating, she hadn't wanted to leave him alone until he got out of the house, and she'd even recruited his parents. Grayson had never felt so betrayed in his life. At least they were aware that he and Jude had been kind-of-sort-of dating, and they still threw him to the wolves.
And this party was probably going to have a lot of women. Not that Grayson disliked women, far from it; he had a healthy and magnificent respect for them. He even found some of them rather attractive. He just didn't naturally incline toward them.
He wasn't, as he had told Jude, gay. But that didn't mean he was exactly comfortable with the idea of mingling with a lot of single, lonely girls the day before Valentine's Day.
It was with this grim reality in front of him that he finally freed himself of Dani, who waited at the end of the street with her arms crossed to make sure he really went inside. Not only had she insisted he go, but she'd dressed him, too, and he was feeling foolish and uptight in his dark slacks, silken button-down shirt, and black tie. At least he had a thick wool jacket over the top of it all, but he imagined the moment he stepped inside, that would be taken from him.
He looked like he was going to a school dance or something. He looked nice, sure, but the whole get-up made him fidget a little, and he tugged on one of his cuffs.
Behind him, he could all but feel Dani's eyes boring into his head, and he sighed. Well, there wasn't much he could do but go in, spend a few minutes socializing, and get the hell out.
Mustering all the cheer he could, he smiled, though it was weak around the edges, and stepped inside. Almost immediately, he began to take off the elegant black gloves his pop had lent him, noting with a little bit of relief that he wasn't the only male. That made the situation a fraction more tolerable.
Someone held out their hands for his coat, and he reluctantly slipped out of it, revealing himself to be wearing a deep purple dress shirt. It brought out his eyes, Dani and Ignacio had insisted. He appreciated the effort, but he would have rather been at home, sleeping or something.
He offered his invitation to the nearest person who looked like they knew what was going on, though the poor thing had been worried, abused, and folded so many times it looked like it was ages old. It was, however, legitimate.
Sigh.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:30 pm
Fallon beamed at Jada. "Oh, thank you," she said, touching lightly at her collarbone. Sitting at Jada's table too? How wonderful. "Let me know if you need any help." The cinnamon-haired teen didn't have much time to gab further. Three others entered on her heels. Fallon appraised them all, face giving away only curiosity. The girl's outfit was much too loud for her tastes, and the first boy was grossly underdressed. The third was met with an approving nod and -- wait.
Was that Grayson?
"I'm Fallon," she volunteered, without being asked. Her eyes strayed to the dance floor. Despite her typical reservation, Fallon loved to dance. Not classically, of course, just movement. It helped her feel more at ease and the counts in music provided a focus for any compulsions. Without realizing, she stepped toward the dance floor, glancing into the room. She'd been going to Ballroom Dance Club every week. Perhaps she would get the opportunity to show it off?
All of this helped distract her from the fact that Grayson was standing in front of her. Grayson. From Barren Pines. She could remember taking him shopping once, but after that, the details were fuzzy. Fallon watched him carefully, but made no move to approach. After her encounter with Esen Quinn Saylor, she learned that not all BP students had memories of the school. How awkward would it be if she tried to talk to him about it?
No, certainly not. It would be inappropriate. Fallon would just let him come to her. She could be patient.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:33 pm
Though she had received the invitation from an uninterested friend and accepted it gleefully, in retrospect, the brunette wasn’t so sure anymore of what she’d been thinking. It had been hard to find a proper dress; the only one she had that wasn’t a sunny summer dress was the one she had bought in prevision for the prom. No, Alessa hasn’t had the chance to go to any remotely formal and classy event in a while.
The interrogation came up again when she arrived in front of the Fondue Haus. The restaurant turned out to be more impressive than expected, and dare she say, more expensive. She was in a cute short ivory dress with black straps, chocolate-coloured flower motifs, and a chocolate bust. It looked inexpensive (and it was, compared to most designs), but it radiated cuteness and nicely complemented its wearer’s eyes and hair. She was also wearing simple black heels, a kind of shoes she wasn’t quite used to, and minimal make-up, including pastel pink lipstick. Her glasses were her classic pair, however: black, rectangular, and though inelegant, the only thing that separated her from blindness. And she had that simple warm brown coat she'd worn every day since the start of autumn.
The girl hesitated before coming in. She wasn’t sure she was up to their standards. Actually, hadn’t she gone so far already, she would have walked back home.
But this was Singles Awareness Day. They couldn’t refuse her like that, right? She bravely stepped in and took off her coat, revealing the sleeveless dress. “G-good evening”, greeted the student whose mind insisted on making her feel like an impostor, as she showed her invitation. Surprisingly, it was in pristine state; she’d very probably been too scared to fold it. “I hope I’m not too early, am I?” Despite having seen more people entering the building, she still felt the need to be reassured.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:53 pm
More people! Jada introduced herself to Grayson and Alessa, smiling at the two of them. Her cheeks were starting to color with pleasure. Arrivals meant that maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all, and it reassured her. "I'm your hostess this evening. As I've been telling everyone, anything you'd like to drink, but the alcohol is not open. We do, however, have non-alcoholic versions of all sorts of fun drinks." she smiled at the two.
Her attention slipped from Grayson to Alessa as the young woman spoke up. "You're certainly not too early! It is never too early to have a good time, is it?" the young woman was certainly dressed cutely enough. Her eyes slipped back to Grayson, appreciating the color on him. Absolutely handsome. One of the staff held out a hand for Alessa's coat and took it away from her if she permitted, hanging it up in the closet with the rest. "If you have any questions, my name is Jada. I can answer any of them."
Grayson and Alessa's tickets were checked in neatly, carefully set with their coats. Any who wished could have the tickets returned at the end of the evening for posterity.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:54 pm
Damian took a moment to glance at every girl, they were all attractive which was a surprise, usually there was an ugly duckling thrown in, but not in this group. When the hostess introduced herself Damian smiled at her. "I'm Damian Cole, it's a pleasure to meet you." He glanced around. "All of you." It seemed he did have some sort of manners.
His gray eyes landed on the girl that introduced herself as Fallon. He noticed her stepping towards the dance floor and he pondered asking her to dance. When he was little his mother had put him into dance classes, along with violin lessons before she disappeared so he actually did know how to dance formally, the way he assumed these girls would want to dance, he just wasn't very good at it.
And then he noticed that another boy had arrived and that Fallon seemed to be looking at him. Well, it seemed like she was interested in him. There were enough females there that he didn't want to bother with going after someone who he thought wouldn't be interested in him.
His eyes swept to the newest arrival and he smiled at her, she was definitely pretty. Maybe he'd ask her to dance. For the moment though he just stepped to the side, giving the latest arrivals room to meet the hostess.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:59 pm
"I am Dale Spencer," she said as she reluctantly let go of Jada's fingers. "My, my, this place is starting to get active, how marvelous."
She eyed Fallon on the dance floor, but turned away. It wasn't that Fallon wasn't beautiful-- she was-- but Dale didn't enjoy being the first on the dance floor. No, she'd leave that to the red-head and the purple-eyed boy. How cute.
"In the place of wine, I do love cranberries," she said as she started to glide over to the bar. "Would anyone like for me to get them a cosmopolitan, or any other drink? How about for our lovely hostess?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 1:06 pm
Imogen hadn't been sure about whether or not to go to Singles Awareness Day when she'd been handed a flyer on campus. She'd felt so gloomy this morning about being single and without any prospects of romance at all...however, her time spent with Alba making cards and things for her friends then seeing Aggie in the afternoon had brightened her right up again. This was a big thing coming from such a completely hopeless romantic but - who needed a love life? She had some great friends and it'd been one HELL of a year besides. She deserved to go have a fun evening with the other single folks!
So Imo had rummaged through the donated clothes Skye had given her for something to wear. She'd never been so into her wardrobe before she ended up at Crystal and been told she needed to make more of an effort. So she'd paused over the green cocktail dress she'd wore swing dancing, and the black number she'd gone to Fallon's dinner party in. But she turned up at The Fondue Haus in a brown dress with beaded details that highlighted her milky skin and fiery hair in the end. Simple, still playful, but good quality and the price tag that had still been attatched at made her eyes bug.
She rather hoped she'd dressed nice enough as she had her coat taken and she wandered into the restaurant, unsure of who she'd find inside. Imo thanked her lucky stars when she spotted Fallon and headed over to the other singles (all strangers otherwise, though Grayson she knew was a Barren Pines kid) with a smile.
"Good evening all."
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