Winter Wonderland Holiday Party

[whiteas]

The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful.
And since we've no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

The song is playing in the elevator on the way up to what is normally the meeting hall floor, which has been cleared out so that they could "deck the hall" for the party. It's a Winter Wonderland theme, with white, blue, and silver being the main colors. Which, granted, tends to be a Schnee theme- but it's at least in season this time around. Crystal chandeliers and lights hang from the ceiling, looking like icicles, and there's a frosted tree in the center of the room. Upon closer inspection, it's a croquembouche that's been coated with white chocolate and sprayed with edible glitter, pulled sugar ribbons streaming down the sides of the edible 'tree.'

At each of the tables, there are small gift bags for each of the guests- nothing big, just little samplings of sweets from Cat's Meow Cafes. These are in addition, of course, to the family-style servings at each table of meals. Both chestnut waffles with blackberry-orange syrup and crown roasts were available as main dishes at each of the tables, along with a colorful medley of roasted vegetables and an assortment of different types of freshly baked breads in a basket at each dinner table. Every table also seems to have carefully poached and sliced apples and pears with vanilla or caramel sauce as a dessert. The center of the hall is, of course, cleared out for dancing surrounding a round stage where a live performance from Sonico Super is being performed. Individual orders for drinks (coffee, tea, egg nog for those over 18 only, water, or cider available).

Along the edge of the hall are many gifts lined up with bid tickets and boxes for a silent auction. All proceeds from the auction and ticket sales will, of course, go toward the Genessia Scientific Research Foundation's budget for the next year. Almost strategically, there seems to be a bar located toward the start of the auction traffic manned by After Life staff.

At 9:30pm as the evening winds down, guests will be asked to gather near the windows of the hall to watch the Nova City tree lighting. The view from up above in the tower is amazing, the gigantic tree wholly visible as it lights up on the ground below. The only obstruction of view is the lightly falling snow. If at any point it looked like it would stop snowing, you can bet that Weiss's Castform was up on the roof making sure that didn't happen.

Just as 10pm hits and the party is meant to end, all sides of the hall's glass walls light up with fireworks at once. A beautiful fireworks show finishes off the night.

Comments

[youfool]

[Ted unfurls like a party blower, before spinning back. Boy, those ballet lessons are really paying off; she might notice the trace of a man nobly resisting the urge to pirouette.]

"Goodness! You must have really enjoyed it. Hah, is that how you pull off all those bounties? Dancing them to dizziness? A novel means of justice as any I've heard."

[zenoh]

[ Ayame chuckles. Their dance returns to the usual stepping and gliding, while Ayame waits for another opportunity for a flashier move. She's glad that Ted is pretty graceful on the dance floor. ]

No. I prefer a quick and painless approach by simply immobilizing my targets, but that is an idea.

[youfool]

"Hah, we're in agreement. Villains are so much easier to manage when they're numb. But you don't strike me that way, so we'll be lively instead. Like so."

[He'll make an opportunity for a livelier move, turning around so that he faced her back, then shadow her steps as they moved in sync.

Then, for old time's sake, he'd try to spin her too, ending with a light flick of their arms as he drew her back.]

[zenoh]

[ Ayame moves with the rhythm of the song, letting Ted move behind her. She glances over her shoulder as they danced in sync, until she gets the signal for a spin. Ayame closes her eyes before she turns around, feeling the melody of the music go with her moves. When she gets the signal to ebb back, she spins in reverse until she's besides Ted once again ]

Well done. Were you some sort of dancer before all of this? Before waking up in Genessia?

[youfool]

"Thank you," he chuckled, putting a hand back on her shoulder in the usual position. "No, this was all afterwards. First job here was a danser, believe it or not. Suppose it left a desire that I'd fain see fulfilled. Like so."

[There was something about her calm and poise that Ted wanted to ruin. Not out of malice, but simply out of novelty. So he'd dip her a little low, inviting something between a stretch and a split, splaying and spreading her on the ground. Just to add a touch of informality.]

[zenoh]

[ Ayame didn't expect the sudden dip, and in fact she was planning on being the one to do it. Not that she minds the change in pace. So when Ted lowers her close to the floor, Ayame gives the closest to a reaction she could muster: which was just a quirk of her brow and a small curl of her lip. Her lead leg bent to go with the dip, while her rear leg did the spread. Ayame chuckles softly and stands back, pushing herself and Ted back up to their feet in a stylish turn. At this point, they are nearing the end of the song, and some people are already switching partners. ]

Not bad, Theodore. Perhaps you too could dance your foes to dizziness one of these days.

[youfool]

[He's about to blush, having his name said in full like that.]

"Eheh, that'll be the day, eh?" [Dancing with Dracula...it'd probably end up a lot gorier than this one. Not a very holiday thought to think. He returns them to their standing positions.]

"Thank you, Ayame. That was fun. Merry Christmas! I'll be sure to patronize you should there be another formal event with formal wear to go with it."

[That's enough of a gift exchange, surely. One day he'll get more vulgar humanity out of her, Ted hopes.]