Gathering: New Year's Eve Gala

[concierge]

The annual Nexus New Year's Eve gala began at 8 in the evening. Too grand to be contained by the lobby or dining hall, the gardens at the front of the hotel were employed, with long strings of white lights forming a twinkling canopy from the front doors all the way to the hedge maze. The weather was temperate and calm, and the night perfectly clear.

Drinks were served at various bars set up throughout the gardens and lobby, with champagne cocktails being the specialty of the night. Wheeling through the crowd was a bartender with golden cart providing warm drinks on the go: Tom and Jerrys, rum punch, negus, and Irish coffee.

Crisply-dressed wait staff wove through the collected guests with an abundance of hors d'oeuvres for all different tastes. The Bistro remained open with a limited selection of items for those who were wanting something more substantial.

Above the front doors was hung a large, gold-rimmed clock counting down the last hours, minutes, and seconds of the current year.

Comments

[notgivingyourmoneyback]

He pulls a face and sips his drink. "I was here for two years before it let me out. Apparently 'it' decides when you get to go." Though, he would've liked a little warning that he was going back. He might have looked a bit less oddly startled by his own office.

[nebaritralk]

Chiana makes an unhappy sound, which escapes her before she can check it. She downs her drink, and smirks at him, but there's something a little vicious in the expression. "Don't really like higher authorities deciding where I can and can't go." It was one of the many reasons she'd left Nebari Prime, after all.

[notgivingyourmoneyback]

He laughs at her. "I know that feeling." He doesn't much like being told what to do himself. Not in most instances. Even when he's told what to do, he frequently doesn't do it.

"On the other hand," he says, "you're forced to use skills and resources you might not otherwise use." Do strange things like make new friends.

Re: Martha Jones - OTA

[trulyoracular]

"Usually, my family is half the things you don't hear on the news," Olaf says, thinking of the god shit they've managed to keep out of the public eye, and usually just because Anders has no qualms about using his Bragi voice on them. "But I wouldn't mind hearing a story or two."

[nebaritralk]

"That's life as I know it," Chiana retorts with a sharp grin, and laughs her short, shrill little chuckle. She tilts her head at Harvey, curious and playful. "What skills and resources does this place force you to use, Harvey?"

[notgivingyourmoneyback]

He grins a wicked grin at her that tells nothing, though it may hint at something. Or nothing.

"I've only been using my well-practiced skills." Not a full lie. He talks to people anyway, but he might be a touch more social here so he doesn't lose his mind.

[armedagainstlove]

"I suppose I've begun to take our vows rather seriously," he notes, even though he thinks perhaps they need new ones because 'until death do us part' hadn't worked so properly the first time. As the music dies down, he steps back to bow to her properly. "Was that suitable, dear?"

[theprodigaldoctor]

"New year is for reflecting and being maudlin, sometimes, I think," Chase admits, giving Ben an appreciative half-smile, still not sure what he's going to do, but knowing that he'll be thinking about it. "I don't know. I guess I'll come back around to it eventually. It's not like I have a bad thing going. I've got work, I've got this place. I've got you."

[aspecialkindofwoman]

"It was," she says, curtsying as well, despite the seeming tightness of her gown (Cinna is something of a magician with clothing, it seems).

She reaches for his hand though, to be escorted off the dance floor. She holds her head high, something she would do regardless, but now, with good reason. "Thank you."

[designerebel]

Cinna has no idea what Grey wrote against his back, but it's enough to let him know that Grey remembers their sitting together on the edge of the pool with their feet in the water, wearing their fabulously designed bed sheet clothing. It's one of the earliest of memories with the two of them together once they had decided they were something... more.

And of course the aftermath of that party is a good memory too. Most memories with Grey are good. The ones that aren't are when either of them were being toyed with in one way or another. Even before they called what was between them 'love', they were protective of one another.

Grey presses closer and Cinna turns his head to kiss next to his ear. "We'll make good memories here too. We're together."

[silenttrainbaby]

They're together: that's it.

When the music stops, he leans back, cheeks rosy with happiness, his hands twining with Cinna's. He nods toward the food tables. They can see what there is to eat? It looks quite sumptuous and as Cinna knows, Grey can always eat. And eating with Cinna is its own sensual pleasure, too.

In fact, he grins. There seem to be strawberries.

[armedagainstlove]

Athos holds out his hand to her once more, but this time, he isn't asking her for a dance. "Perhaps you'd like to show me what you've done with your room," he says calmly, as if his heart isn't racing and trying to nearly strike him down with the anxiety of such a moment.

[aspecialkindofwoman]

Anne's expression is knowing and yes, wanting too. "Very well. Though I'd like to have some cake to take with us." She does like the occasional sweet.

Re: Martha Jones - OTA

[legendthatwas]

Martha smiles and takes a big sip of her drink. "Some of an escape. Other times it's just a bit inconvenient, but things just seem to get that way for me..."

She trails off, lifting an eyebrow slightly at 'for a beating' and 'stables', and more than that, the casual way in which Jamie referred to both. Neither are exactly usual conversation in her day, and put together... "Do you mind if I ask you a personal question, Jamie?"

This might not be a good idea, but she's curious.

Re: Martha Jones - OTA

[legendthatwas]

"Well, my friends are the other half," Martha replies, and grins over the rim of her glass as she takes another sip. She doesn't fool herself that she'll keep up with him, but she could do better. "Mostly dealing with aliens and rifts in the space-time continuum, and having run around space and time myself, I make for a good help--I gather it's a job that doesn't let you have much of a home life, though, so I'm glad to just assist."

[designerebel]

There's really nothing more that Cinna could ask for. They've both accomplished all they will accomplish in their worlds. He should be dead, after all. They both should be dead. But here they are. And that they're here together, well, that's a miracle. For a man with no faith in anyone but humanity itself, Cinna has certainly seen some miracles happen.

The look on Grey's face when he leans back is lovely. Again, Cinna wishes he had his camera to capture the moment. Grey's happiness should always be remembered, he thinks.

They move toward the food and he is already grinning when he spots the platter of small red fruit. His smile meets Grey's and Cinna quickly fills a napkin with a handful of the strawberries. In this matter he is nothing if not predictable. "Perhaps you can help me eat these." He offers. "Is there anything else you want?"

[armedagainstlove]

"I'll wait by the door," Athos says, taking great pains not to grasp one of the bottles of wine, but he manages to stay his hand without taking any of them while he awaits Anne's presence in joining him. Perhaps this is a small measure of progress as he works to knit his life back together.

[aspecialkindofwoman]

Anne had taken two quite generous slices of cake on a plate. She'd taken cutlery as well, and napkins. She walks out brazenly with it as if daring someone to stop her.

No one does and she is smiling as she sees Athos at his door. She opens the door and lets him follow her inside. "The cake is ridiculously sweet," she says, "and yet I cannot refuse it."

[tooktheblack]

"And other things," Jon said, impossibly awkward. He never did well around women who were very forward and Chiana certainly fell into that category. He'd never seen anyone quite so forceful in personality except possibly Ygritte but even she had some limits. Some, very small, minute limits.

"I like being warm, that's for sure."

[alegalsuperhero]

Rachel snorts a little. "Of course you can. So, is it just us that knows about this place? No Mike, no Donna..." She lowers her voice, not wanting to draw attention to herself and get into a whole world of trouble.

"No Jessica?"

[only_hope]

"You do have me," Obi-Wan said firmly, sliding his arm around Chase and pulling him close. "So, I have heard that on earth, there's this tradition of kissing someone at the start of the New Year. Do you know anything about that?"

This, at least, was a lot more playful than before and Obi-Wan hoped to take his mind off other, more pressing things.

[notgivingyourmoneyback]

He's Harvey Specter, he can do whatever he wants.

He shakes his head and glances around for a place to set his empty glass. "No, just us. Though," he pauses, "I'll admit to being a little out of the loop. I only came back a couple days ago. But, if they are here, I haven't seen them."

[silenttrainbaby]

Cookies! Cake! Sweet baked goods are still and perhaps always Grey's weakness. He doesn't so much point as just start grabbing a plate and piling it high with treats. Everything looks decadent and without surprise, he grabs all sweet things and breads and nothing that is remotely green.

They will share the strawberries and the sweet treats. And - he gives Cinna sly look, taking a bottle of what he hopes is wine and slipping into the folds of his clothes. They don't need to sneak most likely, but there's a small thrill of taking what isn't theirs. Now they'll go? To be alone together?

Re: Martha Jones - OTA

[trulyoracular]

"I'm just glad I don't have to worry about aliens," Olaf says, though he has spent a lot of time (usually high on acid) wondering if they're in Auckland and he just hasn't really noticed. "You want the whole family and friends and home package, then?" he wonders, getting another drink for her just to be polite.

[armedagainstlove]

Athos tips his head to the side to give her a mildly stern look, tempered with amusement. "You were always very keen to nudge us towards our vices," he says, thinking more of the sex they had shared in public and certainly without much decorum, not that he had ever been averse to it.