Morningstar Manor

The usual extravagance of decoration was on display tonight. Pumpkins, both real and hand carved and moulded plastic were hung or strung with festoons of brightly coloured autumn leaves. There were candles and tea lights and a few carefully chosen horror items that, seen from the corner of the eye, looked all too life like for some people.

There was a bar. There was a buffet, There were heaping bowls of candy. There was a live band dressed as horror movie characters playing The Monster Mash.

It looked like it could be a good evening.

It had started out as just Seth sketching in the gardens (the weather was great this evening) - in a spot a little further from the building with lots of room, pretty flowers, and a fountain. He was dancing in his seat to the music on his iPod.

Demitri had come by, stealing one of the earbuds from Seth's ear and upon hearing the music, grinning and going back into the Manor, much to Seth's confusion and returned a few minutes later with a small portable stereo designed to take an iPod. Seth had grinned, they'd plugged in his iPod and turned up the music, the small stereo having an amazing sound for it's size. Naturally this particular CD had to be turned up loud, and they did, and Demitri began to dance and Seth gave up on sketching flowers and sketched him instead.

The music had caught the attention of others too. Jack had grinned and joined the impromptu gathering and brought a cooler of beer. Deacon had picked up Nia but Mary-Ann had caught him gazing out to the sound of music in the gardens and had asked if she could borrow Nia for a while and Nia had been happy to go, which meant when Deacon wandered into the garden party it was without a child in tow. Loki had appeared from out of nowhere stretched out on a bench and playing air drums to the music. Rhys, even though he didn't really know the others all that well, found himself accepting a beer and swaying to the music as well. Gabe heard the music too and dashed out to join them. To say he was a huge fan of this particular artist was an understatement. But then it seemed to be sort of a rule that if you were remotely connected to the GLBT community you had to love Lady Gaga.

And that was how this little part of the Manor garden suddenly turned into a party with loud music, dancing and beer. And everyone was invited.

[ooc:Throwing this up while I have time to play about with images. ;)]

There's a sign outside the door, painted in pretty lavender script on a black background:

"BUY & SELL PRE-LOVED DESIGNERWEAR"

The same hand-written script is above the shopfront, and on the window beside the door, the words reading 'Antique Apparel'.

This is a rough guide to what the shop might look like inside:





There's a greeting area, where there'll be a waiter standing with glasses of champagne or orange juice. Vintage 'Vogue' covers grace in the walls, intersperced with film posters featuring Audrey Hepburn, Doris Day, Jayne Mansfield, Marilyn Monroe. There's a sofa and a low table for bored significant others, and beyond that, rails of vintage designerwear - mostly from 1930-1960, though there's a few more recent pieces mixed in that fit the mood (for example, the Diane Von Furstenberg floral dress in the pictures above).

To the righthand side of the shop is a flight of stairs with a handpainted sign that reads 'Beauty Boutique', pointing down.

Celeste will be circling all night, playing the part of hostess, wearing a white dress, her hair unpinned for once.

[ooc:I'm handwaving that she's had a press campaign (of sorts - ads in local newspapers, posters and flyers given out, that sort of thing), so it's up to you how your pup knows about the grand opening. :)]

The Maintenace team had kindly done the bulk of the hard work and Micheals Bros. had come through just as Spencer had promised, arriving to drop off the supplies Adam had requested shortly after he, Icene, and Joe had trundled down to the gardens to start getting ready.

There was all the usual last minute occurrances - Joe was eventually sent out with a list of forgotten necessities and Adam and Icene took the good-natured bickering to new heights as they squabbled over who got to put their donation cans where - but in the end, everything was settled and out of their hands.

Up to the rest of the Manor's tenants now.

OOC: Putting this up early as I have a family thing later and I don't wanna make everyone wait until I'm done stuffing myself with BBQ and/or napping. ;) Enjoy everybody, have fun!

Charlie thought that the guests had enjoyed themselves. Or at least he hoped they had.

Now just a few last revellers were enjoying the hot tub or splashing in the pool but the majority of the people who were left were helping him and Gil and Nick to clear up.

Gil was overseeing the collection of glasses and empty bottles and keeping an eye on his staff, most of whom were still going strong. But Katie was yawning.

"Shall we leave the plants til tomorrow?" Nick asked and Charlie nodded.

"They look fine," he said. "It's more the beer bottles in the pool and the food scraps tucked behind the pillars I'm worried about."

Deacon returned to the table with a plastic box filled with empty cans and bottles and glanced up at the roof. "Pity 'bout the snow," he said. "It woulda been cool to lay in the hot tub and look at the stars."

"Yeah well," Nick growled, "we'd have cleared it only I'm too heavy and Phil hasn't got a head for heights."

"Monday," Charlie said with a grin. "It'll be like old times."

"Why don't you go home?" Gil suggested to Katie. "We can manage here."

"S'okay, hun," she said to him with a weary smile. "We're almost done - hey, what's that? Oh shit, look out!"

[This will be a two part thread - a] the temperature plummets as some of the glass plus the burden of snow fall in potentially causing major and minor cuts and hypothermia amongst the lightly dressed guests, then b] about 10 minutes later the whole of the metal superstructure over the pool collapses potentially causing much more serious injuries. If your pups need medical attention ping Jen for Drew, Elina for Laura and Kel for Rhys. Have some nice angsty fun!]

ETA: Carry on playing. With the dark and the confusion you can pretty much make up whatever you want happening.

The pool house was usually warm but tonight was even more comfortable. Plants had been set in corners to give the place a bit of a tropical feel and loungers had been dotted about the room. There were tables for food and drink and the waiting staff were dressed in white pants and colourful shirts or patterned sarongs depending on sex and preference.

The hot tub bubbled

It all looked pretty damn good.

{ooc: Party post rules apply. Tag your guys and gals in then mix 'em up. Tag anyone you please. This post is the FUN post. The angstiness comes later!}

The word had gotten around the Manor that Emily Brandon was arranging a Girls Night at the Flamingo Lounge to celebrate her birthday. In truth Emily didn't feel like celebrating getting older, but it was a very good excuse to gather the wonderful ladies of the Manor and have fun all together.

The biggest table near the dancefloor was all set up for them at 8 o'clock, the swing band was ready to start at 9PM, and rather promisingly the place seemed to have a couple of groups of men. It was Saturday night, afterall, and some men were smart enough to know that there were bound to be pretty girls who were desperate to dance.

On arrival every lady joining the party was offered a sweet bubbly champagne drink with the rim of the glass covered in pink sugar. Girly and cute to start the conversation and get the spirits high! All through the evening the table had a delicious selection of tapas for everyone to eat when they wanted, and the birthday cake was in the form of a big batch of cupcakes with a creamy pink frosting.

Emily was sure to be present from the start to welcome everyone. As if to follow the pink theme in the catering, she was dressed in a coral pink ruffle dress with white heels and a white hand bag, feeling utterly feminine.

[Girly pups welcome! Party post rules. Have fun and mingle!]

The staff had worked like stink transforming the ballroom from the lair of a deranged haberdasher to a Valentine's Day vision with pink, white and scarlet hot house flowers, masses of helium filled balloons, a rose wine 'fountain', a beffet with appropriate finger foods and a bar. For the rest the floor was polished to a mirror finish and the chandeliers were glinting rainbows all around the room.

The people who had managed the transformation high fived each other and staggered off too sleep, leaving the room to await the arrival of the merry-makers.

[ooc: Normal party post rules apply. Have fun guys.]

The Slaughtered Lamb was a favorite of the City and today it was opening it's doors to everyone for a chance to make a difference.  Inside the welcoming atmosphere was still the same, but the increase in chairs and tables indicated the rise in the number of expected visitors. There were tasteful decorations, enough alcohol and food on hand to promise plenty for everyone, and white Red Cross canisters sitting here and there prompting those that could to make donations that would be divided for the relief efforts in New Orleans and Haiti.

It was a day for giving and for a good time, and the Lamb certainly promised that.


OOC: Regular party post rules apply, as always.

Kara was bummed that she was missing the Manor party but the Lamb was having one of its own and she had to be there. It was a popular place for those that were on their way to, or back from, a party. Decorated in more traditional ways candles flickered everywhere, dried herbs hung here and there, a few pentacles, and the staff were in full costume appropriate to a medieval pub.

Kara was certainly turning a few heads in here costume, as was Molly and even Cook was dressed up. It might not be the Manor but it was still fun.


[ooc: You don't have to play in here if you don't wish to but it's open if you do]

People have said a lot of things about the Manor over the years, for instance that it's creepy and it's kooky, mysterious and spooky, and all together ooky, but one thing everyone can agree on is that the Manor can really throw a party.

And Hallowe'en, of course, is special.

Tonight the ballroom was decked out with decorations in shades of red, gold and orange. Pumpkins were well represented! As were black cats and witches. Not particularly subtle, maybe, but at least everyone would know what they'd be getting. The chandeliers gleamed under their coating of fake cobwebs and the floors were polished to a high gloss.

At one end of the ballroom was the stage and dance floor, at the other tables, the bar and the buffet. Tonight the windows were closed to keep the ferociously cold wind out but were unlocked so that anyone who wanted could get out and walk along under the canvas awning to the conservatory with it's scattering of fairy lights and it's heaters, tonight was no night to be outside even if you were a dedicated smoker.

At 9.30 the music started and the costumed bar staff and waiting staff cracked their knuckles and got ready to serve their customers. They were being paid enough to be cheerful about it too!

All they needed were a few guests.

[[ooc: normal party post rules apply - tag each other, mix and match, cut in on the dance floor, but above all have fun!]]

Try Denver was the main event tonight, but they weren't due on stage until sometime after 9:30. The opener was Niles and Lara was interested in seeing what kind of reception he'd get from the crowd. His open mic performances had done pretty well (and he already seemed to have his share of groupies) and style of music complimented the headliner's. So, for his sake (well and hers), Lara hoped this wasn't going to be the kind of show where the opener got heckled by impatient fans. She was feeling pretty confident about her choice, though.

[Party post rules apply! Have at it for any point in the show!]

Maude was proud of her team: - they'd all done wonderful work this year. She didn't neglect to say so in her speech. And she didn't stop there. "I know it was opposition to my late husband's business that started what is now already turning into a cherished City tradition. But we are people that know to overcome differences, work together, and make the best of it. In that sense: have a lovely evening!"

And then she stopped speaking, and the concert started.


[[OOC: Party post rules! Drift, talk, thread-hop!]]

The tables and chairs had been rearranged, the dj was playing background music as the band settled into their chairs, and many bottles of champagne had been lined up to be opened as needed. The buffet was laid out, and many of the guests from this afternoon had been able to freshen up, and were definitely finding their second wind. Spencer and Roxy stood by the main doors to the ballroom, quietly talking between themselves, and occasionally sipping champagne, or nibbling at a plate of little dainties that Emily had given them. Spencer's parents were nearby, but the party was pretty much set up and ready to go. Not that Spencer knew much about that, he'd been far too busy since getting married, there had been a lot of kissing, and posing for photos, with all sorts of combinations of people, and then the meal and everything was just, one great big blur for him.

It was Roxy who was still with it, and realised their first guests were coming in. She chivvied Spencer back to alertness, laughing as he looked a little sheepish, and then looping her arm through his and turning him towards the doors, receiving lines were not that much fun, but it did mean a chance to say hello to everyone.

These have gone out already, I've just been procrastinate with posting them :(

Chester had pulled the stops out and one part of the club was cordoned off with bunting and the waiters and waitresses were primed to keep the booze flowing freely.

"It looks brilliant," Charlie said. "Thank you SO much."

"It's a pleasure," Chester said. "You've already got people waiting for you and the birthday boy. Where is he by the way?"

"Stopped to chat to someone," Charlie said. "Oh, and brace yourself because he's really in phwoooaaar mode tonight."

Chester sighed and fanned himself. ( Read more... )

"Party time," he said.

[ooc: Usual party post rules apply. Don't forget, it's your last chance to have at Deacon while he's still the right side of forty!!]