birthright_npc: (Vegas)
[personal profile] birthright_npc in [community profile] birthright_rpg
The grand ballroom of the Skylark Hotel was awash in shades of forest green and gold. The charity ball had been arranged to benefit a local children's hospital, and so a large percentage of the proceeds from the door tickets and bar would be donated to renovate the facility. A two-story Christmas tree towered over the buffet tables of festive finger foods and chocolate fountain, and people had placed unwrapped toys under the limbs to be delivered to the hospital the next day. Champagne flowed freely. There were two stages for the live jazz musicians that would play all night. Santa's scantily clad elves wandered about the room with trays of shrimp and caviar. A dance floor took up the center of the space underneath a gleaming chandelier and there were beautifully decorated round tables on the edges of the room.

The ticket price was manageable, and a few tickets had gone out free for radio promotions and the like.

Luckily for the undead, the decor did not include wall-to-wall mirrors, though there were a few on the high ceiling.

In various corners, Vegas performance artists entertained to ooohs and aaahs. For instance, there was a man eating a gleaming sword in the corner.

Thread: Open to Anyone

on 2013-12-27 11:58 pm (UTC)
maddy_ricks: (shoo bop)
Posted by [personal profile] maddy_ricks
The girl in question was five meters away and approaching fast.

“Ow-ow-ow-ow…” She hobbled closer to Melody and attempted to talk without moving her lips. “Who sanctioned these curly-toe shoes? I’d like to give him a piece of my mind. Man, my dogs are barking.” The brunette’s feet were accustomed to high-top Converse sneakers and whatever else was on sale at the thrift shop. These felt-covered elf shoes offered no support, were slippery on the bottom, and pinched the toes into a triangular shape. Worst of all, they had jingle bells.

Her tray had cucumber slices with smears of cheese on top. They were the least-popular offering and so she didn’t need a refill just yet.

on 2013-12-28 01:13 am (UTC)
maddy_ricks: (Default)
Posted by [personal profile] maddy_ricks
“Kids? There aren’t even any here,” Maddy said with a smile frozen on her lips like a beauty queen, all teeth and red lipstick. A woman slipped past so she held out her tray and offered, “Refreshing cucumber slice?” The woman demurred and continued on her beeline to the lavatory.

“By the way, Santa’s lap? Avoid it if you don’t want to get poked in the ass,” Maddy advised. “He grabbed my left cheek a few minutes ago. Really got in there, too.” She shifted uncomfortably because her panties had settled into an awkward position when she scurried out of reach.

on 2013-12-28 02:31 am (UTC)
maddy_ricks: (giggle)
Posted by [personal profile] maddy_ricks
Maddy casually checked out the server’s rear end, but the glance turned into a slack-jawed stare. “I could take a serious bite out of those. And he looks like Lando Calrissian. Mmm-mm.” She raised her eyebrows and forced herself to look away, look awaaaaay, before she got brought up on formal charges.

“Back in a minute. I’m gonna trade these cucumbers for cocktail weenies,” she said. And so with a joking shimmy of her shoulders, Maddy left the ballroom in search of tastier wares to peddle.

on 2013-12-28 02:14 pm (UTC)
maddy_ricks: (nerd glasses)
Posted by [personal profile] maddy_ricks
It wasn’t weenies, but garlic shrimp weren’t bad. Maddy cruised across the room and hoped she didn’t come across anyone with a severe seafood allergy. En route to the other server, she observed the following: a blonde with toilet paper stuck to her shoe, an Irish guy from the coffee shop getting cheek-to-cheek with a girl in high heels, the owner of the Dive looking dapper in a way that was mentally confusing, an infuriated redhead, a diminutive vampire that didn’t return phone calls, and a corporate type with a speck of coke under his nose.

Her tray was half-empty when she jingled up to Melody.

“I’m torn between jostling the sword-eating guy just to see what happens, and asking him for pointers on relaxing the throat. What’s your vote?”

on 2013-12-28 05:28 pm (UTC)
brian_campo: (you serious?)
Posted by [personal profile] brian_campo
“Can I get one of those? I’m starving.” Brian appeared at her arm and stole a shrimp from Maddy’s tray. Despite the somber expression, he had cleaned himself up well enough to be presentable for the evening. The brown-black length of his hair was slicked back and his jaw was fresh-shaven. His white shirt, black jacket and trousers were clean, if not meticulously ironed. He was at the Skylark to load in the second band, a lite rock group that was set up to play when the jazz ensemble went on break. Judging from the opening chords of Moonlight Serenade, it would happen in three minutes.

The band’s crew didn’t have to wear ties, a decision that came as a relief to Brian, who wasn’t sure he had the mental fortitude to tie a double Windsor knot tonight.

“Hey,” he said quietly to the other Elf.

on 2013-12-28 11:21 pm (UTC)
maddy_ricks: (chef coat)
Posted by [personal profile] maddy_ricks
The blunt ends of Maddy’s hair swung as her head swiveled from Brian to Mel. It was entertaining to watch the blood rise in her friend’s cheeks, and all because a guy had intruded on their foul-mouthed conversation. “Mel, this is Brian, we play together. In a band, not a sandbox,” she corrected with a flailing hand. “Mel works at the magic shop by Cool Beans. Hey, Bri… is that Mike from the Dive?” she asked and pointed across the room. She already knew that it was, but it distracted him long enough for her to mouth two words at Mel.

‘You’re blotching!’

She pointed at her collarbone.

on 2013-12-28 11:30 pm (UTC)
brian_campo: (brush shoulders off)
Posted by [personal profile] brian_campo
He blinked away from the new girl.

“Uhhhh… yeah, I think so,” he said, trying to see through the crowd. “He looks different in good lighting.”

Now that he had confirmed the identity of the man who booked them for shows, he paid attention to Mel again. The magic shop. Each time he’d gone to the one in Searchlight, he had missed the owner because of the shop’s closing hours or a lunch break. If Maddy vouched for the credibility of the place in Vegas, he might stop by to see if they had anything useful.

“What’s it called?” he asked her.

on 2013-12-29 12:57 am (UTC)
brian_campo: (Default)
Posted by [personal profile] brian_campo
Brian reached up and fiddled with his earlobe. “I think it sounds like somewhere you’d go to buy parchment paper,” he said, looking mildly apologetic as he admitted it. “I guess you could write a spell on parchment. Do spells have words or is it just sort of poof?” He wore what he hoped was a sincere expression so she would recognize it as a real question and not a joke at her expense. The last thing he needed was to offend a girl who could give him a leg up.

Brian knew that he was remarkably adept at offending girls, no matter his intentions.

He flinched as Maddy reached up and knocked his hand aside. She licked her hand and slicked his hair back into place.

“Gah—ew!”

on 2013-12-29 01:01 am (UTC)
maddy_ricks: (Default)
Posted by [personal profile] maddy_ricks
Maddy giggled. “What?!”

She hadn’t really licked her palm, just faked him out. The look on his face was priceless.

The urge to be kind to him was overwhelming, what with the rampant guilt. She hadn’t told him what happened with Valerie, but he looked like a kicked puppy. This meant they’d had a fight. What exactly had been revealed, Madeleine wasn’t sure.

on 2013-12-29 02:03 am (UTC)
brian_campo: (elvis)
Posted by [personal profile] brian_campo
Daniel put his hands in his pockets and watched her disappear. “Was it me or was she uncomfortable?” It was the understatement of the century. Brian gave his friend a small smile and said, “I’ll see you around.” He had to get back to the second stage before the band started playing.

“Wait! Take these.” Maddy piled shrimp on a napkin and forced it into his hand.

“Thanks.” Brian made eye contact with her, like he knew that she knew that he was in pain and appreciated the kindness. Only he didn’t know the half of it.

“No problem.” Maddy spun on her slippery heel and returned to the kitchen.

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