(no subject)

[eternityalone]

Who: Anyone!
What: It's a Wine Tasting at the Lux
When: Saturday Evening
Where: The Lux.
Sugarplum Fairies: PLENTY.
Notes: ANYONE is welcome. Prose or brackets. I'm just having Katherine start it off, but feel free to have your very own thread. This is a party-post of sorts. It's at the Lux and there are plenty of wines and platters of small bits of food that are meant to accentuate the flavor of the wine. Cheese, Chocolate, Fruits... etc.



The Lux isn't Katherine's first choice of social locations, but it does have the luxury of being somewhere that has been deemed as off-limits for the Salvatore brothers. She'd put the math together through the journals and from over-hearing conversations of employees and the ghosts. Such gossips. She'd already resolved to go to that Speed Dating thing, just trying to make some effort to figure out just who all was in this place and just how vulnerable some of them were.

For the moment, she's milling through the crowd, glass in hand, and keeping an eye on everyone. She's fully capable of slipping by most of them undetected. Knowing that her speed would easily put her out of anyone's line of sight if she didn't want to be seen. Tonight though, she wasn't planning on shying away from too many of them.

Comments

[assassino]

Ezio was still exploring when he found the Lux. He hadn't been in the castle for even twenty-four hours yet, and it seemed fitting to end the day at a party with wine and snacks. It would be a good place to mingle and get a feel for the castle's residents, and possibly see what people from the 21st century considered a party.

Not too far off from what he considered a party, apparently.

Out of his Assassin robes but still discreetly armed, Ezio had changed into a regular doublet and slipped in with the crowd. He helped himself to a glass of wine and started scoping out the place for interesting people.

But who was he kidding? Everyone was interesting in a world that combined all sorts of planets and time periods.

[eternityalone]

Katherine was the best at being unseen. She was quiet and found it easy to eavesdrop on whatever conversation suited her in the moment. The Lux was filled with conversations, filled with people drinking - laughing, most of them trying to forget that they were hostage to a castle. It wasn't an easy task, but like most things it seemed plying yourself with alcohol helped.

For the moment, it helped her curb those cravings - dull those feelings that she knew she could shut off - even if she knew she much rather preferred to keep some of them lingering.

Even when it meant the ones she didn't want to recall had their way of creeping in.

She cut across the room, the wine in her glass aerating with every turn she made, the liquid hitting high on the side of the glass.

"Enjoying yourself?"

[assassino]

Ezio was leant against the bar, utterly relaxed in a place that was so absurdly unlike his usual surroundings. Before, a trip into a tavern or inn meant a wood floor long stained and moulding from spilled drink, instead of polished floors. The elegant lights would be replaced by flickering oil lamps, the bar and its taps replaced by barrels and a crude shelf. Nobles entertained guests in their private villas, never in these cramped public spaces. Ezio felt at home already.

He made eye-contact with her, long and lingering, and he let a smile curve onto his face.

"It's not bad, for a first night in Paradise."

[eternityalone]

With a soft smirk, Katherine leaned against the bar, resting her elbow to the counter.

"You call it Paradise, but most of us pronounce it with an 'a' at the end of it. There's a slight difference, but it does make all the difference."

He seemed a bit out of his time, his era clear on his clothing. It was slightly familiar, a touch of something she hadn't quite forgotten.

[assassino]

He laughed, friendly.

"I know that, but this place seems like an actual Paradise in many ways." He smiled, angling his body to face hers better. "Is this your party?"

[eternityalone]

At his insistence that this place wasn't to be feared Katherine smirked, trying not to disappoint him so soon.

"It is not my party," she remarked. "I just showed up because there was alcohol." Katherine raised her glass a bit, before she took a sip.

[assassino]

"Fair enough," he replied. "It's good wine. Maybe not as good as the wine from home, but it has its own charm."

[eternityalone]

Her head tipped to the side, eyeing the glass in his hand, "Where might home be?"

[assassino]

"Firenze, but I've been living in Venezia for the past seven years. Both have the best taste in drink."

[eternityalone]

Her smile showed appreciation, eyebrow lifting carefully, "Beautiful architecture in that part of Italy. All of it, really, but it's exceptional in that part of the world."

[assassino]

After Americans and Trolls and all manners of strange people, it was nice to meet someone who knew something –– anything –– about Italia. He's immediately interested in her.

"The most beautiful architecture in the world. What parts of Italia have you seen?"

[eternityalone]

"I'm from Bulgaria and traveled through Italia more than a few times in my travels. Never for very long, but I do recall the Palazzo."

Katherine had never traveled the same way twice when she was running from Klaus, but she had made sure to visit Italy any chance she had. The alcohol was better, he was right.

[assassino]

He laughed, and then took a sip of wine.

"There are a great many palazzi in Firenze alone, let alone in the rest of the region. What cities did you visit?"

[howruthless]

Being discreetly armed wasn't really a poor choice in a place you didn't understand. Tess would have had her usual nine millimeter herself, but since the castle saw it fit to take that particular skill from her, she was making due with other forms of protection.

None of that is shown, however -- maybe it is with the confident way she moved through the room, but as far as she is concerned, she's a lot more comfortable when she feels adequately protected.

She cut through the room and made her way to the bar, pausing to get herself her own glass of wine before starting to people watch a bit herself.

[assassino]

And there's another beautiful woman. Ezio watched her for a moment, instantly caught by that confidence. Well, even if this place ended up being an impossible-to-solve mystery or another thing in his life to spend ten years chasing, he'd at least be in beautiful company.

He didn't exactly hide that he was looking at her, either, searching her face for some sort of opening. Only a coward or a little boy would try to sneak glimpses when the other's head is turned. Ezio was just there, smiling pleasantly, and he jumped right in.

"You should try a Sangiovese wine, if you haven't already."

[howruthless]

She felt him watching, and she wasn't sure if she could be concerned or flattered yet, but she had no problem with letting him look. If it's meant to be complimentary, it's always nice to be admired, and if it's the former -- well, she could take care of herself.

"I haven't," she admitted, before looking over the bottles for what he had mentioned. "Is it a personal favorite?"

[assassino]

He smiled, moving closer to lean around her and look for himself. He discovered already that modern people labeled their bottles in highly convenient ways, so it was easy to scan the labels and see which were made with Sangiovese, instead of the plethora of other grape types. Judging by her voice she was likely an American, but whether she knew much about Italy, he couldn't say.

"I think it's the favourite of everyone between Toscana and Firenze, going right back to the Romans," Ezio replied, plenty amused, finding a bottle made from Sangiovese and offering it to her to look. "What do Americans generally drink?"

[howruthless]

"Whiskey, other hard liquor, mixed drinks -- we can actually be rather inventive," she said, watching as he perused the bottles. "But I'm sure that their main drink of choice is beer."

[assassino]

"Never heard of whisky, but beer is popular. Only with men, though."

Maybe it was just an American thing in general, but his interest was piqued even more. Women drinking beer was socially unacceptable in his time –– the same way it was socially unacceptable for a woman to fight, or do any other variety of "men's" activities.

His tone is positively playful.

"Well, then –– you try mine, and I'll try yours. Sangiovese for whisky."

[howruthless]

Tess regarded him for a moment, but the challenge had been issued, and she never backed down from one. "Fair enough."

She then turned to signal the bartender and order a glass of the best bottle they had. Once the glass arrived, she picked it up and extended it to him. "After you?"

[assassino]

He grinned, taking up the glass with just as much confidence as he took everything else up. He raised it to her in a toast and nodded, and then drank deeply.

Whisky was interesting, to say the least. A bit smokey, foreign and completely unlike other drinks, spiritually quite like the first time he'd tried coffee but with a wholly different set of tastes. Not necessarily a good taste, either, but perhaps one that was more acquired than anything. It was difficult to not look surprised.

"I can't say I've ever had anything like this."

[howruthless]

"It takes a lot of getting used to. But for some moments, it's just the kind of kick you need."

She then took the glass he poured for her, swirling the wine carefully for a moment, and taking a sip.

[assassino]

"I can see that," he laughed, inspecting the remaining liquid and then looking to her to judge her reaction to the wine.

[howruthless]

She nodded after a moment, considering the flavor, before looking up at him. "A bit strong, but I like it. It seems like it would be a good dinner wine."

[assassino]

"Ah, any reason is reason enough for wine, whether it's dinner or just because," he replied, almost a touch dismissive. "Whisky, on the other hand... I cannot imagine drinking it with dinner."