open | happy (earth) new year, everyone!

[genice]

WHO: Any and all!
WHERE: 2nd residential floor lounge
WHEN: OOCly 12/31; today.
WHAT: Victor's ICly claimed the day as being the 31st, and subsequently celebrating the "New Year" with anyone who comes by! After sending out a post on the network inviting any of the new arrivals via anomalies to attend, people are welcome to come enjoy a probably very random seeming New Years celebration.
WARNINGS: There is food and alcohol here, beware!

The lounges are interesting spaces, and Victor didn't hesitate to roll up his sleeves and rearrange furniture in this section of the middle floor lounge. A cheery wave to anyone wandering through earlier on the 31st (by his calendar, he's quite cheerful in acknowledging how arbitrary that really is) while he goes about arranging things to his satisfaction, before he jets off again to finish preparing his olivie salad.

It's nowhere near fancy, but he's shown up again with a big, borrowed bowl from his work, containing the closest approximation of olivie salad he'd been able to manage working with the supplies he found on board. There's a tablecloth tossed over the table he's appropriated for holding the foodstuffs, along with simple plates, utensils, cups and bubbling wines (three, okay, that's toeing the line of careful financial management). He's even figured out how to get music playing, though it's hard to say if there's any unifying theme to what plays.

Perhaps the most ridiculous part of any of this is how he's constructed a small cone cap for the brown, fuzzy creature that had been delivered to his bunk last week. That it's a shaved ice cone inverted with the words "Happy New Year" written on it amuses him. The unidentified creature simply coos and purrs and wears the cone hat, not moving off the smaller table it's been set on.

"Happy New Year!" he says to just about anyone walking by, tipping his (oh so classy) cup their way with a smile. Welcome to the party. Bring something to contribute to the table? Very welcome to the party!

[ ooc: please tag in with your own top levels and enjoy a relaxed, informal celebration of the new year (per Victor)! ]

Comments

[ouzel]

[ food glorious food* ]

[ Cassian has brought food. Empanadas, to be precise, in a couple of variations so they might be familiar to just about everyone. There's a plate full of ones that have a little hand-drawn sign with a [ 🥕 ] and another with a sign that says [ 🍖 ].

There is also cheesecake with bright reddish swirls in it. The little sign here is [ 🥛 🍓 ].

He's trying to cover all the bases, and he's not sure how many people read Galactic Basic around here.

Cassian sets up the plates on table and then...stands around a bit awkwardly, at least for the first few minutes. Once a couple of people have tried them, he'll move on.

*feel free to use the food as a plot device for your own threads! ]

[ wildcard ]

[ Cassian knows very little about New Year's so he's just...milling around, talking to canonmates and smiling gently at everyone else. Ask him a question! Shove a drink in his hand! He probably needs it. ]

[yokunaru]

[When Yuuri spots Cassian, there's a sort of awkwardness in the way he's standing by the table that Yuuri thinks he recognizes in himself sometimes. Though he's been trying to stay out of the way and unobtrusive since more people started arriving, he decides it couldn't hurt to socialize around a bit. He's going to be on this ship with these people for an indefinite amount of time, after all.

Yuuri holds out a plate, a few utensils already resting there ready for use, and offers it to Cassian when he pauses beside him.]

Help yourself. The food's meant to be eaten.

[ouzel]

[ Cassian's lip quirks and he scans the room before taking the plate uncertainly. ]

Thanks. [ He thinks. ] I ate some while I was cooking, though.

[ It just felt rude to turn the guy down. ]

[yokunaru]

Oh, you made something? [Yuuri perks up with interest, though there's a hint of sheepishness in his expression, too.]

I considered cooking for the party, but... [He gives a helpless sort of gesture with one hand.] Ah. I've been trying to get used to being here.

[ouzel]

The empanadas and the cheesecake. [ Cassian gestures at the food. ]

That's okay. It's different. [ To say the least. ]

[yokunaru]

I'll have to try them. [He smiles slightly, making note of the plates Cassian pointed out.]

Um, I was wondering... how long have you been here? [He's almost afraid to ask, remembering that the anomalies have apparently been going on for ages before he even arrived.]

[finethanks]

Oh, these must be "empanadas!" Is that right?

[Suddenly, Eichi is there, leaning over the plate of them with great joy as he takes one onto his own plate.] Fufu, I've never been able to taste one myself, but I've read in detail about them before. Were you the one that brought them? Thank you, thank you. ♪

[At least in person his "fufu" laugh just sounds like a normal chuckle...]

[ouzel]

They are, [ Cassian confirms, gesturing towards the plate. ] Some have meat, some without.

Hope you like them.

[finethanks]

[He happens to love meat... So after taking a bite and raising a hand to his mouth because it was just a little too hot to be biting in so immediately, he beams.]

How delicious. I'm surprised that someone with such a serious face could be so great at cooking, as well. Fufu, but then, I do know a few people who are similar in that way. [He can finally drop his hand away.] Happy new year. ♪

[ouzel]

[ Cassian raises his eyebrows because there is nothing wrong with having a serious face but also because he's starting to suspect this might be the 'Captain Fufu' person, but he ain't gonna mention it. ]

I didn't know not being serious had anything to do with cooking.

[ Just saying. Still: ]

Happy new year to you as well.

[finethanks]

Hmm, maybe it doesn't. But cooking seems so warm and personable, doesn't it? Like someone who might make you a bento box and send you well wishes with them. I always picture a sweet face.

[He makes no sense, ignore him. His dog tags are out and plain as day, though, so if Cassian is observant enough he might catch his name on them. He's such a frail looking boy, so at least he's probably not as crazy as originally thought...??]

[realists]

[ when cassian comes over, she assumes, to check on her from her unsocial spot on the couch, she drags him down next to her and passes him her drink of sparkling wine. ]

The alcohol here is so weak. Try this.

[ maybe the slightly different gravity effects the alcohol differently. if she were someone who cared even a little at all, she would look into it. alas. ]

[ouzel]

[ Cassian immediately takes a sip, nose wrinkling. ]

It's like fizzy juice.

[ Not the sort of stuff he's used to. ]

There has to be something stronger than this around.

[realists]

Dry fizzy juice, [ jyn corrects, even if she takes the glass back and downs the rest. maybe all in one go will have an effect. maybe she is just a catastrophe waiting to happen. we just don't know. ]

Maybe not here. [ as in this room specifically. it seems to be family friendly, as it were. a welcoming party not a here's the hardest alcohol we've got have fun type of party. which she can see the benefit of, they're all basically strangers still. ]

[ouzel]

[ Cassian gives a quick little frown, which is as close as he gets to saying 'be careful with the foreign fake!booze' because whatever happens he'll take care of her or the situation, as the case may be. ]

Hopefully that will change. Or there will be dancing. Something.

[realists]

Ugh. [ she groans, making a face and putting her hand on his shoulder like he is about to get up and make that change his own personal responsibility. ] No, no dancing. Dancing would be awful.

[ admittedly, the music isn't bad but she is barely here for the party, she is definitely not here for dancing. ]

[bespin]

[ Lando smiles, picking up an empanada or two for himself. ]

You make these? They smell great.

[ouzel]

I did. [ Cassian's hands are in his pockets and he shrugs his shoulders. ] I'm hoping people like them, it's been a while.

[bespin]

It's been a while since I had a good homecooked meal.

[ He digs into the first empanada, taking a bite and immediately groaning at the delicious taste. ]

Mmm, that's good. I'm going to have to keep you around.

[ouzel]

[ Cassian smiles a little, almost a smirk but a bit more honest than that. ]

Glad you like them. I was thinking of cooking on a semi-regular basis, starting soon. Would you be interested in joining us for food? [ He gestures in Jyn's general direction. ]

[bespin]

[ Lando hasn't spoken to the young woman Cassian indicates yet. He'll have to change that. ]

I'd love to. It would be good, to have some kind of solid routine around here. [ One they set for themselves, instead of one set for them. ]

[indigo5a]

[ Parties are not her thing. Unless she's undercover and has to protect a number from getting themselves offed at a fancy soirée. Otherwise, she doesn't really understand the point. If it's for the alcohol, you can always drink alone. And if it's for the music, it'll sound a lot better in your own space. Of course, most people come for the company and fun, but Shaw needs neither.

Nevertheless, she finds herself at the New Year's Eve party, mostly to scope the place out (gatherings like these can be ideal for overhearing intel) and the free food. The invite didn't say anything about no dogs, so she's brought hers.

The spread looks surprisingly normal for an alien buffet. She beelines for the empanadas, flaky pastries filled with delicious meat. She doesn't bother with a plate or utensils, snapping one up with her bare hands and pushing it into her mouth. She pauses right there, as she notices a weird guy hovering by the table.

She chews, swallows, and gives him a look. ]

What?

[ouzel]

I didn't say anything. [ Cassian shrugs. He didn't, for the record, but mostly he's curious: ]

Do you like them? [ He was worried they came out too flaky, or something. Ingredients vary from planet to planet and half the things he's familiar with don't even seem to exist on this ship. ]

[indigo5a]

[ No, you didn't. But people who hover around you usually want something, at least in Shaw's experience. At least he didn't give off any hostile vibes, or she might have pulled a move on him.

She blinks at the question. Do you like them. ]

Uh.

[ Shaw uses the back of her hand to wipe some crumbs from her face, though not entirely successfully. ]

They're not bad. Why? You made them?

[ouzel]

Sí, I did.

[ Now it's Cassian's turn to shove his hands in his pockets and shrug. ]

I haven't cooked anything for such a varied group in a long time. If people have ideas on how to improve them, I'd love to hear it.