A bottle of white, a bottle of red

[fleurdesel]

WHO: Open to anyone that wants wine and warmth and a little company.
WHAT: Wine and no whining.
WHEN: After the mage meeting wraps up.
WHERE: Close to the healing tents, specifically the Orlesian section.
NOTES: There will be wine, drinking, unwinding, and nibbles.

The meeting had been stressful for just about everyone involved. Tempers had flared, opinions made known, a few rounds of confetti and arguing before some manner of accord. Whether it would last or however long it might? No one could truly say. In the interest of being quite done with the stress and headaches such debate brought on the Orlesian healing tents clearing out the potions, bandages, and poultices in favor of what cushions and braziers they had on hand for light and for heat. The space was open, warm, and inviting with an odd assortment of tin mugs or clay glasses set around flat side tables propped up with stones to keep them from wobbling and tipping the whole mass onto the ground. There are some dried fruits and hard cheeses, dried meat and hard crusted bread- whatever scraps they could scavenge or spare and a few bottles of wine or brandy. Across the entrance to the tents there was a sign:

Bring a bottle or food to share for entry.

Tacked below was a list of rules:

• Everyone is welcome, don't make a fuss
• Don't hog the wine
• Don't hog the food
• Don't fight or argue
• If you finish a bottle open a new one, don't recork it for someone else to find
• Clean up after yourselves

Comments

[amygdalae]

Bruce had debated for a while if he should have gone to the whole mage gathering or not. He supposed in a way it concerned him a little, since most of the people he was working with were mages. But besides that, well, there was the matter of himself even though nobody else knew--

--it was probably safer to not have gone in the end. With all the Templars around Bruce didn't want to attract any more attention than he had already gotten with the last stunt he pulled.

Considering this 'party', though, Bruce supposed something must have happened in the negotiations. He brought an offering of stew that he had made himself for everyone around - something to fill their stomachs with besides alcohol. He mostly keeps to himself still, only speaking when spoken to, keeping an eye out to ensure that nobody got too drunk or tried to start anything they might regret.

[fleurdesel]

"Bruce- wait. Wait one moment." Adelaide was there then gone, not quite swooping by so much as weaving around other people. Aside from the light pat of her hand against his arm and the murmur of her voice there was nothing to mark them until she returned with a steaming mug. "Tea. I remembered that you do not care for wine."

[amygdalae]

There was a pause when Adelaide's voice carried over to him, Bruce himself stopping and glancing around for her, considering how quickly she had passed by him. But at least he didn't have to wonder for long - soon enough she's back with what he easily recognizes as tea.

"I--ah. You didn't have to." Bruce fumbles for a bit because really, she didn't need to go out of her way like this. The day must have already been trying enough as it is for her and having to do extra makes him feel quite bad.

[fleurdesel]

"Yes, I do." Something in him he wasn't tending to calls out to Compassion- she isn't certain if the tea is at all helping, the moments of quiet they steal together between patients and study and research. But it must be worthwhile. "It is what peers offer one another, yes? Consideration."

[amygdalae]

Well, if she puts it like that, then there is no way that Bruce can turn her down.

"...thank you." He takes the tea into his hands and sips at it lightly - the heat soothes his nerves quickly, which was surprising because Bruce hadn't realized just how tense he had been. Then again, given all that had happened, perhaps it wasn't that much of a surprise. "I hope your gathering had favorable results."

[fleurdesel]

"We managed to agree on a few things and find suitable punishment for the mages that took part in the fighting the night of the Wake. I will have to call that a win. What comes after? I am not thinking about tonight." That is for the next day, or the day after. For now there is warmth and good company and music. It does make her wonder, though. "...Do you dance, Bruce?"

[amygdalae]

That certainly sounded like progress, if anything. Bruce was glad that they had all managed to accomplish something at the very least. It was good when other people could manage to succeed. The world may be harsh now but at least for others it would get better, little by little.

"You deserve at least the night off," he agrees, then pauses at her question, his surprise only coming through with another blink. "...and no, I don't dance. I don't really have the feet for it." He's never been one for social gatherings and such, not even before his life on the run. Bruce always preferred his books and his studies, learning for the appreciation of it. Books were always easier to understand than people.

[fleurdesel]

"Hence the wine. And the music. And what would have been a request for a dance were it something you did." As it is not? She shall content herself to one side, watching others and drinking wine. Much as she hated being forced into such things herself in her youth, the last she'd want is to put anyone else in a similar position. Pulling Bruce into a workshop for poultices and potions? That is one thing.

Pulling him to dance? That is another entirely.

[amygdalae]

As much as he tried not to show it Bruce was kind of relieved to not have been asked to dance - he would more likely make a fool out of himself than actually be able to do anything decent. Besides, he was just fine standing here and watching everyone else having fun. They were the ones who deserved it more than him.

He watched them for a bit, seeing them just having fun and fooling around - being completely normal for once after all that had happened in the recent weeks. "I'm glad everyone here has a chance to relax," he says after a pause, looking over at Adelaide. "It's been a trying couple of weeks for everyone here."