[closed] harvestmere is for lovers

[heirring]

WHO: Val, Wysteria, & A Bunch of Rubes
WHAT: A perfectly uncontroversial fundraiser
WHEN: The first day of Harvestmere
WHERE: The Asgard Estate in Hightown
NOTES: If you received one of Wysteria's invitations at the beginning of September Kingsway and your character would have agreed to show their face, then here's what they signed up for. With thanks to Ceeeee/Eppy/Beka for the NPC profiles; if we run out of comedy NPCs to match up with, ping me at prosodi and I'll cram in a few more.

Per certain written invitations judiciously dispensed in earlier weeks prior, on the very first day of Harvestmere a bizarre conglomerate descends upon the Asgard Estate in Hightown. And while it's true that the state of the household might be somewhat controversial—it being appointed in a very Tevene fashion in accordance with the taste of its proprietor—, for almost a full hour it seems the evening will proceed in the manner that similar benefits must: doomed to be somewhat stilted, punctuated with rather too much polite laughter and the occasional tactless question, but generally inoffensive for all involved. While the members of Riftwatch and the invited would-be benefactors mingle over respectably appointed boards of hors d'oeuvres and various (entirely optional) dances are led under a string quartet's guidance, Wysteria plays at the role of host in an effort to see that everyone is acquainted and in good spirits be it emotionally or in the liquid sense.

However (for there must be a however), the evening takes rather a sharp before dinner.

At some point, the music recedes and everyone is ushered into an adjacent room where a series of chairs are arranged. One might be expecting someone to play whatever charming instrument is near the front of the room, but alas. Instead, Miss Poppell gives a very charming introduction to the evening's main event - a small auction, the lots of which "You should all be well acquainted with by now, but will secure your seating arrangements for dinner," - and surrenders the floor to Monsieur de Foncé so that the bloodbath may begin.

Each attending member of Riftwatch (excepting Val, Wysteria, and Leander who somehow landed being Wysteria's personal guest rather than a victim of their machinations) will be called up in turn and introduced either very faithfully according to a description they provided or one written for them, and auctioned to the highest bidder. Very stealthy members of the company (or indeed a selection of especially mortified guests) may have an opportunity to slither out a side door once the bidding starts, but it may honestly be less embarrassing to just go with it. Surely everyone's had enough to drink by now to ease any potential sting, correct?

Once the bidding ends, everyone will be shown to dinner where everyone is arranged according to the auction's results so that the "lot" is seated to the left of whomever won their bid and forced to either endure or enjoy their company for the duration of the meal. Afterwards, the party—or whatever remains of it, given various escape attempts or whatever surprise pressing business or headaches might have been claimed in an effort to beat a more polite retreat—retires back to the first room for dessert and drinks, a few rounds of cards, and the last exhausted dregs of conversation before at last winding to a close.

Entertaining? Debatable. Gauche? Perhaps more than one might prefer. But no one dies, so it hardly can be called a disaster as far as Riftwatch interacting with the public goes.

Comments

ii

[hornswoggle]

"So it appears," answers John, who sounds more resigned than anything else. Ah, here it is. The catch.

"If you're thinking about trying to make a run for it," John begins, pausing to size her up before looking across the room to where Val de Foncé is loitering innocently near the doorway. "You might as well try it. If you get up enough foot speed I think you could knock de Foncé over."

Which would at least be something interesting to break up the bidding process. John doesn't have hopes of escape, but he does have some objections for the hostess when all is said and done.

[hacker]

"I'm not."

Thinking about making a run for it. Rather, she turns from John to look around the rest of the room, searching for a sign of Leopold Fitz.

"I'm gonna kill the guy who got me into this."

Probably, she won't actually kill him. Probably. But her gaze stops on Val de Foncé when she realizes that's who John had been talking about, and she evaluates him. The shrug of her shoulders seems to agree — if that's the only security, they're definitely not stuck in this, at least.

[hornswoggle]

A quiet snort of laughter at her reaction. If Daisy steamrolls Val, then what's stopping John and Madi from slipping out that door?

Nothing, except that John does actually want Wysteria to succeed in whatever this is. But the hypothetical is still good.

"Which guy was that?"

Unaware of Fitz's existence, John's considerations swing between Val and Leander. He'd assume the former more so than the latter, but there's always room to be surprised.

"I know Leander seems like a pushover, but you'll have an easier time crushing de Fonce than him."