Winter's Crest Evening Celebration - Invitation only

[st_ockandbarrel]

Despite telling Mac that he had no intention of organizing any kind of gathering, that is precisely what Percy found himself doing over the next few weeks. In between working on gifts for each of his friends, Percy secured a room and allowed himself to be hassled by Caroline about a menu and other details. Once she'd put him through a grueling series of questions on his preferences, she'd gone away. A few days later, she'd returned with a book of carefully constructed plans. It was both impressive and terrifying. He'd approved it all and let her handle it. The wine he took a personal hand in, choosing every bottle by hand from the inn's rather delightful wine cellar. He wasn't sure where most of the places of origin were, but a guide (written by a man named Parker) gave detailed descriptions of each bottle and provided a score. France was a popular location for wine, apparently.

The evening of Winter's Crest was cool, but not cold, in spite of the snow still lingering on the ground from the battle royale earlier in the day courtesy of Pike. The sky now was clear, and the stars bright. He rapped on Vex's door to escort her to dinner and adjusted his cuffs beneath his new coat, acquired from the shop. It was not his usual blue suit, but Caroline had assured him in her bossy way that it was extremely modern and fashionable. It was certainly well tailored.

Trinket had taken a lot less time to get ready for dinner, Vex assuring him he was the most dapper and handsome bear in his collar and tie. She was putting the finishing touches on her hair when the knock came, so it was the bear who laid his heavy paw on the door lever and opened it to Percy. Vex turned from the mirror, satisfied with her efforts, as Percy entered. The suit was new, and she took the time it took them to meet in the middle of the room to appreciate the way the cut accentuated his form. "Joyous Winter's Crest, my darling," she told him as she ran her hands over his shoulders and leaned in for a kiss. Vex had made an afternoon of it last week, trying on every suitable outfit remotely close to her size in the boutique. Her second choice was hanging in her closet, but for tonight, she'd chosen a column dress in a deep midnight blue that left most of her back bare. She was hopeful Percy would approve.

"Joyous Winter's Crest, Lady Vex'ahlia." He obliged her the kiss, not that it was anything other than purest pleasure. His hands ran down the bare length of her back and was it not for the duty to show up to the dinner he'd arranged, he'd have suggested staying in. Instead, he wrapped an arm about her waist and appraised Trinket. "Very mannerly, good bear." He'd expressed a desire to let the bear stay home for the evening but a simple "Trinket's family" from Vex had been enough to have him relent. "Shall we go?"

Finding dress to Winter's Crest had been trial. White and pale gold were colors most available in shop, but she did not wish wearing anything so pale as she. Nu. At end, she had Sunny helping and saying her short as knees was normal. But when she stood before mirror changing faces it felt again too much short. She sighed. This was only dress and she liked purple and flowers next to her albino human face. If comfortable later also, when Kash said her yes or Percy, it made room of legs and tail.

She drew herself up as tall as she could and faced her so pale altered self. "I am Baronesa Lillith Anioska Daturai. No party shall best me."

Kash did not stand in front of a mirror. He did not fuss at his clothes. The shop had provided black pants and a black jacket that fit well and required little in the way of tailoring. He wore a crisp white shirt, but refused to wear the pointless strip of cloth that had no use beyond choking a man. If he could have, he would have worn his armor.

If he could have, he would have taken Snow and Curnen on a ride and snow picnic.

He was still thinking about it when a knock sounded at his door. "I'm not going, Lilli. Just go without me."

"You will come, Kash. You will come now."

She was nervous. He could tell. Her accent was strong. "We could have dinner in my room. You and me," he called through the door, but he was already getting to his feet.

"Kashaw Vesh. Come to door. You have guests, you will come and you will not make me late."

"Do I have to?" Kash opened the door--and his eyes. "Holy god. Can you wear that in public? I mean, you look..." Amazing didn't cover it. "But..." Lillith planted her hands on her hips and scowled. Even in a human shape, she had never looked more like Zahra. Shit. "Right. Yes. I'm sure it's fine. Better than fine. You look beautiful. Now can I go back to my room?"

Lillith rolled her eyes and took him by the arm. "For my cousin's sake, I will not raise my voice to you. Collect yourself. We are leaving."

Kash had never thought of Lillith as a particularly fearsome woman. Zahra had warned him otherwise, but she was always sweet, kind and awkward. He liked this side of her. And he hadn't felt so much at peace in months. "Yes, ma'am." To Curnen's room it was.

Curnen's room, where she was trying to fuss with her hair and really rather failing to do so. And eventually she just did what she always did and let the whole dark mass of it tumble freely around her shoulders.

She'd had a hell of a time trying to pick out anything to wear, and had finally only settled on the dress she was wearing when Vex had taken pity and picked something for her. It had needed some tailoring (a concept she didn't much understand, but went along with) since a petite frame didn't just mean short, but in the end her dress was comfortable and pretty and if Vex had picked it she supposed it must be appropriate and that was a weight off her mind.

She still fussed when the knock came, though, smoothing her hair, her skirt... leaving her shoes until the very last second, but cringing her way into them.

She was chewing her lip when she opened the door. "Will I do?"

When he knocked, he'd glanced back at Lillith. His "Remember what I said" earned him a Stop dithering, Kashaw glare. So the opening door caught him in the act of pantomiming I'm not, I knocked already. Only acute awareness of the abuse Curnen had suffered turned the gesture into an offer for her hand in time.

"You look beautiful." That was easily said and more than true. She always did. From behind him, Lillith offered, "What a wonderful color. The dress is lovely."

Noting her nerves, Kash glanced past her into her room. "You're missing something. Did you want to bring the guitar?"

"Thank you." Curnen glanced back at the case and hesitated only a moment before she trotted over to it and strapped the instrument to her back. Immediately she felt better with the weight of it there. Now she was ready. "Okay."

"Perfect," he told her and then stepped aside to let her out. And Lillith didn't even get a chance to clear her throat (about which he felt obscurely proud) before he said, "Curnen, Lillith. Lillith's a wizard. Lilli, Curnen. She's a musician." Not a bard, not until Curnen was ready to claim it.

He let the women get acquainted (because the Zahra in his head told him to) and lead the way to Snow's mother's room, where once again, he knocked.

Snow White was not goddamn doing this in a dress.

When she opened the door her jeans were new at least, dark uniform wash and not a tear or hole to be seen, as well as a silk blouse. It wasn't what was expected, she imagined, but it wasn't her usual attire either. And after she'd let Regina put her hair up, for once she actually looked rather like the young woman she was.

She glanced down at herself, and then defiantly back up at Kash. It was this or she wasn't going.

Having had a similar reaction, Curnen could only empathize. "What tribe?" she asked, skipping right past niceties. It cut through any potential dread.

Snow blinked at the question, at the tiny woman, at her strange hands. Then shrugged and said, "Crow. You?"

Curnen shook her head. "Oh, not a drop in me. But my people lived alongside the Cherokee a while, so some of my cousins are."

Snow nodded, as if that exchange hadn't come entirely out of nowhere. And then her gaze turned toward the pale woman she definitely didn't know.

In the face of Snow's defiance, Kash smiled. He pointed to his open neck and started to say Trinket's wearing fur, you're fine, but Curnen was already talking. He knew the words but it didn't help him with the meaning. It was more than the where-are-you-from-what-is-your-totem-do-I-have-to-kill-you he expected from the word 'tribe', much more. That he could tell. He was going to have to ask. When Lillith lifted an eyebrow at him, he shrugged his cluelessness.

"Snow, this is Lillith. She's family." Of Lillith more than any of Vox Machina, that was simple truth. Zahra was his family. Her cousin was his cousin. "Lillith, this is Snow."

"Hello." Had Kash not warned her, she might have suggested they ought to trade names. But she feared it might go over badly.

Which was actually all Snow needed to hear and her body language relaxed. Kash was not exactly an open and trusting person. If he claimed this woman as family, that was enough. It was really all that was getting her through this, knowing that that was how he saw this group of people. And she liked Vex. And Vax was okay. Snow nodded back. "Hi."

Pike was excited about Winter's Crest, she really really was. But as her excitement grew so did the loneliness that seemed to be her constant companion these last few years. Which meant that she waited until she was safely in the shower before letting herself cry. Her family was a perceptive lot and she needed the heat from the water to make sure no one would notice. Scrubbing her face, her words from so long ago floated back, 'I'm just going to pretend I'm happy so everyone can be okay.'

After letting herself feel, she put her smile back on and got dressed. Thanks to the almost magical skills of Corbie, Pike actually had something to wear to the dinner. The deep-blue dress fit perfectly though she still hadn't gotten used to the sensation of her holy symbol against her skin. If he were here, a certain gnome would have been left speechless. Pushing that thought as far down as it would go, she left her room and made her way to the main banquet hall alone.

Blue was a popular choice for Winter's Crest, always had been - maybe the cool color spoke of ice and snow, the daunting beauty of the deeper shadows and muffled stillness. Maybe the harsh conditions reminded everyone that they needed one another to huddle for warmth. Or maybe, like Vax'ildan, everyone had a sibling working the garment shop downstairs, and they intended them to look smart either alone or as a set, thank you very much. ...No, that one was probably just him.

He'd told her he didn't care what he wore, but Percy had made clear he wanted them all looking as posh as possible. Truth be told, Vax cared a bit, or at least he put aside his moody uncertainty about who he was inviting to this dinner party, if anybody, so that he could enjoy playing dress-up with his twinnie. Eventually, she informed him he'd be wearing a dark blue 'windowpane' suit with fabric noose and silk chest-napkin. He felt somewhat odd in it, rich fabrics and fussy buttons unlike their usual Exandrian garb, but Vex was pleased with her work and he was willing to indulge his family this far. They were marking a holiday of their own in this foreign land, and it was comforting to remind themselves that they few were here together, if not all of them.

Vax finished tying back his hair and straightened his jacket in the mirror, reminding himself that Percy would have a litter of kittens if his dithering about if he should or shouldn't do the thing made them all start late. He watched himself a beat, and then two, and then thought on how indecision ended up being a decision in itself, if you left it long enough.


Percy had thought the place cards were a bit much for a family dinner, even for him, but he'd decided not to argue with Caroline. He did rather wish Cassandra was here. The two would either get along or murder each other. Still, it did make for an easy time arranging everyone at the table, even if Trinket did immediately abandon his assigned location and lumber down to wedge himself between Lilith and Snow.

The food was already on the table, covered by lids. "Family style service", Caroline had called it. Large plates of food that could be easily passed around, each person taking what they wanted. Percy stood at the table and lifted his wine glass. "Joyous Winter's Crest all, new friends and old. It is an honor to be here with all of you and I look forward to many more years to come." Toast delivered, he leaned forward and lifted the lid off the largest tray - venison provided by Vex's own hunting bow. "Let's eat."

Comments

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_upidgravity]

Steph was doing her best to talk to everyone at the table. It seemed like the best thing to do when she was the last minute addition. Lilith was the only one she'd never met at all, being as she'd only just arrived.

Seeing her turn from a pretty woman to a pretty...what was it they were called? She was almost sure Vax had mentioned it at one point. The word escaped her. Pretty still, whatever it was, just really different. Like something you'd run into hanging out with Klarion.

If she was here, she was obviously cool though. After all, it apparently took a miracle to get an invitation past Percy. Steph approached with a smile. "Hi. Nice dinner, right?"

Always smooth, Steph. So smooth.

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_rangepalette]

Even before she had spoken to Vax about Stephanie, Lillith had noted the awkwardness of her arrival. She had sympathy, very much of it, for the poor thing and intended to show her kindness. In this setting, and only those similar to it, could Lillith rely on her upbringing to guide speaking. Otherwise, she would be as awkward herself.

She chose not to call attention to Stephanie's discomfort. Her appearance, it was not the first time it had produced a choked reaction. "It is, yes," she answered with a smile that did not flash her fangs. "I confess," she then offered somewhat conspiratorially, "Winter's Crest is not my favorite festival. I need only look in the mirror if I wish to see so much frost and pale."

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_upidgravity]

Stephanie had never seen anything like Lilith outside of a hallucination but she could still tell the other woman was pretty. "I don't know. If I looked like you, I would probably enjoy looking in the mirror. We don't have Winter's Crest where I'm from. We've got Christmas. It's all red and green and gold. And tinsel. So much tinsel."

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_rangepalette]

"Thank you. You also are very pretty," she told Stephanie, without even a hint of guile. She had lovely features and lively bright eyes that Lillith found enchanting. "I think I would like your Christmas for the red and green at least. Growing up so pale, I learned to love color more than almost everything."

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_upidgravity]

"Judging by the lobby, you'll have plenty of color this Christmas. Did you notice the lights have little Christmas elves hanging from them? they're easy to miss with all the lights and garlands." The Inn's Christmas decorations were pure visual chaos and Steph loved it with every gram of her tacky soul.

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_rangepalette]

"Is that what they are supposed to be?" Lillith had noticed the strange decorations when she had been looking at the 'electric' lights. So clever, the confinement of lightning energy to make light. "I could not decide whether they were meant to be gnomes in red costumes or red caps. They look more like red caps, but I could not imagine why anyone would hang symbols of such nasty fey creatures."

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_upidgravity]

Steph thought about the looks of the little elves - which, to judge by the half-versions in this very room, were not particularly elfy - and decided the assumption was reasonable.

Or at least, it sounded reasonable. "What's a red cap?"

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_rangepalette]

"Uggh." Lillith shuddered and it was not at all feigned. Leading Beatrycze through the Feywild had been a trial. They had narrowly avoided the creatures more than once. "They are fey. Evil fey who cherish nothing but murder. Their caps are red from soaking in blood. They are the very farthest thing from the elves and gnomes I have known."

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_upidgravity]

"Well." Steph really didn't know what to say to that. So she went with the first thing that popped into her head. "That's hideous and creepy."

"Uh, Christmas elves are not like that. They're more...cheerful. And happy. And make toys. Also they're not real."

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_rangepalette]

"Yes. That is exactly what they are. Hideous and creepy." Colorful words. She liked them. But her face shaped a small frown at the 'aren't real' portion of the sentence. "As you came with Vax and seem to know Vex, I am surprised that you would say elves are not real...unless, oh. No. I see. This particular type of elves." She smiled then, a soft blush staining her so pale cheeks. "I am sorry. It is still difficult to remember that what is real to me is only real to some people now that they are here."

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_upidgravity]

"Vax and Vex are the first real elves, I've ever met. Pretty much in Gotham, we have humans and people who were once humans." Outside of Gotham there was a wider range. But Santa and his elves were still definitely fictional.

"You don't have to apologize. I don't apologize for my cell phone."

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_rangepalette]

"Cell phone. That is the clever device that shows pictures and makes music, yes?" Sunny had one. Lillith had thought it ingenious but it had not been the time to ask. She had seen and heard of them since but she still had not learned the way of them.

"Do not lend it to Percy or he will take it apart and you will never see it again," Lillith's voice held a light, soft floating tease that was clearly born of affection.

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_upidgravity]

"Among other things, yeah." Some people, Steph had heard it whispered, even used them to make actual phone calls. "They're common where I'm from. Really useful."

She didn't say that Percy would have to actually speak to her for that to happen. Percy was never going to speak to her. Besides, Lillith sounded like she actually liked Percy and Steph was not going to be rude to Vax's friends.

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_rangepalette]

"Do you have one? Do you have images on it?" She had been entranced by the luminescent color and what she assumed were faithful portraits of Sunny brothers. "I will not take it apart if you let me see it. I am a wizard and an artist, not a tinker. It is only the beauty I am interested in."

If she did not, perhaps, sound like a child, it was only the effect of the years on her voice. Her eyes were wide and luminous with interest.

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_upidgravity]

Steph blinked slowly at the sudden enthusiasm. "I do...but not with me. I didn't think to grab it when Vax showed up," on her balcony, wearing a suit, making metaphors about leaping off roofs before saying incredibly confusing (but not unpleasant) things about dating. "Yeah, I've got pictures on it. I have a whole folder of gifs for emergencies."

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_rangepalette]

"What is ghif?" If it was for emergencies, it must be very powerful. "It is magic? Or medicine?" How that would work she could not imagine but there were many things here she would not have imagined before arriving.

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_upidgravity]

Oh, right. Lillith had no reason to think Steph wasn't being literal. "It's a...moving picture? Not exactly a video. Just a couple frames. Very good for sending a message. Uh, gif is the filename. Which is...the way it's stored? I'm not good with computers."

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_rangepalette]

"I assume those words mean things but I do not know what they are," Lillith finally said with a little laugh. "It seems I have a lot to learn about this world. In my own, moving pictures are something like..."

Lillith murmured the words of her illusion cantrip and a cloud of luminescent blue and green butterflies flew up from her hand.

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_upidgravity]

Steph watched the butterflies appear from literally the tips of Lillith's fingers and remembered, once again, that her entire experience was deeply ordinary by comparison. "Um, wow. Yeah. These are not nearly that cool. But I'll still show you if you want."

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_rangepalette]

Her grin widened and her fangs gleamed in the butterfly light. "This is small magic. An illusion. Nothing more. With study, many can learn. Even you, maybe. Show me these ghifs and I try to teach it in return."

With enough study, it was true. Anyone might learn wizard magic. But it helped to have inborn spark. And belief it could be done. Still she had always wished to try. See if commoner or fighter could be taught to make camouflage maybe or cover.

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_upidgravity]

Steph laughed, the idea of her of all people being able to do something like that the most flattering and impossible thing, "That's a really nice offer but I'm not magic. And I was thrilled when I got straight Bs in school. But I'll show you the gifs for sure."

"Is that what you were doing before? When you looked different? That was an illusion?"

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_rangepalette]

"To be a wizard does not require magic. Only an interest in learning," Lillith explained, but she understood Stephanie did not think she wished to learn. So instead she chose to explain.

"I can disguise appearance with illusion magic, yes. But for those who know how to look at things, an illusion will reveal itself. It also does not change me, only what is seen. So if I brush against you with my tail, still you will feel it.

"When I will be where no one is close or when so many are close a stray touch is not noticed, I use illusion. Before, I cast what is called Transmutation magic. It changes me so I am as I look."

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_upidgravity]

That was pretty easy to pick apart, even for Steph. Trans as in cross and mutation as in change. "Transmutation means you change in reality, not just in appearance?" That was amazing for a disguise. Her life would have been way easier if she could do that.

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_rangepalette]

"Yes." Lillith beamed at Stephanie. "That is it precisely. Transmutation, it can apply to things that are not me, as well. But for me, it is mostly to disguise my shape."

It seemed then that she might owe Stephanie a little more explanation. "My sisters, they must gain their magic from deals with demons. They do horrible sacrifices. I took away from them something they needed, and damaged one of them badly. Since then, I have had to hide from them. Vox Machina helped me get away from their agent. That is how we met."

Re: Lillith - OTA - after speaking to Vax, after dinner

[st_upidgravity]

Steph's blue eyes went wide. "Wow, that's...wow. Intense."

It had taken ages to get that same level of backstory from Cass. And Steph still hadn't shared the worst of her history with Vax. But Lillith obviously was much more willing to share. "I'm glad you got away. That's terrible."