meet the (grand)parents...

[theresalwayshope]

Allison felt a little like she was going insane.

She started out just planning to invite Aramis and Porthos over to meet Jason. Dinner and drinks, nothing big. Then she realized she didn't just feel obligated to invite Athos, she wanted to. So, if she did that, she obviously had to invite D'artagnan, and she really wanted to meet Constance...and she'd promised Grey a chance to help her bake a cake, so if she did something more than dinner, she could let him come over at some point...

The small family dinner became a small dinner party, and with a few more additions morphed into an impromptu potluck for the whole building...or anyone that wanted to show up. She told the family about it privately, asking Porthos and Aramis to make sure the others at least stopped by (with a subtle warning that Jason would be there), told everyone else she knew in the city, and for the rest of the building she posted a couple of handmade fliers: one in the elevator, and another in the laundry room announcing that, with either a main course or appetizer offering, an invitation to the holiday celebration taking place in apartment #39...dressy casual to formalwear welcome, bring your favorite Christmas CD as a bonus.

And, of course, she told Jason...and told him her family would be there.

By the night of the party, Allison was ready...she just felt a little like she was going insane.

She kept her outfit cute, but simple, and took care of dessert by baking some cupcakes, gingerbread cookies, and a two layer chocolate cake which she invited Grey over to help her bake. With a little careful scheduling, she also managed to contribute to the food on hand with her second ever attempt at beef bourguignon: rich, hearty, and sort of impressive under the right circumstances. By party time, she had her front door standing open, some Trans Siberian Orchestra carols playing on her stereo, and while she didn't yet have a tree, she'd gotten some cute plastic holly garland to hang around the apartment, and for fun had ringed her whole living room ceiling in multicolor Christmas lights for good measure.

The party was good to go. The place smelled good, the food came out okay with more to come...the evening was good to go.

And when Jason showed up, her family would show up...and they'd all meet each other...

While she waited for her guests, loved ones, and boyfriend to start arriving, Allison puttered around in her kitchen, swore to herself she was not hiding, and tried to pretend that she wasn't having visions of someone either drawing a sword or a knife by the end of the evening.

Tonight had to be perfect.

(HOLIDAY GATHERING POST! Treat it thusly. :P Front door's open, come and go as you please, anyone in the Bramford Building is welcome, and if you know Allison even remotely she told you about the party. Gather at will, and leave a call for Allison in your subject line if you want to play with her directly! Open eternally, will probably be linked near the end of the month. :D)

Comments

[modern_alpha]

Biffy nodded, though it was a thoughtful nod. He had, after all, only had a few weeks her to compare and he had been very attached to parts of his old life.

"It seems to bring a great deal more opportunity," he agreed. "I've found work already, simply by means of my talents, and no one frowns upon my involvement in trade."

[roughandugly]

"Nor should they," Alec's chin was tilted up slightly, and his voice was defensive, not against Biffy but in support of him, "I come from a family of tradesmen and publicans, respectable men and women. My father's a butcher, and he's as kind and as hard-working as they come."

[modern_alpha]

"A wonderful trade," Biffy said, trying to ignore the growling in his stomach as he considered raw steak or perhaps some diced liver. "And a necessary, vital one."

[roughandugly]

The corner of Alec's mouth lifted in a smile, pleased with Biffy's response. "S'pose I'll need to find work here soon. Get my hands on a newspaper and see if anyone is advertising a need for a gamekeeper or groundskeeper. Do they even have newspapers here? The men at the bus stop outside are never reading 'em, they're always on their self phones, or whatever they're called."

[modern_alpha]

"Cellular phones. Cell for short," Biffy said, all too ready to enthuse on the fantastic little devices.

"People can find news on them too and job listings."