Fly Away to a Cafe

[halfbread]

Who: Everyone who wants in!
What: The V-Day Café! (Yes, that's what we're going with, no, you can't make WWII jokes.)
Where: The Big House
When: Valentine's Day, mostly evening but various times
Warnings: I have no freakin' clue, it's probably going to depend on individual threads

At 6:00 sharp, the doors are officially open on the first ever Camp Half-Blood Valentine's Day Café. The two biggest rooms on the first floor of the Big House have been turned into dining rooms, one decorated in a much more traditionally "romantic" oeuvre for couples and the second into a relaxing place to hang out just among friends. Both rooms are serving the same menu, and both have a good number of tables set up to accomodate visitors. As people finish eating, the waiters and waitresses will roll around a dessert cart for people to make selections from. Enjolras will be incredibly reluctantly providing serenades in the romantic dining room with some assistance from Cosette, while Chiron's boombox has been borrowed and tuned to the local pop station for the casual dining room. Have fun, everyone!

Comments

Ms. Thénardier & Mr. Strider

[ospreyed]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Scream and shriek and panic about it, whatever you wanted to do, but please, do not look Eponine's way as she strides up to the Big House holding hands with none other than Dave Strider. Or maybe it should have been the other way around. Either way, it didn't particularly matter, because they were here. Together. Holding hands.

From there, they moved to their table, Eponine walking with surprising grace in her heels, her bandage dress and the rest of her outfit fitting in quite well amidst all the decorations.

Still, Eponine is, well, nervous was a good way to put it. This was her first official outing with Dave as his girlfriend. As a girlfriend at all. And what that meant for her, she wasn't even sure.

Looking across the table at Dave, she smirks that Hermes' girl smirk of hers. "It's so... valentines-y." Wow, Eponine. Great use of your words. She glances at the wine glass. "If only they had real wine. Don't think they'll lift the curse for one night, do you?"

[wordtechgodhood]

Cry havoc and release the dogs of war, Eponine Thénardier actually has a boyfriend that she's taking out in public!

Dave has no complaints, to be honest, at least not right now with this fine lady on his arm. Say what you will about Eponine but she scrubs up well. He's pulled out a smart black suit with a red tie to match her dress, his ever-present shades on his face as he returns that smirk.

Such a Hermes girl, Eponine.

"Don't think so, but we gotta make these small sacrifices." He flashes her a wry, blood-red glance over the tops of his shades. "You look good. Did I say that already?"

... He definitely did.

[ospreyed]

Small sacrifices. Eponine rolls her eyes bitterly, trying not to let out a small chuckle at that. This wasn't a small sacrafice on her part. It wasn't even a sacrafice. It was straight-up torture. Torture she hadn't even picked herself. Sure, the alcohol was out of her system, and the physical aspects of withdrawal were gone, but the mental part? She was still suffering. And would be for some time.

"Small sacrifices like actually taking your sunglasses off for once?" She managed to say instead. Sure, he wore his glasses to cover up his eyes, but she happened to like them. Plus, they matched their outfits.

Eponine dropped her head, looking at her hands over the top of the table cloth. She could feel the heat from her cheeks. "Ah, yeah. You did. A few times, actually." She felt strange, all dolled up like this. Last time had been the Apollo dance, and Courfeyrac had been the one to spend hours on her. He'd been rewarded with some kisses, and her biting back tears at how unlike herself she'd looked in the mirror. This time, it had been all Eponine.

[wordtechgodhood]

"Hey, hey." His hands went up in mock-defensiveness. "Leave the shades out of this, they didn't do anything."

He rested one elbow on the table, chin propped on his hand and looked over at her with an expression that was clearly meant to only encourage the blushing. There was something nice - strange, but definitely nice - about seeing her made up like this. It was definitely still Eponine.

"I could say it some more, but I think all your blood is already in your face."

[ospreyed]

"Well what if I told you that I like your eyes better than your glasses?" Gasp! She knew, right? "Or maybe I'll start a rumor that you're a cyclops." Harsh, Ep. He's your boyfriend and you like him. A lot. Cyclopses were... not great boyfriend material (just don't tell Tyson).

"I- wh-what?" Eponine stuttered the words out, desperately wanting to bury her face in her dress. "No- I am not blushing," she lied, trying to do her best to get her Hermes girl on. "And I'm... Maybe I'm in the mood to be flattered."

[wordtechgodhood]

"Rude. No one's gonna believe that." He crooks a grin her way but, after a moment, slides his shades off and tucks the arms in, sliding in them into the pocket of his jacket.

"Just so you know, I'm only doing this so I can see the blushing."

Because you're totally blushing, Eponine. He's never seen you go that colour and the Hermes girl act just isn't cutting it. "You sure about that, though? 'Cause I could spin out some wicked lines that'll make you weak at the knees."

[ospreyed]

"Yes, they will. If I tell 'em." She winks at him. She was a very talented liar, after all.

You are the worst boyfriend, Dave. But hey, at least his glasses are off, so she can actually see his eyes. They're terrifying, but she likes them. They make Dave... Dave.

Eponine rolls her eyes, trying to recover some of her pride. "Could you? Do it, then. Let's see what you've got to offer me, Strider."

[wordtechgodhood]

He just makes a soft 'tch' sound like he doesn't quite believe it but when it comes to Hermes kids and lying he knows better than to tempt fate.

"Later, babe. Later," he teases, reaching out to grasp one of her hands and tangle their fingers together. "It'll spoil everyone's night if all the girls here start swooning."

The moral of this story is that Dave never stops being a little shit. Ever.

[ospreyed]

Dave Strider, you are holding her hand, and it's really freaking precious. Her matte black polish is, for once, not chipped, and her small, rough hand fits so perfectly in his.

Meanwhile, Eponine is rolling her eyes. "Please, you know you only have eyes, and words, for me." Biggest little shit ever, guys. "But when we get back to the cabin, I'm holding you to that."

[wordtechgodhood]

"Hmm," he hums, mischief sparking in his eyes as he looks at her. He's sure she'd like to hold him to something else, too. Maybe he'd let her. He skims his thumb over the backs of her knuckles.

"Maybe I do, but envy is a powerful thing, y'no." There's nothing like nonchalant boasting, really. Especially when you don't exactly mean it. "And you're the only person here who can say Dave Strider is their boyfriend."

[ospreyed]

"Ha fucking ha," she smirks, rolling her eyes. "Don't forget, I'm the one here that has boys tripping over each other. So you managed to beat them all out. Congratulations to that." She raises her water glass to him and takes a sip. She wants real champagne.

"But neither have much room to complain. I get to see your eyes whenever I want." And yes, Dave, she'd love to hold you to other things. And hold other things.

[wordtechgodhood]

He raises his glass in return and doesn't care to point out that while she slept with several of those boys none of them managed to claim her as their girlfriend.. and he hasn't even slept with her yet.

Or maybe that's what she means. He's not going to ask.

"You got it. Just, you know, warn me if you're gonna swipe my shades in broad daylight or some shit." He pauses to sip his water. "I still wanna be able to see when I'm thirty."

[ospreyed]

Yes, that is exactly what she means. But it's better if you don't ask.

Besides, there's nothing wrong with sleeping with a few boys at camp. And getting handsy with more than a few more.

"I can do that." Woah, is she compromising? Yes, yes she is. "What's wrong with them, anyway? They're amazing."

[impetueux]

Cosette isn't shrieking. She isn't. In fact, she's putting quite a bit of effort into not doing that, thank you very much. But if she's staring pointedly over in Eponine and Dave's direction, she feels she can hardly be blamed.

She tries what she thinks is subtly sneaking over to their table, eye flitting back and forth between the two. "Evening! Don't you two look nice." Please say it so she doesn't have to, all she wants is confirmation...and maybe some minor interrogating. "I'm just taking a quick round around the room, but if you guys have any requests for me or Enjolras, let either of us know okay?"

I think this is the most appropriate usage of this icon ever

[ospreyed]

Cosette. Stop staring. It's awkward, and makes Eponine shift in ways that she's not used to. When Cosette approaches, Eponine has to make a conscious effort not to sink down in her seat. The friendship between the two of them was still tentative, and Eponine had to work even harder on her end. But, there she was, all smiles and... up to something.

Never trust a blonde.

"Requests? You're-" she glances over to another table. "Serenading us." Awk.ward. "Wow, they think of everything here." Thanks, Peeta. Thanks, Lydia. She's going to strangle you all later.

Stay classy Ep.

[impetueux]

"Yeah, Jehan originally suggested it to Enjolras, but he needed some...persuading." It's not blatant, heart-wrenching guilting if you do it with a caring smile.

"Most of what we're doing it just 'setting the mood' for the dining room, but we can do private songs as well. It's your date night, so it's whatever you want." Her face stays noncommittal, but if Eponine can feel her stare practically boring into the side of her head then, well.

Go ahead. Contradict her subtle little plug there. She's waiting.

Classiest bitch in this bar, lbr.

[ospreyed]

"Of course he did. He's got a decent voice," came with being an Apollo kid, she knew. But still. It was kinda fun to know he could sing. And play guitar. And wrote music. Truth be told, she wouldn't mind performing with him one of these days, but she wouldn't be caught dead performing in the talent show.

Whoops.

"So you sing instead of hooking up an ipod. Got it." Oh no. Oooh no. Date night. You did not just say that Cosette, she is going to die and strangle you and not necessarily in that order.

Safe to say, she can feel the stare.

Help.

Time to get out of this as only a Hermes kid can.

"Whatever I want? That's dangerous. I don't suppose Natalia Kills is on the table. Or gimme some Lana Del Rey." Not very romantic, truth be told.

[impetueux]

"I know, but try telling him that." She's still kind of sulking about that; her brother is a colossal baby. "I swear he doesn't like singing anything beyond Edith Piaf."

Congrats, Ep, that temporarily threw her off her focus for a bit. "Um...I might know some Lana? I don't think I've heard of Natasha Kills..." Pretty much all of that Lana is kept strictly to what's shown up on the Top 40, so don't get your hopes up. "Um...what did you have mind?"

She will get back to their relationship status when she's not busy sweating Eponine's music taste, mark her words.

[ospreyed]

"I have." Her response is short, a slight smirk to her words. That's right, Cosette. She knows your darling brother, very well, actually, and has no problem telling the world this. At least, Cosette. They may be doing the friendship thing, but there's still an edge to it, an edge that Eponine can't dull.

"I'll have to show you. You'll love her." Unlikely. "But if you can do Lana, I'll be more than happy." Well, as happy as she got right now, sad to say.

And Cosette was still here. Great. She really needed to get this girl off of her back so she could enjoy her date. Her date with lots of awkwardness and unsureness and no sex at the end.

Wow, what a shitty date. Sorry, Dave.

"You look nice, by the way." She tried to smile as bright as she could. Now go away, Cosette.

[impetueux]

"Okay sounds great..." Much like pretty much everything in their lives, Cosette and Eponine's music tastes probably also diverge in completely opposite directions, but she's trying, okay?

"Which song? I know...um, Born to Die," Yeah, no. "Summertime Sadness," She's going to kill you Eponine. "Video Games aaaand...Young and Beautiful." Please pick a not painful one, please.

[ospreyed]

Hey, that's more than Eponine ever did.

"Young and Beautiful," she says immediately. The others would be great- the first two especially- but, well, this was Valentine's day. She could maybe get in the spirit, a little bit.

[impetueux]

"Okay, great." If the relief isn't already evident on her face, she's thankful Eponine went for the more reasonable one. Now if she could just remember the lyrics. "Um, one second, let me think..."

She's backs up a little, just because even she can admit standing over someone while singing can be a bit obnoxious. "I've seen the world, done it all, had my cake now...diamonds, brillant, and Bel Air now...Hot summer nights, mid-July, when you and I were forever wild, the crazy days, city lights, the way you'd play with me like a child..."

[ospreyed]

Eponine waits patiently until Cosette is done with the song. Then, kindly, applauds her. It's not smug or anything. She's pretty impressed. Sure, Cosette didn't have the husky Lana voice. But, she still sang well.

"Wow, gotta say, I'm pretty impressed," she says, a mischievous lilt to her smile, the kind that came naturally to Hermes' children. "Thanks."

[impetueux]

Cosette blushes prettily, tipping her head for a slight bow. Yeah, okay, she sounds like a Disney Princess compared to Lana, but hey, she tried.

"No problem, just let me know if there's anything else you guys need." Her job done, she's finally leaving the table to give them their private time. "Enjoy your date guys." Still plugging that Eponine, so expect her to ask you later.

[ospreyed]

Oh no. She is not letting it go. God damn it Cosette.

"See ya," she says, with a short wave. Damn straight she's gonna enjoy her date.