so shine bright tonight.

[america]

Who: steve rogers (starspangle), peggy carter (revlon) and some of peggy's closest friends (u kno who u are)
What: peggy's birthday is on the 9th, but they're celebrating on the 8th with an intimate dinner
When: april 8th
Where: at the rogers-carter residence
Warning(s): possible cavities from the sheer sweetness of this entire event tbh

❚❚❚❚❚ i. ARRIVAL [ It's the weekend and it's just a couple of days before Peggy's birthday. Steve Rogers has never hosted a party before, let alone a party for his partner, but life is all about trying new things and being the best boyfriend (hard to think of himself as such, still, even after all of these years, but he likes the feeling) he can be, and Steve takes both of those things very seriously. So he sends out invitations and makes plans - nothing fancy, nothing big, because everyone's just survived one of the worst events since crash-landing on this planet, and also because he knows Peggy isn't the kind of woman who relishes in big, flashy parties. He certainly isn't. A quiet dinner with her closest friends feels right. The small, cozy apartment is well-lit and tidy. When you enter, you come up a small set of steps to enter the main space - a kind of living-dining room combined. It's cute and comfortable and somehow reminds you of an older time without actually being dated. There are a couple of poetry books stacked on a side-table by the couch, and leaning against it is the possibly familiar, but very much noticeable circular star-spangled shield. Around the room you'll find drawings on the wall - sketches, meticulous and detailed but with a loose, free spirit - of the New York City skyline, Brooklyn, the Empire State Building. There's a delicious scent coming from the kitchen area. If you brought a gift, or some wine, you can leave it at the table with the single bottle placed there already and make yourself at home. Chat it up with the host, or with other party guests until the guest of honour arrives. ] ❚❚❚❚❚ ii. DINNER [ Considering the smallness of the space, it makes a little more sense for guests to grab food from the 'buffet-style' arrangement set out on the dining table and find any place to settle and eat. Soft music plays in the background, something jazzy and a little big band-y. There are enough plates and cutlery to go around (thank God), and there's more than enough food and drink too. Most of the ingredients are very similar to Earth's, but still manage to have a ... strangeness to them that feels uncanny. It's the alien-ness of this place. Thankfully it doesn't affect the taste. Steve's made some assortment of meat, stew, rice, and salad - not combined, don't worry. It's very vaguely Japanese-ish, if only because his culinary sensei happens to be You Watanabe, but he's picked up a couple of tips from some of the locals too. He's no Gordon Ramsay, but he's a good student and the food should taste pretty decent. Cake (bought at a local Olympian bakery) will be served at the end. ] ❚❚❚❚❚ iii. A LITTLE WINE, A LITTLE COFFEE [ After dinner, guests are welcome to mingle and stay for however long they'd like. Music continues to play, and everyone should feel happy and full. It's a pleasant night and the company is delightful too. At one point, Steve will offer guests coffee or maybe some of that wine from earlier - he's not entirely sure where it came from but it seems all right, and while Steve can't get drunk from it, it tastes fine enough. ] ❚❚❚❚❚ iv. CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE [ more of an ooc note, but! please feel free to leave your own top-levels and mingle amongst each other! these prompts are really, really general and are mostly meant to set the tone of the party. pick a prompt and play with it, take some cues and make your own, etc etc.! if you have any questions, absolutely feel free to hit me up! pls have fun and wish our best girl a happy birthday! ]

Comments

[phykios]

[ he laughs. ]

Been there? I grew up in New York.

[ looking at the empire state building reminds him of the last time he was there: the end of the war against kronos, the olympians handing out gifts, the lights flaring blue as a sign to his mom that things were okay. annabeth's been up there since plenty for her job as the architect of olympus, but percy doesn't have a lot of reason since poseidon spends more time in the ocean than up there.

(he can't help thinking about it all in the present tense. less that it hasn't sunk in yet and more that he doesn't want it to.) ]

These are really good likenesses.

[america]

Thanks. Guess when you walk past certain buildings every single day, you start to see them even with your eyes closed.

[ Which isn't a bad thing.

Steve turns his gaze away from the drawing. ]

Which part of New York did you grow up in?

[phykios]

I know what you mean. Except I can't draw at all. That's my friend, Rachel -- she's the artist.

[ rachel elizabeth dare would definitely appreciate the artistic skill that went into these drawings, probably would want to compare notes or something. ]

Manhattan. My mom and stepdad have -- [ mmmm. ] had this apartment at the Upper East Side. What about you?

[america]

Brooklyn.

[ Back then, Manhattan had been the Big City where the rich lived.

Well. Maybe it was still like that right up until the Storm, but Brooklyn and Queens had caught up by then. He remembers looking into his old neighbourhood a couple years back and learning that even as an Avenger, he could barely afford to live there any longer.

The Housing Crisis is (was) real. ]

I'm sure you must have had your favourite spots. And the spots you avoid.

[phykios]

[ he smiles, crooked. ]

Like all the best burger places. And pizza places, obviously. [ coney island, though more for the fond memories with annabeth than anything else. he nods towards the drawing. ] You could reach Olympus by the Empire State Building, if you can believe it.

[america]

Burgers and pizza. I see you've got your priorities set straight.

[ Steve smiles too, but his is a little more amused than anything. What he wouldn't do for a good old-fashioned New York burger or slice of pizza though. ]

I've gotta say, I can't quite believe it. I'd imagine Olympus is a little further up than a hundred and two floors.

[phykios]

Oh yeah, obviously. Olympus is on the six hundredth floor.

[ o b v i o u s l y. ]

[america]

[ Steve's smile sobers relatively quickly. An eyebrow goes up. ]

Six hundredth floor, huh? Care to elaborate on how that's even possible? You don't have ... normal people [ For lack of a better word. ] accidentally hit a '600' button, do you?