Log:Reception Planning

Reception Planning
Participants Bronwyn, Velvet Text appearance by Jack	10 June, 2018 Bronwyn has decided she will plan Velvet's wedding reception but they get sidetracked.
Location Velvet's place and Bronwyn's cabin
Velvet is getting married. And since Bronwyn considers herself Velvet's good friend...regardless of what Velvet may think...that means they have to plan the wedding! A drawback being that Velvet doesn't want a big wedding. Not a problem, it just becomes a reception planning meeting. Bronwyn arrives and knocks on the door. The doctor wearing a summer dress...she doesn't often wear dresses...and carrying a satchel bag over one shoulder that seems to be packed with 'stuff'. "Hello?" she calls through the door. "Blushing bride to be inside?" Velvet would classify Bronwyn as a friend. Given how rare those are for her, it's really saying something. It's probably why she doesn't seem to mind indulging in the planning session. She isn't hard to find at the hotel, shuffling towards the door to tug it open and invite the blonde inside. "Hey there," she murmurs, closing the door behind Bron as she gestures towards a table nearby. "I'll have you know that I do not blush," she sniffs with mock-indignance. "Find the place okay?" "Not too many hotels in this town" Bronwyn smiles as she steps inside and plonks her bag on the table. "And all I had to do was follow the smell of regret to the door." A wink before she laughs. "I'm just kidding! What you're doing is the right decision. Now come over here and give me a hug before we get started." "No regret here!" On the Changeling side of things the two were already married. But all that pesky mortal stuff makes it hard to explain. There is however now a pretty ring with red gems and a diamond on her left ring finger. Looks like Bronwyn made headway with Weaver! Her head tilts at the mention of a hug, stepping forward awkwardly. "Sure." Velvet doesn't hug, but she'll let herself be hugged. And hugged she will be. Though Bronwyn has to giggle at the reticence...or complete lack...of a returned hug. "I hope you hug Weaver a little warmer than that" she teases before sitting herself down at the table and opening up her bag. Her eyes fall on the ring and go wide. "Woah...I guess someone did put a ring on it. At last." She is pulling a large pile of magazines out of that bag. "So, I know we're here to plan the reception but it occurred to me that we haven't planned the hen's party yet either." She purses her lips for a moment. "And I have to talk to you about something else too." There's a weak little pat of Bronwyn's back which indicates that Velvet is atleast trying. Not hard, but minimal effort is something. "He did. It was his favorite stone. He has it taken apart for the ring." Velvet gazes down at it, expression warming. "I'm not much of a hugger, but he's teaching me to be better." Her eyes widen a little at the stack of magazines. "What the fuck is a hen party?" She glances towards Bron at the pursed lips. "What's up?" "A hen's party varies in different cultures but the one that we'll have involves all your girlfriends, no guys, taking you out to party one last night. Bars. Clubs. Knitting circles. Whatever you enjoy but...and this is a big but...there has to be strippers along the way. Male strippers...unfortunately" Bronwyn explains. "So, who would you invite to that? Olivia, obviously, but who else?" A deep sigh about the last question. "Well...umm...I may have slept with Jack Fry. Trouble is...neither of us can remember it. We were both in my bed in the morning. Naked. And it was his birthday the night before. But..." She looks very worried about this part. "We can't remember a single thing." Velvet wrinkles her nose. "No strippers. I have absolutely no desire to see someone strip off their clothes for me unless it's Weaver. It does nothing for me." She waves that away. "Bars and drinks sound great. Though the it would a small group. You, Widget, and Olivia. Maybe my friend Tryp. Though she isn't always around and awake at the same time I am." That's in, that's her whole list. "I don't know that many people, and I don't like that many either." Her head tilts at the admission, but there's a narrowing of the eyes at the mention of mental fatigue. "I see. What is the very last thing that you remember doing that night?" "No strippers?" Bronwyn has to process that for a moment. That's the point of the whole event, isn't it? But she finally offers an understanding smile for Velvet. "Okay, no strippers. It is /your/ party after all...though I better tell the others that proviso. A party of four to five then. That's probably a good number." She makes some quick notes on a pad of paper that she has brought with her. Paper! "The last thing we remember..." A deep breath as she thinks. "It was his birthday so we're pretty sure he came over to celebrate and brought some moonshine." She frowns, "The trouble is...we can't even be sure of that. I remember he dropped by but neither of us are sure why. It was his birthday so that seems the obvious reason but..." A shrug of frustration. "We just don't know." "I don't think there will be that many complaints. Maybe from Olivia. I mean, if she wants to strip she can. I'd find it amusing!" Velvet chuckles a little. But the noise stops quickly, her eyes narrowing as she listens to the story. "So you don't remember actually drinking or getting to the point where you blacked out. He just came over and then nothing." She's making sure she has that right. "Were there signs that anyone else was there? Have to looked for signs? Would you like me too?" She's going to anyway, but it's always better to ask first. "As much as I'd love to see Olivia strip, it's meant to be guys. Especially if you're marrying a guy. It's meant to represent your last time seeing another guy naked" Bronwyn explains before adding, "You think she would strip?" A shake of her head to clear it before things get more serious. "I couldn't find any sign of anything unusual. Oh...I am missing a knife. But we figured we were so drunk and or stoned that we threw it into the woods trying to hit a tree or something stupid like that. I'm pretty certain /nothing/ sexual happened but...I don't like no memory at all. Sure, you can come on over and look around. I'd appreciate it." "But I don't really care about seeing people naked, so I don't think it would have the same thrill for me as it would other women." Velvet's nose wrinkles up. "She might, for the fun of it. I couldn't say for sure." Missing a knife? That makes those blue eyes narrow further in consideration. "Honestly, I think you would be sore or otherwise has other indications that something happened if it did," she assures softly. "But I wouldn't like having no memory either. Do you want me to set up cameras with the rest of the security? So you can see what happens if it happens again?" "That's actually why I'm pretty sure nothing happened" Bronwyn blushes, "Not sore in the morning. I have a feeling that Jack would be...umm...especially energetic. And I think he has a girlfriend anyway so he wouldn't want to. Even drunk." A half-smile for Velvet. "Cameras? Wow, I went from an open door policy to full-on security. If you think it will help. The electricity out there isn't really that secure so it might have to be battery powered or something." "When you have an open door policy it's important to have cameras anyway. Otherwise you're too trusting with all of your stuff. Safety is important." There doesn't seem to be any judgement. "I'll come and check things out and see if I can figure out what happened that night. But it doesn't sound normal. And it doesn't sound like it was drinking induced. Maybe a vampire came around and charmed you both!" she teases, making a little OooOooo noise." Bronwyn laughs at the thought of vampires. "No bite marks or anemia either" she assures Velvet. "My stuff isn't important. What little I have. I'd much rather give a safe place for people to stay than worry about thieves." A sigh. "I guess I should have had a drug test in the morning. Anyway, are we going to sort out this reception or just worry about me?" she smiles warmly. "Your stuff isn't important, but you are. Your guests are. Cameras don't just protect stuff. Also, it's probably not too late to have a blood drug test taken, just to cross that out of the possibilities," Velvet suggests. Her arms fold, leaning back in her chair. "Well, I was planning on just worrying about you, to be honest." "Why do I think I've given you a way out of this planning meeting" Bronwyn grins before wagging a teasing finger at Velvet. "You're a crafty one, you are." She nods before adding, "You're right though. I guess the middle of the woods is as dangerous as any city block. And I guess you want to have a look around now?" She's already started shoving the magazines and pamphlets back in her bag. "Look, I'd be just as happy having a small dinner with five people, and a cake as I would throwing a massive reception. In fact, I'd prefer it. But Weaver has a big family, so it'll be a somewhat big deal. I can put it together easily enough I just don't really have my heart in it." Velvet shrugs. She's honest, at least. "Can't I just get a caterer to take care of everything?" She pushes up to her feet and moves to slide on a pair of flat sneakers. No heels this time. "Now is good." "And it's one of the important families around here from what I understand" Bronwyn adds with some sympathy. "I wonder if you can elope the reception too?" All packed up, she stands and waits for Velvet to get dressed. "The problem with hiring a caterer or other professional is that they'll /want/ it to be bigger. More money for them. How about we just have it at my cabin? Plenty of space and so few amenities that most of them will leave after the speeches. Then we can have that dinner." "No no. The reception has to be big. It was my trade off for not having a big wedding. We're doing something small, just us for that part. In exchange, his family gets a big party-like reception." Velvet sighs. "Though, I can assure you that I have a very precise way with words that would ensure any caterer would do exactly what I tell them. It's a gift." That occasionally creepy vibe that vibrates off of Velvet is doing so now as her eyes sparkle for a moment. "Though I do love your idea, I've already promised. I always abide by my promises." She tucks her arm into Bron's. "Shall we?" "I understand about keeping promises and I respect you for it" Bronwyn replies. "Just a shame you have to do something you don't like to do something you like...but I guess that's the point of compromise." A smile as arms are looped. "We shall. Your chariot awaits...and I have my car outside too" she smirks before they head off up to the cabin. "I was never a part of a family before. Not even my own. So it's a learning experience. But there is very few things in life that I wouldn't do for Weaver, and this is just one of those things I will." Velvet shrugs, following towards the car. She's quiet for most of the trip, making small talk here or there while she tries to consider what could have made such a gaping hole in Bron's memory. "It's nice to see such love" Bronwyn sighs, getting all gooey for a moment. The drive is not short but eventually the cabin is looming up before them. She pulls up, gets out and makes her way quickly to the door to unlock it...so she is using the locks. "Would you like a coffee or something?" she asks, holding the door open for her guest. "Not sure what you want to look at." -> >> Velvet to Here << <-============================================ Rolled 8 Successes for an exceptional success. < 2 2 3 3 4 4 6 6 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 9 9 10 10 > ============================-> >> Wits + Composure + 2 [8-Again] << <- Bronwyn stands at the door as Velvet starts looking around outside with her supernaturally keen eyes. There are a few things she notices; a tire track from a large vehicle that hasn't been completely hidden; a bullet casing (5.6mm) hidden in the grass; the hinges on the front door don't look to be the same age. "Love is... interesting," Velvet admits with narrowed eyes. "Nothing like what I expected." She hops out of the car and slowly begins to move around. Bronwyn can't see the glow of her eyes as they intensify, but she can see the strange twitch of her nose. She doesn't leave any tracks as she walks, moving towards a spot in the grass to kneel. The pen from earlier is taken out and moves down to tuck into the casing and lift it up to inspect. "What kind of gun does Jack have?" she says as she rises to a stand. "I'm going to need a baggy for this, might have prints. Also, come take a look at these tracks. Anyone with a vehicle like this come around here while your memory was intact? Bronwyn makes her way over when called and seems quite surprised to see a shell casing. "I'm not sure" she replies about Jack's gun. "Should I text him?" She takes her phone out of her pocket and is typing away even as she follows to look at the tracks. Her brow furrows as she crouches down to look at it. "It's very faint...and it doesn't seem to keep going. Like whatever it was dropped down here instead of drove. Could it be really old?" TXT From Bronwyn To Jack : Hey. What kind of gun do you have? Velvet found a shell casing outside the cabin. TXT From Jack To Bronwyn : I have a Glock pistol, and a <Insert generic Shotgun brand here> TXT From Jack To Bronwyn : Velvet? And fuck, shell casing? New or old? TXT From Bronwyn To Jack : She's a friend of mine. A PI. She found a 5.62mm casing. Looks newish. TXT From Jack To Bronwyn : That makes no sense. TXT From Bronwyn To Jack : I know "They aren't old. They're well covered, and meant to look old, but they're not." Velvet's head turns as she glances around, carrying the pen with the casing on it very carefully. She pauses, eyes lifting upwards. "Dropped." It makes her frown deeply. "Dropped and then picked up." She's making her way towards the door, fingertips brushing along the wood. "Bron..." She turns, and Bronwyn has never seen that look on Velvet's face before, but it is bone-chillingly terrifying. Murderous, even. As well studied as the blonde is in society, it's safe to say she's seen looks like that before on sociopaths and serial killers. "You were attacked." Her voice is ice cold. "The door was kicked in. Whoever did this cleaned up well. Well enough that they made it look like nothing happened to the door afterwards. Somehow they did something, drugged you somehow, to cause you to lose the time. But -why-?" TXT From Jack To Bronwyn : Velvet going to look more into it? Bronwyn can't help but gasp as that vicious face looks at her...into her. This is still her friend. Right? She doesn't even react to the buzzing of her phone until about the third or fourth beep. At least it means she doesn't have to look at Velvet for a moment. "Jack says he had a shotgun" she relates. "Attacked? Then why aren't we dead?" Oh, yes, there are definitely questions to be asked about Velvet's theories. "I don't understand any of this." TXT From Bronwyn To Jack : She says we were attacked and drugged. None of this makes sense. TXT From Jack To Bronwyn : Fuck. Is she absolutely sure? TXT From Bronwyn To Jack : I think so but I'm not. Velvet sets the pen and casing down, moving towards Bronwyn. With that look on her face it might be a little off-putting, but the woman reaches out to grip Bron's shoulders. She turns her around and around, searching her for any physical signs of injury or attack. "Whoever put you in danger will pay for it," she promises with a quiet growl. Looks like the expression wasn't for Bronwyn, but for whoever did this to her. They'll pay for it with their life, certainly. "Attacks aren't always about harming you immediately. Sometimes it's about information retrieval, investigation. Sometimes they're just about scaring someone. Though, I imagine they wouldn't have wiped your memory if that were the case here." Then she pulls Bron into her, wrapping her arms protectively around the other woman. It doesn't feel like a hug, it feels like a promise. TXT From Jack To Bronwyn : Either or, I don't think you should stay in that cabin alone for awhile. TXT From Jack To Bronwyn : Keep me posted - I can't come over today, and have to run now. Be careful and tell me later what happened, please! There is a fading bruise on Bronwyn's right shoulder but other than that, from what can be seen, there is no injury. The doctor not sure about the twirling around. "I don't understand why someone would attack us but then make us forget." She looks at the casing. "We were shot at but...neither of us are shot." Bronwyn can't help but stiffen a little in that hug but it's still Velvet. Just a stern, murderous Velvet. She slowly relaxes and hugs back. "I don't want you getting in danger either. Maybe forgetting it is the right idea?" "Where did you get this bruise from?" Velvet wonders, lightly brushing it with her fingers. "Do you remember?" She takes a step back, head shaking. "My work is dangerous work, and I can assure you that I am fully capable of handling it. But there's no way in hell that forgetting about it is the right thing. You don't know who it is, why they're coming, or if this was even the first time something like this happened," she points out. "Tonight, I want you to stay at the hotel. Tomorrow I will get the cameras in." "I had it when I woke up the next morning" Bronwyn replies, not needing to define any further which morning that was, "I just thought it was a drunken fall or something. It hurt." She even winces now at the faint touch. "Okay...fine...I'll stay at the hotel tonight. I'll come with you to get the cameras. I should be paying for them after all. I have no doubt you're capable but that doesn't mean you can't get hurt." "They hurt you. At the very least they shot at you and could have killed you or Jack. They need to pay for what they did. They need to pay before they do it to someone else and kill them. Or come back to finish the job with you." Velvet gestures for her to stay put. "I'm going to make sure that inside is clear before you come in, okay? I'll give you the signal when it's all safe." Honestly, she just needs a second to sniff around and see if she can catch a scent from whoever it was that went into the house the other day." Bronwyn listens but not of this makes sense. Though she also knows not to interfere with what Velvet wants to do. "I'll stay here" she nods, glancing around at the surrounding woods with some trepidation now. "Velvet!" she calls out into the house as she has a thought. "What if they weren't shooting at Jack and I. What if there was...something else?" Out of Bronwyn's sight, Velvet is able to really sniff around without looking suspicious. There's a couple of familiar scents already, Bron, obviously. Widget and Jack. But she's looking for something she doesn't recognize. That last question has her straightening, eyes narrowing at the wall. "Hunters," she mutters under her breath before popping around the door frame to look out towards Bron. "You mean like something dangerous got out, and whoever it was came to stop -them-? That's possible. It would explain the clean up job and the memory wipe." She takes a step out from the house. "You said some-thing-. What are you thinking?" She studies Bronwyn, trying to catch her eye. -> >> Velvet to Here << <-============================================ Rolled 3 Successes < 3 6 6 7 8 8 9 > ========================-> >> Wyrd + Intelligence - 2 [No Flags] << <- There are definitely other scents in the cabin. Human...lots of them...but Bronwyn does say it is an open house. But there is another scent too. Strange. Inhuman. Something she has never smelled before. It is at its most pungent in the kitchen and lounge room. "I guess" Bronwyn shrugs in reply to Velvet. "Just thinking off the top of my head." She closes her eyes tight for a moment, as if in pain, but it also seems to be as quickly forgotten. "I just said 'something' because I have no idea what it could be. I've already had a mass murderer in my cabin, it could be anything." Bronwyn's surface thoughts not much different to her words. She seems fixated on the killer being back. Maybe he escaped from the asylum again? Wasn't Jack going to see him? Did he? He didn't say anything about it. That strange scent makes her pause. There isn't much of the supernatural that she hasn't come in contact with, so unfamiliar is always intruiging. She memorizes the scent for now before stepping out further towards Bronwyn when she flinches in pain. "I need you to be honest with me, because it could be important. Is trying to force yourself to remember that night actually hurting you?" That could help narrow things down. "Last I checked, that guy was still in jail, so I don't think it was him. Plus there's an odd smell in the house. Not fitting with everything else. You live there and spend lots of time, so you probably didn't notice." Right. "Maybe some kind of animal got loose that wasn't supposed to." "No...not usually" Bronwyn replies about any pain with remembering. "I...I'm not sure what happened. Might have been my shoulder or something. It's nothing. Honest. You checked on that guy?" She peers past Velvet as if expecting to see the scent she is talking about. "That doesn't make any..." she begins but knows better than to continue that thought. "An animal? But Jack is usually really good with animals." So good in fact, Jack has asked her to stop telling people about his ability to calm a savage bear with a wave of his fingers. "Shouldn't there be animal tracks?" Nostrils flare a little bit as she watches Bronwyn. The urge to enscorcel her right there so that they could have a real talk is tempting, but she knows better. Instead she just reaches out to the unbruised shoulder a little squeeze. "After I put in your security system. Wanted to make sure he was staying put. Doesn't hurt to recheck, though. Which I will do in the morning when we go to get cameras." She starts moving again, seeing if she can figure out where that strange scent originated from and if it left any tracks behind. "Maybe." Bronwyn nods to the idea of checking on the lunatic. "I thought Jack was going to do it" she half-mutters to herself before watching Velvet roam the grounds once more. The scent leads to the forest edge, from both the front door and back door, but then it just ends. Has it been washed away by rains? Obscured by other scents? It doesn't seem to be. It just stops like whatever it was materialised out of thin air. "Anything!?" Bronwyn calls out. "He might have already and just not had a chance to tell you yet. But I don't trust other people to do the work I can do. So I will verify as well." Because she trusts herself. Velvet follows the scent until it reaches its end and then looks up towards the sky again, eyes narrowing. "Nothing. It started here, around here. But it's like the truck, it just seems to have materialized." She turns, arms folding in frustration. "Tell me, Doctor, what are your thoughts on the supernatural? Because with the truck and the weird smell, I'm thinking alien. Or werewolf gone mad." Maybe she's trying to lighten the mood. Or maybe she's trying to get a read on something. "I have encountered the supernatural many times in my work" Bronwyn replies with a faint smile. "And I know that none of it really exists." Her eyes narrow for a moment. "Are aliens supernatural? I mean, aliens probably exist but...they don't come to cabins in backwoods Vermont." A pause. "Do they?" She shakes her head. "I'm sorry, Velvet, this is just getting all too weird. You can't be serious about aliens and werewolves. And how on earth are you smelling anything? You're not a dog. I can't smell a thing." "As supernatural as anything else you can't prove does or doesn't exist," Velvet offers when it comes to the talk of aliens. She smirks at talk of the supernatural not really existing. "I would think with all you've seen of the world you would know there are things out there that can't be explained by anything natural." She shrugs. "I have sensitive senses. It's part of what led me to taking the kinds of jobs that I do. I'm able to notice things that normal and muted senses can't pick up." "Okay, I may have been a bit harsh with the fake" Bronwyn admits. "What I meant was that the 'supernatural'..." She even does air quotes. "...is there to explain things that can't be explained naturally. Like you say. The thing is, as we develop as a race and our knowledge increases, we /can/ start to explain such things. Ergo, given enough time, we will explain everything. Ergo, there is no supernatural...only supernatural 'at the moment'." Way to annoy the Changelings in the audience. "Have you had those senses checked?" "You know, sometimes those explanations might come from the fact that something is -not- natural. You may simply not be able to see it because you are so very convinced that there is only one way for the world to be. It's very limiting. Also kind of surprising given your occupation." Velvet waves a hand. "They're fine, just sensitive. Why don't you go and pack a bag for the night. I'll stay out here just in case a rabid werewolf or alien comes for you." "My profession is about exploring the many permutations that occur to establish a society. The desired end result of a society is usually the same. THe path though...that could go anywhere" Bronwyn replies with a smile. "I'd like to believe I'm not as narrow minded as you think I am" she winks before nodding to the request. "Shall pack a bag while you watch for the alien werewolves. Got it." She disappears inside. Not having much to her name...intentionally...she soon reappears with her bagged laptop over one shoulder and a packed sports bag over the other. The tennis rackets will stay in the cabin. "Well, maybe your path is leading you towards a far more open mind than you could imagine. I guess time will tell." But there is a concern, on Velvet's part, that this could be the work of Loyalists looking for their next good haul of fresh mortals. But why wouldn't they have taken them? Why bother to fix the door? No, it doesn't point to that being the case, but it's best to be on guard anyway. It's clear that something is going through her mind as she glances up from her spot near the car as Bronwyn returns. "Let me grab the bullet casing. Maybe Jack has some old contacts on the force that can run a ballistics test. see if there are any other matches in the system. "I was texting Jack" Bronwyn explains as she walks over to the car. "He's very interested in what you have discovered. Probably feels a bit bad he didn't discover it himself. I guess I do too." She stops in front of the other woman and offers her a warm smile. "Thanks for helping out, Velvet. I really appreciate it. And if I wasn't carrying two bags, I'd even hug you." She drops her bags off in the boot before adding. "Why do I think you're not telling me everything?" she teases. "The people in this town are full of secrets. You haven't been talking to Widget lately, have you? She told me she met a werewolf called Steve. Not a very alien name though. It was probably some half-delusional homeless guy. Even in small town America there are problems like that. Puts my worries in perspective. Sorry...little off track there. Let's get you home." "He shouldn't feel bad and neither should you. I already told you, I have a bit of an unfair advantage." Velvet smiles, her eyes catching strangely in the light, very similar to the way a cat's might. Probably just a trick of the light and all this talk of the supernatural. Or maybe that's part of her sensory issues? The teasing comments gets a smirk. "Even if I did tell you everything I've seen, you wouldn't believe it, and you'd try to rationalize it." She hops into the car. "Did she?" Widget that is. "Hope she was careful with that guy." "Widget lived to tell the tale so I guess she was" Bronwyn shrugs, starting up the vehicle and pulling away from the cabin. "I'd believe it" the doctor corrects, "But, yes, I'd try to rationalize it." Like those strange eyes, super nose and really, really evil look Velvet had. There'll be rational explanations. No need to have nightmares about them.