gooseberryhigh | ROMANTIC HIGH TEA

ROMANTIC HIGH TEA

During lunch, Mr. Hightower hosts a romantic high tea in the greenhouse for couples. Scone, tea sandwiches and delicate pastries are served, along with several fragrant varieties of tea. Mr. Hightower is particularly proud of a rich black tea with whole dried rosebuds in it, which he's named Horatio's Blend. The rosebuds magically bloom when hot water is poured, and float to the top of the black tea, still maintaining their bright pink colour in the clear teapots. (Mr. Oakes is also in attendance, and delights in telling every couple that Mr. Hightower named another a tea blend after him. This year's Oakes blend is appropriately peppery.)

Small wrought-iron tables for two have been arranged throughout the greenhouse. Each table features a white tablecloth and a floral centerpiece, mad of leftovers from Event Committee's flower delivery, along with floral-printed tea cups and plates, and cloth napkins. Mr. Hightower will be instructing interested couples in tea etiquette. If attendees aren't already wearing their school uniforms (seeing how it's the middle of the day), they're expected to adhere to a cocktail attire dress code.

This is supposed to be classy and romantic. But Oakes held a competition last year and he's bringing it back: Mr. Oakes has crafted two beautiful flower crowns and is ready to hand them out to the "sweetest couple." Hightower seems more resigned to his husband's shenanigans this year. In fact, he seems to be looking forward to teasingly judging his students.

HOW THIS WORKS

Characters must attend high tea as a pair. Mr. Hightower isn't going to argue about whether or not you're actually a "couple," but pairs will be expected to spend their time together at a little table instead of mingling.

Post your pair under the SWEETEST COUPLE CONTEST heading, and play out a scene. For every comment with a romantic gesture, the mods will RNG a number between 1–25 to add to your pair's score.

One romantic gesture per comment will count for your score. You don't get a bonus for writing multiple romantic gestures in a single comment.

Up to 10 comments per pair will count for your score, i.e. you only get a maximum of ten RNG numbers to add to your score.

For the purposes of this contest, the definition of "romantic" will be very loose. It can be verbal or physical, sincere, fake, or overly saccharine, but it must be a) something that can be observed by other people, and b) directed at your character's date.

The couple with the highest score by Friday, Feb 16 at 11:59 PM MT will win the contest! The only prize is a pair of flower crowns.

» High Tea: Bright sunlight filters through the greenhouse glass, turning it warm and romantic. Once a couple is admitted, they'll be shown to their table by either Mr. Hightower or Mr. Oakes. Smartly dressed house-elves and a handful of freshmen will be going from table to table serving tea and sandwiches.

» Sweetest Couple Contest: POST HERE to compete for the crowns!

» OOC - Scores: Mods will be rolling/tallying everyone's scores here.

» OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

While London insists it was her mimic that asked him to the dance, Webster is... dubious. So today he wants to make sure not to send any mixed signals. Of course, that could be tough seeing as they're being judged on sweetness and couple-y-ness, and both he and London are in-it to win-it.

"I am indeed," Webster replies, accepting her arm as they walk into the event. He knows his way around a high-tea; those years at Beauxbaton are finally set to pay dividends. "Oh, I almost forgot!" Webster stops and reaches into a pocket. He pulls out a single yellow rose and hands it to her. "A beautiful flower for my beautiful date." He smiles and then remembers the fine line he's attempting to walk: "Yellow signifies joy and friendship."

"Let's kick some romantic butt, then! And scope out the competition," she replies, giving him the least subtle wink in the history of humanity. She stops to take the yellow rose with her free hand. "Oh, that is so sweet! And it goes very well with my dress. So thoughtful of you! Thank you!" This is off to a great start. There's no way they could possibly lose. "Should we have a seat, darling?"

For a brief moment Webster is worried that London's eyelid is stuck. But then it reopens and Webster returns her mischievous look with a quick one of his own. "Yes, let's sit, gorgeous." He pulls out her chair for her and then seats himself to her left. He leans over, his eyes scanning the room, and whispers conspiratorially into her ear, "Who is our biggest competition and how can we undermine them? Oh. And laugh. Like I said something sweet and funny."

To anyone watching -- other couples, teachers, etc -- this is exactly what it looks like. Webster sits back in his chair and gently rubs the top of London's hand. They're going to win this thing.

Unlike her wink, London't giggle is entirely natural. There's precious little that she loves more than a good scheme.

"Ursula, for sure. They're actually in love and she loves crowns. Biggest competition for sure." She turns her hand over beneath his, lacing their fingers together. With her free hand, she manages to pour tea into each of their cups. It's probably not proper tea politeness or whatever, but she assumes that keeping his hand in hers will net them more points.

"Oh!" she says out loud, seeming to remember something important. Then she leans in to whisper in his ear, "If I'm going to be your wingwoman, I need to know your type. Girls, boys, or both?"

London's interlaced-finger tea-pour is inspired. Smooth. Move. Webster lifts his cup and blows on it gently. "Well," he turns to her, "since we last talked, Gwen and I cleared the air. We're going to go to the dance together. So, let's focus on you. Who are you eyeing?"

Webster debates what "romantic" thing he can do next. Blow on her tea to help cool it down? Intertwine their arms as they take their first sip? "A toast!" he says, the idea coming to him suddenly. He holds his cup up and waits for her to do the same. He looks her in the eyes and delivers the final four lines of one of his favorite Spanish love poems, rolling all the r's and milking each word.

"Si en un mar de tinieblas nos movemos,
Si todo es noche en derredor y arcano,
¡A lo menos amemos!
¡Quizás no sea en vano!"

He flashes her a quick, genuine smile. This is fun!

"Cheers!"

"Oh that's good!" London says, sounding genuinely excited. Maybe for him, maybe just to be getting the gossip. Probably both. But his question makes her sigh. She hopes it sounds like a love sigh and not the pout that it is. "I don't know," she says, glancing around everyone at the tea, gaze pausing on Spencer before turning back to her date. "No one, I guess. Maybe I should try to develop an interest in girls?"

The call for a toast shakes her out of her train of though, and she turns a dazzling smile to him. She tries to follow what he's saying, but it's too fast for her. If we move something something, If everything is night something something, love something something. Okay, but "love" was in there, and that's what's important.

She taps her teacup against his. "Oh! Muy bien, mi amor!" she responds. She even manages to conjure up a tear (not enough to ruin her mascara!), which she dabs with her napkin. She's no skilled actress, generally speaking, but she has years of experience producing crocodile tears on command in front of her parents to better accuse her siblings of perceived injustices.

Webster applauds, genuinely impressed with her controlled water-works. "Tú eres muy peligrosa," he tells her slowly before switching back to English, "That's a very powerful skill. Remind me never to cross you!"

Although Webster hadn't been able to see whom London had lingered on, he had picked up on the true tone of her sigh. He's a little surprised at how upset it makes him that she doesn't have a date. (He ignores the fact that he could have been her date if he hadn't turned her -- or her mimic? -- down.) He takes a sip of his tea and sets the cup back down. "I have a gift for you," he announces and reaches into his breast pocket.

He keeps his hands wrapped around the gift, concealing it as he continues. "They say if you truly love someone -- as I do you -- then you should let them go. And if they return they were always yours. And if they don't, they never were." He opens his hands. "I won this sneakascope at the obstacle course. It goes off whenever you're around someone you're romantically compatible with." He holds it out for her. "It's for you. I want you to make sure you're with the right person." He lowers his voice. "It goes off whenever anyone is around. But you can turn the whole thing on and off when you want." He winks and shows her on the side the button to press. "You deserve to be with whomever you want."

She flashes him a grin, still dabbing daintily under her glasses. "I know, right? You'd think Yamhead and Prickly Pear would have learned by now."

"Really?" she asks, always excited about gifts. She abandons her tea on the table and turns to accept the gift. The spinning top like object goes off continually until she turns it off the way he showed her. She's already considering the schemes that the broken sneakoscope could play a part in. "You are so sweet!" she declares, loud enough for everyone in the greenhouse to hear. She places a hand on his arm and leans in to kiss his cheek. Before she pulls back, she whispers, "Gwen is a lucky girl. I hope you two have a wonderful time."

Webster’s instinct today has been to make big, showy displays of his “affection” towards London. He’s about to do another when she kisses his cheek and whispers in his ear. He’s caught off guard and then genuinely touched by the compliment and well wishes. It is exactly what he didn’t know he needed to hear after fighting to fix things with Gwen this past week. For someone else to tell him (indirectly) that it was the right thing to do.

He takes a breath and puts an arm over London. He pulls her into his side, his hand squeezing and then rubbing her shoulder. It’s an unplanned, non-performative act of appreciation. “Thank you, London,” Webster says. “You’re very very nice to say that.”

The final scores have been tallied and...

LONDON & WEBSTER
WIN SWEETEST COUPLE

Mr. Oakes awards them a pair of everlasting flower crowns!

Webster looks at London in delighted shock. A speechless grin on his face. "Now we can stop pretending to like each other, right?" He winks.

London squeals with delight, hoping to her feet to bounce and clap with delight. "Well, you can go back to pretending not to like me," she replies, positively beaming. This victory has made her too powerful.

ROMANTIC HIGH TEA

London & Webster

Re: London & Webster

London & Webster

London & Webster

London & Webster

London & Webster

London & Webster

London & Webster

London & Webster

London & Webster

London & Webster

London & Webster