double dating } closed

[beautifullies]

Who: Claire & Jamie Fraser, Bree Randall, Steve Rogers, Juliet O'Hara
Where: The Fraser Residence
When: 4-5
Rating: D for dinner party??? It shouldn't get that crazy.
Summary: Jamie and Claire host a dinner date.
The Story:

When Juliet and Steve arrive, they'll be ushered into Jamie and Claire's room that magically looks as close to Lallybroch (minus the second story) as she and Jamie could get it. There's electricity of course, but they rarely use it save in the bathroom and in Brianna's connected room. Introductions are made before Claire leads everyone to the dining room.

She doesn't cook, not well save for a few things, so the supper this evening - pot roast with potatoes and carrots, dinner rolls, a salad and good wine (and whisky) - is all Wonderland provided but homey and comforting.

After supper is done, Claire serves dessert in the parlor (a pound cake with light lemon frosting and coffee or tea--or more whisky) and they mingle and talk, sometimes as a group, and sometimes in smaller one-on-one conversations.

[ ooc: instead of all of us going one at a time, set up your own top levels at will and tag around! ]

Comments

ota obviously!!

[beautifullies]

Claire is in a pretty white dress, one that reminds her of the garment Jocasta had made for her. As she finally relaxes now that everyone's been served cake, she makes sure to sit for a time with both Juliet and Steve. She wants to get to know the young woman better, but this night is about all of them, truly.

Claire's sitting next to Jamie, but while he's pre-occupied, she has her own conversations. This feels good, it feels like the more comfortable dinner parties they'd hosted in France together--this time with people they actually like.

"You know," she begins with a soft smile to her conversation partner. "I was able to meet George Washington himself not that long ago. On my return trip home from Wonderland."

Here's hoping everyone's from the same version of America. Or at least the presidential history portion.

[holyshihtzu]

"George Washington? Really?"

The forkful of food that was just about to enter Juliet's mouth pauses, and she sets it back on her plate, suddenly far more interested in what Claire has to say than eating anything.

"You've had such amazing adventures. I'll admit, I'm a little jealous."

[beautifullies]

"Well, with amazement comes plenty of danger," she says with a little smile.

"Still, it's wonderful to see what we've built from it, how we've grown. But it's tricky, knowing what's coming," she admits. "The American Revolution...I've seen so much fighting and war but there's nothing to do it for it now."

[holyshihtzu]

"With all your time traveling, have you tried to change history at all?"

Juliet isn't one to shy away from ethical quandaries, and this was the type that plenty of people thought about and no one, at least from her perspective, ever had the chance to practice.

[givingback]

"You met George Washington?" Bree asks, fork halfway to her lips with dessert before putting it down.

"Mama, you didn't tell me that. How? When? Why?"

[beautifullies]

Claire smiles and finishes her bite before taking a sip of tea.

"It was at the theater. Your father and I were watching a show and the not-quite-yet president was attending the same show with his wife. He even gave Jamie a carriage ride which I'm only a little jealous of."

[captain_america]

At this point he isn’t even surprised that Claire has more amazing stories. He turns his full attention on her because mr patriot wants to know more. “Well, you didn’t mention that before, holding out on me Claire?” Tell him everything.

[beautifullies]

"No," she says with a soft laugh. "I didn't want to be annoying by dropping every single historical anecdote in your lap at once. This was pre-Revolutionary and pre-Presidential Washington, but whatever you'd like to know, I'm more than happy to answer."

She does sort of love this, the good parts of her journey through history.

ota }

[holyshihtzu]

When it comes to sharing a meal with people who are so important to Steve, Juliet isn't taking any chances on first impressions. Granted, she's already met the Fraser clan, but not exactly in these specific circumstances, so she dresses up a little and is on her best behavior - though that isn't exactly a difficult task for her.

At dinner, she takes a seat next to Steve, relaxing a bit over time as she slips into more casual conversation with all of them. By the time they've moved to the parlor, she is (with the help of the whisky) more relaxed and animated as she carries on, having gone on a tangent about her work in Santa Barbara.

"I did get to go undercover during my first year with the SBPD," she explains. "Infiltrating a sorority is not as easy as it sounds."

[givingback]

"Infiltrating a sorority?" Bree asks in complete interest.

"Why? I mean, you don't have to tell me if you can't, but I can definitely see you as a pledge," she says with a soft laugh. "In a good way. You seem like the type to turn into house mom. Taking care of everyone. Like it's an instinct, almost," she comments with a smile. "You have a...I don't know. A presence that's comforting."

She's had more than one glass of wine, but that's still true. She's hoping to make a friend after tonight, and she likes Juliet.

[holyshihtzu]

"You really think so?" Juliet practically glows at the compliment, relaxing back into her chair. Although she'd like to be regarded as a badass, being comforting isn't mutually exclusive from her point of view, and it's flattering nonetheless. "And I'm willing to answer any questions, really. I don't think confidentiality regarding my undercover identity is really an issue in Wonderland."

If she didn't broadcast it herself, it would come out some other way. Wonderland wasn't the best place to try to keep secrets.

"I never considered joining a sorority when I was in college," she admits. "And this one didn't really change the image. I mean, two people did end up dead."

Super late but I bring a Steve so

[captain_america]

As the evening is winding down Steve makes his way back over to Juliet, they sat next to each other at dinner and he’s made a point to filter in and out of her conversations, but he also wants to let his friends get to know her without standing over her shoulder the whole night. Still, whenever they are in touching distance he finds himself making excuses to touch her- a hand on her knee, an arm over her shoulders, hand on the small of her back. It’s novel being able to do that and not worry, knowing that she’s here with him and he’s here with her.

He wraps an arm around her shoulders, happily tucking her against him. It’s getting late and he doesn’t want to over stay his welcome (and he might also want to spend a little time with his girlfriend). “Do you want to head out soon?”

acceptable

[holyshihtzu]

Juliet has had a good time. She's a social creature, and getting the chance to really get to know everyone better has been a lot of fun. Perhaps, more importantly, she is thrilled to get to know people that Steve is close to. Getting let into his inner circle makes her feel closer to him, like their relationship is real, and it's an alternative since she knows she will never meet his family or any of his friends back home, besides the ones that end up in Wonderland.

She leans her head on his shoulder. It's getting late, and she's getting tired, which means it's time to wrap things up no matter how much she's been enjoying herself.

"Yeah, I think it's a good time." Overstaying their welcome is definitely not something she wants to do either. "You wanna head back to your place or mine?"

Saying goodbye to the Frasers doesn't mean she has to say goodbye to him, after all.

OTA

[givingback]

Bree, not quite as 'period drama' as her parents, is dressed in a nice soft pink top and white slacks, and she's surprised to realize she's having a really good time. It's not often she's been around this type of thing; when her mother had dinner parties at home it was always other doctors and academics of her father's--Frank's--nothing Bree was necessarily interested in. This is fun though, this feels warm and inviting.

As she pours herself a dram of whisky, she smiles over at the person next to her.

"Would you like one?"

[captain_america]

Getting together like this is nice. As much downtime as they have Steve feels like he doesn’t keep up with his friends like he should sometimes.

He returns the smile to Bree. “Sure,” He’s taken a liking to whiskey over the years- he blames Tony Stark.

He takes the glass when Bree hands it to him, taking a sip. “So, how’s the art going?”

[givingback]

Bree can't help but smile a little. Did she have a small crush on him at one point? Yes. But it feels somewhat elementary school, and besides that, he and Juliet are so cute. Mostly, she can't help but wonder why she'd thought Roger could give her anything close to what all of the happy couples around her seem to have.

Instead of soft looks and tenderness, he'd kept the fact that her parents would die horribly from her because he didn't want her to go. God, what was she thinking?

Shaking herself out of her own thoughts, she raises an eyebrow. "You remembered, it's been awhile. But it's going. There's no shortage of interesting people or objects to sketch. Do you do much drawing in your spare time or was that a one-time Christmas only special?"

OTA

[1743]

Not only have they not done anything like this at all as a family in Wonderland, but it's been far too many years since Jamie himself has ever played host. There was a time once when he'd imagined so many evenings like this for himself and Claire, as Laird and Lady of Lallybroch, entertaining friends and tenants on so many joyous occasions. That had never come to pass, but they have these small opportunities now - and hopefully more often at Fraser's Ridge, when things settle - and Jamie's grateful for that.

The food was delectable, the drinks have been plentiful, and conversation has been joyful, flowing easily.

Pouring himself another dram of whisky, he takes a sip, and then with a friendly nod at the person near him, he says, "'Tis been a fine evening. I'm verra glad ye could come."

[givingback]

Bree waits until he's done with his current conversation before sitting down next to him.

"So, how are you enjoying your first Wonderland dinner party?" she asks with a grin at him. "Mama seems to love playing hostess. She always has."

Well. When it's people she wants to be around.

[1743]

He always loves speaking with his daughter; every single moment with her is one that he cherishes, even when it's just a quick hello as she dashes off in the morning. He gets to see her and talk to her everyday, and Christ, he's so grateful.

"Fine enough," he smiles back at her, leaning in to kiss her temple. "No' as big as our gatherings at Lallybroch, but fine all the same. Always a pleasure to entertain new friends. Did yer mother keep company she didna like well in Boston, then?" He's curious, always eager to know more about their lives in Boston.

[holyshihtzu]

"It was very kind of you to invite me." Juliet cups her own drink in her hands, offering Jamie a bashful nod in thanks. "And your room... It's very beautiful. I didn't think there was anything quite like this in the mansion."

It's so... Big. It would be laughingly oversized if it wasn't so elegant, and while Juliet couldn't imagine living there herself, it's fitting for what she knows of Jamie and Claire.

[1743]

Even being here for a few months now, it's hard to fathom that every single room in this mansion could be so different, like another world entirely. But it's a blessing to at least have some semblance of "home" here, being so far from it as they are.

"Aye. This is home. A small part of it, I should say," he smiles softly, a hint of wistfulness in his eyes. "Back home, in Scotland, my family's estate was Lallybroch. And the house was filled to bursting with the sounds of children, family."

He'll always ache a bit for what they lost, but he's grateful for what they have now in the Colonies, and he'll keep his eyes to the future.

"If it doesna grieve you to think on it, what was home like for you, then?" He's always curious about the worlds other people hail from, how different they all are.

[captain_america]

With being so close with Claire Steve has met Jamie before- but only briefly in passing. He’s been wanting to get to know the other man for a while now, Claire has provided them the perfect set up.

He returns the nod, a friendly smile on his face. “I’m glad to be here, thanks for hosting. I don’t do a lot of this back home, so it’s nice here to get together for a meal. How is Wonderland treating you so far?”

[1743]

He's regrettably not had much of a chance to know the other man quite as well as his wife, so Jamie's grateful for this chance to rectify that. Anyone who's important to his wife is, by default, just as important to Jamie.

"I havena hosted a gathering like this in quite some time. I'm relieved to know it's gone well," he smirks a bit. "I canna say I'm fond of the place overmuch, but I've adjusted to it now. You know the feeling, aye?"

after the party is over idc i do what i want

[beautifullies]

After Steve and Juliet say their goodnights and Brianna does as well, it leaves Jamie and Claire to clean the dishes together in the kitchen. Now that she's a little further ahead than Jamie is, she smiles to be able to tell him of how they spend evenings.

"We do this together at the cabin, you and I. I wash, you dry, and our family sits around the table. Fergus and Marsali, their son, Murtagh. And now Brianna will."

Not mentioning Ian hurts a little, but he'll be alright. She knows he will.

"We've built a home, Jamie. Washing dishes with you in our little kitchen has become my favorite part of the evening."

[1743]

From the first weeks of getting to know Claire at Castle Leoch, Jamie had known down to the depths of his soul that he wanted a life with her, a home and a family. None of that had quite worked out the way they'd wanted, but they've come into that peace together now, pursuing happiness in a new land. It seems they can never truly escape times of trouble, and such is the way of life, but from everything Claire's told him, they've at least made not only a home but a refuge from the world.

Now that Brianna's with them, and her bairn, he can't imagine a deeper happiness.

Smiling over at his wife, Jamie pauses a moment to kiss her shoulder.

"Ye ken, Sassenach, we could be doing naught but sharing the same space and sitting silently by the fire together, but so long as ye're wi' me, I canna be happier." He kisses her shoulder again, though, and grins a little. "Though I must confess, I may have a favorite part of the evening that doesna involve washing up the dishes."