( open ) I'll wear your colors til you come back home to me

[dothelokimotion]

Who: Everyone!
What: Masquerade Ball
When: 17th of October
Where: The Opherium
Content Warnings: N/A

[ Much like Loki's last party-venture, this is set up very much in the same vein. a large ballroom for dancing needs. Tables and waiters passing around hors d'oeuvres and drinks. At the entrance of the ball room, there’s a fancy mask waiting for you if you don’t have one already. There’s a strict dress code for the event this time and Loki expects everyone to dress accordingly.

The masks also have a spell attached to them. They’ll afford you complete privacy. No one will recognize you under the mask. Unless, of course, you take it off and let them know. Perfect for the party guest who may want to indulge without causing a fuss. Hit up a partner and see where the evening takes you.

This event wouldn’t be complete without candy, of course. There are candies arranged on the tables in all types and colors. In front of them is a small description regarding each kind of candy. Be sure to read them carefully, as Loki has added a little . . . extra to the sweets, to give them a little . . . zing. ]

🍫 White Chocolate: For those who needs a little honesty ( truth effect )

🍷 Alcoholic Chocolate: For those who need to loosen up ( slight aphro effects, please mark headers accordingly and communicate! )

🍬 Sour Candy: For those who are tired of being nice ( shorter tempers )

🍓 Fruit Candy: For those who need to open up ( increased generosity )

If you have a question or comment to direct at the host, Loki is by the entrance dressed in red and gold with a mask to boot. he’s instantly recognizable, compared to the masked attendees. ]

Welcome.

Comments

[welcome_summer]

Ah... yes? It's been a fine event so far, even if the prevalence of--

[She waves her hand over the borrowed mask and then pulls a folded fan from her inventory interdimensional pocket. The previous dance was a bit faster-paced, so she slipped away from the floor for a breather.]

Makes finding friendly faces difficult. How are you finding the evening? That is a striking costume.

[What can be said, she has a thing for dragons.]

[unkindled_madness]

[He raises an eyebrow, because it seems a little hypocritical of her to criticize the masks while wearing one. But, maybe she decided to try it anyway.]

...thank you. I had some assistance. I don't typically attend events like this.

[welcome_summer]

Then my complements go to them as well, for offering their encouragement. And fashion advice.

[She unfolds her fan.]

I am glad that the host didn't conduct the ball on Halloween itself, especially given Central's... liveliness the past few months. That night tends to get wild.

[unkindled_madness]

Does it? Sunset Falls does seem primed for some supernatural occurrence, but I suppose other places may become susceptible as well.

[welcome_summer]

Halloween is... well, people are encouraged to dress in costume, disguise themselves. So some take advantage of that to cause mischief. Some take it beyond pranks and do actual harm. With powers in play, I can only imagine how rough it could get.

[Mayuko leans in a little more-- she's already sitting forward in the seat to keep her skirt hoop level to the ground. She was not expecting to be able to consult with someone on the current state of the township, but here they are.]

But Sunset Falls... I agree, there's something building up. The locals are really pushing the various protections, and... well... [she drops her voice] there's the ghosts....

[unkindled_madness]

I see.

[Well, he's entirely unconcerned about anyone taking pranks too far. They'd find him a poor choice of target.]

...I've noticed the one at the library has been having an easier time manifesting, but I take it you mean something more.

[welcome_summer]

[... She lifts the corner of her mask up. Who knows how long the effect will stay active but it will probably fade after it's removed all the way. This much should be fine for a temp reveal.]

There are spirits in my house, and they've been making themselves heard, if not seen since the start of the month.

[unkindled_madness]

[There's a look of recognition as she lifts the mask. Hello, coworker.]

Have they been saying something in particular?

[welcome_summer]

Nothing I could make out concretely. But they are getting more agitated. And the number of different... voices? Are growing. Whatever is happening is not getting better on its own.

[unkindled_madness]

And you feel this is unusual for Halloween?

Perhaps it's a precursor to the next Confluence.

[welcome_summer]

[Mayuko leans on the arm of her seat and considers. The lore of Sunset Falls is something she's acquiring slowly. From records in the library, advice from local shopkeepers, even from overhearing other shoppers at the supermarket.]

None of the Starfallen have been here long enough to be able to gauge what a "normal" Sunset Falls Halloween is like. But hauntings to this scale aren't an aspect I've heard gossip about. If it were a Confluence... oh, that would make a horrible amount of sense.

[unkindled_madness]

Hmm.

I'm less familiar with how death works, in this universe. The ghosts I knew of were violent, but they lacked personhood. Here, are they a warning sign for something else, or will they themselves become dangerous?

[welcome_summer]

The ones in my house seem civil enough? And in the library, of course but... the ones roaming? Those are the ones I'd be concerned with.

As for death... well, with their access to healers and advanced medical tech, who knows if the guilds have an... intervention system set up. Wouldn't put it past them to have moogles squirrelled away somewhere....

[unkindled_madness]

All the healers in the world would not prevent...

Did you say moogles?

[One, it's the first time he's heard that word in a long time, and two, how are moogles remotely relevant to the conversation at hand??]

[welcome_summer]

Yes? The little bears with the pom-poms, said "kupo" a lot? They helped revive people in... another place I've been.

[unkindled_madness]

[That's sure not a myth he's heard, but that is an otherwise accurate description.]

Where were you that there were moogles?

[welcome_summer]

Iiiit was a smaller place than we are situated in now, only one community. But it drew in people and creatures from other worlds just as regularly. It was often ridiculous, but could be dangerous, deadly. That's why the moogles were brought in. You spoke with one, and if you were killed, you would be revived by... whichever one you had gone to.

[She pauses, and her eyes close. A hand drifts up to her heart before she catches herself. That had been one of the first things Hatori had taught her upon her arrival. He'd done his best to look out for her. All of the Sohma there had.]

It was either that or be revived slowly and painfully in the swamp.

[unkindled_madness]

...I see.

Were you trapped there by some manner of deity?

[welcome_summer]

Oh no, Director Sayre was no deity, but she exerted control over her domain and the force field around it. Every person brought in was a suspect in the murder of her fiancé.

[unkindled_madness]

[That... sure is a ridiculous pretext to kidnap people from other dimensions.]

...she was chasing some manner of interdimensional criminal?

[welcome_summer]

[That defines Camp Fuck U Die to a tee.]

That was her alleged motive. To top it off, the man had never been killed! Just gone into hiding. Not that Elizabeth Sayre could be convinced.

[unkindled_madness]

I would call that either a very poor cover story, or a sign of insanity.

[welcome_summer]

I would say it was a little of both categories! But you, how do you know of moogles?

[unkindled_madness]

They are native to my world.

Though very reclusive. I've never seen one.

[welcome_summer]

I see! A shame they keep to themselves on your world, they seemed friendly enough.

You don't... happen to also know about chocobos, do you?