Care to Dance? [Masquerade party is A GO!] [Bendytimed to before the contagion plot]

[sanguineroyal.livejournal.com]

 It was the night of the ball, and Nanashi was in high spirits. She had recreated her castle in it's entirety, though it was devoid of residents. Instead there were several servants, half of them vampires and the other half human. Some of them had the sole purpose of escorting the arriving guests into a sort of small cocktail room. The walls were lined with tables with various dishes- and room for the guests to think up more if they so desired- and plenty of drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Once some people arrived, the double doors were opened to reveal the Grand Hall.

The hall itself was spectacular, rising several stories high with silk tapestries depicting dragons and legendary battles decorating the walls. Every so often along the wall one could find a sculpture, many of them busts of apparently famous people from long ago, others showed more dragons, while some were full-sized and somewhat resembled the great statues of Greece.  Paintings both in oils and in inks could also be found where there were no tapestries. There were large oak tables with intricately carved legs and borders so it almost seemed as if the carved leaves had grown naturally. The tables were, like the ones earlier, covered in finger foods and drinks, while smaller tables were off to the side with more servants standing at wait where one could sit and be served a meal if they so wished. The room was softly lit by a great multitude of blue-flamed candles lining the walls and hanging from crystal and stone chandeliers above. A full orchestra played behind a partition, though clearly it was just a formality, as they somehow played some of the music she heard while wandering Zokez II as well. Another servant sat by the partition and was taking song requests. Above them was a balcony with a staircase that sloped down in such a way that the side closer to the hall curved away from the wall.

Normally, Nanashi would enter from the balcony, but she instead slipped in among the guests, wearing  a white dress with the hem just brushing the ground and a pair of angel wings that looked a lot more realistic with the help of the sensoriums than they would look in her world. She also wore a silver mask to match her wings and dress.

Above even the balcony there was a giant clock that quietly ticked away the minutes. A chime would sound when the hands struck midnight, but hopefully no one would be losing a glass slipper tonight.

Comments

Before Midnight

[sanguineroyal.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Post a thread, comment other peoples threads, post another thread for more CR later in the evening. This is all before Midnight, so you should be wearing a mask. Should doesn't mean you will be, but you'll have some servants kindly requesting that the lord/lady puts on a mask.]

[starbolts]

Oh, this was a most exciting opportunity for socialization!

Starfire had donned a simple green dress, her hair tied up in a loose bun and her eyes hidden by a sleek silver mask. Her alien features would likely give her away anyway, but wearing unusual costumes was thrilling!

Her preferred method of greeting people was the old-fashioned "charm wallflowers and ask them to dance" strategy. If anyone was sitting on the sidelines, no matter who they were, they would likely here a "Hello!" very soon.

Then, she would invariably say: "You are not attending the party to participate in the dancing?"

Re: Before Midnight

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Hyaaa ha ha ha ha! Overlord Zetta is a freakin' genius!

Nanashi HAD pointed out that they'd be in the sensoriums. And Zetta had said... 'stupid... robot... body... thing!'

So now a robot that, by sheer coincidence, looked like the Iron Giant at a seven foot scale, stomped creakily out onto the dance floor. Its movements were slow and not at all fluid, but it stabbed one finger upwards, the other hand on its hip as it leaned slightly to rock the pose.

"Oh yeah!" Its voice had a metallic reverbration. Also it was wearing a really perfunctory mask. "Let's ROCK this joint!"

Re: Before Midnight

[notadamnangel.livejournal.com]

Dean hated tuxedos. Hated them, hated them, HATED them. He'd shoot them full of holes rather than wear one. Luckily this time, his costume (http://www.amazon.com/Adult-Western-Cowboy-Duster-Costume/dp/B000H8IOMQ) wasn't of the James Bond set. This version was much older, and a lot more comfortable. Looking armed wasn't out of place, and he liked it. He could have done without the Lone Ranger mask, but eh, whatever. At least he didn't feel like a tool.

Now about some drinks.

[thirdeyeclosed.livejournal.com]

Koishi had never heard of a masquerade before, but from Nanashi's post, she was able to figure out that it was some kind of big party where everyone dressed in fancy clothes and masks. A party was a great chance to socialize, so this was a perfect chance to kick off Operation Find Sis Some Friends!

So when she entered the Sensoriums, her clothes were instantly replaced with something most people living in the equivalent of feudal-era Japan would consider fancy (http://i52.tinypic.com/33wmmbr.jpg): a yellow haori with flower patterns, and simple green hakama. She wasn't sure what to do for a mask, so she just chose a simple, dark green one.

And she wasn't alone! She was practically dragging her sister along behind her, one hand clamped firmly on Satori's to prevent any escape attempts.

"C'mon, sis! I'm sure it won't be that bad!"

[voiceofserenity.livejournal.com]

Beaming. Kaylee was positively beaming. The mask (http://www.venetianmasksociety.com/thumbnail.asp?file=assets/images/438sils.gif&maxx=300&maxy=0) was beautiful, dress (http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/8800000/Dresses-masquerade-8821550-281-420.jpg) was gorgeous, and she felt almost as happy walking into the Sensoriums now as she had walked into that ball with Mal. Her escort this round, however, seemed to be dragging behind a bit, but that was alright too. Kaylee had decided long before that Kang would take a little longer than most to acclimate himself to all of the dress-up business. Just meant she had to keep exposing him to it.

Re: Before Midnight

[bonnypiperlad]

After agreeing to attend, Jamie found himself with the small problem of figuring out something to wear. It was tempting - so tempting - to just show up in a great kilt and call it a costume, but even he knows that's too obvious.

After trying and failing to come up with anything he likes, he gives up and just decides to go with something from his own time. The French in his day were fancy enough that it should work for the ball, even if he feels ridiculous in the outfit. The mask isn't too bad, though.

When he walks in he heads for the refreshment tables - dressed like a dandy or not, he's not about to turn down the opportunity to eat.

Re: Before Midnight

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

Sam was rather delighted with his choice of costume. It wasn't quite Halloween, but he decided to go with the idea anyway. He looked ready for an adventure (http://archive.liveauctioneers.com/archive4/profiles-in-history/16511/1057_1_lg.jpg) in his boots, leather pants, turtleneck, vest, and large coat. Inside were a myriad of pockets for guns, ammunition, and other vital supplies. At his hip was a sword, something he'd only worn a few times in the past, and then, only ornamental. Across his face was a red mask (http://www.mintoncardinc.com/IMAGES/THUMBS/BlackMask.jpg) that made his face appear as though it'd been splashed with blood. His concept? The most legendary vampire hunter of his world: Van Helsing.

He was careful to tuck his hair up under his large hat, and he swept back his bangs to keep them out of view. He didn't want Nanashi to know he was here until he wanted her to. Since she didn't scent people the way he did, he thought he would be safe.

He strode into the party, every inch the confident hunter. He skirted the food, and sought out the host. Just a visual confirmation for now. He hadn't decided whether he was going to approach her immediately or not.

Re: Before Midnight

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

After spending a long time at Reins deciding, Katara finally appeared in a pale blue (http://www.romanticgowns.com/collection/jpgimage.asp?name=M9809L-Glam-RGB.jpg) ballgown dress with a white choker and a rather colorful looking looking mask (http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dballroom%2Bmask%26b%3D37%26ni%3D18%26ei%3Dutf-8%26y%3DSearch%26xargs%3D0%26pstart%3D1%26fr%3Dyfp-t-701-s&w=325&h=336&imgurl=i228.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fee3%2FOdin-Priest%2FMasquerade-Colombina-Lux-Mask.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gaiaonline.com%2Fforum%2Fsite-feedback%2Fmasquerade-ball-prom-event-pics-inside%2Ft.43373187%2F&size=33KB&name=store+items+mask...&p=ballroom+mask&oid=ca5bca51d861e55d700d67e226e6ae52&fr2=&no=46&tt=4380&b=37&ni=18&sigr=130s1r4r6&sigi=12dcijdem&sigb=13pucvsbj"). It had taken a long time to get ready, longer than even Katara had figured, but once her hair was styled up and her nerves done away with, she was composed and happy to step out and see some of the people.

The room itself was breathtaking, and Katara had to tear herself away from all the decorations and the majesty lest she give herself away. She was all too aware of how much she marveled at detail, and she wanted her identity to be a surprise.

Troll in the Dungeon

[downloadtruth.livejournal.com]

One of the newest crew members came to the ball, complete in costume and mask. And if some of the crew didn't understand how incredibly tasteless it was, it was because none of them had seen their now deceased crew mate Cassie Lang in costume. (http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac197/daimsferatu/yngavngrspr005.jpg)

[watchwith3hands.livejournal.com]

Rei really needed a party right now. Or just about anything to take his mind of all the bad things that had happened lately. Unfortunately, he'd been too busy contemplating his navel recently to notice the invite that went out on the omnicomm until the day of the ball. As soon as he read it, he knew he had to go... but he didn't hardly have time to plan out what to wear.

As he stepped into the sensorium, he went with the first masked costume that came into his mind. It looked like he'd just stepped out of a pulp magazine (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/isaacofrune/reichronos.jpg), dressed in a dark gray suit with matching hat. His mask was plain silver, except for when the light caught it at just the right angle, and a subtle cog pattern could be seen along the edges. This was actually his costume - he was, after all, a registered superhero. He wasn't entirely satisfied with his costume choice, but it would have to do, since he couldn't think of anything else.

It wasn't even a few minutes before he started fiddling with his mask, though. He'd forgotten that the sensoriums made things feel the way he'd always remembered them feeling, and that the mask had always had a tendency to rub up against his cheeks in the most annoying and uncomfortable way.

Re: Before Midnight

[starlightace]

Nanoha adjusted the white mask she wore over her eyes, giving her partner's hand a tug. "You look fine, Fate-chan," she assured her. "It really isn't too short at all!"

And indeed, though their dresses had been made by Hayate and Rein, they really weren't all that bad, for once. Nanoha's was a deep pink made with some sort of shimmery soft fabric that went down to her knees, with a rose pinned to her waist and light lace trim around the top as it draped just slightly off of her bare shoulder.

She smiled, tilting her head to the side. "And you should wear your hair like this more often."

[morphitudinous]

Well, this was it.

With some expert help, Billy had morphed his body into an unrecognizable form. He still had approximately the same build, but most other things were different: he had gray eyes, sleek black hair to his shoulders, and a silvery mask obscuring a subtly different face.

Even the dead-giveaway color had been changed---his chosen costume was a black tuxedo, with accents of green instead of his signature blue. His voice was deeper too, but for anyone who knew him well enough, his spirit would be unmistakable.

Feeling daring in this disguise, he withdrew a yellow rose from the folds of his jacket and twirled it in his hand. A second later, he'd throw it---and with any luck, it would implant itself into the wall nearby and catch someone's attention.

Care to take a chance tonight?

Re: Before Midnight

[bluebrassmonkey.livejournal.com]

It had taken a while to get this put together and the coordination right. Still, it had paid off and now, carefully walking into the ballroom he'll never see to appreciate. Actually, he's not alone but the creature beside him cannot communicate except in her Welsh-pony ways.

Side by side, a pair of little unicorns emerges into the ballroom. One is simply the little storm-gray Welshie with a silver horn affixed (harmlessly) to the center of her forehead. Beside her and guided by the lead-harness attached to both creatures, is a slightly smaller, very blue unicorn (http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/BlindIntellect/Character%20Images/RenneasaUnicorn.jpg) with a straight, silver-ivory horn gleaming like a straight lance point from its brow.

A Lash in the room

[thewunderkind]

Well...she had tried. Hiding herself behind a mask when you had an afro the size of a mountain wasn't the easier thing to do. The answer, then was red feathers. A lot of them.

Lash still had no idea why she was here. Th idea of balls seemed a tiny bit interesting. And she could use the distract. Anything, everything would be a good distraction. Even putting on a stupid dress and a mask and attempting to tie her hair so she would be harder to recognize. At least it was a good effort...right?

She sighed. Even a Wunderkind could find herself unsure what to do. Maybe she could go talk to the others.

Re: Before Midnight

[governorkang]

Kaylee had been dragged off to dance by another guest, leaving Kang standing by one of the paintings in his dark blue vest and mask. He still looked slightly uncomfortable in the clothing, but he wasn't at all in a bad mood; in fact, he was actually kind of enjoying the ball. It was something different.

The alcohol helped, too.

Re: Before Midnight

[farfrom-tree.livejournal.com]

The young ninja (http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac247/writesonthesly/Misc%20Icons/Kids-Black-Ninja-Halloween-Costumes.jpg?t=1285731584) in the corner was grinning underneath his face-mask.

He looked around, trying to see if he could spot anyone familiar, even underneath everyone's masks.

Re: Before Midnight

[not_the_philistine]

There doesn't seem to be much of a point in putting on a mask when Goliath doesn't exactly blend into the crowd even when his face can't be seen, so he hasn't put one on. He compounds his unwillingness to participate by . . . not participating.

Though he does seem to be taking some enjoyment from watching the festivities. And he's doing such a great job of propping up the wall.

[godbydefinition.livejournal.com]

Ba'al did not show his disdain for the event, but he found it quite pointless-- almost pathetic. If it weren't for the fact that it was useful to him (and, though he would not admit it, somewhat amusing) he likely would not have come. As it was... he would be able to find a use in the dance. And it at least it gave him something to occupy himself with. He was still lying low, but he had to move forward.

At least, however, he could appreciate the cultural aspect.

The 'lord' was wearing clothing suiting to his title, as he stood near the wall, watching the floor with curiosity. The outfit was imperial, a navy blue-- almost Napoleonic in style. The mask was an elegant and simple black. If he was to be here, he would at least dress accordingly.

[diabolic-ace.livejournal.com]

Hayate was in a pale blue, off the shoulder dress with some ruffles for accent. Her blue mask had a few feathers, which some might have considered gaudy, but she thought they were nice and playful. At the moment, she entertained herself wandering around with a glass of wine, admiring the art.

[foreseen-future.livejournal.com]

Nura is moving through the crowd, giving little waves here and there when warranted. Sometimes she would smile and verbally say "hello" or "hey, ho" if it was someone she knew.

She'd chosen to wear the costume (http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac247/writesonthesly/If%20I%20could%20I%20would/Clothes/sample_46d80ccf92f4e1d5fa77c786a528b7062fa4686d.jpg) that she'd found at Stormwind Clothiers, compliments of Rein, with a white, feathery, masquerade mask (http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac247/writesonthesly/If%20I%20could%20I%20would/Clothes/60317.jpg) obscuring the top half of her face from view. Her deep blue eyes stood out against the white, coltish and playful. For footwear, she'd decided that the sensoriums could put white high heels upon her feet, which make click click sounds on the ballroom floor when she walks.

The attitude she wears for the party is cool and mysterious, but inside, she's very much excited to be at this masquerade. Her first masquerade she's ever attended in her young life.

[ayasofia.livejournal.com]

Sofia hadn't been in the mood for a dance, not her normal reaction. Still, she made even more of an effort to look her best. She wore a red feather mask and a satin red dress, the one from Moulin Rouge, actually. It was sleek and clung to her body, showing her figure- and what a figure it was. She looked stunning.

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

Hey, when did these guys get here? There was a young man all in black, his body practically hidden under a cloak of black feathers. He was wearing a black and blue raven mask, complete with beak, and a head-dress of feathers that completely covered his hair.

He seemed to be having trouble walking, bent slightly over his stomach as if it were sore.

Luckily, he wasn't alone.

Ask Not For Whom The Bell Tolls

[sanguineroyal.livejournal.com]

The clock strikes twelve and Nanashi ascends the staircase, taking off her mask. She announces, "Now is the time to reveal yourselves, and see who your partner is!"

[ruffntumblenut.livejournal.com]

"You call this a party?" Ruffnut complained loudly as she pulled off her rather uninspired mask (Read: A Paper bag with a skull painted on it.)

"This place was deader then dead. This party was so dead that even dead things are like, "Dude are you OK? You're not looking so good."

That was about the best she could come up with.

Standing frustrated and bored by the table Ruffnut had as usual, gallons of energy and nothing to do with it.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

A robot burst out of the crowd -- almost literally, it did a kind of jump thing to land in front of Ruffnut. One long metal finger extended towards her with a hiss of steam. "Time for a lesson! Get out here on the floor and prepare to move this hips with violence!"

Not that the robot would be familiar, but the voice giving instructions sure ought to be.