[open] a birthday celebration

[perfectdevil]

WHO: lestat & all of you~
WHAT: lestat is hosting a party for a certain someone's birthday!
WHERE: a bistro in district 3
WHEN: october 4th
WARNINGS: N/A so far. will update as needed!



[ In the early morning hours of the 4th of October, a photograph of a handwritten notice goes up on the network. It’s in flowery but surprisingly legible script, as if he’s learnt to create letters purely by reading them and has jumbled together an amalgamation of different typefaces to make each letter he writes as interesting as possible. The details are as follows: ]

This is an invitation to any and all, to attend a soirée this evening, in celebration of my companion’s birthday.

I’ve attached a photograph of the location; a fashionable little bistro highly recommended to me by someone who clearly knows a thing or two about style. Festivities start at 6 o’clock this evening, though you are more than welcome to be fashionably late. We will go until sunrise. The dress code is: eye-catching.

There will be food, there will be wine, there will be merriment. Games, dancing, live music. Who amongst you could turn their nose up at a free bar and the chance to boogie? I know that technically this entire place is a free bar, what with the distinct lack of economy, but I’ve acquired the assistance of a bartender, just to tempt you…

And, failing all else, there’s the certainty of stunning conversation - and isn’t that something that we all can enjoy, even those of us who don’t groove with the party scene?

Be there, or be square.


xoxo

[ Some of you might remember him posting asking for help planning this little get together, and it’s going ahead with all of Lestat’s best intentions for a night to remember. Whether you know him or don’t (and haven’t been put off by his hip use of old slang he still thinks makes him sound cool) you’ll be welcomed to the festivities with open arms and a warm, sharp smile.

Come on down, don’t be shy. Have a little dance with the devil. ]

The Bar

[ Gleaming in hard wood painted a stunning chic black, the bar is the first thing to delight your eyes with upon entering the bistro. Bottles line the back wall, shining in the low amber lights, and so too the bottles lined up in front as your gracious bartender for the evening, Daan, sets up shop. Perhaps you have a drink in mind, or would like him to surprise you (with varying results), or maybe you’re here for the crowd gathered around and chatting amicably as they nurse their chosen poison.

Lestat himself has taken up prime position there, often with a rather steadfast arm around Louis, whose expression isn’t exactly dour but isn’t particularly placid, either. He gives off the very clear expression of someone who’s been tricked into coming here under false pretences. Probably because Lestat had been positively evasive of even mentioning the B word (birthday) all evening, even going as far as to ignore completely any mention of Louis discovering his plotting before tonight… though whether that be from embarrassment over failing to make his post private despite Armand’s very clear instructions, or simply down to his impish nature, isn’t clear.

What is clear, is that Lestat is having a lovely time in wonderful company, and is a veritable font of energy. He’s usually pretty upbeat, of course, but tonight there’s a particular vigour about him that is clearly different, though not in a strictly bad way. When he’s not hanging off Louis’ side or parading him around to introduce him to people he hasn't met yet, Lestat is leaning over the bar to watch Daan work, or perhaps butting into a nearby conversation or starting a fresh one up with someone looking a little too quiet. ]

The Stage & Dancefloor

[ Great care and attention has been made to stagger the assortment of tables in the room so that each one has a perfect view of the man-made stage and its attached square of space serving as a dance floor. It’s nothing more than a few flat platforms on which the players can stand along with a wall of lined up instruments and some speakers Lestat found at the music store in the mall, but it’s unmistakably the intended highlight of the evening's entertainment.

A dark blue electric guitar beside an acoustic one, a simple spruce violin, a small drum set, a standing keyboard and three microphones is his haul, and they are left available for anyone who'd like to jam. If Lestat sees you looking with the barest hint of interest, even if there is not a single musical bone in your body, if he will pull you over to try something out - what better way to learn than in a room full of people watching you? :)

Toward the middle of the evening, Lestat will take Louis' hands in his own and kiss them, and then kiss him, and leave to climb up onto the stage himself. He’s dressed in a burgundy corduroy jacket over a crisp black shirt; the collar undone to reveal a host of twisted chains at his throat, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his wrists and fingers adorned with similar finery. Tight leather pants, and black boots with a red sole. His nails are painted black, and there’s a smudge of dark red around his eyes, which makes the pale silver-blue of them look almost eerie in the spotlight. (Well, he did say eye-catching was the dress code.)

He’ll take the microphone, lift the electric guitar into his arms and begins to play, and to sing. It’s a cover arrangement, of course, as anyone who enjoys 70s rock music will be able to tell.. but he sings it well, with a practised and enchanting stage presence that is hard to look away from; snaking hips, spectacular crowd work. No, it’s not his vampiric thrall (probably), it’s just that Lestat really was born to perform and he knows it.

He also picks out another song to play a little later on, assuring the crowd very loudly that they must keep this song's existence a complete secret and then "accidentally" name-dropping Steve Tyler as the guy he was jamming with when the song was created. ]

Party Games

[ Lestat has assigned a little space toward the back of the room and has littered the tables with a handful of silly party games, packages of cards, even a small set of plastic chips for gambling (though what exactly the ante will be is entirely up to you). It looks very much like he’s raided the toy aisle in a supermarket which… isn’t untrue, but he’s done so with at least a little care and attention for what kind of party he’d like this to be. There’s no board games, put it that way.

Who Am I?: Take a sticky-note and ask someone to write the name of a famous figure on it, and stick it on your back. You must walk around and ask the other patrons of the party yes/no questions in order to figure out who you are.
Treasure Hunt: Take a paper from the table; on it you'll find a series of descriptions such as "Someone who's favourite colour is blue" or "Someone who has siblings", "someone who's broken someone's heart" etc. Talk to party goers until you find a person who matches each prompt. You may only use one person once. The winner gets a prize!

Bulla has graciously offered to host a round or two of games for all in attendance; the assortment will be varied and both she and Lestat will be no doubt open to any suggestions of things to play. If you aren’t the type to get involved in such things, it’s quite unfortunate because oh, it looks like this one needs a partner and here is Lestat without one! ]

The Veranda

[The way outside through the large glass doors at the back of the bistro is lit in an almost storybook manner, with lights pinned from the doorway to the exterior fence in loose criss-crosses. The furniture has been moved to accommodate a large table running down the centre of the floor, full to bursting with plates of food. It seems the intention here is similar to a “pot-luck” - a concept that has Lestat gleeful as a child over the absurdity of such a thing - only as this place has no real necessity for cooking and as Lestat has no idea what kind of food typically is seen at parties, the guidance is simply to go into the kitchen and take advantage of its seemingly unending capabilities in order to emerge with a bowl, plate or tray of whatever you deem appropriate for a party such as this.

Obviously, this has resulted in the table being full of an incredibly disorganised array of treats in all shapes and colour - which naturally has attracted Lesat into staring at it all like a magpie, asking questions of every meal that people pick at, questioning the flavour and the method of preparation, all the while twisting a glass bottle of some thick scarlet substance around and around in his hands. ]

--
[ happy birthday louis!!! feel free to mingle, thread-hop, eavesdrop, do whatever you'd like. go wild. it's a party!

lestat is down for anything, so if you want to assume your character has made a playlist, brought a game along, has suggested a party game and is bullying people into playing it, or even if you want to assume that lestat saw you in the street nearby and whisked you in to the bistro against your will, please go for it. literally anything goes, i am SO easy and so is lestat. :) ]

Comments

⚰️✨ the birthday boy (open)

[deathoftheauthor]

( Louis has never been a fan of parties, nor of any kind of public attention. He's introverted to a fault. If it were up to him, he would forget the date entirely and spend it the same way he spends every other night. But this party, he suspects, is more for Lestat's sake than his, and so he lets himself be led along, feeling a little like a child's balloon bobbing at the end of a string. Under other circumstances, he might have protested more strongly… but it's so good to see Lestat acting like his old self that Louis can't find it in himself to complain too much.

At the bar, he can be found with Lestat's arm draped over him possessively; Louis can feel his cheeks burn when someone's eyes linger on them too long. He looks tolerant, albeit out of his depth. Now and then, though, you might catch him sitting quietly by himself and watching the crowd, a brief respite from all the activity. He's let Lestat dress him in more colors than usual (which is to say, any at all) for the sake of the dress code, and occasionally he gets distracted staring at the multiple rings on his fingers. How does anyone wear this much jewelry at once?

If approached, he'll offer a small, polite bow and a softening of his expression that could almost be mistaken for a smile. He has to fight the urge to apologize for demanding someone's attention when he doesn't particularly want it in the first place. )

Thank you for coming. Are you enjoying yourself?

( Or perhaps you catch him casting vaguely longing glances toward the door… or staring rapt at the stage while Lestat performs, so obviously smitten that he might as well have hearts in his eyes. )


( ooc. I'll be tagging others' toplevels as well, but if you'd like something specific with Louis, he's here. Wildcards welcome! Force him to play party games! He's too polite to refuse! )

Here, have a gift! (it's not Armand)

[rescinded_vow]

[ Of course he's fashionably late. But he's also impeccably dressed in an autumnal looking silk shirt under a dark suit, along with his usual rings and a few other trinkets, with a small parcel tucked under one arm. He surveys the organised chaos, but has to admit the location is appropriate - tasteful, intimate, thought out in the precise detail of almost all Lestat's whimsies - even to the decoration and musical choices. Other guests are milling around, many of whom he now recognises, but - other than Lestat who is, as ever, impossible to miss - Armand has eyes for only one other.

He navigates silently to Louis' side, appearing there in a manner that, to the casual observer would have them swearing he's been there the whole night for how natural it is, and waits until there's a lull in activity around them before speaking. ]

Bon anniversaire, Louis.

[keepgodwaiting]

Are you?

[ Johanna looks amused -- though sympathetic -- as she pulls up a chair next to Louis and takes a seat. ]

You're the guest of honor, after all. We ought to be making sure you're having the time of your life.

it’s wallflower o’clock

[willtheunwise]

[ Will is literally only still here because he’s too chicken to go and say he’s leaving and risk getting dragged into more ‘fun’, and it’s mostly people who are older than him and it’s making him feel like an actual baby. Plus he can’t drink, or he could, but he feels like getting drunk for the first time here would mean an embarrassing amount of fussing and god Lestat is lucky he’s pretty or there’s no way Will would have been talked in to being at a party.

He does however notice when the birthday boy has snuck off to avoid the revelry and makes his way over ]

Happy birthday.

[ He extends an envelope, he doesn’t know Louis well enough to know what he might want and he didn’t want to arrive empty handed (though he didn’t exactly, he arrived early with a stack of canvases he’s painted so that Lestat could give his companion something he couldn’t pick up in a store) so inside the envelope is a hand drawn card, it’s just a sketched portrait really, and he’s not convinced it’s totally accurate due to being drawn from memory, but he’s always just a little self-conscious when giving anyone art he did specifically for them. ]

[100more]

[ Hob would not say he knows many people in the city, but he enjoyed speaking with Louis a few times and thinks well of the man. Enough to dig up a grave with him without questioning it, anyway.

And going to a birthday party is one of those normal activities they might do back home, so maybe it'll add a little normalcy to Hob's life, at least for a few hours.

Once he arrives and has a look around, he spots the man of the hour and approaches. ]

Good evening, Louis. I didn't realize you had a birthday coming so soon.

[ To think, they've been here long enough to start celebrating such things. ]

This is for you.

[ A small bag is offered. Inside is a warm scarf, dark gray with hints of silver in the threading. Maybe it's silly to bring a gift when everything in the city is free, but hopefully the thought will count for something, since it was picked out with Louis in mind. ]

[localweirdo]

[Meanwhile, Hu Tao knows close to nothing about who the birthday party is for! For all she knew, there was a party and that she was invited to sing for this special occasion. And yet, she knew that she couldn't come into the place empty handed. With a gift in her hand, she flashed a smile at him.]

Of course! The better question is are you? I certainly hope so because I would hate to see the birthday boy being sad.

[All the while gesturing with her head to said gift in her hands.]

[perfectdevil]

[ The stage isn't as big as the stadium had been, obviously, but the perfectly positioned assortment of freestanding spotlights creates a perfectly vague facsimile of the dazzling blindness and the heat of it. Lestat can't see any faces in the crowd much as it had been then, so as his song starts he keeps his eyes closed through the first verse... He lets it wash over him; it's him, the music, the reverberation of sound underfoot and the cord of the microphone around his knuckles.

He turns when he feels it, though he couldn't say what it is more than a feeling, than instinct making him spin on his heel, forcing his eyes to open and to meet the green ones of his lover as he makes small steps toward the stage, staring up at him with that reverent look on his face-- Lestat wonders if it's different for him to see this kind of performance from the audience rather than from off the side of the stage, or on TV. He wonders if Louis heart rate picked up like his did when their eyes met.

"...With love, we sleep, with doubt, the vicious circle, turns and burns--
Without you, I cannot live-- Forgive, the yearning burning, I believe it's time, too real to feel..."

He forgets the room around them; it falls away panel by panel to leave only this, their eye contact and the connection between their hearts. Every movement of his body, sway of his hips, toss of his hair, beckoning motion of his hand is all for Louis, and when the song ends he unceremoniously drops the microphone and leans down to Louis' level to press a kiss to his mouth, and then to murmur against it: ]

Am I forgiven for causing all this fuss, then?

[ He doesn't really mind if anyone is looking, but for Louis' benefit he hops off the stage and seems to have every intention of hustling Louis back to the secluded little table where he'd been gravitating every so often throughout the night. ]

[unrequite]

You are very welcome. You look stunning, darling, happy birthday.

[ This conversation is taking place near the stage, where Midnight's installed himself for most of the night, playing various hits from Terra and having a fantastic time learning the ways of otherworldly rock. He rises from where he was sitting, guitar slung over his back, and grins at Louis, one hand in his pocket, the other around the neck of a bottle of champagne, which he presents to Louis. ]

Can't say that we'll ever run dry in a city like this, but it's nice to have a bit of liquor delivered to you, rather than having to claim it on one's own.

birthday bartender [open]

[limbical]

[To his word, Daan is occupying a little area to do his bartending, having brought his own supplies. His sleeves are rolled up and he's prepared to do it all. Daan will take requests, try something new if you want a surprise, or you can just like... have water or milk or something.

As opposed to how he has been, Daan looks more relaxed as he tends to the drinks. Happier? Well, hard to say, but he doesn't really look miserable either, so that's gotta be something.

So, he addresses whoever is up next:]

What'll it be?

[deathoftheauthor]

( When Louis was mortal, he drank to get what they now refer to as "shitfaced." He did not particularly care about the finer details of the liquor he was drinking, so long as it did its job sufficiently, and cocktails were decades from becoming popular anyway.

He doesn't drink now — well, he can't — but he spends enough time in bars to be at least a little interested in the process, in the same way that all mortal things become more fascinating when one no longer belongs to that world. He considers the question for a moment, then replies: )

I would have whatever is the most enjoyable for you to make.

( He just wants to watch. )

Dorian Gray | Penny Dreadful | OTA

[playing_human]

[Some things exist naturally together--tea and biscuits, summer and the seaside, socialites and parties. Has Dorian met the birthday boy? No, but that's not the point. The point is to make an entrance, look amazing, and enjoy yourself.

He begins the evening at the bar, engaging in conversation with anyone who looks remotely interesting and being sociable with anyone who approaches him. He is interested in making connections here, especially given how many people in the city are some level of extraordinary.

At the keyboard, he takes the time to play a few pieces that are unconventional for a 21st-century party, but appropriate for a 19th-century salon or a very classy restaurant. Not dance music, but certainly conversation music.

Naturally, he will take part in party games, in spite of not being "up to date" with celebrities. He'll approach you with one of two requests:]

I beg your pardon, but I need you to think of someone who was famous before 1892.

[Or:]

Good evening. [He holds up a slip of paper between two long fingers.] I've been solemnly tasked with finding someone who's been in a fistfight.

party games

[deathoftheauthor]

( Louis had admired the man's musical performances from a distance, feeling some tenderness as he always does for those who possess artistic talent. He doesn't recognize the stranger, but he certainly catches his eye — not for his face, admittedly handsome as it may be, but for the spray of jewels glittering against his chest. It's difficult not to stare, which Louis supposes is the point of such a thing — but he vaguely resents being told what to do, especially by someone else's outfit, and it all makes him feel as if he's doing something he oughtn't.

Louis, pale and slender and uncomfortable in a crowd, looks around for a moment to make certain that he's the one actually being addressed. Then, matter-of-factly: )

I've been in several fistfights.

party games!

[keepgodwaiting]

Before 1892? Ah, Sherlock Holmes, he's all Victorian.

[ Johanna gives her interlocutor a fascinated once-over and reaches out to tap on one of the jewels hanging on his chest. (She's a couple drinks in, and her boundaries around hot people's personal space are a little laxer than they should be.) ]

Where did you get something like this? Where are people finding all this bloody jewelry around here?

[perfectdevil]

[ To his credit, Lestat tries not to bound over at the first sound of Debussy's melody meandering its way across the bar - both because he's in the middle of a conversation and because he knows full well that there's certainly only one person who would play such a tune in a setting like this, caring so little for the mood and in fact bucking against it with wilful abandon, playing exactly what song speaks to him the moment his fingers touch the keys. He turns his head without really meaning to, glancing at the state as if it's a solicitous thing to do, and of course he's right. ]

Monsieur Gray.

[ His guessing of the piano-player's identity is almost as inevitable as his approach now. Lestat looks as casual as one can while dressed in such ridiculous finery as he is, and he cocks his hip slightly as he stands back to admire Dorian with a pleasant smile and an ever-so-slight bow of his head in greeting. ]

It's nice to see you with both your hands free. Thank you for coming.

party games

[lupusintus]

[ Ethan looks more than a little amused upon hearing the words: I've been solemnly tasked with finding someone who's been in a fistfight, from Dorian. Well, he has certainly come to the right person. See Dorian, he can clean up nicely when he wants to and has a fashionable friend with good taste who cares about him not looking like a caveman.

A chuckle, as he turns to face him and carefully snatches up the slip of paper to look it over. ]

Just one fight? Afraid I can't help you there.

Johanna Constantine | The Sandman | OTA

[keepgodwaiting]

[ There was a moment there where Johanna's fall looked like it might be looking up. In classic Constantine fashion, it didn't last. But she's keeping her personal angst thoroughly to herself.

... Never mind, she's going to go check out this party with vampires that she knows for a fact can read minds. There are several questions she has.

At the bar, she perches on a stool at the end of the bistro with a cocktail. Her attire is decidedly not eye-catching -- black slacks, black sleeveless turtleneck. Dress codes are for suckers.

Later in the night, she may catch the eye of another party goer and wave a slip of paper at them. ] Is your favorite color blue? I'm hoping there's a prize for this.

For Lestat

[keepgodwaiting]

[ Lestat is such a social butterfly at this party that if anything, it's more a matter of avoiding him until an opportune moment than it is catching his eye. Johanna watches him pinball around the room, always ricocheting back to Louis at some point, with wry amusement. Fucking rock stars.

She finally picks her moment out on the veranda, approaching while he's in between other guest. ]

Nice party, mate.

[ Her tone is light and cool, her bearing confident; under her skin, though, there's a faint fizz of tension. Annoyance? Lust? Nervousness? All of the above, really. Any attempt to dig deeper into her mind than that will meet a prickly defensive wall -- not strong enough to keep out anyone really determined, but enough to say I know you're in here. ]

:3c

[rescinded_vow]

[ Armand notices her almost immediately, always so attuned to those he favours, especially in small spaces and makes his way silently to Johanna's side. He slides onto a stool beside her, orders a Bloody Mary from Daan - he's hilarious he knows - and idly folds a napkin as he waits. ]

Come here often?

[ He's trying very hard not to smile, but it comes across in his tone anyway as he eyes her curiously at his side. ]

[open] mingling etc

[100more]

[ Hob can be spotted enjoying the atmosphere of the party, usually with a drink in hand. Sometimes he takes a little something from the spread to nibble at, but he's mostly interested in watching all the activities going on. He may not be engaging in party games, but he does enjoy watching others play. And the performances during the evening catch his attention, too.

If approached, he offers a polite smile and a nod in greeting. ]

Good evening.

[perfectdevil]

[ Hob will feel a tap to his shoulder a few hours into the night, and should he turn he'll find a tall martini glass of something pale green with a sprinkling of chocolate curls on top being shoved in his direction. ]

Here, mon ami. I've seen you always with some drink or other in your hand, I want to know what you think of this one. The smell alone, it makes my eyes water.

[ It's a grasshopper. Lestat doesn't know if he'd like mint but his more-powerful-than-is-typical senses certainly don't. ]

eddie munson — stranger things — ota

[thefreak]

( Since Eddie is still relatively new here, he spends most of the first half of this shindig as a wallflower, looking to see if there's anyone he recognizes. At least there's booze, and he wastes no time hitting the bar, getting a drink to calm his nerves. It's not that he doesn't do parties; it's just that the parties he's been to have mostly been thrown by jocks with too much money at their disposal, only inviting Eddie for his connection to the illicit substances he has access to.

Eventually, he does calm down enough that he might be in more of a talkative mood, though he isn't quite brave enough to approach anyone yet, letting people come to him. It isn't until he spots the setup by the stage that his interest is immediately piqued. He isn't the first to pick up one of the instruments, but once Lestat has warmed up the stage (and after another drink, let's be honest), he approaches the array of instruments like a kid in a candy store, all wide-eyed and awe-filled. Considering what happened the last time he picked up a guitar, he's understandably cautious, but as soon as he has his hands on that electric guitar, it's almost as if something shifts in the metalhead.

Not wanting to immediately blow out the eardrums of every partygoer with thrash metal, he decides to warm up with a little Zeppelin. If someone were to request something a little heavier, though, he might oblige them. )

Any requests? I can't promise I'll know it ( especially if they were released post-March 1986 ) but if I've never heard of it, you can be damn well sure we're gonna improvise something fun.

[localweirdo]

Hmmm, I think I'll let you pick. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with this little instrument.

[She said as she pointed to said electric guitar. Granted, based on what she had heard, it certainly sounds a little familiar to what her friend has played before. And yet, based on the tune he played, she didn't recognize it.]

Although, I do know a little bit of rock and roll! But I'm assuming that is not the correct term for what you are playing, right?

Armand | Vampire Chronicles | ota

[rescinded_vow]

[ After greeting the birthday boy and dropping off his gift, Armand can be found at various places during then night.

He lingers by the bar for some time, ordering cocktails he likes the look of and those he's not seen before, eventually abandoning them to those that approach before they can order their own.

For a short time he occupies one of the tables facing the little stage area, he's out of the way in a darker corner, content to watch what unfolds but claps politely with the others for those that occasionally take over the music arrangements.

Eventually he ends up at the games table, deck of cards in hand, where he sets out a game of solitaire, then what appears to be a tarot reading and finally dealing a few hands of Blackjack. He handles the cards expertly each time and is deeply polite or familiar to anyone that approaches him throughout the night. ]

[perfectdevil]

[ Lestat uses the round of applause between sets to appear beside the shrouded little table in the corner, where Armand sits looking rather dazzling in that silken shirt, decked out with all his jewellery, his curls shining. He looks enchanting, and the pleasure Lestat feels just looking at him should be obvious by the look on his face. ]

Armand. Not like you to be a wallflower, mon ami. Is everything alright?

[ He takes a seat without being permitted to, because of course he does. ]

Hu Tao | Genshin Impact | ota

[localweirdo]

[Now, what was Hu Tao doing here? She simply wanted to enjoy herself and have some fun, of course! Between trying to know the people of this strange new world and spending her time relaxing, she couldn't turn down the offer of being able to sing for the birthday boy!

That said, that didn't stop her from singing a little merry tune as onlookers give her a curious look.]

[perfectdevil]

[ Lestat hears her little song in passing, and when he turns to behold her he easily puts two and two together in figuring out that this must be the one he was talking with on the network - the one who likes Chinese opera and rap music. Such a strange combination perfectly befitting such a strange little thing, he thinks. She's perfectly charming, though, with a kind of energy to her that draws Lestat in, so he approaches her with a theatrical bow and a flourish of his hand offered out to take hers. ]

You arrived, as you said you would, and I'm so glad you did, chérie.

[ If she lets him, he'll politely kiss the back of her knuckles. ]

Ethan Chandler | Penny Dreadful | OTA

[lupusintus]

[ Someone talked him into not showing up looking like a complete caveman, so Ethan is dressed in about the most colorful coat he has ever worn before -- with this beneath. No, the fact that he is clothed in blood red has not been lost on him, he had plenty of time to laugh over it before coming to the party for obvious reasons. Mostly Armand reasons -- though he might have some business with Lestat and Louis as well, but that's for another time.

He's not going to be the party pooper.

After sauntering into the venue, he divvies out a handful of friendly nods before making a beeline for the bar. Between getting cuffed to people, getting busted by Vanessa and being fresh off of his first City transformation? A drink is just what he needs. The bandage for his forearm is hidden well enough but the gauze around his hands are not, not that he's aiming to hide them.

Upon witnessing the spectacle that is Lestat's performance, a sharp whistle rings out from the onlookers, then, once he's walked away from the stage and he can heckle him properly. ]

My condolences to Mr. Tyler.

at the bar

[deathoftheauthor]

( Louis' eyes widen at the sight of Ethan's bandaged hands. His chest tightens with dread — not for his gentleman acquaintance, but for his own self-control. He hasn't fed on a living creature in months, and if Ethan's injuries are new enough to pique his thirst, Louis might make a mistake that he regrets forever. He's prepared to turn tail and leave and mutter some halfhearted excuse if he needs to, go out into the night air and breathe until the urge passes. He can explain later. Far better than hurting someone.

But he doesn't smell blood — at least, not fresh and hot and flowing blood — and so he manages to turn his concern outward, toward Ethan. Thank God. )

Monsieur Chandler, are you all right?

Morpheus | The Sandman | OTA

[hypnagothic]

[ there's a shadow of a man that keeps away from most of the festivities and hoopla, staying mainly against the edges of things to simply observe. he's not dressed in any elaborate finery as the public invitation had suggested, but the dark clothes and jacket are of fine quality, at least, and he's as fair in the face as the hosts.

... even if he hasn't met said hosts yet. really, he's just here because it's a public-ish event and his friend is here too.

but if someone were to approach him, he turns his head to face them, dipping his chin in a subtle nod of acknowledgement. ]

[100more]

[ When two men are living together, one typically knows when the other one is coming and going. Since he had decided to attend Louis' birthday party, Hob let Dream know and even suggested the Endless come along. Though Dream did not immediately accept the offer, it appears his curiosity won out. That, or he's looking after Hob. Either way, Hob is pleased when he spots his friend haunting a corner of the room.

Hob manages to slip over to Dream's side, doing his best to sneak up on the man, which is probably a pointless endeavor. When he arrives, he leans in to whisper. ]

I think you fit in around here.

[ It has not gone unnoticed by Hob that Dream's ethereal looks somewhat resemble that of their hosts. Which has him second guessing the whole 'vampire' Lestat conversation he previously had with the man. ]

midnight | arknights | open

[unrequite]

[ I am very late, Midnight was here the whole night. He's more of a spectator for the party games, but he can be convinced to participate in the treasure hunt, with the prompt Someone who has attended college/university in tow. He will just go up to someone and ask if they have point blank!

Other than that, though, Midnight attended the party for one main reason: the Stage has electric guitars, and he has been practicing for... perhaps not this specific reason, but close enough. He'll mostly be learning from other musicians and playing back up for them the whole night, but occasionally, he'll play a few hits from Terra, mostly from the Higashi and Yan regions that may sound close enough to some Earth songs for heads to turn, but mostly are Terran originals. Feel free to come up to the stage and strike up a conversation! He'll likely grin at anyone looking on and open the conversation himself if necessary. Why not? He loves a question, and there's no better way to hear one than to offer one in return. Such as: ]

'Lo there. Enjoying yourself?

@perfectdevil

[unrequite]

[ What he will fail to mention the whole night — mostly because he was busy, somewhat because this is Louis's night, not his — is that he was here for most of the past two days, setting up decorations and putting last minute floral arrangements on every table. He's not much of a floral designer, but he knows enough of the basics of color matching (and, more importantly, about Louis's personality) to put together something suitable for the occasion. (He also may have gotten Kaveh to look over his centerpieces with a critical eye. Thanks, Kaveh, you always pull through.)

He stands back once the final flower is in place, kitchen scissors and ribbon at hand, to survey the final result. ]

The tea candles were an inspired idea, Mr. Lestat. It'll look lovely once the sun starts setting, although we'll have to remember to switch the patio lights on.