[open mingle: the sunlight at midnight gala]

[badfeyth]

WHO: Anyone attending the Sunlight at Midnight gala!
WHAT: KISS PEOPLE AND DANCE IDK
WHERE: The freshly-renovated Planetarium in District 4!
WHEN: Saturday, December 2
WARNINGS: None for the log itself; please warn responsibly in individual top-levels!

THE VENUE

Upon entry to the newly-renovated venue space that was once a planetarium, guests will quickly notice that the space has been transformed into a three-layered affair, ranging from the very well-lit upper level down to the more romantic ambiance of the dance floor and performance space, with a comfortable tier of seating and standing tables in the middle.


Not intended by Ghost (badfeyth) and Kaveh (fussiest), yet still mysteriously appearing at random places throughout the venue, are sprigs of magical kissing mistletoe!

The mistletoe will cause characters to at least pause underneath it, and will give them a mild compulsion to kiss whoever they're with, but the compulsion will not be unavoidable and characters can easily break free of the "hold" the mistletoe has on them. Even so, partygoers will quickly learn to be mindful of what's overhead — or not!

UPPER TIER

On the well-lit upper tier, guests will find plenty of generalized mingle room, including two patios with casual seating on either side of the space. Throughout the center are a variety of stations and attractions, as well as some helpful resources for the discerning partygoer.

For the fashionably un-forward, you may wish to visit (or find yourselves forcibly dragged into) Lestat's on-site fashion consulting lair, which boasts a small and curtained-off space where partygoers in need can receive last-minute fashion advice, do wardrobe finishing touches, and address any other aesthetic concerns under the discerning eye of LESTAT DE LIONCOURT (perfectdevil). This is also where a selection of basic cosmetics and beauty supplies can be found, in case of a need for an emergency touch-up, safety pin, or spot removal!

Continuing onward, guests will find four individual food stations, each with their own set of color-coded disposable dishware! Perhaps they'd like to take a sampling of:

• STATION #1 — TSURUNO (fanstheflames): Fried rice in the shape of Christmas trees, dumplings with carrot reindeer antlers and red pepper noses, and fortune cookies that tell you to go dance with somebody already!
• STATION #2 — ROLAND (gradenine): Hotpot with mild and spicy soup bases plus a variety of vegetables and meats, and KBBQ with chicken, pork, and beef cuts, plus sides!
• STATION #3 — RENO (astraphilia): Whipped goat cheese figs, brie and prosciutto stuffed dates, and sprouting cauliflower with brown butter and lemon — paired with a couple of simple cocktails (a negroni and a Bombay mule)!
• STATION #4 — WANDERER (featheradrift): Samosas, panipuri, Japanese-style sandwiches, and a lot of sweets and desserts like chocolate truffles, pâte de fruit, candied nuts, madeleines, and custards!

Champagne (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) is also circulating around the venue under the watchful eye of KANEKI (anthropophagite), and a small selection of coffee is available at a nearby station as well!

Finally, at the far end of the upper concourse, one can find a partitioned-off space for photo opportunities featuring a black-and-gold backdrop, an arch aglow with fairy lights, and a few idle props like chairs and small movable tables that partygoers can use to coordinate their souvenir photos. PROMPTO (burstmodes) will be around to do formal event photography, but there'll also be a Polaroid available so that people can take their own photos and develop them instantly!

VISUALS: AESTHETICS & ETC.

         

MIDDLE TIER

On the mid-tier halfway down the stairs that flank the venue on either side, partygoers will find a landing with an assortment of standing tables covered in black tablecloths and tied with gold bows, where guests can enjoy their refreshments, engage in conversation, and people-watch the goings-on taking place below them on the dance floor! To prevent any mischief or accidental spilling of food onto hapless dancers below, each landing is lined with a courtesy railing, and immediately below the railing is an arrangement of tasteful decor.

Between the two landings, guests can find the remnants of the planetarium seating — fold-down auditorium chairs with comfortable cushions arranged in gently circular rows, giving the people relaxing there a perfect view of the dance floor and the spectacle of lights taking place below it.

VISUALS: AESTHETICS & ETC.

    

LOWER TIER

The lowest level of the venue, at the very bottom of the stairs, is the most dimly-lit of the three levels and is mostly comprised of the dance floor. Along the back wall and parts of the sides runs a slightly-raised platform stage upon which are arranged a piano, an electric guitar, a stereo system, and a few microphones for the convenience of any vocalists in the house. The stage is wide enough for one or two people to walk around comfortably, but generally is fairly modest to leave the majority of the room for the dance floor.

It's on the dance floor that the real "sunlight at midnight" theme takes its shape, as this is where the bulk of Kaveh's artificial lighting technology has been put into play. Along with standard party enhancements like a few spotlights and an overhead disco ball, the perimeter is also dotted with round arrays of stained glass with light fixtures behind them, causing panels of colored light to cast onto the hardwood of the dance floor. These arrays can also be rotated like kaleidoscopes, allowing for the patterns of light to change throughout the course of the evening — adding an element of renewable interest in the continuing aesthetic.

VISUALS: AESTHETICS & ETC.

    

ENTERTAINMENT

Throughout the course of the evening, music will be provided by a rotating set list of performers, interspersed with prearranged playlists courtesy of the new media store. Entertainers will be informed of their set lengths, obligations, and timeslots well in advance of the venue by Ghost, and any necessary instruments or microphone hookups will be ready and available at the time of the performance.

Performers on deck include:

• HYTHLODAEUS (nomoresharks) and EMET-SELCH (recreator): Jazz piano bops along with some ragtime arrangements.
• EDDIE (thefreak): A mix of slow rock ballads and hard rock dance numbers, on electric guitar!

In addition to the live performances, the venue will also be treated to some traditional mid-2000s party favorites such as:

• BLORBOLICIOUS, by Gurgi (feat. Bill.i.was)
• HIPS SOMETIMES LIE, by The Kira
• SANDSQUALL, by DaNice
• MAYBE GONNA GIVE YOU UP, by Rickard Dastley
• MAMBO NO. 4 AND A HALF, by Stu Vega
• THE CHA-CHA HUSTLE, by DJ FriendlyGhost
• VIRUS, by Boo Boo Dolls

VISUALS: AESTHETICS & ETC.

    

LIVEBLOG

Looking to add some network spam to your gala experience? Check out our dedicated IC NETWORK POST!

credit.

Comments

1/2

[featheradrift]

[ He hadn't been sure what to expect when she asked him to close his eyes. Maybe she'd produce a gift out of nowhere, or she wanted to arrange something for him to see. What he does hear though, is the quiet rustling of her outfit and then something soft pressed against his lips, almost imperceptible.

His eyes snap open just as she tells him to, and there's a dumbfounded look on his face for all of about three seconds before he schools his expression into one more natural for him. ]

[featheradrift]

...I've seen enough. You?

[ His voice is steady enough, and he manages to maintain eye contact. It's almost as if nothing happened, really.

(But it's going to be quite clear that he's distracted for the rest of the night.) ]

[cupperty]

[ WHAAAAT JUST HAPPENED!!

They raise a hand to their cheek, looking absolutely baffled by this turn of events. The peck is easily clocked as a friendly and affectionate gesture, but most angels (at least the ones up in Heaven) are Not Great at being either of those things, so it's taking Muriel's brain a few moments to catch up. Please hold, Muriel.exe has to reboot their metaphorical systems! ]

R-right! Of course! I already am! You go dance, you'll be great at it!

ONLY SORT OF HERE. IGNORE HIM.

[fussiest]

👀

[cashewlater]

Yes. I'm desert born. Our kind are.. not trusted by the forest people. By the city. I have to work hard to prove my worth.

[ no he doesn't seem to realize how fucked up that is. ]

Also only sort of here

[justscribing]

[Oh?]

[cashewlater]

Well, I - I mean, I know how to lead, too -

[ he was just being nice, kaveh!! but they fall into the dance together nonetheless, and cyno keeps up well, moving his feet as necessary, smooth and easy. ]

I used to be an awful dancer.

[excaliburden]

[It's almost as if nothing happened, really.

Almost.

But not quite. It's something Altria can worry about later. Right now, she just smiles, nodding a little ruefully.]

Yeah... to be honest, I'm getting pretty tired. It's been fun! Just... a lot, you know?

[cashewlater]

[ there's also a joke about them both being small in there too..

the wanderer seems interested, however, and he even huffs, which is adjacent to a chuckle, and that isn't something that cyno is accustomed to hearing, when it comes to his jokes. his eyes brighten a little. especially when his joke is built upon.

cyno smiles, and it's soft, but entirely genuine. ]

Better than digging in your heels.

[icanfixer]

[ wow... she got called Wise. crazy things happening this winter. just wait til she tells sinclair. wise. her. ]

I have tried many!!! They are all so delicious, I can hardly decide what to settle with next! What has thy favorite been? Reno's various cheese and fruits are rather delectable palette cleansers as well... ♪

[featheradrift]

[ It would be as if nothing happened IF PEOPLE DIDN'T SEE THIS HAPPENING. He's going to regret his life later. Much later. ]

Then we should go. No need to stick around any longer than we have to.

[ In honesty, he'd only been sticking around for so long because he wanted to be certain Altria was having a good time. If she left, he would have no reason to stay either. His role at the food station was long over. ]

[featheradrift]

I figured now was the best time to get my foot in the door.

[ Maybe they were losing the ballet association, but it's still a related body part??? ]

[cashewlater]

[excaliburden]

Oh, I don't think I could pick a favorite either! They're all so tasty...! But I love the sweets a bunch, especially.

Oh, but I did try some of the cheese and fruits and they're so refreshing and tasty!

[Gluttons! There are so many gluttons here!]

[excaliburden]

[sorry about your life, wanderer, good luck with the sumeru crew.

But if Wanderer's ready to go, she is too; toppling into bed sounds delightful at this point.]

Okay then. Let's go!

[She'll text Tsuruno when she gets there to let her know where she went, but she knows Tsuruno has a date here, so! No need to drag her away early.

She's also not going to question that Wanderer wants to walk her at least part of the way home. She just likes the idea that she'll have some quieter time with him, away from the gala, even if nothing has to be said at all.]

[unrequite]

[ Midnight tilts his head, absorbing that. He himself is not a food enjoyer, but he likes knowing these things about others. Comfortable, in a way. ]

Show me. I can't promise I'll try any, though... I may not have the proper balance for it.

[ ... What does being balanced have to do with eating? He's... he's probably afraid of faceplanting into a tray of appetizers, honestly. ]

[fussiest]

[ it's hard to say, don says, and kaveh thinks - the things closest to the heart are the things that are hardest to say. he listens as don shares with him her ethos and how it has been received. her hometown, the lack of someone to share her passion with. don is a resilient young woman. this, kaveh has always known. resilience is something you only grow through hardship. the more resilient you are, the harder it has been to grow into the shape of who you are.

don has been lonely. kaveh's heart aches for it, the thought of it. if a light were to shine alone in the darkness, there are those who would write poetry lauding its beauty. kaveh thinks - has anyone though to ask the light if it intended to shine alone. ]

I've always thought, Don, that in order for us to give others a chance to care for us, we ought to cause them just a little bit of trouble.

[icanfixer]

And the care I have received for the trouble I cause, [ this is warm and sure, a more genuine grin blossoming in what had once been the phantom of it, ] has been very welcome indeed.

[ she likes it when she's fussed at. she doesn't go out of her way to cause it, but she knows she doesn't exactly keep herself from getting into it. ]

I cannot tell thee how though, for thou art one I fear who would give me quite the earful about it! Prithee, know only that it is not often life-threatening.

[ as if she doesn't get injured somehow like every month. ]

[fussiest]

[ kaveh laughs. ]

Oh, I'll certainly give you an earful. But know that it's only because of care. Midnight often tells me the opposite of love isn't hate, but apathy. All of us scold you only because we care; if that scolding ever ceases, that's when the real trouble begins.

[ there's a bit of rue along the edges of his lips, however, as he considers what to say next. ] However, if the reverse is true. If you don't give others a chance to fuss, or a chance to know what is happening with your life, both the weal and the woe, then others will feel as if you don't want them in your life. For who wants to be friends with someone who backs away from them? Nobody wants to be a fairweather friend, one that is only there for the good. To share in the challenges - well, to put it frankly, it has them feeling they are of use to you. Many people need that, I think.

[fussiest]

Oh. Four, then. [ kaveh revises, then laughs. ] Though I'll pass on your message. If she hears it from multiple sources, perhaps one of them will inspire her to do something about it.

[ interior decorating tips, however, and fashion tips. both, kaveh thinks, are things that perhaps he can provide. it was daan who said it, wasn't it, that there are people who are keen to customise their own spaces within a city like this. it's a feeling that resonates with kaveh well. but in truth, kaveh thinks, it's the stun baton that seems like something he can apply his expertise to.

he asks, ] Tell me more, however, of this stun baton. I can make a passable attempt with fashion and interior decoration, and you'll be certain to hear my opinions on it regardless, but it's the former that seems like it'll be of most help to you. From its name, there's a current that passes through it, correct? Is it a manner of weapon?

[fussiest]

[ kaveh's smile softens around its edges. ]

Were you? Who taught you the steps?

[fussiest]

The ends never justify the means. If the end is that you will be helping me as a friend, then the means will also be your hands being employed much in the way a friend's ought to be.

[ kaveh grins. they ascend the last few steps. kaveh beckons wanderer up, and points downwards. the loft gives a view of the dance floor spreading beneath them, bodies swaying to the dulcet tones of hythlodaeus on piano, the gentle swansong of plucked notes. suspended in the air on a make-shift platform built from the metal frames of repurposed office desks and wire fencing torn from park grounds is the contraption.

it doesn't have a name. kaveh doesn't always know what to name the things that are born from dreams. what he loves, and continues to love, and has loved to the point of obsession is merely the contraption a steel crank centering the five robust frames of stained glass packaging a light brimming with the bright heart of a small, newly-born star. the sound of a silver bell reverberates as sweet as rain. the crank turns, each benighted gear churning in tandem as the glass rotates once, the next panel shifting along several stained glass tracks. the image below refracts the light, then settles in the resplendent pinks of an imagined fontanian sunrise.

kaveh looks at the contraption, and smiles the smile of a besotted, laboured love. ]

Isn't it wonderous? Glass and metal and Electro, the make a machine that turns light into visible dreams.

[icanfixer]

[ ...

but she doesn't want them to see her in any way but as a shining, warm light. don quixote is a (lonely) woman with much love to give in her heart, and give it she does -- whether it be in praises or through actions, she strives to ensure those around her, the ones she cares for, are ever taken care of. of course she knows they'd like to return the favor; she and sinclair have... "talked"... about it in the past, until at last she truly relented and allowed him close, since she is still that don quixote he was first greeted with when signing onto the company.

for better or worse, she is still that don quixote who he sat by. it doesn't bother her that she hasn't changed -- again, she wants to be something, someone that others can look to, that they can lean on and feel safe beside -- but it isn't as if she tells all about herself, either. only what will comfort who she speaks to: heine's functional immortality, junpei's varying alternate selves, midnight's tendency to... well, do as she does and seek to ensure the happiness of others without a thought to his own.

(even if one's happiness sparks another, there's still a difference in being selfish and not.)

her steps slow a little, but she still leads. there are things she wants to say, things she ought to say, and things that she can't say. because of how she is, who she is. ]

... I do understand what thee mean, my friend, but is it really so bad when one can handle their troubles alone? It is not necessary for friends to know all of that is going on in another's lives, if it is not asked after. And I have very little trouble to share in my life regardless.

[ well. the troubles in her life are silly at worst, lovely at best. a young lady seemingly free of it, never a bad day in sight. is that really so bad? isn't that a relief? there's at least one person who doesn't need to be looked after save for a scolding or two. aren't good children rewarded? ]

[featheradrift]

[ He chooses not to refute Kaveh's words as they finally ascend to the top and the architect's contraption is laid bare for them to see. It's a complicated little thing—well-engineered, though he was hardly an expert in mechanics. But what stands out most to him is the way Kaveh speaks of his creation—the pride, the joy, the love.

(If Kaveh had been the god with access to forbidden techniques of a civilization long wiped off the face of Teyvat, what could he have created? Perhaps he would have been called the God of Progress, the drifter thinks. And... if it was he who created this lonely puppet... would he have received the love and adoration so clear in the man's eyes?


He puts that thought away, never to be revisited.) ]

It... reminds me of Sumeru.

[ Of the stained glass that adorned every house and building, that shone with vibrant colours every day as the sun crossed the sky and spilled its rays through the windows. He misses Sumeru, even if he doesn't wholly want to admit it. ]

[immortalpoet]

...

You have to work hard to deal with bastards who won't give you the time of day because of where you're born? That's one hundred percent their problem, then.