[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

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credit.

Comments

[reposing]

[Dapper. The compliment and her hands in his fluffy white coat makes him absurdly joyful, and his tail wags hard, as he pants into her petting.

She seems delighted, as he hoped; but then, he does a wonderful job of twisting things up and telling himself that he does it for her, when really he knows it's a selfish thing. To receive affection with no question about it, as a beast.

But Alucard ain't gonna examine that too hard right now and leans his head into her hands.]

[reposing]

[Look.

Alucard might have learned some impressive technology with potential magical inclinations as well because we're never gonna get into what the heck was UP with the CASTLE are we, Netflix's Castlevania? In any case, he is not prepared for the camera, or the light that flashes off. He jerks back, hissing like it's deeply offended him. Just as it begins to dispense a picture of him in the most unflattering close-up possible, Alucard is giving it a sharp Falcon Punch as a portion of his two-part reaction to the whole thing. He's been attacked! By... whatever this is!

The camera crashes miserably onto the floor, spitting out a follow up photo of his fist. Someone get some Ace Attorney music in here.]

What the f-- [alucard you are in the presence of a LADY!!] --French is that thing?!

[does she even have france in her world he isn't sure he wants to know either way]

[fussiest]

[ sweet of him to try, daan says. kaveh smiles at that. of course he does. ]

Why wouldn't he try, for you. [ says kaveh, as he leans into the railing proper. the night air skims the open back of his suit. ] ... I was there for the greenhouse and the tea-party, though I wasn't affected myself. It was... Alhaitham and Netzach. [ kaveh pauses here. he says, ] I tired of it, Daan. I tire of the way this city brings out the worst in us, and into us.

If it happens again, Daan, what would you like for me to do?

[perfectdevil]

[ Lestat, to his credit, doesn't look even the slightest bit perturbed by this change in the flow of things. It isn't as though he hasn't experienced a disgruntled partner claiming their beloved back from his clutches before, nor is he under any impression that he would have been spending any great length of time with Fearne anyway — impulsive as they both are — and he isn't exactly bereft of pretty things to look at, even if she is one of his favourites...

But this new stranger, this beautiful man with platinum hair and those fierce, almost dangerous eyes. Lestat can't quite draw his eyes away from him even as Fearne comes to stand at his side. He experiences the surprising reluctance to draw away from the two of them, the desire to watch them interact, the temptation to dip into their minds and see what isn't being said in the midst of polite (kind of) company.

The tip of his tongue toys idly with a fang, barely visible through his half parted lips but certainly there. If Lestat looks particularly hungry in this instance, there's not much he could do about it, even if he wanted to. ]

Well, as greedy as I am, I'm no monster.

[ He holds up his hands as if to show his innocence. Such a shame about him not being the type to share, though. A real shame. He's already tasted the sweet nectar under Fearne's skin, after all. ]

The two of you suit one another well, in that case, and visually too. You both are quite dazzling.

[ Yeah, sure, he's looking more at Argalia when he says that, smiling a warm but predatory smile of his own, his blue-violet eyes shining with a challenge... but eventually he slides his gaze to Fearne, too, and blows her a little kiss. ]

[perfectdevil]

[ Lestat lets out a helpless laugh at that. Usually he's quite protective of his particular taste in music, but when he knows the aversion to it comes from one who clearly hails from a bygone time, he's got a little more sympathy. We can't all be awoken from death-like slumber to the inspiration of a new Century and have rock music to blame for all of it. ]

I know what you mean. I woke in 1984 and only had a few months to come to grips with the new technology before I was brought here, and everything is different yet again. But, I'm nothing if not able to quickly adapt.

[ Says the man who got too sad about the loss of the Romantic era and had to take a dirt nap for fifty years but. Whatever.

He speeds their dance up a little, just to keep things interesting, perhaps to test how easily this man can adapt for himself. ]

Ah, a creative, are you? Well, you'll have to show me your work sometime, and perhaps I can show you a piano in action. It's a similar instrument to a harpsichord, except instead of plucking the strings to create notes, pressing the keys of a piano strikes them. The sound produced is a lot lighter, more delicate, as you can hear.

[limbical]

...I didn't know then how much he cared. Or, really, how much anyone cared. Heine had to tell me that I have... friends here. People who care. Much less knowing just how much, how deeply Vergilius would feel about me.

[A grimace.] I'm sorry any of you had to deal with it. Pocketcat did his damage enough by coercing people to drink. ...I know it's not my fault but I do feel responsible nonetheless.

[There, though -- a question about the potential of being possessed again. Daan can only hope it doesn't happen again, but it isn't impossible, is it? A possible fate of his own, brought forth by a mere cup of tea.]

...Don't let Vergilius do something that will hurt him, if you can. If the cat gets me, then everyone is better off not interacting with him.

And I'd do whatever it takes to keep him from throwing it in Vergilius' face.

iii

[wordchain]

[ This experience is somewhat different compared to dancing with Netzach or even Don Quixote... There are several reasons for that, ranging from the varied levels of proximity to being whisked off and rearranged instead of agreeing to take the lead, among other things. In part, it's simply because Kaveh is noticeably taller, and Yesod tries to adjust without looking too taken aback by the entire series of moments currently unfolding. ]

...I suppose I'll continue to follow your lead.

[ To make history...? ]

[fussiest]

[ 'darling, love of my life', reno says, and kaveh has to resist the urge to look over his shoulders to see precisely just who reno's addressing.

it's only because the tone's a flippant one that kaveh affords him a roll of his eyes back, an easy thing that comes with the shift of his boltcutters over his shoulders. as you do. it's not a gala without a little bit of a fight, or so kaveh's learned. ]

Obviously, [ kaveh says, with a hint of a grin, ] if you were better dressed, and had gotten yourself 'fancy', as you put it so eloquently - I'd already be dancing with you.

[perfectdevil]

[ Lestat isn't surprised, somehow, when Will says he's infected by something. He's a little troubled that Will isn't sure and that it seems rather vague, because he himself has been in a similar state of being changed and not being able to find anyone alive to tell him why, so he knows damn well how isolating that can be... but if anything, it only makes him want to put his arms protectively around Will all the more.

When he says such sweet, heartfelt things about how glad he is to know him and uses that word — 'good'; that accursed word, that word that makes Lestat feel flayed open and delicate and like he could weep and never stop — Lestat feels his heart beat desperately against his ribs, and his hands tighten ever so slightly on Will's shoulders, as though he'd like nothing better than to bask in the moment for the rest of time, until he believes that such a thing could be true, that he could be good and it could be easy.

But he pushes all that aside to nod, touched by Will's consideration for Louis in all this. ]

I am on my own schedule, it seems. I think Ghost knows all to well at this point that I am a force all of my own, and that any attempt to control me would be a sheer waste of time. She's very practical in that way. [ A little shrug. ] Louis is busy with his own responsibilities, but I'll collar him for a dance or two later on. Despite living together, I still find it quite hard to be without him for too long.

[ A fond little look, but nevertheless Lestat nods eagerly. ]

I would love a dance with you, monsieur. I'm certain he won't mind.

[yyds]

[ hong lu beams. ]

Really? Fufu, maybe I'm developing mind-reading abilities now? I've always wanted to know what people were thinking, especially when they're eating Gregor's cooking.

[ he happily sidles up to daan to join him, horrific juit and all, taking time to munch for a moment from the plate he'd gotten for himself. the shrimp really is quite good, even if they're a lot smaller than he's used to. perhaps they were baby shrimp? he thinks of the vector of daan's gaze. hm. ] What part of Vergilius is delicious, anyway? I don't think he's that edible.

[perfectdevil]

[ Unluckily for her, a vampire's fine-tuned senses can pick up the detail even in such a garbled phrase as that one was. Sorry, Altria. ]

There's no shame in that. I was born to a noble family, but we had no money even for food. We would have starved had I not been blessed with the ability to hunt well.

[ He looks quite genuinely reassuring. If he'd met her in his own world, he might have been tempted to dump an ungodly amount of riches on her in this moment, just to see what she might do with it. He had a habit of doing things like that. ]

Besides, it hardly matters now, where each of us are either as rich or as poor as the next person, depending on your interpretation.

[ Now that he thinks about it... Even though there's no money here, it wouldn't be impossible to do something similar now, would it? ]

Perhaps sometime soon, after this Gala, when you aren't too busy and if you're interested - I can accompany you to the mall, and I can show you the little tea shop they have there. Since I can't drink it, I haven't sampled their wares, but I've smelt some delicious blends.

[yyds]

[ yi sang says his name. it's like an answering call, hong lu thinks. the estate had been an expansive one, one that stretched from one end of hong lu's world to the other. hong lu knew there was a world beyond it - he merely also knew, from a young age, that that world beyond the estate wasn't for him. not really. it was a world that belonged to other people, other things, other sounds. there were so few sounds at the estate, and those who called for hong lu didn't do so often with his name. in the darkness, sometimes, hong lu would look up and out into it, and wonder what it would be like if his voice had an answering call. even an echo would do. but the estate was large enough that even echoes died.

yi sang says his name like it's the most natural thing in the world. hong lu, in his juit, and beaming with it, sidles to his side. ]

Hm, is that so? [ hong lu says. he leans in with a curious lilt. the cyan of his one, blue eye gleams. ] Hey, what are you thinking about right now, then?

[perfectdevil]

[ It dawns on Lestat what, exactly, she means, and he nods along with all her information, reasoning that it's quite obvious there's a lot of work that goes into making a funeral the grand occasion that it is, and that doing it alone must really take up an impressive amount of time. It makes sense, then, why she's never had time to worry particularly hard about her own appearance and the way she dresses.... even if that seems like such a foreign and impossible concept to him. ]

I don't doubt that you put in an awful lot of hard work where you are from... But you aren't leading any funerals here, are you, my pet? Why, you have nothing but time to yourself, now that no-one around us can truly die.

[fussiest]

[ kaveh's grin widens. he reaches over with his one free hand brandishing that tide pod pen, and begins to studiously rub it against vergilius' sleeve, pressing that sleeve to vergilius' wrist for that extra bit of friction. ]

It's terrible, actually. That combination of white and barbeque sauce can't really be fully covered anyway, but I can get most of it off. I'll get you something to cover it up later; Lestat has an entire fashion department in the heart of this gala. Did you go take a look?

[fussiest]

[ yet?????????????? ]

Don. [ kaveh groans. it's the groan of a man who loves her but is being mortally wounded by the most terrible pun of all time. lesser lord kusanali have mercy on his soul, he thinks, as he gives don's hand a quick squeeze. ] I understood that pun. Yes, I did. And I'm saying so right now because if you're anything like my friend, you'll want to repeat it to make sure I understood. Soles and souls!

[ archons!!! ] Well, I'm glad you're having fun pretending to be a proper lady. Seriously, though, please don't put your tongue onto the dance floor. I think I saw someone spill mayonnaise and soy sauce in one go.

[fussiest]

[ kaveh, who truly is so pathetic that there is likely entire battalions who'd turn their gazes his way and then quietly avert them because the sight of their enemy on the ground in a puddle of his own tears would shame them for thinking of kicking him while he's that down, mere looks up. he brightens. of course he does. it's altria, after all. but kaveh brightening through a veil of tears is rather more like light being refracted into a thousand little bits, so the brightening part is a little blurry and there may be a small rainbow forming.

still, kaveh nods morosely. ]

It was just one drink... and then suddenly I was thinking of the cufflinks...! And just the thought of them overwhelmed me. Oh, cufflinks. [ kaveh reaches out with a hand that's covered in cookie crumbs, ] Altria, you have cufflinks, don't you? You understand gala etiquette and also you love yourself enough to have them, right?

[fussiest]

[ he needs his back to be free? maybe a little cringe but still free??? ]

Oh, you know exactly what I mean. Out with it, now. How many other puns have you come up with in the intervening time that he's away? You might as well get it all out of your system.

[fussiest]

[ the stranger wanders over. kaveh looks. he's a slight young man, he thinks, dark bags extruding under his eyes in a way that suggests sleeplessness is less an ailment and more of a state of being. he is dressed not for a gala but for a casual stroll. perhaps he merely found the gala on a sleepless romp, kaveh thinks, as he offers the young man first a smile, and then a slow elevator crawl of a gaze from toe to head.

a hundred and seventy six centimetres, give or take, kaveh thinks. he begins to rummage through the rack. ]

Hm? Oh, no, not me. But you looked as if you could use some assistance. You're looking for something to wear, right? Everything down that side is a little too long for you, and you've very slight shoulders, too.

I can't manage anything that will fit you perfectly, but I can get you an approximate fit, and tuck it in with a few unobtrusive clips. [ and then, in that self-same breath: ] What colour do you like?

i am a guest among my yesterdays

[numerouno]

[Scaramouche is late to the party. He steps into the building wearing the same purple trenchcoat ensemble he always wears.

Because he'd only stumbled back into town again a few hours ago. How long had he been away, anyway? He walked out of the fog in a daze, not knowing where he was for ten minutes straight, but it came back to him as he kicked around the place. What other city on Earth had dead quiet streets in the dead of night and skies clear of smog? None but this one.

He followed the flyers to this. Something happening in this Nuthin' Nowhere town! But he stays on the sidelines for the most part. Just being here, letting the music flow in, out, and all around him eases that feeling that's still bugging him from being out there so long. He can't put his finger on why the feeling is there. He just knows he marched into that fog, cautious but with an eagerness to go somewhere, do something, get out of this scene, emboldened by the newly returned dagger sheathed at his side.

And then he got lost.

Realizing his hand is clenched around the hilt, he relaxes it in time with the slowing tempo. It's not his type of tune, but just about any bop is welcome after his time wading through The City's barrier. His optics wander the theater in a casually considered way, the way he might look around a potential battleground. On his guard; watching, waiting.

Someone's talking to him. He tears his glowing stare from the landings, turns his head to look down at the man next to him. There's an expectant pause. ...Wait, what?]

Huh? I didn't catch that, babe.

[Obviously the daze from the fog is lingering.]

[fussiest]

[ the glass flips into the air. kaveh's eye traces its arc. he knows without seeing anything further that thancred will catch it. the arc is at a tight, controlled angle of a thing, meant to carve its way right back to where it began, and so long as thancred's hand was where it was, it would return. the parabola is a well-understood one. but the fact that thancred has such control over it means that this isn't the first, second or nth time that he's taken over a bar and wrested miracles out of it.

kaveh's gratitude swells. he owes this man for helping out today. he knows he does. ]

Oh, I'll give compliments to the chef after this. It's Reno, and he'll take it too kindly, but I suppose if one redhead is helping my other one, I can hardly give him too much trouble. [ it's rote. kaveh's gaze peers over the display, then the glasses, and the homes in on the half-empty blue crate there by the counter. ] You're almost out of lemons, aren't you. I'll get Louis to see if he can bring out another few crates for you. Is there anything else you need or want? Maybe a break?

[fussiest]

I don't know, does Vasilissa the wise have twigs and a serving cloth?

[ says kaveh, right-quick, as he scales another three steps up the ladder.

it has to be a transformer issue, though kaveh has exactly two ideas as to what the problem might be, and one of his hypotheses is validated when he looks up and swears, rather colourfully, in sumeran. the translation goes off at a clip. there's something about donkeys in the mix, though there always is. ]

And it doesn't have to be from a tree, but the drier it is the less of a chance I'll accidentally shock myself. I refuse to turn off the power, it's going to affect too many things, and getting the contraption up there to reset when I've just got everything perfectly is not a viable solution.

[ kaveh reaches down blindly. he has not taken his eyes off of that fucking mistletoe that's grown into the transformer. he sees you there, buddy, you are going down. ] Do you have it? Twigs? Cloth?

[perfectdevil]

[ Lestat is more than thoroughly enjoying the evening, standing idly by the crowd, losing himself to the lights and sounds and feeling of a crowd around him after what feels like so long. He's swaying ever so slightly to the music, his eyes unfocused; so when Armand appears at his side it's more of a surprise to see him than it might typically be. That, and Lestat hasn't seen Armand outside the confines of his own apartment for over a month now. With good reason, of course, but nevertheless it's still good to see him approaching what Lestat would call normal. And doing it looking so good, too. ]

They certainly have. Quite a marvel. I find myself unable to look away from it.

[ He's looking at Armand in the same way, his smile warm. He's clearly glad to see him. ]

You look enchanting. Are you here alone, or have you bewitched some poor thing to attend with you?

[ Back to normal, indeed. ]

[fussiest]

[ huh. kaveh looks. argalia, he thinks, is a young man with a grace to him that suggests he is used to functions like these, or at least speaking as if he does. he seems perfectly at home at fearne's arm. kaveh brightens. he hadn't known, he thinks, that fearne had someone to share her time with here, but he's rather grateful for it - after all, he'd sobbed right into her at that counter that night, and it didn't seem fair that she didn't have someone to go home to in the aftermath.

straightening, kaveh offers argalia a pleased nod. then: ]

Hey, now, Miss Fearne [ kaveh says, mock severe as he turns a grin to her, ] - why is it that Mister Argalia gets called 'ardently adored' and I get an entirely unflattering description? Did the love run out when you got to my name, hm?

[ then, to argalia: ] It's a pleasure, Mister Argalia. And believe me, I was just a little cog in this entire gala - it's all Ghost. I'm just pleased that people can enjoy it. [ with a conspicuous wink - ] Don't take Miss Fearne home too early, though, no matter what she says. We have music lined up for some proper dancing after the next few numbers, and it's be a shame if you didn't show her off on the dance floor.

[fussiest]

[ kaveh grins. ]

Only in the sense that I need people to eat from it. I'd heard that you can dip bananas and fruits into the chocolate, but I also know that I wouldn't want the chocolate to sit out for too long.

[ then, with a tilt of his head, ] Alucard, have you seen your handiwork yet? The stainless glass contraption hasn't clicked yet, has it?

[perfectdevil]

Mm, anything you might consider sustenance, yes. I cannot eat the way I assume you do. I think I can, technically, drink water. But I don't feel any desire or need to do it.

[ A little shrug, then his eyes narrow and his smile curls a bit. ]

Are you wondering what sort of creature I am?