[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

[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.

[icanfixer]

[ heheh. she is so clever. ]

That is not a particularly convincing argument against my end of the night plans, dearest friend.

[ added flavoring... ]

[fussiest]

Have taste! [ NO!! STOPPU!!! ] At least - go for something that isn't just sodium overload!

Wait, I'm supposed to be talking you out of putting your tongue onto strange places.

[icanfixer]

And yet thou'rt only encouraging it!!!

[ heehee. kaveh's panic is so fun, she's pulling him into a spin to start their dance. she's leading. let her twirl you. don's got a smattering of styles she's learned, from her own to those she's picked up elsewhere, she'll put them to fun use. ]

Also, I have heard that salt increases the flavor of what it is included in, so I have been endeavoring to put it in all that I make!!! It will only serve to enhance the floor as well!!!

[fussiest]

You... [ but the exasperation there is only half put-out. kaveh falls into step, or some manner of step. don quixote dances as if she is from two planets at once, a makeshift quitwork of styles and steps that leaves kaveh dizzy with breathlessness - and he's laughing as he recognises half a waltz dipping into a square.

truly, this is don. kaveh, who has been leading all night, relinquishes the steps so he can follow. ] Well, I suppose it's a good thing that we have at least two medical practitioners on the floor tonight, so if you happen to keel over, I'll know who to bring you to. That, or I'll have to chase after you all night with a bottle of water.

[icanfixer]

If thou'rt intending to spray me as one does a cat, I shall yowl appropriately!

[ an assured bit, confidently said. she'll yowl. she'll yowl so good. ]

Doctor Daan has fussed at me before, as has Miss Fearne... I rather like to be treated so, in truth, [ hence her egging of kaveh himself, ] for it shows their care -- but I do not wish to burden any too much, for such a line is thin at the veils of resentment. It would sadden me much to know my friends tire of my antics!

[ ... so she just doesn't tell them instead, sometimes, which

has like, been worse in the long run, but it's fine! it's not fine. but she can't stand the thought of their faces anyway. ]

[fussiest]

[ the thought of don, running away from his water bottle while yowling at the moon is such a fun, if chaotic, visage that kaveh is momentarily charmed. his smile softens around its edges. ]

It is good that you are considering how other people might react, but there's also no need to fear overly much. I may not know Miss Fearne well, but I do know something about Daan, and that's no matter how gruff he seems, it will take more than a few antics to bring out his resentment.

[ hm. but where is this line of thinking coming from? ]

Have you met many who tired of you, Don?

[icanfixer]

[ thinking back to angela's observation, that her coworkers didn't seem to reciprocate the friendly opinions and feelings she had towards them, dips her mood a little, and don doesn't reply immediately. ]

... It is hard to say!

[ a little. both thinking, and admitting that perhaps they do tire of her. her smile remains bright despite that though, and she does continue quite happily -- as if it's not a dour topic. ]

Those who work with me, the ones also employed by Limbus Company, are oft at the end of my many words in regards to Fixers, and I often seem to cause unintended trouble for them as well with my righteous actions to defend those who ought to be defended, but we are bound by the same track to move ever-forward in the same direction. I am ever scolded about doing that which I should not have done, but they have not once left me for dead despite their right to it.

[ since it doesn't matter how many times they die, as long as dante's alive they can come back. do they quit her conversations early if they can? certainly. has she been put on a short leash, so to speak, in combat due to her reckless maneuvers? certainly. if they weren't bound by the same contract, taking the same measured steps forward, would they even interact?

every mirror world says yes. in some way, they would find themselves together. but is that not just because of mephistopheles and the mirror itself? ]

Back in my hometown, I was much the same as I am now. [ that is certain. ] But it is not as if I was friendless -- they did not share my passion, but they were my friends nonetheless! That I know for certain.

[ ... ]

[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.

[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? ]

[fussiest]

[ kaveh thinks of a child who had recently lost his mother. watching that ship sail beyond the fata morgana of an unrealised horizon, the sea spray stinging along chewed lips. he thinks of that child sitting in the house of daena surrounding by the murmuring of peers and the jubilation of them - he thinks of that child feeling alone. the oppressive crush of loneliness can come within a crowd. kaveh knows. had been that child, once.

kaveh isn't certain that he has grown up from being that child, in truth. he had told midnight such, that we don't grow up from our mistakes - only into the best shape meant to carry them forward, and kaveh has always carried his mistakes with him like cloistered treasures. don quixote leads, and kaveh follows. he thinks about a don who sits there with her troubles alone because she is too capable to be helped. ]

Have you heard the phrase - that it's the baby bird that chirps the loudest that obtains the worm? In a nest of baby birds, the mother bird only comes back with a single worm to feed them. How does she know which baby bird to feed? The one who calls out the loudest. And the one who lets itself be, who silences its calls... [ kaveh shakes his head. ] I don't think of you as a baby bird, Don. But I think when you're too capable and self-sufficient, it's those who want you to rely on them that are hurt the most. It's not rational, or logical. But it's simply the way people are.

[icanfixer]

So I ought to allow myself some level of-- of helplessness, or something of the sort?

[ she doesn't sound angry nor irritated by it, but there's a tone of disbelief. ]

I do not mind asking others for help when I am in need of it; there are many things I cannot do, to which I should like to do with perfection for the sake of another, and thus I turn to those knowledgeable for assistance. [ it isn't the same. ] But... in other matters, my beloved friend, I mustn't.

[ but it will be easier to explain. ]

I have spoken of Fixers, no? Of Colors, who are the epitome of their strength, the most honorable and noble of all... who seek to protect those below, and who hath the power to do so? They are reliable and need not the help of any, they are able to handle themselves and their troubles -- they are strong enough to handle it on their own, with naught a single person worried... nor wishing to worry about them.

[ concepts, more than people. ideas and statues on pedestals, more than beings with life breathed into them.

still. ]

... I understand, somewhat, of what thee say of course; I wished to be relied on by Mistress Gebura, whom I had learned was one such Color I admired dearly just the month past, and learning that fact did not change my feelings. I still did, and I still do. [ humans are contrasting. she, too, is human. ] But I wish to become strong enough to handle these affairs of my own as well, just as those before me have been. Does that make an ounce of sense?

[ as lonely as it is, as lonely as she feels. her grip on his hand is tight, as if asking not to let that loneliness come to past -- but maybe it's just for their dance. ]