[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

[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?

[reflexio]

[ Getting toted to the gala by Hong Lu may as well be a sleepless romp.

He offers the stranger a sheepish look. Oh dear. Had it been that obvious? ]

I see. ...that would certainly address the lack of suitable attire.

[ Whoever this man is, Yi Sang thinks, he is both kind and rather chatty. Neither of these traits are a bad thing. The fact that he's offering such generosity is what makes Yi Sang feel a bit remorseful about his inability to answer quickly.

The thing about living someplace without colors means one does not spend much time thinking about what their favorite color might be. ]

...I am fond of yellow spicebush blossoms, but a suit that shade might be overly conspicuous.

[fussiest]

[ yellow spicebush blossoms? kaveh thinks - he has never seen a spicebush before. but the word itself is evocative. it's a name of a plant that reminds one of something lightly scented with the sharp prickle of spice, of an autumn day amidst golden, falling leaves. it's romantic. kaveh looks. he hadn't expected the young man to say such a thing. he's not certain if the yellow would complement his complexion, is the thing.

... but that doesn't mean there isn't a way. kaveh's hands plunge back into the pile. ]

Certainly, I hope nobody's made a suit that shade. At least not out of any of this material, and certainly not out anything more reflective. Something too yellow would eclipse the sun itself if you were walking about, and that isn't conducive to anything. Ah - [ kaveh pulls out the suit jacket he had been searching for. dark, neat lines - and with a lining the colour of raw pyrite. kaveh holds it up to the young man with a smile. ] How about this, though? It's subtle, but the lining brings out a bit of the gold. You won't blind anyone, but it'll be as if you were wearing the yellow that you like.

[reflexio]

[ The yellow would, most definitely, not complement Yi Sang's complexion.

He observes the other man rifle through the pile of blazers and trousers. He has a point; wearing an outfit the color of the sun risked leaning too heavily into a single word from the event's theme. It's "sunlight at midnight," after all.

Yi Sang has no real opinion on the color of the outfit that's presented to him. He'd never quite mastered color theory. Even as an architect, he'd never needed to concern himself with the colors of the buildings he designed. There was no need when color did not exist within T Corp.

But if this genial man thinks it will suffice, it's probably good enough. He sets to unbuttoning his vest, shrugging it off his shoulders and draping it over an arm. Fortunately, he's already arrived dressed in a button-down shirt and tie. He then accepts the suit jacket, slipping his arms through it and pulling it over his shoulders. It's a little big, but it's probably about as good as it's going to get.

He glances back at his current company with a slightly lost expression, awaiting his evaluation. ]

Will this suffice...?

[fussiest]

[ the young man puts on the jacket. it's a little large, but kaveh has clips for that. he circles him slowly as he considers the fit and the line of it, the colours and the form. a little bright splash of pyrite gold peeks out from just beneath his cuff. it's not kaveh's best work, but it's lovely, in a way that's unfiltered and raw. kaveh is in love.

he smiles. ]

For now, yes. I'll get you a boutonnière of a similar colour for your lapel, so that it adds to the colour, just a bit. You look like you could be a subject of a painting, one with character.

[ then, because it's belated, kaveh holds out his hand. ] Sorry, I should have introduced myself earlier. I'm Kaveh, an architect, though I suppose that only means a little, given there isn't much to build in this city.

[reflexio]

[ Were the other man not in such high spirits, Yi Sang would feel a little like a cornered prey animal. It's the manner in which the stranger circles him, gaze closely studying his physical appearance. But he sees the wonder, the satisfaction in the other man's eyes, and it's those two things that offer Yi Sang reassurance.

He shifts a bit, avoiding the other man's bright eyes. He's never gotten used to having others' attention on him, and he doesn't think he'd make for a very good painting subject. ]

An architect?

[ Yi Sang doesn't notice Kaveh holding out his hand. Instead, he pales as his gaze snaps back to Kaveh's face. ]

...I see.

[ He at least manages to reach for the other's hand, not wanting to be impolite when Kaveh's shown him nothing but kindness. He gives it a stiff shake. ]

Pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Yi Sang. ...my apologies, I did not anticipate meeting another architect.

[ Only after he'd spoken does he realize his slip of tongue. "Another," he'd said, perhaps laying the foundation for Kaveh to realize he wasn't the only architect in this two-person conversation. ]

[fussiest]

[ it's the first time, kaveh thinks, that he's had this sort of reaction before. it's a little like a storm brewing overhead, an overcast sky sweeping in at an oblique angle to blotch out the sun. the young man's face pales. kaveh looks. the reaction is too visceral for kaveh not to feel it in their joined hands. the shake is a stiff one, the flicker of the young man's eyes measures a noose. the way his gaze dips is like that of a rock in a well, and kaveh suddenly thinks - oh.

kaveh's smile gentles. he lets the young man finish the motions for the handshake, and then lets his hand go. ]

It's a pleasure, Mister Yi Sang. There are three of us here, actually - sort of. I don't know if Alucard would call himself an architect, strictly enough but he has the training and the expertise for it.

[ kaveh looks at the young man. he carefully observes the line of his body. ] Forgive me for the question, but I have reasons to believe so - does the word 'architect' mean something different to you than a designer of buildings?

[ after all, it was only here that kaveh learned that the word 'library' could mean something different to people - a place not of knowledge, but of death, of a cage. ]

[reflexio]

[ He shakes his head. The fact that "architect" is the title assigned to those who design buildings is precisely the reason for Yi Sang's visceral reaction. ]

...no, you are correct. An "architect" is one who designs buildings, constructs open areas, and maps out artificial environments.

[ Yi Sang observes the way Kaveh's expression softens. Ah. So he has noticed.

Yi Sang's own expression shifts to one of nostalgia, albeit tinged at the edges with something resembling regret. ]

The buildings you designed -- they must have been beautiful.

[ It's already been hinted at, given Kaveh's sense of aesthetics. But this man also seems the sort who is capable of crafting wondrous spaces. Yi Sang glances down at his own fingers. By now, it's gotten easier to recall that his own hands had crafted more than the blueprints that caused such suffering, had done more than drawn the schematics for devices forming the basis of another's heartbreak.

And yet, it is difficult to forget how he'd intentionally taken the long way home to avoid passing by those looming factories. ]

[fussiest]

[ the definition, kaveh thinks - is the same. but it isn't. buildings and open areas and artificial environments, and it's the sort of definition you could get off the back of a haravatat's first-year textbook on word meanings and deconstruction. but it's not right, kaveh thinks, and nearly opens his mouth to correct him -

but he hadn't needed to. not really. 'they must have been beautiful', the young man says, and kaveh thinks - he would have died if they hadn't been. ]

Not all of them. [ is what kaveh says, truthfully, as the smile he gives the young man is tinged with something like rue, ] Though I fought long and hard to make them so. You might know how it is - picky clientele, impossible demands, long hours and revisions, and not a single bit of gratitude near the end. But I wanted each and every building that went up with my schematics to be beautiful, and to that end, there were boundaries I had to push.

[ kaveh considers this young man and his downcast eyes. he says: ] Do you have a moment? I'd like to show you something.

[reflexio]

[ His eyes remain crestfallen, but Kaveh's comments about the hardships caused by the work does get something of a wry smile out of him. Yes, he distinctly recalls a similar experience. Fickle clientele, unreasonable demands, grueling hours and unending requests for more efficient use of space, to ensure an additional piece of machinery could fit if the need arose, to design each factory with a panoptical interior allowing each manager to survey the workers from any location within the room -- he knows them well.

None of those buildings had been beautiful. It was less of a person's dream given shape and more of trying to cram people into an already-created space.

Only upon hearing Kaveh's request does Yi Sang lift his gaze. He... wants to show him something? ]

My presence is not required anywhere at any specified time.

[ By which, indeed, he has several moments to spare given Hong Lu's excellent ability to entertain himself. ]

[fussiest]

[ for the first time, the young man lifts his gaze. kaveh wonders if he's doing the right thing by offering - if it will only bring this young man more of that pain that pushes down the curve of his shoulders. but this is the only thing that kaveh knows how to do.

he beckons for yi sang to follow him. ]

Well, for now, I hope. I have high hopes that someone will take you out onto a dance floor after this, given the way you now look.

[ kaveh leads them out of the fashion lair. together, they ascend the stairs. ]

Is this your first time at a gala like this?

[reflexio]

[ Yi Sang trails after Kaveh. He's always been good at following instructions. He stays a couple paces behind Kaveh and considers the other man's statement. He does not think that anyone will offer to take him onto the dance floor, even with the remedied outfit. The thought, however, is kind, and it's why Yi Sang finds he cannot reject it. It would be impolite to push away Kaveh's generosity. ]

It is. I have not attended any in the past. ...I would not have had any reason to do so in the past.

[ What could a wallflower contribute to a grand event like this?

His footfalls are swallowed up by the gala's background noise. Yi Sang knows not where Kaveh leads him, but he continues up the stairs with him. ]