[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

[icanfixer]

[ don's voice grows hot in anger to her chilling edge, pity mounting the more disillusioned kromer becomes. ever a villain, but still pitiful. ]

They were flesh and blood once, just like thyself, just like I! Why ever would that replace the feelings they had for thee, even if they were to replace all they had with metal and wires? One still feels anger and sorrow, pride and elation, even if they have become naught but a box and a brain -- their experiences and memories still make them, even if they are not who they once were in appearance.

[ but how many times can the boards of a ship be replaced with others before it's no longer the same? a riddle for the ages, and apt here. ]

They were still thy parents, like it or not. They still loved thee, still celebrated thee, still--

[gripper]

( kromer doesnt care if everyone hears it, if it makes a scene--

she raises a hand as fast as she raises her sword, bringing it across don quixote's face with as little hesitation as she does thrusting her blade through the head of one of those heretics or their sympathizers. )

They were not my parents, ( she hisses, secondly grabbing a strap of don's dress to jerk her closer. ) The people who raised me up, who understood me, who did their best to guide me down the path I was meant to walk, that I wanted to follow whole-heartedly--Guido, the Hammers--they were my family, you vile little beast.

[icanfixer]

[ it stings, mistletoe scattering at their feet as her hands come up to grip kromer's wrist, pulled to attention with a scowl. her cheek aches. she'll have to ice it.

even if she and sinclair are closer, even if they would tell each other more, she still doesn't want to talk to him about a woman she wants him to pay no mind to in the first place. ]

They were once thy parents, [ she says back full of conviction, ] and that much thou hath acknowledged. They were born of flesh too. They were not put together in a factory, whatever the trend they turned to so that they would fit in -- I am sorry that thy life became what it did, and I while I consider thee blameless in thy feelings I will never condone thine actions.

I understand thee, to a point. [ she does. she gets it. ] But they are not villains for their desires.

[gripper]

And I am not one for mine, either.

( she's right. she's right she's right she's right she's right she's right she's )

Let go of me, rat.

[icanfixer]

[ don grips her wrist for a moment more, squeezing it, before she lets go. ]

I do not see how thee can be so convinced, when there are far more who would disagree. But I do not dislike that conviction of thine; I only wish it put to better use.

[gripper]

Those people didn't grow up with friendly faces destroying themselves for the sake of being trendy, throwing away what made them human, forsaking experience for convenience.

( she lets go of don too, pulling away before she kneels to collect the fallen mistletoe again. they need somewhere to dump this. fast, too, before someone investigates such a ringing slap.

kromer hates to admit it, too, but she finally asks, voice uninterested despite the question— )

What "better use" would you have for it?

[icanfixer]

I do not disagree with thee on the topic of experience and convenience.

[ first off. she hesitates, then stoops to collect what she can as well. it's her job to hold it. her voice quiets, more of a secret than not. ]

I think it a travesty they would do such a thing to themselves, simply because they have tired of it, simply because it is what is "on trend" and expected -- that is different than those who have lost a limb and would wish to regain their mobility, or to have a chance to live normally albeit with a metallic structure protruding from their flesh. That is something one can understand, is it not? In yet another life, I am certain I would follow the same path thou hath done and sought to right the former's wrongful thinking.

[ she knows that she would. she's lived proof of it, in the corners of her mind, in the reflections of sinclair's eyes. ]

More than all that, Kromer, do thee not see it is not the fault of the people, weak-willed as they may be, but from something far above? Would thee not agree that if one wishes to kill a snake, they must not take it from the tail, but the head? Thy convictions are strong, and I admire thee for staying so true to what thee feel -- but thy sword is pointed in the wrong direction.

[ ... just like gebura had said. you need to know where to point your anger, your energy, or else you risk dealing with the consequences yourself. ]

It is not the fault of the people, but those that govern them. I would even strike at the Head, [ not just the head of a snake, but the head, ] if I found fault with them; my justice is not bound by law, but is much more alike to thine.

What harm is there, then, in using that energy of thine, that conviction thee hold so fast to, for the sake of others? I am ever-vigilant still, but I have made time and an effort to better the lives of those around me, for it is what I am able to do. Thou'rt a capable woman, and an inspiring leader -- for all I may fault thee, that much is fact.

[gripper]

( isn't it their fault, for being so weak-willed? even emil sinclair was a coward, pathetic, swayed by anxiety and indecision, and still he could not swallow happily the idea of being changed the same way everyone else was so thrilled to be. like her, he let the sentiment stay beneath his tongue, rotting, sweetening, until someone stood in front of his desk and took it from his mouth, shared with him their own resentment, a grudge.

still. kromer listens, careful not to let their hands touch, always reaching for a different mistletoe than don quixote. this is probably more than what the other woman would like to admit, or would ever admit to admitting; this is probably something else she would keep from sinclair, let rot beneath her tongue.

the thought almost makes her smile, and she keeps her voice low, too. )

I do my part around here, Don Quixote. Do you think Junpei is the one who really schedules the meetings, or thinks of all of that on his own? I work just as much as him, if not twice the amount, even though I don't want to go back anymore. ( to ashes, to cold, to nothing. ) You and I both know there's no point in changing here either, especially for me—no pointing my sword in a different direction, or at another foe. I mean, no one's jumping to change themselves like in the City either—this place is pretty nice for that—but, fine, say I wanted to go along with your words, here.

( just suppose she let a woman sway her this time. )

What should I do? Throw a Valentine's Day party? Apologize to Sinclair? Donate my sword to the museum and swear off using it against other people? ( a scathing laugh. ) Renounce Nagel und Hammer and what they've given me?

( get real, don quixote. and yet... )

I don't want your pity still, but I appreciate the olive branch. ( her understanding and agreement of her reasons and conviction, when all she wanted was... as a child, what she wanted to be was... ) What's dead is dead, though, and I won't lie and say I'm sorry for it.

[icanfixer]

I shan't ask thee to be, though I do wish thou were.

[ sorry for it all. able to renounce all she'd been given by nagel und hammer. the rest isn't relevant, truly -- but one would admit her drive is wrong, and the other would be forsaking the only people she'd felt understood her.

don quixote, who has found much the same, understands how unimaginable that can be. ]

All of what thee say are options open, but best of them would be coming to an understanding with Sinclair. He is important to thee, is he not? Just as he is to myself -- though in a different way. I do not think we are so different in our reasons for our... affections.

[ ... ]

If one could call what thee feel towards him that.

[ anyway. ]

He shall never forgive thee for that which thou shall never apologize for, even if thee were to do so -- such is his right, for he owes thee naught. But in the same way, there is naught that is owed to him from thyself. [ ... ] I do believe that putting thy efforts to the community, be it party or otherwise, would do well; thy work with Junpei is impressive, and thy organizational skills are evidence of thy previous leadership. There are skills that can be used for something greater if one lets them be.

[gripper]

( an understanding with sinclair? ...what understanding could they have now? they had one. he decided he didn't want to have it anymore. she can't understand what it's like to lose your family and hate someone for it because she denounced her family, kept her name for herself, and killed them as easily as she did the rest of calw when she returned with a battalion of inquisitors.

what understanding could they have now? they had an agreement, and he called it nothing. they've met on even ground, and every time he's bared his teeth at her. she loves it when he looks like that, though. a killer's gaze suits him as much as the gentle, nervous smile she's spotted when he looks at... )

You can't even say you love him, can you? ( a laugh, as she stands up, finally. ) Poor thing! How's he ever supposed to know? At least I've said as much to him.

( more or less. the implication, something he won't want to look at but would dig like a splinter of glass anyway. )

I'll consider it, if it'll get you off my ass for now. How about that?

( is she being honest? is she just saying words? who knows. her tone is back to being flippant as ever. )

[icanfixer]

[ her cheeks heat and redden at the remark -- no, she can't, she can barely say she's ever-so fond of him in a way a friend shouldn't be -- and she remains close to the ground to will away the fluster before she stands.

it hasn't gone away, the strength of her speech before but a memory when the stammer of love comes into play. oh, how she hates it. oh, how it pleases her. ]

I... it is well enough that thee consider it, Kromer. Even if they are only words.

[ because there's no guarantee, and don isn't expecting there to be. they are not friends. they are not even allies. but they are more civil than some, and they understand one another to a point.

... gosh, another thing she's envious of is how brave kromer is in just saying she loves him... maybe it comes with time... ]

Here, give the leaves to me -- I shall discard them post-haste, and leave thee to thy thoughts at last.

[gripper]

( there is little hesitance in handing off the ones she picked up to donkeyote, her pack animal. that was what she was here for, after all. not to have a more civil talk than most with, not to share words like this, not to hear things one might never speak again. )

Thanks, but don't forget to save a sprig for yourself! It'll be the only way you can get someone to kiss you... or should I say, it'll be the only way you can gather enough courage to kiss someone? Such a wonderful excuse it is, saving someone from bad luck.

( well. back to the same old, same old. )

[icanfixer]

[ PLEASE she is TRYING to be







normal!!!!!!!!!! ]

I-I am no coward, I need not-- not a plant to kiss someone if I should wish it, cur! And it is no excuse; if there is superstition of bad luck, then there is cause to believe it! Whatfore would one lie about such misfortune?!

[ to kiss their crush, don. ]

[gripper]

To kiss their crush, duh.

( lmao? lmao. )

I guess there's probably some people who just do it for tradition's sake, too. Why change what's good? ( yes kromer we all know how you feel about cha ) Good luck out there, Don Quixote. You're gonna need it.

( not her tho. she'd win. )

[icanfixer]

[ ooohuugh... ouuh... whatever......... kromer wins this round (as she usually does once don has been flustered), she's trooping off to

she doesn't know

burn them outside? maybe...

...





and keep one for herself, maybe... ]