happy new year! (party edition)

[unrequite]

WHO: Anyone who saw Midnight's network post about Seventh Hell's grand opening!
WHAT: Happy New Year! We survived! (At what cost!?)
WHERE: Seventh Hell
WHEN: New Year's Eve, starting at 6 pm.
WARNINGS: Alcohol! Maybe more, please mind individual thread warnings!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

SEVENTH HELL WELCOMES YOU!

It's been a rough half a year. Kidnappings, atmospheric horror, murder (technically), aesthetics, disappearances, reappearances, and the creeping sensation that you aren't alone...

Hey, at least there's drinks.

When you descend the stairs to the underground club, there's music playing, the lights are low, but boy, are there a lot of them. The bartender welcomes you in. Order something, make yourself comfortable! The booths along the mirrored walls, lined with chandeliers and discoballs, are decorated with a sprinkle of shining confetti and host a variety of simple party snacks. (In fact, if your character arrived with some food to share, a bartender will guide you to the tables to help you set it up. They'll get you a drink for your trouble. How thoughtful of them!)

Grab a snack and a drink! It's no planetarium, but there's a variety of party activities to engage in. (Or make up your own! Seriously, this is a pretty casual affair.)

Every guest will receive one ticket for a raffle. There will be three winners, and each winner can choose one out of 3 prizes:

1) One date with one participating host club staff member. (If your character is a current host club staff member who would volunteer for a blind date, please PM me so I can add their name to the list.) Current list of participants: Midnight, Don Quixote, Astarion, Armand
2) One specialty drink named in the winner's honor.
3) One 12 in x 12 in square on one of the mirrors of the Host Club to leave a permanent mark! The winner will be invited back at any time to take paint markers, paint, permanent markers, etc, to leave a short message, work of art, or anything that can fit in a square foot of mirror space in a discreet, aesthetically pleasing area of the host club. (Kaveh chooses where.)

Winners may choose prizes previously chosen by other winners. Winners may forfeit for others to have a chance at a prize, but may not give away their prize to someone else specifically. In the case that one chooses the third prize but lacks the requisite skill or confidence to create a permanent fixture, one can outsource the space to a willing artist or writer within reason.

!

OOC: RAFFLE DETAILS

I will be rolling the results of this raffle on January 2nd, before the start of Alba's player plot! Don't worry about keeping up with the results, I'll PM winners individually. The only requirement for entry is to participate in one thread on this post! If your character would forfeit their prize, please let me know via PM so I can remove their name from the pool! EDIT: All prizes have been claimed! Congratulations to Hob, Yi Sang, and Altria! 🎉

MAIN SEATING (PARTY GAMES)

The back booths of the establishment, along with the standard decorations, have been supplied with small cards. The rules of two different party games are written on each:

NEVER HAVE I EVER

A getting to know you game! For groups of 5 or fewer players, begin with 5 points. For any more than that, it is suggested to start with 10. The goal of the game is to be the last person with points remaining.
1) Everyone in the game starts with five points each. Keep track of your points with your fingers!
2) The first player describes a short scenario that they have never experienced.
3) The other players must put a finger down if they have experienced said scenario. If they, too, have never experienced the scenario, their points remain unaffected.
4) Move onto the next player and repeat steps 2 through 4. The last person with points remaining wins!
5) BONUS: Drinks may be substituted for points. Simply take a drink when you have experienced the scenario! (Please drink responsibly!)

KING'S GAME

This game requires straws, chopsticks or a deck of cards. Please ask a bartender for supplies!
1) For the amount of players in the game, arrange the same amount of straws or chopsticks. For the card version, please use one suit.
2) Assign one chopstick/straw as the "king". For the card version, use one King of your chosen suit. The rest of the cards, chopsticks, or straws should be numbered from 2 to 10 (or however players choose to play.)
3) All players choose a game marker at random. Do not show the other players your number.
4) The King must first reveal themselves. For that round, they must issue a dare to up to two numbered participants. (e.g. Numbers 2 and 5 must end their sentences with "meow" for the next two rounds. The King can choose themselves as one of the participants.)
5) Shuffle the game markers, choose a new King, and repeat!
6) For a challenge, add points for completed dares and drawing the King! The first player to 10 points wins the game. For this mode, it is suggested to add a punishment of a drink for anyone who refuses their dares.

(Please drink responsibly! For the sake of tonight's festivities, we ask that all time based dares end before midnight.)

!

OOC: THREAD SUGGESTIONS

For the purpose of these prompts, feel free to handwave other participants, or to use these prompts as jumping off points for any specific threads you want! For example, one might like to use the King's Game to get into a scenario where one's character has to hold hands with another character for a few minutes for a dare. Please be creative!

THE STAGE (PERFORMANCES)

Eddie Munson (thefreak) will be headlining, with Midnight as backup whenever he can wiggle free from his bartending duties. In between sets, anyone is free to pick up an instrument and a microphone and try their hand at ringing in the new year with a bit of song.

THE BACK ROOMS (NO, NOT LIKE THAT)

There are currently three rooms available for formal guest activities! The rest of the rooms are locked and will require permission for entry. (They're all empty!)

THE GREENHOUSE (featured host: Fearne)

You were... You were underground just a second ago, right? Pull up a seat, settle in, and enjoy being surrounded by plants, a mildly hydrated atmosphere, and light, friendly conversation between fellow guests. There are no activities here, but it does seem like people are free to start up their own round of party games in this somewhat quieter environment... It would be a nice place for a game where one might want to be heard over all that music. (Suggested games: Word Association, 2 Truths and a Lie, 20 Questions.)

THE COFFEE SHOP (featured host: Chesed)

For anyone who needs caffeination to start their new year right. Featuring nondescript coffee shop music, a mildly chill vibe, and comfortable seating, come grab an espresso and pretend you have some important project to deliver by some very specific deadline next year. For this occasion, board games and cards are available for those who want a little more involved with their gaming experience for the new year. (Suggested games: Poker, Uno, Jenga.)

THE PET STATION

Congrats, you printed yourself a dog! Or a cat! Or something! For the purposes of showing off one's pet and getting them some proper socialization, for one night only, there is a pet area monitored closely by one of the club's staff members where one can drop off their furry friend. Get that pet socialized! Get yourself socialized! Please, make a friend before the year ends. It's good for you.

code

[ ooc: If any part of this post is in error, PLEASE do let me know! I made this in like two days in between work and I barely know left from right. Also, host club members especially are encouraged to PM me with any details or updates about this event they'd like for me to add. Thank you, and please enjoy your IRL new year! ]

Comments

[excaliburden]

Huh?

[Her? Dazzle him?

... There's no way. He must be confused. Or maybe he meant something else? It's just--

--she's not that sort of person.

He moves on though, and so, with a faint flush to her cheeks, she decides he must have been mistaken, or maybe just meant everyone as a whole.]

R-right.

[A beat. That sinks in.]

Oh, wait, is that what a host club is? I've seen them before, but I've never been allowed inside. So they're a place to dream? [... well. Maybe less literally.]

[unrequite]

[ Ah... Shy, even if she's putting up a brave face about it. He makes a note to be a bit kinder with her. ]

Well, if it was just dreams, I'd be rather remiss in keeping you awake with all my chatter, mm?

[ He grins, grabs a stool, and joins her properly, snagging a tub of unwashed glasses and beginning the process of dumping out the ice and empty fruit peels into a nearby bin. ]

I'm a host, love. Or I was, once upon a time. My job was to drink with others, keep them company... Make sure they felt well cared for. I liked to make people feel as though their problems were well accounted for, but outside the walls of my host club, safe and distant for as long as they were with me. Thus, the dream.

1/3

[excaliburden]

[He grabs a stool to join her, and she plants both of her hands on the front of her own seat to lean in to watch him at work. Oooh...!

What he's saying sinks in... a little too slowly.

.. .... ...]

Oh, it's a metaphorical dream...!

2/3

[excaliburden]

[... She is realizing now, all of a sudden, that that should have been obvious. Obviously it's a metaphorical dream. Obviously host clubs aren't places where people go to sleep and have nice dreams.


Ha ha! That'd be ridiculous! Ha!


........... hhhh]

3/3

[excaliburden]

[AHEM!!!]

A-anyway! You must be very charming if you're able to help people take their minds off of their problems like that.

Is it very difficult?

[unrequite]

[ What an absolute gem of a young girl... He grins, restacking the cups neatly in the tub and gently pushing it away, washing his hands briefly. ]

Only as difficult as one makes it difficult to be charmed, and if you're attributing charm to me without any hint of having seen any yet... Well, that means I've quite a ways to go, don't I?

[ Midnight laughs, takes another sip of his shirley temple. ]

That said, there should never be a host who can simply charm everyone, mm? Beyond there being no accounting for taste, beyond the difficulty of doing so, it implies that everyone in the world is in need of a host's charm, which is simply untrue.

[excaliburden]

[Ah... this is deeper than she first thought or anticipated. Altria traces a droplet of condensation down her glass as she considers his words. Not everyone needs hosts, huh...?]

People who don't need any dreams or time away from their lives, you mean?

[She supposes that makes sense. There are a lot of people who somehow live their lives with their eyes straight ahead, never wavering or straying. She admires them as much as she finds herself jealous of them.]

Still... are you sure that there are people you couldn't charm? I've only just met you and you've been so easy to talk to!

[Isn't that what charm--or charisma, she supposes--is?]

[unrequite]

Oh, good. I do like to think I am charming, yes. But for everyone...

[ Midnight shakes his head, but when he picks up his drink for another sip, it's not with any dismay or discomfort with the idea that he may not be for everyone. He knows what he's capable of, and it's not that. ]

What I mean to say is that hosts provide a service that, were the playing field level, anyone could do for anyone else. For example, a couple who only have eyes for one another, who have grown old with each other, agreeable with each other's incongruities... I have great admiration for those sorts of people, certainly, but I am not for them, nor are they for me. They are each other's dream, their time away from their lives in that they are each other's lives.

[ Midnight raises a brow, smiles at his new friend. ]

That said, I'm not sure if everyone needs a dream, or time away from their lives. I've learned not to assume that much. What I do generally assume is that most people desire things outside of their grasp, and spend most of their lives trying to find places in their lives for their needs and wants to fit. Hosts don't have to be a part of that picture, so when someone decides that my company is worth that space, that time, it's a great privilege.

[excaliburden]

["They are each other's dream", he says, and Altria can't help but think that it's such a lovely and romantic picture that he paints. Those who are wrapped up in each other, who have already found a perfect sort of love don't need the services of a perfect little midsummer night's dream.

Those, too, who have their eyes fixed on the horizon may not need that sweet, tempting dream.

It all makes perfect sense to her, explained that way. There are people who know precisely what they want, people who are determined and dedicated beyond the norm, and people who have been blessed with the perfect romance. For everyone else, there is the sort of dream that Midnight works hard to provide. It's a kindness, she thinks--an understanding, empathetic kindness.

(What of people who only have nightmares when they sleep, she can't help but wonder. But then... this probably isn't the sort of thing that's meant for her either, like most things.)

She lifts her drink to taste it, beaming at the sweetness and fizziness, and nods eagerly.]

I think I get it now! It sounds like a lovely service.

But what about you? Does that mean you don't need any dreams like that? Or does providing this sort of escape help you too?

[unrequite]

Me? Mm...

[ Midnight thinks, then sips his drink dry, reaches down to refill his own glass (and hers as well, should she need some topping off. ]

Well, I won't deny that I made my fortune on the endeavor.

[ Sold the whole thing away, too. She doesn't need to know that part, though. ]

But... Even when I progressed to the next stage of my life, I kept going back to the same habits, the same conversations, the same greetings. I've always made the happiness of others my first priority, my first happiness. It's easier for me to live that way.

[ Mostly true, but he certainly did avoid any mention of his dreams, or whether it's an escape. For the former, it's simply because on its face, it's simple: he wants to be happy. For the latter... that's complex, isn't it? Suffice to say that living this way, for him, isn't actually easy. It's just better than the alternative... But the topic of his humanity certainly isn't the topic. It's the new year, after all, and this child is so young and sweet. These things are what an adult keeps to himself in favor of the promise of a new year. ]

[excaliburden]

[There's a lot to read into here, whether he intends for it or not. "It's easier for me to live that way," he says, and boy if that doesn't resonate in a way that she doesn't like. It's... like staring, a little bit, into a distorted mirror. The reflections aren't quite right, but there's enough there for there to be a clear indication.

(Living life in the way that's easiest, regardless of if that's what truly makes him happiest...)

She's quiet for a moment, looking down at her drink, kicking her legs idly into the air as she sits on her stool.]

... I don't think you answered my question. [It's said simply and calmly, and she tilts her head as she looks back up at him.]

Oh--that's okay, though. If you don't want to, I mean. It's just that... providing others with happiness being the easiest doesn't mean that that's what fulfills your own dreams, right?

[unrequite]

[ He, in turn, would find it very strange that a girl very early into her maturity cycle would have anything to find reflected in the eyes of a nearly forty year old vampire. Both young and old. But he isn't magic, and his eyes see as well as any other vampire: which is to say, he only sees what's in front of him.

So when he puts down his drink and smiles at her, it's with the kind of simple affection he has with people he's just met, but already likes. ]

Perhaps I'll answer that question for you later, mm? They're good questions, and there are answers for them, but right now, I'm quite happy to be here, and I'm happy to have met you. And that answers my purposes well enough.

[ Midnight hums, putting the bottles and grenadine away, then lifting his cup for a toast. ]

There's a whole year ahead, filled with new questions to answer, and new reasons to be happy. Who knows? You might win that raffle, and find yourself in a position to claim those answers faster than you though. Here's to that sort of serendipity, mm?

[ Wouldn't that be, like, crazy?? ]

[excaliburden]

[Well, that's fair, honestly. If he doesn't want to talk about it, he doesn't want to talk about it; not like she doesn't get it herself (given, of course, that she Never Wants To Talk About It).

So she lifts her glass to toast him in return, smiling brightly at him--and a little blankly.]

The raffle?

[...?

???

... OH. THAT'S RIGHT.]

Oh, that's okay. I'm not the sort of person who wins things like that. [A sheepish little laugh, but she lifts her glass to clink it against his anyway.

Ha ha! That'd be crazy!]

It's nice of you to do, though!

[unrequite]

Never say never, darling. You tempt fate that way, and she is a tricky lady to charm. Unless, of course, you find yourself relishing the thrill of that sort of challenge.

[ ... Okay, to be fair to him, he waits until she's swallowed to say that. Sorry, little lady, he's just kinda old and mean. ]

[excaliburden]

[Thank goodness for that. She doesn't choke, but she does fluster a little, shaking her head hastily.]

Oh, no, no, no, not me!

[She is a DEMURE and LOVELY little LADY. (She is none of those things but she pretends.)]

That's just what I'm used to having happen. But! If I win, it would be really exciting, too. You wouldn't mind if I asked to hang out again?

[unrequite]

[ Is this laugh at her expense? Oh, definitely, but she's so cute, and he knows that he'll definitely make it up to her later. ]

Not at all. In fact, I insist that you spend more time with me, mm? If not for a date, then for a bit of conversation if you ever feel the urge to step out for some company again. I may not be a host any longer, but my ear is ever yours...

[ ... Another laugh. ]

You have my name, but I don't have the pleasure of knowing yours. Ah, I am rusty. My apologies for not asking earlier.

[excaliburden]

Oh! That's right. Sorry, I was so distracted by everything...

[It's easy to get swept up into the atmosphere here, really.]

I'm Altria! Altria Caster. It's really nice to meet you properly. And I'm really glad to hear that, too.

[WHEW. She won't be a pest! If she bothers him more!]

[unrequite]

No apologies, Miss Caster. I am the host. That responsibility lies with me.

[ Far from a pest! He's the sort who doesn't do well on his own and he knows it. ]

It's a pleasure to meet you as well. Please, come to me with your thoughts any time. I've heard confessions of all kinds in my twenty odd years as a host... Perhaps yours will surprise me, mm?

[excaliburden]

C-c-confessions?

[?!?!?

She knows he doesn't mean romantically, but even so, it's embarrassing to think of spilling her guts like that, even though he seems perfectly nice and charming.

Aaaaaa--!!]

I don't think, um! I don't think that'll be necessary at all. Just--regular chatting would be great!

[unrequite]

[ Midnight laughs. Goodness gracious, she is so cute. ]

Just regular chatting, then. I'll put that on my to-do for the new year... A nice, regular chat with Miss Altria Caster. Yes, I do like the sound of that. Love a chat, especially with someone so kind and thoughtful.

[excaliburden]

[Oh no, the compliments... they're so nice and also so overwhelming, all at once. Her cheeks are a little red, but she rallies herself as best she can.]

Th-thank you...! [She knows he's probably a very busy man, so she doesn't plan on taking too much of his time, but...!]

I think so too! You're very kind and thoughtful and also you're really good at giving compliments but that's, um, not why I wanted to talk. Just to be clear! Even though the compliments are nice!

[unrequite]

[ Midnight laughs. ]

I don't give compliments for free, of course... Consider them payment for the pleasure of such lovely company, mm?

[ Twenty years, bar none, the best host in his industry, and possibly in his nation. He is quite good at what he does, and he does love flexing it. (That people let him get away with it is a crime.) ]

[excaliburden]

[It certainly won't be Altria who stops him. She is far too easily flustered by all of these lovely compliments, all of the lovely things he has to say.]

... But I haven't done anything yet...? To be good company, I mean.

[unrequite]

[ Midnight cants his head, smiles a bit. ]

When I first started as a host, I was so terribly shy that I couldn't say anything at all. That you have the bravery and good humor to speak your mind, that you accept my company for what it is, are far beyond what I expect of others, you know.

[excaliburden]

[... Bravery?

It's not that she thinks he's wrong; showing up here at all required an immense amount of bravery for her. So did going to the gala. For a girl who is used to being laughed at and mocked everywhere she goes, appearing in a public place where she knows others will be dressed to impress is beyond anxiety-inducing.

He's the first person who has seemed to understand that, though. And something settles in her heart a little as she tilts her head and smiles at him.]

I don't know why I wouldn't accept your company for what it is... but I think maybe I could say the same thing. You accept my company for what it is too... and that means a lot to me!

So... thanks. For spending time with me here! I feel a loooot better about being here now.