lostcarnival | ⇨ THE MASQUERADE

Who: Everyone! Attendance is mandatory.
When: Late Day 65
Where: The Celebration
What: The Masquerade arrives, and so does the carnival's enemies. For more info, check out the Draculas 101.
Warnings: Further party hell. Also, vampire violence, mind control, etc.

THE HOST & THE HORDE↴

The time of the Masquerade arrives. You've been given free reign of the place up till now, but a few hours before the party commences the Host will inform you that your presence will be required, and will assist you (forcibly, if need be) to sort out any last minute costuming concerns you might have if you've left it until now. When masks and outfits are sorted, you'll be left to your own devices until you are summoned on the evening of Day 65.

The Masquerade will start off normally - relative to everything else in this place, at least. Everyone in the Celebration will be called in for this event, centered in a grand hall with side rooms offered to those that need them for whatever reasons might come up. The food and drink is especially ambrosia-esque this evening, and the music will stir your soul, even if you're not usually a music person. Enjoy it if you can - the peace won't last.

► MASKS: Though the masks seemed only mundane before, once within the Masquerade atmosphere, they will magically begin obscuring people's identities beyond what a normal mask should be able to do. When a person is wearing one, it would be supernaturally difficult to figure out who they are - maybe you forget what their voice should sound like, or maybe the other details escape you. Of course, it's possible to figure out if you look for it, based on general shapes and personality traits, but unless you know someone well it could be a challenge. Of course, you can just take your mask off and remove the enchantment entirely - though the Host will hassle you if they notice you going without. Stop ruining the party!

► TEMPTATION: Though it's felt easy to be whisked away by the draw of pleasure and luxury during the rest of the week, that feeling will seem to come to a head at the actual party. If you are aware of what needs to be resisted then it's possible to fight back and ignore it, but more than ever it feels all too easy to just dance your life away. Nobody seems to be dying from it, at least, or 'burning out' any faster as a result - it's mostly just extremely distracting from other concerns. Like vampires, for instance.

VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE↴
It's during the latter half of the party that things will start to go bad. Though it will go unseen by the carnival, the Masquerade has gained an additional set of guests - the vampire's of the demon lord that has been chasing them for the last several months. The Host doesn't discriminate, and anyone is welcome to attend the Celebration, provided they don't start a fight.

Right. About that.

► THE KINDRED: The vampires don't like to play fair, which means that they are going to be attacking with stealth and trickery - taking advantage of the way that the party has dulled the alertness of many of the carnival's workers. They'll be using that lack of inhibition to lure individuals into places they can be attacked or turned in private - their primary goals are to capture the Supervisors and to turn as many of the Ringmaster's workers as possible before escaping back to their dimension. Some of their targets will be gone before anyone has a chance to notice.

Remembering that they will be avoiding big public confrontations, so if anyone starts one of those it will probably by the carnival members striking back. This is going to wear on the Host's patience extremely quickly.

► COLD IRON: Oh, right, and they are definitely bringing iron weapons - as pure as they could get. They'll have things like iron collars or shackles to try to trap people with, as well as iron daggers and guns with iron bullets. They'll have to be on the down low with, but they are going to exploit that weakeness as much as possible. Those that have only been in the carnival a few months will mostly just feel discomfort at the touch of it - as if they are touching something that is slightly too hot or too cold. Veterans that have been around for years will find its touch to be burningly cold - the type of temperature that would threaten to destroy flesh after prolonged contact. Those that have been here for up to three years will take it the worst. See the Transformations page for more details!

► TURNING THE TABLES: Being turned is a mixture of pleasure and pain, and is often hard for mortals to mentally reconcile as it happens to them. Being drained by these vampires is simultaneously impossibly satisfying and extremely terrifying - once they've started in on your, the way it overwhelms your mind and body can make it nearly impossible to stop them without help. Once you are dead or dying, they will feed you their blood - at which point your body will go through a painful transformation as the demon spirit takes its place inside of you and your dead body is violently resurrected.

As soon as you wake up, freshly changed, the bloodlust will set it - it will be extremely hard to control, and at first all you will think about is wanting to sate that hunger. Combined with your sire having direct control if your mind through your blood connection, new vampires will be mostly incapable of doing anything but following the whims of the rest of the vampire pack and seeking nourishment. This blood lust will begin to fade after they've fed. Killing isn't necessary to feed, but it can be hard to stop yourself, as a neonate vampire.

► CLOSING TIME: Before the party is officially over, the Host will have had enough. Before you can pursue all of the vampires or take back the people they've stolen, the lot of them will have escaped back to their dimension, and the Host will have kicked the entire carnival out for participating in so much violence. If you want to make any final moves before you go, this is the time.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ah, um, no, I don't need water...

[Sora trails off again, and looks around the room. Carly is unappetizing, but maybe there's someone he can get just a small taste of?...

No. No that's bad. Sora digs his nails further into his side.]

You....don't?

[Thinnnnnngs are starting to fall into place. Unfortunately into place. Carly finds herself studying Sora a fair bit more-is he paler than normal, maybe? Is there a bite mark, is there anything?] ....Sora..? [She feels scared, somehow.] ....what are you thirsty for..?

I...

[He can't just say it. He hates it, hates that that's what he's thirsty for, hates everything about this situation, but it -hurts-. She doesn't understand how much it -hurts-, how thirsty he is.

He looks at the ground apologetically.]

...Blood...

Blood.. ...?

[Her grip tightens.] ...Sora, we need to get you to Zecora ok? [she begins to say, trying not to panic.] We'll...we'll get you to Zecora, or maybe Lambert, I think he's a nurse too...

[Oh god oh god-]

"I... I can't, I..."

He backs slowly away from Carly, shaking his head. He's not sure what'll happen if he goes anywhere near them. He might hurt them, or Xabat might. He can't do that to them, not if he can help it.

Before he can get too far away, though, Xabat comes seemingly out of nowhere and swoops up behind him.

"I'll thank you to leave him out of it, Miss," Xabat smiles. His tone is friendly, but hints at something much more sinister, and it sends a chill up Sora's spine.

No- Noonononon, it's fine! [she starts, reaching out,] She can help-

[And that's when the vampire appears. Carly draws back immediately, but in a flash her entire demeanor changes. Her voice lowers, and Carly's eyes widen with realization and rage. That.

Is a vampire. That-] You get away from HIM! she shouts, violet fire blossoming over her arms. She can't just start throwing it with Sora in the way, but she rushes Xabat at the least, eyes wet as she becomes overcome with emotion.]

Sora's eyes widen as he watches Carly approach, anger written in her emotions. This is why he didn't want this, didn't want to-

His train of thought is interrupted when Xabat tosses him bodily out of the way, and he slams into the floor some feet away. Dazed, Sora looks up again at the ensuing fight.

After tossing the boy, Xabat flips to the side, well out of range of any punches from Carly. "Ohh, looks like the young Miss would like a fight! Well, I'm happy to oblige, sweetheart."

[Carly isn't much for punching, but it does certainly look like she is, doesn't it? Or perhaps it's a knifehand. Her fingers are flat, aligned as such, spearing forward. Or...something else? Maybe inexperience, her fingers instead spreading wide, as if reaching, gesturing...she pulls her fires still closer to them all, and Carly screams.]

ASLLA PISCU!

[A loud, piercing song of a cry follows from far behind. Xabat no doubt saw the giant 'bird' that was tormenting a few neonates. It is just as inky black as Carly is, covered in glowing orange markers that seem to shift as it moves. Its insides shine brilliantly, and the bird swoops forward, ready to spear with its beak.]

ATTACK!

Ohhh, well Xabat definitely wasn't expecting that. Or maybe he was, in the back of his head, as he'd have to be blind not to notice the giant death bird, but this was still something else.

Luckily for him, he's fast. Way faster than this girl and her pet, and he leaps out of the way quicker than most would be able to even see. At least the fight is interesting.

Off to the side, Sora watches in horror as the two do battle, and his head starts to split with whether he should help his friend, or defend his sire. He doesn't know what to do.

"Carly! Carly, stop!"

[Well Aslla can certainly try stepping on the pest at least, while Carly covers her wings in flames and stretches to try and clip the other.]

I can't..! [she insists, eyes wide and tearstained.] I won't..! If this one turned you...if this one wants to make you do terrible things to other people, then I WON'T STAND FOR IT!

We're going to make it stop, [she insists, her words meeting the air alongside Aslla's piercing screeches of irritations,] and get Zecora, and the Ringmaster, and we're going to reverse it..!

Because I'm not going to let my friends be taken away by them any more..!

[Ah yes, again.

The 'vampire war' was a thing.]

He gets it, really. He gets where Carly is coming from, why she hates vampires, why she's attacking Xabat, but... if she hates vampires, shouldn't she hate him as well? His half-asleep brain can't make sense of the pieces, and he can't put the picture together.

But something in him, something in his instincts won't let her hurt his sire. He doesn't even really like Xabat; but he can't let her kill her. Moreover, he can't let his friend be a killer.

Xabat continues to dodge the death bird attacks, each shot getting closer to hitting him, while Sora wobbily gets to his feet and runs toward Carly until he's up close enough to yank on her arm, yank her back from the battle.

"Carly, please! Stop it!"

[Because it's not his fault. It's the one who turned him, it's his fault, and in a sense this is lashing out at someone representing the choice she herself made years ago-

Except Sora didn't even get a choice this time.] I'm not stopping, until HE IS- NhKH-

[She shouts, but being pulled at throws her off guard. Aslla Piscu screeches, but more importantly Carly shouts, fire covering her entire being as a defensive reaction. It doesn't burn-but it drains, and until Sora removes his hands, he'll start to feel even worse.]

Sora yelps at the fire, but manages to hang on for a few more seconds, until he sinks to the floor, drained of what little energy he had to begin with. It didn't hurt, not like the hunger, but he's dizzy and feels like he might pass out again.

Xabat, dodging one last attack, skids to the side, watching the proceedings like a hawk. "Good job, Sora!" He laughs. He moves again, quicker than ever, and snatches Sora from where he'd been sitting beside Carly. "Thanks for the fight, Miss. I'll be taking back my prize now."

No-!

[She cries out, rushing after the other and reaching out.] He's not a thing to claim..! You let him go!

Let Sora go, now!

[But she cannot stop him in the end. He is too quick-playing with her even, even with all her fire and with all her summons. Sora is gone the minute he's out of her reach, in a sense, and her eyes overflow with tears just knowing this.]

⇨ THE MASQUERADE

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Downside; massive birb, easy dodge

Re: Downside; massive birb, easy dodge

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject