⇨ THE MASQUERADE

[ringleaders]

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.

Comments

Jonathan Strange | open!

[kingsroads]

a: prevampires
[ Aside from the magical 'it's hard to figure out who this person is' effects of his mask, there's a whole other collection of traits that Strange is displaying that are very...well, strange. He's a lot more put-together than he's been before, hair actually brushed and outfit almost impeccable. There's no trace of any sort of wildness or messiness that other carnival workers have come to associate with him.

But most obvious is that he is brooding it up something fierce. Strange will go out to dance if offered and he'll be congenial enough if drawn into conversation. But even the temptations and distractions of the masquerade can't distract him from what he had learned earlier that day, during his conversation with Childermass. It's a bit of a shock to find out surprise, your wife's actually alive and trapped in faerie, have fun trying to have fun with that little bombshell on your mind.

It's at one point that he decides fuck it, he might as well go find Childermass and actually confront him about why he didn't learn this information earlier. Unfortunately, that whole 'magically obscuring people's identities' thing puts a BIG OL'DAMPER on his plan. Damn this magic and damn his inability to actually do something about it! So sorry random person, Strange has lightly tapped you on the shoulder. ]

Look here, I—ah. Terribly sorry, I thought you were someone else.

[ he's grumpy, the magic is messing with his head, and he's a bit tipsy, anyone can be mistaken for Childermass whether they're a tall northerner or not. ]

b: vampire attack
[ One of the neonates had lured Strange away to a private room, seemingly content to listen to the magician natter on about topics ranging from magic to how he's still a bit bitter towards Childermass right now to something about peninsulas. Strange being a sulky tipsy mess makes him a pretty easy target in the eyes of the vampires. Said neonate miiight want to have called for back-up.

Because as soon as Strange spots the gun the neonate's wielding and as soon as the vampire lunges for his neck, Strange panics. He is not getting shot again, not when he's got all the more reason to actually stay alive. The spell's out of his mouth before he even realizes what he's doing, as he points a finger at the neonate. A moment later, the vampire starts to shrink, growing feathers at a rapid rate. It only takes a few moments for what was a vampire to become a small bird, a robin that's exceedingly confused and pretty pissed off about it's new lack of teeth.

Nerves couple with the exhaustion from casting such a powerful spell: he needs a drink. Still tense and still wearing his mask, Strange bursts from the private room and makes a beeline for the punch bowl, pouring himself a drink with shaking hands. ]

They have guns, [ said to whoever's also standing around, getting a drink for themselves and probably not expecting a frantic, tense magician to suddenly start up a conversation. ] That...that whatever it is, he tried to shoot me!

c: actually doing his job
[ The threat's become obvious as more people have started to fight the vampires. And man does Strange wish that this was outside. He can think of so many different combat maneuvers that he could use with actual elements but the limitations of a party hall are doing more damage than he realizes. You can't pull someone down with earth if there's not any earth you can manipulate to begin with. And it's so much easier to manipulate water when there's a well or an ocean, not a punch bowl or glasses of wine.

Still, he's a nightrunner and it's his job to protect the Carnival so he's going to try his best no matter what. By now he's gone ahead and taken off his mask entirely (sorry Host!) and is helping out in various ways of various degrees of subtlety. Perhaps you were about to enter a private room when your reflection in a nearby mirror catches your eye...except it's not your reflection, but that of Strange's, as he mouths the word "run." Or perhaps you're in actual combat when a thick mist appears out of nowhere, oddly localized around a five foot radius, giving you a chance to escape. Or perhaps you're this close to getting hypnotized when the flames of a nearby candlestick dangerously flare up, catching the vampire's coattails on fire and breaking the vampire's concentration. Surprise, it's Strange, just magicking it up in the background despite the fact that he looks exhausted and like he desperately needs a pick-me-up of some sort. Occasionally his magics actually hurt the vampires, but more often than not it's him trying to serve as a distraction. ]

B

[osteothropy]

[And suddenly Sans is there, before he does that. He's been on the prowl, listening to signs of upset, and Strange's attack is just the first of what he expects will be many. The area is too big and the music is too loud to get the word out quickly, but that's the nice part of being able to teleport around.]

A vampire.

[He says it like he's answer Strange's question. He's not totally sure who this is yet.]

Who am I speaking to? You guys all look the same in here.

[Sans tips up his mask long enough to show his identity.]

[kingsroads]

[ The word 'vampire' is enough to act as a cold dash of water to Strange's nerves. He swears under his breath, scowl on his face. Oh damn. This is to be expected, what with the sigil and the Ringmaster's ceremony, but he still doesn't like it. At least right now, he's thankful that both he and Childermass were nosy enough to pry about what vampires could do.

Likewise, he tips up his mask long enough to show his identity to Sans. ]

I don't think I can do anything about this concealment spell, by the way. But I can certainly try.

[ says the man who has yet to accept the fact that his magic is small potatoes compared to most magic out there. ]

[osteothropy]

[Like maybe that's better than just assuming it's a lost cause from the get go? Sans barely even considered the idea of counter spelling the mask enchantments - he's seen too many realms with beings holding power far past his own for him to assume it's something he could hope to deal with on his own.

But giving up early is kind of his thing. It doesn't have to be Strange's.]

If you wanna give it a shot I wouldn't complain. But this is the Host's territory, not yours. Remember that if you're going to try to screw around with their magic.

[kingsroads]

[ Giving up is for LOSERS says Jonathan Strange, the man who believes that he can do anything until he finds out that he actually can't do it. ]

I'm afraid I would already be on the Host's list of people not to invite back. I'm certain there's a rule about not using magic on the other guests.

[ said with a weak smile. It's Strange trying to tell a joke and trying not to show how rattled the vampire attack has made him. After all, he's a nightrunner, he's been in the peninsula, he shouldn't be as scared about vampires and getting shot as he actually is.

Strange takes another drink of his water to try and calm his nerves, hand trembling all the while. ]

[osteothropy]

[Sans watches him tremble, not sure what to say to help with that. Sans doesn't feel scared so much as he feels anxious and on edge - but he's been through this once already, and if there's one thing he's sure of it's his ability to escape danger if he really wants to.

It's not like that for everyone else.]

The carnival made it through this once... I'm gunna assume we can do it again. Maybe getting kicked out wouldn't be such a bad thing.

[There, he tried optimism. He's trying.]

B

[sunflowerfields]

[Hinawa needs a drink, too, only she needs it from somebody's neck. She comes up behind the man, still straining to defy the command in her head, but shies away when he speaks. It's someone from the Carnival.]

Guns? Who has guns? Are they the Agents?

[She knows exactly who he's talking about, of course, and her voice shaking isn't from fear of any Agents, it's from fear of what she's about to do.]

[kingsroads]

[ As he hears the woman's voice, Strange turns around, clumsily sloshing some water out of his cup. He doesn't recognize Hinawa...but then again, that's to be expected considering the enchantment placed on all of them.

Agents. She must be someone from the Carnival as well, he can't think of any other reason why someone would mention the Agents. And really, it is a valid thought. For a moment Strange is worried she's right..except for the fact that why would the Agents be here in the first place? ]

I don't think so, [ Strange responds, trying to keep his voice calm. He can't help but frown a little as he thinks things over. ] They were from a world without any magic. How on Earth could they reach the Celebration in the first place?

[ after all, it's not like one could just walk up to this place. ]

[sunflowerfields]

I hate that there are other people out there with those terrible weapons.

[That much is true. Especially when she knows firsthand that the vampires have all sorts of nasty tricks without the guns!]

What should we do?

[Her voice lowers as she takes the opportunity to draw closer to him. The scent of his blood is almost overwhelming. It's horrible.]

[kingsroads]

[ She was asking him to help. He had to take charge, he had to be the one to decide what to do in this situation. How absolutely terrifying to be the person that others look up to in times of a crisis. He's not entirely sure he likes it. ]

Well, [ Strange responds after a pause. He needed to come up with something. As the woman draws closer, he gives her a smile that's hopefully reassuring. ] I can take you somewhere safe, if you wish. My magics let me travel between mirrors. I could take you back to your room and you'll wait out the vampire attack there.

[sunflowerfields]

[Look, literally anyone has a better grasp on this situation than she does right now.]

You can do that? I would appreciate that very much. But what about you?

a....

[atouts]

[ Hilariously enough, once Strange has mistaken a countless number of other people for a tall northerner, he does, in fact, find a tall northerner. Childermass has been actively trying to shake the effects of the Celebration, ever since an ill-fated tarot reading shaking him enough to realize something was amiss. If only he could say accidentally spilling a secret to Strange had pushed him to that realization, but it wasn't.

It was just something to regret immensely after the fact.

But he is at the masquerade, misgivings aside, dressed (unsurprisingly) in a whole lot of black. It is quite the upgrade from what he typically chooses to wear, which is to say it isn't old and fraying around the edges. His mask is similarly black, shaped like a raven skull. So far he's managed to play wallflower, which is a much-needed break from the past few days, though he is nursing a glass of champagne regardless.

That's what he's up to when Strange taps him on the shoulder. He turns to look, not recognizing who it is, but that's no shock. He can't tell who anyone here is. ]

Oh? And how do you know that I am not?

[ Seriously, how? ]

'surely this can't be childermass' he says directly to childermass

[kingsroads]

[ A raven mask. Strange can't help but be drawn to the mask for a moment, looking it over as the other man asked how he knew. He can't help but be a bit jealous—his mask was something thrown on at the last minute, once he had been strongly encouraged to pick one. This other man was certainly making an impression.

But as for the question, Strange simply shrugged, answering in a light and matter-of-fact tone. ]

Because you're here and not out there, [ said with a gesture to the dance floor. ] The last time I saw the man I am looking for, he was enjoying the company of certain other guests as well as being dead drunk. I doubt he's suddenly sobered up enough to stand on the sidelines instead of enjoying the party.

[ well Strange is 100% wrong about that. And he really has no idea how he'd be able to tell which person Childermass is or not—he had been banking on somehow seeing through the spell or Childermass somehow giving his identity away, two answers which he's got to admit are looking less and less likely. But hey, his logic's slightly sound. ]

[atouts]

[ A familiar sounding situation, but also not one limited to only himself. It could apply to anyone at all in this place and since it doesn't cross his mind that this might be Strange and the man he's talking about is him, well, he can only look out across the dance floor curiously. ]

I am sure you have better things to do than spending time looking for a drunken lout, [ he unwittingly said about himself, good job there ] But are you certain? You might be surprised how quickly a man can become sober under the right circumstances.

[ Which is something that he really, really does not want to be right now, actually. It was easier when he wasn't the one stuck dwelling on anything, for all the trouble it's brought him. Between a pounding headache he's been left with and mindless bliss—well, it's normal the yearn for the easy way out.

He drags his attention away from the dancing, briefly passing over Strange again before dropping down to his drink.

Yeah, he's going to set that aside on the next tray that one of the Host's servants sweeps by with... ]

[kingsroads]

You know nothing about me, [ Strange can't help but respond, a hint of amusement in his voice, as he turns to look across the dance floor as well, as if expecting Childermass to suddenly stride into his field of vision. ] It's entirely possible that unfortunately for me, I've nothing better to do than find my drunken lout of a friend.

[ Not that they were friends, of course. Especially not now, when Strange was still kind of bitter about the whole not telling him his future scenario. Norrell never told him about the faerie he summoned, Childermass never told him about his wife being alive, what's next? Who else can reveal that they've been keeping secrets from Strange, we've got a roll going, might as well not stop. ]

I doubt he's sober, though. To start with, we're at a party. And secondly, this is the sort of place that encourages people to have a good time.

[ says the man with alcohol on his breath as he looks at the other man with champagne. ]

[atouts]

[ Soon to be no champagne, as he's placing it on a tray of empty glasses that a servant goes by. The temptation is just too great... ]

Too good of one. [ Champagne gone (he has to wonder how soon a new one will find itself in his hand, regardless), he shrugs at Strange. If he's so sure, then he sees little point in arguing for the sake of a stranger. ] I take it that you aren't enjoying it much at all if that's all you can think to do.

c: did someone call for a magician evac? let's blow this popsicle stand!

[whattaprick]

[ Unfortunately, other nightrunners just aren't as subtle as Strange is. Case in point: Lambert's grappling with a vampire that seems stronger than most of its brethren, though it's nowhere near the level of an adult -- Lambert's just been in too many of these short and violent skirmishes tonight, and even Witcher stamina is flagging. The splitting headache that's developed over the past half hour isn't helping, making him want to rip his mask off -- or possibly his own head.

When he manages to break free and roll away, the fog that curls around his feet is a surprise to him, and to the vampire he's facing as well, since he stops, lips curled in confusion. Rather than take the chance to make good his escape, though, Lambert's going to use the cover to his advantage, rushing up to the vampire and slamming a dagger through its chest. ]

Who's there? [ He'll call out warily, while the vampire gurgles its way to a second death in his arms. He'll let the body slide to the floor, then stand up, finally ripping the mask off, grunting in relief at the loss of pressure. He doesn't quite yet seem to realize it's because of the small bumps that have begun to protrude from his scalp, budding with the promise of horns. ]

yaaaaay thank u buddy with no qualms about stabbing

[kingsroads]

[ The fog vanishes, dispersing from the area as by spreading out until it's completely vanished. And surprise surprise, the person behind it is Strange, mask off, who regards Lambert with tentative confusion...and then just downright relief as he takes his mask off. Oh thank God, someone he knows and not one of the other vampires. ]

Lambert! [ boy is he happy to see him. Strange gives the other man a wide, manic grin as he walks over. Just...casually ignore the fact that Strange looks rather tired, his hair's slowly returning to it's normal state of 'absolutely wild' and there's a few tears in his outfit. He's got this! He's fine! He's also keeping an eye out for other vampires, eyes scanning around as he approaches the other man. It's not paranoia if you already almost got killed a few times tonight. ]

What did you think of my mist?

a true friend

[whattaprick]

You look like shit. [ Is what Lambert says by way of greeting, looking Strange over head to toe, and yeah buddy he doesn't miss that manic edge to your grin there. ] But thanks for the distraction.

[ Like Strange, he's also scanning the corridor for more signs of vampire attacks, but -- ]

Why aren't you in the dining hall?

[kingsroads]

[ Strange can't help but shrug at that because eh, Lambert's right, he probably does look godawful, no surprises there. But at Lambert's question, Strange can't help but roll his eyes. ]

I'm a nightrunner, [ said in a tone of DUH, LAMBERT. ] I'm not going to the dining hall while there are still people here who need my help.

[ And that's said as he gives Lambert a Look. Because you count as people buddy and, at least in that situation, Lambert definitely needed his help. Just ignore the fact that Strange looks like he desperately needs a nap. ]

Besides, I can go to the dining hall whenever I want. Traveling through mirrors has become something of a specialty of mine.

[whattaprick]

[ For a sudden, visceral moment, Lambert looks like he wants to strangle Strange. Forget about the rest of that, he's gonna hone in on the one thing that matters to him... ]

You could go to the dining hall this whole time? You could've brought the silver!

[ So yeah, most of it is in the form of forks and spoons and candlesticks, but any silver is better than none. If nothing else, it's a painful enough distraction for the vampires ... ]

a!

[puddingemote]

Hmm? Thought I was who?

[Tamaki is, somewhat predictably, stuffing his face with food. His hair's swept up and he's wearing a simple, light blue mask that covers most of his face, but he didn't think he looked that unrecognizable.

Then again he hasn't been able to tell who's who since the party started.]

Who are you? [There are a lot of grumpy English gentlemen in the Carnival, after all.]

[kingsroads]

I am-- [ And then he stops. They've got masks on. He can't tell who this man is. He can't really tell who anybody is, thanks to what he's pretty certain is some sort of concealment spell cast over them (and a damn good concealment spell at that.) So why not keep it going?

Besides, it's in the spirit of the masquerade if he doesn't tell people who he is, right? Right! ]

I am called Merlin. [ said with a tone of voice that implies this is 100% an inside joke for Strange. ] And who are you?

[puddingemote]

I'm Tamaki.

[Tamaki has no idea that's the game here; he doesn't see any reason to lie about his identity. The masks are making it hard to tell who people are, he knows that much; it gives the whole party a sort of surreal feeling. It's almost lonely, in a way.

But there is also good food to inhale, so he's pretty content.]

Merlin like... the fish?

[That's a marlin.]

[kingsroads]

No, Merlin. Like the magician.

[ And then, seemingly forgetting that only a handful of people in the carnival can do magic to begin with, Strange gestures at a nearby glass of wine. A small amount of the wine floats out of the cup, lingering in the air for a moment in spherical little bubbles before floating back down into the glass. ]

I think marlins are the fish.