⇨ 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

[puddingemote]

Fancy dances... those are a bit more out of Tamaki's depth. Though he can waltz a little bit, and he can probably pick up on any dance shown him after a few minutes.

"I do a lot of freestyle..." That's the most apt word for what he used to do, on street corners and in parks with friends, before doing choreography for his idol group. He can do some breakdancing, too. But none of that seems to be what the mysterious masked man has in mind.

"I can learn a fancy dance real fast though!"

[pipers_son]

There’s no need to worry here- Joker is intrigued and excited by the idea of anything new. And at the mention of ‘freeystyle’, he’s perking up immediately. Even with the strange effects of Celebration’s masks, it’s probably possible to see the way his eyes have lit up.

“Nah, go on, show some freestyle! I wanna see how good ya are~.”

[puddingemote]

Ah, so he wants to see Tamaki's kind of dancing! Tamaki's eyes light up, too, more than happy to show off. It is, after all, what he's best at.

"Okay! Then, come on!"

He moves for the dance floor, bouncing a little to get a feel for the beat of the song playing. And then he's off, moving his body naturally. Though he's making it up as he goes, and he doesn't know the song well, his movements are sharp, fluidly moving from one motion to the next. It's clear he has a lot of control over his body and what he does with it. He's in his element now.

[pipers_son]

It takes a little bit of work for Joker to find room on the dancefloor where he can adequately watch, but that quickly doesn’t become a problem. Everyone makes sure there’s room for the sudden show of freestyle, plenty of whoops and cheers urging him on, and Joker’s voice is right there amongst the crowd’s.

“Definitely a lot better than the fancy stuff!” he laughs, somehow making it through the myriad of other voices that are alongside his.

[puddingemote]

Tamaki gets a big smile on his face from the cheering, enjoying every second of it. Dancing is fun enough on its own, but when the crowd is having fun with him, that really gives him a lot of energy. It makes him want to try even harder!

He grins at the other man when he hears his comment. "It's more fun, too!" he yells back - which may be an unfair judgement, since he's not as familiar with that kind of dancing, but no one in the crowd seems keen to argue with him about it.

"You should try!"

[pipers_son]

There are few things better than watching a natural performer in their element, and it doesn’t take a man like him (although being experienced does help) to recognize how much the kid is living it up even more now that he has attention. At the invitation, Joker laughs. “Ya make it look so easy, but how much is it, really?”

[puddingemote]

"It is! I started when I was in elementary school!"

Which inadvertently answers the question - Tamaki has been doing this his whole life, of course it's easy for him. But Tamaki's perception of "things that are easy" is built mostly on his own experiences: he and his friends dancing together after school, and later dancing with professionals who have training. But anyone could do it if they try, in Tamaki's opinion.

"I can teach you some easy moves."

[pipers_son]

Yeah. That’s what he thought. Chuckling, Joker shakes his head to himself. He likes to think he’s a fairly fast learner, at least when it comes to thing like this, but even he’s not too sure about learning such moves right off the bat.

“Alright, show me these moves, and I’ll be the judge of how easy they are, ha.”

[puddingemote]

"Okay. Watch."

He bounces for a moment to get back into the rhythm of the song playing, and then he's off again, stepping his feet in time with the music. He crosses his feet while moving his arms fluidly back and forth, then leans back and swings around before righting himself again, in perfect time with the music.

"Stuff like that."

[pipers_son]

Watching and taking mental notes, Joker whistles again. That doesn't seem too different from the kind of moving around he already does on the stage when he has to be out at all. Still, there's one little thing he has to ask about.

"So do ya need two arms ta swing about, or is just one fine?"

[puddingemote]

Tamaki blinks, and then blinks again. Oh. This guy only has one arm. But he could have sworn that wasn't the case before...

It's like how he can't tell who anyone is. Even if they have masks, he should be able to recognize some people's voices. It's a weird feeling. Maybe it's magic or something?

Well, anyway. Tamaki shrugs.

"Not if you can balance without it."

[pipers_son]

"Then I outta do just fine!" Although maybe he would have done it anyway. It's not like a lack of arm has ever stopped him from doing anything in his life before, besides anything that actually seriously requires using two.... like lifting a friend.

But for now, Joker keeps that in the past, coming to join the dancer and grinning beneath his mask. "Alright, start up again, and I'll try ta follow"!

[puddingemote]

Tamaki nods with enthusiasm. "Then let's go!"

Once again, he starts to move with the music, though he tries to keep his movements simple so the masked man can follow them. Simple steps, little leans, and he's sure to avoid clapping, for obvious reasons.

"Like this!"

[pipers_son]

The man attached to those obvious reasons appreciates it. But most of all, he appreciates the quick dance lesson, and tries to keep up. His first few tries aren’t perfect, although they’re not really bad in their own way either- Joker does have a vague idea of what he’s doing. But as time passes on, he adjusts better and better. Not enough to keep up to the skilled youth, but enough to not look bad, either.

“Think I’ve got the hang of it!”

[puddingemote]

Tamaki is pretty impressed. The guy said he was good at fancy dances, but for someone with no experience he's picked up freestyle pretty quickly. Of course, there's a lot more Tamaki could do that would be harder for him (like break-dancing), but he's learned the basics well.

"Yeah. You're doing great!"

He smiles encouragingly. It's fun to have the spotlight on himself, but even more fun to get other people to join him, and maybe teach them something along the way.

[pipers_son]

“I’m lucky that I need ta move around a lot in my line of work!” Joker gives a laugh, a little breathless as he tries to keep pace. “Gives a guy some energy! Although speakin’ of which, do ya got a job?”

Hey… It’s worth a shot, right? Sure, some of the people he’s run into while in Celebration have been a bit… out of it, for better or worse. So, who knows, maybe this kid has no interest in getting a job of any sort. Still, for someone so lively, why not try?

[puddingemote]

"Eh?" Tamaki spins on his heels before coming back to face the man. Things like work seem so far away right now, it's hard to remember what he's supposed to be doing other than having fun at the Celebration... but after he thinks hard about it, he remembers.

"Yeah, I'm an idol." There's something else, thought, right...? Again, he has to think before answering. "Oh, and also an acrobat."

[pipers_son]

Idol and... an acrobat? That.... sounds really familiar, actually, and Joker pauses. Yet as much as he wracks his sight, he can't make out what's past that damn mask. Should he just ask-?

Ah, bugger it. Blinking, he nudges the mask up off his face to rest against his antlers.

[puddingemote]

Tamaki watches him with confusion as he suddenly takes off the mask, but then his eyes widen in surprise - though it's not quite visible.

"Manager!?"

It takes him a moment, but then Tamaki realizes he should probably take off his own mask, too. He does so, adding a now unnecessary, "It's me!"

[pipers_son]

Even before the mask comes off, Joker is laughing, because only two people in the carnival ever calls him Manager. "I thought it was ya! Well, sorta! Idol and acrobat aren't usually said together, after all!"

Putting his hand on his hip, he grins at him. "Guess we get on even when we don't know we're talkin' ta each other."

[puddingemote]

"Yeah!" He grins back. "You dance pretty good, Manager. Even for your first time. Mm, maybe work on moving your feet a little faster though."

Criticizing your boss is maybe not the most appropriate thing to do, but it's not like Tamaki has ever worried about propriety before. He's still smiling kindly though, so it's clear it's not meant in any sort of mean way.

"Are you having fun?"

[pipers_son]

At least Joker has never been for anything too appropriate, and he snorts a little as Tamaki criticizes him. "Well, I'll keep it in mind for if I ever get ta dancing like this again," he says good humoredly, amused.

"Anyway, havin' ta tiem of my life, although I'm tryin' not ta get too carried away. Looks like yer doin' just fine yerself!"

[puddingemote]

"Yeah. But it's weird not being able to find anyone."

He's been distracting himself pretty good with the food, though. And dancing is fun too, even if he doesn't know the people dancing around him. Normally he'd be a bit apprehensive in a crowd full of people he doesn't know, but something about this place has driven all nervousness out of him.

"This place is great! You think the Ringmaster will let us stay here awhile?"

Maybe even forever.

[pipers_son]

Ah. And there it is, that uneasy feeling again. Joker comes back to himself a little bit, the high of the party wearing off. Right, right- he has to stay on top of things. For Snake. If no one else, for Snake.

"Ah... Well, who knows. We do gotta get back ta work sometimes, y'know."

[puddingemote]

"...Do we?"

Tamaki tilts his head, as though he's thinking that idea over. Normally, he wouldn't be that contrary about work, but something about the Celebration has pushed any will for it out of his mind. His old laziness is coming back; a desire to do the bare minimum, or less.

"I don't want to, though."