⇨ 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

[pipers_son]

Aww… No more loose tongues made that way by alcohol. Well, that’s fine. If the guy is this chatty already, Joker can work with that. Chuckling, he rests his cheek against his hand. “Well, if ya think yer not a good flirt, I could help, if ya like~. I’ve been told I’m quite the charmer! So??” He leans a little closer, wings fluttering a bit. “What do ya say?”

[dontpokethat]

Oh jeez. Maybe he should have seen this coming. Ginko leans away, his mouth pulling into a grimace - though it won't be visible with his mask covering his entire face.

"Um... no thanks. Not really a priority of mine, anyway."

[pipers_son]

Even if the face is a mystery to him, Joker can roughly imagine at least what expression is crossing it, and he laughs as he leans back.

"No ladykillin' for ya tonight, huh?" A pause. "Or men killin'. Whichever."

[dontpokethat]

Ginko relaxes some, quietly relieved, and gives a quiet laugh. "Ideally, I'd rather avoid killing anyone."

COMEDY! But, no, he does know what he meant by that. "No, I'd really rather stay out of all that. Never really been interested in trying - and, again, I'm trying to avoid winding up regretting anything here."

[pipers_son]

"If they're pretty enough, might be hard ta say it's a regret~." There's definitely a wink coming from behind Joker's mask, probably just further proof that he shouldn't be allowed around people.

"But nah- whatever makes ya happy, then. For some folks that's just livin' it up in the now when they get the chance." For a second, he wavers on saying anything else, but then gives in as he leans back against the wall feigning nonchalance. "Sometimes they won't get it any other time, after all."

[dontpokethat]

Yeah, he doesn't need to see this guy's face to sense that wink. Similarly, Joker may be able to guess just from the incredulous noise Ginko makes that he's rolling his eyes.

He goes quiet, then, watching the man next to him thoughtfully, even though he can't actually see his expression. Force of habit, or maybe he's hoping he can pick up on something some other way. "...Guess not. Can't blame them for that, anyway, if that's how they want to do things."

[pipers_son]

"And how do ya do things?" Chin on the back of his hand, he smiles a bit. "What makes ya happy and when do ya do it? There's gotta be somethin', right? Are ya the tea and books kinda guy?"

That's a thing he's heard people are into, after all.

[dontpokethat]

"Probably closer, honestly." He shrugs. "Call me cliched, but I do tend to prefer peace and quiet. I like doing research, working, that kind of thing."

[pipers_son]

“Oh no.” Joker’s tone is all exaggerated dramatics. “A workaholic. No wonder a party ain’t yer thing. I should take ya dancin’, get yer mind off of things like that, but I have a feelin' ya would refuse me.”

[dontpokethat]

"Hey, I don't see what's wrong with liking my work." Ginko laughs, briefly rubbing at the back of his neck with one hand. "I'd be doing you a favor by refusing. I've never danced in my life; that'd just be embarrassing for everyone."

[pipers_son]

"Weeeeeeeell...." He tilts his head down a little, smiling. "I could always teach ya. Dancin' is a good skill ta have, after all. And away from most of the crowd, the only people we'd be embarrasin' would be the two of us." He winks.

"And I don't know about you, but I've done more embarrassin' things in my life."

[dontpokethat]

Ginko is just about to refuse, but... well. He can't see any harm in it. It's not like anyone is even going to know who he is, so he might as well take the chance to try and learn something.

"...Y'know, why not." He pushes himself to his feet. "But if I step all over your feet, you've got nobody to blame but yourself."

[pipers_son]

For a second, there's only silence as Joker stares, and, when the words finally hit, he bursts out laughing. "Cor, I thought ya would refuse for sure!" But hey, it's what he wanted, right? He hops to his feet, sweeping into a bow.

"Worse things have happened ta my feet than that, don't worry~." Now to figure out which of them is taller...

[dontpokethat]

--Wow, really. Ginko's shoulders hunch in embarrassment, his tail flicking back and forth behind him. "I could change my mind, y'know."

...Besides which, something about the way this guy talks is definitely striking him as familiar, but he can't really place from where. Probably someone from the carnival, in any case.

"Reassuring," he mutters. Then he... sort of bows? A little bit. It's not very much of one but he feels like he should probably at least try. When he does stand up straight, though, he's a few inches over six feet tall.

[pipers_son]

....Oh, huh, this sure is someone pretty tall. Usually the only kind of tall he sees in the Carnival, especially since he's noted the usual partiers are human or elf. Joker blinks up at him for a moment.

"...Think ya might have ta learn how ta lead in a dance, now that I'm realizin' some things."

[dontpokethat]

"...What?" His tail flicks back and forth uncertainly. "I... don't think that's a good idea. Why do I have to?"

[pipers_son]

"Yer taller than me! See- normally ya would dance with a lady, right? At least, that's how these kinda dances go. And the man tends ta lead just because he's taller. Well, we're both men, so.... Height decides it." He grins at his new dancing partner.

"And yer taller. But don't worry, I know how ta teach."

[dontpokethat]

"Right. I guess that... makes sense." He STILL isn't totally certain about this.

"Well, if you're sure, I guess we should... start?" However THAT works.

[pipers_son]

"It'll be fine!" This is probably a disaster in the making. Regardless of this fact, Joker reaches over to start positioning Ginko's arms properly. "Now just put yer hands like this..." Ginko is free to notice the single one Joker uses to guide him to how he has to hold him.

"There. Simple ta start with, right?"

[dontpokethat]

He notices, just vaguely, but it's harder to make note of when he's trying to think about the whole... dancing thing, and all the ways this could go catastrophically wrong.

He goes along with how Joker directs him, frowning down at his hands. "I guess so, yeah."

[pipers_son]

"Then yer already at the first step~." See? No need to be scared of dancing, Ginko. It's okay. You're with a friend.... even if you don't know it. And he doesn't it. It's fiiiiine.

"Now ya want yer feet ta be like this- yer right foot should always be between the other person's no matter which side yer one. See?"

[dontpokethat]

Honestly, he'd probably be more nervous if he realized this was actually someone he knew. Embarrassing himself in front of strangers is one thing, but... well, he's still getting used to seeing the same people all the time at all.

"Uh... Got it, yeah. Right foot." He looks down at his hooves, frowning as he tries to get the positioning right. This would be a lot easier if he didn't have to worry so much about slipping. "That seems weirdly specific."

Ginko. It's dancing.

[pipers_son]

"I guess." Calm down, Ginko. Joker sounds more amused by the observation, however. "I guess because most folks are right sided and all that? Easier ta keep everyone on the same page. Anyway, now just move along like this..."

And thus the actual moving happens. Don't have a heart attack, Ginko.

[dontpokethat]

Oh boy yeah okay that sure is moving. Ginko's gaze stays locked on his feet, his brows knitted together behind his mask. He tries to go along with what Joker does as well as he can, though his movements are a little delayed and stilted from a complete lack of practice.

"...Am I doing this right?"

[pipers_son]

On the bright side, his feet haven't been crushed by hooves or anything, so all's well. Joker can't help his amusement that Ginko won't even try to look up from his feet but, well, everyone starts there, right? Whatever keeps his feet safe.

"Well, yer a bit slow, and a bit too stiff, but besides that, yer doin' great. Ain't so bad now, is it?"