⇨ FOURTH WALL EVENT! (OPEN TO ALL)

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone and the 4th Wall Visitors!
When: Day 175
Where: Heartstone Manor
What: THE 4TH WALL BALL BEGINS! This is where unapped visitors can post and roleplay. Please read the rules and setting info below. For more information and visuals refs, read this. Questions can be asked over here.
Warnings: Individually marked! Could be a lot of things.

THE GRAND BALL↴ Heartstone Manor is a giant, spooky castle floating in the middle of a twilight filled void. It is the home of a Wyld Fae calling himself The Prince - and despite his name, he is a bestial creature crammed into a gentleman's clothing, completely obsessed with replicating the ideals of old timey human society, much like the 1800's. The Prince and his many servants all dress in a manner appropriate to to the 1500's - 1800's, and decorum and beauty are held sacred above all else. All the workers of the carnival are currently staying there, in the hope of enabling a successful diplomatic venture between the Ringmaster and the Prince. The Grand Ball is being thrown by the Prince to honour these guests, but his manner of doing this is going to come as a bit of a surprise. THE RULES↴ Powers are all partially nerfed for 4th Wallers. They can be used in small to moderate ways for the sake of RP and narrative flavour, but 4th Wallers shouldn’t generally be using any powers in a super disruptive manner. No using powers for fighting with NPCs (yet), causing general chaos, or otherwise making your character a burden to the Prince. If they try, they’ll find themselves unable to do so. Your character isn’t sure how they got here but they think they’re okay with it. Your character won’t remember how they were captured by the Prince at the start of the ball. They’re just kind of here and in formal wear, and something tells them it’s probably fine to just enjoy the ball. They are wrong. In-game characters won’t initially remember how they all ended up at the ball either thanks to a temporary amnesia effect, but they will be able to be concerned about the fact that other people (possibly people they know) have shown up, and the fact that those other people are probably the Prince’s captives. Weren’t they doing something else at the castle before this, though? It’s hard to remember. This is all very confusing. 4th Wall character who aren’t apping in were possibly never the real deal in the first place. There are a mixture of genuine captives and spooky replications created with magic – this is to provide some flexibility regarding 4th wall character’s states in game, as well to allow more than one of each character to be played. If there are multiple people playing the same character, then whichever one has an app accepted will have been the real one. No doubles of in game characters. (Taken list here.) No AUs, no CRAUs, and nothing else besides characters that have full source canons or are original characters/fandom OCs with no bearing on the canon plot. If you tag in with a character who breaks these rules we reserve the right to remove them. THE SETUP: 4TH WALLERS↴ With incredibly foggy memories of their recent past, your character will find themselves at a grand ballroom dance, filled with a mixture of normal humans and odd looking humanoids that have strange features like wings, horns, tails, fur, and the like. They have vague memories of being dressed for the occasion, but are not sure by who or why. Most disturbingly, they will find that, at first at least, they don’t really care about the details. It seems like a pleasant event, doesn’t it? Why not enjoy it. This effect is definitely some kind of mind control, so you can feel free to have your characters be a bit confused and conflicted about it. Ultimately, they have been charmed to participate in the dance, so they will feel like riding the wave is the best thing to do even if that wouldn’t normally be their cup of tea. If your character has resistances to some forms of mind control, they are still overruled in this circumstance. They may discover people they recognize (castmates) or even duplicates of themselves (somehow?), and these can all be treated as canonly occurring and played out as such. This event is canon for Lost Carnival, so it should be played seriously and respectfully – not that silly shenanigans aren’t also bound to happen. All characters are required to dress in formal attire appropriate to a period area – specifically anywhere from the 1500s to 1800s. The Prince prefers if people are heteronormative in their clothing choices, but if you want you can probably get away with your ladies wearing suits or men wearing dresses as long as they look presentable otherwise. THE SETUP: MANOR GUESTS↴ You find yourself at the Grand Ball without really remembering how you got here. The last few days are a foggy blur, and though you can remember some of the important stuff you were dealing with, it will feel less important right at the start. Of course, as the night goes on, memories of how the carnival reached this event will become more and more clear – as well as the inevitable worry and stress that comes with it. For most people, there will have absolutely no memory of anything that happened after the morning of Day 175. Did the boating trip ever happen? Possibly not. Even as the night progresses, they will still have no recollection of how most of Day 175 went, which is probably disturbing. The Mod has contacted those that are exceptions to this privately to tell them what they will remember. The people lost to the Manor’s security earlier in the week will be here too, but not as guests. In fact, all of them will be dressed in the black attire of a Heartstone Manor servant and will seem pretty okay with that fact. There are parts of them that look changed – and their dispositions are definitely one of them. How else could they possibly be working for the Prince now? Updates to the event situation will be posted down in this section below. People can react to these posts as the circumstances change, and may new top levels based on them. It is possible to try to sneak away from the ball, but Manor Security will be trying to hunt you down. There is no mandatory outcome planed to this event, so character decisions can and will have a major effect in where the plot goes from here. THE ACCOMODATIONS↴ MUSIC AND DANCING: There will be music playing the whole night, and most of it is so good you feel practically compelled to dance to it. It's possible to resist, but why would you want to do that, you party pooper? FOOD AND DRINK: There are circle tables set up with fine silverware, and upon sitting down you will soon have a waiter come back to ask for an order. You can request basically any European cusine and it will be made for you. You will also be given drinks, most of which are alcohol, no matter your age. Fae don't care about children. BALCONY STARGAZING: There are balconies that are connected to the ballroom in multiple locations that you can step out onto to get some fresh air. You'll see the courtyard of the Manor down below you, but everything beyond that is black, as if the castle is floating within a twilight void. (Because it is.) One small change is that there are stars out tonight, probably added to the sky for the occasion. ALL NIGHT LONG: The ball will go on far into the early morning. Or, at least, until everyone fucks it up.

Comments

Rita Mordio | Tales of Vesperia | Manor Guest, OTA, will match format

[anti_nonsense]

For the duration of the ball, Rita has been fitted in a teal gown, her hair neatly combed and adorned with a white flowery headpiece. The dress has been altered to allow room for her red-black feathered wings, and what looks like orange tattoos cover a portion of her arms in a seemingly abstract pattern. Her blastia, a red-jeweled choker, sits prominently on her neck.

(a: have this dance)

Contrary to what anyone who knows her would expect (except maybe Strange, her unlikely teacher), Rita dances competently – maybe even well, to the eyes of a layman – through the haze of the early evening. At least, for the waltzes. Because that's the only dance she knows.

Between dances, she loiters by a pillar at the edge of the dance floor, seemingly unoccupied and looking vaguely disinterested despite her active participation. The fog in her mind is just faintly beginning to lift, but she doesn't seem to suspect anything just yet. The music begins again; the next dance is a waltz. For those unskilled at dancing, Rita might look like a 'safe' partner who's capable enough to lead, but not so experienced that she'd have high expectations for others' dancing. Do you ask her...?

(b: unacquired taste)

When she tires of dancing, she sits at one of the tables and asks them to bring her something sweet. As she waits, she wears a look of apathy on her face. This is stupid. She doesn't even like dancing. Why the hell was she...

A servant passing by with refreshments leans over to offer her a beverage. She takes one of the glasses from the tray and drinks without thinking.

Her face immediately sours. Wincing, she struggles to choke it down without spitting it right back out. As much as she tries not to act like it, Rita is still essentially a child, and one who's never touched a glass of wine in her life, at that. Apparently, she didn't expect the staff to serve it to someone so obviously underage.

(c: wildcard!)

Feel free to reply with a different scenario than the above! If you want to plot something out, feel free to PM me at this journal, or hit me up on Plurk (pzue). As for what Rita will be up to...

Rita will spend much of the early evening on or near the dance floor, but as the night goes on, she'll slowly come to her senses and try to avoid the festivities as much as possible. She may also seek out people she knows once she has enough awareness to know that something's off, but it may take slightly longer for the mind-fogging effects to wear off for Rita than it might for those bigger or more resistant than her (which is probably most people).

A!

[hurtcomfort]

"Don't worry!" comes an encouraging yet quiet voice from right behind Rita. "You're doing wonderful."

When she turns to look, she'll see Cole, standing awkwardly beside her, wearing a combination of red dress uniform and big dumb floppy hat. She wasn't worried. This is stupid, dancing's stupid, I've got this under control, of course I can do it. But she also was. Only a few practices, eyes watching your every move, can't make mistakes, not here. He could feel both from her. But Cole might as well reminder Rita that she could do it. Helping a little was still helping.

Of course, what would help more is announcing your presence before starting a conversation. Cole still need a bit of work on that.

[anti_nonsense]

Startled, Rita stiffens, then turns to see who it is.

Nope. She doesn't know him. Just some gloomy-looking guy who can't mind his own business. Which is actually pretty weird.

"What's with you? It's not like I was worried about that!" she snaps at him, her face growing red. What the hell does he know? Idiot. And for him to say that out of nowhere... does that mean she didn't look confident to him? Maybe she did screw up.

... Not that she was worried about that. Because she definitely wasn't.

[hurtcomfort]

"But you were," Cole responds, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. He's ignoring Rita's face, ignoring her as she turns red. That's normal. People do that sometimes. Cole's still trying to piece out why. Usually the red happens when Dorian flirts with someone, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Stop saying those words, you're making me blush. Was this happening here?

(He hopes not. Cole doesn't know how to flirt, it'd be terrible if he did something without realizing it.)

"Are you embarrassed? There's nothing wrong about that. You aren't the only one."

This place bleeds hurt and worry. Rita bleeds hurt and worry, though she doesn't know it (but she does know it? This is confusing).

[anti_nonsense]

"Of course not. That's ridiculous." Rita glowers at him, still visibly flustered. And for him to say definitively that she was worried... He's got some nerve. Right, she shouldn't be taking this.

Straightening her back, she takes a step towards him, pointing an accusing finger at his face. "You don't know me, so stop acting like you do!"

Her snapping falls just short of yelling, as there's a part of Rita that's still trying not to make a spectacle. Getting the wrong kind of attention here is dangerous. She could end up... well... something would happen, but her mind seems to gloss over the specifics as if they're unimportant.

[hurtcomfort]

What's going on? Why is she yelling at him? She's still red, she's still flustered, she's angry. Cole has absolutely no idea what to do and what he's done wrong. When he starts speaking again, it's in a worried, slightly frantic tone.

"I don't know you. But I do." How to explain, how to tell her, he always messes this part up, he thought it would be better now that he knew what he was but he's still learning. "Preening and proud, a scholar through and through. You're going to change the world. And maybe if you do, he'll notice." No, wait, that's not it. "She'll notice?"

Cole's voice in the last phrase is tentative, as if he's not sure. Rita's mind is muddled, memories behind walls, the same haze that's in some other people's minds.

/SLAMS INTO DANCING

[dressedtothe]

It's... weird. He can't remember. It's as though part of his memory data is corrupted. But he doesn't have time to access it and go through a data overhaul to examine the issue. He does remember that, if they're to get through everything, he needs to play by the rules laid out by the Prince, so... here he is, at the ball.

There's something about the ball, though. Something... There's something he's forgetting...

Hm. He's sure he'll figure it out.

With a smile, he approaches Rita and takes a short bow before offering a hand to her. "May I have the pleasure of dancing with you, Rita?"

[anti_nonsense]

Rita's eyes widen initially at his approach, then narrow thoughtfully. For a moment, she's not sure if he's joking or not.

"Trying to look suave or something?" she asks in a mocking tone. But in her mind, Rita can't find a good reason to turn him down. She's supposed to be dancing, at least to blend in for now, and as far as partners go, at least 9S is someone she trusts. And isn't a creepy old man. "Might as well," she concedes after a pause, giving her hand in return and walking with him out to the dance floor.

"You know how to do this?" she asks. He seemed confident while asking her, but this is a guy who can't even use a sword without the right chip, supposedly.

[dressedtothe]

9S just lets out a sheepish laugh at Rita's initial reaponse.

But hey, dance partner obtained! He remembers some of the rules of choosing dance partners, and Rita is one of the people that would fit the bill. Besides, she looked kind of bored.

Leading her onto the dance floor, 9S comments, "How hard can it be? It's just moving your body while your hands are connected to your dance partner, isn't it?"

In other words... no, he doesn't know how to do this. But he was... passable in practice? And didn't step on anyone's toes. That has to account for something, right?

[anti_nonsense]

"Well..." It's hard to argue with that. It is pretty much how Rita would describe it, normally. But she also knows it's not quite that simple.

"Basically, yeah, but... here." As if to make sure he does it right (not that she cares!), Rita takes his hand and places it around her back, just short of where her wings protrude, then positions herself just as Strange showed her before. It's actually a bit easier, with someone closer to her height. She nods to signal that they're beginning, then starts to dance.

[dressedtothe]

9S yelps when Rita suddenly grabs his hand. Hey, manhandling! But eventually their hands are everywhere they're supposed to be, and they can get started.

9S does an... okay job at leading. Maybe not totally in time with the music all the time, but he doesn't step on her toes and keeps their movements simple and basic.

"So, what do you think?" Honest assessment, Rita.

A, after 9S ditches Rita, and after 2B ditches 9S

[kuudroid]

With 9S not quite taken care of, but distracted for the moment on 2B's own orders, 2B hastily makes her escape from the other android, because she can't deal with all of the emotions that 9S brings to the table at the moment. It also gives 2B a chance to dance with someone else who isn't 9S, and she holds out a hand politely to Rita.

"Would you like to dance?"

If 2B thinks too hard on the entire situation, she knows there's something wrong in her circuits that is making her want to dance with strangers, but she doesn't quite care enough to fight against it.

Right now, it's a welcome distraction.

[anti_nonsense]

There's a clear look of surprise on Rita's face at the woman's offer. "Huh? You're..."

That blindfold... no, visor? Rita's only ever seen one other like it, and it's not too hard to put the pieces together. She's an android, like 9S. And she's the one he went throwing himself at in the middle of his dance with Rita earlier. That idiot...

Also... isn't it weird for two girls to dance together? The thought crosses her mind briefly, but a glance at the other dancers shows plenty of pairs like that. So it's not that weird... For some reason, that realization brings a slight tinge of red to her face.

"Yeah... sure. Whatever," she says in a flippant tone, as if she's just agreeing on a whim, even though she plainly took some time to deliberate just now. She reaches out and takes the offered hand.

[kuudroid]

Is it weird for two girls to dance with each other? YoRHa is mainly comprised of female units, with the scanners being the odd ones out, so this isn't anything that 2B would be familiar with, thankfully for Rita.

2B turns her hand, pulling Rita's hand closer to lead her into a waltz, other hand lowering to the small of the other woman's back, though she doesn't quite move to start just yet.

"If you don't want to dance, you don't have to agree." There won't be any hurt feelings on 2B's part.

... There might be a little bit of hurt feelings on 2B's part, due to her innate programing, but unlike 9S, she'd hide it significantly better.

[anti_nonsense]

"It's not that," Rita says, glancing away as they begin to dance. It looks like there's no hiding her earlier hesitation, though.

"You're already done dancing with 9S?" she asks in a flat tone, sounding just a little passive-aggressive. "Seemed like he was pretty eager to join you."

[kuudroid]

"Yes, we finished a few short moments ago." Actually, 2B ran away, like a coward. But Rita doesn't need to know that. Also maybe if she can lose 9S for the rest of the night she won't have to see him ever again, and that would be very convenient.

A

[hippocarnival]

Ah, Rita. Someone much closer to his height and age than most of the adults he's been dancing with. Not that he hadn't managed, and just fine, but the waltz is a dance easier when there isn't half a foot of difference in height.

So when Rita's scouting for her next dance partner, Yuya steps to her and offers his hand. "Wanna dance?"

It's terribly casual, but being exceedingly proper really doesn't suit the two of them.

[anti_nonsense]

Yuya catches Rita just shortly after 9S wandered off in the middle of their dance. Her hands are balled into fists, her shoulders tense as she looks on to see where (or who) he ran off to. When Yuya approaches, she shifts awkwardly where she stands, suddenly self-conscious of how much she looks to be caring about something she obviously, totally doesn't care about.

It's just a stupid dance.

She looks at the offered hand and knows she ought to make her decision quick. Rita doesn't want to look like she's overthinking this. "Y-yeah, sure," she replies hastily, taking his hand.

[hippocarnival]

He's not surprised Rita's a little awkward about this, because it's Rita. He's glad for her to take his offer, though, and he leads her to the floor with a grin.

"You look nice," he says as he turns to face her, because when they're all out of place here they can use whatever confidence boost they can get--and it's not untrue. "Ready?"

[anti_nonsense]

Rita's still distracted when Yuya offers the compliment, and it catches her off guard. Her gaze snaps back to meet his, her face slightly red. "Uh... thanks," she mumbles, then quickly tries to shake off that reaction.

Firmly, she replies, "Yeah. Of course I'm ready."

[hippocarnival]

Since she's ready, and he's ready, Yuya leads them right into the dance. He doesn't point out her distractedness just yet, merely focusing on getting in rhythm with the other dancers.

"Are you enjoying this?" The dance, which is probably more out of Rita's element than Yuya's.

A

[puddingemote]

Tamaki himself is looking for a dance partner when he sees Rita hanging back by the pillar, looking pretty uninterested as the music starts gearing up. Still, he's pretty sure he's seen her out on the dance floor earlier, and he doesn't want to leave someone out, so he goes up to her.

"Ritacchi! Wanna dance?"

He'll even extend his hand out to her like a gentleman. In times past he might have just grabbed her hand and pulled her along, so at least he's learned that much about manners.

[anti_nonsense]

Rita's brow furrows as she looks over Tamaki and his outstretched hand. She's tempted to take it, even though she'd normally want to turn her nose up at the offer. But with the lingering fog in her mind, she doesn't question why.

There is one thing that gives her hesitation, however.

"What did you just call me?" she asks, narrowing her eyes at him.

[puddingemote]

"Ritacchi," he repeats a bit louder, assuming she didn't hear him the first time over the din in the hall. Unless she's about to be one of those people who fusses over her nickname; he's starting to get pretty tired of that, actually.

Well, he'll give her the benefit of the doubt for now.

[anti_nonsense]

Yeah, no, hearing it spoken louder actually makes it worse!

And now she's glaring, because damn if that doesn't call to mind the stupid things a certain someone else would call her. Ugh. "Don't call me that," she says plainly.