I see trouble on the way.

[lacquers]

Characters: Everyone! Yes, you too!
Summary: Mandy's Masquerade hosts a fantastic Halloween party with a costume contest, some very special cocktails, and a few other surprises.
Date(s): Late in the month of October.
Warnings/Notes: Please mark any threads that need content warnings.

Mandy's is looking a bit festive this evening. Arrayed with spiderwebs, pumpkins, and other ghoulish decorations, the interior resembles a spooky haunted house. Spooky, not scary! Everyone's invited to stop by and celebrate All Hallow's Eve with spirited drinks, excellent company, and a lot of that Magnus flair.

You can loosen up on the dance floor to Monster Mash, Thriller, Dead Man's Party, or maybe something from this list. The spooky sky's the limit! Visit the bar for one of several special drinks you won't soon forget. You can also sample some tasty and holiday-appropriate baked goods, courtesy of the other Mr. Lightwood-Bane. Finally, stop by the table with the MAGIC 8 BALL to learn a little more about your fellow partygoers.

---

Potions.
drink list

Siren Song
If you're a little tone-deaf, don't fret. This drink will turn you into a master at serenading. It won't actually give you the ability to influence anyone via magical means, but maybe if your song choice is apt, you'll woo someone either way!

Firework!
A drink that comes with a portable fireworks show hovering over its surface. Drinking it will give you the sensation of ingesting liquid pop-rocks.

Blacklight
Does what it says on the tin and makes the drinker glow under a black light. It's also kind of sour.

Frankenstein's Monster
This drink is quite shocking. Not dangerously so, but when you drink it, you'll have the impression of getting a tingling little jolt of electricity down your spine. It's aliiiiive.

To Be or Not To Be (A Daemon)
Drink this and you will find you've been magically swapped with your daemon. It only lasts ten minutes, but hey! You'll get to see how the other half lives. A note: you won't inherit one another's abilities!

---

Who Wore It Best?
costume contest

Congratulations to our costume contest winners!

In first place for individual costumes...

Rafa wins for his devilish costume and he'll be awarded 2 potions: the first of which will up his luck stat, granting him good fortune in an endeavor (it says "Deal with the Devil" on the bottle) and the second will up his persuasion stat, helping him to be more successful in an argument (it says "The Devil's Advocate" on the bottle).

In second place for individual costumes...

Nico plunders the second place spot and will be given a treasure chest full of chocolates that are rum flavored. Careful, they pack a bit of a punch and when consumed, they'll make whoever eats them feel especially happy. No sad drunks here!

In third place for individual costumes...

Zeke and his amazingly sunny costume are in third and he wins a sunflower plant that will never cease to bloom and seems to have a bit of a glow about it. Plus, perpetual supply of sunflower seeds?

In first place for couples costumes...

Magnus and Alec came first for their portrayal of... each other... and they win a pair of seemingly mundane t-shirts that say "Bennet" and "Darcy" on them. What's that about?

In second place for couples costumes...

Vex and Kenzi delighted with their take on the Addams' family patriarch and matriarch and won second place. As a prize, Kenzi will be given a shampoo and conditioner set that seems pretty innocuous until you check out the writing on the bottles: 'Have YOU ever wanted hair like Cousin Itt? Are you ever in luck!' Just a small amount will make her locks lustrous and smooth. Vex will be given a very lifelike and animated hand in a box.

In third place for couples costumes...

Rose and Kaz were drop dead gorgeous in their mafia-inspired garb. As prizes, they will receive the following: for Rose, a pair of magical die that make music when thrown, and for Kaz, a set of playing cards that are intricately illustrated with astonishing art that seems to move. Watch out for the face cards, they get very opinionated about your playing. They both also receive a chip that can be relinquished to Magnus for a small magical favor.

Comments

[creatio]

Are you casting aspersions on the greatest thing in the world, aka pumpkin spiced lattes, Rafa?

( 'sup boss. )

[rootaccess]

[ Well, this is something she recognizes! And she's even feeling tipsy enough to participate and give it a few shakes. ]

If you woke up tomorrow as an animal, what animal would you choose to be and why?

[ A pause. ] If I woke up tomorrow as an animal, I wouldn't get to choose which one.

[astralera]

[ what are good party topics??? she thought this was a pretty neat one. also suited to spoopy creppy halloween! ]

She was from Sharlayan, an isolationist city-state who hoards all knowledge and dislikes sharing it with Eorzeans. They did not approve of sharing knowledge of astromancy with astronomers in Ishgard.

it took me forever to decide but i'm going with b

[shadowblends]

Me? [he practically squeaks, eyes wide and his head vigorously shaking.] No, I— I shouldn't. I'm not all that well-versed in dancing.

[At least, not this form of gamboling about. Everything looks a bit too intimate, which is not to say that it shouldn't be, but Kurt hasn't actually danced with anyone who wasn't a sibling or another family member. He honestly shouldn't be surprised that someone is already trying to get him to join in, though.] Besides, you seem to be having plenty of fun without me.

[lacquers]

That's an admirable view. [ Magnus sounds akin to impressed. ] The future does often hold more possibility than the past, doesn't it?

Still, if ever you do want to try and recover any of your remaining memories, I'd be happy to offer some assistance. It's something of a specialty of mine. You don't have to, of course!

But please know the offer's there.

[lacquers]

[ If you've never seen a butterfly bow... well, that's probably also a good sign. Anyway, Magnus' daemon is large enough that when he does bow, it's actually not that hard to tell what he's doing. ]

I remember talking to people who said that! [ Magnus (in Anned's voice) sounds mirthful. ] I've been saying this as long as I've been alive, but people are strange. And wonderful! But also very, very strange.

In answer to your question, I did. I ran a club in New York and also in a city called Eudio.

[ Anned cuts in: ] What is a "torch song?"

Darlene Alderson | OTA

[rootaccess]

[ Darlene's mood for this evening pretty much hinges completely on how much alcohol she's consumed at the point in which you come across her. ]

It's close to midnight, something evil's lurking in the dark ( sober )

[ If it's still early in the night, she's still feeling fairly sober, perhaps glued to a seat at the bar, vibing along to whatever Halloween themed tunes happen to be echoing from the speakers with a brightly colored concoction in her hands -- at least, the one that isn't sporting a murder glove. She's not exactly a conversationalist, content to sit at the bar and get completely wasted in silence, but if you do decide to try striking up some kind of conversation, be ready for a slightly abrasive reply. ]

Cause I can thrill you more than any ghoul would ever dare try ( tipsy )

[ Somewhere later into the evening, it's likely you'll come across Darlene Krueger far more inebriated and it much better spirits. She's likely to be found requesting that Michael Jackson's Thriller is played more times than should be legally allowed -- even for a Halloween themed event. Offering to take lines of multicolored shots one after another -- in what she calls a drinking game, but looks a lot more like a way to get drunk as quickly as possible. Or possibly even out on the dance floor actually busting out some moves to one of her many Thriller requests. ]

There ain't no second chance against the thing with the forty eyes. ( trashed )

[ By the time she reaches near blackout, if you don't find her curled over a sink, or one of the toilets (likely groaning about how she'll never get this wasted again.), she's more than likely to be found taking in the cool nighttime air. A lit cigarette poised between her fingers -- and probably quite a few more finished all the way to down the filter at her feet -- and her daemon displaying various windows of news feeds, messages, endlessly scrolling lists of coding, and photos geotagged with nearby locations (most of which consist of shots from the party.)

Every few moments she pauses long enough to type out a message, but otherwise rarely looks up from the screens or her cigarette. ]

Wildcard

[ Anything you'd like, whenever and where ever you'd like! I'm happy to write starters, or you can ping unnideul ]

[linny]

Thank you--

[ Wait. Link's eyes widened again with interest. ]

It is? You might be able to? If it doesn't fatigue me too much that I'm unable to defend the city, or take away my current memories, I'm interested!

[ Because while there is no way he'd risk being caught off-guard for the sake of himself, if it was a harmless process he'd certainly look into it! ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Well that sounds . . . terrifying. ]

And I imagine any kind of deviation is frowned upon?

[lacquers]

[ Ah, Link. You're a good person, aren't you? Magnus is really fond. ]

I wouldn't use any magic that would take away your strength, I promise. [ It might take his strength, but any magic used will do that, so it doesn't seem worth mentioning. Besides, that's temporary.

Giving someone back their memories is important. ] Nor would I disturb the memories you have. If you'd like to try, I'd be happy to! I can't promise it will work to bring back every single memory you had, but you have my word I'd do my best.

[smileslie]

[Given the number of things Mandy has seen in her life--including a large number of things she doesn't actually remember--a bowing butterfly who has swapped places with a person is...okay, it's bizarre, but not enough to be remarkable. She still has no idea what that says about her or her sanity]

Strange would be quite the understatement for some of the people I've known. Which is hardly an insult, for most of them. If most of them were normal...well, they wouldn't have been in my life.

When in New York? [she pauses a bit, laughing] God, that still sounds bloody bizarre to say out loud. But I was working the dive scene there before I showed up here, so it's...well, as home as anywhere was, I suppose.

[she turns, having to realign herself just a moment to remember it's not the man asking, because she's damn sure he would know] Usually a very sappy sort of song where the narrator moaning a bit about a lost love or one they didn't get the chance to have in the first place.

[yes, she fully recognizes the irony in specializing in those when she will claim she's not sappy about Brian. Claim being the key word there]

[dothelokimotion]

[ It is easy enough to pick up Zeke's discontent. But Loki stems his reactions. He's far too used to that kind of behavior to be irritated by it. ]

Is it now?

[lacquers]

[ That says something interesting about her. Perhaps that she's led a colorful life? That can be both good and bad and Magnus would know better than most. ]

I guess we're all strange by someone's definition, aren't we?

[ Says the talking butterfly. Who is actually a man. Who is sitting beside Mandy. Whew. ]

I've been in New York for, let me see-- Well, since the early eighties. That's nearly forty years now! And I lived there during the Roaring Twenties and in the sixties as well. I keep finding myself coming back there. So maybe we just barely missed each other, hm?

[ Just barely missed one another in time and space. He'll be musing about that for a second while Anned offers its opinions about this musical trend. ]

That sounds painful. [ Thank you, daemon friend. ]

[smileslie]

Do they have a special meaning, or do you just like the sound of them?

Peter Parker | OTA

[ptrprkr]

The party don't start 'til I walk in ( open to all )

[ Peter didn't really get invited to too many parties back home. To be fair, the last party he attended ended up with him having to ditch early and chase down baddies with alien weapons -- probably for the best, he figures he would have somehow embarrassed himself trying to go through his task of making himself and Ned look cool.

But, this party so far shows no signs of aliens, their weapons, or any obvious bad guys -- not unless someone has purposely dressed up as one, and Peter isn't very worried about someone dressed as a criminal doing crime. It seems too expected. He arrives himself dressed as the defender of a galaxy far, far away: Luke Skywalker, and if you're lucky enough you'll notice a Darth (Ned) Vader hanging around at his side more often than not.

(You might even find them engaging in a lightsaber battle in the middle of the dance floor -- with what are the closest things Peter could make to real ones.)

He can also be found actually attempting to dance, although not with much luck. He likely has the flailing movements and rhythm of someone who is three sheets to the wind, but Peter Parker is Very Sober throughout the whole evening. ]

... If it wasn't for those meddling kids! ( closed to Leo )

[ Peter Parker is usually a good kid, sometimes to a fault. He typically always follows the rules, tries to be as responsible as possible, and as a general rule tries not to do anything he'd regret too much the next day.

(That small grey area between What Tony Stark Would Do and What Tony Stark Wouldn't Do.)

But, without any real consequences like a protective and nosy Aunt, or a Spanish quiz bright and early the next day, Peter decides he can let loose just a little.

It's Halloween, after all! (Almost.)

So what does any sixteen-year-old do at a party when given free reign to do anything? Finds liquor, of course. Nerd or otherwise, Peter Parker is still just an average somewhat rebellious teenager.

When he finds Leo, it's with a wide grin on his face and an obvious something hidden behind his back. ]

Hey! I wanna show you something cool.

[ Why he chooses Leo over Ned to show his thievery off to, he isn't sure. Maybe because he actually does think that Leo is pretty cool -- and because he kind of has a record of abandoning Ned at parties.

(Sorry, Ned.) ]

( wildcard )

[ Whatever strikes your fancy! I'm more than happy to write starters for anyone, or you can ping unnideul

[astralera]

[ because it's Mandy, Era doesn't mind elaborating a little, so she nods and answers. ]

Akari follows traditional Raen naming conventions, and the meaning of it closely matches my given title. Ki is 'hope'... One of my dearest friends - a brother, really - often referred to me as 'hope incarnate', so I believe it fitting.

Greystone was his surname.

A

[deathkid]

[ nico's had his eyes on wyatt since he walked in, whether or not wyatt's noticed if he has, nico will make no secret that he's checking him out. if he hasn't that's just fine too. by the time wyatt's grabbing a drink, nico's sidled up to him, so when he points, it's at the son of death who lifts a brow and tilts his head. it's not the weirdest request ever, but given his own costume, it seems a bit strange. ]

Lift me? I guess. I mean, it won't quite be in character for me... But if you let me plunder your booty later, I might give in.

[deathkid]

[ figuring it's better to leave things at that, nico nods slightly and adjusts the sword belt of his costume. the sword is real, of course: stygian iron that emits an aura of fear and cold, but he's got it well sheathed so it matches with his pirate attire. ]

If you're sure. So who are you supposed to be dressed as?

[deathkid]

[ growling just as playfully, he tugs on vex's lapels again. ]

If you say so, caro mio. And I haven't. I guess I never considered it, but I could probably ask him. He can still do that, can't he?

[deathkid]

Could be! If we can ever go home, I'll shadow you over to Camp for a visit. If you are a demigod or close to it, you'll be claimed in a ceremony. It's pretty cool to watch.

[deathkid]

[ snorts a little. that's the first time anyone's said something like that, though he's had the usual "smells like death" or the like. nico rolls his eyes and shrugs. ]

I'm a demigod. My dad's a god, but my mother was mortal. A human.

[deathkid]

Yeah, I guess. Takes some getting used to though, right? I'd think it's an elaborate costume, but I talked to the guy. He's as real as you or me.

[deathkid]

Agreed. And if you get it dirty, you don't see the stains.

[deathkid]

There's nothing wrong with funerals.

[deathkid]

Black is my choice. I think this is the only outfit I've worn in over a year that's got color in it.

[ smirks a little. ]

Good to see you made it. Nice costume, by the way.