xistentia | I see trouble on the way.

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Do I have to? [ a beat. ] True love, then. It lasts beyond death, whereas wealth only exists for the living.

[ Hm. Fair enough. At least it is an answer not completely couched in base sentimentality. ]

Speaking from experience?

I've seen it. I mean, I've been to the Underworld enough times to know what a person can and can't take with them when their life ends.

That is what I meant.

[ But he acknowledges it. ]

What else do they take?

Nothing. Skills, maybe. Achilles was still a pretty good fighter when I trained with him in the Elysium Fields. The dead have no need for anything else, really.

[ Briefly his thoughts drift to his mother . . . but they fade quickly. ]

No doubt. The dead want for nothing, after all.

Some do, those in the Fields of Punishment. They want release from their torment, but they're there for a reason. A fitting warning for those who might seek to do evil.

But... that only applies to those who follow the Greek Pantheon. [ a sideways glance. ] I'm not sure how it applies to the Norse.

[ The corners of his eyes tighten slightly. ]

Valhalla is for the brave. Emptiness awaits the rest.

[ Valhalla is for Asgard. For shieldmaidens and warriors. For his mother. Not for monsters. ]

[ a pause as he watches the way loki responds. it's subtle, barely noticeable, and most would probably miss it. but nico has felt grief at the deepest level. knows intimately what it looks like in others. ]

Who was it? Who was it you saw die?

[ The grief was still too close to the surface. It had only been days since Loki cut down Kurse. Days since Thor held him tightly, his tears staining Loki's cheeks. Asgardians were not built for sorrow. It rarely comes upon them. ]

Does it matter?

Always. [ spoken with certainty of one who's lost a loved one. ] Just because they're dead, doesn't mean they should be forgotten.

[ His eyes flash, alight in green fury. ]

She will not be forgotten.

[ at that, nico smirks. loki tries so hard to remain composed, but he knows no one who's been touched by death remains without emotion. ]

Mother or sister? [ a brow lifts before he glances away, allowing a bit of his own emotions to peek through. ] I've lost both, so I know what it's like.

[ Loki bites off a snarl. ]

She was not my mother.

[ that lifted brow quirks, and nico presses his mouth together for a few seconds, staring at loki with eyes like oil slicks. ]

But she was important enough to warrant your mourning.

[ Loki restrains himself, but it's clear there is a lot simmering just below the surface. It is not the old weary grief, but sharp and bloody. ]

The All-Mother was worthy of respect in all realms.

Edited 2017-10-22 04:44 (UTC)

[ all-mother. he remembers the things the other loki had told him about asgard, about the gods there, and can't help but feel a bit of pity for this loki because even if he tries to act above such things, nico recalls that the all-mother had been loki's mom of sorts, even if adopted. pursing his lips together again, he shakes his head. ]

Then I'm sure she'll be in Valhalla, like you described.

[ he'd say more, but feels like the subject is still tender for this loki. besides... it's a party, and it should be fun. so he throws out his arms and gestures at the party. ]

And she should be celebrated. This is the night when death and life are closest, when the spirits return and we can commune with the dead. If she was so respected, celebrate the life she lived.

[ Where else would she be? Loki almost bites back but manages to curb his tongue. Frigga's death was still an ache in his bones and he knows nothing but time will pull back the invisible tether to scream and lash out. Right now, he knows he cannot afford to lose his grip. Not among strangers and potential enemies. ]

I'm not such a night of drunken revelry would be so celebratory in her name.

This isn't particularly a night of [ finger quotes ] drunken revelry. Halloween has always been a time to celebrate the weakening of the boundaries between the mortal and spirit realms. Honoring the dead comes hand in hand with that.

[ another pause because he knows he's on thin ice. ]

I can pour some libations for her and burn a should, though I'm sure that or something similar was already done.

[ Loki falls silent before shaking his head. His thoughts often wander to the funeral, the one he could not be present at. Even now, he wonders who gave the order to tell him. Was it Thor? Odin? His doubts and guilty reflections swarm his mind. ]

Her departure, no doubt, was grandiose enough.

But your offer is . . . appreciated.

[ 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?

[ He blinks before his grin is bright and mocking. ]

Ah, I forget other worlds are not aware of Captain America, icon and symbol of greatness.

[ opens and shuts his mouth a little. the name sounds like something out of a comic and for a few seconds nico wonders if he's heard of that somewhere. but the moment soon passes and he shrugs. ]

Never heard of him. Then again, I'm not American. And I don't spend my time around a lot of pop-culture saavy people.

[ that's not quite true, but hey. ]

No matter.

[ He does not mind the lack of recognition. If anything, it just makes his choice of costume funnier. ]

He is a scion for his people. Full of truth, justice and other boring virtues.

I see trouble on the way.

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