xistentia | I see trouble on the way.

Entry tags:

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

[Arthur and Mandy might not have won the contest, and there's a part of him that feels guilty in light of that fact, but it's difficult to be unhappy when he looks and feels this good.

A large part of it is thanks to Mandy's steady hand with a makeup brush--she worked some kind of miracle along his jawline, softening the hard angles into something passably feminine. A year ago, he'd have been paralyzed by embarrassment even thinking about wearing a skirt; sure, he's done himself up for Halloween in the last few years under the loving tutelage of his flatmates, but he never quite managed to step over that line completely. Then Mandy had pitched her costume idea, and seemed to immediately read his body language when he suggested his second choice, and before he could insist that he'd have a lovely time playing her husband she'd already started looking for a pair of heels.

And now here he is, heels and all. They even managed to find stockings and ladies' knickers--although he'd flushed hotly when he saw them, and had needed a moment to work up to the idea, they admittedly did improve his silhouette. It's a bizarre and foreign feeling, the swish of silk against the back of his legs and the new unsteadiness of walking in heels much thinner than his platform boots, but he also feels...

...Liberated. Freer than he has since an early February morning, sheltered from the first flakes of snowfall by a warm smile and warmer arms.

Giddy from a combination of nerves, excitement and alcohol, Arthur manages to keep enough of his coordination to continue pouring drinks--but there's a pinkness to his cheeks that's not from the rouge and a slight breathlessness to his voice.]

What're you having?

[While Amanda doesn't look especially masculine thanks to the cut of her leather jacket and the tight pants, she's also not wearing a bit of makeup and she made sure that her cleavage wasn't exposed and her hair's fully tucked under the cap--she was a pilot, not a 'sexy' pilot'--so she supposes that at first glance some people might think she's dressing up as a man. Which she wouldn't mind precisely, since she is dressing up as a woman who elbowed her way into a boy's club and wasn't known for being traditionally attractive.

And she's kind of glad for that, because it means she feels pretty secure in heading to the bar and not getting any unwanted attention. It had escaped her mind that Arthur would be there--she hasn't been to the club before this, even if it would probably be more her style than Pandemonium had been--but she grins when she sees him]

Hey. Ah, as much as I'm sure it would be hilarious for everyone if Graced and I switched places, I think I'll stick to that backlight thing for now.

You look great, by the way. Your roommate did all that? [she saw the woman whizzing past at some point--how do you not notice someone in green face paint who actually manages to make it look something besides totally cheesy--and would been stunned she and Arthur live together if it weren't for her own living situation with Kavinsky]

[Beaming, Arthur takes in his friend's costume--they almost match, Amanda in her trousers and him in his frock, and they're even from a similar time period. Maybe later, he'll work up the nerve to ask her to dance.

For now, though, he grabs a glass and the requisite ingredients, and carefully starts to pour.]

Coming up, Miss Earhart.

[At least the compliment, whether it's intentional or not, is inclusive of Mandy, which allows him to deflect a bit from himself. He finishes off the drink and slides it across the bar to Amanda.]

It's all Mandy. She's brilliant with this sort of thing--I don't think I could have pulled it off without her. You don't look half bad yourself, either.

[Amanda laughs a little, ducking her head slightly] Thanks. It was all just off the shelf things, since I can't sew and I wasn't even going to ask Kavinsky and it was the best thing I could do that way while still being sort of accurate. Pretty sure my inner child who spent a month building an accurate-looking proton pack is kind of ticked at me for skimping out.

[which...is a cultural reference Arthur probably won't get. Oh well

She takes the drink gladly, since it gives her something else to look at so if she is flushing it won't be noticed] I'm not looking forward to getting all the pins out of my hair at the end of the night though. I know why Amelia kept hers so short now. The two of you are way more dedicated to this kind of craft than I could ever be.

[it makes sense, from what he's told her. She respects the craft, as someone who works with machines, but it's not her craft and it took her months to learn how to shave her legs and she really doesn't see the point most times]

Was it your idea or hers to do the Munsters? Because either way, I didn't see it until like thirty years after it aired and I still think that's really cool.

I haven't got a clue where Mandy found most of this. [In the case of the knickers, though they'd looked clean, he's not sure he wants to know.] I can sew patches and mend socks, but nothing fancy. I can't work a machine or make my own clothes like some of my mates can, and I certainly couldn't make an accurate looking...proton pack? Even if I knew what it was.

[At this point, he's a lot less embarrassed about his lack of cultural knowledge--at least around Amanda. Somehow, she never makes him feel on the spot for not understanding something. Warmly, he smiles at her and raises his mug--just coffee, for now--in a silent toast.]

I choose not to consider the amount of pins keeping this bloody thing on, because if I do, I'll need a real drink, and then I'll forget all of the cocktails I was up until half three in the morning memorising. [He takes a drink from the mug, since there's only so far fumes can take him.] It was Mandy's idea, mostly. She was going to be Lily anyway, and I've wanted to wear a frock for Halloween since I was five and my dad wouldn't let me go as Sleeping Beauty.

[As soon as he says it, he realizes how intimate a thing he just shared, and he feels his face heat up a little and has to glance away--just in case.] I don't think I've ever told anyone about that until just now. I didn't tell Mandy, I just...made a face, I suppose. She suggested it before I could even offer to be Herman.

Edited 2017-11-09 04:58 (UTC)

[Amanda can't help chuckling, definitely more at herself than Arthur] It's from a silly scifi movie that came out when I was seven or eight, Ghostbusters. All the main characters are men, so there were a couple annoying boys who made fun of me for it and said a girl couldn't be a Ghostbuster, but I think they were just jealous my costume was better than theirs.

[she does frown a little at his story, but not because it's weird or anything, but the fact it's silly that someone would care that much about what a kid would wear to go get candy] God. I'm sorry. And that's definitely not enough, but...my parents didn't understand why I didn't want to be a fairy princess or something, but they never stopped me. And that was the last time I really went trick or treating, anyway.

[which is why it's the costume she remembers, the last time she got to go out and it wasn't in a hospital or something]

It's really cool that your friend did that, though. I had a friend in the 'special kids' group I was in who….I think he was gay, I don't know, I don't know if he knew, he was like...ten. But he wanted to do something with makeup one year, not face paint, and his parents wouldn't let him. Which I thought was stupid even then, we already couldn't wear the costumes most kids did. I was a mermaid three years in a row for crying out loud, because every girl who can't walk is a mermaid at least once. But...god, it's kids playing dress up.

[she's sure she hasn't said anything Arthur hasn't thought, but it's not an experience she can relate to. She's been a girl in a boy's club working harder than all of them to prove she belongs, but it's a different kind of difficult and awful and she knows that] I'm glad you found someone who didn't swallow that stuff though. It's not easy even in my time to find a lot of people who don't get really ridiculous about it.

Why can't a girl be a ghost-buster? I don't think of ghosts as being universally misogynistic--it'd depend on the person who died, wouldn't it?

[Okay, a part of him recognizes that he's getting in a little too deep about something very silly, but he also feels like Amanda will understand. And maybe he is, well, a bit of a nerd, but if he is, he's in good company.]

I think I knew when I was ten, although I didn't admit it to meself until I was seventeen. Or, I suppose I pretended it wasn't true--that if I stopped thinking about it, I'd stop having those feelings.

[Which, of course, had backfired spectacularly, in the end.]

I think it was for the best, though. My dad would have been a bastard about it anyway, and now I don't have to listen to him yell at me anymore.

[Smiling shyly, he reaches over and briefly squeezes Amanda's hand.] And you don't have to be a mermaid anymore, unless you want to. I think this one suits you better, though.

[Amanda giggles, a bit surprised by the fact she's not embarrassed by the totally girlish sound, but considering...well, Arthur isn't the type to think she's less intelligent because sometimes she's girly]

Yeah, it was ridiculous. The boys always liked pointing out how there were girls in the movie I could have been, but one of them was a secretary and the other was the love interest who got possessed. Which is nowhere near as cool as being the person sucking up ghosts. In retrospect, it's a pretty sexist movie, since all the 'experts' are men. But they were still scientists who saved the day without having superpowers, so I thought it was cool.

[she'd heard, in Eudio, that there was a reboot with women, but she hadn't gotten around to seeing it. She needs to fix that.

She can't help frowning a bit, but--well, it's not something she can relate to, in the same way. She'd tried not to think about sex at all before she came to Eudio since she couldn't act on it, and she hadn't really had feelings about anyone until she met Nick, and she didn't know what that meant, still. But not thinking about sex aside from one person was different from wanting to be with someone the world told you was wrong and she knew that.]

I can't even imagine what that...the closest my parents ever came to that was freaking out when I wanted to work in a field with a lot of men since...I couldn't really defend myself. But eventually they got that I didn't want to be a shut-in. I'm glad you found people who...aren't like that, now.

[she hadn't had the same sort of thing--she hadn't built a safe place for herself in people, except Nick and that had been an accident. But she didn't need it the same way she thinks Arthur has.

She smiles at his touch, shaking her head] Nah. The good thing about the chair is it meant not having to figure out how hop around in the fins. I did like the sparkles, though. Maybe I'll be a princess astronaut next year.

[ Arthur looks good. Honestly, Rose had considered them her strongest rivals on their make-up skills alone. While the blond knew how to put on a face with the best of them, she still didn't come close to Mandy's skill. She'd have to work on her technique, possibly...

Either way, she doesn't think anything of him or the femininity. If anything, she almost wishes she looked that good in heels. ]

The Firework, [ she says, smiling warmly. ] Got a bit of fondness for it. What about you, dude?

[Rose isn't someone Arthur has met in person yet, but she's lovely in her costume, and he remembers her from the announcement about the winners. The smile she gives him is gentle and kind, and he finds himself returning one to her, albeit slightly more nervously--heels or not, he's still awkward during introductions.]

Coffee, while I'm working. I've got cocktail recipes comin' out of my ears--it's hard enough to remember them all when I'm sober.

[At the moment, though, he's on a break. It took a few tries to figure out how not to flash the entire bar whenever he took a seat, but he's figured out by now to cross his legs at the ankle instead of the knee. It's not exactly comfortable, but it also feels more natural than he'd been expecting.]

Congratulations on the contest, by the way. You two looked fantastic.

[ Thankfully, Rose doesn't do awkward. (This is a lie.) She always tries to make a good impression, make herself memorable because she can now. It's a far cry from her behavior just a little over a year ago. ]

That's fair enough! Nice and responsible of you. I also have trouble remembering things even with sober so, y'know. I feel that.

[ It looks natural, too. Rose wouldn't have guessed that he's new to this at all. ]

Thanks, dude. Third place is still kind of... eh, but. I'm happy our costumes went over well. I'm surprised yours didn't get more votes, honestly! You guys look awesome too.

Less 'responsible' and more 'terrified of mucking it up', if I'm honest.

[Her attitude, casual but friendly, is simultaneously a relief and a little nerve-wracking; no matter how much overt, even gregarious affection he's gotten over the past few years, it still feels a little out of place. Like someone's going to jump out from behind a curtain and tell him it's all been a big joke, and it's time for him to go back home to the stifling confines of his life in Manchester.

The last comment, though, shakes him from his musing--for a second, he's not sure if she's being serious.]

Placing at all is better than I did. [Realizing how that sounds, he cringes and tries again.] I'm not in a mood about it or anything--I was surprised to get any votes at all, aside from Ms. Mandy's.

[There's also the twinge of guilt that he might have held Mandy back a little; the role she's playing is certainly more natural for her than his, regardless of how he feels tarted up like this. But she seems to be having a good enough time, anyway.]

I, er, wasn't sure I'd have the nerve to wear it at all. I'm still here and I haven't run off to change, so I'm counting it as my win for the evening.

I mean, it's alright. To be in a mood about it. [ Rose takes a sip of her drink in-between it shooting off miniature fireworks. ] Lord knows I am.

[ At least she's... somewhat self-aware. ]

Not really though, of course. I like winning, but I know this isn't- It's not anything so serious to be really upset over.

[ It isn't life or death, even if her dramatics might lead someone to believe it might as well be. Rose is just a sore loser because losing has a lot of terrible associations for her. Lots of trauma attached to it that she doesn't want to get lost in contemplating, so she takes another swig of her drink instead. ]

But yeah, dude! You look awesome. Own that shit.

Tell you what--you can have a refill on me, if you like. I think you earned something for your effort.

[His own 'prize', as it were, is just how he's feeling, but he can at least try to share that happiness with her.]

Thank you, by the way. But I couldn't have done it without Mandy's help.

Thanks, dude, that's super nice of ya'. [ Ah, yes, the way to Rose's heart. Alcohol! Actually, it's being nice to her for more than like five minutes at a time. So, Arthur's on the right track to being a fast friend. ]

Are you guy's from the same world, by the way? You seem pretty close and all.

I'll take anything that won't make me glow in the dark. Or do other weird stuff. The simpler the better.

[ juno rests his chin on his palm as he looks over the bar, perched on a stool in a dark trench coat and detective's hat on. beneath the shade of the brim, his right eye glows a remarkable spectrum of colors as it sits on standby. he offers up a light smile. ]

How about just a whiskey?

I can't say I blame you for that.

[Arthur sets a glass on the counter in front of the gentleman, trying not to stare at the bright, colorful glow of one eye. He's never seen anything like it, though he's still much too polite to say anything about it.]

Straight up?

Yeah, thanks. Too much fun's bad for me.

[ juno eyes the glass and then looks up at him again, an easy smile on his face, which isn't something that normally happens, but the drinks have been strong tonight and circulating around pretty often. quick to bristle normally, a little softened around the edges now that it's a bit later in the evening.

you know, there's something that might be a little comforting at the fact that he's wearing what he's wearing and pulling it off with a posture that says he's getting comfortable with it. back where he's from, it's pretty normal, more about the self identity than anything. ]

How often d'you wear heels? I find them to be more trouble than they're worth but there's always something about em.

I certainly understand the feeling. Last time I had too much fun, I let a bloke get much too far than is strictly proper.

[There's something about this customer that Arthur feels a kinship with--whether the way he asked or something intangible or some combination, he's not sure, but then, it doesn't really matter.]

This is my first time in heels like this--I've got a few pairs of platform boots, but it's not really the same thing. [Blurring the line, of course, isn't the same as crossing it--but he can't help but feel a sense of rightness, swishing about in his frock like this. Something intangible feels correct, like it was just waiting for him to express it in the soft fall of silk.]

Same. They get real handsy.

[ though it almost sounds a little fond as he looks at the glass and thumbs the bottom of it thoughtfully. ]

Well, you're doing pretty well. If you gotta start somewhere, might as well be in the deep end. [ nothing about it is weird to juno, in fact, it's definitely coming off that this sort of thing is the norm for him as he gives a nod to him, a smile coming easily onto his mouth, more easily than it would sober. less self-effacing, more honest. ] Not really familiar with whatever it is you two were dressing up as, but the whole thing looks great.

To be fair, I also get a bit handsy. [Something about the mood he's in is puffing him up with a little bit of bravery--that and the general calm demeanor of his conversational partner. It's never been easy for Arthur to just say what's on his mind, and probably never will be, but at least for tonight it's easier, and he's sort of enjoying it.

The compliment still makes him flush, but he manages to smile back, even if he can't resist the urge to brush a strand of blond hair out of his face.] We're characters from an American television show, The Munsters. I think it aired in the mid-sixties--it was kind of a parody of both classic monster movies and situation comedy like Leave It To Beaver. Lily is both a vampire and the nurturing mother archetype, while Marilyn serves as both the mundane counterpoint to the rest of them and the naive teenager girl--

[And right about then, he realizes he's rambling and cuts himself off, the flush deepening.]

Sorry. I tend to get a bit carried away when it comes to pop culture. Um, I'm actually not sure I recognize your costume either.

[ juno's not gonna lie - he kind of glazes over a bit at the description because that's way more information than he's ready to receive on a costume and hey. the reference goes over his head just a bit. but he seems really into it at least? that's important. ]

No kidding, I can tell... [ but it's hardly bored-sounding, a little baffled and maybe kind of amazed. mid-sixties. he's not even gonna touch that with a ten-foot pole because if it's like anything else here, it's nine-thousand years short of his existence. his history lessons only took him so far, and he's pretty sure something called the munsters wasn't involved. ] It's okay, I'm not anything special, just a good ole detective. Never really been too much of a costume person.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I see trouble on the way.

Arthur Stuart | open

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject