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

alec / ota

[helical]

a. I know a place we can run— drinking & thinking

( alec's drink pops little fireworks that he isn't paying much attention to anymore, twirling a hand that glows blue so the glass turns in tight slow circles over the surface of the table as if an invisible hand was mixing it. it makes a light scraping noise he can hardly hear over the music, but he doesn't mind the noise as much as he once did. this has become a familiar scene that he's missed. it reminds him of eudio. )

I used to think this stuff was such a waste of time. ( he sounds almost amused. his foot taps along to the beat of the music, and he takes a sip of his drink with a smile curling his lips. )

b. Where everyone gonna lay down their weapon— party...cleaner?

( look. he can't help himself. people are leaving empty glasses all over, and what's a guy to do? he's picking them up, bringing them back to the bar, moving half empty glasses away from gesticulating arms or dancing limbs. this might lead to him holding as many glasses as he can in both hands, spinning on his feet to avoid colliding with someone zooming toward the dance floor. this is followed by an eye roll and a world weary sigh until the glasses are all safely back on the bar top.

then he turns around, looking over everyone's heads, gaze like a hawk trying to hone in on it's prey. target: glassware and spillage avoidance.

he spots some, takes a step, then looks at his own hand. one can almost hear the sound of a hand smacking a forehead as he summons blue flames to it, gestures, and the targets disappear from their spot, now next to the other glasses alec had brought with him to the bar. he has a moment of looking pretty darn pleased with himself, tyvm.)

c. Don't you be afraid of love and affection— winding down

( after the costume winners are announced, alec is wearing his prize: the shirt with the name "darcy" printed on it, but he hasn't changed out of anything else. maybe it looks weird, but he's way past caring. he's getting more and more focused on magnus, honestly, repeatedly losing himself in staring at him, only half aware he's doing it. if he catches someone looking, he'll be quick to raise his eye brows, tone somewhat challenging, not even aware if he's contesting the judgement of his clothes or his longing gazes. ) What?

( he's not trying to pick a fight. he may be a little tipsy. )

c!!!

[upside]

( shepard has got a very well-meant, but all knowing smile covering her mouth as she sways a bit, equal parts tipsy but never overly so. she waggles her eyebrows, laced with implication. )

Nothing. ( she clarifies -- ) You're just cute, that's all.

( it's kind of the way a big sister calls you cute, like she's partly teasing but mostly happy about hard earned evidence of alec lightwood's cuteness. those wandering gazes, they are so pure.

also in a big sister fashion, )

Do you think Magnus would agree with me? I could call him over. Hey, Magnus!

[helical]

( his thoughts were not entirely pure, which always gives alec a moment of brief concern that someone in the room can read his mind, until he shakes off the possibility. even if someone did, it's not like it's a crime for his thoughts to wander in that direction when slightly inebriated and toward the end of a fun party magnus threw while looking handsome in a less common way.

right. )

Wh — hey, stop! ( he waves a hand her way, looking over at where magnus is to make sure he didn't hear that. not that he's embarrassed that magnus will find out, but... almost chiding: ) He's busy with stuff.

( so he will keep a respectful distance until it looks like magnus is done entertaining and wanders back his way, okay!! he's so concerned about leaving magnus up to having fun doing what he loves he forgets to protest the cute comment. )

sort of c.

[lacquers]

[ What a coincidence! The owner of the shirt that matches Alec's is currently walking his way, thus eliminating the need for longing gazes cast across the room. Now they can be shared up close! Magnus has put the shirt on under the denim button-down he's wearing and he has it open so the 'Bennet' printed on the front is visible. He wears the moniker proudly, thank you.

He comes to a halt near Alec, a drink in either hand. It looks like they might be a pair of Frankenstein's Monsters. ] You're looking quite magical, Mr. Darcy. [ He holds out a glass. ] Care for a drink?

[ Unless he's had enough... ]

[helical]

Thanks. ( both for the drink and the compliment... he takes the glass from magnus and immediately sips it, smile growing when he realises it's a drink he likes. it's nice, being known so well. it never ceases to spark warmth in his chest. ) Yours looks good, too.

( he looks down at himself, tugging at the shirt. ) I thought I should wear my prize. I also took off some of the jewelry, ( he adds, letting the shirt go. ) I don't know how you wear so many necklaces so often.

[lacquers]

[ In response, Magnus smiles the broadest, most smitten smile you can imagine. He seems enormously pleased that Alec's enjoying the drink too. Tingly, isn't it? And it's not just the magic in the alcohol. ] You're welcome, sayang.

[ He turns here and there, as if examining Alec's costume as it exists right now. ]

It looks nice on you. Fitting, isn't it? [ As if Magnus didn't explicitly make these shirts with last Halloween in mind. ] As for the jewelry, I think you get used to it. Now that I think about it, I can't remember when I started accessorizing so heavily.

[helical]

( that halloween had been the first time alec really wore a costume. he hadn't been sure about it, but he'd had fun. enough that he'd looked forward to a new idea for this party.

he sips at his drink, watches magnus in return, his gaze from a distance of before not changed in the least because magnus is closer. )

Was it a long time ago?

[lacquers]

[ That question seems to evoke some thought and Magnus hums a bit, gazing into his glass as if it's some sort of portal to the past. ] When was that?

[ Head cocked to the side, he hums a second time. ] To be honest, I can't remember when I started, but I think it was after I began getting more money from Shadowhunters. It's possible I was showing off a bit.

[ "A bit." ] It was fun.

a;

[remarkablymodest]

[ This isn't like parities Ishgardian nobility threw. He'd never thought those were a waste, even if he didn't always enjoy them. They were necessary for networking and gaining (or maintaining) influential relationships. As such, there was a lot more pomp and circumstance, a lot more formalities; a markable difference is that dancing was reserved, conservative.

He's pretty sure the blond woman shouting 'back that ass up' at someone he saw earlier would've been balked at. Aymeric, in all his propriety, feels a tad out of place. Not that he's letting on as much, however. He's enjoying himself as best he can even for as foreign as everything still is. ]

Oh? [ he asks, giving a curious tilt of his head. ] What happened to change your mind?

[helical]

( alec is definitely more used to functions meant to create connections and foster political influence. first rune celebrations are also occasional, but still rather austere. shadowhunters and parties don't mix, unless they're at a club to lure demons... and even then, they're entirely focused on work.

what alec has discovered he likes about this isn't the loud music, or the lights, or the drinking. )

It's nice to see people relax, I guess. ( he's fond of a lot of the people here, after all. they're family, in a sense, and this is a form of looking out after yourself and your own: taking a break, letting go for an evening. ) And I've learned it's good to have fun, once in a while.

[remarkablymodest]

[ he's in good company then for Aymeric has come to the same conclusion. It isn't the drinks (though he has enjoyed a couple of those) nor the music that really appealed to him. Instead, he enjoyed the sense of ease the atmosphere seemed to put everyone at. Even for minor interpersonal squabbles, he noted after seeing Vex having a drink thrown on him, everyone appears to be happy.

Relaxed, as he put it. ]

I couldn't agree more, [ he says, giving an affirming nod. ] It's a lesson I'm still learning myself but Xistentia has been good for teaching it.

[helical]

( that makes alec's lips quirk into a bit of a fond, crooked smile, looking down at his drink before he looks out toward the people celebrating instead. )

You would have liked the place I was at before this. There was a party like this at least once a month. No war, either.

( if xistentia has taught aymeric to relax, alec wonders what eudio would have taught him. )

The weirdest thing going on was when we all kind of swapped powers.

[remarkablymodest]

Eudio, correct? [ He's heard the name more than a few times. Era had as well. Both of them seemed to be of the few who hadn't arrived from the shared world similar to Xistentia in the beginning. But now it seems as if more arriving from all over the multiverse, which-

He's not sure if that means good or bad things to come, honestly. ]

Swapping powers? I imagine that caused quite a bit of havoc.

( a. )

[creatio]

And now you know better.

( Hello Alec, hello. Clary just siddles on up to him, a smile on her face and a drink in her hand. She's super glad that Magnus decided to put this together, it's one of the things she'd definitely missed from Eudio. And it's definitely given her a chance to ignore the swirling worry of her thoughts and focus on happier things.

Like friends, and music, and dancing. And Jace. )

Which means you're dancing with me later, right? I promise not to require a piggyback ride home if you say yes. ( Waggling her eyebrows at him. )

[helical]

( alec is glad for that too. none of them have had time to really relax in a while, all of them having recently returned or arrived from their world not so long ago. it's a lot to take in, the return of memories, the events of their world.

it's nice to put that and the war that threatens their place here as well aside.

it, however, does not mean alec's going to do anything like that. sorry, clary. he scoffs,
shaking his head.)

Absolutely not. ( ur delusional!!! )

[creatio]

Alec.

( Clary's doing her best to sound disapproving, but there's little she can do for her bright and blooming smile. ) Come on, you're letting down the team. Even Jace has danced with me.

( Technically, Jace would probably do anything Clary asked right now. But she's going to use that regardless. )

Besides, you want to live up to your full costume potential, right? Magnus would too. ( Would he? Who knows! )

[helical]

He's your boyfriend. ( of course he'd dance with her, this really isn't a convincing argument, also there's a lot jace would do when it comes to girls and especially a girl he likes as much as he likes clary. so there. )

I don't need to dance to live up to it. ( he snaps his fingers and summons some of his baked goods to the table, taking a cupcake and ceremoniously taking a bite. how he manages to do it in a judgy way is a mystery but he succeeds.

there's some for you, clary. he's ever so charitable, even when being wheedled to dance.)

[astralera]

[ While the music is a tad bit loud for her tastes, Era still found herself enjoying the party regardless. It's been far too long since she last had the opportunity to just dance and let loose a little, and it's... nice. Every so often she needs to stop moving and ease the ache of her feet, regretting the choice to wear such high heels more and more as the evening wears on.

The trick with the drink catches her eye - it's a type of magic she's not familiar with, and Era pays it close attention. Such close attention, in fact, that when she hears Alec speak it startles her.

Era used to think such things were a waste of time. What use is drinking and dancing and merriment when she could be training, or helping those in need? It wasn't until Ishgard that she realized its importance - interacting with others, enjoying oneself, making connections, making memories with friends. Friends that she would regret not spending more time with. ]

I used to as well.

[helical]

( he hardly notices her staring, as he's a little caught up in his thoughts, in watching the party unfold. it's not his magic in the first place, so he's not as hyper aware of people's reactions to it as magnus would likely be. it's been nothing but joy to him.

he stops the motion of his hand when era speaks in return, turning his attention to her. )

What made you change your mind? ( he's curious to know if her reasons are similar. )

[astralera]

I lost friends. [ she shrugs, doing her best to brush aside the emotional pain the statement brings. ] And I am left with few memories of them outside of combat.

[helical]

( oh. )

I'm sorry about your friends. ( however, since she clearly wants to brush this off: ) This is a good way to make new ones. I didn't think I could make friends outside combat before I came to a place like this.

( in fact, he didn't have any at all that weren't family he fought alongside of before eudio. it had been a revelation to discover he could make friends, that he had things to offer people liked, and a revelation to see it came outside of fighting battle together. )

B

[estrayer]

[ Jace watches all this from the side of the bar, which he's been leaning on for some time. There's a glass in his hand, half finished, which still has the remnants of fireworks sparking over the surface. He eyes Alec's work for a while, obviously not helping, but casting his judgment over all. ]

You get to spend a whole night with warlock magic, and you use it to clean up.

[ He says, dryly, and turns to lean back on the bar instead. ]

You're allowed to relax, Alec.

[helical]

( alec glances at jace when he comments, moving the glasses where they will clearly be picked up to be put with the dishes. )

Who says I'm not relaxed? ( raises eyebrows at jace as he looks over at him again.

when alec next picks up a glass, it glows for a moment and returns to it's natural state looking squeaky clean. brand new, even. now that's handy. )

I can't do anything too crazy with it anyway, it'll get used up too fast if I do.

[estrayer]

[ Jace's lips curl up in a smirk. In all fairness, cleaning probably would relax Alec. He's exactly that kind of weird, and he's lucky it makes Jace feel fond. He snags one of the newly cleaned glasses and leans over the bar to fill it with fresh alcohol. This is obviously his way of helping. ]

You're working. That is not the definition of relaxation, and besides. This isn't even Magnus' place.

[ So chill out, brother. ]

How long does your, uh… [ He gestures, wiggling his fingers. ] …thing, last?

[helical]

( offended scoff at this blatant act of... of... he's not sure, but he's offended. mock-offended. )

I just cleaned that, ( he grumbles, but just moves onto the next one rather than continue griping. he could also argue that there are many other reasons for cleaning than it being magnus' place. like drinks being knocked over, costumes being ruined, glass injuring someone when broken.

he's just looking out for the people and the space, jace!

but this isn't a hill he wants to die on, jace and cleaning don't mix and he'll forever tease alec that he finds it something enjoyable to be doing. it's like sorting out the things in his head as he picks up messes. )

Couple of hours. The more I use it the less time it lasts, but small things like this should make it keep for that long.