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.

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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!

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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

[linny]

Especially people you care about.

[ He could admit that. ]

[helical]

Yeah. Especially people you care about. ( what is this feeling? link is... cute. ) There might be other people you know arriving. My brother's here now, too.

[linny]

[ He's very new to romance. o///o ]

I don't think I have any brothers or sisters... [ He looked unsure about that. ]

I had a father, but I don't remember him. [ his brows furrowed slightly. ] But Magnus is going to help me with that.

[helical]

( that's a little sad, but it's good they met here, then. hopefully magnus can help him remember his family. )

You'll be in good hands. He's a memory expert.

[linny]

He's very kind to offer his services to me. Even if it doesn't work, I'm grateful he at least tried.

Either way, it'll be alright. I can't mourn what I can't remember, but I can't help but wonder if I knew more about courtship before I lost them.

[helical]

Is that what's on your mind? ( cute..... ) I didn't know a thing about it either, when I met Magnus. ( maybe that helps a little, to hear that. ) I'm still not sure I really do.

[linny]

I'm... a little worried, yes. [ He confessed quietly. ]

It's comforting to hear I'm not the only one. Sidon is just, [ he paused as he struggled for words. ] he's so good, and I don't want to disappoint him. I've never had time for courtship until now, duty always came first.

[helical]

( alec ducks his head with a soft smile for a second. it always feels... good, in a way, to meet others who experienced similar things. even if they're completely different people. he'd spent so long feeling isolated, alone, estrange from everyone. )

I know what that's like. ( same for the struggling for words. ) He knows that about you, right?

[linny]

You do? You were like me, and still able to marry?

[ That was comforting to hear. ]

I... does he know I'm inexperienced? It didn't come up. Once we discovered we had feelings for each other it's been a... [ How to describe it? ] Celebration of those feelings? Just... happiness.

[helical]

Yes. Balancing duty and love... isn't always easy, but it's worth it. ( he's had some struggles!! but nothing they haven't been able to overcome. the harder moments only make the good ones mean that much more, and in learning this balance alec has learned more about himself and magnus. )

Celebration is a good word for that. You probably don't have to do much else but be yourself, at this point. ( look he knows how cliché that sounds, but if they already like each other as it is, there's no need for link to change himself. )

[linny]

I have no doubt that he's worth it.

[ He replied, maybe he meant Magnus? But his eyes had drifted back to Sidon, so clearly he was thinking of his own situation. He couldn't help it! ]

Duty will always come first for us, I understand that. He's a prince, I'm a knight for a different kingdom. Time and distance will be our biggest challenges.

Are you often parted from your husband?

[helical]

That can get complicated. ( he doesn't look worried, though. ) Magnus and I have separate titles, too, and different responsibilities. But we live in the same city.

( he's grateful for that, all the time. ) So no, I guess technically we're not often parted. But I don't always get to see him as much as I'd like.

[linny]

[ Link could only imagine that Alec and Magnus always made the most of the time they had together, something he hoped for himself and Sidon, and the thought made him smile slightly. He nodded then. ]

Thank you for talking with me about this. Everything here is very new to me, even talking so much is new, so I appreciate it.

[helical]

No problem. It's important stuff. ( he's not the chattiest chatterbox either, usually, but it's nice to talk about these things. ) Hope you're enjoying the party.