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

[shadowblends]

[You see this face, Kavinsky? He's not all that amused with your shit.

But surprise-- he'll humor the other boy anyway.] French is the language of love. It makes a lot of words sound nice.

[Kurt clears his throat, dropping the hand he'd raised to mess with the scarf tied around his middle.] You know Bulgarian, then?

[pillz]

Yeah man. My family's Bulgarian. Was. Bulgarian. I guess right now my family's more like, oldschool Italian. Not the mob kind, just undead.

Why the fuck would you pick Latin, anyway? That sound fuckable too?

hooover for (google) translation

[shadowblends]

Do you know any Italian, then? That'd be interesting to learn.

[Squints, his nose wrinkling in thought before--] Tale sonat?

[pillz]

[there is a lengthy pause.]

No fucking idea, man. You see Rafa around, you say that to him. He's my mom.

[no irony in his gaunt face.]

[shadowblends]

[His lips purse, nose wrinkling with consideration.]

I've met him. If he's your mutter, [pardon the accent] that means— [he stops, briefly looks strained, then it clicks.

Kurt's read enough to hazard an educated guess (and since Rafa is a male):] He turned you?

[pillz]

Yes, sweetheart. Why?

[the dream thief straightens slightly, his hollow eyes glinting. he curls his mouth into an arrogant sneer that's rather fetching, if you're into that kind of bullshit, and abruptly, two tiny fangs show against his plushy bottom lip.]

Don't see the family resemblance?

[shadowblends]

[Sweetheart, huh?

His face colors, both from embarrassment and a bit of indignation. He narrows his eyes, tips his head one way, then in the opposite direction.] The fangs, you mean?

[Nevermind the fact he's totally invading Kavinsky's personal space to examine the little points, his own fangs slipping free when he opens his mouth to comment,] Ah— [he stops, though, leans back so they're face to face.] I see no similarities between you two, aside from those, but you don't have to have the same blood to be 'family.'

[pillz]

[sweetheart, huh. affirmitive. kavinsky isn't taken aback at all when kurt has a peek into his gob, his eyes crossing slightly to watch the mutant, his own hollow eyes crinkling in amusement.]

We share plenty of blood, man. Don't you know anything about vampires? What's your name anyhow?

[shadowblends]

[That's indisputably something different. Usually, when he gets up in someone else's face, they react with bewilderment or at least try to pull away, but Kavinsky-- he makes it seem like it's a challenge. Meaning he isn't planning on moving either.]

Not what I meant, [Nightcrawler huffs.] And ja, I know plenty, although I've never met any real life vampires. Until arriving here, anyway. My name's Kurt.

[pillz]

[a challenge is right. asked and answered. kavinsky curls his upper lip, high enough to expose the points of white fangs. he leans forward, cheerful, messing with the oscillating distance of space. he can feel the heat off kurt's breath from here, and the warmth of his blood.]

Hi, Kurt. Show me your fangs.

[shadowblends]

["Show me your fangs," he says. Kurt squints, examining the points of Kavinsky's canines, but also scrutinizing the way he toys with their closeness. He's not one to give up easily; the vampire in front of him seems to be in the same boat.] ... okay.

[So, he allows his lips to curl, pearly whites peeking past the blue of his lips, bottom jaw shifting downward to give the other boy a better look.]

powerpose lmk if not ok

[pillz]

[and suddenly

kavinsky is much too close. his nose brushing over the mutant boy's scarred cheek, his own fangs exposed, sniking briefly across kurt's teeth in turn, before his lips take over, trying to suck kurt's funny grimace into a kiss.

it could actually be more awkward.]

[shadowblends]

[Well, damn, that's unexpected.

Those wild eyes dilate with surprise, his breath coming up short once Kavinsky has effectively invaded the remainder of personal space between them. The split second he has to retort is thwarted by a nose across his cheek, the click of their teeth meeting, and lips pressing against his own.

In all fairness, Kurt's dumbstruck by the gesture, unable to fully process what exactly has just happened. He withdraws, brow creased, nose wrinkled, confusion blatant on his face.] Wha— [he hesitates, fumbles with the words,] w-what are you doing?

[pillz]

I'm sucking on your lip a little bit, [kavinsky says, rocking back on his heels. his expression is blandly amused.] You don't know? The Hell are lips for?

[that's

obviously the point.]

[shadowblends]

Uhhh ... [Well, coming off looking like a gaping fish hadn't been the plan, but here they are.

Besides, what else can he say except for repeating:] I don't know?

[pillz]

[which makes it the perfect time for kavinsky to take another step forward, his knee bumping into the mutant's knee, back in his personal space, seeing if he can get kurt to take a step back. then another step back. there's a table not too far behind him, and then he'll have nowhere to go.]

No ideas? Zero?

[shadowblends]

[In response, Kurt backpedals, both arms raising from his sides, like he might try and use them to keep Kavinsky away. He does step back a second time, too, stopping when the table knocks against the back of his thighs. His hands immediately go to grip the sides of the table, eyes wider than saucers.]

... none, [he murmurs, which is a lie, but he's feeling far too confounded to make a snide comment.]

[pillz]

[and then there's a tattooed hand slipping past kurt's hip, closing on the edge of the table. caging him in. kavinsky's face looks vulpine sly, but his own mouth stays centered, no smirk, no teeth, full as pillows as he leans in again.

and they're nearly-- sporadically— touching, when he says,]

Not this?

[shadowblends]

[An inked limb gripping the table behind them immediately draws Blue's attention, head moving like it's on a swivel between Kavinsky's hand and his mouth as the other boy draws closer. No, he's never thought about this — never thought about kissing at all really —]

Definitely not.

[but he sure as hell is now.]

[pillz]

[it's not the same as permission, though it's more than kavinsky used to ask for. he used to be a real piece of shit, you know.

which is just a long way of saying

he's going in for seconds now, his pointed nose bumping into kurt's cheek, his fanged mouth descending upon the little mutant's.]

[shadowblends]

[After the brush of Kavinsky's nose against his cheek, they're kissing again. (Without any immediate pulling away-- progress!) Kurt tenses at first, unsure of how he should react. He's never been in this sort of position before and not to mention, they've only just met.

Gaze darting quickly around the room, it's plain to see that no one seems to be really paying them any mind. Or from what he can tell, anyway. No harm in returning the gesture, maybe a little?

His breath releases in a sharp exhale but he leans forward, lips curving, experimental in the way he slots their mouths together more firmly. Compensating for the fact Kavinsky also has fangs takes him a moment; whatever awkwardness ensues, he'll make up with an unmistakable curiosity.]

ooc screeching

[pillz]

[it's kind of nice. it's-- kind of new. kavinsky has kissed virgins before, people who'd never had other lovers and didn't mess around with the kissing and groping and flirting and the other stages of intimacy that potentially led up to that as well. not a lot of them, but he has. usually, they weren't that into him— or they were high.

or terrified.

but he's a little different these days, and maybe that's why this feels different too. kissing a sweet boy, and maybeee kind of! sort of, doing it a little sweetly. afterward, he doesn't try againt o shove his tongue down kurt's throat or grab his ass. he just parts a half-inch from the mutant's blue nose, dropping his eyes to peer at his cheeks, a lazy smile on his face, which you'll just have to imagine because i have no icons right now.]

i'm dOING THE SAME AHHH with a lot of home alone style face smacking

[shadowblends]

[Kurt's never felt the need to guess, but if he were to take a stab in the dark — regardless of how wild he thinks it might be — he'd feel safe enough assuming that Kavinsky is not a virgin. Thoughts of promiscuity aside, most inexperienced people don't want to makeout with people they hardly know anything about.

But thankfully, there's no fear on that blue face when the dream thief pulls away.

He blinks at the boy in front of him, dark eyebrows knitting together in thought before softening after a moment.] That was— [odd? unexpected?] Nice, [he decides, taking this chance to glance away, since Kavinsky's attention is focused on his flushed face.]

[pillz]

[there's a desultory shift of kavinsky's eyebrows, articulate on his pale face, which suggest that 'nice' is not the highest praise that he's ever received. but it's okay. and he can recognize enough of kurt's inexperience to guess that it's not like his competition is in mountainous heaps right now, anyway.

vex doesn't like virgins, but kavinsky's never had that problem.]

You wanna head back to my place? [casually asked, his eyes in one of those sexy model face squints. smoulder smoulder.]

[shadowblends]

[He's not all that surprised by Kavinsky's response for some reason. His expression says a lot, all things considered, but he still feels guilt to some extent. Sorry, K-- he'll just have to make it up with more practicing.

Although, even if the dream thief's smoulder is rather alluring, it seems that notion will be entertained another time.]

As tempting an offer as that is, I'm going to have to pass. [He moves one hand, uses it to ease himself back on the table, the other lifting so he can pat Kavinsky's cheek.] A certain amount of dates would be necessary before reaching that level of friendship. [his voice is lilting on a tease, eyes twinkling gold with shameless amusement.]