Holiday Ball [December 2018 GM Event]

[Cristiana]

The night was young and the bar was packed to the brim with people. She wasn’t sure just what it was about the holidays but it drove people to drink even more, something she was okay with since she was in the business of letting people drown their sorrows in booze. The shift changed smoothly and she was heading home with a familiar feline catching up to her as she neared the train station.

Instead of the usual train, she stuck out her hand and hailed a cab so the cat could hop in with her. The driver just nodded a response when she mentioned that cat and mumbled something incoherent in what she knew was russian, but she missed what he said because the way he turned his head toward the window looking out the adjoining street for oncoming traffic. She could have waited for another driver but the chill in the air was seeping into her bones so the cat must be freezing too even though she didn’t let on one bit of being cold.

Hey you.
I’m heading out to check out the Mayor’s Xmas party.
(I know you got an invite to it)
Come mingle with the business elite and make new friends among them.
So, if you want to join me and dazzle the masses with our presence, c’mon down.
If not, I will find you afterwards.
Love, Z

BZZZ BZZZZ

The cab took off from the curb, she gave the directions when she looked down to see the text from Zodiac. “We need a different address please, don’t go to that one.” but she would need to stop and get ready. While the cab drove her over to the wedding shop she texted the girls, Mindy and Becky to meet her at the shop. There was only so much time to get ready if she was already there. “Nice, swung a party invite! Hob knobbing with the ‘elite’ the town has to offer.”

She texted back:

I will see what I can do, what I can come up with. If it blows up I will be waiting at your place.

She wondered if Zodiac was now hoping it would blow up and she wouldn’t show. When she finally got to the shop the girls and her got together to work as fast as they could. From head to toe, she got ready. Even her make up; eye shadow, lipstick and eye liner were all themed to the season. Her dress and shoes she tried to make as festive as possible and still a little sexy as well. The hair and hat topped off the outfit before she was ready to go. Her nails, they were just the icing on the cake. She thought she looked super cute, but sometimes she had a tendancy to go one step to far.

The cat did what it did, she had wandered off in the confusion and mess. Most likely she realized that she wasn’t going to be given the attention she wanted from Cristiana at the moment so she went off to do whatever she does. Who truly knew what the feline did, she was sure not even Zodiac knew what that cat was up to. For all we knew that cat ran a cartel.

When she arrive, she texted Zodiac she was waiting at the doors. The bouncer at the door stopped her and wouldn’t let her in without an invitation. After saying her name was on the list, they checked and said she wasn’t. Zodiac would have to come to the door and help this out. Now whether or not this was true or Crissy was just trying to get her to come out and see her first, that was for Zodiac to guess. This wasn’t one of their parties and the guest list was not in their control. But Cristiana sure hadn’t been sent an invitation, or at least she didn’t know if she had. It could have been in the mail, she never checked it. Becky did and left the more important things out for her to read.

Now she stood outside the doors waiting for Zodiac. Her eyes held like cold steel to the man at the door. The two said nothing to each other, just stood staring. The only thing that made this a standoff was the cigarette she was puffing on in between his blinking. She would blink every so often so the cold didn’t affect her eyeballs. Canada was not the best place to be hopping around in such a small skirt. Even the silky material seemed to keep in the cold, but it didn’t bother her like it should. She was after all one of the undead.

[Jesse Fforde]

Christmas.

The time of year continued to swing around, time after time and Jesse neither hated the season nor threw himself into it. Every now and again he might be caught wearing a Christmas hat or an ugly sweater to work, but the jolly tones of the attire hardly counteracted the aura he oozed—like a particularly bad oil spill, people avoided him because beneath the pretty colours dancing on the surface, they knew there was darkness and quagmire beneath.

The Necromancer had just got done crafting a brand new tome for one of the fresher members of Fforde when he sat down at the computer to do some research on a few designs he’d been commissioned for. It was only then—late, probably—that he saw the message that Charlie had sent through. His Charles, going to a ball?

A few clicks and quick searches and Jesse found mention of the ball. Formal, of course. He checked his watch and glanced over his shoulder; Limbo was quiet and dark, the only sound that of the whirring computer and the refrigerator clicking into gear. He didn’t generally like these formal things but…

Why the **** not?

The vampire stood and wandered into the apartment he now basically lived in alone. He went to the closet and flicked through a few of the selections—whatever he picked would be paired with jeans and though he didn’t give two shits what people though of his attire, he wondered whether they’d even let him in. Until his fingers touched upon the bag that held the suit. The suit. The one he’d worn on that day he now presumed was the day that ruined everything. Marriage. What was it good for?

But, it was formal. And what was the point of the suit if he didn’t ever wear it again? Pulling it from its bag, it smelled a little of mothballs but it would do the trick. After a quick shower, he combed and gelled his hair, dabbed on some cologne, and got dressed.

Fifteen minutes later he found himself sauntering into the manor that held the ball, hands pushed casually into pockets. He arched a brow at the decorations, the grandness of it all and he’d never felt more out of place. Still, it was something new. He knew that Charlie was here somewhere….

All he had to do was find her.

WEARING

[Zodiac]

He HAD to be kidding.

She glanced up at the yellow haired male and her eyes inspected him like she would a questionable bit of currency. Others in the crowd were getting approached by similar avatars of holiday well being, so she concluded this fellow was paid for this act.

She felt better when the answer became apparent. There were certainly more deserving souls in the crowd who would deserve and enjoy this, but she saw no way out of this without appearing totally rude. She smiled and curtseyed in reply and was about to take his hand.

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Her bag began to scream. She held up a finger asking for patience of her bleached topped paragon of purity of the moment as she pulled her phone out.

”What do you mean you are waiting outside?” she wondered. Everyone else was just walking right in, so what was Crissy’s problem? She shouldered her bag and was about to go find out the problem when she remembered the charming one for hire. Dilemma.

Once more a finger raised to beg for patience as her eyes sought out the woman she was speaking to earlier. A bright smile and gestures to explain the situation as she led the older woman to the charming man waiting to dance. She beamed as the male remained gallant and the woman flushed a bit of color in her cheeks as she smiled. She waved as the pair moved out onto the dance floor, then grabbed her bag and made her way to the entrance. Once outside, she lit a cigarette and looked around. When her eyes found the ‘elf’ she had to laugh.

”You telling me I turned down a pre paid Prince Charming for a rogue Christmas Pixie?” her thoughts laughed as she stepped close and hugged the woman. She would have expected nothing less from Christiana. ”I’m glad you could make it. Now I have someone to take a picture with Santa with.”

Hooking her arm with Crissy’s, she led her to the entrance and after a brief round of giving the door man a piece of her mind non verbally, they entered the building. Zodiac could see the line for Santa was finally thinning out a bit, so tried to steer Crissy in that direction.

All char movement agreed upon ooc by players in scene

[Raegan (DELETED 9663)]

wearing

It wasn’t the ******* ball that brought her to the manor.

It was the boredom, the need to do something - anything - to busy her idle hands. There was only so many swords she could craft, so many enemies she could kill. Her life had become dull. She couldn’t recall exactly when it had happened, when she had realized that she was beginning to go numb. Was it right after she had died? Or, was it when everything had begun to quiet down, when she became left alone with her memories and her thoughts? Whatever it was, she no longer felt - except for those few rare moments of sheer violent rage that burned through her veins. Those were the moments she had to look forward to.

Pressing her hand through her vibrant purple locks, the thin killer tipped her head back and scanned the massive building that stood before her. Every inch seemed to be covered in the best christmas decor, and the people that milled about made her roll her eyes. It was a ******* field of taffeta and polyester, glitter and gems. The colors made her vision swim, and she clenched her fist tighter around the strap of her canvas bag. She stood out like a beacon with her wild hair, heavy makeup and fishnet stockings. Every dress she had for this occasion had been turned to ash in the fire that Jesse had helped her set to her home. Not that she really cared how she appeared - even when the women with their hair perfectly style passed her with their noses upturned and lips twisted in disdain. There was a specific blonde that she smirked at and raised her middle finger to, before slipping in through the front doors.

In all honesty, she hadn’t thought about coming. The invitation hadn’t even been opened. It was the text from Charlie that had really sealed the deal, and now that she was here, she was glad she had come. Sweeping her tongue across her glossed lower lip, she kept to the wall as she scanned the growing crowd with a bored expression. Maybe this **** isn’t worth it, she thought, just as a familiar figure caught her eye. With a twist of her lips, she pushed from the shadows and slipped up behind her sire, black painted nail tapping his shoulder.

“The **** are you doing in a place like this?”

[Every]

Mercy hadn’t been very friendly according to Fate and Caligrace, but it was clear after sometimes that she was at least talented within her career. She had learned quickly, an eidetic memory helping her retain and recall the information at a moments notice. The exchanges for the most part were short and kindly. After sometime, the smiles that she gave were almost fleeting - if one looked close enough, it would be mistakable for holiday cheer. For the most part, Every retained a mildly blank expression that was as close as to resting ***** face as Mercy Devereux would allow her.

One by one, more recognizable individuals joined the slowly growing crowd. Amalea, to whom Every smiled to, Zodiac and Cristiana. There was a pretty woman in a lovely blue dress that she didn’t recognize, but smiled briefly to in passing, saying, “You look very lovely” as she avoided a bank teller that she recognized from Mercy’s firm that tended to talk her ear off. Her green hazel eyes moved towards her friend, a nod being given a moment later. “That’s correct, yes.” Mentally, she debated on offering her hand, but instead, reached out telepathically to Amalea’s mind, “At least that’s who I have to keep telling myself I am tonight.”

There was a quirk of her lips.

Her voice was softer, more feminine compared to the distinctive, smoky growl that Every had been known for. “Thank you, Ms…?” The brunette trailed off, as if it were their first meeting and she was seeking for a name. Her gaze lifted towards the blonde woman that entered, calling out for Santa causing her to chuckle. It was a difference in comparison to the others that seemed to pair off quietly. She silently applauded her, looking away from the blonde and over those that began to dance as the music started. It was the sight of the heavily tattooed male that had Every lifted her eyebrow, not expecting to see him there amongst the festive and jolly. “That would be lovely.”

Catching the idea of replacing the photo, Every nodded and offered one of the small smiles she mustered well enough. As the raven-haired man approached, she glanced towards Amalea and then back to the male. “Would you care saving the next one for me, handsome?” A wink followed as he nodded his head, disappearing off towards another individual in the crowd.

[Amalea]

The red-head grimaced slightly at the thought that Eve had whispered into her mind. She hated this dance between public and private personas that they had been forced to play since Theodosia’s release. A mental sigh accompanied her telepathic reply to her friend, ”We all have our parts to play this evening.” The fact she was attending the party was her own contribution to the situation. If she was completely honest with herself, she would have preferred to stay home and had her few close friends and family over for the evening. Alas, she had been personally invited and thus had to attend. Nevermind the rumors that would have begun if she hadn’t.

She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing outright at the ridiculous question her companion had been forced to ask to keep up with this awful charade. It also caused a moment of panic in her mind as her last name was still in a state of flux given everything. Not allowing the silence to stretch more than a few seconds, she smiled, “Amalea Dragomir. But please call me Amalea.” Her eyes sparkled lightly as she followed her statement up with a mental addendum, ”I really should get that sorted out.”

Eve’s comment about the photo being lovely along with the nod she gave was enough to tell the human that her friend had understood the unspoken reasoning behind the request. The approach of the brunette male raised an eyebrow, at first. His invitation was inviting even as the red-head looked longingly at the dance floor. As much as she enjoyed dancing, her plans with Every came first. She couldn’t help but chuckle lightly as she heard Every’s reply to the young man who had made a similar request of her. To her own male, she smiled, “Might we postpone until later in the evening?” A slight bow was the only reply he gave before melting back into the crowd.

Turning to the taller woman, she gestured gently towards the sitting room. “Shall we?”

[Game Master]

R O L E P L A Y + P R O M P T + ! ! !

A flurry of activity seems to develop around the French doors, which, until this point, had been hidden behind heavy gold drapes. Elves inside the ballroom work to quickly pull back the drapes as those outside finish erecting what first appears to be a tent right outside the door. While the finishing touches are put on this structure, the bespectacled senior elf clears his throat once again to get the attention of everyone.

”Ladies and Gentlemen, the ice skating tent will open in just a moment.” He waits a moment for the quiet whispers to die down before continuing. ”A covered walkway will lead you to the tent where you will be provided with ice skates. Hot chocolate and other hot beverages will be made available.”

A small bow is given before he hurries out the kitchen entrance, likely to oversee the next bit of amusement to be revealed. His departure is overlooked by most as the French Doors swing open and the remaining elves enthusiastically invite the guests to venture out to the tented area.


[Everyone who has posted thus far receives 500 exp.

Santa will only be staying one more round so he still has enough time to deliver gifts!]

[Cristiana]

With her arm linked into Zodiac’s, she leaned her head on Zo’s shoulder. Her tongue briefly stuck out to the guy at the door in an immature fashion to say “HA HA” to him. It was the little things in life that made them worth it. It was okay to not always be serious, to let loose and just have fun in the moment, after all if you did and they didn’t like it then just go to sleep for a little while and all the people you know would be gone and replaced with new people whom you don’t know and they don’t know you. So why not be immature and stick your tongue out.

She let Zodiac guild her over to the Santa. She wasn’t about to hide the fact she was loving this party. She sat right down on Santa’s lap completely oblivious to the other party goers but Santa, Zodiac and herself.

“And what would you like for Christmas Little Girl?” The man they had playing Santa seemed overjoyed she was in his lap. She could tell quite well just how overjoyed he was. And… so what if she was height deficient, there was no reason for Santa to make fun of that! She brushed it off without responding to the little girl comment.

“Well, I would like for some of my friends to come back from whence they came. Or wake up in any case. I would like the charity to take off running, because we are no better than the lower rung of our fair city and oh yes,” Her eyes looked to Zodiac and she leaned in close to Santa whispering something so low that no one, not even the vampires, could hear. Especially not Zodiac who seemed to have extra good hearing. The man seemed to not hear either because if he had, he might have blushed a darker red than his suit.

“Well, I am sure you have been a good girl so I will see what I can do! For now here is a candy cane!” She took the offered sweet and unwrapped the end plopping it in her mouth before he could take it back, because she wasn't so sure she had been such a good girl. She was savoring the minty goodness as she smiled for the Picture.

After the picture, she rose from his lap wondering if Zodiac would take a seat and tell him what she wanted (telepathically, of course). Her eyes lit up like big saucers when they announced that ice skating would be starting momentarily. She loved ice skating!

A mixture of emotions ran across her face as the memories poured into her mind. From Teaching Aur how to skate, to Leroy, then hitting on Quoth and her ice skating in the woods. Quoth had been an expert seeing as a human he was a hockey player. Now that was long over, and she needed newer, better memories. How did people live with these memories haunting them? She was still getting use to that. Having those moments where the pain creeps in and you have to let it go just as fast to get on with the day. It was a new thing for her since she didn’t remember anything prior to waking up in the alleyway from being turned.

Cristiana squeezed up close to Zodiac, who seemed to have it all together most of the time. She was better at hiding the emotional stuff with a blank face while she listened to people rattle on about their problems. Was she a fortune teller or a lesser paid therapist? Perhaps a mixture of both it would seem. She smiled at the other woman, trying to make this season the best one yet all year for them both. It had been a tough year.

"How are you at Ice Skating dearest one?" She ask Zodiac as sweetly as possible.

[Charlie]

Not even Saint Nicholas was spared from her distinguishing cheekiness. As soon as Charlie settled in his lap she took the liberty of planting a bright red kiss onto his bearded cheek as the flash went off. Her request was for him to return the favour in light of it being both Christmas and her birthday, but he didn’t acquiesce. Instead he laughed good-naturedly and used Miss Clause for a get out jail free card, pressing a reindeer pin into her palm. He cupped her fingers over the pin with his gloved hand and wished her a happy birthday. A female elf all but materialised at his side, marking the end of the encounter.

Unwilling to ruin the intricate lacing of her dress, Charlie stuffed the reindeer pin into her clutch. As she followed the outfitted young woman away from the scene and around the photographer’s setup, she was informed that her picture would be available for pick-up within the hour. She acknowledged this with a smile and took the offered candy-cane, then made her way out of the sitting room to continue her walk about the ballroom.

A drink was in order.

Once she’d managed to pluck a frosted champagne flute from one of the many trays making rounds about the room, Charlie flanked a wall to avoid being waltzed into as she took a sip. Human blood had been made available, but the allurist was far too aware of photographers moving about the crowd and the overhead security cameras to indulge. It would be easy for such a detail to go unnoticed amid the flurry of activity tonight, but it wouldn’t escape the notice of those who’d no doubt comb through the event’s footage.

What didn’t go unnoticed amid the flurry of activity tonight was her sire. Her reaction was visceral and uninhibited. A braying shriek of laughter surged from deep within as she manoeuvred through the crowd towards Jesse and Raegan. By the time she reached them there were tears in her eyes, and it was impossible to hold breath in her lungs long enough to muster a greeting. Instead, what fell from her lips was a pained, incoherent string of sounds: “I—you—what—oh, ow.”

It was lucky a staff member walked by just in time to relieve her of the empty flute. She curled her fingers around her sides and bent slightly at the waist, searching the ground for a crumb of self-control.

[Zodiac]

Her eyes swept around the area as Crissy perched in the ancient elf’s lap. New faces, or old ones she had never seen before she could not say. One did look familiar, but it was hard to say who it was. She kept thinking of that time the town endured that freak storm that tried to tear the city apart, but decided it wasn’t worth banging her brains over. It would come to her eventually. Regardless, there were no paladins (so far) or any more of the pro Drider crowd (just Amelia) so she began to relax. Perhaps this time it could simply be fun here.

”My turn?” She grinned a bit as Crissy vacated her seat and took her place. She directed Father Christmas’ attention to her ASL pin, and smiled as he did his talk. He was a good one. He had the tone of voice she imagined Santa would have and Zo imagined kids liked him as well. Once he asked the question, she pulled a notepad from her pouch and jotted a note for him to read, then smiled brightly for the camera. He handed her a candy and a pin while she placed a soft kiss to his cheek and then got out of the way for the next in line.

”Ice skating?” She blinked as Crissy posed her question. She used to rollerblade in her teens so how hard could it be? ”Let us sally forth and tame winter’s kiss upon the waters.”

As they exited the building, she saw the changes to the arrangement. No reindeer rides this year. Not that she had taken advantage of it before, but she had a nice visit with one of them last year. Sitting there, her eyes found the bench she had sat on when the atmosphere inside had turned toxic last time. More memories of last year came into play, both good and bad as they approached where skates were being made available.

With no way to attach a skate to the heels she wore, she took a seat and began lacing up the small boots. So far, just like rollerblading. She made sure her ankles were secured (once, as a child, she saw another break an ankle in a fall because he did not have his blades tied properly) and stood up.

That is when the differences began to appear. She wobbled but an attendant was quickly by her side to help steady her and walk her to the ice. After a few seconds of finding her balance, she kicked off and glided along the ice. This wasn’t so bad. She smirked as she glided along. She waved at Crissy as her speed increased. ”The Romany Rocket is on the move!” When her attention returned to her path, she saw the end up the ice approaching much too fast.

”Woah now,” She did not feel comfortable trying to turn so quickly and let instinct take over as she leaned back on one heel. This was where the second major difference in skating vs rollerblading showed itself. Skates did not have bumper stops to help one control their speed. ”Oh hell,”

Her skate caught on curb surrounding the rink. Zo managed to stumble over without falling but suddenly found herself trying to pass through one of the holiday trees that had been set in decoration. She landed undignified on her backside just in time for a shower of snow and ornaments to come raining down upon her. She shrieked out loud as the hated cold found her, and shook her head to rid herself of snow. She stayed focused on the tree. The gypsy could hear the attendants running to her aid but did not turn around. She imagined that if she still could blush her face would be Santa Claus red right now.