VALENTINES BALL

[thewatchers]

VALENTINES BALL

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February 14th is a day both famed and notorious for feats of love, passion and confession. And violence, as this year’s theme suggests - a 1920s speakeasy theme, initially based off the Valentines’ Day massacre of 1929 and toned down to be significantly more fun and less a dark reminder of bloodshed. While this year’s event has no predicted surprises like a daemon invasion in store, the Student Council has still chosen to hire extra security for the ball; bulky constructs in surprisingly well-tailored pinstripe suits and hats stand guard outside the entrances to the venue, impassively watching for any signs of trouble.

The ball itself is laid out similar to a 1920s club, with a large space for dancing, a stage for entertainment, and plenty of tables and chairs for sitting, dining, and chatting. Bars on both sides of the room provide a place to order and collect both food and drink, and the second storey of the venue has been put into use to provide quieter and more secluded places to sit.

A. Classy…? Cocktails
As ever, the Academy has provided a lavish and thematic spread of food for the occasion, with a few unique twists to fit the theme. The drinks of are particular note - aside from the usual range of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks that Daybreak provides, many are tailor-made for the ball due to a collaboration between some of the alchemy and culinary classes in Daybreak (who were rather too eager to volunteer). Have you ever wondered what it’s like to drink cake or a steak? You’ll find plenty of experiments here, both savory and sweet, to facilitate that experience.

If that’s not to your tastes, some drinks are purely decorative, providing some unique visual or audio effects - you might find yourself sepia-toned or monochrome, chattering like an old-fashioned radio host or filled with an irrepressible urge to sing everything you say - among other things. Mercifully, everything wears off by the end of the night.

B. Changing Stages
While this ball is by no means illegal, there has at least been an attempt to capture the more ‘forbidden’ aspects of a speakeasy. As the night goes on, switches and buttons appear on the walls, and pressing them will make the room shift and change to reveal secret doors and elevators - partially mechanical tricks, but mostly through clever application of magic and mundane illusion. These exits from the room provide ample opportunity for attendees to stretch their legs and take a walk and a break from the rest of the party through mazelike, glittering hallways and smoke-hazy corridors that lead to balconies and small lounges looking out onto strange, abstract views. Walk far enough, and you might end up in a completely different part of the venue than you were before - though for the truly lost, the corridors will always bring you to someone you can ask for help sooner or later, or guide you out.

Well, eventually. It wouldn’t quite fit the theme of a speakeasy without a little bit of uncertainty, would it?

C. Nyeh, See?
For those who would rather indulge in the darker implications of the theme and have no patience for the other entertainment on offer, this maze of corridors offers one other attraction - enchanted guns and gear for laser tag. In strict adherence to the theme, all guns resemble the kind of weaponry that 1920s gangsters would be boasting - and no matter what you were wearing at the time, as soon as you attach a pendant to your clothing, you're immediately in magically-fitting suits any gangster would envy. They even give off the illusion of bleeding should you be 'shot' by one of these enchanted guns, though to avoid causing undue concern the illusory blood sparkles and shines different colours.

D. Shall We Dance?
No Valentines ball is complete without the opportunity to get close to someone you might enjoy the company of, after all. To fit with the speakeasy theme, music and entertainment has been provided - both stage performances from volunteers and a selection of recorded music from the era. And for those up on the second floor, a station has been provided for whatever you’d like to broadcast to the entire room. Whether you’re up on the stage, down on the dancefloor, or you simply want to set a little mood music for certain people to take a hint, there’s bound to be something to do.

Some of the spirits and other, benign creatures that inhabit Daybreak’s grounds have decided to invite themselves, finding the music and warmth too irresistible to refuse. As a result, masked figures dressed in the vague approximation of 1920s fashion can be spotted among the more solid attendants, and those who don’t have a dance partner might well find themselves being asked to dance regardless - and be given small gifts as a token of gratitude for the indulgence. Or they might just nudge you into dancing with someone new...

E. Wildcard
Anything else you’d want to do at the dance? Feel free to enjoy the night - it’s for everyone to indulge themselves, after all.

code bases by tricklet

Comments

[hatesdragons]

Héctor is definitely in the clear with Emille, as she would have no way to know about any of his circumstances, unless she was told about them. Even if she did know, it would mean little to her in the long run. She's here for Dragons.

"Dragon daemons are much more complicated and dangerous than the stereotypes. While it is possible that some breeds have fiery powers, there are others that control other magics, elemental and non. Still others are physical powerhouses that rival the strength of an army. There are many Dragon daemons in existence, and their primary purpose is to consume in order to continue living. To them, we are easy prey."

Emille doesn't mince words. "Indeed, that is why I am here. Together, we may be able to stand up against those predators." Though she does not seem or sound particularly angry, she spits out that final word with a growl of hatred.

[hatesdragons]

[Oh, Emille will still have reactions, just as she's reacting now: eyes wide open and watching Urtz's display of magic with interest. She's still wide-eyed as she receives the glass from Urtz.]

What an interesting skill. Does it search out a particular ingredient, or magic? [If that's the case, then Emille is doubly impressed, as that would mean Urtz would need to know what specific ingredient or magic causes such an effect.

Then again... Emille swishes the amber-colored liquid around in the glass, a little hesitant to try it. She's wary of ingesting unknown magical potions. In fact, she's never swallowed anything supernatural... to her knowledge, anyway.]

[preppedandloaded]

Oh. {A teacher. Someone with authority who it may be important for Hazel to know.]

I'm Hazel. I haven't taken your class yet. Maybe next semester? [Picking classes had been one of the hardest things she'd done when she got to the Academy. She'd never had formal schooling or even something close to it.]

[hatesdragons]

Nice to meet you, Miss Hazel. [It's kind of hard to see in here, so she hopes she'll be able to recognize Hazel when she sees her in regular light.] Even if you did not register for my class, you are welcome to drop in to listen at any time. The labs in the Citadel where my office is located are also always open.

[Emille's getting used to the weight and the feel of the gun, but she hasn't had an opportunity to point it anywhere but the ground yet.] Well then, do you feel ready to play a game? [Emille's not one to back down from a challenge.] I wonder who our opponents will be.

[unpocoloco]

It's a harsh assessment and a frightening warning both. He might have taken talk of a dragon lighter. Rivaling the strength of an army is very obviously bad. She's passionate, and he's far more inclined to distrust daemons than not.

But he's heard descriptions like that against the undead. He bobs his head with her words but he has to ask.

"That sounds horrifying," He says. "Are they all threat like that? Without a doubt?"

[unlogic]

Oh, yes. I was given quite the surprise when I woke up this morning. [Chocolates from Gunvolt.

While she'd expected that he would do something today, she hadn't expected that his plan would be exactly the same as her own; she'd had some made for him too. They had both gone and participated in Vivi's workshop on different days, while leading each other to think that they were simply going about their usual routine for each of those days.]

[fullthrottleammy]

Well, aren't you a charmer~

[It shouldn't be too hard to tell that she's blatantly flirting at this point.]

The last time I was in this world, this situation would have been unthinkable. An ode to progress set in the past, hmm?

A

[subconmodo]

[Someone somewhere might find it a miracle that Avery is even here. Someone somewhere else might take it as a sign that Nightfall really was about to go down.

Avery tells himself that it's just because the theme is based off a massacre and he has to see it himself. He doesn't believe it, not really, but he says it (at the very least, he compromises by wearing his usual attire to the ball rather than going along with the theme).

And yet he can't bring himself to drift too far away from the door. He sticks to the wall, arms crossed, glaring at anyone who dares to come too close to him, uttering sharp, dry, disdainful words whenever he opens his mouth. He's about to give up and leave when he finally catches sight of Ekkehardt in the midst of the party.

Even then he can't bring himself to move from his spot. He isn't sure where he'd go anyway.]

[preppedandloaded]

Hm. Thank you, Miss Emille. [She gives her a friendly smile, hoping she comes across as respectful and deferential, as she is a teacher.]

I believe our opponents will likely be the duo the furthest from us, to the right. [She's speaking of the girl and boy who look to be older--and much taller--than Hazel herself who already have their pendant and guns ready. The boy looks like someone who has no idea what to do with a gun despite how happy he is to be holding one.]

They are the only other team ready. We should be first.

[spelleton]

[ Ekkehardt doesn't exactly beeline for Avery once he spots him, but he does, in the manner of someone well-practiced at it, seem to have no problems navigating the crowd to seemingly appear beside him. ]

You know, I wouldn't have been annoyed if you stood me up. [ His voice is faintly amused. He offers the man the glass of wine he's been holding - it's not as if drinking does anything for him, after all. ]

[subconmodo]

What, and give you the satisfaction? Please...

[The satisfaction of what not even Avery knows. Something would be held over his head, though. He knows that much.]

[spelleton]

Oh, come now, you wound me. Such a thing is simple courtesy. Do you truly think I'm that heartless? [ He presses a hand against his chest in mock horror. ]

[ He doesn't say 'Do you think I'd go out of my way to force you to attend something you detest?' because that's far too serious for right now. ]

[subconmodo]

[He cracks a smile]

You do literally lack one.

[Be he knows Ekke's right. Avery wouldn't be here at all if that wasn't the case.]

[spelleton]

[ He twirls the cigarette holder between his fingers, an idle motion. ] Well. I suppose I can grant you that one, at least.

[ He huffs, a little. ] Such pedantry. [ He's clearly not torn up about it, given the smile still lingering on his face. ]

[subconmodo]

[He snickers]

You're the one who left the door open, Ekke. If I didn't take the opportunity, I'd have to ask you to take me to the infirmary.

[spelleton]

You asking to be taken to the infirmary? I'd like to see that. [ All the times he's ended up in the infirmary, it really wasn't because he was conscious or coherent enough to ask. ]

[stavros]

Is it that surprising? It seems obvious that he holds you in high esteem.

[Well, she would have no idea what Desi was talking about if she hadn't seen him make said chocolates, but this is the girl behind the Anaconda Incident and the Holy Science Project, so her noticing is still a pretty big deal.]

[unlogic]

Well, no, it's not, but I can't think of when he might have found the time to have made anything. He gets to be awfully busy, sometimes.

[subconmodo]

If I'm missing out on a good pun, I need it.

I mean, you're still going to have to drag me, but I'd get it.

[stavros]

I saw him at Vivi's workshop. He seemed very dedicated to it. His definitely turned out better than mine...

[unlogic]

Hah? When did he...?

[As far as she's aware, most if not all of the previous week had been pretty much normal routine for the both of them, other than her having skipped one of her usual training sessions for exactly that.]

[spelleton]

Well, you've never made anything easy for me before... [ He sighs. ] I suppose it makes sense, that you'd be disagreeable even then.

[ This is comfortable, just standing here, bantering back and forth. It almost seems, sometimes, that nothing has changed.

(He's glad his lack of a heart is literal, if only because he's fairly certain that if it wasn't that it would be hammering against his chest and he doesn't need that distraction to grapple with on top of everything else that this is.

Whatever it is.

He really is hopeless, sometimes.) ]

[stavros]

On Sunday! I wasn't sure whether to go, but everyone was either making chocolate or going into town because of the department store sales. Shopping for its own sake is something I may never comprehend, so chocolate it was.

[unlogic]

This past Sunday? [He'd told her that he had some things he was working on, which was pretty normal. He didn't specify what, though, leading her to assume it was some of the usual stuff.

But, Sunday. She'd gone to Vivi's chocolate workshop just one day before that, and had made every effort to have Gunvolt think that she was going to one of her usual morning sessions at the Mythril Cage.

She couldn't help but laugh a bit at it all.]

Ha, so... What you're telling me is that we both did the same thing. I went on Saturday, but it was at the same time as one of the things I regularly do, so I'd let him think I was going out for my usual reasons.

[stavros]

[She laughs a little.] Perhaps that way of thinking is why you're a good match. Working the same way, that is.