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

[unlogic]

A lot of that awkwardness was from Desidera. As things went on, though, she began feeling a bit more comfortable with what she was doing, and started moving on her own with less guidance, going instead by what she felt she needed to do. It was still slower compared to what some of the other couples were doing, even with GV not needing to try to lead as much, but that wasn't important; what was was that they were doing this at all.

At some point throughout all of it, though, the shawl she was wearing somehow managed to slip a bit, not enough to fall off, but enough that it wasn't covering her neck as much as it had been before. If he was paying attention, Gunvolt would see that she'd chosen to wear her necklace underneath it.

With being presented an opportunity to take a (much) closer look at it, if he was paying enough attention, it would look awfully familiar for more reasons than it just being hers: it matched the one that had been made for him before.

[shockingblue]

The slower music here really helped serve to give them time... good time to learn and get comfortable. Once she was ready, his lead grew a little more on pace, but he never got terribly fast either. That... was still secondary.

Her shawl slipping down didn't escape his notice; he did have an eye for spotting movement, if nothing else. At first he looked, making sure it wouldn't fall to the ground, but... her necklace grabbed his attention at that point. ...Huh. He knew that she wore one pretty often, but he never really paid a strong amount of attention to it. It... it was the same as his, wasn't it? Even down to the detailing. His cheeks flushed a brighter shade of red this time, and he struggled to find words for it, but eventually settled.

"...That necklace looks good on you."

It wasn't the smoothest way he could deliver it. Gunvolt was nowhere near gifted in being smooth. But given that she knew him this well, she could probably pick up the fact that he caught onto it being a match to his. The one he almost never took off; especially not after it had saved his life before. ...And he knew by now what it meant to her, carrying symbols of others with her at all times. Removing the old family tattoo, but keeping the scar from the battle with Asimov. Wearing that X crest given to her by Valvatorez. That and more, really.

Before he can say anything more, the current song they were dancing to wound down, and the music stopped for a moment. GV's eyes glanced over to where the music was playing, wondering why it had stopped. ...But it only did for a few seconds. And when the music started back up, the lights dimmed a bit further, and Monarch's hologram flitted to life on the performing stage, and a small spotlight focused on her as she started to sing. A song... quite out of her usual range as a pop idol, but was much more befitting to the theme of the party. Her voice was clear, crisp, and... surprisingly genuine and authentic, as if she sang it straight from the heart with singular purpose.

I say I'll move the mountains
And I'll move the mountains
If he wants them out of the way
Crazy he calls me
Sure, I'm crazy
Crazy in love, I say...

Monarch spared a glance over to them as she sang, and gave a wink to them both as they continued to dance.

[unlogic]

The AI pulling any kind of stunt today, even something as harmless (and appropriate) as this, was... Well, honestly, they were both expecting it; there were certainly some people that at least suspected, but Monarch was among those that actually outright knew, ever since that phone call from Marise in the latter half of December.

Desi hummed again in response to the compliment. That same phone call with her mother had made some other things known to her roommates, as well. For example: what her wearing that necklace actually meant.

That hum was her only response for several moments as they continued, but eventually, she actually spoke.

"You already know so I don't really need to say it, but, I never thought that I would ever be doing something like this."

Her arrival at the academy in the middle of last year had been with a specific purpose in mind, and while that purpose hasn't been abandoned, things have...not happened the way she had originally been expecting, otherwise.

[shockingblue]

Desidera was absolutely right that they both expected Monarch to pull something. She did so love to tease, and she also did love to perform for an audience as well. Given this was a perfect opportunity to do both at once, GV figured that she would've tried to find a way, come Hell or high water, just to do something like this. Not that he minded though. He was still an unabashed fan of hers, and well... something like this might as well have come out of a dream. And it was something he fully intended to cherish.

"I don't mind," he quietly replied; even if he already understood that, it... was still nice to hear that she was happy. Knowing well that Desi was having problems accepting herself in the past, and the lonely, secluded life she had before Daybreak... well, a year ago, this being unthinkable wasn't unrealistic, he supposed. "...It's been a whirlwind of a year. Coming here... think it was the best thing that ever happened. To both of us."

His eyes grew a little distant; that's not to say that it had been perfect either. There were tough times, for both of them.

"...I never much thought I'd be here a year ago either. Thought I'd just be training, studying hard, preparing for the worst." He blinked, the distance in his eyes vanishing in an instant. "Didn't think I'd... actually be building an actual life."