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]

I will certainly keep your offer in mind, Lady Cromwell. I will likely need it sooner than later, as I feel this novelty will grow old quickly. It is interesting, yet quite surreal. I am not quite sure what to make of it. Even I am feeling light, as if I were bubbles in champagne...

[Unbeknownst to Emille, as everything is turning black and white for her, her own body is beginning to turn black and white in reality. Was the drink supposed to do that too?]

[imyoubut]

...ah.

[Yeah that's...all Emille gets for a second or two.]

On second thought, perhaps I should get that antidote ready now. Your perspective isn't the only thing that has turned black and white.

[hatesdragons]

[Wait, why is Urtz giving her that look? And why is she feeling so weird? It's a good thing she's already sitting, because she is feeling more faint by the moment. All of the lights suddenly being bright white aren't helping, either.]

Please do so. I do not feel so well. [Hold on...] And what do you mean about my perspective? [That's about all she can get out before she has to put her head in her hands.]

[imyoubut]

Your are quite literally viewing the world in black and white, yes? Well, now you yourself are changing to match.

[Reaching into her purse, Urtz pulls out several ingredients and supplies before reaching for another glass of the same drink. She pours a little into a container, measures out a few ingredients before tossing them in, then closes the container tightly and locks it into place. After shaking it thoroughly, she unfastens the cover and hands it over to Emille.]

Here, drink this.

[hatesdragons]

[After Urtz breaks the news to Emille, she hurriedly raises her head out of her hands and looks at them in disbelief. Obviously she can't tell any difference between her hands and everything else in the black-and-white world at the moment, but the panic is still rising over something she cannot control.]

You are serious...? [Not that she doubts Urtz; it's more of a rhetorical "why me?" statement.] That may explain this woozy feeling...

[She foggily watches Urtz as she does something with a drink and things she pulled out of her purse. Upon being handed the container, Emille gulps it down quickly, then rests her head in her hands again. It takes a few minutes, but color begins to return to Emille's body, slowly and surely. She is unaware of this change, as she's continuing to nurse her head.]