FEAST OF ST. VALENTINE

[thewatchers]

FEAST OF ST. VALENTINE

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The auditorium floor has been cleared and polished to perfection, the smooth wooden surface prepped and ready to accept the students of Daybreak Academy as they step onto the floor to strut their stuff. Lining the walls are tables with lavish hors d'oeuvres, desserts, and drinks. For now, at least, the drinks are non-alcoholic, although there are a number of wine bottles and ale casks ready to be broached once the battle is finished.

Along the south wall, an array of weapon lockers has been set up for the students to deposit their weaponry for the coming invasion, with Valet Golems collecting arms and printing claim tickets from slots in their frames for students to reclaim their equipment before the battle. Familiars are taken to a spacious sound-proofed holding pen where they can relax before the fight without having to hear any loud sounds or music that some might find alarming.

The ball kicks off with soft classical music intended for austere, formal dances that have been popular among the moneyed and nobility for generations. This segment, thankfully, ends after about fifteen minutes as the DJ station is opened up to student volunteers who can play whatever they wish, shattering the atmosphere in an instant.


A. SNACK BAR
As is common in Daybreak, the food tables are stocked in opulence that can only be described as excessive. Hors d’oeurves and desserts are present in abundance, stacked high on porcelain platters resting on displays made of enchanted ice, the cold from the ice keeping the snacks and desserts at an optimal temperature for consumption throughout the night. Bowls of punch and other non-alcoholic beverages line the table, and behind the table sits massive wooden casks of German ales and meads, as well as a large display of fine French wines. These particular drinks are cordoned off for the first part of the dance, but will be opened up as soon as the battle is finished.

B. DJ STATION
Before the dance, student volunteers were able to sign up to DJ the dance, the Facility expecting students will be best suited at providing a musical experience that will be most enjoyable to their fellows. The DJ station has several turntables, access to a vast catalogue of music from over several centuries (some with original master recordings), and a microphone system they can broadcast commentary over. The DJ schedule is posted, each volunteer is given roughly equivalent time at the station, and can man the booth however they wish, including what, if any suggestions from students they’ll accept and how much they talk about or over the music.

C. DANCE FLOOR, PRE-INVASION
The dance kicks off with the first segment, which involves about fifteen minutes of formal ballroom music followed by an open floor for student music, although the volunteer for this segment is given instructions to keep the heavier dance music out until after the battle. Pre-invasion, expect a lot of soft classical and slow-dance music and not a lot of music with a driving beat.

D. CLEAR THE FLOOR...
About fifteen minutes before the arrival of the daemon invaders, the dance floor will be cleared and the Valet Golems will sweep onto the floor, collecting claim tickets and returning weaponry and equipment to their rightful owner (usually). With the incoming invasion, Faculty will assemble on the outer ring of the dance floor and be prepared to cover students should they struggle or extricate students who find themselves in danger. Students will assemble on the inner ring, pointing their weapons inward at the emergence point which will be marked on the floor for maximum intimidation factor when the Daemons emerge. This is also a good opportunity for Faculty to give some last-minute pointers and remind students to attempt to take some of the Daemons alive, if possible.

E. IT’S A BALL AND BLITZ
”TREMBLE MORTALS!”

A portal comprised of pure flame opens on the dance floor as massive humanoid creatures, red scales covering their bodies save for their yellow bellies and black bat wings, as well as massive jagged horns adorning their heads emerge. Spewing flames and brimstone from their mouths, their expressions are ferocious but quickly fall to shock and alarm as they see the force assembled before them. The largest, presumably the leader, speaks up.

“Dark Lord Below why are there so many of you!?”

The command to attack is given at that moment as the students descend upon the hapless Daemons. There are several dozen Daemons, and while a single Daemon is more than a match for a single student, there are enough students present to face each one in groups of four to six, and in these circumstances the Daemons, while equipped with flame breath, swords forged of bolts of lightning, and whips of fire, do not stand a chance.

F. BRING ON THE CHAMPAGNE
Once the Daemons have been defeated, golems will once again appear to sweep the floor, clean it and polish it so the dance may resume. During this time they will also cart off any captured Daemons, should the students have managed that. During this time, the students will be invited to the snack tables as true Champagne from the Champagne province is distributed in celebration. Servers will take their places to broach the casks and distribute the wines on order to any students or faculty who would like them. Younger students will have somewhat limited access in consideration of their relative size, and the servers have a good eye for when they need to cut someone off.

G. DANCE FLOOR, POST-INVASION
After the invasion is when the dance will really pick up steam. Faster songs and heavier beats will be unleashed on the students flush from their victory over the Daemons, and this is when the dance floor will get hot. Slow songs will still make their way in, but once the fight’s done, be ready to bring your A-game.

code bases by tricklet

Comments

[deuteranope]

Pffhaha. Fucking...idiot.

[It's unclear whether that's meant for the cat, for himself, or both -- it's probably both -- but it doesn't matter much when he's wiping his face dry with his sleeve and sniffling back his composure.]

Ugh. Okay. Not a word of that shit to anyone, all right?

[mav, it's...it's a cat... He pushes himself to his feet, not bothering to brush any grass off of him, and wanders over to Nekano with a kind of lopsided grin.]

I didn't wanna come to this thing, bud. It's just some stupid shit.

[suddenlybees]

[ "Not a word," the cat seems to promise, mouth open in a silent meow. Or maybe it's a yawn, from having to wait for so long getting Maverick here and calmed down enough. He's got no one to tell, anyways, and nobody to believe him if he does, so this secret is safe. Glad enough to see Maverick up, Nekano bounds towards the auditorium— not towards the front door, because Maverick's going to get kicked out looking like that, casual clothes and grass stains and all, and also because Nekano is a cat and would likely be turned away as well... So it's the backdoor they're sneaking off to, something like a fire escape that should be unlocked, maybe, for emergencies like this demon attack's going to warrant. ]

[deuteranope]

Good choice, because at least this way, Mav is curious enough to see what the cat's got planned to follow. He definitely wouldn't have gone in the front...

Jeez. Good thing he put on pants.]

You are one stubborn bastard, kitty.

[suddenlybees]

Myah~ [ That's Nekano talk for "yeah, yeah, I know and you love it." Let's see, let's see... if the layout of the building is as he'd memorized a short while ago when he'd been inside to scout out the area, by these windows here... He jumps up onto the ledge outside, tails swishing behind him as he peers through the glass and checks what's there. ] Mrrr... [ Come here, Mav. Look, it's the buffet tables. ]

[deuteranope]

[It's true! He does! Which is exactly why he's following along, crouched below the windows and peeking up just enough to get a good view. This is obviously a stealth mission.]

My snacks ain't good enough for you? I see how it is. [...] Damn, they pulled out all the fucking stops, didn't they.

[He would want this shit over turkey jerky, too...]

[suddenlybees]

[ Nekano starts to purr, in response, because hell yeah they pulled out all stops for a party like this, even though he has no idea what more than half these things are by sight alone, it's the reputation that guarantees good food to make the ball entirely worth it for people who wouldn't come otherwise. Like him and Maverick and it's a stealth mission that they've got to be real sneaky about if they want any of that... and by that he means Maverick has to be sneaky, and Kano will help him along. ]

[deuteranope]

[mmmmmm why is it so fucking hard to say no to a dumbass cat.]

Ugh, you are so lucky I don't give a shit.

[he gives many shits, but that's besides the point. The point is that he's apparently on board with this dumbass plan. Stealing fancy food to eat away from the ruckus sounds like his kind of date, anyway.]

All right. You be lookout until I'm fucking in. Gimme a signal when the way's clear, and I'll take care of the rest.

[suddenlybees]

[ It's a bit scary how easily Kano could fall into a life of crime, overly comfortable with heists like these as he settles back to lie flat against the window sill, tail hanging off the edge and swishing back and forth in boredom as focuses his attention inward. Everything near the tables is within his sphere of influence, so all he's got to do is orchestrate this and that, lengthening a couple of tables so that people start to make room and leave a clear path, building up a towering croquembouche on a small inaccessible table behind all the other tables to catch other people's attentions and draw them away the door as well. They're illusions he has to keep convincing, steady, filtered so that he fools everybody else but lets Maverick still see the real layout of the room. Not a problem. A bit delayed, but there's the meow for Maverick to push through the door, and find that clearing in front of the door, people's gazes gathered the opposite direction for the time being. ]

[deuteranope]

[He's trusting this cat with his life, so completely that he doesn't hesitate or check for himself that the coast is clear. Kitty's got his back.

His way in is quiet and quick, door opened just enough to get him in. It really is quite impressive how good of a time Nekano picked for him to enter, not at all suspicious. Mav takes note of the most likely people to turn in his direction or make a stink about some disheveled kid sneaking in from the back and adjusts his path around them. This...is something he's exceedingly confident in, even if he's cut off from the lookout, now. He takes a little bit of everything, not sure what a lot of it even is, but he doesn't want to waste too much time getting so much that he's sure it'll fill up the both of them. When there's enough, he adjusts his hold on the plate to keep it balanced while he moves back to the door. Not too fast as to draw attention, but he's getting out of there.

Read 'em and weep, kitty.]

You can't just fucking take whatever though, okay? You can't fucking eat flowers, you let me see first if you can eat whatever shit looks good to you here, or you get nothing. Deal?

[suddenlybees]

[ I don't know what's worse, trusting a normal everyday house cat with your life, or trusting Kano with your life. The leap of faith pays off, though, Kano mindful of the area and everybody in it so that it's in, out, easy peasy. He leaps off the sill as soon as he sees Maverick reach the door and is on the ground to greet him the moment he steps out. ] Mya~h. [ That's fine with him; he's not a picky eater by any means, and after running around all evening, he's honestly fine with just plain pâté on a cracker or whatever. ]

[deuteranope]

[It doesn't take him too long to sort things out. Anything that was obviously sweet got skipped in the grab and go, what with him not wanting it and the cat probably not able to have it. Minimal dairy. Okay, that half of the plate is for kitty, this half is for him.

...]

There you go. Uh, hey. ...You're doing okay, right? You're not my cat, but you are my friend. No one's been giving you trouble?

[suddenlybees]

[ He meows, because, like. how else is he supposed to respond? As always, they're overly complicated yes-no questions; people have been giving him trouble, but they're all situations in which he'd invited that trouble, instigating and provoking and bringing it upon himself. More than that, they're not the sort of trouble he wants to bring unrelated people into, as much as he appreciates the offer to throw down for his sake. Maybe that willingness isn't just a family thing, like he'd thought. But a simple meow can't convey all of that, so Nekano lifts his head up from the plate of food and starts to purr- purring is happy, right? Can't misinterpret that. Something like "Everything's fine, don't worry, sitting here eating fancy meats with a friend, I'm happy and nothing is wrong." ]

[deuteranope]

[Purring is good enough for him, judging by the way his eyes soften and he lets his fist prop up his chin. Good kitty.]

Good... I didn't think about what some other asshole might think, of you suddenly showed up with a collar. Sometimes I do that, the not fucking thinking thing. But if you're good, then...

[They can enjoy their meal.]

Fuck, who's the goddamn caterer for these things? I think I wanna marry them.

[suddenlybees]

[ Thank the gods party food is finger food and he can eat normally instead of shoving his face into the plate like a real cat would. It's nice like this, just sitting and eating and having that entire wall of protection between yourself and too many people... He more or less matches pace with Maverick as they eat, finishing just before Maverick does so he can get to his feet, stretch out his back, and hop back up to sit on the windowsill to peer through the window, scanning the crowd for certain people he needs to make sure are still accounted for. He turn turns his head down towards Maverick and meows. ]

[deuteranope]

[He's still chewing his last bite as he wanders over with a quizzical noise. Altogether, he looks a lot more open to being here, since he's had a nice meal with a bud.]

[suddenlybees]

[ There's nothing in particular Nekano seems to be staring at, getting up and pawing lightly at the window pane when Maverick approaches and stands next to him. There's people milling around and eating, people dancing, some in groups, some alone, most of them smiling, a couple who look like they'd rather be anywhere else. Essentially, he's hoping for Maverick to talk. What's he think about all this? ]

[deuteranope]

[He takes a more casual lean against the window, thankful that he has to finish chewing to give him some time to think. It's not like the cat is going to mind the silence, he's pretty sure, but he likes speaking with him when he can. He just...doesn't quite know what to say.]

They look happy, huh? It's like they don't even know shit's gonna go down later. I dunno, I feel like if it were me, it would put a damper on the whole fucking romance aspect.

[suddenlybees]

[ They do look happy, and he can't imagine being so relaxed with the knowledge that a daemon attack is imminent other. He dips his head- which is hard to do with the glass in the way- but points his nose down at the buffet tables, and then out towards the wallflowers at the far side of the room. The dance isn't all romance. It could be good food and a chance to hang out with friends, or other people, or whatever. Romance aside, what about that? ]

[deuteranope]

[This asshole cannot seriously still be hungry -- oh. Just gesturing. That's fine, then. Hmm, those sure are other people.]

I mean, yeah, if I did go, I would've been one of those guys fucking standing around doing nothing, after I got my fill. The closest thing to a date that I got that wasn't a fucking cat is someone making a shitty joke by sending me flowers.

[suddenlybees]

[ This asshole can seriously still be hungry, but he's more curious about this than he is about the food. A shitty joke, right? Yeah, yeah... Actually, yeah it was. But Maverick doesn't need to know that. His head dips back down, nose pointed at the buffet tables. Let's do it like this. ] Myah~

[deuteranope]

[Have a flat glare, Nekano.]

You are a gluttonous pit of unending proportions.

[suddenlybees]

[ Nekano stares at him right back. ] Myaaaaaaaah. [ Feed me. ]

[deuteranope]

God fucking dammit, man.

[He is...going to do it...oh wait. Something seems to catch his eye and he brightens up a little, poking at the window.]

Oh, there's Imelda! I know she's, like, a bummer because of the music ban and all, but she's actually super cool, you don't have to worry. I wonder if she'd bring us food if I asked...

[suddenlybees]

[ That's not exactly the plan he was going for, but it would absolutely still work, so Nekano hops off the window sill, rolls over onto his back, and gives Maverick the cutest meow he can muster. Please ask Imelda for food. ]

[deuteranope]

[Ugh, adorable bastard. This is precisely why he was going to go and get him more food himself. Texting Imelda should be fun, though, and he slowly paces as he converses with her. His mood dips briefly, but it's not long before he turns to give the cat a thumbs up and a big grin. Good news! She said she would bring him food!!!!]