isleofavalon | happy holidays { open }

happy holidays { open }

A HOLIDAY PARTY

I. Arrival

There were postings around town, and fliers going out around the end of November. The holiday party starts early evening, December 1, thanks to the help of several hands. They had worked for a couple of days prior to the start to get the large ballroom decorated to everyone's liking. He had rented out a large ballroom, and started decorating the day before, adding finishing touches early on the day of. Everyone was invited - and while there's no real dress code posted, everyone is invited to dress their best for the sake of the party.

When one approaches the building, there's a clear set of rules posted outside written in neat script:

There's only a few easy rules to ensure everyone enjoys their night:

One, no fighting - if you have to - please take it outside.
Two, no weapons on the premises.
Three, all children under the age of sixteen must leave before nine in the evening.

Welcome in. Grab a mask if you want - or don't - and join the party.

II. Welcome In

When walking through the entrance, the first thing that is easy to notice is how it is decorated. It has the colors of the holidays - red, green, blue, white. It’s mostly deeper shades with pops of brighter shades of the color. On the right of the entryway there is a table with a dark blue cloth over it. On top of it is a wide array of masks - different styles, shapes, sizes. Whatever their heart may desire, you can find here. Masks are, of course, optional! But who doesn’t love a great masquerade?

Above it is a sign that says Yours to Keep - so they may keep whatever masks they pick up.

Next to it is a large book with lined paper where people can drop a short message about the winter holiday they celebrate at home - their favorite part, how they celebrate, anything they'd like to share with other people! This will be picked up at the end of the party.

Not much further ahead is a dancefloor to the left - spacious as ever. To the right is catering - set up as an elaborate display of food and tables arranged so people can sit and eat. There’s food from a variety of places, including Golden Silence. They’ll find not only savory foods, but sweet desserts. In the back corner, not far from the food is a bartender, who is happily serving free drinks for anyone of drinking age.

Past the bar is a hallway with a couple of private rooms. These rooms are quiet - with none of the noise of the party being able to reach them. They're perfect for stepping away from the party for just a few moments of peace and quiet. In this rooms, there's decks of cards and a few simple board games. Each room can hold up to four people and can be locked from the inside.

Don't worry - there's signs posted everywhere so they'll will be able to find what they're looking for.

III. With So Much To Do

A. Dance the Night Away

The music at the party is provided by a variety of individuals. Various talents have been invited through the night, even! If no one is set to perform, there's a playlist set to play. The music goes on non-stop and the styles that will be played will vary. Most of the songs will be fairly upbeat through the night. Some of them are slower paced - so pick a partner and dance.

B. Mistletoe

Throughout the venue there's going to be mistletoe set up in a few spots throughout the building. The spots they're hanging are easy to identify. Most doorways have mistletoe hanging from them. There's also a few prime spots where there's some hanging - such as the corner not far from the bar. It's a perfect place to steal a kiss.

B. Charity Raffle

Near the food, there's a sign directing people to participate and purchase tickets for the charity raffle for a few prizes for people. There's donations (or things purchased) from a few businesses around Camelot. All funds raised from the Charity will go towards helping everyone who lost things during the events with Celliwig/Lestari. There's a variety of things: brunch for two, a date package, opportunities to learn a new skill, and other experiences. Several prizes will be raffled off, and people may purchase as many tickets as they want.

IV. Late at Night

After 9 in the evening, the entire feeling of the party changes. The lights get lower and glowsticks become available just off of the dance floor where they weren't earlier in the night. The music remains upbeat, though there's no performers for this part of the evening - only a playlist cycling through a variety of songs. This is a perfect time to grab a partner for a dance, or grab a drink. There's no real end of the night in sight, people are welcome to stay as long they'd like - even into the next morning if they should want.

Just be sure they're out by lunch the next day when clean-up starts.

Some quick ooc notes:

Anyone is free to assume their character participated in helping decorate.

Anyone who is a musician may get a short time slot to perform (15-30 minutes).

Feel free to have your character win anything from the raffle if you want - I'm not particular here!

Please mark anything NSFW as such in subject lines.

Have any questions? Drop one in my question thread!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Dust doesn't know enough to be worried! What he does know is that he owes her for wrecking her... play? Scheme? Whatever it was. If she's enthusiastic about teaching him, then he really does need to go along.]

Sure, I should really know about it for next time.

Alright!

[ Look at her. All determined. She's putting on the metaphorical teacher's cap here, because she's about to teach him something truly important! Something vital! ]

So that plant you cut down is called a mistletoe! People put them up.. well.. usually around this time of year. [ She was about to mention Christmas, but then again, she has no idea what kind of holidays there are in Dust's world.. ] You know, when it gets all cold and snowy?

Anyway, the entire idea is that when two people find themselves standing under a mistletoe together, they have to kiss!

[ Well.

At least the main idea is pretty simple, isn't it. And Minako seems to smile in that sort of way that implies that was the entire explanation. Any questions, students? ]

[That's...]

[What an odd tradition. Why did it come about? Why does it exist? And...]

So you just wanted to get a kiss? And it didn't matter from who?

[Look, Dust is no romantic, has no experience in that sort of thing. One of his souls didn't care -- and the other was young, still young enough to envision kisses as something spectacular and first kisses as all the more important.]

...

Yes?

[ There's a pause before she says that, though it's not really hesitant as much as Minako found that part so obvious that she was a little surprised he was asking her that at all..

She thought her intentions were clear! ]

I mean, I thought at least one or two cute guys would notice me if I did this.. [ Okay, so maybe she was looking for something slightly more specific.

But can you blame a girl like Minako? ]

I'm sure they would, but... you'd be okay with that even if you didn't know them?

[Dust doesn't know WHAT to think.]

I -- wouldn't even think you'd have problem attracting someone already, so I'm even more confused. There must be something here I'm not getting.

[ Oh, look at that compliment that snuck its way into the middle of Dust's confusion. Minako definitely lets herself bask in that for a moment, thanks. No problem attracting people.. heh! Heh!

(She only wishes that were true, but she's opting to try and process the compliment all the same, even if it somewhat clashes with her natural insecurity.) ]

What's so wrong with kissing people you don't know?

[ This is probably not something Minako should be teaching Dust.

And yet here they are. ]

If they're cute, or you feel some sort of attraction to them.. Then it's not like it can hurt, right? It's not like you only have a finite amount of kisses!

I thought... they were special. Something you had to at least know a person to get to.

[And there's the teen boy soul shining through again, a soul that had never had a chance to experience this sort of thing beyond stories and romanticized tales thanks to the war and his untimely death(s). Dust has only managed to achieve an understanding of human girl attractiveness thanks to some of the strange magic around here pushing said understanding on him, though at least that means he can recognize Minako has said attractiveness.]

At least maybe when you're young. But I guess my history makes me... really confused about this. I've led a pretty weird life.

Hmm.. well, I guess that's not a bad way to look at it!

[ At least it means he'll only kiss people when he means it in a deep sort of love way - which is kind of cute and sweet in its own way, really. It's not like Minako is going to discourage that of all things, so she's smiling. ]

Maybe you could just see it as the rules being a little different for me because I'm an ancient goddess?

[ ...

It's technically not a lie. But it sure looks like a lie, since Minako looks like your ordinary average teenager in absolutely every single possible way. ]

Oh. [Dust takes that at face value. Around here, with androids and dragons and stranger things yet, why shouldn't that be true? He turns his head slightly, not looking in her direction.] I guess after all that time, you've kissed enough people that it starts to blend together a little. That'd take some of the meaning out of it.

[ Minako truly has the benefit of being in this place each and every single time, considering the sheer amount of people who have just gone along with it without questioning that..

Which is why she's happy enough to instead just pay attention to what Dust is saying, in face of a total lack of any protest. ]

Really, you think so? I've never had that happen to me.. [ Minako hums, clearly Seriously Considering this now. ] Maybe I just have a super good memory?

But really though, I think any and every kiss can be special as long as you make it that way! That's the important part.

[Well, color Dust impressed. He's entirely genuine in his comments: if she's truly ancient, he can't imagine her failing to have luck in romance. So if she truly can remember every one, that's impressive indeed.]

I guess that's true. [No mistletoe over her to look at, so instead he glances sidelong at another sprig dangling not far away.] But I think I'd rather have someone do it because they wanted to, not because a custom obliged them.

Ahh.. You're a romantic, aren't you?

[ Not that Minako can't understand that. She likes the idea of special kisses too! It's just.. that she also likes the idea of every other kind of kiss out there..

So maybe she's just not picky enough, huh. ]

It's not like the mistletoe doesn't provide opportunities for those! After all, if you happen to have someone you like, and you've been toeing around kissing each other for the first time for a long while now.. A mistletoe can be the perfect solution for you two to just go for it!

[ She lets out a content sigh, clasping both of her hands together. ]

That's such a cute idea too..

Did you have someone in mind? [That's of course the way he interprets it. If she has such an idea, surely it springs from something more than just random chance, right? Besides, obviously he doesn't qualify for that. The differences between Warmbloods and humans aren't so great, but the difference in species is obvious, so she surely can't think he might have someone just on that alone.]

Hm? [ She peers back over at Dust, blinking in surprise. ]

.. oh no, not at all!

[ Minako says it so casually too, like all of this is just No Big Deal to her. ]

I mean, the scenario is romantic in general, right? Even when I have to imagine doing it with someone I've had a long-time crush on.. even though I don't have anyone like that right now! [ But hey, Minako's imagination can work well enough! She can imagine it all the same, even without a specific person or relationship in mind! That's just how much she believes in love. ]

I can't even imagine it. Maybe I should be watching and trying to figure this out.

[For academic purposes. To try to understand people better. For those situations where a quick blade couldn't solve the problem... and there are more and more of those each day here, it seems.]

.. watching?

[ This is probably the moment where Minako should explain to Dust that watching people kiss under the mistletoe from a distance is a very creepy thing to do.

But then again.. it's exactly the sort of thing Minako herself would do, so maybe a lecture about that would be slightly hypocritical, she figures.. ]

Weeeell, I guess that can't hurt if it's for educational purposes! [ Nailed it. ] I'm sure that you can find some people kissing if you just hang around here! There's no way you cut down the single mistletoe in this entire place.

[ .. right?

Hopefully. Or Dust might have destroyed Christmas spirit here enough to be visited by three ghosts tonight. ]

[Well, they're doing it right out in the open, right? How could it be secret or embarrassing if they're just right there?]

[Luckily for all concerned, Dust only cut down the one that appeared to be somehow magically imprisoning a poor girl, sparing all other potential romance.]

[Something in the way she phrases it, though, makes Dust huff slightly and look away.] When you put it that way, it seems a little pointless. There's not much point in learning this sort of thing just for the sake of it.

...

Are you saying you don't have someone you'd like to kiss under the mistletoe someday?

[ Something about Minako as she's saying it seems.. kind of sad? Like she's pitying him, though more in a dramatic way than any way that's serious enough to be patronizing. It seems more just like it's part of Minako's continued Antics. ]

You don't even have a little bit of a teensy crush on anyone here?

There aren't any other Warmbloods here, and I'm really not the sort anyway. I was made to be a warrior, not -- anything else at all.

[The great thing about never making eye contact with anyone is that he doesn't have to avoid it at the moment. Anything he might be quietly thinking but not saying is pointless and stupid, after all.]

[ Oh no. That last statement hits depressingly close to Minako's own issues. It kind of makes her not want to touch it for a moment, too afraid that she'll hit a raw nerve of her own..

So instead she considers the first part of what he's saying. Maybe she can work on that instead, who knows! ]

You're a.. Warmblood?

[ If Minako was a little bit more up to date on her biology classes, she probably would have asked if they're not all warmbloods.. technically.. ]

What specifically does that mean? It's the first time I'm hearing about it! [ She just sounds curious. Minako is open to learning new things! ]

Well, you might have noticed that I have fur, a tail, distinctly different ears... [Now he's smiling at last, because the irony amuses him. There's no way he really needs to explain this, not with such obvious differences.] We didn't even have humans, in Falana. Meeting them here was a first for me.

Well, one of my best friends has fur, a tail and distinctly different ears, and he isn't a Warmblood!

[ She doesn't sound offended though, despite the audible exclamation mark at the end of her statement. Minako is more just.. well, a little confused as she tries to figure this part out. Even if Dust is pretty noticably not human, she's pretty sure that there's still stuff that separates all kinds of non-humans from each other. ]

So I have no idea how to assume what that means, especially since you've never seen humans before.. Does that mean that Warmbloods are some sort of aliens? Is Falana a different planet? [ That's usually how it works in Minako's world, after all. ]

Aren't we all from different worlds? [Sure, maybe one or two come from the same place, but they seem to be the overwhelming minority.] Falana was a country, but it's the same principle. I didn't know any humans there. The other race we shared it with were the Moobloods.

[ Minako pauses.

She looks like she doesn't really want to say it, but after a moment or two her strength falters, making the words fly out of her mouth before she's even further considered them. ]

.. like a cow?

[ Come on, who else would call themselves 'Moobloods'! ]

Like -- [Oh, damn it. He'd been mumbling, hadn't he?] Moonbloods. Sorry. I'm not used to... more crowded spaces.

[Normally, his voice carries just fine despite trending quieter, but the circumstances here aren't normal for him in the slightest.]

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