nexus_sages | The Samhain Ball - Come as You Aren't

The Samhain Ball - Come as You Aren't

A woman strides through the Nexus, garbed in royal finery of a distinctly Elizabethan style. In the crook of her arm, she carries an ebony scepter shod and capped in silver. There may be something familiar about her confident bearing, her angular features, her mismatched eyes. When she pauses to speak, the cadence of her words might spark recognition--is this Schön?!

"People of the Nexus, friends, in the world from which I hail we stand on the cusp of a special day, a harvest-fest when the walls between worlds grow thin, when masks and costumes are worn to frighten away the wicked spirits--or to invite them in on more congenial terms. So on this day, I invite you, each and every one of you, to join me in a revel to bid farewell to Summer, and welcome with fire and song the coming dark! Join me, won't you?" Letting her gaze sweep the crowd, she raps the heel of her scepter once against something solid, vanishing in a flash and leaving a sparkling trail for the curious to follow.

A cool wind herds dry, crackling leaves through the gathering gloom. On the cusp between the parklands and the residential district, darkness and cloudy skies have been slowly coalescing for days around a stately house of Gothic style, ivy-encrusted and showing its age somewhat. A square tower stands vigil over the entryway, tall windows overlooking the flagstone drive looping around a fountain gone dry. The house’s angular wings stretch to either side, the windows dark save for occasional glints and gleams of colored lights bobbing within. A glow does creep over the line of the roof, however, and the faint throb of distant music hint at something happening behind the house. The door stands open, a silent invitation to every brave soul who passes by.

((Happy Halloween! Enjoy the festivities. All LOLs are optional. Threadhopping is encouraged. Backtagging is forever, so don’t worry about missing out: we’ll still be here when you get back from your more mundane ghosties and goblins.))

Playlist
Visualosity
The Entrance
The Ballroom
The Banquet
The Bonfire
The Corn Maze
Dark Corners
Costume Icon Requests
The Photo Booth

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Hughes will take whatever Katsuya brings him. He trusts the officer to not bring him some terrifying, LOL-inducing concoction.

As soon as Katsuya steps away, Hughes is taking a closer look at all the sweets on the table. He's avoiding anything labeled as a LOL, but he's very keen on trying some of the wrapped chocolate goodies in one of the large bowls labeled as LOL-free.

Unfortunately for him, his candy bar of choice is one of those Schön was selling when he was trying to raise funds for Sunnydale High (Band Candy!), which had been... misplaced? in the bowl. Hughes is about halfway through the bar when Wonder Woman appears.

"Honey locusts, hm? Sounds interesting." He smiles, finishes off the chocolate bar, and then picks up a locust. He examines it closely, squinting at it for a bit longer than necessary, then pops it in his mouth without hesitation. There's a long silence as he chews, swallows, then debates his thoughts on it.

"Weird, but good." Wait. What did he just say?

He offers his hand to the woman and smiles. "Don't think we've met before. I don't recognize you, anyway - and that's in spite of the costume." He chuckles to himself before adding, "Maes Hughes, by the way."

Katsuya Suou has faced down Gods and lived. He is not intimidated by eating bugs. Plenty of cultures use them in food. It's nutritious. So why is he starting at the proffered insect?

Oh well. If Samus is recommending it it can't be all bad. Om nom crunch-squish.

Squish? Oh.Oh no. Please tell Verity somemone got the face Katsuya is making right now on camera.

"It's...interesting." Drink. He needs a drink right now.

Samus Aran. Nice to meet you, Maes Hughes. Most humans I meet here aren't that brave about eating insects.

*The offered hand is shaken, her hand strong but her grip gentle--she could probably match Armstrong in arm-wrestling or origami, ancient family techniques notwithstanding, with a hand like that. She doesn't have anything to prove by crushing new acquaintances' hands in her grip, either. Katsuya, when he finds himself in taste distress, gets a wry smirk.*

Case in point. Ah, well, more for me.

*She'll have another. Crunch, crunch, crunch, mmm!*

Hughes laughs heartily. "No sense in not trying new things while you're at a party! I think I still prefer the chocolates, though. The first one I had was really good at least!" He grins and takes his drink from Katsuya, downing half of it without a second thought.

"Wait. What did you bring back for me? Is there alcohol in this?" Katsuya gets a raised eyebrow. That's an awfully not polite way of asking that question. Come on, Hughes, you know better.

He ate it! He just...didn't expect it to gush in his mouth like that. His own drink is nearly empty already because it's better than having to excuse himself.

"Mm?" Don't talk with your glass to your mouth Katsuya. Honestly. "N-no, the flavor was alright. Uhm. I'd like it better if they were smaller?" If they crunched all the way through instead of leaking their liquefied guts into his mouth oh no finish the drink.

"It's cider, but yes. I think so anyway?" He knows his isn't alcoholic. Hughes' might be though. He only specified for his own drink.

*Hughes gets an approving smile.*

That's the spirit. The Nexus is full of new things, it's only the dull and ignorant who avoid them.

*Katsuya gets an amused brow-raise, silent challenge not to be dull or ignorant.*

Perhaps you'd like the cabin crickets at the Stellar Harp better, then.

*Get that new drink fast, Katsuya, the bird lady from space is having some fun at your gastric expense.*

"Huh." He makes a face at the drink then quickly down the second half. "I dunno, I can't tell. It's good, though." Beat. "Oh, and the crickets at the Stellar Harp are amazing! You should try them, Katsuya."

Given that Katsuya's drink was non-alcoholic, it's easy to assume that Hughes' drink would be, too. But if that's true, what the hell has gotten in to the normally composed military man?

No time for that thought - here comes a waiter with a full tray of champagne flutes! Hughes is quick to swap out his empty glass for one of the flutes and he snags one for each of his companions as well. He holds out the hand with two glasses in it to Katsuya before turning to Samus. There's a charming grin on his face to go with this one.

"Care for a drink to go with those crickets?" Wait, is he... is he offering a slight bow with that drink?

...yes, yes he is.

Katsuya is not as easy to ruffle as most men are. A woman offering him a challenge doesn't insult his sensibilities. Actually he thinks Maya would rather like the unappetizing little things. She will eat just about anything.

He is however polite to a fault. He will get a second cider and also take one of the smaller locusts and give it a test pinch to see if it gooshes. When it is deemed crunchy he pops it into his mouth.

The champagne gets more of a reserved look than the insects do. But well. One small drink won't hurt him. He's not that bad. It would be impolite not to toast.

Actually, Katsuya just assumes he's thinking about his wife and child again, as the reserved man is anything but where those two are concerned. In fact--

"Please don't feed your child insects without explaining ot her that not everything is safe to eat, Hughes."

*Samus demurs with a politely raised hand and a slight shake of her head.*

Alcohol and I don't get along very well, thanks. A sparkling cider, I'll take, or a Gavan brandy.

*The Brow of Challenge that had been directed at Katsuya relents when he tries another locust. He's given enough ground to satisfy her for the moment.*

Much better.

"Easily remedied." He grabs the waiter before he can wander off and asks him to bring back a Gavan brandy for the lady.

Then he's turning to Katsuya with a... pout? "Come on now, you don't really think I'd do that to my daughter, do you? I mean, sure, I'll let her try anything that I've tried first, but I'm certainly not going to let her do whatever she wants. Gracia would kill me if I did."

There's something about the way he's holding himself that's different than what Katsuya is used to. It's not unusual for him to walk around with a confident air like he is now, but there's always a noticeable weight on his shoulders, a fatigue in his face. But now? Now he looks like he wants to go out and take on the whole damn world, like there's nothing to hold him back. And those charms he usually reserves for his wife, or special assignments, are out in full force, as is obvious when that pout he'd been aiming at Katsuya turns into a grin.

"No need to worry about that tonight, though. I'm here to enjoy myself, and make sure everyone else I meet is as merry as I am. You should do the same, Katsuya, or that lady friend of your might be left wanting, and nothing good ever comes from that." He tips his glass in Katsuya's direction, gives Samus a wink, then takes a sip of his champagne.

Okay, what's going on here? Since Samus isn't opting for the champagne either, Katsuya takes a moment to discreetly set his flute of it aside somewhere and hold just his new mug of cider instead.

"I uhm...what?" He gives Samus a quick apologetic glance. "No we're not..." He's met the bounty hunter all of a handful of times ever. Subject change, subject change...

"Did you borrow another costumed hero's outfit for the occasion?" It's not one he's seen before the handful of times he was in Verity's world.

*Samus gives a wry chuckle at Katsuya's question.*

Saying 'another' implies that I number among them. I promise you, neither they nor I want that! But this is the look of a costumed hero, yes. A warrior woman who fights for peace--my Girl Scouts picked it out for me.

If Katsuya isn't going to drink that champagne, Hughes most certainly is. After her finishes the one in his hand, of course.

"Sounds like my kind of woman." Hughes grins and grabs the brandy from the waiter as he passes by, offering it to Samus with the most charming of smiles. "My lady."

Once she has it, Hughes holds up his glass. "I propose a toast," he says excitedly, "to friends both new and old, and a lovely night out with more treats than could ever fully be enjoyed in a single night." He gives each of them a sly wink before tipping back his champagne glass, emptying its entire contents before he sets it aside and reaches for the one Katsuya set aside.

"Now, let's say we try more of the delectables, shall we? I'm insatiably curious about them all."

"Are you...okay? How much sweets have you had?" Forget the sweets, how much liquor has the man had. He sounds like he's about to jitter right out of his skin.

Samus gets a concerned glance, then back to Hughes. He can't even ask about a bounty hunter leading a Girl Scout troupe now and that is a shame because it sounds adorable.

"Are...you by chance allergic to the insects?"

*Samus' drink of choice is blue and glowing, Hughes. It might merit a second look. Not knowing the spy or his habits, Samus can't tell whether his current behavior is out of character. As he's putting away the alcohol at a fair clip, though, she has a theory.*

If he's drunk, Katsuya, food is probably a good idea. Start him with some of that cheesy pumpkin chili, perhaps; I'm told greasy food makes a good counter to hangovers.

The glowing blue drink gets a raised eyebrow of appreciation, but he's still going to be much happier to see her have it than to take it for himself.

Their concern is touching, but they're both getting the biggest eyeroll he can manage. "I'm not allergic to any insects and I'm not drunk. The champagne is the first drink I've had. The only other thing I've eaten is one of the candy bars from the table." He retrieves the wrapper from his pocket to show them, since he hadn't gotten around to finding a place to deposit it yet.

"Can't a guy let loose a little from time to time? It's like living with Roy when he was being a mothering nit during basic training all over again." There's a dramatic sigh that goes with that declaration - and another sip of champagne. It's fizzy and delicious, damnit, so he's drinking it.

Well, something is certainly off about the soldier, though Katsuya isn't really sure what it is. The mention of food does picque his attention, though for a somewhat different reason.

"Ah, speaking of candies and food, You had mentioned you wanted to try a few new things, right?' Katsuya gives his friend a bit of a smile. "We should at least look at some of the offerings while were here. It would be a waste not to."

He hopes Samus will back him up on this and try to subtly herd Hughes toward the immeasurably long line of foods offered at one of the tables.

"Ah, a pumpkin soup of some kind? I had been considering making something similar myself. Have you tried it yet Samus? I must admit to being curious about it."

I haven't had this batch, no, but I know people on an Earth who mix pumpkin puree into their chili sometimes, and this looks and smells similar. The bread bowls done up like carved pumpkins are a nice touch, too.

*She's heading for the food and maintaining conversation with them; the natural inclination will probably be to keep pace with her.*

"Sounds like something worth trying," Hughes chimes in as he pads along behind them. He'll go for one of the smaller bread bowls for trying the chili - no need to fill up on the first thing he eats after all! It gets a small hum of approval when he tries it, but the following sip of champagne gets an almost sour face.

"Not good with champagne, but excellent on its own. Might work better with some kind of brown ale, though." The nearest waiter is getting stopped now and asked to bring back said brown ale for him. Seems he's all about the impulse desires right now.

If the soldier isn't drunk he's trying to sprint there now. Katsuya doesn't understand it. The amount of food on display is simply staggering and there's very little of it he's completely familiar with, but that's to be expected.

"How did you end up running a girl scout troupe? Is it in the Nexus proper or back in your world?" Katsuya does his best to maintain conversation while he keeps an eye on Hughes' actions for a bit longer. There had to be a reason for the shift in behavior...

In the meantime, that buffet dish of mushroom and spinach ravioli in cream sauce is going on his plate. Fall flavors mean mushrooms are a must, as far as he's concerned.

*Samus may not drink, but neither does she judge anyone else's consumption habits. At least not out loud. Besides, there's a buffet to sample and a question of Katsuya's to answer.*

Neither. I set up safe-houses in a few Facets that I found through the Nexus. Since no one else from my Facet knows about this place, I can be certain I wasn't followed. While I was setting one up, some girls from a local troop tried to sell me some cookies. Long story short, I got involved.

"What exactly are Girl Scouts anyway? I highly doubt it's as exciting as the girls going on scouting missions that I'm imagining." Don't judge Hughes for the half dozen cookies, five varieties of dips, and plethora of crackers and veggies that have appeared on his plate. He's finding himself very peckish right now.

And thirsty. That ale he asked for is almost gone already. He doesn't seem any less in control of himself than he was before, though, so that's a plus.

Katsuya is content to nibble on his food while Samus explains about how she got involved volunteering in a world that isn't even hers. It sounds like something he would do, if he's honest.

He eyes the dessert table a moment, pausing over the various cookies and ghoulish delights to a few well marked bowls full of...were those trick candies? Some of them looked awfully familiar...

"...Damn it." Well, that explains quite a bit.

Girl Scouts are girls and young women who gather together to learn useful skills, positive attitudes, self-reliance, and ways to enrich their communities. And they fund their activities largely through the sale of excellent cookies.

*Katsuya's swearing gets a glance of mild curiosity.*

Hm? Something wrong?

Hughes' eyes widen slightly at the explanation of the Girl Scouts before his face settles into a small smirk. "Any chance there's a boys version of that? I have a few grown-up children who could use that sort of thing." And by a few he means Roy, because the man can't go anywhere without causing at least as much trouble as the Elric brothers.

The swearing gets Katsuya a raised eyebrow from Hughes. "Really? You swear outside the heat of battle? I thought you'd be too proper for that." He can't hold the eyebrow for very long before he's smirking. It's just too damn funny to see Katsuya so worked up over some candy.

The Samhain Ball - Come as You Aren't

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