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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"You people and your picture boxes." Spoiling his fun, tch. He'll do his best to look very serious and thoughtful at the pictures though. And at Clint himself, and also Jim. Hmmm...

"I thought you liked my pictures," she retorts with a playful huff. "See if I let you look at them anymore."

Yes, she has pictures. There's a whole photo album of Clint's looks throughout the years. It's not pretty. The color purple never did anything to deserve this.

"Aw, man, that picture?" Clint groans, laughing even as he facepalms. "That's gonna follow me to, well, forever. That was just after my Goliath days, too. Aw, man."

At least he's amused by his own past mistakes? His many, many past mistakes.

"Hey, I like it. I'm making this look sexy instead of just sad." The plunging V neck alone is ridiculous enough, but the bottom shoots it right past impractical and into 'are we shooting a porno here?' territory.

"I mean, I wouldn't go around wearing this outside. This is like the exact opposite of protective clothing." Holy shit Clint has always been like super ripped. This is no fair. Jim suspects that everyone is secretly in better shape than he is.

Marvel universes are bullshit.

"Come on Felix. It's really not a contest, right? Obviously I'm the right choice here." Unless he's into dudes that could break him in half, in which case Clint wins by a landslide. Dang. Touch call.

By strange chance, however, Felix has been trapped in the land of burly shirtless not!Vikings for months and... well, he’s pretty much over that look. Sorry, Clint.

“You know, it’s still better than some of the bandits I’ve met,” he offers. Except with less leather and far, far more purple. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if the skirt wasn’t so terrifyingly miniscule. “But… though I hate to say it, I have to go with Jim on this. Clint fills it out better but, ah, it doesn’t really need that.”

Also Jim makes all the unintended connotations absolutely intentional, and that is the best way to wear anything.

Hey, Felix, here's the consequence of being way too subtle about wanting to date Verity: she's getting ideas. Ideas about how you seem to think her brother is cute, and how her brother is lonely, and how you'd make such a cute couple. Plus, geography, exploring, peas in a pod. So enjoy this hand that used to be on your arm suddenly on your back and gently pushing you in Jim's direction.

(She never ever claimed she was any good at this 'wingman' stuff.) "How about I leave you two to enjoy these pictures while 'Ultron' here shows me all his sweet robot moves?"

All Clint's disappointment at losing the bet evaporates as Verity pulls the old "haaaaave ya met Jim?" move, and it's all he can do not to chuckle. "Right, yeah, you two have a good time. We gotta go show those hu-mans how to do the robot."

Like Clint is disappointed in verity's phone and pictures going away. Or the reminder that he ever wore this purple monstrosity Jim is owning right now. He might he disappointed or concerned if he gets a close enough look at the random arrows jim took from his apartment.

Jim, for his part, just raises an eyebrow as the two of them 'discreetly' bail on him and Felix before laughing into his drink.

"Wwwow. Clint you owe me a dance later!" He hollers after them before giving Felix a grin. "Hey, so their loss right? Where you from?" No, he doesn't mind being alone with the guy, he's just going to roll with it. If verity approves he can't be a bad guy. At the very least it's better than drinking alone, right?

Right?

Felix was sort of in mid-calculation (Verity said Clint was something a bit like the Dragonborn? Maybe he should have factored that in? Well, never mi-) when there’s a hand on his back and Verity is running off with half the company.

…Verity did you just turn into someone’s mother?

“That’s normally my trick,” he comments as they retreat, sounding nonplussed. He did… not see that coming. But he’s not going to complain when he still has good company. He’s fickle, and also good at taking hints. So Jim gets a wry smile, and a shrug.

“The glorious Empire of Tamriel. Alas, mainly the frozen, dragon-infested part of late. But I’ll escape one of these days. And I’ll hazard a guess you’re from the United States, like Verity?” Geography club is paying off!

"She hasn't seen Clint in a few days, she's probably going to lecture him about something or another." Jim shakes his head as they head off--a little confused that Clint didn't comment on his holler after him. But he'll figure that out later.

Because this is still happening and Jim is nothing if not good company. Most of the time.

"Seems to be a popular locale people are frequenting from. I really want to see it sometime." Stun a dragon with his phaser, that'd be neat right? It can't be as cold as Delta Vega was. "Close, kinda." Jim thinks about the best way to describe it to the otherworlder.

"I'm originally from there, but I'm from the future. I spend my time in space. Like, the night sky? Up there. Out there, rather. I command a ship that's exploring the galaxy. So uhm..alllll the stars you see out there. That's my map."

Felix laughs. Talking to the right man here. "Speaking as the usual border guard, I'm still trying to convince my tribune about officially allowing visitors. But there's more than one way in, depending on who you're with."

Jim's explanation about space is... getting a look that wavers between impressed and bemused. "The galaxy- oh! Right. Yes, I see. You're from one of those realms where the planets orbit stars." Okay, now he's really impressed. "So you're commanding an exploratory mission?"

Models of the universe may vary wildly, but ship's captains are always cool. Multiversal constant.

"You do security detail? Nice." Jim knows a few ~~redshirts~~crew members who would love to talk shop with Felix. "Oh, there's always a way into anywhere, if there's a will to go." He gives a wink the other's way.

"Official permission just makes it easier." And less interesting, but sometimes the tradeoff is worth the lack of paperwork and chewings out. Who put Jim Kirk in charge of everything he is so bad at authority.

"I am, yeah." Tamriel isn't? Interesting. This Jim has to see. "We got approved for a deep space mission. Five years, uncharted parts of the galaxy. It's been pretty great, so far. You're not actually trying to leave your world are you? I mean, obviously you could if you wanted to, with the means to come here."

Felix would tell them to run a lot more and learn to magic themselves some backup. Sure, he can swing a sword and sling a spell. He'd just rather do both from an advantageous position. Behind the biggest daedra at his disposal. "Dangerous thinking." He likes it. Bad Imperial. "But very true."

He makes an interested sound at the thought of- well, five years! On an officially sponsored mission to go explore the void in some sort of fantastic void-ship! How amazing would that be, even if you didn't have a whole galaxy to explore? Jim's question gets a chuckle.

"That's a complicated question. Do you mean me, personally, or my people? Because where I'm from 'everyone' knows the Void is full of fearful realms ruled by the whim of demon princes, and so nothing good can come out of contacting other planes." He shrugs, smirking. "But some of us do it anyway."

Not only are there chau present, there is a Verichau among them. Said purple and green cutie is toddling around 'policing' the dessert tables and wobbles over to bop Jim on the leg for....apparently standing too close to the cookie table.

Hop to it, mister!

Jim raises an eyebrow, and somehow resists the urge to start cooing out baby talk before he bends down and scoops her up. Upsies! All is forgiven. What were they talking about?

"I like to live life in the fast lane. A little risk is good for the soul." And more exciting. His request for clarification makes Jim hum thoughtfully. "I mostly meant you in the singular. You could go literally anywhere or anywhen from here."

The chao gets a grin and a wave as it settles on its new perch. He's observed a few of these little fellows running about, but this one is rather unusually colored. He wonders idly if it's Verity's favorite, then decides she'd be a bit scandalized at the idea of playing favorites. Funny, though, those markings look familiar...

"Absolutely," he replies. "And I will! This place is a conjurer's paradise." And he means the good kind! Not the evil false kind of paradise. "An endless stream of strange beings and gates to realms no mage in my realm ever dreamed of. If I wasn't stuck at my post so much it would be perfect."

He shoots a glance at the chao, then cups a hand and frowns at it for a second, pulling together a ball of purple-white energy. When it coalesces, it forms a long feather, translucent blue as if taken from a ghostly bird. How does the little one feel about tickles?

Come on Felix. Jim is at least twice as charming with this little cutie trying to eat his spiky hair. Especially since he seems insistent on ignoring it and not giving into the clearly difficult temptation of laughing or admitting it is adorable. He is trying to charm someone, Verichau.

Why do cute things keep sabotaging him tonight? First kid Loki and now the tiniest verity impersonator.

"Traitor." It's barely a mumble and Jim tilts his head away sliiightly so it's more difficult to om nom those delicious styled locks. He looks suspicious of the feather, is Felix going to tickle him oh god why--oh it's the chau. She squeals and burbles and moves around till she's standing with one foot on either side of Jim's neck, using his head literally as a shield.

"....Well. That's a nice display of magic there. Thanks for the assist, I think. Not sure if she'll be more trouble there yet or not." He finally cracks, giving a guilty smile and a laugh.

Jim, trying to ignore the fuzzy thing you already picked up is a losing proposition. Trust him, he’s tried the attention-grabbing sidekick thing many, many times. Sometimes he’s been the sidekick.

Besides, you’re much cuter when you’re cracking a smile again, and Felix is going to give you a smirk that tells you so.

“Mmm, this is about all I’ve got for child-friendly spells.” Conjuration: ironically one of the Tamrielic schools least suited to family entertainment. “I’d give it to her as a distraction, but then she might distract you and I can’t have that. Not when you still haven’t told me about your travels through the void- er, space. So, are there pirates? Have you met any gods out there? I've only heard about these things from my boss, you know, and he leaves out anything that gets dangerously exciting.”

"She'd probably try to eat it." Smirks are good! Smirks mean Jim is doing his job. Or at least his baby blues are. Maximum charm, go!

"There are black market dealers yeah. Pirates is a good comparison. No gods, but plenty of people with powers humans don't have." Jim eyes a passing waiter and nods toward him. "You want another drink? I think I'm gonna want to grab a seat before she falls." Luckily there is a small table for two right over near the bar area. Jim will head that way and reluctantly pull off his purple headband so Verichau can wear it.

"Well, I won't leave out a thing. D'you want to hear about the space pirates from an alternate universe future? Or about our deep space exploratory mission? Alien races? How can I be the most entertaining, Felix?"

"Excellent idea!" Felix takes off his hat as they go: it's just easier that way, to say nothing of its reputed potential to produce inopportune rabbits. When the waiter comes by he'll request a Cyrodilic brandy ("preferably Colovian, if you have it"). He might just want to test the stock.

"You ask some very dangerous questions, my friend," he teases. "I do have a weakness for alien races. But what's this about pirates from the future? A pack of thieves gallivanting about time sounds like an utter disaster."

Jim takes another flute of champagne. He's had a few of these by now, but it's been a few hours into the party. He's still fine, more or less. Felix would know if he was getting drunk.

Felix is well able to get his drink, lest it be implied that Schon's arrangements are not perfect for the event this fine eve.

"They basically changed history. Billions of lives altered because some fuckers decided to go back in time. These crazy aliens were pissed that my first officer---well, an old oooooold version of him from the future, willfully allowed their planet to die. Which is bullshit, of course. So when he went back in time to try and save the planet, they followed him."

Their drinks arrive and Jim will immediately take a swig of his, before dipping his finger in the liquid and letting Verichau sniff it. She wrinkles her nose and turns away, but at least that means she won't try to grab it form him. She's perfectly happy with his headband as her new toy/necklace.

"So they blow up his planet in return. Make him watch. Took out a bunch of Starfleet ships when they did it, too. We spacejumped to the drill to try and stop them, but it was too late. They wanted to take down Earth, next." Beat. "Where we're from. So Spock and I--my first officer. The young one. We sneak aboard their ship, rescue our captain, and blow his ship up with his own weapon. Earth is saved, the captain lived, and he passed on the ship to me." Sip, slightly proud smile.

"Don't tell Verity my job's that dangerous."

The brandy does indeed come exactly as ordered; Felix actually can’t tell if it’s the variety he requested, but he’s hoping to benefit from its supposed benefits to speechcraft.

Meantime he’s treated to one hell of a space story. Blood oaths and time travel and the fate of worlds in the balance! He rolls his eyes at the aliens’ nonsensical vendetta, winces when Jim describes the destruction of people’s home planets, and by the end he’s honestly quite wide-eyed. (If he realized spacejumping wasn’t a term for some kind of teleportation, he’d be even more so.)

“Incredible,” he murmurs, because that’s the first response that comes to mind. Maybe he wouldn’t believe it, except Verity obviously likes Jim so habitual lying seems unlikely. “Your tale is safe with me, although… surely it’s not always like that?”

Verity has to know it’s pretty dangerous, anyway. Ships are a risky enough business when they’re just at sea.

"Yeah you haven't lived until you've literally jumped off a ship sub orbit and freefell a couple miles before parachuting onto a metal disk about oh.....half the size of that banquet table in surface area." Jim laughs. That was one hell of a trip. Fun too, until all the mission failing and getting beat up.

...And nearly falling to their deaths. That wasn't fun either.

"Actually most of my job is pretty mundane. Paperwork, documenting new species of plant and animal, conducting routine shipments to nearby colonies, addressing distress signals. The usual. Quite a lot of bureaucracy too. Diplomacy missions for the Federation." Jim shrugs. "The job is pretty mundane until something goes wrong."

“Wait, you- what?” Felix looks dumbfounded. He's done some risky things in his time but that's in a whole different realm.

The rest might be outside his own experience, but in a more familiar way. “That doesn’t sound too different from Legion life. It’s all dull routine until the invasion force lands." He gives a cheerful shrug. "Then it’s just routine.”

"Right? It's boring until things go wrong, and then it's just inconvenient that they're going wrong." He laughs again, wiping at the corner of one eye with his thumb.

Verichau peers her head around, giving Felix a scowl because did he just make her big brother person cry? She will hop off of Jim, wobble over to Felix's side of the table and...

bap.

That is your spanking mister. Don't let it happen again. (Because getting poked by a bean bag hurts at all).

"You're a soldier then? That's cool. What's your specialty?" Jim's absentmindedly ticking the Verichau to make her stop scowling so much. Man, she does hang around Verity an awful lot. Cooing giggles! All is forgotten because noooooo--! Now she's hiding behind Felix's arm.

Edited 2015-11-08 00:45 (UTC)

"Exactly! That's why so many people take up adventuring-" Hey, Verichau! That's so unfair, he made you a feather! Sure it doesn't hurt, but it's the thought that counts. His vengeance is swift - he's going to tickle her out from behind his elbow unless she grabs his hand.

"I have the honor to serve as a battlemage." He sounds a little bit bashful about it. Technically he's an apprentice, but no way he's mentioning that. It's galling enough to think about. "Quite a new one, I have to admit. When the Nexus was discovered, my superiors realized they needed a skilled conjurer in a hurry, and so I... um, found myself recruited. So far it's been more interesting than exciting

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Jim, Ted, it's all the same right?

Close enough!

Jim needs to go see Tamriel seriously so many people are form there.

Bribed correctly, Felix will totally arrange it

Define correctly

Sir there are /chao/ present

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