The Samhain Ball - Come as You Aren't

[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

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

Comments

[smartass_captain]

"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."

[conjuredskies]

“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.”

[smartass_captain]

"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.

[conjuredskies]

"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

[smartass_captain]

No fair! The huge things are teaming up on her! Verichau needs reinforcements! She is scooting off the table and hurrying off toward the dance hall quickly, still dragging Jim's purple headband across the floor with her.

"Hahaha!" Jim has never seen anything that adorable ever. Oh man. He can never tell Verity that he does secretly think those things are cute. But Felix will keep his secret right?

"A battlemage? So, okay. You can do magic?" That has piqued Jim's interest. "Would you mind showing me sometime?" The explorer in him wants to be the first of his world to witness magics the Nexus over. Seeing something no one else in his world has, it's always a thrill. Even the awful things no one's seen before, though that thrill is usually dwarfed by the sinking feeling of 'we are all about to die'.

"Nobody in my world has anything like magic. It's pretty crazy to see it at all here."

[conjuredskies]

Felix is great with secrets! Verity need never know (until she spots Jim trying not to grin at the tiny antics). To be fair, Felix himself is trying not to splutter into his glass at the little chao toddling off in a huff, trailed by a headband rather longer than she is. Maybe he can regain some dignity playing the serious battlemage- nope, he's smirking, that's not going to happen.

"Of course! I'll show you my magic if you show me your ship." But he's half-kidding. If Jim's bosses are half as serious about their doorways as his... "Honestly, I'm still working on my party tricks after- um, last time, but the small stuff is easy to show you."

He's certainly not calling up a familiar or - Sanguine forbid - a flame atronach right here. Every time he gets one of them to help him show off, they steal his thunder. Oh, and it would mean leaving his gate unguarded for a little bit too. But seriously: every. Single. Time.

So instead he cups his free hand and calls up a tiny orb of white light, which bobs up to float above them and shimmers there. It's not even hot, just shining away merrily without flame or visible fuel. "And that is your basic Candlelight spell."

I"m so sorry I dozed off for a while there ^^;;

[smartass_captain]

Jim if you turned the baby blues of yours on any harder your eyes would fall out. He's not inviting himself to your quarters for fucks sake. He's asking to see the Enterprise. and why wouldn't he want to? It's the best goddamn ship there is.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah sure." Jim will pull his quiver around and rummage in it until he pulls a slim glass looking device out of it and taps the screen a few times. Various images flit across the screen, before a holographic image of the Enterprise in all her glory hovers above the device.

"There she is.Just had her fully restored before we started our five year mission." Now it's Jim's turn to watch and out of literally no where Felix summons a ball of light. It's not hot, Jim's first thought is to reach up and touch it. There's not really anything to touch though. Just a vague tingling. Not unlike a small electric shock, but less sudden and severe.

"...Wow...It...but I mean..." No chanting, no sparkles, just boom ball of light. "That is really...really cool." He sounds nearly speechless.

no problem! :)

[conjuredskies]

He forgot about the pictures! Everyone from Earth has pictures; he's starting to get a little jealous even though Stratos would probably get a torchbug up his backside about sharing images of home willy-nilly. He leans closer to peek at the screen, before one pops right out and hovers above it.

"Oh!" He sucks in a startled breath, pulling back to study the strange craft. "It's- I've never seen anything like her. She's so sleek and silver... What's she built from? And what are all these- um..." The hologram's getting poked gently, partly out of curiosity about the machine-made illusion and partly to point out the nacelles and the upper saucer. He's never seen a vessel like this before, and he just has no way to parse it.

He is terribly smug that Jim likes the spell, though. Even if it is child's play to him, well, he has to allow for the fact that Jim's world has no magic. "Just a matter of knowing how to control the energy."

There'd be more flash and even chanting for the big spells, but on the whole Tamrielic magic is practical stuff. The light bobs a little when touched, drifting above the holographic Enterprise like a miniature sun. It doesn't go far though, as if it's on an invisible tether.

[smartass_captain]

"They're what make it go. Like sails on a boat." Jim can't help but find it a bit amusing that they're both so enthralled with the other's worlds. Felix and technology, and Jim with Felix's magic.

"It's designed to be as light as possible without compromising on defense." He'll lean over the PADD and point out the little dimple in the round part. "There's the bridge. That's where I work."

[conjuredskies]

"If I ask how, the answer's going to be immensely complicated, isn't it?" he asks dryly, maybe a bit wistful because he knows this isn't the time to start trying to study strange extra-planar machines. Mere complexity doesn't intimidate him, but he's not here to talk dry arcana.

"That makes sense, I suppose. Keep the ship's wheel right at the top." He pauses, smiling ruefully at himself. "I'm afraid I'm a terrible landlubber. Everything I know about ordinary ships ends at 'keep the water on the outside'.

[smartass_captain]

"Yeah, probably." Jim rests his chin in one hand and gives a grin back Felix's way. "If I ask how the magic works, it's going to be immensely alien to me too, though. We should trade stories another time when we're both sober and bored." He snorts at his own dry humor.

"Can I....ask you a question that's a bit off topic?"

[conjuredskies]

That is an eminently sensible suggestion; Felix concedes with a nod and a sip of his dwindling brandy, since if they're still thinking sensibly they can't have had enough to drink.

"I am at your disposal. Ask away." On the other hand, he's not so sober as to see any risk in mystery questions.

[smartass_captain]

Sobriety is for work and not party time. Party time is Jim getting another flute of champagne and asking for a refill for Felix too.

"Are you this charming around everyone or do you just have a thing for families?" Jim's still smiling as though this is an entirely ordinary thing to ask. "Because I'm cool with either, but you seemed awful intent on Ver earlier, yet here we are drinking and flirting just as bad. Figured it'd be rude if I didn't point out at some point that I was doing that. Flirting, I mean. Figured I should....give you an out if you weren't into that sort of thing. Or dudes in general. Or just being polite so you can run off with Ver the moment she comes back to spy on us. Because I bet you she does."

[conjuredskies]

Oho. Felix blinks at his first question, unsure for a second if he ought to be offended. Then he seems to refocus on Jim, gauging him anew as the man keeps talking and keeps smiling.

“Oh, I was fairly clear about what we were doing,” he assures Jim with just a hint of relief. The rest takes a moment’s thought to clear his head, and a sip of brandy to cloud it again loosen his tongue.

“I’m charming to people I like. Usually not... quite so much to more than one person in quick succession. You’re right that I like Verity, and I already owe her a dance at the very least. But I wasn’t planning to simply run off on you. Tell the truth, I hadn’t planned ahead very much at all.” He chuckles ruefully at himself. “Verity’s rather put me in my place as far as she’s concerned, and you seemed fascinating. I thought I’d find out just how fascinating. Well- that, and I was starting to wonder what your people consider flirting.”

[smartass_captain]

The fact that Felix isn't backpedaling or upset at all with this turn of events is one that makes Jim immensely relieved. Felix is in for a shock if he thinks Jim Kirk is how most people flirt later though.

"Yeah she likes dancing." And here's a fond chuckle for his adopted sister. He's so going to owe her for this later.

"Hmm. I could show you how fascinating I can be, but that probably depends on what you're interested in." It's difficult to tell if he's teasing or giving a serious offer but knowing Jim it's probably both anyway so trying to figure it out is a waste of time.

[conjuredskies]

This definitely isn't the way he foresaw things turning out. It's not worse, though. And backpedaling rarely makes a good impression. Better to roll with the dice you're given.

"I like what I’ve seen so far,” he says innocently. “You know- a daring space captain who’s both charming and curiously forward about these things. I'm rather interested in seeing more.” He flashes a grin. "Unless you were asking about the next ten minutes specifically."

[smartass_captain]

"The next ten minute specifically I was going to finish my drink and ask you to take me to dance." Jim gives Felix a grin. "You can lead, I know the steps both ways. Gotta make sure you're up to snuff before you take my sister out, right?"

Jim takes another sip if his champagne and leans over the table, voice dropping in volume.

"If you impress me enough I might be inclined to show you something nice, after."

[conjuredskies]

"Then I'd best act as if I know what I'm doing," he murmurs back. "You know, I haven't seen anyone here dance quite like they do back home. It should be an interesting experience."

He's not above making a fool of himself to amuse someone he likes, but he's aiming to do a little better.

[smartass_captain]

"You know one of the neat things about the fleet? They teach you formal dancing for the officers balls and diplomat charities and all the other schmoozing officers need to know how to do. I can show you some basic steps." Jim gives Felix a wink before finishing off his flute of champagne.

"You can show me yours too. I'm always up for learning new steps."

[conjuredskies]

"You are a gentleman after all," he laughs. "And I'm happy to show you our dances, although- let's say you're not exactly dressed for most of the fun parts."

The path of the Hawkskirt is one of sacrifice.

[smartass_captain]

"I'd argue that I'm dressed for the best kind of dancing, but not without causing a scene." There's no worry, Jim's not going to cause any embarrassing faux paus with Felix out there.

He will get up and sidle over to Felix's side of the table soon enough though, extending a hand to help the other up.

"Shall we?"

[conjuredskies]

"With pleasure." Felix takes the offered hand with a smile as they head for the ballroom. He'll certainly need Jim to coach him on the steps. But in his favor, he's adaptable and good at responding to his partner's movements.

[smartass_captain]

Good thing Jim's ready to lead the way.