Samhain Ball Redux - Second Star to the Right

[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

Something flits through the skies of the Nexus, bobbing and swooping only to climb again, an ecstatic aerial dance. At last, mirth of the moment giving way to some other whim, the flying figure drifts groundward, turning and drifting like a falling leaf until his feet, clad in pointed-toed green suede moccasins alight. Forest green tights hug lean legs all the way up to a bright green tunic, belted with rich brown leather and a bright brass buckle. On his left hip hang a set of pan pipes; on his right, a black-handled knife. An impish grin curls his lips, his eyes sparkle with the promise of mischief, and a pert green cap sits atop his head, crowned by a lone red feather. Could this be the black-suited GQ cover model who makes himself ubiquitous in the better-traveled spaces of the Nexus? Could it be Schön?

It is. "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 wicked spirits--or to invite them in on more congenial terms. Today we bid Summer adieu, and raise fire and song to meet the long night! Join me, for an evening to last a lifetime, and a farewell to a season well-loved." His hand rises, pointing to where two bright beacons blaze in the churn of the Nexus' heavens. "Second star to the right, and we'll keep on 'til morning!" Crowing with laughter, he soars for that distant point like an arrow, leaving a trail of sparkling, glittering motes of light for anyone interested to follow.

Perched on the border between the parklands and the residential district, the night sky is like a pillow of iridescent black velvet, on which have been scattered an embarrassment of diamonds. Like an enormous pumpkin, a harvest moon presides over the shimmering vista, orange and plump. The air is cool and crisp, punctuated by the crackling hiss of dry leaves in motion every time a breeze picks up.

At the center of it all sits a stately house of Gothic style, ivy-clad and waiting. A square tower stands vigil over the entryway, tall windows overlooking the flagstone drive looping around a fountain full of water as blue and bright as a tropical sea. In the fountain stands an island, and if one peers closely enough, one might imagine they see figures moving about--on the deck of the tiny ship anchored in a cove, or swimming and splashing in a lagoon, or even creeping through the wooded interior. Of the house, the windows of the wings seem dark, perhaps waiting, but the line of the roof is limned with some glow from beyond, and the faint throb of distant music promises that the evening holds more than surfaces. The door stands open, a silent invitation to every brave soul who passes by.

((Happy Halloween! Enjoy the festivities, threadhopping is encouraged, tag back whenever you have time, and don't worry about missing out--we'll still be here when you get back.)) YouTube Playlist Visualosity Entrance Ballroom Banquet Bonfire Dark Corners

Comments

Plus one bard.

[kitty_of_light]

A catte is here, perusing the food.

His icons don't show it, but he is dressed in a Very Dapper Manner Indeed. A black suit - jacket with jutting red-lined lapels and quite long matching tails in the back, neatly and crisply-pressed pants, shiny shiny pointy-toed shoes, a white shirt and brilliant orange tie. Fangs can be noticed when he grins (and they're even real!), and his hair, dyed jet black, is swept up into a stiff and pompous bun at the back of his head. And oh, are those little fluttering bat wings on the back of his jacket?

Yes, C'taqa is a vampire. Cliche, but he pulls it off well.

He is very interested in the food, but...if anyone's observing him, he's avoiding the drinks. He looks very leery every time he even glances at them.

Vampire + Bard = too much Charisma, stop minmaxing! :P

[brave_heart_verity]

It's the wings that get her attention. Silly little fluttering things, very cute, but it could be better. They do not, after all, bear him out of gravity's clutches. Verity floats down to hover next to C'taqa, following one of those leery looks he gives the drinks before asking in a horribly, so bad it makes cliches cringe, 'vampire' accent, "Vhat, you don't drink vine?"

Heehee~

[kitty_of_light]

C'taqa startles a little, the fur on his ears and tail briefly standing up straight (as do the ears themselves), and turns to face Verity. He'll look very, very sheepish when he sees who it is.

"I - no. Not tonight, anyway." He looks apologetic. "I'm sure it's very good, though."

And since he hasn't seen her in a while... "Well met. You look well."

[brave_heart_verity]

Ver's eyebrows rise when he's so startled. Flying makes it so much easier to sneak up on people. She may have to add this to her repertoire permanently...

But she hadn't meant to startle C'taqa so badly. He gets an apologetic look. "Thanks. So do you. You look good with dark hair. Is there something else you'd rather drink? There's lots of things at the bar..."

[kitty_of_light]

"I'm sure it's delicious, but I'm really not thirsty." The smile C'taqa gives Verity is...very practiced. She might almost believe it's real! Almost.

(She may be able to sense he's fairly recently had a run-in with some not-so-nice things in his drinks.)

He'll run with the compliment instead, reaching up to pat at his hair. "You really like it? I was afraid it'd be too dark. I'm glad it looks good."

[brave_heart_verity]

If only she could. She'd worry less. But knowing he's so practiced and knowing it's not true, she only worries more. Unfortunately, knowing when something is true doesn't give her the ability to know what the truth is, so she can't be sure what the problem is.

"Yeah, it's striking. A good contrast." She gives him another smile, practiced and not entirely veiling her worry, before her voice drops to a more private volume. "Is something wrong?"

[kitty_of_light]

C'taqa hesitates a long moment, then exhales a long sigh and lets himself droop, lowering his own voice. He trusts Verity with the knowledge, so...

"I've - I know it's stupid and paranoid of me, but I - well, put it this way...altered drinks have gotten me into a lot of bad situations lately." Which is putting it kind of lightly. "I brought something with me for if I do get too thirsty...I just can't make myself trust what's here."

He manages a wry smile, now. "Why is it that when me and drinks are combined, someone either ends up hurt or dead?"

[brave_heart_verity]

"Hey, no. That's not stupid or paranoid." Verity casts him an understanding look when she rests a hand on his arm. "It's okay. And you're going to be okay."

She shakes her head slightly. "Like getting dehydrated is going to improve your luck? You can't blame yourself for what other people did. Would you feel better if I taste everything for you first?"

[kitty_of_light]

"Honest, I really do have something." C'taqa has many hidden pockets; from one he pulls out a flask of sweet-smelling tea. "I appreciate the offer, though. I'd just rather not have anyone in danger because of me."

[brave_heart_verity]

"Nobody here is in danger because of you. But if that's all you want, then okay." She won't press, even though she thinks he's being melodramatic. He'll come around when he's ready.

"What about dancing, is that still safe?"

[kitty_of_light]

"Dancing should be safe." He relaxes a little, offers her a grin. "Though I'm pretty sure I have two left feet. But the worst that can happen there is some squished toes."

[brave_heart_verity]

She smiles when he starts to relax and holds out a hand to him. "Not a problem if you can conjure up some happy thoughts. You're not afraid of heights, right?"

[kitty_of_light]

"Heights? Nah. I'm alright with them." He is a cat, after all.

He takes Verity's hand with a shy smile.

[brave_heart_verity]

"Well then, just think happy thoughts." She's sure he's got some. That cute boy of his should be a source of a few. While he's focused on that, she dips her free hand into a pouch at her hip and pulls out a pinch of shimmering music-made-light (when did Dazzler get in there?) that chimes softly as it rolls on her fingertips. A light breath sets it loose to dance around C'taqa before it comes to rest on his skin and clothes and hair.

[kitty_of_light]

"I think I can do that."

C'taqa is used to sparklies, it must be admitted, but these...these are different sparklies. Much prettier. He's going to spend just a moment half-distractedly watching the little motes of light twinkling around him before they settle against him. "Interesting magic."

[brave_heart_verity]

"I sure hope so. It's not much of a party if there's no happy thoughts around." Says the woman who came in the depth of mourning last year. But then... it sure worked out for her.

"Isn't it?" She's a little by distracted watching the display too. "I have no idea how it works or where this stuff came from. But it's sure fun to play with."

Responsible magic use! She is not a poster child for it.

[kitty_of_light]

C'taqa isn't the best at responsible magic use either, but luckily, it's not usually a bad thing when his heals go a little rogue.

He brushes the fingers of his free hand along a few sparkles on his chest, looking fascinated. "It's...warm, somehow."

[brave_heart_verity]

It's hard to overheal someone. Flying, on the other hand, could go extremely wrong. She's lucky it's working out so well.

Ver watches with a smile, but she's starting to wonder if it's not working. He should be at least hovering by now. "Maybe it recognizes that you're magic, too?"

[kitty_of_light]

"That could be...these sorts of things do tend to whoa!"

And there go his feet lifting rather abruptly off the ground, his ears twitching in surprise. He soon relaxes though; he's used to flying on dragonback and the like, so the airborne feeling isn't too odd.

[brave_heart_verity]

Oh, on dragonback. Aren't we Mr. Fancy Cat?

Verity's wonderfully amused by his surprise. "Do tend to start suddenly?" Surely, that's what he was going to say.

[kitty_of_light]

He is the fanciest.

"--Yeah. Something like that." He laughs a little, glancing about. "I have to admit, this is the first time I've been off the ground without being on board something or just channeling enough aether to float."

[brave_heart_verity]

Clearly. All these other mere mortals with their feet and their not having dragons will just have to be jealous.

He doesn't seem very impressed. But, well, apparently this isn't impressive for him. What a world he must be from. "Sometimes it's nice to relax and enjoy the ride, instead of having to worry about controlling something."

[kitty_of_light]

To be fair, he had to defeat the dragons to get their permission to ride on their backs, and that is not easy.

"That's true. I think that's something I should remember more often." He looks sheepish, taking another look around and smiling softly, "This is...really amazing. Somehow. I mean, I'm used to flying, but this...wow."

[brave_heart_verity]

Fair enough, that doesn't sound like the easiest thing in the multiverse.

Verity floats along beside him, her smile growing when he starts enjoying himself. "Hey, if you didn't learn something from it, it wouldn't be proper fairy magic, would it?"

(Stop giving her that look, Schön.)

[kitty_of_light]

"No, I guess it wouldn't," he agrees with a chuckle, and does a little sort of midair hop, as if making sure he's really not going to suddenly fall. "...So this is what people feel like when they say they're walking on air, huh? Makes me feel like the first time I met Thancred."

((mun sorry for being so slow ;_; preparing for a VERY important appointment tomorrow!))