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

[thepizzalord]

"Sure, but it's one of my best features," Harry says with a grin, meant to offset the mood back to a more festive one, or at least not as depressing.

[stands_for_something]

That grin wins an answering chuckle. "Go with what you know--it's hard to argue that."

[thepizzalord]

"It's worked so far," Harry agrees. "I'm in good company, too. My girlfriend wields grenade launchers like they're popguns and one of our shipmates is a giant lizardman who doesn't have fun unless he's smashing things."

[stands_for_something]

"Ah, now that takes me back," he sighs, settling back with another chuckle. "Tell me about your friends?"

[thepizzalord]

"'Friends' might be pushing it for some of 'em," Harry allows. "But there's a bunch of them. Shepard's my girlfriend and technically my commanding officer, but we were dating first and it's not a military outfit, so if anyone wants to complain it's gonna get complicated. She recently got some cybernetics that made her even more badass than usual, which is great. Grunt's the lizard-guy; he's a krogan, a race of warriors. He's also like their equivalent of thirteen and spent his formative years in a cloning tank or something, so as you can imagine, he has great social skills."

"Then there's Garrus. He and Shepard go back to her time with the Alliance. He's a turian and the best sniper I've ever met. Became a Spectre in honor of Shepard; that's kind of like the Council's version of special ops. Our engineer Tali's known Shepard just as long, and she's cute as a button, or at least I assume so since quarians can't ever take off their environment suits. We're still recruiting a bunch of people too, so there's probably gonna be more in the coming weeks. Oh, and Joker came along from the Alliance too. He has the rather dubious superpower of breaking his bones easier than other people, but he makes up for it by being a badass pilot. We're totally bros."

[stands_for_something]

"They sound like quite a group. Remind me of some of my old teams."

[thepizzalord]

"Yeah, they're cool. Not as big of a fan of the Cerberus guys we've got along though, although Jacob's okay. No sense of humor on any of them, I swear. The mercenaries are pretty eh, too. But extra guns along is usually a plus."

[stands_for_something]

"Cerberus?"

[thepizzalord]

"They're the guys funding the party," Harry explains, and he is absolutely not going to mention the part where from most people's point of view, including his, they're a bunch of looney humancentric terrorists. "Private organization. They're also the only ones who seem interested in stopping the Reapers instead of pretending they totally don't exist."

[stands_for_something]

The old man nods thoughtfully. "Well, best to follow your instincts, there. It's good that someone is willing to face the problem at hand, at least."

[thepizzalord]

"Yeah, that's about what I thought about it too," he agrees. "Better than no one at all."

[stands_for_something]

"All that's required for evil to succeed," the old man intones, glancing to Harry to invite him to finish the quote.