[Mini Event] Masquerade

Bastien was not quite sure if the people of the settlement knew exactly what a Masquerade ball was, but he hoped to teach them. He missed the Venice Carnavals dearly, the exquisite outfits and performance of it all. Every year he had made himself a stunning costume, often one dotted with stars and moons (though at the time these things had held much less significance to him).

He had gone to the streets and given out small cards to people he passed, to those who ran stalls and were willing to give them out. The cards were each a little different, but the average message was:

A MASQUERADE!
Friends, this is an invitation to the Church of Safrin at dusk tomorrow.
Wear a mask - the more beautiful you can make it, the better. And your best outfit (which if you are lucky, you shall not be wearing on the way out).
There shall be food, music, worship of all kinds. Leave your uptight morals at the door.
~Bastien De Rosieres

Hopefully, that would get the general concept across. Even if the mask part didn't come through, he hoped they would have a good night. But the masks were important; people were more willing to have fun if they were anonymous. No consequences, the ability to slip into another person, perhaps even an otherworldly being...

Those who slipped into the party the best (and were untouched by Frey, something Safrin had been clear about) would be in the runnings for a necklace. He kept them in a box underneath the altar, waiting patiently for his perfect disciples to come to him.

For the night - he had managed to scrap together enough food to make a table of plates that didn't look too sparse, each bearing rustic food desperately cut and detailed to try and make it look better. The music was coming from his newfound friend Jigano. Despite their rough start of a meeting ,he had managed to barter with the bar for a night of music (though given their odd first meeting, he had given the bard free reign of what he played to try and earn some points. This did worry him a little). With Safrin's candle lit and some masks hung up around the room (and a few at the door for the inevitable guests who showed up without) it looked halfway like he had imagined.

As the time approached, he stopped walking about to fuss with everything and letting the candle dim the room, make it iridescent and beautiful with it's million stars, he went to go sit in the back portion of the room and wait to see if some guests would arrive. When they did, he intended to make an entrance. The leader of such a place did not just stand awkwardly about and wait for people to show up.


Bastien

Masquerade! Paper faces on parade
Masquerade! Hide your face so the world will never find you

Jigano was nothing if not professional. That was why, in spite of his less-than-impressive meeting with his fellow Rathskeller colleague he had allowed himself to be hired for an evening of music, to set the mood for Bastien's entertainment. He knew what a masquerade was, though he'd never had opportunity to attend one, and he had a pretty good idea of what to do for a song list.

And he had made sure that Bastien would be paying him well - so far as trade and barter went.

The bard, no stranger to theatrics, had decided that, as the musical accompaniment and not the focus of attention, he should aim for elegance in simplicity. He went with white, of course. A long white robe over his usual clothing, that folded across his body with a wide belt and wide sleeves, similar to one his mother had worn for special occasions. His white hair was pulled back and intricately looped at the sides, falling straight to the small of his back in the center. A simple half-mask in pure white covered the top half of his face, and he had brought his instruments to set up early.

He had not been pleased to find holes in the roof and the winter's chill suffusing the ruined building when he arrived. It wasn't good for the instruments or the musician, as he'd informed Bastien with cool displeasure before settling himself into the corner opposite the food tables, adjusting his lap harp delicately. In the end, though, he'd opted to begin with his flute, trusting it's sturdy wood to stay in tune longer in the cold. A lilting song spun from his breath and fingers filled the star-spangled room, slipping out through the door and holes in the ceiling to coax the party-goers in and set toes to tapping.

The fact that Edy hadn't been invited to a cult church that was about drinking and fucking and slinging paint around (and what was that other thing? worshiping? nah..didn't seem right) was laughable. But instead of laughing and carrying on as Edy was normally want to do, something rather dark and incredibly guarded bristled inside of her. Loren was supposed to have been her best friend, and he abandoned her. Zariah was too busy Zariahing, Neron was gone, and she'd not seen heads or tails of the rest of the family since they'd arrived. You wouldn't think it given that Edrei seemed brimming with independence and bright streak of fuck you that blazed from her very core, but not so deep below the surface was actually a very wounded girl, terrified of being abandoned again. Which was all just to say that she sulked quite masterfully when she found out that Bastien's sex tent church had already been established. But there was booze, masks (and boy did she recall how her last masquerade had ended), and the promise of some general promiscuity, so of course Edy had shown up. Rather than looking classy as Jigano did, Edy looked more or less as she always did. In breeches and a dark top, the Launceleyn girl slipped in the curtained room, immediately locking eyes on the bard. Sidling over with Bobi at her feet, Edy grinned at the bard, waiting for a break in his set. She noted the way his breath left small clouds of white in front of him and the way his fingers weren't quite as dexterous as she remembered them being. "Looks like someone could use some warming up." She purred salaciously, nibbling at her lip and dropping her eyes suggestively—waiting just long enough for the implication of her words to uncomfortably stretch between them, before conjuring some fire in her palms and tossing her head back with a laugh. EDY baby you should know what you're falling for

The tigress didn’t wear a mask. In fact, approaching the meeting, she didn’t wear anything at all. Then again, a tiger would’ve looked rather ridiculous wearing clothing. As she drew closer, Alorhea shifted into a woman, the tattoos on her arms, legs, and back shown proudly, as her loud red dress was slit up to her hips on both sides and left her back completely exposed. She had her vibrant dreadlocks hanging freely, not a rare thing for her, but she added a few beads and accessories to them just for the fun of it. She was barefoot and wore large earrings and bracelets, but her face was what really mattered in a masquerade ball - whatever that was. She didn’t wear a mask, and it was a conscious choice. Instead, Rhea painted her face a little more than she normally did. Instead of the basic tribal patterns, she blended reds and oranges together in a mask across her eyes with small, white accents above and below the main band. Then, she placed a clear gem directly underneath each eye. Masks weren’t her style, but she was still getting into the spirit of the event while staying true to her own free style. It was a beautiful, enchanting scene she stepped into, and Rhea wore a sparkling smile. She picked up a drink and took a swig of whatever delicious booze was in it, then caught sight of a bobcat next to a woman and a man. She saw alike company in the feline, as strange as that might have been, so she approached Jigano and Edrei with a grin. ”Hot enough with the company,” she said. ”Fire’s overkill. Name’s Alorhea. Rhea, for short.” RHEA nature is pleased with simplicity

Excitement was something that blossomed in Rexanna’s chest when she read the invitation on the card. Masquerades were one of her favorite things, and it being at Bastien’s church made it all the more interesting for her. Leading up until the day, Rex had spent most of her time going through the old clothing in the house she had occupied, finding bits of gold fabric that tugged on that part of her that adored shiny gilded things. So she had used it, all of it, up to make a billowing dress that would likely be frigid in the snow but with any luck at all it wouldn’t matter inside the church. And anything left over was made into a half mask on a stick of sorts where she could raise it up over her eyes and remove at will. And she had spent a decent amount of time fixing it or adjusting the bits and pieces here and there. On the night of, she dressed in her golds and held her mask gingerly in her hands – disregarding the bundle of paper and quill at home. She didn’t imagine she’d need it here, her ability to flirt with everything and anyone enough to get her point across. It wasn’t going to be a serious event. It was supposed to be fun, and so she was going to indulge herself. So the woman hurried along the snow as quickly as she could, cursing at herself in the chill of the snow before she managed to make it to the church doors. As she moved in, she noticed that others had gathered, and all but one so far that she fully recognized. She held the mask up to her face with the stick, flashing a grin of rogue intentions and greeting to Edy before she moved to one of the sides, further from the door where she might be able to conserve some warmth and wait for others to join, having found an easy vantage spot to spy the door. RexannA rebellion sits well on you; like a red coat, or the gilt gold burnish of youth.

coding

Attraes We all have demons. I choose to feed mine Festivities, how utterly charming. Attraes thought to himself at the notice of a masquerade. Strong jaw twitched into a smirk as he looked over the notice. He cared little for gods and faith. He never met a god that truly answered prayers from those left to his mercy. If there were gods truly around, oh how truly cruel they must be to ignore such pleas. As night fell, he'd follow along as others began making their way in. He wore a dark lavender shirt opened to the exposed sternum, dark pants and shoes. The mask of choice was that of a wolf. Onyx with a tinge of midnight in certain light. Dark hair danced over his shoulders as he slung his guitar securely around his shoulder, looking over the others that had entered. Beauty from every spectrum of color and race...dimpled smirk crept from beneath the exposed lower-half of his face as he took an offered a drink. It was then he looked over to Jigano and paused, tilting his head curiously. Another Bard, imagine that...well this would prove entertaining as the wolf-masked Attraes winked his dark eye in passing to his counter part.  Resting his guitar to the side, he sipped his drink. One arm neatly folded behind his back as he wandered, stopping by one of the walls and examining the offered masks. 'Want to fully expose someone? Have them wear a mask. False sense of protection often made people reveal their truer selves. Saying and doing what they otherwise wouldn't.' Attraes thought again to himself as he studied the craftsmanship.

remi The higher I climb the farther I fall when I do The last masquerade the alchemist had attended had been an altogether strange affair. He tried not to think about it too hard—especially since he was almost sure he'd seen Loren sneaking off with a pretty blonde into a closet that evening. Dressing up as Bastien's invitation had indicated, for Remi, was merely wearing a white button-up shirt that wasn't freshly stained with charcoal or paint. Still, unbuttoned roughly to his sternum, Remi cut quite the charmingly disheveled figure as he entered the 'church'. His mask was created from wood, though he'd used a bit of his magic to shape it easily around his face, and painted it to exaggerated the wood-grain texture. It wasn't nearly quite so fancy as the 'balance mask' he'd worn once upon a time, but this wasn't Northaven. Entering, his eyes flickered around to those already assembled. Edy and Jigano he recognized immediately; Edy because she wasn't wearing a mask, and Jigano because even with a mask,  his slender frame and silvery hair was a dead giveaway. The others though? The alchemist's pale stare drifted across each masked face quickly, before his eyes lowered with a tempered sigh.

LUCI

---

Lucas arrived stark bollock naked.

Well, the invitation had mentioned to dress in his best, and his best was a thousand, thousand miles away, where he would never see it again. Well, his second best. Obviously his best was what he was wearing right now. In this new predicament he was ambivalent to the cold and the snow, and his bare feet were silent as he stepped into this 'church'. His estimation of the place went up a notch or thirteen when he didn't burst into flame the moment he set foot through the door.

He wore a simple black ribbon for a mask, his fair hair ruffled effortlessly around it, his eyes smoked with paint behind the eyeholes. The rest of him was painted too, with wild, bright flame and brooding shadows. Not dissimilar to Alorhea , in fact - the only soul in the place he recognised.

He checked his reflection in the looking glass, frowning as he turned a half turn left, then a half turn right. The suit was old, a fading gray that looked as if a scholar might wear it, sixty years prior. It had coat-tails, for godssake, and the white shirt beneath was graying as well. The only vibrancy to the whole ensemble was the purple bow-tie, neatly tied and prominent across his clavicle. Still, though, it wasn't enough, and Edd felt strange wearing a suit that was a little too big, and too old, for his taste.

But, it was either that or dust-stained breeches and a shirt that was either made of an elk's hide or had somehow come close to resembling one. He couldn't remember which, at this point. He patted down the creases in the suit and emerged from the shanty he lived in, determined to be graceful, even if his suit was not. He'd donned a simple mask, covering only his eyes as a domino mask would, making his slightly too-long chin even more prominent. Some were blessed with natural bone structure, others had theirs given to them by scrapes and scuffles. Edd was among the latter.

He was later to arrive than the other guests, hoping that the mantra "perfection takes time" would guide him through the awkward entrance as a bunch of people stared. Except nobody did. Barely anyone even glanced in his direction as the farmhand-fancying-himself-a-scholar entered. He quietly shuffled in and to the side, standing close to nobody. He'd seen a few of the faces before, he was sure, but he wasn't the most social, preferring the Fields or the Woodlands to a ballroom with pretty dresses. Still, though, everyone looked stunning and a bolt of excitement crept its way up his spine, causing a slight shiver. He patted a breast-pocket, ensuring that his trusty compass was there, which it was. A small wave of comfort combated the excitement and anxiety, allowing him to relax a fraction. A fraction.

He flashed a smile at a masquerader, his horse-teeth barely visible through the tightness of his lips, and nodded slightly. Gods only knew what these people were thinking; nature seldom wore masks. Society did. He patted the watch once more and looked around for hors d'oeuvres or perhaps something to drink, anything to calm his racing heart. Spotting a tray nearby, he began sidling over to it, passing Alorhea as he did so.

"Pardon," he said, slipping by her like a grey bolt of lightning, barely making eye contact with the painted woman as he did. She was imposing, somehow, though he'd never met her. Finally arriving where the drinks were arranged, he stood there, studying each with a practiced eye. The wilderness and refreshments, those were his passions. And unless this party was going to get wild, he'd only find one of those passions here.

Seeing Edy walk in had not exactly inspired Jigano to hurry his song to its end. There was a time and a place for her antics – well, more or less – and on the job wasn’t it. Still, as long as he was entertaining Bastien’s guests, he supposed it wouldn’t matter if he took a little break, and there weren’t a lot of other people around yet…

”I’ll take that as a slight against my musical skill,” Jigano responded dryly to Edrei, a grin for his young friend as she conjured her fire, and a nod of greeting for Bobi. Not that he didn’t get her innuendo, but turning her sex jokes back into something more innocent was a habit he’d picked up – much to watch her try and up the ante with her next retort. ”Though if you happened across some hot tea or mulled wine I could wrap my fingers around, I’d be very impressed!”

He glanced over to the wildly painted stranger as Alorhea joined them, arching one pale brow behind his mask at her cocky statement. ”Ah, careful now, miss Alorhea… telling Edy not to use fire is practically fighting words… though I’m sure the lovely Launcelyn wouldn’t turn down the challenge of heating you up in other ways.” Blue eyes glanced slyly to his dark-skinned friend before flickering back to the red-haired wildwoman with a questioning tilt to his chin – was Edy interested in the new girl?

The woman in gold earned a nod of greeting, as did a wolf-masked man with a guitar over his shoulders. Had Bastien found someone to spell him out between sets? That would be welcome, though the building was finally beginning to lose a little of its chill as body heat from the gathering guests helped warm it. Flexing his fingers to work the feeling back into them, Jigano hummed to himself before deciding he’d wait a little longer to bring out the lap harp. Until then the flute would do… and their host had yet to make his grand entrance. He’d rather end a flute song early than a harpsong in case Bastien decided to interrupt him – something he wouldn’t put beyond the man.

As he raised the instrument to his lips again he caught sight of a disheveled young man in the doorway, wooden mask, pale eyes familiar, though they passed over him quickly. Before the lorekeeper could wrack his memory, however, he was quite thoroughly distracted by who came in next.

The blond man made a… bold statement, that was certain. As fiery as Edy but with somehow fewer inhibitions – something Jigano had not thought possible. Given the weather, the lack of clothing marked him as almost certainly being an Ascended, and the lorekeeper made a mental note to ask Isla about him later. For now, though, the show had to go on, and he once more blew into the flute, music skirling back into the gathering, this time at a brighter pace designed to set toes to tapping and the more athletic to seeking out partners to swing around.

Rhea smiled when Jigano made his comment about Edy – a name that she committed to memory with a flirtatious smile. If Edrei was up for some hot fun, the tigress certainly wouldn’t turn her away. Judging by her physique, she was rather bendy… ”Noted,” she said, flashing the dark-skinned woman a tight grin. A flash of grey and a muttered excuse played in her ear, as Edden slipped by her. The wild woman didn’t have time to respond before he was out of the immediate area, but it was enough to tear her nearly golden eyes away from her present company enough to see that the party was significantly growing. Good. She didn’t feel it was worthy of ‘party’ if it was just three or four people. The girl couldn’t help her jaw dropping with a breathed laugh when Lucas walked into the party. Well, this was certainly a night to remember. She wondered briefly how he painted every gods damned inch of himself, then remembered that she did it for herself. All it took was some flexibility and a mirror. She excused herself from her conversation partners and strutted easily over to the naked man, taking hold of a cup of the same drink she was indulging in. ”You should let me make that a permanent look for you,” she said to him with a smirk, offering him the drink. ”Would you like some?” Then again, if he wanted something a little warmer, she wouldn’t deny it. Wouldn’t be the first time she offered to an Ascended – though she wasn’t going to outright say it. Besides, it was a party! RHEA nature is pleased with simplicity

Bastien kept an eye on the people who entered through a hole in the dividing wall that he had covered with a thin cloth that could still be seen through. To his delight, a wonderful selection of guests came in; though some of them seemed to have understood the outfit assignment better than others.

He had been pleased with Jigano 's choice of look, it was understated but still fitting, gave him the look of almost a priest or monk - ironically fitting for his 'church'. The choice of music was fine too, he felt (Bastien had no idea nor consideration for the cold affecting his instruments. One of the few areas his artistic ability did not span to was music).

Edrei entered; Bastien had not been sure if she would but was happy to see her all the same. Perhaps he'd have a chance to repay their debt, though he was a little miffed to see her without a mask. He had been very clear on the card.

A woman entered he didn't know, in a stunning dress and her skin adorned with painted patterns. She was gorgeous, and he smiled. Truly, this was what he wanted - for his church to attract the beautiful and intelligent. He didn't even mind the lack of a mask, thinking the paint was a good enough substitute.

It took him a moment to recognise Rexanna in her dress and mask, but once he did a large grin took over his face. That she had put so much effort into the outfit thrilled him, spoke well of her chances here.

Just as he was thinking the party was beginning to look markedly feminine (not that he minded that, in fact just the opposite) three men entered: two whom he did not recognise and one he did. To see Remi, one of the 'official members' there, was good. Bastien hoped he might learn to live a little at this event.

There was a man in a wolf mask that he admired; Bastien thought if he had a chance he'd have to compliment him on it. The third man...well. He supposed he had asked for morals to be left at the door, but in his experience the people here had so far been rather conservative and he had not expected that.

Feeling that enough people had now arrived, Bastien stood up, spread out his cape and adjusted his hair, then stepped around the corner and held his arms up.

"Friends! Thank you very much for coming to the first Church of Safrin Masquerade! You will remember this night for the rest of your lives, I guarantee. Just remember it is all in honour of our most wonderous lady, Safrin, regina delle stelle e della luna." He motioned behind him, to where a large painting of Safrin hung, her face surrounded by a starry halo and her dress fanning out delicately in shades of blue.

"Now. Feel free to dance and drink in here. All drinks are for everyone. Though for those who fancy something a little more stimulating..." He made eyes at Edrei, Remi (partially as a joke), Lucas and Rexanna. "The room behind me shall be for those interested in learning just how fun worship can get. I see some of you came dressed for it." He laughed, gesturing towards Lucas.

"So. With all of that said, have a good time and praise Safrin, my friends!" With his speech over, Bastien went to get himself a drink (plucking a mask off of the wall and pointedly giving to to Edy on the way), then passed back over to the back room, motioning for anyone to follow him if they wished (and very much hoped they would, or it would be rather embarrassing).


Bastien

Masquerade! Paper faces on parade
Masquerade! Hide your face so the world will never find you

Lily is the last to arrive, though that doesn’t really matter so much. She had mixed feelings about the Masquerade (as Bastien was choosing to call it), yearning on one had to free her inhibitions from both Old World and corsets alike, and on the other hand, finding safety in the rules of decorum she once knew. You see, when you know the rules, you can break them; when there are no rules… well, that’s when freedom starts to look scary.   And she still doesn’t subscribe to the Church of Safrin (having neither met Safrin, nor any other congregants, one can understand her… hesitation). So Lily feels very much like a fish out of water, or a fish willingly swimming into the jaws of a shark, or hell, just a fish in general. A plain one, not a flashy coral reef kind. Her outfit is the emerald green silk getup she arrived in (cleaned, of course), which is low cut (who doesn’t love an ample bosom?) and sleeveless, but otherwise fairly modest aside from the fact that it fits her Very with a capital V well. Her mask is simple - black painted wood, cut ever so kindly by a good looking fellow, for no charge. She is the dullest peacock at the party. Anyway, Lily slips in just in time to hear Bastien give a little welcome speech, her gaze wandering through the small assembled crowd, marveling behind her mask. Yep, that's a naked man. Aaaand a man in a wolf mask, an elegant lady in a lovely dress, another who is literally painted... Jesus. It sends shivers down her spine, and she isn't sure if that's bad or good. When Bastien’s done and heads towards the back room (oh she has an idea what that might be for), Lily strolls quickly over to the alcohol table and quickly gulps one drink down, then starts on another - more slowly than the first. She genuinely has no idea what to do, or where to start, knowing no one else and not quiiiiiite ready to disappear into the back. She’ll need more liquid courage if she's going to let the fire loose. lily as if you were on fire from within the moon lives in the lining of your skin

remi The higher I climb the farther I fall when I do As Lucas entered, Remi's pale stare widened for just a moment before he abruptly turned away, running a hand over his eyes as if to ward off a headache. He might have known that this is what he should have expected—and somewhere truthfully he did know—he just wasn't ready for it. Not after what had just happened with Sam and Isla. The last thing he needed or wanted at this moment was any sort of sexual stimulus. Which was why of course as Bastien 's gaze lingered on him just a little too long during the come check out the back room portion of his introduction, the alchemist very much doubted having ventured out at all. Still, he was here. Perhaps he could mix some drinks or otherwise keep himself discretely occupied until he could think of a reason to make a quick exit. Swallowing, Remi made his way towards the makeshift bar, and coincidentally towards Edden. Remi had provided the majority of the alcohol, so he knew what was good and what wasn't. "I would not." Remi said, moving gracefully behind the man to stand opposite, with a boyish and gentle smile. Remi's thickly accented voice was low, his pale eyes darting over Edden's shoulder as if searching for something, before returning to the explorer with a crooked smile. "Unless you like drinking metal that tastes like fire." It was one of the vodkas that Devrum had made, and in Remi's opinion it was better as paint thinner. "This—" He said, pointing to one of the gins he made that he was particularly proud of, "—or this, if you're looking to not remember this evening." The alchemist added with an amused shake of his head, pointing towards one of the whiskeys.