[open mingle] from my laboratory in the castle east

[gekkajuu]

Who: EVERYONE!
What: Diva's! Birthday! Masquerade!!
When: August 4
Where: the Nadril caves
Warning(s): This is a mingle, so please indicate if your starter isn't OTA. Also: please put any necessary warnings in your subject lines when things pop up!

Atsushi has been planning this for a while now, but needless to say, a certain dragon forced him to adapt his plans, and arguably not for the better. Still, he's determined to make this work! Diva told him she's never had a birthday party in all of her long life, and that is just not all right - so of course he promised her she'd have one this year.

He... should have maybe not said anything, and just done this in secret. Or at least he should have known better than to ask Diva what kind of party she wanted, because she sure had a lot of wishes... That's Diva for you, though. Besides, after more than 170 years without a birthday party, she deserves to say exactly what she wants!

Atsushi has spent more time than he probably should have, decorating a part of Nadril's cave system with fairy lights and anything else he could find. For being in a cave, the setting is very atmospheric! There's food, drinks, and recorded music - not all of it suited for a party, but there are instruments too, for the more talented guests.

A masquerade was Diva's first and foremost wish, and with everyone having limited means and fewer possessions here, masks have kindly been provided by your hosts at the entrance. Some are classy; some are a little unusual; some are -....... Well, you should probably be at the party in time, so all the good masks haven't been taken yet. How well have you disguised yourself? Did you bother to hide your identity at all?

A gift for the birthday vamp is appreciated, but your presence is the biggest gift. There's no better time than the present to forget the unresolved situation elsewhere on the planet, and have a little fun together!

Comments

[colorature]

I have!

_{[There's certainly a sparkle in her eyes as she speaks, setting the cake aside to grab Atsushi's hands instead.]}

I've been to lavish parties before, fit for royalty, but they were never as fun as this is right now.

[hellzone]

[ Yoshiko isn't quick enough. Add that with the fact that she wasn't expecting Diva to actually lick the icing off her face to begin with and you've got one fallen angel, red as a tomato, obviously tense and shaking slightly.

Because oh man...Diva being so close to her like this, an actual member of the undead being close enough that Yoshiko can practically smell her. This is kind of hot? But it shouldn't be hot! Tame those impulses, Yohane, you have a mission to do! ]

D-Don't do that! [ she stutters, still furiously blushing. ]

[colorature]

Do what? I was just cleaning you off.

<sub>[Wow calm that thirst girl. Diva can't help but soak up the pink on Yoshiko's face, enjoying the shade. It's nice and frankly? She wants to see more of it.

She is a menace, after all.]</sub>

I could make it worse...

<sub>[Just how far could she push things until she got yelled at? Would she even dare? After all she was the birthday girl and secondly, her fangs are on display. There's still a bit of icing on her fingers, as she keeps one hand on a shoulder, holding Yoshiko in place as she thumbs the icing onto the girl's lower lip.

Nice.]</sub>

[fabrications]

[ Look at that, he made his vampire friend(ly acquaintance) happy! Score. ]

It's a fairly well-known composition. Though... I confess, I couldn't have told you the composer's name off the top of my head like that.

[colorature]

People really don't know their composers, huh...

_{[Well, she'll soak up this moment and feel smart for it.]}

Ryuji had asked me what composers I like and he hadn't really heard of any of them I don't think. If there's one thing I've always liked about humans it was their music.

[fabrications]

[ Well, that name wipes the smile off Akechi's face. He looks startled to hear her mention his name so casually, though he's not really sure why it's such a shock. Probably because he's been trying so hard to not think about them.

He smiles a moment later, however, and elects to ignore it for the moment. She'll probably notice, but... ]

I can attach some names to some songs, but I'm afraid I'm far from an expert.

Which ones did you say liked best?

[colorature]

_{[Oh she notices the drop of his smile when she mentions Ryuji. Maybe they had bad blood between them? Who knows? It's not her place to ask...but that doesn't mean she won't try and be nosy later.]}

My favourites? Well, it's hard to not love the greats. Mozart, Handel, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Bach...Hayden and Debussy...Tchaikovsky...they're all incredible. There are so many more too it's really hard to choose!

_{[Surely he's heard at least one of the composers listed.]}

[mollymocked]

[Molly's heart jumps into his throat just so he can swallow it again. Goddammit, superficial carnie charm works wonders when you're not expecting it to work and it sure doesn't work when someone throws genuine charm back at him. That glib, silvertongue of his gets tangled in knots and he's left sort of awkwardly swaying for a second to the rhythm- at least he can keep rhythm when he's trying to get his footing back.]

I'm not gonna say no to that. That would be a shite thing to say no to. Who in their right mind wouldn't oblige a handsome stranger with excellent taste a, ah... A taste.

[Just kiss him so he'll shut up.]

[conqueredhearts]

[He stops the dancing they're doing to catch Molly's chin with his fingers. Smiling down at him, he lets him stumble over his words a little longer before silencing them with a kiss. He keeps it innocent enough for now because in a way he's giving a taste of himself as well. Something to leave Molly wanting more for another time. After all, he already knows he'd like to have more of his friend at some point as well and this kiss has only sealed that for him.

With that said, he does let the contact linger, holding him close until their lips part and even then he doesn't let go. Why would he? He's quite fond of holding the other.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Chuuya isn't one to turn down free food, even if most of the time he's wary about it, and once Ren brings him the hayashi rice he gives it a sniff.]

Smells good.

[Maybe he should be more worried about Ren trying to poison him or something, since they pretty much just met and all, but yolo. He takes a bite of the dish and-]

It's delicious.

[And there he goes, tearing into the dish like a starving animal. Alas, table manners weren't a priority in the mafia.]

[thedarkbond]

[Thankfully, Ren apparently doesn't have too much of an issue with lack of table manners, since he merely rests his chin on his hands and watches Chuuya tear through the food with some sense of amusement. He's an impressive eater, at the very least.]

Thank you~ [At least here he's not going to have people getting offended he was the one who made it, either, as funny as that might be in its own way.] I was a bit worried about whether I'd be able to do it right on this world, but it seems like it turned out pretty well.

[gekkajuu]

[... Yes, yes of course she's been to better parties... It only bugs him a little because he'd really hoped to give her a much grander party than this, before fate intervened.

But! This is still her first birthday party, so!! It counts as special, even if it's kind of simple. Even he can't feel responsible for everyone ending up in creepy snowland.]

I'm glad.

Still, I hope we can be back in Olympia for whatever the next celebration may be.

[colorature]

Me too! I'm not really fond of cold weather.

_{[Sure, she had gotten used to it when she had lived in Russia, but that didn't mean she had been into it.]}

Hopefully we'll be back in time for Christmas.

[colorature]

Mm, it is. I'm the birthday girl!

_{[Ah...her fur is so soft. She's really digging it. Could Keaton's fur be this nice if he actually took a bath and let her brush him for once? She'll have to try and bully him into taking one later.]}

You look like a wolf, but you're no normal wolf, are you?

[colorature]

<sub>[No, he's spared the YMCA, thankfully. Small blessings.

Instead Solomon's been subject to a waltz, and thankfully one that's tempo isn't too demanding. Does that mean he'll get out of spinning Diva until she's dizzy? No, of course not - but that can wait for the second song to kick in.]</sub>

It's been awhile since we danced together, hasn't it?

[hellzone]

[ There is no way in hell Yoshiko was expecting this. Her tiny little gay awakening just gets even larger and even gayer as she freezes when Diva wipes some icing on Yoshiko's lip.

Yoshiko's always had an interest in the supernatural. She just didn't expect the interest to be trying not to blush while the pretty singer vampire touches her face like this. ]

I can clean myself off, thank you very much, [ Yoshiko shakily points out, trying to regain her calm and trying to make herself seem like her super cool fallen angel self and not some awkward teenager who has no idea what to do in the moment. ] A-And I would like to clean myself off at the moment. It's not dignified for a fallen angel to have icing on her face like this.

[ofseraphim]

[ They’ve both absolutely, definitely been through worse -- in this world, and surely their respective home worlds as well. Somehow, that is immediately recognized, understood, and never, ever announced. It works perfectly.

There’s a patter of laughter from Sorey at the comment about the summer heat, (or lack thereof), along with a helpless sort of shrug. ]

Hey, I’m sure it’s hot somewhere!

[ With all the things they’ve discovered in this place so far? Oh yeah. He’s positive there’s a warmer climate out there for all those who would complain, whether discovered or yet to be. ]

At least it looks like your time and effort have paid off!

[ I mean, a glance around seems to show everyone in attendance having a good time, so... ]

Are you planning on getting back to it as soon as the party’s over?

[ Not literally, but... well, this is Sorey, so... yeah, maybe literally. ]

[thetaintedsorrow]

My ability. I was born with it.

[Just casually on the ceiling, no big deal.]

Where I come from abilities are pretty common. Mine is gravity manipulation, but there’s plenty of others.

[He finally deactivates his ability and lands on his feet with catlike grace.]

I’m guessing there’s others like you where you come from.

[mollymocked]

[The last time Molly was kissed was the Pillow Trove, and to be fair that was mostly massage and ridiculous conversation and being fed grapes. There was kissing, though. And other intimate things. It wasn't necessarily the full-on threesome he led everyone to believe it was though, and it was also, most importantly, paid for. It counts because all affection counts. Just because you're getting paid for it doesn't mean you don't enjoy it and just because you paid for it doesn't mean it's the empty calories of physical exploration.

What it isn't is genuine- even for a novelty like Molly who counts his kisses and sexual deviance as units of time until he needs to leave a place before he becomes easy to tire of, a kiss from someone who actually thinks you're attractive and interesting as opposed to brassy, exotic, and fun is a rare thing. It still follows the same rules though. Don't wear out your welcome, especially if someone has a crush on you. Or something.

He has no idea what this is. Maybe Iskander is just as bold and forward as he is and better at selling it as actual interest, as opposed to just fun. But that's overthinking it. Really, he'd rather just enjoy this little taste.

'Cause sweet Moonweaver, that is a taste. He pulls back and bites his lower lip, one sharp canine dragging over the flesh without actually breaking skin.] That's, ah... That's... Yeah. I approve of that. That was nice.

[colorature]

You're not a fallen angel though. You're human.

_{[And just because Diva can't resist teasing her even further, she'll lean in to whisper in her ear.]}

I wonder if the icing would make you taste even better than you smell?

_{[Only to pull back and leave Yoshiko to wipe her mouth if she pleases herself. That doesn't mean Diva isn't still hovering close, she's just keeping her sticky fingers to herself at the moment.]}

[conqueredhearts]

Yes. Particularly as we get closer and I get to see more of the real you.

[Did he just call Ren out for not showing a lot of the real him right now? Yes. Yes he did. That cutesy act and all that is fun but he's eager to see more of the young man as a person rather than the image he shows to the rest of the world.

And he has no problem telling him he's very observant and able to read people well.]

It shall be a wonderful friendship.

[conqueredhearts]

Amazing!

[Watching his new friend land, he laughs a bit. That question is a good one and perfectly fair. So, naturally, he nods.]

There are hundreds of us. Though only a few of us are ever summoned at a time.

[thedarkbond]

[Ren doesn't seem fazed at all by being called out, his smile merely widening slightly into something more amused.] Hmm, I don't know what you mean by that at all...

[Arguably, this is also the "real" him, just exaggerated. Ren considers himself to have multiple faces that are just as real as each other, even if some are highly unlikely to court him any favour with anyone and thus tend to be set away until he knows them better.]

But I'd be glad to have a friend as interesting as you. [Even if it might take him a while to reach that level of trust, Ren does have a good idea of the type of people he'd like to have as friends, and Iskandar fits that quite well.]

[semblant]

[A waltz is fine; nothing foreign for him, and similarly, nothing embarrassing. Up his alley, even if it's a little sloppy...considering his partner, which is fine. This ain't goddamn dancing with the stars.

He is a little concerned about her hurling? But she's having fun, something he shant put a fork into.]

It has. There hasn't been much time for it.

[Another spin, maybe he should try to dip her? He's gonna try to dip her, just to implement something different...]

But if we were to indulge so often, it would spoil the experience for times such as these.

[conqueredhearts]

If you think about it, everyone is interesting. Even those that are not have something fascinating to contribute to the world in the ways you least expect. It is why I like to have all be my friends unless they prove unworthy of that.

[And one has to do some really truly terrible things with no regret to get that kind of response from him. Iskandar is a very forgiving type of person even with the temper history knows him for. One doesn't really become so beloved without loving so greatly first. At least not in his experience.]