~MASQUERADE BALL~

[resonantblue]

Who: Everyone!
Where: The Lobby
When: Day 168, evening

[Good evening, everyone—the lobby has been transformed into a ballroom as foretold by the totally mysterious masquerade invitations going around yesterday!

The lobby has been vacated of most of the furniture, making way for a large dance floor. The walls are decorated with heavy cloth that has been hung and tied to resemble curtains; on the highest point of the back wall is a large, fake clock face with its hands frozen at the midnight hour.

A low fog clings to the dance floor and the color-changing cube lights from FiN's dorm have been set around to cast a slow-but-steady cycle of colors, giving the dance floor an interesting effect and bringing subtle color to the white cloths of the tables off to the side.

Among said tables, along the back wall, is a long buffet table consisting of a wide assortment of food and drinks—punch bowl, appetizers, meals, desserts; fish, red, vegetarian, YOU NAME IT AND IT'S PROBABLY HERE!

In one corner of the ballroom is a "photo booth"—an especially curtained/clocked corner done up for the sake of catching a Very Themed photo with the polaroid camera that's set-up. Thanks for the inspiration, maid cafe.

And in the opposite corner of the ballroom is a small tiered table—the top tier consists of a large cloched cake, and the main tier holds an assortment of wrapped gifts. If you want to drop off your own, there's room! More noticeably is a large, gold statue of a cute winged sheep sitting right by this set-up on the floor. Wowee!

Last, but not least, fancy instrumental music to set the mood for a dance in this masquerade is playing in the background.]

Comments

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Wearing this as he chooses a white wine from the refreshment table.]

Are you going to toast with that? It's a celebration, you know.

[puzzlekeeper]

[ Pausing noticeably, giving him an appraising look.

The stare lasts longer than it probably should, but oh well. ]

Ah...? Something stronger, then?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Swirls the wine in his own glass as way of answer]

Red or white?

[puzzlekeeper]

Red.

[ Because opposites. Of course. ]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Excellent choice.

[He picks up a matching glass of red wine and holds it out for King to take.]

It brings out the color of your eyes.

[puzzlekeeper]

[ A blink-and-you'll-miss-it look crosses his face.

Mystification, maybe.

He takes the glass. ]

Noticed the color of my eyes, have you?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Some claim that they are the windows to the soul.

[He raises his glass, tilting it slightly in King's direction.]

If you believe such nonsense.

[puzzlekeeper]

[ Clinking the glasses together, red on white. ]

I am a big believer in assorted nonsense.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Of course you are.

But shouldn't the concept of a soul be something more--- hmm, readily available. In what you touch---

[And when he pulls back his hand to take a sip of the wine, there is an "accidental" brush of knuckles against the inside of King's wrist.]

What you do.

Rather than the outdated notion that it is some secret internal essence.

[puzzlekeeper]

[ His eyes flick down to Intensity's retreating hand and linger there for just a second too long before he looks back up, taking a sip himself. ]

It could be both, couldn't it?

Like the fire you feel coming off your opponent in a duel... but the strength inside that drives them, too.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[You realize the word duel is tainted forever for them, right? Right!?

Intensity laughs lightly behind the mask - that smug grin implied even if it can't been seen.]

How poetic.

But maybe you're just seeing what you want to see.

[puzzlekeeper]

[ Nonsense! It's a multi-purpose word!

King smirks himself, barely visible behind his own mask. ]

Is that where "faith" comes in, I wonder?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Wouldn't know. I never put much stock in hope either.

[And he offers his hand to King, palm up]

[puzzlekeeper]

[ Placing his hand in Intensity's. ]

And what do you put stock in?