2023-11-02: Trick and Treat
- Log: 2023-11-02: Trick and Treat
- Cast: Sayla Mass, Yuliana Kafim, Shari Loom, Leina Ashta, Chienne Argent, George de Sand, Banagher Links-Vist, Anita Rosetta, Roux Louka, Kikka Kobayashi, Rain Mikamura, Christina MacKenzie, Sousuke Sagara, Marina Ismail
- Where: Side 6
- OOC - IC Date: 31 October 0097
- Summary: The annual Yumi Foundation annual Halloween party is held in Side 6 this year. An event of games and costumes and the occasional rogue flying haro beaning a devil in the head.'
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
The event started a few hours earlier, with a trick or treat event for those beneficiaries who wished to take part. There had been... some concerns about getting the candy in place in time, after a very thorough safety check, but it all worked out. Mr Sagara didn't even end up concussed.
Now, as the colony's artificial day/night cycle shifts towards darkness, the street party aspect is in full swing. There's music, food, themely games and a well constructed and sturdy haunted house. The energy is high and the mood light.
There is a small stage, where the costume contest will be announced later in the night- but for now, it's covered in fog from a fog machine.
Dressed in a dark purple robe with long, sweeping sleeves and a capelet in lighter purple, Sayla Mass steps out of the mists. On her head is a witches hat the same colour as the capelet, rumpled and with a tip that folds down and back up again- with a band that matches the darker purple of her robe. It's a remarkably simple outfit, but with a few detailed touches. There's the obvious pentagram necklace, but wrapped around her left wrist is an occult looking symbol (the crest of Gusion, for the eagle eyed) and a cord belt around her waist holds a pouch containing something mysterious. In her left hand is a gnarled wooden staff that looks like it was painstakingly carved.
She thumps her staff lightly into the ground, and the fog stills, and spooky green lighting covers the stage. The music fades, and the Dread Witch Sayla looks over the crowd.
"Welcome to all who have entered our haunted domain this evening." She speaks, her voice projected over speakers. "On this dark and gloomy night, we come to together for a night of tricks and treats. A night of masks and mischief. So tonight, I won't bind you all with a long speech. Many monsters, fairies and ghouls have heeded my summons tonight, so that we may put aside our concerns and enjoy these halloween festivities! So, I bid you all- enjoy this night where the goblins dance and the ghosts walk among us... but do beware, for tonight is for the spirits as well. Do make sure you don't fall under their spell!"
With that, Sayla breathes in and sweeps her staff across her body, and the fog machines go into overdrive, causing her to disappear among it. It's then she lets out a cackle, carefully rehearsed, that slowly fades- and when the fog dissipates, the witch has vanished.
A minute later, she steps out from behind one of the stalls, and walks into the crowd, reaching into her pouch as she comes across a pair of younger children and handing them something, whispering before touching a finger to her lips. What secret could the witch have shared with them? It shall remain a mystery.
Such is the prerogative of one who holds so many occult mysteries.
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9zSyYanqZA Namito - Stone Flower (Original) - Gole Sangam
One woman attends this party in a deep green Zaftran crown. Her dress is draped in lizardlike emerald scales evocative of malachite, a cape hanging down from her shoulders, long sleeves ending at her wrists. She seems for all the world to have long, dark brown hair, all collected to one side of herself in a long tumbling braid. Large golden hoops adorn her ears; her lips are sunset-red. She glitters and shines, and...
... if you didn't know to look for that telltale scar down the left side of her face, too large to be obscured by makeup, you might never realise that this was Yuliana Kafim at all. It's not the name she checks in as -- that's Zlata Makarova, apparently a Zaftran expatriate. All her papers are in order, and the costume certainly fits. But anyone who knows the history of The Stone Flower would know that in the original Soviet film, lost to time...
... the Mistress of the Copper Mountain was played by one Tamara Makarova.
But that's a coincidence few are likely to catch. Will anyone even realise who she's dressed as? Yuliana can't turn into a lizard, unfortunately -- if she could, her costume would really be complete.
(Those with an eye towards recreations of ancient films may well catch that Yuliana's costume of the Mistress, with its more elaborate, fanned crown and draping cape, is based on Viktorov's re-interpretation of the work; the ending has been lost, and different directors have recreated it in various ways. Zima suggested that the stonecutter and his wife were being tested by the Mistress, and would be allowed to leave the Copper Mountain on his success; Yegorov, years later, would produce a version where the stonecutter failed, and the young lovers were condemned to death. But Artyom Leontiyevich Viktorov instead posited that the stonecutter's wife, who embarked on her own quest of stonecutting despite it being a male's profession, impressed the Mistress such that she accepted both of them into her realm -- giving both the stonecutter and his wife an eternal place within her Copper Mountain. ... no wonder Yuliana prefers that version of the story.)
'Zlata' has, of course, made a sizable donation to the Yumi Foundation already. She is gracious enough not to take offence if they don't immediately process it, whether they recognise who she really is or not. She is being very patient with Leina's people, of late.
Leina had better appreciate it.
Her fingers veil her lips, as she chuckles, goodnaturedly, to hear Sayla's ghastly warning. "Hmhmhm," she smiles, and she's certainly borrowed the affectation from somewhere. Surely she's representing her wife, who may well have been too spooky for an event like this. Though, the reason why she's here --
The Mistress of the Copper Mountain places a hand on Shari's shoulder, and urges her onwards. "Come, come. You wished to attend the party, yes? I will be here if you need me, dear." Oh, no. Shari has a chaperone. At least... she seems cool with Shari running off on her own?!
<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.
Shari is not a tall girl, but she is striking tonight nonetheles. Her hair is blonde, tumbling down her shoulders in loose waves. Her eyeliner and shadow are dark and deep, setting off her sharp gray eyes, and of course her smile reveals a pair of notable fangs set in her mouth that look terribly natural. Her black lips have a little trace of something that looks like blood at the corner of her mouth.
At her throat is a beautiful jeweled choker, shown off by the low neckline of her white dress. And it is a white dress, pearlescent fabric draping down her body with wide sleeves and a flowing skirt. Her shoes are heeled white boots, laced up all the way, which pump her height up considerably.
She seems in good spirits, even if she does keep glancing back to a certain Maiden... "It's a cool party," Shari says to Yuliana of what she wanted. but, "...Right. Totally. If I need you!"
The vampire starts off into the party.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
The event certainly did start a few hours earlier. And Leina had made an appearance then, in a Shakespearean doublet of blue with gold trim and lace around the collar, and embroidered red sleeves that evokes both Britannian nobility and Federation aristocracy. A pair of trousers a subtle shade darker, with a belt possessing a gothic devil's face as a buckle. With a skull in hand, there was something, positively theater kid about it.
Yet it was certainly a muted costume, wasn't it?
At some point however, she disappeared, to 'put her face on' so to speak. She was gone for quite some time, but it's not until after Sayla has performed her disappearing act, that she hears a familiar voice, albeit drenched in faux smugness.
"Prithee, our most fiendish of hostesses, allow me to ask you a question. What's better than the devil you don't know?"
Take a glance, and there are twin horns that appear to be organically growing out of skin, that seems naturally crimson. Irises a vivid pupiless violet around darkened sclera. Horns that appear to organically erupt from the skin of her forehead like twin gazelle horns, cracked and blackened as they curve backwards above the natural shade of her curly black hair, twinning into branched shorter horns that curl around the side of her head like a tiara, or a crown.
From the recesses of the back of her doublet are twin furled wings, bat-like in the additional appendages, curled in, but ever in a state of subtle movement, just thin enough that the lighting sets them aglow. A gesture is made with a hand, the same costume, but the ends of her fingertips look long, darkened like talons from the same shade of red skin
"The devil you do."
The hand is curved over her abdomen, as she bows formally, "As you have summoned me here I am bound by ancient covenant to present myself before you. Naturally, I am the Archduchess Mephistopheles, Ex-Councilor in Charge of Truth and Reconciliation. Regrettably ousted during the last election cycle."
There is a bitter smile on her face, "They tell me I was far too subtle for their tastes, in an age where people are wont to say the quiet part out loud."
As she straightens up, she smiles, "So I have returned to my roots so to speak, and shall ply my trade elsewhere on this most unholy of nights." Her eyes do sweep about, "There are after all, no shortage of souls in need of what I have to offer them."
And indeed, at that, she reaches gravely inside of the skull she carries, and produces... a chocolate bar...
... which she promptly hands to a tyke that had been milling about. "Just a taste. Certainly the temptation to return later for more will be..." A taloned fingertip is put to her lips, and a wink. "... overwhelming."
Does Leina know of Zlata and her sizable donation? ... Mysteries!
<Pose Tracker> Chienne Argent has posed.
EARLIER
"I said no."
"Come on, Chienne! You spent all this work getting your ass out from under *them* and you don't even take advantage of it? You're a full-on member of G-Hound. We get paid. We get invites to fancy-ass shit." Chien ruffled the tickets. "G-Hound wants to send SOMEONE, and it happens that Chiot's in the right age bracket. And apparently since none of us have parents we're 'preferred recepients' of these things."
"So go yourself!" Chienne, lounging on a couch, glared at Chien over her nail file.
"No can do. They want two adults. Plus, there's free food..." At least, Chien assumes it's free. Technically, he never checked.
Chienne glowered for a few moments, and there was some arguing, but eventually: "Fine. But *I* get to pick the outfit. I'm not wearing something to match the two of you."
--
NOW
Chienne, Chien, and Chiot have managed to score tickets through G-Hound. Not that G-Hound was particularly invited, but they like to keep eyes on things, and the Yumi Foundation is one of those things. Just in case there's a spy meeting or something here.
(There is no spy meeting here.)
The three of them... well, they have followed the rules, at least, to a lesser or greater extent.
Chiot, who is *actually* a teenager - he looks maybe fourteen, but he could just be a really scrawny sixteen - has arrived as an extremely retro robot. Like, 1960s pulp cover robot. He has blinking lights, including a long stripe along part of his visor; he has a 'ray gun' that has rings *and* a fin and lights up when he squeezes the trigger; he has a bodysuit that has more glowing stripes under a random array of metal 'armour'. He seems unsure if he is enjoying himself or not, or maybe he's just being lazy.
(Actually, he's liveposting, because he has a To-witter account to update. You get clout for showing up at things like this.)
Chien, who is apparently quite enjoying himself, has gone as a movie samurai, complete with hakama and having half his top hanging off to reveal bare chest. He has the muscles for it, at least; he's over six feet tall and built like a brick. He has a bokken, which he occasionally bounces on his shoulder to make it clack and clatter, and has been chatting with people surprisingly amiably (if loudly, because he doesn't really have much of an inside voice). It's easy to forget, if you ever knew in the first place, that this man is a member of G-Hound.
And then there's Chienne.
Chienne agreed to come, and that she wouldn't break any rules, and so she hasn't. She did, however, spend a good deal of time thinking about her costume, and picked something solely based on how many people it would offend or upset.
And that's why she's here with what looks like a mostly authentic Titans uniform and a shit-eating grin.
The outfit is not completely authentic. Chienne has A Thing about pants: she doesn't wear them. Ever, as far as anyone knows. And she doesn't wear skirts, because... well, she doesn't wear skirts. She never has, even when they were technically School uniform for her; she'd rather show up half-dressed and get punished for it than wear a skirt.
Which means she has something like school shorts; they look like the Titans' uniform standard pants, complete with fit and crease and belt loops and everything else, but tailored to about knee length, along with low boots. Nobody has been brave enough to point out the inaccuracy, possibly because Chienne *will* start an argument about it and nobody wants that.
Chienne is around where Chien can see her, because he keeps moving so that he can, but otherwise has been mostly left alone.
<Pose Tracker> George de Sand has posed.
Neo-France's former Gundam Fighter had always prided himself as a philanthropist, so wherever the Yumi Foundation was, he would never be too far behind. And wherever George de Sand was, Maria Louise would not be too far behind.
Maria Louise had chosen the two's costumes, with George in a black pinstripe suit and skull face paint, and Maria's own body painted into a zombie stitchwork. It was from some movie George had never seen, but in matters like this, Maria was the boss. After the Dread Witch's address, the two began to mill around the stalls, though George found himself spending most of his time signing autographs for fans young and old.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links-Vist has posed.
In the past, holidays always had a habit of sneaking up on Banagher. Each year, he meant to do something to mark their passing, but never had the time (or the money) to spare.
Through the many, many changes Laplace's Box has brought to the young man, perhaps the strangest has been financial security. Extreme financial security. And while this blessing brings its own labyrinthine legislation to navigate...
Nobody will have a problem with Banagher donating his personal money to such a worthy cause, right?
Or so he hopes, anyway. This is an "ask forgiveness, not permission" venture -- and Banagher has chosen to make himself scarce from official premises when the funds should be transferred. On this, the most spooky of nights, he can be found manning one of many game booths. Perhaps disappointingly, Banagher himself hasn't dressed up, but he's made up for it by bringing a small host of companions who have.
A dozen mini-Haros float in the interior of his booth, each in appropiately festive gear. Pixies, ghosts, cats, dogs -- anything that could reasonably be orb-shaped is orb shaped. The goal is to toss a ring onto one of the mini-Haros. If you manage to get three rings in a row, you win the grand prize!
...and there seem to be quite of a lot of grand prize winners, tonight. These carnival games are so often rigged, and Banagher's is no exception. Each tiny Haro has been programmed to subtly shift toward the rings thrown at them, especially for the younger participants. Prizes range from a Haro-themed plastic pumpkin filled with candy, to Haro plushies, to the ultimate prize of a mini-Haro itself.
Banagher's stoic bodyguard, Mr. Hill, is in charge of handing out prizes. The enormous man has been convinced to wear a Haro-themed tie -- black and sleek, with the silhouette of the little companion robot at the end. If his face softens when handing a child their winnings, well, that's between Mr. Hill and Possibility.
"Nice throw!" Banagher cheers on a particularly small child, handing them another glowing ring. Ever so subtly, the mini-Haros scoot forward to be more easily ring-toss'd.
Roux Louka tosses a coin: Tails
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
It's time again for the Yumi Foundation's Halloween party. While Anita hasn't personally benefitted from their work, it's an organization she has a good opinion of. And so, since her friends are busy for one reason or another... she's here on everyone's behalf. Anita isn't usually the type for dressing up... but costumes, that's something else entirely. It's not something she often has an opportunity to do, but when the idea hits her it can really be a good idea to stretch her creative muscles.
Case in point, the look she'd put together for tonight's event.
Presently, she's wearing a tailcoat and a ruffle shirt accompanied by a pair of sturdy pants and long boots, and a belt holding tools, various pouches, and an oversized compass. Her usual goggles have been replaced for the night by a pair equipped with some aesthetic dials, and is currently nestled into the brim of a stovepipe hat. The hat, too, is for some reason equipped with aesthetic dials.
The star of the show, though, is her arm. The tailcoat's left sleeve has been cut away to make room for a bulky contraption of burnished bronze in the shape of an arm, the palms and fingers padded with fake leather and featuring spinning gears and working pistons as her muscles, all powered by a miniaturized steam engine situated on her shoulder.
...At least, that's the fiction she's presenting. While the mechanisms do work they're all just there for show, and the 'steam engine' is really just letting out intermittent puffs of cool water vapor, able to be turned on or off at the press of a button, while the actual power source is hidden safely among the arm's real internal mechanisms. Still... on a night like this, it's easy to relax oneself and pretend that she really did build herself a steam-powered arm.
She's busy partaking in the free food - though the moment the Dread Witch Sayla takes the stage, she immediately gives her her attention. After her disappearance, and the appearance of Leina - or rather, the Archduchess Mephistopheles - Anita gives them both applause.
They really went all out on this... the spooky vibe is definitely on point. All of the costumes tonight are pretty on point - she'd give most of them her stamp of approval.
Most of them, because she has noticed Chienne's particular choice of costume, and it's a testament to Anita's coolheadedness that her expression hasn't changed from her usual lazy smile.
She does, however, briefly busy herself by observing Banagher's Halloween Haro Ring Toss. That gets a good smile out of her.
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
ROUX LOUKA has not historically had a bunch of huge deal events on Halloween. Some things just aren't as big in some colonies. It happens. Roux has also made a significant donation - if, like, on an individual level. Yes sir, Roux's blood money makes her feel better about being here, even if, privately, she has estimated they'll probably make more than that back from whatever Sayla provides as a wedding gift.
Heh heh heh!
Roux is also in costume. What is that costume? It involves a low-topped corset, fishnet leggings, and a central body that rests on the hips and extends up and around herself. It mounts several long artificial feathery plumes, aligned to bounce and walk without quite putting any pointy bits at eye level. Add in the high heels and the domino mask and she is --
A showgirl? Maybe some obscure monster?
Roux mostly liked the outfit.
But now...
"OH MY GOD," Roux says, holding a drink in one hand. It is something pink and icy. It has a decoration and a straw. She says this while suddenly appearing directly behind Chienne and laughing. "That is SO FUNNY. I love it! Did you like buy it surplus or something? Oh, like, this is hilarious, I have to tell you this story I heard secondhand from a guy on a ship I was on once," Roux begins to Chienne, before making a loud sniffing noise and blinking rapidly.
"Have we met?" Roux asks Chienne. "Anyway, let me remember all of it. Hmmmm--" Chienne may have time to escape before STORYTIME BEGINS.
<Pose Tracker> Kikka Kobayashi has posed.
Kikka was one of the very first orphans to benefit from the Yumi Foundation's kindness - so it's only right to attend, and give some of the other children touched by war or otherwise the time, or fright of their life.
But honestly? Sayla and Leina do a good enough job of that from the very start, with their outstanding performances as the witch and the devil.
She's pretty impressed with Banagher's Haro exhibition too, and if she was still younger herself... she'd probably give it a shot.
Today, though, she's dressed as a more typical magician who delivers candy with a touch of a wand, and the fancy-looking suit and over-the-top hat that comes with.
"Now open your hand..." She urges a pair of children, and sure enough, they both find full-sized candy bars. "Hehe, pretty good, huh?" She lowers her hat, and a even more candy overflows from it. "You're bound to encounter many more tricks and treats tonight, so have fun, won't you?"
She sees Chienne in her honestly pretty tasteless Titans uniform, but she doesn't confront her over it... because this is a night for the children. She does wonder what Katz would think if he's watching, though...
"You know," she starts, absently. "Kai thought it would be really funny if I wore a Guncannon costume. He said 'that ol' death trap would scare kids shitless', or something... I felt like it would be way too heavy and bulky to just walk around in though." She scratches her cheek.
<Pose Tracker> Rain Mikamura has posed.
The Kasshu-Mikamura combo had long been donators to the Yumi Foundation. Nothing too crazy high or sketchily low, but always neatly bundled and given, all the funds donated by Rain herself. Odds are out if Domon even knows that she's donating on -both- of their behalfs.
Tonight, thusly, she is alone, but not alone; having made herself already by this point known to George and Maria. They don't interact very often, but she was very glad to see them both before edging herself through a door. Yes, edging.
Why edging? The wings, of course. Two large wings are cleverly tucked into her costume fabric, a small box connecting the two. The edges are all sorts of curved, looking like paint spatters, and they are lit up with miniscule and numerous tiny lights, the colors shaded in pinks, purples, oranges, and greens. Her dress is similar in color, a corset and a extra-fluffy skirt helping go 'playful' (she hopes.) She's in mismatched pink and green tights and matching flats, and her hair is also temporarily colored. Finally is a patchwork bag (full of candy to give away, of course), and a wand to sprinkle glitter.
She drifts over to the Haro Ring Toss Booth, peering. "Do you think a little magic will help?" She asks the current player, flicking her wand at the word 'magic' so that the glitter gets slightly spread around. "After all, you never know what a pixie's magic will do...!"
.... Rain is definitely here for the kids.
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
No spy shit, G-Hound, but there is an internationally wanted criminal just hanging around in here. ... in costume, that is, so at least no one could glance at Yuliana and match her to her wanted posters. She even has a wig on today! That's how she's achieved that beautiful tumbling brown braid.
She can't quite hide from the Awakened, of course. Surrounding her is that constant aura of empathic silence, thwarting any attempt to use one's Newtype powers either on Yuliana or beside her. She has, at least, kept her fins folded up behind her ears; as much as it would be plausible to show up at an event like this as herself, it's... it would be a little sad, right?
(At least Side 6 is neutral territory. ... not that that's ever stopped the REA.)
Yuliana's latest grievous crime... is to crouch down to get to eye-height with a girl who couldn't be much older than eight, looking terribly lost in the crowd. "Hello, dear," she smiles, and passes over a bag of fairy floss. (Or cotton candy, if you're from Britannia. She distinctively is not.) "It's a big party, isn't it?"
"Wow," the girl says, looking up at her. "Are you a fairy queen?" No wonder that's what she thought -- she's dressed up as a fairy, complete with wings strapped to her back and a fancy tiara.
"Hahaha..." Yuliana laughs, tilting her head and covering her lips in a show of modesty. "Close, you're close! I've dressed as the Mistress of the Copper Mountain. She's an enchanting spirit who is kind to craftsmen and good people, and who punishes the greedy or dishonest. Isn't that nice?"
"I guess so," the girl replies, losing a lot of interest when it's clear it's not her interest.
"Ah, but why aren't you exploring? Is it intimidating? Here," she pats the girl on the shoulder, and then points her to Banagher's Haro-toss stand. "I recognise that boy. His name is Banagher, and he's a lovely fellow. Why don't you ask if you can play?"
"Oh," the girl says, having already figured that this woman must be trustworthy because she's given her snacks. (She is just a child.) "'Kay. I'll go there." And she grasps her bag of fairy floss, and wanders over to Banagher. She will, surely, make fast friends with Pixie Rain.
But of course, when Yuliana straightens up, she ambles on towards Chienne and her... particularly accurate... costume. Except: "You know, I wasn't there at the time," Yuliana says, amicably, as she comes up to Chienne and Roux, "but were shorts really military standard back then?" OH NO. SOMEONE POINTED IT OUT.
(Of course Yuliana would be offended by Chienne's costume -- Dr. Devi was a Titan, herself, and she brought the Titan's logic into the project which created Yuliana Dispersal. Even now she's a Kafim, it leaves a bad taste in her mouth.)
Maybe Roux's Story Time can save them from the inevitable clash. Maybe. That is, if Yuliana doesn't shock her out of her gambit with that horrible void aura.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
The appearance of Lady Mephistopheles by her shoulder doesn't seem to startle the witch- after all there were only a few people who knew where the host would be exiting, after all, and Leina isn't a 6'5" Meltrandi. Stll, Sayla gives a respectful bow. "Good Emissary of the Underworld, I do so hope you're enjoying yourself this evening. Our deal has been to your satisfaction, I trust?" Sayla then lowers her voice to a whisper, leaning closer. "How do you think it went? The effects seemed to go off without a hitch."
Sayla looks out at the crowd. It's a busy night, as expected. Some of the regular guests aren't out there. Several long time supportersare notable in their absence. There are also new faces.
The applause from Anita catches Sayla's attention, and Sayla gives another small bow. "Miss Rosetta, welcome to our gathering. It's rare to see an inventor of your calibur. Tell me, are you having a good night?"
She does notice the Mistress of Copper Mountain. She lifts the sigil of Gusion to her mouth- and speaks quietly into it. "Keep an eye on her, but as long as she's not causing trouble, leave her be." The last thing she wants is Yuliana's wife deciding that she's in danger and needs to intervene.
She does frown at Chienne's costume, from a distance. "...I suppose if you want to frighten people, that's a valid choice. Tasteless, but valid." The loud Samurai and the elaborate retro robot, though, seem to be having a better time of it. "...There's definitely some stronger entries for the costume contest, though." She says, to Leina.
She sees George and Maria Louise in the distance. It may be because of their prior working relationship, but she hasn't lost all of the AEU nobility, at least. And over to Rain... "...oh thank god, I was worried she'd just show up in a labcoat."
Ovehearing Kikka, in her stage maggician costume, gets a smirk. "Sounds like Kai. I can't help but imagine him turning up with a cardboard box and the word 'Guncannon' written on it, though."
She casts an eye to the Haro booth where Banagher is working with his little haro helpers. It's one of the more popular booths so far- even if Banagher didn't dress up. Still... "Seems to be going well so far, at least."
She looks over at Roux and... well, hopefully that would be fine. Still, it might be good to get a picture of Roux and Kikka together, given the matching themes...
<Pose Tracker> Chienne Argent has posed.
Roux approaches Chienne. Unfortunately, she does this from behind, and Chienne isn't as great at hearing people approach with this kind of crowd.
Chienne's first instinct is to react to someone coming up behind her with assault. She's halfway to doing it - through the turn, not yet raising a hand to strike, she doesn't have a knife on her - when she remembers that she cannot do that here. Her promises anybody else don't mean a whole lot, but she told Chien she wouldn't start anything, only finish it. (It was the best he could get from her).
So what Roux instead gets is a glare from the short 'Titan', and a moment's spike of seething hate for showing even that much weakness in public. "I think I'd remember *you*," she says, with a slight curl of her lip. "And I don't know what your shipmate told you about. Let me guess. He's one of those cowards who's afraid of blood but will tell stories about how cool he was in combat?"
Chienne is not at her best here.
Chien doesn't recognize the woman coming up to Chienne, and in his estimation (which, admittedly, is at a distance) Roux is slightly drunk, so at first he's wondering if he's going to have to bail her out before she starts a fight. Yuliana showing up, for some reason, seems to reassure him - if only because Chienne is looking slightly less like she's going to punch someone over it.
And, indeed, Chienne looks at Yuliana - really looks, not just the glance - and combines that with the memory of her voice. "You, though, I remember," she says, more amused. She apparently isn't going to drop the force of the law on Yuliana; she did say she owed her. "You'd be surprised what they wore. Aside from the jacket it mostly seems to be anything you like. Found skirts everywhere from knee-length to 'you can see my ass from some angles'."
Chien apparently finds this meets with approval because he goes wandering, giving his latest friend (whoever it was) a cheery slap on the back as he passes by, trying to figure out where Chiot got to. (He'll be back shortly.)
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
Others are coming in. Rain's pixie outfit looks solid, judges Roux as she takes a healthy slurrrrrp and raises her eyebrows at Kikka.
And then...
It's like a radio crackling in a particular survival-horror game. Yuliana has not come close enough to really 'engage' Roux's feelings but she sets her teeth. Funny perhaps that she has anger at the sight of her but not a Titans' costume.
Roux opens her mouth -- and -- stops.
Inwardly;
Was I seriously about to defend literally anything about the Titans???
Roux takes the straw out of her drink and just belts it downwards. She then looks towards Chienne, whose impressions have been distorted by the large point-source of SHENANIGANS coming out of Yuliana. "Hannh?" she says to her, mouth hanging slightly open for a moment. She takes another swig off her drink.
"No, he was just bridge staff," Roux continues. "And for your INFORMATION there was this one guy who kept chasing after one of our guys, like real honor duel stuff, and in the end he was so mad he went up a mountain with a crutch to try and get everything going and he just --"
Roux sweeps around with the glass. "... Threw him!"
A second or two passes.
She asks Chienne, honestly, "Were you like being in character there or did I actually piss you off?" Then she downs the last of her beverage and holds the glass a little peculiarly afterwards (this is so she can throw it on reflex... if needs must.)
After this, she narrows her eyes a little at Yuliana, directly over Chienne's head.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
A hand moves near her chin, "Certainly so. After all, if it wasn't to my satisfaction..." There's a viciousness to the smirk, "... 'twould be too late to rectify the breach." An offering of a hand, "The next dance would be mine, and as all the torments of the hells were unveiled, I would proclaim. 'What weep'st thou! 'Tis too late, despair, farewell!'"
Thre is a grin, "But certainly, you are a meticulous one - most knowledgeable in your depraved and godless arts. Tonight your dance card stands full, your soul secure - no matter how covetous of it I remain."
She does lean in, dropping the the act, "Went great. The kids took to it most of all." The archduchess winks at her, "Like that you're leaning into your childhood fantasies by the way." And indeed the Mistress of Copper Mountain, gets a glance, and a shrewd look from the Archduchess, but she doesn't say anything right now, "It should be fine... she owes me one." She does murmur to Sayla but for now, doesn't approach. After all, it would be the quickest way to call attention to who she is, if she were to go right over to her to 'monitor' things.
As she does look towards Chienne, there is a subtle frown, but it becomes a smirk as she answers to Sayla, "My the barrier to the underworld must be thin tonight. We have ourselves an escapee. But what is... a singular night?"
As Sayla looks upon George and Maria Louise, Leina does waggle her talons in greetings, before eyeing Rain, and- "Mom please. Don't drag her too hard when she's actually putting herself out there." The devil nudges the witch, playfully, for the moment the act dropped.
Still the tensions are looking pretty high over there, aren't they? She can at least sense the heightening of things around Chienne. At least until the Mistress of Copper Mountain cuts things off long enough. For a moment she looks at the Mini-Haro display, as if longing to retreat towards Banagher's booth, and eventually...
... steps up to Roux.
"How devilishly delightful." The Archduchess Mephistopheles notes to Roux, "Your outfit is scorching me from here, darling. Though I have to ask..." She arches an eyebrow, giving her a smile, "...who are you supposed to be? If I had to put field a guess, it would be..."
Her talons click together like she's snapping them repeatedly, "...Tiger Baum cabaret dancer?" Leina certainly wasn't there for Tiger Baum, thus she must have heard from Elle.
Right now however, she's perhaps offering... Roux, a way of disengaging, if things got bad, only looking at Chienne out of the corner of her eye. Roux can definitely handle herself, of course but...
... it's good to give her options that don't involve escalation.
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
Yuliana narrows her eyes, when Chienne says she remembers her. And Chienne's voice is familiar, too... "Well, don't interrupt the party on my account," she says, putting on another smile. "We'd hate to disappoint the children, wouldn't we?" Well, Yuliana wouldn't want to do that. "But I suppose it is true, yes, that the uniform was variable. Why, there was almost as much variation in their uniform as in the Federation foxholes they slipped out to when the writing was on the wall!"
You know, just some friendly banter.
Roux narrows her eyes, though, and Yuliana smiles to her in turn. "How considerate," she drolls, and doesn't bother stepping back -- at least until Leina steps up next to her. It takes Yuliana a second to place who this damnable Newtype is, under her makeup, but when she does she takes a half-step backwards to clear the both of them out of her sphere of influence.
"Friends with the devil, are you?" She asks Roux, gesturing with a hand. "I'm sure you meet no end of judgement for such a thing..." Well, she seems for all the world to be asking Roux -- she's looking at her and everything, with those pupilless green eyes of hers -- but she's not really asking Roux. She's asking Leina if this woman is important, really.
<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.
Shari has immediately distanced herself from Yuliana, obviously. What does her aunt know about partying? ...Probably a lot, actually, but it's the principle of the thing.
...Or maybe it's not just the principle of the thing. Shari leans down to talk to a kid, and winks, handing over some candy she kept in her bag, as she makes her way across the room. Candy to another child. And...
"Cool witch," she says, though Sayla, being Sayla, probably won't be surprised that this particular bride to Dracula has approached. Either because she can sense her presence, or because she's just better at situational awareness than a teenager.
Either way, "...Neat sigil. It's a radio, isn't it? I was watching you."
Pause.
"...I'm Shari."
<Pose Tracker> George de Sand has posed.
George and Maria eventually make their way over to Banagher's booth, George chuckling softly at Rain's display of pixie magic. "It's always good to see you again, Mademoiselle Rain."
"Where's that guy you're always dragging around?"
"Maria Louise." George, of course, knew that Domon Kasshu was not always the most...reliable...of people, and sternly urged Maria to cease the subject as to not make Rain sore. As the younger girl pouted, she did heed George's advice and dropped it.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links-Vist has posed.
The Mistress of Copper Mountain directs a child over to Mini Haro Ring Toss, and Banagher greets her with a soft smile. He doesn't look after the child enough to see who sent her, but there's a vague prickle at the back of his neck that gives him an idea that someone familiar is present.
And Banagher isn't quite sure how to feel about that.
For now, there's a little girl waiting attentively. Sayla can manage any mischief Yuliana is planning. "Welcome!" Banagher says, handing the child three glowing rings. "If you can catch three Haros, you'll win an amazing prize!"
Rain steps in, enchanting the fairy girl with a rain of glitter. She seems thrilled -- and this will certainly aid in her chances of catching a mini-Haro. While the child is distracted, the little robots rearrange themselves in a slightly more advantageous setup. Surely an afteraffect of the magic.
Green-flecked gold eyes raise, looking through the crowd, just as the little girl starts to play. Banagher makes eye contact with Leina -- or rather, some sort of demon princess..! His expression turns dreamy, though he can feel through their bond that Leina is tense. Maybe...
"Haro," Banagher murmurs into his earpiece. "Send out the spare mini, please."
On cue, a thirteenth mini Haro appears next to Banagher's shoulder, and he takes it in his hands. This one is dressed as a tiny angel -- a halo attached to its round chassis and itty-bitty fluffy wings extending from its back.
"Heads up, Leina..." Banagher murmurs, and tosses the miniature machine her way. If all goes well (and it usually does, thanks to Banagher's Newtype gifts), the robot should gently bonk into Leina's shoulder.
It should present a clear picture. Oh no, a mini-Haro on the loose! It must be from Bangaher's booth. Someone better return it... Granting them a break from any conversations, should they wish it.
While Banagher is distracted, the little fairy girl throws her third ring... and wins! Mr. Hill steps forward with a boxed Mini-Haro, giving the child a nod.
"I won!" Squeaks the little girl.
"Are you next in line, miss?" Mr. Hill asks Maria, dedicated to keeping order.
<Pose Tracker> Chienne Argent has posed.
Roux actually tells her story without interruption.
And then Chienne laughs. It's not a *nice* laugh, particularly, but it is one and it is authentic. "Serves him right," she says, because she doesn't particularly think positively of the Titans, either - and the idea of picking a fight when you're on crutches and getting thrown off a mountain is positively hilarious, to the right mindset.
Chienne has that mindset. She doesn't answer whether she was legitimately upset or not, though; maybe she thinks she doesn't need to.
She's on stronger ground now, because she's not here to defend the Titans at all, so when people pick at them it doesn't bother her; Yuliana's banter may as well be friendly. "Uniforms are a dumb idea half the time anyway, so it's not like it matters. What, you going to wear them into combat? Nobody's going to see."
She looks up at Leina (Mephistopheles), showing up to ask who Roux is: "Definitely *some* kind of dancer," Chienne says, which may be her way of de-escalating. "Or someone who wants to be one." She reaches out - and flicks one of the weird feather arrangements.
And then...
Chien appears, having felt like he was needed more than finding Chiot. "Well what's this then?" he asks, his voice practically booming. "Chienne, I got you a drink." He did! It is red and looks alcoholic. (It is not. Chienne is not allowed alcohol.)
Chienne scowls, but this time it's the kind that means 'my family is bothering me' and not 'I am about to flip out'. "I thought you said you weren't supposed to use names," she says. "*Chien*."
"Sue me," he says, cheerfully, before looking over at Roux again. He, at least, appreciates the costume. It takes a few moments before he actually looks at anyone else, though he does, bouncing the bokken against his shoulder once or twice.
<Pose Tracker> Kikka Kobayashi has posed.
"Yeah, no kidding..." Kikka laughs at the idea of seeing Kai in that. "Maybe if he really went the 'extra mile', we'd see a couple paper tubes on the shoulders too." She smirks.
Rain gets her attention next - and unfortunately, Sayla's sentiment is mirrored. "Woah... I don't think I've ever seen you outside a labcoat or a trace suit. You're looking good, Rain!" Fortunately, she mixes in a compliment, too. "And it sounds like someone could use a spell from you~"
And then catches the eyebrow raise from Roux. "Hey, Roux. " She waves - Roux was largely in Jupiter while Kikka was growing up but she's starting to see her around. "I heard from Sayla, you and Judau went and got engaged. Congrats!" Her eyes wander for a few moments. "...Where is he anyway? Got lost on the way or something?" On second thought, perhaps the world is spared Judau Ashta's Halloween costume.
It does quickly become clear she can't completely ignore the young lady in the Titans uniform. Are they really selling those to the next generation, after the atrocities the Titans brought forth? Or is that homebrewed malice?
When Yuliana steps forth, she's reminded of that kind of weird migraine she got while helping Rain in the Republic of East Asia, but the sphere of influence isn't really big enough for her to really piece things together - it's only a moment. Instead...
"I like your dress, ma'am." Kikka smiles, taking in that evocative shimmer of emerald. The kids seem really drawn to her, too... it's not bad having her help. "Did you put it together yourself? It's really intricate..."
<Pose Tracker> Christina MacKenzie has posed.
By the entrance to the Haunted House, a menacing mechanical statue looms--six feet tall, quite a height compared to many of the children moving from booth to booth. The adults here might recognize it as a relic of war, but the kids are more likely to know it by the retro action figures: by the clunky joints and spiked pauldron, it's identifiable as a Zaku II.
But tonight, broad strokes of orange and black give it a haunting jack'o'lantern for a head! The LED mono-eye swivels, pulsing and dimming with a distinctive keen! How terrifying!
However, when a child trips on his own costume running out of the haunted house, a thick paper-mache hand is waiting to help him back up. Once the kid is back on his feet, a goodie bag is offered from a table nearby.
"A reward for your bravery, little one," crackles out from a muffled voice-changer.
As the event schedule kicks into gear, the fog machines and lights draw attention to the Master of Ceremonies, for Sayla and Leina's devilish outfits to steal the show. Behind the painted jack'o'lantern face, Chris smiles, warmed by the festive, fiendish atmosphere, guiding a girl and her guardian into the haunted hallways...
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
Roux Louka looks towards THE DEVIL.
To whom, she blinks.
"Somehow I always knew," she tells Leina, gnomically, before smiling at her if a little tensely (because YULIANA is over there with her PSYCHIC SMELL). "Uhuhuhuhu, what a mysteriously specific thing to say. But -" She leans back slightly and then kick up one leg with a sudden ruffle of the feathers,
"I don't think you're that far off!"
Roux wobbles slightly and puts her foot back down.
After this, Roux turns her head to look back at Yuliana, who is -- addressing --
Wait.
Roux's brow furrows underneath the mask. (To be fair to Yuliana, Roux's hair has been swept back in ways it doesn't usually go, even if she didn't cut it or wear it up or anything.)
Roux seems on the cusp of a realization -- when Chien arrives! Just like un chien to arrive when the situation is tense or when something else was about to happen. Unlike his namesake, he *brings* treats, he does not *demand* them. "Ohyao gozaimasu, Mr. Samurai," Roux tells him, with a wink~ to go on top.
(To Leina, Roux asides, "This was a custom job and it mostly fit. I guess whoever ordered it didn't want it any more." But why? Did a Haro eat them?)
Speaking of Haros. "Huh," Roux says, as one strikes Ms. Mephistopholes in her mephostopheshoulder.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
"One never dances with devils without adequate measures in place," Sayla responds calmly. "Would that it were as easy as a summoning circle, an invocation and a little compulsion." Another whisper, to not drop character too obviously. "That's good. I didn't want to startle them or anything." She chuckles a little at the comment. "Even I can look back at my misspent youth sometimes. Let's be honest, if she would have stood for it you know I'd have Buer here as my familiar."
Sayla sighs, but lets out a little smile. "Alright, I'll be nice. It's honestly pretty impressive, and she's getting into the spirit."
As Leina goes to give Roux an out, Sayla feels the presence approaching her, and she turns towards Shari. "Thank you, madam vampire." She says, keeping up the character a little. She smiles. "And if I said it was to commune with a great duke of Hell?" She keeps up the bit for a second more, before shaking her head. "I wanted a way to keep an eye on the event without ruining the illusion for the kids. I have a tendency to micromanage these things, unfortunately." She nods to Shari, but doesn't extend a hand- connecting at an event like this would be problematic. "Sayla Mass. It's good to meet you properly." The voice is clearly recognizable from Anbon.
She looks fondly over at the haunted house, where a mysterious Zaku aids a young child. She knew the person under that mask wasn't much of one for these big events... but Sayla's glad she's come to help.
Maybe the mysterious masked Zaku will even have a conversation with her parents while she's here on Riah, Chris.
<Pose Tracker> Rain Mikamura has posed.
"Lady Maria, George. It's a pleasure, as always... but one moment, I must cast my magic will!"
Pixie girl is IMMEDIATELY FAWNED OVER. As she should be, by a fellow Pixie. Rain waves her wand lightly over the young girl. "Close your eyes!" Sprinkling just a bit of glitter, then leans forward and pulls out a full sized candy from her little patchwork bag. She gasps! Loudly. Dramatically. "Oh! It worked too well! Delightfully treated you shall be!" The girl gets the candy, and cheered for her prize. She knows perfectly well what Banagher is having the Haros do, and she is full of approval for the act, winking at him approvingly over her head.
"Now, as for my other half ... he is no pixie, and this is far out of his comfort realm. You both should know that well, Maria Louise." She says, but not unkindly. "... plus, he's been busy. It's been a couple of months since I've seen him."
Oh dear.
"Oh, tiny Angel...!" Like a pixie, she's immediately distracted by the adorable thing, stepping after it. Glitter falls in her wake. Godspeed, everyone here. You'll be tasting glitter for days.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Anita has acquired a drink by this point - so when Sayla addresses her Anita smiles, giving her a brief toast with the hand holding her drink and a tip of the hat with the other.
"Thanks, Doc. Everything's been great so far. Love the atmosphere, you're really killing it." She greets. "Seems like the kids are having a great time, too."
That's the important thing here, really... which is why when others move on Chienne, Anita leaves her to her fate.
So instead, she leans against the support of one of the stalls, watching the Haro Ring Toss. When one of the challengers finally wins a Mini-Haro, Anita offers some applause... and then, taking note of the next apparent challenger...
"The one in the back-left's moving a little slow, should be an easy target." Anita asides to Maria Louise in a stage whisper.
...She looks up, though, as the Zaku II(with festively-colored head) statue nearby... actually starts to move. Anita raises an eyebrow, clearly impressed.
"Someone's got a good eye for mechanical detail..." Anita notes.
<Pose Tracker> George de Sand has posed.
"Oh! Yeah, I'm next!" Maria Louise grabs a ring and takes aim, sticking her tongue out a bit as she points to the back on Anita's recommendation.
"You can do it, Lady Maria!" George turns back to Rain. "Well, you know how prone he is to wander. It's likely he also doesn't want to deal with all the things going on in the Ring right now. I don't think any of us have heard from him, either."
And during their discussion, Lady Maria Louise hucks her ring towards the back left Haro, grunting with all her might!
<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.
Shari gives a sort of bow to Sayla as she's addressed all formal-like, because she knows how to read a room. The smile gets a grin. "Consorting with devils is impotant witchy behavior," she agrees--and then Sayla explains the reason. For the kids....
"Hmmm," she says. "That makes sense. I guess you don't get to be where you are without a habit of micromanaging."
No handshakes, then. Shari's OK with that. "...Yeah. It's nice to meet you," Shari says, her informal address still at odds with her beautiful costume. All the same...
Shari hesitates for a moment. "My aunt's here," she says. "You probably noticed, with the micromanaging. But I thought I'd get some face time in anyway."
Pause. "...I do get to Spain a little more often than I used to, though."
She speaks quietly, but not whisper quietly; normal tone.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
THE DEVIL winks at Roux, "I applaud your discretion." She's trying not to show that Yuliana's 'aura' is still uncomfortable for her, but of course it is, even if she's more than fine with her actual presence.
"Specific? Of course - I am not omniscient, but I know a lot." As she applauds the kick of her leg, "Marvelous..."
"'Tis the one night where I can display my true self on this plane, not many know me in my finest." Leina opens her mouth, flashing fangs that aren't quite vampiric at the 'Mistress', "Ordinarily, I'm a politician. A far more depraved guise than my natural form, wouldn't you agree?"
She then leans in and tells Roux with a whispered aside, "Looks hot on you- like damn. Remind me later, we've gotta take pictures together!"
It is that moment that...
'Heads up, Leina...'
Ordinarily this would work out well! Except, she's right next to the Mistress of Copper Mountain.
And thus, the mini-Haro takes flight, and Leina turns about, her own spatial senses cut off, the angel ends up beaning her right in the forehead. Right between the horns.
There is... that bop, and then up it goes... and down it goes... plopping onto her shoulder.
Leina's hand gropes her face, and, then from the inside of her doublet she pulls out a compact, moving it to and 'fro, checking her makeup.
It might at least appear for a moment like vanity is this Devil's current sin, before she snaps the compact shut, and puts it back in an inside pocket.
'Mephistopheles smile is a bit forced as she mouths to Banagher, 'Banagher really?' and then pats the Haro on the head, "By all means, little paragon of virtue, stay within my orbit." And plop the Mini-Haro on her shoulder, "It is the surest way to fall, bearing witness to such depravity up close... you might as well sign your recruitment papers right now."
She then looks towards Kikka, "The man... not actually from Jupiter... probably took a wrong turn - but what of you?" As she opens up taloned fingers, and winks at Kikka, "Enjoying yourself tonight? Love the costume!"
Sometimes you just have to break character to be a good hostess to a friend.
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
"It's more for morale on your side," Yuliana explains, despite herself, on the matter of uniforms. "Seeing people crawl out of their wanzers in your colours, that sort of thing... but I've never been much for uniforms, myself." What about black robes? That's not a uniform, clearly.
"Politicians are far more terrible," the Mistress of the Copper Mountain agrees with Leina's devilry. "None are welcome, within my realm -- liars and betrayers, the lot of them! But today, I will tolerate you," she allows, generously, spreading a hand.
But a Haro impacts right with Leina's face, and Yuliana does start to reach out to her, until she realises that she's keeping her and Roux out of her aura. She stays where she is, instead, and asks: "L-- ah, are you all right?" She frowns, and she can evidently tell why Leina didn't dodge the throw. "... is it still too much?" She prompts her, more quietly. "Shall I go? Well, think about it a moment..." She's nice enough not to put her on the spot, at least, as she rubs at her arm and frowns.
Well, until then, let's try to find anything else to think about.
Like how Roux is too rudex to answer the question apparently asked to her, but luckily, Kikka's appearance answers it for her. "Oh!" Yuliana says, realisation dawning in her endless eyes. "You're Judau's fiancee! Well. You're quite welcome." FOR WHAT?!
Roux can just seethe on that one, because she's busy answering Kikka's question, instead. "Thank you!" She says, pressing her hand to her shining chest. "No, not myself, I'm afraid -- we've a seamstress who takes care of our tailoring. But isn't it wonderful? Of course, the Mistress of the Copper Mountain clothes herself in malachite, but it's too toxic a material to make dresses from these days. But this is a fine facsimile, don't you think?"
<Pose Tracker> Chienne Argent has posed.
Both Chienne and Chien seem unconcerned with whatever bad vibes Yuliana is putting out; it's unclear if they've even noticed there *are* vibes, beyond the conversational.
Chienne lets out an annoyed puff of air when Yuliana goes on about uniforms, but doesn't talk back, mostly because Chien has - simply by showing up - calmed her down. Well, no: 'calmed her' is not the right terminology. But with him around she doesn't feel so ganged up on, and at least there's one person she can trust in the vicinity. It makes a difference.
She ends up taking the drink, and though she's still scowly, she doesn't cause any additional fuss.
Chien, though, winks right back at Roux, but then he hears awful news: she's engaged. Damn, he thinks to himself, but it doesn't set him back much: "Someone in this group is gonna win the costume competition, I just know it." Chien, of course, wants it to be him; he hates losing, but it's a little different when he's actually competing versus just showing up, and he didn't know about the costume competition ahead of time.
And then... a Haro bounces off Leina's forehead.
Chienne muffles laughter. Chien, on the other hand, reaches out to steady her - it ends up being unnecessary but he does it anyway. "Who pitched that?" he asks more loudly, voice raising. "Aim better next time!"
Meanwhile, Banagher has a new guest.
Chiot, still dressed as a robot, is watching the ring toss with some interest. How he's watching it is a mystery given his visor completely obscures his eyes, but he seems to be following what's going on well enough. A phone comes up, and
*click*
Banagher's ring toss is now on the Internet. Or, well, will be on the Internet shortly. Close enough.
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
Roux brightens up at the flattery. Yup, she's that easy to flatter. Well, to be fair, why not accept a compliment, right? She leans over to murmur to Leina, "Definitely," even as she straightens upwards, BEFORE
POW
POW
POW
The strike to the head... but it's muffled. "Oh no, it's going to become corrupted," Roux half-gasps towards Chien as she looks at the angelic mini-Haro.
And then... Yuliana. Who is addressing THE MISTRESS OF SIN with concern. Roux watches Yuliana a little dubiously, putting a hand on her hip afterwards, before blinking once. "Huh? Yes!" Roux says. Then, "for what."
Slightly louder, "FOR WHAT" in the background of Yuliana's conversation with Kikka. Roux then spins around with a 'hmf!' and a folding of her arms which has about a 30% chance of fluttering over Chienne with her feathers.
To Chien, she says, "It seems like it's a pretty safe guess. I just wish I knew what this actually was supposed to be." At this point Roux puts a hand on her hip. "I think I know that guy at the Haro booth, though... Anyway, good work both of you!" A finger-gun at Chienne as Roux begins to disentangle herself and move in the direction of Banagher "Banagher" Banagher. "Nice to meet you!" And the weird thing is she means it, even if in Chienne's case, it may be a weird case of landing in a vector of mood angles and coming out... okay??
Sort of like that nice guy, Gary Biaggi. I wonder what he's doing, right now, Roux thinks to herself.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links-Vist has posed.
Banagher smiles at Rain's 'assistance'. "Surely it's thanks to your magic, miss fairy. I -- um --" He's still not a very good actor. "...I'm lucky! To meet a fairy..!"
With a self-conscious blush, the young man tries to refocus on the next player up at the game. Maria Louise -- someone vaguely familiar to Banagher. Maybe he's heard her name in Shuffle Alliance reports. In any case, she is handed her glowing rings, and wished luck...
Anita is right. The back-left mini-Haro is perhaps the worst actor of its fellows, its cat tail trailing behind it slowly. It seems pleased with itself, really, having been 'caught' the most time of all its companions.
And so, the cat's streak continues! Maria's toss lands squarely atop the mini-Haro, jauntily hanging off one of its ears. Maria's already guaranteed a prize -- two tosses to go to see if she wins a mini-Haro of her very own.
As this happens, Banagher's gaze is on the tiny angelic Haro he tossed. All is well, it flies true... but Leina isn't moving. Shocked, he can only watch as the mini-Haro smacks Leina right in the forehead.
"What?" Banagher breathes. Leina looks back, decidedly MORE tense. Why didn't she catch it? Why--
Oh.
That's why. It took a second for him to recognize her in that outfit, but that fae-like woman can only be Yuliana. Banagher grimaces.
"Sorry." He whispers, mostly to himself.
Not knowing what to do, he ducks down behind the counter of his booth, covering his head in his hands. Leina can keep the spare mini for now. She can keep the spare mini forever, if she wants to.
Alas -- he isn't quite fast enough. Chiot snaps a picture of Banagher's shocked, horrified expression. If that gets posted online, the new Chairman of the Vist Foundation is sure to get all the press coverage he was hoping to avoid...
For its part, the angelic Haro seems quite pleased with its flight, unfortunate bonk and all. It waves its winglets happily. "Wheeeee--!" It announces, in a tiny, high-pitched voice.
<Pose Tracker> Kikka Kobayashi has posed.
The appearance of the mono-eyed cyclops, for all the trouble those machines caused the White Base - the Zaku II costume gets an impressed whistle. It would be 'pretty cool' on its own... but the working LED solidifies it as really cool. It's just good that she didn't dress up as Guncannon... then she might have to issue a challenge!
It's good to see Leina, as she approaches, breaking character for juuust a second. "Yeah, that sure sounds like him... but it's good to see at least one Ashta tonight!" She waves. "Yeah... it's been a lot of fun! Halloween isn't too much of a thing in the OCU... so it's not often I get to see a full-blown Halloween party. 'Sides... you were pretty impressive yourself, 'O Archduchess Mephistopheles," she emphasizes the name, laughing. She did notice how Leina missed Banagher's catch - and she knows Leina's sharp enough she could usually get that no problem...
For what, indeed? Is this lady their secret wedding crasher or something because it kind of seems like Leina knows her. ANYWAYS, her question is answered! "A seamstress, huh?" Yeah, most of the adults here are donors, and probably pretty rich. "They did a pretty good job then." She nods, looking Yuliana up and down again. "I suppose the actual Mistress of the Copper Mountain must be pretty fearless to adorn herself with such toxic jewellery... or maybe she's just immune. It's definitely a strong statement though..." And as a literature student, she actually is somewhat interested in the narrative statement being made by the Mistress of the Copper Mountain, rather than just humouring her.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"Probably just saw an old mobile suit in a Shoal Zone begging to be salvaged or something. That's the kind of thing that always gets him." And there's a laugh, at the compliment, "Why thank you."
Before... the bean!?
She's fortunately recovered, enough, that she does indeed extend her hand towards Yuliana, "Fine, perfectly fine. No - not at all it's... it would take far more than an errant Angel to ruffle my dignity." And once she does take the handshake, "Careful." She winks, "Some might take this the two of us becoming far more than simply 'acquainted'."
When Yuliana does ask about Judau's fiance, however, the devil's violet eyes do blink, looking at Roux and 'You're quite welcome.'
She looks real puzzled on that one, even as Roux asks - then UPS THE VOLUME.
As Leina's smile grows a little strained trying to say, 'I don't have a clue!?' to Roux??? And trying her hardest not to ask 'What the hell are you saying about my brother???'
Leina glances Banagher's way, before looking back and...
... well, apparently she's sticking by just in case she needs to deescalate this!? But first she needs to figure out what this is!?
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
Yuliana is nice enough to inform Roux, before she Rouxrambles away from Yuliana's little group: "Why, for your wedding rings, of course. Judau was quite shocked to see how much they cost, but thankfully, he'd brought me along to help him figure it all out. I was able to save him from a great deal of embarrassment! And you're quite welcome." But she dutifully waves, when she leaves. "How nice to meet you," and whether it's sincere or not is hard to say.
She doesn't chase Roux, at least. She's free to retreat to Banagher's booth as she pleases.
"All right," Yuliana adds, when Leina doesn't tell her to leave. And, well -- she asked, at least.
"They are wonderful costumes, aren't they?" Yuliana asks Chien, as her cape glitters behind her. How does it rustle without a breeze, when she's not holding it in her hands..? Maybe it's special effects. "I do quite like yours. Very fierce. I'm sure all the people who fancy men will be looking your way!" That's not her, leaving aside the fact that, judging by the wedding ring on her finger, she's married. But people who aren't lesbians also allegedly exist!
(Yes, Yuliana was shocked when Kaworu informed her of this. ... that might not have been entirely the context of his revelation, but it's not WRONG, either.)
And -- who pitched that? Banagher, clearly. Yuliana sees him, just before he disappears beneath his booth. She s i g h s. This isn't her fault.
"Oh, she's a spirit, you see," Yuliana smiles, when Kikka actually engages with the folklore. "She appears as a lizard, at times -- do you see the resemblance?" She stretches her arm, gesturing to capture the light of the night festival against the scales. "This is the Mistress's costume from when she was listening to a villager's song in the forest... records state that even in ancient film, they made an effort to show the transformation from lizard to woman. But she's associated with copper and malachite, and so these materials have never done harm to her -- or to those craftsmen devoted to her." Yuliana smiles, serene. "For the Copper Mountain is the Mistress's domain, and she keeps those who have won her favour there to hone their crafts for all time... isn't that nice?"
Is that nice?
<Pose Tracker> George de Sand has posed.
Maria squeals in delight as the ring makes its mark, with George politely clapping in the background. It's enough for a noble girl to get a little...overconfident. She takes her remaining two rings, one in each hand, and hucks them out at the same time!
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla gives Anita a smile and a nod with the salute. "Events like this are rare, so we do tend to go all out for this sort of thing- to make an experience they can look back on fondly."
Shari gets a smile on her comment about demons. "Exactly!" Sayla responds, cheerily. "And one has to choose their demons carefully." Given Shari's interest in the sigil, and possibly it's appearance... "This is the sigil of Gusion, one of the goetic demons. He's a demon who provides clarity, of sorts. Also the domains of reconciling friends and providing honour and dignity." Look. Sayla was a weird kid. Sometimes you can tell someone on your wavelength.
"My events manager would disagree, and ask me to sit down and let her handle things more." Sayla says, with a joke that's a touch too real. Still... "I could tell." Sayla says, quietly. Yuliana is a presence hard to ignore, even with her dampening her field for the crowd. "She looks occupied for the moment, though." She keeps the tone conversational, leaning on her staff a little.
"How are you liking it?" She asks, letting Shari lead the conversation. "I'm quite fond of the place, that may just be growing up there." Well, a significant portion of her childhood at least. "And what about tonight? Are you able to enjoy yourself a bit?"
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
When Leina hears that... Wedding Rings- she's confused certainly, but stands down from the CODE ROUX.
"Wait you... and Judau? Shopping for..." Leina is about to ASK for elaboration, but-
"... you know what, it's Judau."
She says that, as if telling herself she's being stupid to be surprised about that. She's going to ask for more information later but-
Leina eventually just walks over towards Banagher's booth.
"A splendid throw, your majesty." She asides to Maria, and George, before she turns to a different person crouched down nearby, "Not even in costume, Mister Links?" 'Links-Vist' still feels wrong to her tongue, especially with...
... well, she has a hard time with the name 'Vist' right now...
"On such a night you might as well be offering yourself to those gathered here tonight like a side of beef, fortunately, I think it would be gauche to devour one of our guests."
A fingertip strokes the Mini-Haro's head, "Just as gauche as the low hanging throat of utilizing the 'ring' you so generously provided me."
She looks over the edge of the booth, making a plucking motion on the Mini-Haro's Halo...
"Still, I have a reputation to uphold so... tempt me." A fanged grin, "A game piece as sacred as this one, surely you have something to offer me of value enough, to salvage this one's angelic dignity?"
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
Roux glances towards Leina for a moment, and then looks towards Yuliana during her migration.
"... wait, he did wh" Roux begins to say, which is probably the kind of cut-off that comes from when someone just got in T R O U B L E (cauldron burn and fire bubble!)
Roux's netered ANOTHER ZONE, though. She folds her arms then, her back, perhaps foolishly, to Yuliana and that whole mess, but never you mind - she has reasons to be huffy now. (Weird, Roux thinks. Why is she messing with Judau? Is this like Full Frontal? (Roux got bad vibes from Full Frontal for obscure reasons. Also the whole Neo Zeon thing.)) But her meditations are broken up even as she looks up and smiles at Banagher.
"Hey," she says to him softly. "How's it going? I'd like to play, if our kitten here hasn't gotten a whole hour lined up! Tell me the rules, huh?" She thinks she gets the idea from Maria, but you never know. You never... know.
<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.
Choosing demons carefully. Shari might like some choice in her demons, frankly. But that particular gripe is left behind, as she instead says, "Oooh, I thought it was familiar. The Goetia's super cool, isn't it? All these Dukes and Archdukes and Presidents..."
Considers. Reconciling friends, honor and dignity... "I guess that suits this kind of event, huh?"
A pause, as she glances Yuliana's way. Yuliana of course won't be able to sense the scrutiny. "Heh. I should get an events manager if that's what they do." Pause. "....She is. She's busy with other people. She likes stuff like this. Did you know? Her costume's from this old movie from the middle ages. She told me all about it."
She looks back to Sayla then, "...I like it a lot. I've got someone showing me around--Um, Leina introduced me to this... boy," she explains, and she smiles a little when she talks about him, without noticing. "And he's teaching me the language and stuff. Tonight, though..."
She looks up. "The kids are cute," she says when she looks back around the party. "And I like an excuse to get dressed up."
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"I like it." Anita replies, nodding back to Sayla. "This kind of thing leaves an impact - a good one. Lets 'em know there are people looking out for 'em, even if they don't have anything else in the world. Gives 'em a chance to relax. ...Might just be for one night, but that one night means a lot."
Her attention goes back to the ring toss game. Maria Louise follows her advice, and gets a ring around a Haro... and then gets overconfident, and just chucks the remaining two. Anita winces subtly.
...Well, what happens, happens, though Banagher's mistake also gets a wince out of her. ...Whoops.
She hides her expression by downing the rest of her cup, then takes a second to step away and find a place to safely dispose of it.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links-Vist has posed.
Should he go over to Leina? After everything Yuliana's done recently -- should Yuliana even be here? Sayla isn't against it, presumably, and this is her event. But Leina's always been vulnerable to Yuliana.
Worry builds in Banagher's heart, and in this moment where his walls are weak, the psychic noise of the crowd overwhelms him. Feelings, words, impulses, connections--
Banagher pitches forward in his hiding place, eyes squeezing shut. Fae noises echo around his shoulders, just out of reach, always in the corner of his vision (though his eyes are closed).
Up above, Maria throws both her rings at once, and the mini Haros attempt to adjust themselves to align with her toss... and both are successful! Mr. Hill turns to pick up another mini-Haro box. There are still dozens, perhaps even hundreds, behind the booth. The excess will be donated to the Yumi Foundation, of course.
--Leina.
Banagher's eyes open. The otherworldly sounds fade, returning to a tolerable level. The noise of the crowd is still overpowering, but --
He stands up, eyes slightly unfocused, looking to Leina. She's saying something. ...costume?
"Oh." Banagher smiles, a little absently. "I used all my time dressing up the mini-Haros, I forgot about myself."
Things get a bit clearer. He doesn't mind the 'Vist' being dropped -- it's really just for publicity. Leina's being playful. Banagher wants to join in, and he focuses, hard, on the physical reality around him.
"A... uh." He blushes softly. He's trying, really, he is. "A pox... on me for my, um... lack of effort! I deserve your scorn, my lady. I really am sorry about that. I didn't see you were with..."
A little sigh. No reason to poke at the Yuliana Problem now. "I'm so sorry. Did I mess up your makeup or hair?"
Roux arrives, and Banagher smiles at her gratefully. Another familiar presence helps him push back the overwhelming mass of strangers' hearts. "Well, besides hitting my girlfriend in the face with a mini Haro... Pretty good. Almost every kid wins the grand prize." He grins at that. "I'm glad to see you, Roux."
"It's pretty simple. You get three tries. If you can land a ring on three mini-Haros, you win one of your own. Or a plushie, or some candy, if you don't want a mini-Haro." Banagher explains, offering Roux the set of glowing rings. "I've got a feeling you're going to do just fine. How are the wedding plans going?"
Leina continues, and Banagher can't help but blush a bit more deeply. Right, back to playing along. "Something of value... You already have my, um -- precious baubles?" He looks at the mini-Haro in Leina's hand. "So I have nothing to offer you but my... very heart. I fear."
"Even should you not want it, it's yours. I'm helplessly entranced." Banagher reaches out, taking Leina's hand in his own, raising it to his lips for a soft kiss to her knuckles. "Please, let me trade my soul to save this innocent Haro."
He does a little better after warming up.
<Pose Tracker> Kikka Kobayashi has posed.
Kikka is surprised to hear this lady even handled Judau and Roux's wedding rings... she really does get around, huh? But Kikka remains fixated on hearing about the folklore...
"Oooooh," Kikka voices when Yuliana reveals that the Mistress is a spirit. "Yeah, I can see the resemblance. I've had to see some really old films for some study classes... and I'm impressed when even ancient ones have special effects that look like they're real."
She considers then, what it means, to be 'devoted' to the Mistress of the Copper Mountain. Those who were kind of her in spite of her true nature? "She 'keeps' them... that's pretty interesting wording, though. Some spirits of folklore make it a point to avoid interfering in human lives... I wonder if the Mistress would get lonely otherwise." She supposes it depends on the interpretation of the folklore whether the Mistress is seen to be kind, cruel, or complex.
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
'Messing' with Judau?
Yuliana might claim she was, if Roux put it to her that way, as if it were all a ruse she had full control over. It's easier to claim all the horrors that are her right than to admit that Ashtas, apparently, universally get under her skin.
Luckily, she can't read Roux's mind.
Leina, at least, is good enough to verbalise her confusion in a way she can respond to. (It's rather gauche to chase after Roux to clarify, so she's left hanging.) And with Leina, at least, she's more honest -- though, unfortunately, Kikka and Chienne and Chien can hear it, too. "He happened to come across me while I was trying to find a tattoo parlour that would suit us," and 'us' here isn't Yuliana and Judau, clearly, though Yuliana doesn't name her wife so plainly. "We got to talking, and... haa, one thing led to another... I suppose he was trying to bolster me, asking for help with such a normal thing. Your brother's an idiot, but he's quite sweet... well, since he was trying to help me, I felt it was only right to help him in turn."
She shakes her head, and glances away. "Anyway," she says, and it doesn't take a mindreader to know that she's a little embarrassed to say it all so plainly.
"Lonely... yes, perhaps so," she says, a shade melancholic, when Kikka muses on that. "Even mighty spirits with great realms have their own feelings... I know this better than most." She doesn't explain, though. Instead, Yuliana breaks away as well, with a smile and an, "Excuse me, I'd best make sure my niece is well." Yuliana has one of those?!
Apparently so, and it's not so difficult for Yuliana to find her, in the crowd. Don't ask too many questions about that. And -- "Hahaha," Yuliana says, as she steps up to Anita and Shari and Sayla. "Shari, dear, you wasted no time finding another witch!" She comes up to her, laying a hand on her shoulder -- though she's polite enough to keep Sayla at arm's reach. "What a wonderful costume," she smiles, to her. "And a wonderful event. I trust my donation hasn't caused too many problems for you, miss witch...?"
She gave a sizable donation to the Foundation, after all -- under the fake name of Zlata Makarova, but there are certain costs to operating in polite society when one is this wanted.
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
Another fanciful character emerges. He is extremely safe. He is in no way threatening. He is friend to all children. He is wearing a camo-pattern all-concealing 'wizard' robe, with an enormous cherry red bow tied at the neck. He also has a most magnificently wide wizard hat.
He also is armed with a most powerful magic wand, an RPG-7 with what sure the hell looks like an active rocket painted candy corn orange on the front. He is...the mercenary fairy godmother, Sousuke Sagara.
A child approaches. Distantly, his answer to an excitable question comes: "This one does not."
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
"It is," Sayla says, achieving a common ground. "I read it when I was much younger, and it left an impact." She may have even tried a summoning or two in her day. As to it suiting this sort of event. "A little, at least. Maybe it's a little charm for myself, too."
Sayla laughs a little. "That's what the good ones do, at least, but a part of the unspoken contract is annoying them by not letting them do that."
Somewhere at the party, a meltrandi dressed as a dark ages Britannian mobster sneezes.
"A middle ages movie, huh? That's certainly going back." Yuliana enjoying halloween is something of a surprise, honestly. "She certainly went all out. Not that you're slouching any."
Sayla nods. "Ah, you've been struck by the Matchmaker of Montserrat, I see." The fond smile on Sayla's face indicates that this is a common behaviour. "I hope the two of you are having a good time of it."
An excuse to get dressed up, huh. "We all need days like this, I think. A time to relax and the costumes can help some of us do it." She smiles. "And despite all the setup, it's certainly less effort than a gala."
Sayla nods in agreement with Anita. "That's what I hope. For some kids it's the first time they've gotten to go to something like this. And... life should be more than just surviving. You should be able to have moments of happiness and leisure too."
Still, her attention turns to Yuliana as she announces herself. Another witch? ...Nonetheless. "Mrs Marakova," She says, using said fake name, to keep with the game. "Shari was just telling me about your costume." She doesn't mention the other topics- it's up to Shari if she wants to know.
Still... that can't be pleasant for the young Whispered. "I've certainly heard no complaining from accounts." Of course, large donations from 'new' donors are always quarantined and checked, just to be on the safe side. "Are you having a good evening?"
<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.
"Nice. I used to be really into ancient demon stuff..." Less so these days, though. Still, it's nice to think of better times. "Heheh. I bet you can use all the good fortune you can get in your line of work." A beat, "Is that how it works? Hmmm..."
"Oh yeah, she's really into that." Shari smiles. "Thanks," about her costume, and then a laugh at Leina's title. "She does that, huh? Um, yeah. We're doing great. She passed me some of your slides, so I'm... doing fine, you know? I think it's really cool that you actually talked to her about that kind of thing..."
Shari smiles at Anita too, and it shows her fangs. She doesn't mean to be spooky but it comes with the bloody territory. Then, Yuliana approaches, and--
"Witches like me," Shari says plainly to Yuliana. She glances between the two. So they talk, too... Shari does not reveal her New Guy thus far. Instead--Sayla may notice that Shari displays no particular signs of discomfort around Yuliana. Maybe she's just that accustomed to it?
"Yeah, I mentioned you like those old movies," Shari explains. "...It is pretty cool, they're like, from the dawn of film and stuff."
Then she looks to Anita, "Your costume's really cool," as she's stepping away.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Leina... blinks as she hears Yuliana describe the incident, then laughs, "That's Judau alright. God, I shouldn't have even asked." She winks then asides to Roux, "With him, it's always self-explanatory, right?"
She does loft an eyebrow, amused, "Grabbing a sheet and poking some eyeholes was too much effort?" As she breaks character, on the spot.
There's a small giggle at his attempt, before she smiles, "Nah. The spot between the horns is supposed to look a little mussed anyway."
She's apparently not angry, even if she was exasperated at the time.
He does outline the rules, and-
"Hmmm. Tempting, but surely you do not take me as some common heart peddler-" She says, CONTRARY to her other title being spoken in the room right now by Sayla and Shari.
A glowing ring is taken, "-I deal not in anything so fickle as the tempestuous feelings that seethe within your breast-" And there's a tiny little fling. "-but something far more lasting."
As the ring plops right down, dead center upon Banagher's head, "Eternity." She declares dramatically, "The eternity of one's immortal soul. A contest, to see if you can maintain your hold upon it... for now? It remains your own."
As she points to the ring, "Little Angel." She smirks, as if she's costumed him. "But know that it is in peril the longer you play this game."
And then abruptly, Leina picks up the Mini-Haro from her shoulder, waggling it at Banagher as she shifts her voice to something a little more high pitched.
"Angel Haro says, there are no ethical billionaires Banagher~"
Her tone shifting to one of decisive teasing, before she walks backwards, waving it's tiny little Mini-Haro hand, leaving him with a ring on his head around his Anaheim Minions.
"Never forgettttttt~"
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
It doesn't take long for Anita to return - and it looks like someone else joins them soon after. Anita takes note of 'Zlata Makarova' with a slightly raised eyebrow, though her attention soon returns to Sayla.
"Absolutely." Anita replies with a grin. "That's what makes life really with living."
With that said... she turns her attention back to Yuliana. She catches the name Sayla uses for her. And so...
"Mrs. Marakova." Anita echoes Sayla's greeting, and offers her a nod and a tip of the hat - and one to Shari, who gives her a fangy smile. Come to think, she's pretty sure she's heard her voice before, too.
She doesn't mind spooky. It's the right day for it, after all.
"Nice outfit." She adds to Yuliana.
She's being genuine, at least. It is a really good costume. ...And from a movie, apparently?
"...Huh. That's pretty cool, actually." Anita considers. She wouldn't have guessed Yuliana had that kind of hobby.
Shari, meanwhile, compliments her costume, and Anita offers her a smile.
"Thanks, you think so?" She replies, then nods back. "Yours is pretty good, too. The blood's a nice touch - it's all about the little details."
<Pose Tracker> Marina Ismail has posed.
Another collection of children descend on the event grounds, some of them dressed in the pallor hues of ghosts and ghouls, others are garbed with gauzy wings and smokeless flames--djinn and pixies. Most of them scatter to the game booths and food stands, and some continue marveling aloud at the magic of a space colony, but a few linger close to their escort, clinging to her flowing skirts.
"Ah, not so fast--," their patron started, before she let a relieved sigh loose. Marina rested a gentle hand on one of the children stuck close to her. "Bahar, could you please make sure they do not run too far?"
Her guardian Marid, bedecked in chains, jangled his way forward, sweeping his eyes over the children. Shirin pushed Nasrin's wheelchair forward, the two rounding out Princess Ismail's entourage. Shirin had no costume on, insistent on keeping her ability to remain inconspicuous, but Nasrin, finally cleared from the ICU only to fling herself spaceward, had a mermaid tail spread over her leg cast.
Marina approached the elegant blonde witch, tipping her head down in greeting. "As-salaamu alaykum, Director Mass. The children are truly grateful for your generosity... As am I." She raised her head again, and tossed her serpentine-headed scarf over her shoulder--it wouldn't be the most obvious costume, but the Tailor Public of Azadistan did their best to fashion a fluttery outfit reminiscent of the Shahmaran. "This is the first time any of these children have been to space, and we are grateful for the chance to distract them."
Though some of the Azadistani children welcomed here were surrendered to mosques by unprepared parents, most were orphaned by the recent conflicts and the wave of upheaval that followed. Azadistan's coffers were struggling to restore infrastructure, and such a joyful event like this...
"I cannot thank you enough!"
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
The wedding ring...
It worries Roux on some level but inertia and habit keeps her from dwelling on it. Maybe she doesn't want to give Yuliana the satisfaction. And part of her remembers the Yuliana that took her to a dim sum dinner instead of yelling at her when she didn't manage to stop a Machine Beast.
But there's another ring in front of her.
Several.
Whenever you hear a story about Judau, it makes perfect sense... but only in hindsight. "Pretty much," Roux tells Leina, even as she glances momentarily back towards Yuliana BUT
BUT
G A M E
"So I guess the ring got organized," Roux tells Banagher. "We're still kind of orbiting around exactly what to do... I'm getting a great dress, though, and we're going to put our cash down for the cake soon. Don't worry, they're not gonna make it until it's just about day-of; we wouldn't want a stale cake, right?"
With that said, Roux turns the rings over in her hands and takes a dramatic stance, as if she's standing on a thin surfboard. Crouching down with a flutter of the feathered fringes, she tests one ring's weight, and then --
Toss!
Toss!
Toss!
Rapid succession! No doubt! No fear! Cobra k-- wrong chant!
"Are the mini-Haros full featured?" Roux asks Banagher, not even looking to see if she won or not. Is she that confident?
a mystery
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
"Oh! Wonderful!" Yuliana smiles, when Sayla mentions that Shari was talking about her costume. "Isn't Shari's marvellous, too? She's really captured the spirit of the event!" Really, is it that strange Yuliana enjoys Halloween? Her wife is an undying horror witch.
She smiles to Anita, too, looking over her steamwork ensemble. "Why, thank you," she says, graciously. "Yours is quite nice, as well. This is a piece the Mistress of the Copper Mountain wore, in the Stone Flower -- one of the modern adaptions, of course, the original film has long since been lost. Artyom Leontiyevich Viktorov's work? I don't suppose you've heard of it?" Probably not, unless Anita also likes reimaginings of ancient films. Not to say that Viktorov hasn't put out a couple of new and original pieces, in his career, but he has a niche.
Well, okay, his niche is recreations of ancient cinema and translating theatre plays to the big screen, but both of those are still pretty niche.
"I'm glad it's caused no trouble for you," she goes on, looking back to Sayla, on the topic of her donation. The money is even clean! "And the event has been wonderful... I've had to encourage a few children to get involved, but is it any wonder some of them are shy? They've had a terrible time of it." And she even looks bothered about that.
"And they do quite like you, don't they?" She adds, smiling, to Shari. Strangely, her smile is in no way forced or painted on; she actually seems entirely warm, to the girl. And since she's keeping her distance from Sayla, Shari mustn't be bothered by her aura. Strange, isn't it? "Yes, the dawn of film -- why, the Stone Flower was first filmed shortly after they'd figured out how to add colours to cinema! And that was only a breath before they'd figured out how to add sound! Do you know they used to call movies 'talkies', specifically because they were films where the actors spoke?" Oh no, Yuliana really IS interested in this, oh no, she's getting on a tangent --
Phew, Marina is here. "Salam," she greets her, in conversational Arabic -- knowing enough to use the first part of the greeting of peace, and enough not to invoke the traditional response since she wasn't spoken to -- before she switches back to English to say to Sayla: "How wonderful that you were able to give them this opportunity."
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links-Vist has posed.
Banagher gives Leina a grateful smile at her easy forgiveness. "Thanks, love..."
A sheet with eyeholes? Banagher laughs softly at the thought, still coming out of his overwhelmed state. "I guess I didn't think of that. I picked up a headband with a unicorn horn at a drug store on the way, but I thought -- it might be a little much."
Tilting his head gently as Leina takes a ring, Bangaher listens to Leina's flowery prose, his smile sweet. It's good to see her enjoying herself, especially with a hobby Leina's always treasured, and--
Banagher blinks. He has been caught, ring and all. Fluffy brown hair holds the glowing circle atop his head easily. He goes almost-crosseyed, trying to look up at the ring, before glancing back to the young woman he loves.
"Isn't that what I offered?" He murmurs, smiling. "A game-- oh."
His smile fades, turning a little rueful. Leina is playing, still, but her words are serious. Banagher lowers his eyes for a moment, glancing back to her as she begins to retreat.
"Thank you, Angel Haro, and devil princess. I swear I shall not disappoint you." He sweeps a hand to his chest and bows -- finishing his own performance.
...he and Leina really need to talk about the whole Vist/Anaheim thing... Even so, the ring is left in place atop his head.
Though Leina makes her exit, Roux remains, and Banagher turns a faint smile her way. It's good to hear the rings are taken care of -- he can't help but think of the one atop his head again, though.
"Oh man, I can't wait to see the dress. And cash down for a cake?" He grimaces slightly. "How expensive can it be? But -- yeah, you don't want a stale one... Geez, money down for a cake."
Banagher goes quiet as Roux takes a fierce stance..! He doesn't want to interfere with her process. Woah, a triple toss..!
Confident as ever, Roux doesn't even look at the aftereffect of her work. Banagher whistles lowly. "That's the fastest grand prize of the night... Yeah, they're top of the line, just released last HaroCon. Of course, you're working with a smaller processor because of the size, but it's really not noticeable unless you're doing intense calculation work."
Mr. Hill steps forward, offering Roux a lilac-purple mini-Haro box. "Congratulations."
"That was so cool!" Banagher exclaims. "How did you do that?"
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
"Too true," Sayla admits. "The foundation's pretty stable, but the more we have, the more things we can do to help. Still, I'd be looking at someone else for riches."
"She does. I'd dare say she's pretty good at it." The slides, hm? "There's a full set, I try to keep them up to date. The time I spent living in Britannia showed me how woeful the field was, so when I went into practice I wanted something better for my patients. And I certainly wanted to make sure Leina was prepared." That topic, however, disappears before Yuliana arrives.
"Shari's been a fine conversation partner," Sayla says, to make sure there's no indication she's being put upon.
Sayla smiles again at Anita. "Exactly. Everyone deserves moments worth living for." Hard to provide, sometimes, but-
Marina, with her gaggle of orphans, gets a smile and a nod as well. "It is no trouble, Your Highness. I am glad that they can join us tonight. I wish you all a night to remember." It was no secret Azadistan was struggling. "Please, enjoy yourself." She reaches into her pouch again pulling out a couple of small trinkets for the children clinging to Marina's skirts. Up close, once can see what they are- small toys, with a witchy theme. Little bats and black cats, all with tiny witches hats. They wouldn't look out of place in a gachapon machine, honestly, but they're just big enough to be safe.
"Indeed it is. And it's not a halloween party without a Vampire." Yuliana's comment about having ot encourage children does earn a slightly somber look from Sayla. "Indeed. This is new territory for some of them, and such events can be overwhelming. Some of the beneficiaries who've come to our events before like to offer to help them get used to it, but there's always so many new first timers." A worrying number, to be honest.
How odd. Shari seems unaffected. That's... something to keep in mind for the future. Or is it because the voice is quiet when she's around Yuliana? Something to consider. "I hope to continue to do so. Children should have a chance to be children."
Not that she would know anything about having a child who doesn't know how to be a child.
<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.
"I've got no complaints," Shari says of Leina's matchmaking. "Ugh, you're so right. They don't prepare us for anything like that in Britannia." Which is where she's from, as it haappens!
And to Anita, "Thanks! It was tricky to get the blood consistency just right--fake blood off the shelf doesn't always last long enough."
But with Yuliana here, "Yeah... She can be really encouraging," Shari says, without using her name. She of course has heard this tangent before, so she doesn't say a lot about it--but--
She also doesn't say anything in Arabic. She smiles at the orphans, and does her best not to look awkward about it.
"But thanks," she says, moving back to talk about her, "I figure, kids like scary stuff. I did, when I was a kid." Which she obviously isn't now. Obviously.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"Yeah, I bet. They usually cheap out on that kind of stuff. Which, I mean, I get, but if you want something that looks just right sometimes it's just not good enough." Anita replies with a shake of her head toward Shari. Sayla, meanwhile, gets a smile too.
"Definitely." She agrees.
And then, Yuliana... The Mistress of the Copper Mountain, huh? They really have hit on one of her big hobbies.
"Can't say that I have." Anita replies. Her zone's pretty wide, but it's definitely still outside of it.
Now, if it was any of those old holiday movies she's probably seen them more times than she can bear, courtesy of spending half of her childhood in Winter Wonderland.
And Yuliana's... really getting into it too, actually. Anita's actually kind of taken aback - at least until there's a brief distraction. More kids! As Sayla hands out trinkets, Anita offers them a smile and a wave and moves to subtly press a button on her arm, causing the pipes on her shoulder to emit jets of 'steam'.
...It is true, though - sometimes this sort of thing can be overwhelming at that age, when they've been through what they have. But still...
"...Yeah. It can be rough, but it's good for them to at least know the chance is there." Anita agrees.
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
Yuliana would hope, to Marina, that Azadistan is doing better after Celestial Being's intervention, but...
... she can't say something like that out loud. There are a lot of things she does, for good or for ill, that she can't verbalise.
But she's glad, at least, the children get to be here. And when she spies one of them glancing her way, she crouches down to produce a green sour-apple candy stick, as if it appeared right from her glistening scales. "The Mistress of the Copper Mountain sees those of good nature and clever craftsmanship," she tells him, gently, "so please, take this." She manages to delight a child. Thankfully, the candy she hands over is from the same stock of candy Sousuke personally vetted (did he hold the candy up?! with a gun?!), so Sayla doesn't have to worry about anything untoward.
Straightening back up, she says, of Shari: "I'm not surprised she's been an apt conversationalist. She's a very clever young woman. Half the time, I swear she's teaching me things!" This may even be true. Yuliana is a talented mechanic, but Shari is -- special.
"The events of this world can wound children terribly," Yuliana sighs, speaking more quietly, for the adults around her. (And Shari. She's close enough. Not a kid, certainly!) "It's neither fair nor equitable... they do deserve better. A chance, as you say," she's nice enough to allow Anita, nodding to her.
"But you enjoyed scary things as a child, dear?" Yuliana adds, looking back to Shari. "My! No wonder I found you where I did!" And what she means by that may not be clear to Anita or Sayla, but -- Shari knows that she knew Elisa before Yuliana ever did. "Haa, I admit I was never much one for it, as a child... but I've grown more fond of the holiday as an adult."
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
Roux is discernibly but subtly surprised she actually pulled it off, but as she straightens up she just settles into a big old ^_^ faced expression and rubs the back of her neck. "Well, you know, you just have to learn the angle right! This is a lot more fair than real carnival games, you know. They do all kinds of tricks on those."
("And uh, these are heavy duty cakes, you know. It's not just something you can bake at home. I think they actually reserve your liqueurs for you.")
Roux then reaches forwards to receive the lilac box, saying with a lowering of her eyes, "It's so fair I'm wondering, Banagher." She leans in a little, confidentially, to say quietly: "Are you setting this up to give away Haros to worthy homes...?"
("Is it true I can get Haro to clean up a room or two?")
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
"Just know that there's more if you need it. You can just ask Leina." She'll let Shari approach it at her own pace, but knowing the resources are there are important.
She's quiet as Shari talks about the encouraging other witch. Something else to keep in mind, she supposes. "...Well, if you still are, they put a lot of work into the haunted house this year. I don't know it would impact someone your age that much but, well... We want the fun sort of scary not the sort of scary that will give flashbacks." It's why there was no rolling thunder in the opening spiel- not to mention so many spacenoid kids don't understand a storm.
"...It's easier to hope for better things when you have the chance to experience them. And it's hard to live without hope." Her voice is quiet, as thought to not let the darker topics reach the children's ears.
It's a little strange to see how well Yuliana is handling the children, but... there was a reason she helped the foundation operate in the REA. Maybe she just likes kids. "...Quite. We have to do what we can to mend those wounds. Maybe one day no child shall have to suffer like that again." It's a big hope... but big hopes are just as necessary as little ones. "And if tonight does that, even a little, it's worth every expense."
Looking out at the crowd tonight, having fun, enjoying the party...
Sayla definitely considers tonight worth it.