[open] Vampire Ball - May 26th (backdated)

[baisant]

The invitations go out a week in advance. Some of which are hand written (ink on parchment, of course), to those of whom he wishes to see personally, though of course they are welcome to bring guests. The more the merrier, or so the saying goes. Especially in the case of such an event as this. Jean-Claude is vying for the spot of President of the Night Council, after all, and while the event is not technically connected to the election, timing is everything, mes amis. And what an event it is.

The instructions on the invitation are quite simple. There is to be a ball. But not just any ball, a Vampire Ball. If you are a vampire, an ally, or interested in becoming both, you are more than welcome to attend. It is a night to celebrate the collective history of the Nest of London. Formal historical costume is a requirement of attendance. Masks will be allowed as well, though the event is technically not a masquerade. All wood and silver will be checked at the door, for this is a night of entertainment.



The event is being held in a private historic home, presumably for the atmosphere. In the foyer there is a coat check (along with wood and silver check, courtesy of Guilty Pleasure's well-loved bouncers). The guests are funneled through from there into the main ballroom, where yes, there is a live string quartet playing. How did Jean-Claude afford such decadence? It helps when you have lived for so long as he has and have had very little to spend money on besides clothes and decadence. It certainly couldn't be his own private residence -- could it?

Off to the side of the ballroom is an array of chaise lounges and other sofas and chairs, while on the other may be located several tables of refreshments. It is clearly indicated which table is intended for the vampires and which is for those who are still among the living. There is another bouncer posted on watch over the refreshments, and the punch in particular -- they need not have a repeat of the last time someone spiked their drinks in such a fashion after all. There is quite a selection of finger foods on the table for those who are so inclined to partake in such delicacies, and there are offers of champagne, wine, and punch for that table. There are finger foods on the other table as well, although not as many, and each one has an accompanying card indicating the donor's name and blood type, just in case you were wondering why they were for the vampires.

The house is of course bigger than the ballroom and the foyer, but few guests are allowed to venture up the front stairs or beyond the little hall to where the restrooms are located. That does not mean, of course, that there are not those who manage to sneak past the little corded ropes meant to keep such troublemakers within check, especially when the bouncers are otherwise preoccupied. There are all sorts of fun rooms to explore.

And so many costumes from so many eras! Guests are encouraged to talk amongst themselves and share memories of the good old days for those lived through them, or ask questions if there are curiosities from those who did not. Today is a golden age, Islington Nest is at its strongest yet, and it is a time to celebrate what it is to be Vampire. There is more to such a life than drinking blood and having fangs, a sophistication and experience beyond the hunger. If nothing else, Jean-Claude hopes to share this with the attendees on this evening.

Which at least manages to begin without a hitch, but if you should manage to stay for the end of the night, prepare for some fireworks to ensue. For what is a party without a little drama...


(ooc note: anyone is welcome to attend, though if you are anti-islington you will not get very far in the door before being turned away. certain allies/those who have helped jean-claude in the past will have received direct invitations, but there is a general buzz passed around the nest and islington allies ahead of time that will have spread through the supernatural community leading up to the day itself. as stated above, historical costume is a must -- vampires are encouraged to wear something from an era they lived through, though humans are welcome to whatever they desire! masks are fun so wear one if you like though there will be no anonymity here.

details will be in jean-claude's comment below, but his ex, asher, is going to be crashing the party at the end of the night, so if you're there for the end of the evening expect that as well. i will make a comment for asher as well on his own so you can tag with him before the main event if you decide you'd like to skip out on the fireworks as he and jean-claude butt heads for the first time in hundreds of years.)

Comments

Asher (NPC)

[baisant]

Asher stalks through the crowd like a tiger in a cage, carefully sizing up his victims for the hunt. He is dressed head to toe in his finest white and gold silk suit, and everything from the shine on the buckles of his shoes to his hair, like spun gold as it spills about his shoulders, is perfection. Even the mask he wears is second to none. He glitters among the party-goers, and it is a surprise that Jean-Claude does not recognize him right from the start. It would serve him right if he did. But Jean-Claude is otherwise preoccupied. And so Asher stalks the party and sews his seeds of doubt among the guests, before the main event as it were.

The mask covers the whole of his face, so no one may see his scars. Unfortunately it means that he is not at liberty to sample any of the refreshments either. It is no matter. He establishes himself, a bright flame lurking in the dark corners of the room, and waits for them to come to him. They always did. Drawn to his beauty, like a moth towards the flame. So long as they cannot see his face, they will come.

[dredefulchilde]

The mask is hardly inconspicuous.

Costume balls are one thing--vampires are quite attached to their history and most of the garments on display tonight are likely originals--but masks just complicate things. Particularly full-face ones. How good can the security possibly be if just anyone can traipse right in, provided they look suitably dressed? Jean-Claude's just inviting trouble.

Joscelin finds himself tracking the tall stranger, watching as he circles the room. He hasn't even moved his mask to eat or drink, which is fairly suspect behavior at a party. Joss has a bad feeling about the whole thing, and it's not going away.

Oh, to hell with it.

"Excuse me, sir. I don't believe we've been introduced...?"

[baisant]

Asher would not be inconspicuous, even without the mask. How can a man such as himself hide in plain sight? If he had been as he once was, then he, like Jean-Claude, would turn heads with a smile and a glance. His long golden hair, handsome face, pretty blue eyes and debonair smile. But Jean-Claude took that away from him, when he let them take his Julianna. When he let them take his face. And now he will turn their heads because of his scars. So no, he will not go into such a place as this without something to hide behind. It is just as well that Jean-Claude has made it a costume party. He always did have a flare for the dramatics.

He turns at the sound of the voice. A little voice, accompanying a little vampire. His eyes take in the boy for a long moment, trailing up and down his little outfit and gathering his measure, but Asher has lived even longer than Jean-Claude, and he knows better than to underestimate the little vampire just because he is a boy. Still. He cannot help but amuse himself at the fact that this is the only one to question him, amongst the throngs of party-goers in the crowd.

"I do not suppose we have," he replies, airily, his accent thickly laced with French, as though he is not accustomed to speaking in English though his words are fluent. "I did not realize that Jean-Claude had a pet."

[dredefulchilde]

"Hardly a pet, monsieur," Joscelin replies, switching seamlessly to French as soon as he hears the man's accent. For once, he doesn't respond to the baiting, though he wants to. His instincts tell him that the man is dangerous; he doesn't want to risk a scene. Instead he smiles ironically, gesturing down to himself. "I am entirely my own, er, man, so to speak"

He offers a brisk, but polite bow. "May I tempt you in a glass of wine, monsieur?" Anything to get the man to remove the mask.

[emotioneater]

Cooper watches the stranger, bright and beautiful and every inch what one would expect a graceful creature of the night to appear like. There's something nagging at the back of his mind as if he's seen this stranger before somewhere. Not face to face, but maybe as if he's seen a picture of him.

Ah well. It will come to him eventually. Until then, he watches as Asher glides among the guests, talking with all of them, but never removing his mask to eat anything. Most curious. Eventually, Cooper finds himself close to the mysterious guest at hand. "I suppose you must have come from far away t'attend this," he tells the stranger.

[baisant]

Asher turns to glance aside at the other vampire, for vampire is what he is. He can recognize that much, even if he does not know him otherwise. He wonders what might have given him away, but he supposes that such a thing is not hard to guess, even before speaking to him aloud. After all, he holds himself much the same as Jean-Claude, with the air of the French court about him, and not just in his clothes.

"After I received such an invitation," Asher replies, his accent thick as butter, "how could I not?"

[emotioneater]

There's something about an old predator that the younger ones are sometimes able to recognize. Cooper can sense it now, that for all this man's graceful ways, there's something lying below the surface. "John Cooper, Marquess of Hackney 'n Vampire Representative on the Night Council." Normally, he isn't one for pulling titles out, but he figures on an occasion like this, it's a good first impression he can make on other vamps.

He holds out a hand for Asher to shake, asking a question as he does so. "Are you acquainted well with the host?"