Game Opening: May Ball

[undergroundmods]

LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED.

"" (Watch on YouTube)

It had to be done.

Welcome all to the Redbright Institute's May Ball! This evening is a celebration of the Institute's achievements over the past year. Students aged 16 and above can attend on their own, while younger students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Meanwhile, friends and guests of the Institute are invited as a gesture of friendship and harmony between the various factions.

Rules and etiquette
• This is a black tie event. Formal attire is required.
• No weapons. This is a school, there are children present. Any weapons or objects that could be used as weapons will be confiscated.
• No drugs or alcohol. Obviously. Don't try to sneak any in.
• No violence.

There is security within the school and present at the event. (In fact, if your character is a member of the Redbright Institute, you could have them acting as security if you want.) They will respond to and put a stop to any trouble.

Places to go
The main action takes place in the large Assembly Hall. This is where the Chancellor Sylvia Redbright will give her address. It's also where you can party later on. The disco is family-friendly – not exactly a rave, but the kids will love it.

Drinks and snacks are available in the dining hall. The drinks are non-alcoholic. Vampires, no need to worry about your cravings: blood cocktails are provided! They're given in good faith on the assumption that you won't be snacking on anyone else tonight.

Just off the dining hall, one of the classrooms has been converted into a chill-out area. The lights are off, the desks and chairs have been replaced by beanbags and there's a table in the corner with a chocolate fountain, marshmallows and strawberries. A video of young witches taking part in various night-time rituals (they mostly seem to involve chanting and bonfires) plays silently on the screen.

One of the lecture theatres has been opened up to showcase students' work from the past year. On the screen you can watch a slideshow of notable events and achievements. Strangely enough there aren't many people in this room.

Outside, there is a giant chessboard on the lawn. The pieces are made of plastic and can easily be moved around. Why, you ask? Why not, is the answer.

Finally, a large marquee has been set up in the quad. This is the adults-only area, with wine and cocktails served at the bar, nibbles available at a few high tables dotted around and a sophisticated atmosphere. No children under 18 allowed. (Note that the legal drinking age is 18.)

Timeline of events
20:00 – Doors open.
20:57 – Sunset.
21:15 – Sylvia Redbright makes her address in the Assembly Hall.
22:00 – Disco in the Assembly Hall. The DJ has atrocious taste.
01:00 – Disco stops. The event officially ends.

Comments

[stauncherhearted]

She tossed her long red hair over her shoulder, letting it tumble down her back, exposing her neck more than she should have, perhaps. But when that was part of what you sold, it was always good to put it on display. But she didn't know Cooper was a vampire, by any means.

She doesn't dance away, but instead, takes her own step forward, almost as if she were dancing with him. "Something like that. Why? You think you can show this girl a good time?" If he could pay for the ticket, he could have the meal.

Her charm was still visible, the amulet that kept her safe from mind-control and vampires.

[emotioneater]

The look of her neck, young and pulsing with life, is enough to bring forth temptation inside Cooper. He's eaten not more than an hour ago, but there's a big difference between blood from a glass and a live victim wriggling around underneath him. His fangs ache to come out and pierce through into Nancy's veins. There's a moment where a look of desperate hunger crosses his face.

Then it's gone. He reigns the beast back in. After all, this is someone he knows. Friends don't munch on friends. He gives a toothy grin, matching her step for step. "Of course. Stick with me 'n life is anythin' but boring."

[stauncherhearted]

That look. She knows that look, but she doesn't say anything. Just lets her smile tug her lips up further.

"Yes, so far I've already almost been run-over. What other fun things do you have planned, hmm?" An arched eyebrow, but it's all in fun. She can't hardly be irritated with him here.

A thought occurs to her. "What are you?"

[emotioneater]

"Oh, I've got a whole host of near-death experiences I could plan out if that's your thing." He laughs at his own joke. The music swells and he grabs her hand, twirling Nancy around and then pulling her in close. There's a beat beforr he responds to her question.

"Vampire. You?"

[stauncherhearted]

She follows his lead effortlessly, spinning into his arms, her hands on his waist.

"Ooh- that explains the near-death experiences then." She tossed her hair slightly, a simple charm keeping her neck from scarring. "Witch." Which, explains his tires.

[emotioneater]

"So that's where the instant karma came from." He'd hold it against her, but it was a pretty good piece of magic and there'd been no lasting damage to his motorcycle. They've got a good rhythm going now as they move in time, the current song fading out and a new one almost as indistinguishable takes its place. "Glad t'see you're still here. Not everyone reacts to meeting a bloodsucker with such grace."

[stauncherhearted]

Nancy just smiles, not saying anything in favor of changing tempo just slightly.

"I've dealt with more than just a few vampires in my life," she explains patiently. "Comes with, pardon the pun, the territory." Circle Midnight had no territory of their own, hence, not wanting a pun. She'll wait, though, before she tells him her prices. See if he's even interested in having a bite for the night.

[emotioneater]

"Now there's an enigmatic statement if I ever heard one. Which faction d'you run with, then?" He doubts it's Circle Daybreak. She's got just a little too much of a bad girl vibe to have tied her lot to that bunch of peacekeepers.

[stauncherhearted]

"I'm nothing if not enigmatic." It was more fun to be a little mysterious. "Midnight, easy." Again, she wasn't one for politics so long as no one shut down her operations. Probably why it was easier to be part of Circle Midnight. No one really cared.

[emotioneater]

"True enough. You're like one of those girls that shows up in a film noir movie. The inner monologue goes on about how the private eye knows she's trouble but he decides to help her anyway." He sort of hopes she'll be trouble. His life has been far too quiet as of late and could use a little bit of excitement.

[stauncherhearted]

"Well, it's a good thing you mentioned that," she said, gazing up at him and blinking her long eyelashes as innocently as she could, given how they were dancing.

"I think someone's trying to kill me." She leaned in closer, dropping her volume, playing up the role of femme fatale, her lips just barely next to his ear.

[emotioneater]

Her neck is so close when she leans in and the distraction it presents is almost enough to make him lose focus. His tongue runs around the inside of his mouth and his canines are just itching to grow longer. It's like a game of high-stakes chicken. His voice sounds thick as he answers her. "Oh? Is he a tall, dark stranger you only ever see in the shadows?"

[stauncherhearted]

"No," she said. "He's tall, blond, and tried to run me over with his motorcycle." She pulls back, grinning at him. She's a bit of a tease, and she knows it, but it was all part of the job, the game. Besides, judging from the weight of Cooper's voice, he'd been enjoying it too.

[emotioneater]

"Ha. You're a riot." He's trying not to act amused, because that'll mean she's won this round, but it's not working out too well. Cooper's natural expression tends towards a smile. "'Sides, if I really wanted t'kill you, I'd have tried biting you by now." He tries to phrase it lightly, but there's a tightness around his eyes that betrays that he really has been tempted by Nancy. He can't help it. His hunger is always present just beneath the surface. Like a shark, he's never truly satisfied.

[stauncherhearted]

"Glad you think so," she says cheekily, still dancing. She was playing a very dangerous game right now, but it was one she enjoyed. She was mostly safe, with the charm around her neck. And Cooper was very much right. If he wanted to kill her, he would have done it by now.

"And I say why give something away for free when you can get paid for it? 40 pounds for a bite, the prices go from there." This was the part where either he got disgusted and shoved her away, or took her up on her offer.

[emotioneater]

So that's where she had been going with this. Back in the States, the common term used to call girls like that was the less than flattering blood sluts. They were usually downtrodden, drug-addicted wretches who hung around the bar Cooper had partially owned. He'd fed off of them many times because it was easy and because his boss had made a rule about not feeding off the unwilling.

Here, it was different. He could feed off who he chose and when he liked. Nancy was hardly like glassy-eyed waifs who could barely stand up. Of the two of them, she'd been the one more in control this whole time. Cooper cocks his head at an angle, considering the proposition. This isn't something he jumps into lightly. "You got yourself a deal, sweet-pea."

[stauncherhearted]

she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. perfect. 40 pounds to start wasn't bad. "we'll find someplace private." she hated doing it in public. especially not where Stiles could see. she needed to keep him out of this part of her life right now.

"how do you want it?" did he want to play, or just do it quick and dirty? some wanted her to put up a fight, which was extra. or they wanted to sleep with her, too. all of it was on the table. if you had the money. "cash upfront." safety precaution.

[emotioneater]

Cooper allowed himself to be led off the dance floor. In a school, there was always plenty of dark corners to hide in for whatever nefarious deeds were being plotted. Finding one would take no time at all. He pulled his wallet out, sliding the money discreetly into Nancy's hand.

He considered his options, one finger tracing lines down both the curve of her neck and the thin skin on her wrists. "Let's start slow." He's a bit more hesitant thab he would be with a stranger. He wants to see what he likes before bringing any sort of playing into the situation. His fingers close around her wrist with an ironclad grip that belied his skinny frame and bring it up to his mouth. He pauses just before his fangs come out. "Ready?"

[stauncherhearted]

The money is in her purse by the time they reach a deserted corner. Perfect.

The money had exchanged hands, so she was his for the next few minutes, shivering as he touched her. Gentle. But rough, she thought, as he brought her wrist to his mouth. It's interesting that he asks. Most would just bite and be done with it. "Ready," she says, bracing herself for the sharp pang of teeth against skin.

[emotioneater]

Cooper bites down, his fangs puncturing her skin in one swift move. As the blood runs down his throat, he loses himself in the moment. This is the best feeling in the world. Better than alcohol, drugs, or even sex. There's a faint undercurrent of self-loathing that accompanies the feeding, as always, but he'll deal with that later. All he can focus on right now is the sensation of Nancy's blood, sweet and warm as any he's ever tasted, running over his tongue.

He drinks his fill, and though he's tempted to drink even more, he won't. Reluctantly, Cooper lifts his mouth away from her wrist. His tongue snakes out one last time to catch the last few droplets that still spill out.

[stauncherhearted]

She tosses her head back, closing her eyes at the slight pain of teeth against flesh. It's not a bad feeling, being fed off of. Hardly orgasmic, there was still a similar rush. Not to mention, the act in and of itself was incredibly intimate.

When he's done, she lets out a breath she doesn't realize she's been holding, and takes her wrist back. Idly, she runs a finger across the bite. It appears to close itself, when in reality, it's only a small charm, healing and concealing. She doesn't need Stiles asking questions, and a woman who had a fresh bite-mark was not exactly high on most vampire's lists for feeding off of. She had to maintain a certain air.

Feeling light-headed, she looks up at Cooper, a little pale from blood loss. "How do I taste?"

[emotioneater]

His tongue runs over his teeth, savoring the lingering taste of blood in his mouth. He's feeling on top of the world now. His fangs are still out as he answers Nancy. "Sweet. Like a Popsicle."

He notes the way her marks magically disappear. "Clever girl", he thinks to himself, though he doubts if she will appreciate the words spoken aloud. Then he notes her porcelain skin has gone paler than before. "You all right there, sweet-pea? I didn't drain too much now, did I?" He'd tried to keep himself in check. Still, it's easy to lose himself in the moment. Normally, he wouldn't show nearly this much interest or concern in someone he'd fed off of. But Nancy's not just a warm meal, she's a friend.

[stauncherhearted]

"that's the first time I've heard Popsicle," she says slyly, "I expected champagne." considering how much she'd been drinking tonight.

Nancy nods. "No, I'm fine. Again- alcohol. You took a good amount, don't worry." she had a client or two that liked to push the limit.

She regards Cooper and his teeth. "and you didn't spill a drop! I'm impressed- you been at this a long time?" it was more rhetorical. New vamps tended to make a mess of everything. and drain far, far too much. she did her best to avoid letting them feed off her, but it wasn't always possible.

[emotioneater]

"Good. If you faint on me, there's no guarantee I'll catch you." He winks at her to show he's joking. He's not that mean.

"Yeah. A long, long time." His eyes seem to fix on a point far away, somewhere in the distant past. Two-hundred and seventeen years he's been doing this. He may have great control now, but there's a hell of a body count he's got behind him leading up to this point.

[stauncherhearted]

Sorry, Cooper, but she doesn't trust you not to let her drop.

"I won't ask," she said seriously. She'd long ago learned that physical and mental age were two completely different things. She'd met a child vampire who had been alive for perhaps three hundred years, but was still in the body of a five-year-old. She couldn't imagine what that was like.