undergrounds | Game Opening: May Ball

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Game Opening: May Ball

LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED.

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 The lights are off, the desks and chairs have been replaced by beanbags and there's a table in the corner with a chocolate fountain, marshmallows and strawberries.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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

But it wasn't damaged. And if anything, it's teaching her how to get better at possessing electronics, which means it'll be easier for her to take over his computer. These are all positives.

"I'm sure it was a decent party for the time you ran it. Maybe look into being a DJ yourself."

Mischief for the greater good. If only the DJ understood her totally altruistic intentions, but alas. DJ Stephen likes his privacy.

Scarily enough, she does seem to consider the suggestion for a good few moments. "It would give me a good reason to practice on more complex bits of machinery. It'd have to be for the supernatural community though - maybe I could do funerals?"

... what have you done, Will. What have you done.

Edited (ggggrammar) 2015-05-25 21:59 (UTC)

There's a long pause here, mentally going over every funeral he's been to, where the direct family members only had the required amount of misery investment and everyone else was there for the free food.

Add in supernatural types because this is assuming she won't take a human mouthpiece for her hard efforts.

"...That might work," stated with a bemused tone, but whatever mental tirade he gets trapped in is nearly visible, staring off into space and one finger absently tracing the rim of his drink. "No idea where you'll get a mix kit."

"It can't be too hard to make one, right?"

The more she considers the idea, the more it grows on her - influenced in no small part by her longstanding belief that funerals are a fun get-together for the whole family. If her eyes were remotely normal looking, there'd be stars. "Or I'm sure there's one around that nobody would want. If someone let the DJ here have one it can't be too hard."

It is way harder to do than she's assuming and he is not having his apartment suddenly turn into a ghostly mixing studio.

Yet, it really says something for how strongly she feels about it. The air is saturated to the point of nausea with the myriad of vibrations coming off from this room, residues flowing through the walls from the dance hall muddling it up worse. Ghosts get swept up in the normal wear and tear of an empty room, but in this crowd her tone resounds, one tiny tap of a tuning fork and the echo that comes back is a burst of excitement and joy.

He doesn't even know her name.

"For the record, good kids wait until their birthday to start begging for presents."

You're an old softy, Will. A big ol' teddy bear under all that grump.

It takes a moment for his statement to sink in, past the building enthusiasm and wild ideas... but when it does, oh boy. She goes ethereally still, staring, trying to work out how much of it is a joke and whether she should laugh along. Because it has to be, right? She's getting in over her head and he's probably irritated, and part of why she hates the more positive moods is it makes her remember, too late, that other people have feelings too.

Presents weren't really a thing in the Megido household. Mostly thanks to Damara's bad habits.

"Oh, I-- probably sounded overbearing. Sorry!" The cheerful mood lingers, even as she tries to clamp it back down. "It'd be easier to scrounge one up somewhere, wouldn't it."

"No."

It immediately follows her first statement, not even a breath's pause, and he shouldn't be surprised. No one translates him easily, if at all. It's part of why it was just easier to give up on socializing. What's the point if nobody gets it, if there's no ability to use the same nuances they do, no hope of even understanding them?

Eh, whatever. Not like the missteps are anything new. The rest of the whiskey is downed without a second thought. There's no reaction in his face or tone otherwise, to the drink or to her concession. "Wouldn't be good quality. You'll have to settle for refurbished, but it's better than runoffs."

Still as she is, it's easier to catch his expression (or lack thereof) as it happens. The fact that she botched her hasty apology is obvious, if his sudden emptiness is any indication, but she's not sure what part caused the sudden rejection. Or... not rejection, as the conversation isn't over. Asking is an option, but that might make it worse, ugh.

Bleh. Feelings. Who needs them, apathy is way easier. Except it's harder for her to slip back into once she's started being positive.

"Some quality is better then no quality, though. And it'd be a place to start."

Edited (watches dw eat a whole sentence) 2015-05-27 06:57 (UTC)

This is just getting worse. He didn't want to ruin her good mood and attempting to encourage it just ruined it and- ugh. To hell with it. Being blunt is the only thing he's known for, so may as well keep doing it.

"I didn't mean to ruin your happiness. It's rare for ghosts to react that strongly." Since you know, losing ability to grasp the things that once helped them feel alive, et cetera. Clara's a rarity, around long enough to cement her presence.

Ghost Girl... not so much. And if letting her explode his lightbulbs and blast creepy techno music at ungodly hours of the night helps that, then why not.

"Don't take my intentions wrong. It's not a hindrance."

Sometimes things can be talked out rationally. For everything else, there's a sledgehammer.

"I probably needed to be reined in a bit, so it's okay." Social cues were never Aradia's forte, and it's just her luck that it carried on into unlife. The burst of genuine emotion was surprising, and added to the past happenings of the evening could present some new insight into how her head functions now - but this isn't the time to ghost-geek it out, internally or otherwise.

... what was she talking about again? Oh, right. "It doesn't usually get that full on, honestly. But if it's really not a hindrance, then hmm. I think my old apartment's still empty..."

Okay, so she's maybe geeking out a little. Spending an entire evening surrounded by the living ends up infectious.

That's good enough of a confirmation Ghost Girl got his intent, and all the better that she doesn't take offense to the conversational sledgehammer. But even still, he cuts off her thoughts again.

"My apartment is fine."

Not even to babysit her. An empty apartment complex suddenly playing music at certain hours of the night? And the room is empty except for the setup? Sounds like a fast-track to getting her toys confiscated. "Next time you turn up, we'll look for the parts you need."

Your apartment's going to end up full of scavenged turntables and wires, Will. This is the fate you have resigned yourself to.

But it might be worth it, despite the impending shenanigans, because it's given ghost girl an actual hobby to focus on. One that even has a sort-of if-you-tilt-your-head-and-squint link back to her living interests. It's like Christmas came early. "I'll try to not take up too much space. That'd be rude."

Let's be honest: he would be nowhere near as bothered as people assume he would be.

He's aware it means being tormented by terrible music until she figures out what she's doing, but it'll cheer her up. It's a hobby she can still have despite being dead. All she needs is to master typing and How To Not Get Stuck In Chocolate Fountains and Ghost Girl will be able to talk with more than just the scant handful of people than can see her.

Besides, as she's seen for herself, his amount of earthly possessions borderline on 'depressingly small'. But he's not depressed so whatever, no problems at all, he shrugs. "I don't mind. Don't have much anyway."

He's an enabler of letting ghost girls torment the living with electronics. Ghostbusters would like a word with you, sir.

"It's still your apartment." To her it's a matter of being polite. Ghostly freeloader or no, he barely knows her and yet he's going out of his way to help. She'd probably offer to pay rent if it was remotely possible, to ease the strain.

Of course, it won't spare him when her mischievous streak eventually rears it's head. But. It's the thought that counts. "So, it's easier. Plus it's room you could've filled up with more boxes."

And he will beat the Ghostbusters into the pavement, don't test him.

And Ghost Girl still gets a blank stare for her concern. It's the vacant absense that means things like her paying rent or the fact it's his apartment never actually passed through his mind. Is that a concern normal people have? Why would they be bothered by helping people if it's in their power? Is caring that much suspicious? He needs to ask Clara and stop if so.

It's only at the box comment does the focus visibly reassert itself, blank confusion switching back to the usual apathy, "That's all I own."

That... says a lot, really.

It really does say a lot, when measured against his confusion over her concern. Part of her wants to know why, to pick at it and understand, but there's no way it wouldn't end up being rude. Besides, she can't really fault him for wanting to help people - it wasn't so long ago that she did the same, until it got her killed.

But jokes are easier then worrying over wording. Especially with how clear she's feeling, from interacting with the living and the positive reinforcement.

"You probably have enough boxes to make a fort by now." Beat. "Which wouldn't need that much more effort."

Edited (nitpicks my sentences, last time i s2g...) 2015-05-30 02:02 (UTC)

There's no recognition of her edging off the topic, no visual tell if it even bothered him in the first place, but at least the joke earns a raised eyebrow. A conscious effort compared with the slightly twisted tone into something resembling amusement, just so she'll be able to pick it up as a joke.

"I'll make a doghouse for you to possess. Write 'Ghost Girl' on the top of it." He's bad at people, so there's no real knowledge if or when he takes a joke too far and it impales the other person. So he instinctively reigns it back a second after, "Maybe a bookshelf."

"Rude. I thought I'd rate at least a table." It starts off deadpan, but the attempt at indignant apathy gets spoiled when a smile wins out instead. Actually being able to read things as a joke just encourages her bad sense of humour.

"But if it's a nice doghouse I guess I wouldn't mind. It'd keep help keep things tidy. Also gives me somewhere to hide if the salt start's flying."

The question here is if he's getting better at jokes or if Ghost Girl is just as bad as he is. The answer is easily number two, but who cares. She's good terrible company. The salt comment even earns a huffed exhale in place of laughter, muted but entirely genuine.

"What if the top of the doghouse is flat?" That's. Kind of like a table.

Jokes are only bad depending on who you ask. Admittedly, that still makes their collective humour awful, but attempts are being made all the same. Terrible attempts.

"Still pretty much a doghouse. It sounds more functional, though." And totally would count as non-box furniture. Which isn't even her plan, but two birds with one stone.

Edited (okay this time it refused to actually display the icon i picked gj dw) 2015-05-30 04:56 (UTC)

Between the two of them, someday they might learn to suck less. Probably not, but 'wait and hope', right?

"Do you want me to get an actual table? Would that make you happy?" A beat, the lapse of care flickering into another blank moment. The thought immediately summons images of floating tables and tacky seance cliche moments and she's only been tormenting him for a scant few weeks, but it's enough to pick up her fun at spooking the neighbors.

She's going to spook his visitors with creepy table tropes.

Yes.

"Maybe."

She is so going to spook his visitors with creepy table tropes. It's the next step in her repertoire after light-bulbs and cheerful sitting at the edge of people's senses. Live the dream.

"Tables are useful. Sometimes people also use them for non-ghost related things."

Belatedly, it occurs to her that she doesn't know if that one's too far, but fuck it. Live by the sword, die by the sword.

And Will's only genuine socialization method is tormenting people, so it's perfect. Even if the comment gets a faint wince. It's not that weird, he just finds no point in wasting money on something in a building he won't be staying in long, in a country he has no attachment to, when boxes already function as miniature furniture themselves. And storage. All in one! It's efficient and totally normal.

Or maybe he's the weird one here.

Either way, Aradia does not get salt thrown in her face for assumedly toeing a rude line of questioning. The voice doesn't even change, "Like what? Covering them in pointless decor?"

... oops she definitely caught that wince. Megido, you are on a roll tonight.

But unlike before, she recovers quicker, isn't as afraid that she really pushed it too far. The fact that his tone stayed similar helps, as does context - it seems sillier to be bent out of shape over a table, of all things.

It still happened, though, and that's something to keep in mind. Socializing is a pain, text it. "Decor can be useful to throw at people if something goes wrong." aradia no-- "Or so you don't have to bend as awkwardly to use your netbook."

Because seriously, dude. That thing is tiny. How your spine isn't creaking, ghost girl has no idea.

Something about the throwing decor around raises internal warning bells, swept quickly under wraps. Do not speak of Them, they wouldn't understand Us- and just like last time the words come out oddly clipped and precise, a perfectly manicured garden display and all the more heartless because of it.

"My superiors in America were displeased by my teaching methods, so it was deemed illegal to use paperweights as learning aides without paying out of your income for the replacement."

In short: Aradia yes, but he's cheap as hell so. No decor on the table. Meanwhile, the unconscious snap into avoiding landmine is quickly disposed of. Only the anecdote came too close, there is nothing heretical about her second inquiry, "And you get used to it."

Game Opening: May Ball

that's what staplers do tho its how they show love

i know not love only scorn and hatred :I

yes we get it you're in your goth phase :T

live by the goth die by the goth

well she did die by it OH SNAP

WOW RUDE 0/10

kanye shrugs maybe we can put her skull in the fridge next

at least then she'll be ice cold, befitting her soul

too cool for school

vip lets kick it

plz bring better music

wow what do you have against vanilla ice at 4am

everything

vanilla ice is a true artist ok

yeah a bullshit artist

1v1 me irl he is a paragon of.... something.

yes. a paragon of bullshit

you're just mad that you ain't a vip

i ain't a vip i'm ice ice baby

stop that. but also collaborate and listen.

just don't use vanilla ice as your first mix tape plz

is nickelback more acceptable to your delicate sensibilities

okay i lied i'll take vanilla ice

that's what i thought.

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