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 The lights are off, the desks and chairs have been replaced by beanbags and there's a table in the corner with a chocolate fountain, marshmallows and strawberries.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

The action doesn't take him from the dark, soot-stained turn of his own thoughts - he is far too deeply buried in banked anger and helplessness to be so easily rid of it. But it does draw his focus back, his eyes - which had turned hard and flinty - momentarily widening in surprise before he fixes her with another deadpan, looking set to snap at her.

He doesn't, and nor does he step back or smack her meddlesome hands away. Instead, he simply huffs at her, perhaps understanding on some level that she's as nervous as she should be.

He snorts a laugh, largely mirthless.

"Shouldn't be. I think I've heard that before. From you."

Kenzi blows a raspberry, happy to play along in the conversation as if she isn't internally shrieking at intervals. If she just thought about it like a long con she would do fine.

"Oh, come on. Your eyebrows grew back didn't they?"

She punctuated her sentence with a light pat on his shoulder, as if to tell him to buck up.

"Yeah, eventually," Derek's arms fold in what might be a show of defensiveness, before he remembers that he needs to put forward a less aggressive sort of presentation. He sighs, unfolds his arms again, and shoots her one more scowl for good measure.

"And who knows how much longer it might have been, if I wasn't a werewolf."

Kenzi smiles slyly, as if this was the direction she wanted this psuedo-pep talk to go.

"But you are a werewolf! You're one of the badder mofos in this room."

Excluding all the fae, vampires and really high tier witches...which was a lot.

"No reason to be nervous."

It sounded like she was talking to herself more than Derek on that last bit.

Perhaps thankfully, Derek doesn't think much about how he's following along Kenzi's plan. He gives her a Look, which is far less scathing than it would be fixed on anyone else, and snorts a laugh.

"I'm not nervous." ~~I'm the alpha.~~ It's not wholly true, but Derek reasons that he'd be an idiot not to be wary - and Kenzi, too, is smarter than one might think. All the same, his confidence is not just for show.

One hand moves to the small of her back. Ever skirting around contact, he doesn't actually touch her, but he's a solid presence regardless. "Lead the way."

"Okay, let's do this!"

She says it with, perhaps, too much zeal. An elderly woman passing by stutters just long enough in her step to give Kenzi the stink eye.
"By your leave, m'lady." Kenzi rolls her wrist and bows the way gentile folk do, the woman seems torn between confused and furious and walks off with her nose in the air.

Kenzi scoffs and rolls her eyes towards Derek.

"Jeez, what was her problem?"

She might get killed tonight.

She might just hear the half-hidden snort of laughter from behind her - either way, when she looks his way again, she'll see the smirk on his face. She won't get killed tonight, but god knows someone might end up trying.

"Graceful."

Kenzi is secretly a little pleased she managed to get a laugh out of him. Being the comedy relief in the group is sort of her thing, just like Derek's thing is being all scary and silent.

"That's me." She will not do gun fingers and wink. She will not.

Who the hell is she kidding, she totally will.

The smile cracking his dour countenance even lingers, even if only for a second or two. It fades to something neutral, impassive, as he lifts his chin again to once more scan the room, defiant in the face of potential enemies.

"Speech is soon, right?"

Kenzi popped open her clutch to look at her phone for the time - the schedule was listed and Sylvia wasn't known for her lack of punctuality.

"Should be. Wanna split up?"

She wasn't sure if Derek wanted to go mingle with other werewolves or not be seen too much with er - she wasn't exactly noteworthy after all.

Derek studies her, considering. There's a furry to his brow that might suggest concern - far be it from Derek Hale to be worried, but this place is potentially dangerous. He doubts Kenzi, too clever for her own damn good, will come to harm, doubts anyone will come to harm with Redbright presiding.

If Kenzi does get into trouble, it'll be because she's such a smartass, rather than anything to do with her affiliation. And besides, this isn't quite a work outing.

He nods. It makes sense for them to cover ground right now, get an idea for who is here - figure out the lay of the land.

"I'll find you."

"Got it. Do you want code names?"

It's a stupid question, but she isn't asking it to actually know if he wants a freaking code-name (she's already given him one anyway and it's Eyebrows McGee [she reserves the right to any alterations at any time]). She more or less is asking to irritate him. For good-natured reasons.

Kenzi. He gives her a long, disparaging look before eventually rolling his eyes. Unfortunately, it is not acceptance.

"Get going, Kenzi."

That's a 'no'.

"Aye, aye."

She was tempted to add on a 'Captain Eyebrows' at the end of that, but she was kind of fond of Derek and making him more angry than just 'mildly annoyed' was never really fun.

Wise choice, Kenzi. As he heads away from her, he glances back over her shoulder to shoot her a smirk. It's as much amusement as it is don't start.

"And don't get drunk before the speech."

Well, he can't afford to take chances, can he? Friendly warning thus given, Derek turns away and slides into the amassing crowd.

Game Opening: May Ball

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