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 The lights are off, the desks and chairs have been replaced by beanbags and there's a table in the corner with a chocolate fountain, marshmallows and strawberries.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

did you tell him (no no no)

[eyeforaneye]

[A]

The Assembly Hall is full of chatter after the speech has ended and Sasuke's unwilling to leave just yet, digesting what he's just heard. The Institute's influence is something he didn't realize he'd have to consider again so soon, having admittedly little familiarity with their work -- the chief motivator for his attendance tonight. He looks as out of place as he's trying to pretend he doesn't feel, wearing an older suit that looks just a bit too short in the legs and arms, "discreetly" examining fixtures and decorations.

It's only a matter of time before the DJ drops his horrible beats.

[B]

So perhaps the chill-out area isn't the most exciting place to hang out but after securing a drink from the dining hall -- and escaping some truly terrible sounds emitting from the Assembly Hall -- it seems like the logical next step, a place to poke around for information and...

Get distracted watching bizarre footage of chanting barefoot women. "What kind of spell is this?" Are they making a sacrifice? Is it possible to sacrifice plants?

[C]

Yes, the lecture theater is mostly empty. Yes, most of these projects are a little bit dull. Perfect. Still armed with his sweetened coffee (an unfortunate mistake that he's now suffering over but too stubborn to remedy) he watches the projector. When he isn't trying to get into locked desk drawers or back rooms when he thinks no one else is around or watching, that is.

C

[detectiveofthewest]

Heiji couldn't quite help sticking his nose where it didn't belong, especially when it looked like some other dude was doing it, too. WHAT WAS IN THE BACK ROOM? Inquiring minds wanted to know.

"Whatcha lookin' for? Some dirt on the headmaster?"

[eyeforaneye]

Immediately he jerks back, snatching his mostly empty mug off the lecture podium as if it'll be a successful prop in making him look less suspicious.

"... You again. Shouldn't you go outside instead of lingering around here?"

[detectiveofthewest]

Heiji grinned. "Nahhh, I thought I'd do a little sneakin' around, see if I could catch anyone doin' something illegal!" Plus he was kind of nosy like that.

"But seriously, what're you lookin' for?"

[eyeforaneye]

"Nothing in particular. Maybe you should be investigating yourself; you're the most suspicious person here." This is some top tier deflection.

[detectiveofthewest]

"Oh, okay. Then seein' as how you're harboring only the most commendable of intentions, you won't mind me hangin' around a bit!"

Well, I mean. What could Sasuke be interested at this boring party? Probably he just wanted to see if he could sneak into some files or magical junk. Either way, it didn't seem like he'd buy it if Heiji just pretended to believe his story and 'left'.

[eyeforaneye]

"..." Damn.

"I guess I should take from your insistence on wasting your time hovering around here that you're on your own and without company tonight. Shouldn't a man have secured a date ahead of time?" New tactic: game shaming.

[detectiveofthewest]

"...Are you hitting on me?"

How shameful, how terrible. Give Heiji your phone number so he could call up your orphanage and let them know what their charge was up to right at this very moment, Sasuke.

[eyeforaneye]

Oh my god, well that didn't take long.

"No. No, I'm not. I'm saying the image in front of me is a little pathetic, that's all."

B

[acrookedchild]

"It's a blessing," Abigail offers. She's on her way out to the marquee, where most of the high society people will be. That is where she's needed, where she can do the most for what she is. But the question catches her ear all the same. "To ensure that this is a safe place for another term."

A very minor spell, given what this place is. More of a placebo. Because the person who really protects this school is the woman in charge. Still, it probably helps the girls. Lets them think they're important.

[eyeforaneye]

Immediately he turns his head to catch sight of her, tugging down one of those too-short sleeves as an afterthought. What a wretched suit.

"A blessing without active wards or defense measures behind it isn't more than a show, is it? Or does it actually have an effect beyond slightly more fortuitous circumstances?"

[acrookedchild]

"They're students," she says with a small shrug. "It's not their job to really protect this place with wards. The older students probably help, but these are young girls. Their blessing ceremony is... It's for them. To make them feel good."

It was important to make young students feel like they could contribute. She hadn't gone here, but she knew the feeling of it all. Her uncle had always been that way toward her.

"Overall, no. It's pretty useless."

[eyeforaneye]

"I see. I'm not familiar with this place or their way of doing things, but I guess I can see the merit in it." A practice run before jumping into something more. Somehow he's jealous of the opportunity, of the teachers that these students are able to utilize.

"And you are?"

[acrookedchild]

She turns a little to offer her hand politely. "Abigail Widdowson. I apologize for not introducing myself earlier."

[eyeforaneye]

There's a near uncomfortable pause before he reaches out his own, making those sleeves appear even shorter and more ill-fitting when he shakes her hand firmly.

"Sasuke Uchiha. You don't need to apologize." He draws his hand back all too soon, slipping both into his pockets. "Are you affiliated with the institute?"

[acrookedchild]

Abigail returns the firmness of the shake and bows her head just a little at the introduction. Then, she shakes her head a little.

"I'm not, I'm afraid. I'm simply a guest here."

[eyeforaneye]

"In that case... who are you working with? It seems like most people were invited due to direct ties somewhere." Straight to the point.

B

[nestinghabits]

"Your guess is as good as mine," Clint offers. He's not so much paying attention to the video of the witches as he is here for the chocolate fountain and marshmallows. But when he decides that Sasuke looks vaguely familiar, he puts down his plate, wipes his hands (on a napkin, not on his thrift-store suit, thank you, he wasn't raised entirely in a barn), and wanders over to watch the footage with him.

"Guess I'm not really as up on my witchcraft as I probably should be."

[eyeforaneye]

How nice to be in good poorly-dressed company. The voice isn't familiar but the face immediately is, his grip on his drink momentarily tightening as he tries to place it.

"Not everyone can specialize in magic, I guess." Sasuke gives him a quick up-down stare, openly sizing him up. "... You don't look like you belong here at all, especially not dressed like that." How rude.

[nestinghabits]

Rude indeed, wow, kids these days. Clint is hardly offended, though, because he hates wearing this crap. If anything, he's amused. "This isn't my scene, so I'll agree with you on that one, kid." He's just here to scope out the supernaturals. Having them all gathered together like this makes information gathering a lot easier.

"You a student here?"

[eyeforaneye]

"No. If I want to take advantage of the classes they offer here then I'll do that at my own leisure. I wouldn't limit my freedom with full-time enrollment." Or seem in any way like he's pledging his allegiance to a place that's seeing fit to extend an already monopolizing influence even further. Anarchy in the UK forever.

"And you're definitely not a teacher. You're human, right?" Not to imply that the two are mutually exclusive. Sorry, educational faculty.

[nestinghabits]

"Fair enough. I was never really into the formal education thing, either." Clint is more of a learn-on-the job type of guy. It's always worked.

The question raises a bit of suspicion, though he's careful not to let it show. In his experience, people who can tell such things right away probably aren't human. "Guilty. What gave me away? Besides my lack of fashion sense."

[eyeforaneye]

"It was the fashion sense." Wait for that bad joke to sink in with a complete lack of laughter. Yep, that's the stuff.

"You said you weren't up to par with your witchcraft so I assumed you weren't heavily focused on magic. That rules out a few options... and somehow it seemed better than asking if you were a werewolf or a vampire.

Besides, I'm human too."

[nestinghabits]

Is this kid being serious or not? Clint just doesn't know. But when Sasuke goes on, he figures it was probably an attempt at humor.

"Guess that's a safe assumption to make. Vamps don't usually like being called out on it, anyways." At least, not by a guy who normally has 'hunter' written all over him when he's out on the job.

Huh. Well, that's unexpected. "So what are you doing hanging around with this crowd, kid?"

[eyeforaneye]

"I'm not a kid." It's not aggressive but it is firm, a quickly inserted note for future reference. Somehow he has a feeling that that won't do away with the nickname so easily but a guy has to try.

"But I was invited, same as you assumedly were. I thought it'd be a good opportunity to get information; it's the first time I've been here." Which immediately says a few things about his allegiances, anyway. "You?"