( open. ) masked gala

[uncourteous]

WHO: Any Outsider is more than welcome!
WHAT: The Royal Gala (citation needed)
WHERE: "Ruby Room," an event hall in Neo Tokyo.
WHEN: 10th day of September.
WARNINGS: Alcohol, potential suggestive topics, and will update as we go!

Throughout the week leading up to the event, every Outsider will have received an elaborate invitation in a wax-sealed envelope. Each letter will be relatively unique, but ultimately seems to carry the same contents:

Your presence has been summoned to the first annual royal gala, which will take place at the Ruby Room on the 10th day of September, the year 2078. Please come dressed appropriately, and do not forget a mask. While not required, depending on your dancing abilities, it is highly suggested.

- Callisto Regulus

CODED BY TESSISAMESS
Whether people attend out of a sense of obligation, out of suspicion in finding more about the event (and by extension, what it entails), or even simply as an excuse to dress up and raise ones spirits— all is welcome. While no theme is established, one could likely surmise from the envelopes that the colors of the venue will be predominately decorated in reds, black, and golds.


No matter where one looks, the entire hall has been intricately decorated. While the vast majority of the venue appears to mirror what one would see in a palace, including all the pillars and seemingly expensive items put on display, if one peer through their oculars, they will find it is designed much like ones room upgrades are: through technology. Though, a smaller percentage of some of the items appear delicately handmade, including the lace on the dining tables thanks to some assistance. It is as much the decadent scenery as one could envision, even if to some degree, it's fake. But, listen, they do technically have some sort of budget.

Additionally, as specified on the invitation, as soon as anyone walks through the doors of the venue, and have their names announced (per course of a royal celebration)— if they are wearing a mask, they will find that their identities are obscured from others. This includes their appearance and voice, which may appear blurry or slightly different to what it usually is. This is because the venue itself casts an affect on anyone wearing a mask, making them completely anonymous to one another. However, the illusion is quick to break if one just removes their mask!

Aside from the mystery of the masks, there will also be several other forms of entertainment available for the night:

1. DANCE
As with any gala, there will naturally be music and dancing throughout the night. Soft music will play throughout the venue and will include several tunes. If one doesn't know how to dance, perhaps they will have a partner who knows all the steps? If not, if they open their oculars, they will find several guides passive aggressively attached to a folder dropped to all Outsiders called "Educate yourselves" made by yours truly. They do, however, appear to be fairly good guide videos, even if they are made through AI, and may even utilize your own face? Oops.

2. GARDEN MAZE
There will be a section in another room of the venue that is labeled as being a maze. When one enters, they will find themselves surrounded by extremely tall shrubs, or what appears to be that. Instead, it is much like a virtual escape room. The point is to find the exit that will lead them back to the dance hall. However, it won't be so easy. Hopefully no one loses their partner for the night in here.

3. SECRET PASSAGEWAYS
If one explores the maze deeply, they will find that the main hall isn't the only place it leads to, instead they will discover that there are several hidden passageways that lead to secret rooms. Perhaps, it was made to provide some people some privacy. Privacy appropriate for such a demure and mindful event, that is.

4. FIREWORKS
At the end of night, there will also be a firework show. Considering that actual fireworks weren't permitted even during the festival period, it's reasonable to say there will be no real fireworks here. However, what guests will get is a VR firework show at the end of the night. Perhaps, not an entirely poor way to end it.

Perhaps, these events and how elaborate the venue is at least makes up the lack of food items. While there are food, they are kept rather simple. Maybe in light of recent events, it was decided they keep it within means. While the food may appear fancy or delicious, they will be made with what is similar to ration bars, but in varying flavors. To make up for it, the main dish, however will be a delicious mystery meat. No one knows where it comes from, or what it's made of.

There will also be several speeches throughout the night, and perhaps you may also feel inclined to make your own before a toast? Whichever the case, surely no one is here for Callisto's speeches, at least.


( ooc note: the mask prompt was approved by mods and purchased with points, but feel free to have your character remove their mask if it's not their thing! i just wanted to add in a fun surprise in the log. also, you're free to assume whatever is typically in galas to be here, so don't feel locked into anything! the most important rule of all— have fun!!!

once again, your character is free to get an invite as everyone was invited! 👍 )

Comments

Ereshkigal || Fate/Grand Order

[queenofkur]

I/ Entrance

[ Ereshkigal shows up at the exact time announced on the invitations. S-She is so nervous but also so excited! She's dreamed of attending this kind of event for so long...! It's the sort of thing she could never do before, not while bound to the Underworld. You always see galas like this in the best of human books.

And of course - with the help of Tsuru - she picked a very special dress for the occasion! Indeed, Ereshkigal is wearing a lace-trimmed red dress. It's not the most comfortable thing to wear, but she can't afford to be anything less than utterly perfect for this! To go together with it, she's picked a red mask with a flower motif, along with two real red flowers on its side.

And upon seeing the place? ]

Ah... It's just like in the stories I read!

[ S-She is so excited! Her eyes lit up beneath the mask and she smiles brightly, causing the goddess to shimmer and sparkle - brighter than ever. For those who have experienced the unexplained sparkling phenomenon before, no amount of anonymization will hide the identity of the person who is staring in awe at the place. ]

II/ Dance

[ Alas, once she has taken in how dreamy the place looks, another emotion rears its ugly head: anxiety. What happens when someone is simultaneously the most excited and the most nervous they've ever been? This goddess could very well be the perfect case study for that. She really wants to go and mingle with everyone else, but it's like her legs refuse to move any more. S-She knows she's supposed to anonymous, but what if someone recognizes her twintails? Or are they blurred too?!

Deep breathes, Ereshkigal! You've been waiting for this for so long. Don't mess it up now that you're here. You can do it!

And thus are there two possibilities: ]


a) [ Ereshkigal is. Just standing there. Too nervous to approach anyone or do anything. She's trying very hard to fight the nervousness, but it takes time! Honestly, the elegance she radiates is a stark contrast with the sheer anxiety she also radiates. Will you approach her and save her from having to take the first step? ]


b) [ Finally, she manages to get her anxiety under control! And so she takes a step towards... Whoever she happens to see first (she said her anxiety is under control, not that it's entirely gone). She bows very graceful before them and speaks so confidently, you'd be forgiven for not guessing it is Ereshkigal hiding under that mask.

(she's rehearsed before a mirror for hours and it's paid off!) ]

Greetings. [She straightens herself back up and extends a hand, smiling. Being anonymous(?) helps a ton, she never thought it would make things so much more easy!] Would you grant me this dance?

[ She's consumed 40% of her confidence just for that. But surely nothing will go wrong after the person replies. ]

III/ Maze & Secrets

a) [ Ereshkigal decides to withdraw for a bit - she runs on very limited social batteries, and she needs some time to recharge when it gets to be too much for her. What she hadn't expected was to find a maze! W-Why would there be a maze in a gala?! W-Well, now that she thinks about it, it's not that unusual. There are always surprises at such events in the books.

The only problem: she's totally lost. Unless she can find her way back, she's going to miss what little time there is left until the gala ends! T-That won't do. So she desperately tries to find her way back. ]

H-Hello...? [She has no choice but to call for help! How shameful... Sniff. Of course she had to find a way to ruin this. She always does. But hopefully this will soon be over.] Is there someone here?


b) [ Eventually, Ereshkigal makes her way to... A bedroom? A normal person would be taken aback, but all she can think is: Oh thank goodness.

She rushes in and throws herself on the bed, faceplanting straight into it. ]

Guuuuh... [She feels so exhausted - mentally, not physically. She's really not used to big social gatherings... But with time, maybe she'll build more endurance, right? For now, a quick five minute breaks should help restore some of her lost energy. She takes off her mask and rolls on her back. That room is more luxurious than the ones they sleep in, huh?] Why is there a bedroom here anyway...?

[ What in the world was Callisto thinking? He must have taken on so much debt so set up all of that... Well no matter, she puts her hand on her own forehead as she stares at the ceiling. ]

So that's the sort of thing I was missing out on... [She smiles. And that's only the tip of the iceberg. Yes, some moments are very painful - last month will forever be seared in her mind. But those moments of joy and happiness, they make it all worthwhile.] It's going to be hard to go back after that. But with those memories... Yes. Yes, it will definitely be easier.

[ She closes her eyes and smiles more brightly. ]

Maybe with Dumuzid's help, I could even build a ball room for the souls to enjoy. [She sighs.] No, he's not even helping me build better house for the them...

[ She continues speaking absentmindedly, convinced there is no one to hear her. There is no one, r-right? ]

iia.

[emancipating]

[ as zagreus had taken it upon himself to ensure that everyone is having a relatively good time or is at least comfortable, he does notice ereshkigal standing off to the side by herself. the mask makes it a little difficult for him to know for sure if it's her, but her twin tails look familiar, and that familiar pull is unmistakable. he holds off on approaching her first, thinking perhaps she's waiting for another friend, but as time passes and she looks more and more stiff, zagreus decides maybe he should check in on her after all.

he's not wearing a mask, so she'll be able to tell it's him despite being dressed differently from his norm. he slows his steps when he approaches, giving her time to gather herself before offering her a flute of champagne. ]

Good evening. Would you like something to drink?

[queenofkur]

[ ... ? Oh! She recognizes him. The heir to the Greek Underworld. Phew. For a moment she'd feared someone like that annoying Aztec god was the one approaching her. She smiles brightly at him. It's comforting to see a familiar face. ]

Greetings, Zagreus. [A pause.] You're very elegant tonight, this suits you really well.

[ She knows how gods work, they're gluttons for compliments, and she won't deny him his due praise. Or maybe it's just her and she's projecting... But she genuinely appreciates the skulls and death motif he's integrated into his attire! She'd hoped to do something like that too, but she's found no dress that worked well with the theme. ]

Are there any non-alcoholic drinks?

[ Alcohol is something she would rather avoid, unless something threatens to ruin her evening. And his presence most definitely does no such thing. ]

2a

[fursuit]

[ It probably doesn’t help her anxiety that there’s another god here at the gala, and unlike her, he’s unmistakable. Tezcatlipoca has completely forgone the mask, since his ego is just too great for it… Or, more accurately, no one has tried to confront him about wearing it, so he definitely hasn’t bothered. It at least makes him easy to avoid, but from what glimpses she might catch, it’s a stark contrast. He seems perfectly at ease, chatting up people without any worry or care. He’s a social butterfly, as to be expected from a god who seemingly refuses to keep his mouth shut.

Eventually, though. He does notice someone in a mask, if only for the repetition of it. He’d gone and chatted with someone, grabbed a set of drinks, then by the time their conversation had finished and he’d returned half an hour later… They were still there. He only gives them a glance, then continues on his way.

But a few minutes later, he returns with two small glasses. They are not champagne flutes, since he’d done a little bargaining with the bartender. He holds one of them out for her, and for once, his smile is… nice? Not mocking? What a difference not knowing it’s her makes… ]

You look like you need some liquid courage.

[ On the downside, he is offering her a shot, though, so. Mixed bag overall. ]

[queenofkur]

[ ... Oh for the love of Kûr. No matter where she goes, there's just no escaping him, is there? Is he going to follow her to the grave if a kaiju kills her? Is he going to dig a hole right next to her corpse and sleep there?! Yet again, that doesn't surprise her all that much. Figures he'd be friend with someone as terrible as Callisto. He probably enables him, as a matter of fact. Maybe they even talked about her sims family that was burned to the ground.

When he approaches her with the glass, she braces herself and— ]

...?

[ That... That doesn't sound like Tezcatlipoca at all. It's like someone took his body but replaced his brain with that of someone decent. What's happening? What did LILITH do to her least favorite stalker?

... Oh right, he probably doesn't know it's her. The mask anonymizes her still and she hasn't done anything that could give her away. He probably approached her as he would any normal person, not as he would approach her. He's surprisingly nice and gallant when he's not trying to drive her mad. But wait...

D-Does that mean she's going to get courted by that incredibly annoying god? In the name of Nasu, what has she done to deserve that?! Hasn't she suffered enough? Upon having that though, she immediately takes the glass to her lips and downs it in one go. ]

... Thank you. [She places the glass back in his hand. She needs liquid courage now more than ever.] Is it possible to get more?

[ She's always wondered what being "drunk" feels like. And it looks like her only hope at salvaging her dream gala is to finally explore this venue of human existence. She won't let him ruin it for her, nope! Better drunk than letting him ruin this. ]

3a

[demandsatisfaction]

[Given her experience with the rest of the city, Lilias had not been expecting a hedge maze to make an appearance at this gala. Admittedly, Neo Tokyo—just like Earth as a whole—is still very new to her; she had barely been here more than a few days before receiving the invitation for this fancy get together. Still, she had been fairly certain that hedge mazes must be a thing of the past, given the constant threat of attack by giant monster.

Not so, apparently. Or at least, the need to hold their party inside a futuristic, defensible building does not prevent the semblance of a hedge maze from livening up one of the spaces within. Lilias’s dark blue evening gown is more authentic, as far as she knows, though it is rented. She hardly has the funds to be spending on evening gowns after only a week here.

She’d ventured in, then rested for a spell on a little stone bench. She’s only been walking again for a short while when she hears a voice call out from somewhere further along—a little tremulously, she thinks. Perhaps someone got a little turned around in here, she considers, and continues unhurriedly down the path towards the sound.]

I am, [she confirms. Click-click-clack go her steps, accompanied by the sound of her cane on the tiled ground. Coming to an intersection, she peers around, the raven on her shoulder peering along with her, and sees a young woman in a red dress. Her tone is cool, but not unfriendly.] Are you lost?

[queenofkur]

[ Ah, finally an answer. As expected it is an unfamiliar face, those masks were fun at first but now it's kind of stressful! She just can't seem to recognize anyone at all... It appears to be an elegant woman and that's about all she can say. ]

Y-Yes.

[ Ereshkigal bows, very gracefully so. She may be anxious, but not so that she'll forget her manners! ]

Good evening. I am Ereshkigal, Goddess of Death and Queen of Kûr. [A pause and she looks down, a bit dejected.] ... I-It probably doesn't sound as good when I just called for help.

[ Everything that can go wrong will - indeed - go wrong. That appears to be the motto for her entire existence. ]

iib

[bluestar]

Hm? Sure.

[ Aoko isn't nearly dressed for the occasion. Having just shown up, she decided to just wear her casual red dress and grabbed a red cat-shaped mask to match. For however much Ereshkigal is living out her fairytale fantasy, Aoko is simply present for whatever the night brings. Her sharp blue gaze funnels through the eye holes of her mask, noticing how nervous the girl looks even in the request. ]

Do you know how to dance?

[queenofkur]

[ It is a blessing the masks obscure each other's face— Else Ereshkigal might just wonder why their faces share so many similarities without being exactly identical! For now, Ereshkigal does her very best to remain confident.

... The results are very mixed, but she can't let that stop her. It's her grand day and she will have fun! ]

O-Of course! [Ehe. She's rehearsed so often in the Underworld. Now, sure, dancing on your own when you daydream to drown your sorrows isn't exactly what most people would call in "practice." But she's pretty sure that will translate amazingly well to the real thing.] Do you?

wildcard. gimme drunk eresh :D

[curingidiocy]

[ For all the flair and style that Ratio usually dresses himself with, tonight he has opted to dress himself in a plain navy three piece suit, accentuated by a few tastefully placed chains and a peacock feather lapel pin that matches his partner's outfit. Accompanying the outfit is an owl mask rendering his identity fully anonymous.

With such a plain appearance and obvious reluctance to participate, he'd expected not to be bothered by others, but apparently, it didn't deter the woman who was currently beelining for him (and it was definitely him she was here for, because he was standing against the wall trying to minimize his presence). He stiffens and does not say anything, waiting for this woman to speak first. ]

ehehehehe

[queenofkur]

[ The moment she is within reach, the woman in the red dress leaps at him. There is no escaping the red menace that falls upon him and wraps her arms around his shoulders. Hopefully he doesn't mind very enthusiastic hugs. ]

Doctoooooooooooooooooor~!

[ She's pretty short and Ratio is pretty tall, so she's just kind of. Hanging off him, holding herself with her arms wrapped around him. Who could be that mysterious woman? Well, there is a hint:

She's just started sparkling. Now just who does Ratio knows who possesses the power of sparkling when she's really happy? ]

Why are you trying so hard to not have fun?

IIb

[30storieshigh]

It would be an honor to grant the request of one so bold.

[ Observing as he's been he's seen this woman skittering about as if terrified of others, it must've taken some courage to come up to a perfect masked stranger. Courage deserves praise and reward, so Godzilla carefully takes her offered hand and gives her a proper smile. ]

There is a form of dance that is your preference? I have studied several that our host provided.

[queenofkur]

[ O-One so bold? She guesses she really is bold, huh! That's right, she's the confident and radiant mistress of the underworld! She is bold, daring and assertive! If she keeps repeating those things to herself, sooner or later she'll start believing them. ]

W-Well, for a gala such as this, slow dancing is a must!

[ It fits the mood, it's not too hard and it's hyper romantic! Even though none of the people she's been dancing with are her love interest, it's still super fun to do. ]

DRUNK ERESH WILDCARD

[redsoil]

— what the hell did he do to you!

[ He's going to clobber Tezcatlipoca for feeding her shots!!

Not that he needs an excuse to get into a fun fight with the jaguar god.

This sort of behavior is something he'd expect more from Ishtar on one of her mindless man-hunting excursions, all shiny and bright-eyed and stupid. ( He still has not put together that the Servant Gang and him are from different worlds; for all he cares, there's only one world at all, and only one "version" of any of them. At least Ishtar is always Ishtar?? )

It's like they didn't have that hard conversation in her shop at all, though. The way Set is quick to step to Ereshkigal's beat and catch her hands, trying to escort her from wherever she's coming from to a place where he can control her... energy. Gods get into it now and again, it's not like he'll hold a grudge against her unless she does something super dire, like schemes against him with Wriothesley. God-grudges can be apocalyptic, after all.

Like her, he's in red. A fascimile of his divine mask atop his head, and a gauzy, shining robe around a form-fitting number that leaves his painted hands and feet bare. He looks like sunlight on the red dunes of the deshret, as he should! ]

Ereshkigal, I hope you know I am getting this all on record.

[queenofkur]

[ It is really sad how the way he describes his Ishtar is indistinguishable from the way she describes her Ishtar. There are some universal constant across universes, and Ishtar being the absolute worst is one of them apparently. At least Ereshkigal is just dancing and not taking things further! Nuh-uh. No way! Kisses and further romantic things are reserved for the one who will win her heart.

... Whoever that is.

And he can be reassured, there is absolutely no scheming with Wriothesley, only a guarantee should she die and things go sour. Batman did it too and Superman was super cool with it! Still, the way he's caught her hands and is trying to escort her away from the spotlight is surer surprising! ]

A-Am I being kidnapped?! Oh dear, that wasn't how I expected this night to end!

[ I-Is it a romantic kidnapping? Probably not, but that's not something all that evident to a goddess who is drunk for the first time in her life!

He's probably the sort who gets super possessive to the point of obsession. Which, while she thinks it's super romantic, there are many steps being skipped her! Like the "going to a garden on a date" step or the "learn each other's favorite ice cream flavor" step, amongst many others. ]

I will have you know I am a pure maiden! [Hopefully his bit about getting all this on record isn't true because she's going to have a streak of panic attack if she sees that once sober.] And monogamous! You will have to get rid of all your wives, husbands and other lovers if you wish to court me, mister Set!

[ Has she had a third glass of tequila after she and Tezca went their own way? Possibly. Probably. Which means Set is going to run the extreme difficult version of the Drunk Goddess Challenge. ]

secret b!!

[wwtd]

[ ERESHKIGAL HELP QQ

someone else has found the exact same bedroom!! but she's much more angry about how she opens the door and then closes it behind her. with her back to the room, she pulls her mask off her face and is also muttering a slew of things under her breath. ]

Stupid idiot...

[ who could she be talking about? ]

I can't believe-- WAAUGH?!

[ turning around and not expecting to see someone laid out on the bed, hiyori shouts and stumbles back into the door. but! upon seeing an ocean of lovely golden hair. ]

E... Ereshkigal?!

[queenofkur]

[ "Stupid idiot."

Ereshkigal is too shocked right now to pick up on it, but... She's 99% sure she knows who it is. She's been immensely disappointed by his behavior. Selling smooches and dances? No god should ever do something so shameful! Even worse, he's offered her a free kiss?! Y-You don't offer kisses to your friends, especially when you have someone you love. Kisses should be reserved for your lover and no one else, so decrees the goddess of death!

That's like, Ishtar-level behavior. And when Ishtar becomes a valid comparison, you know you've really done horrible, horrible things! Unfortunately, as noted above, she's way too shocked to comment on that. Instead she yelps and jumps upon hearing her name. ]

H-H-Hiyori?!

[ She sits up in a hurry. Oh no! She can't let her precious friend see her like that! She'd promised she wouldn't make her cry again... And she's actually having a really wonderful time tonight! She's just recovering her mental energy so she can go back to it really quickly! ]

A-Are you alright?

3a (im so sorry eresh she doesn't deserve this)

[zauneyete]

[ Meandering in the maze, unmasked, had been a touch refreshing. It's kind of nice to hear all these great and powerful beings, gods, humans, and creatures all become... so paralyzed the moment that their powers do so little. They can all fly, kill kaiju, create great works, but...if a maze is erected, they walk in, and then they're either lost, or scared, or... well. Some of them kept their cool, but you know. Not all of them.

The moment he hears the voice asking if there's someone around, he smiled. He doesn't need his mask in here, after all.

Silco steps from around a hedge, toward the voice. It's a little darker where he came from, which only does to shadow his form, dressed in a rather plain but snappy suit. In the shadows though, his left eye glows, unblinking. He smiled, and it is not a particularly kind smile. ]

Are you lost?

[ Whether Eresh is masked or not at the moment, Silco's natural inclination to troll means it's probably an unwelcome question. ]

she wants to die

[queenofkur]

[ Oh for the love of— ]

Y-You?!

[ Of all the people she could have stumbled upon, it had to be this man. Why in the world did Callisto invite him?

... Bad question. They probably drink tea together on a daily basis while plotting on some nefarious plot. The way his eye glow and how he asked this question— It makes him look so much like one of those "serial killer" on the hunt for his next prey. And if he figures out who hides beneath the mask, he might just decide to commit actual murder.

Honestly that wouldn't be a problem, if only she knew how he'd killed Quetzalcoatl. Until she finds out... It's best to be careful. ]

Would I have called out if I weren't lost?

[ Nitwit! Thank goodness Tezcatlipoca is going to feed her some alcohol and help drown out the memory of this unfortunate encounter. ]

i

[ignoreher]

[ ...

there's no mistaking it's ereshkigal, she's so cute and funny, malkuth loves her to bits and pieces. her own dress is a simple red one, with a simple red mask to match, and at the very least her nickname should be a dead giveaway after the giggle the other girl gets-- ]

Right?! All we're missing is the clock striking twelve, Eri, and our riches turning back to rags!

[queenofkur]

[ Yes! Just like Cinderella! That nickname also gives away it's Malkuth right away, ehe. Only her calls her Eri. March calls her Eree, that's close enough, but-

W-Wait... Sudden realization incoming: ]

But then that would imply we are going to meet the love of our life tonight...! [And lose one of their shoes but that a detail.] I don't think my heart is ready for that.

[ But then... Does that mean Malkuth's romantic drama is at an end? That would actually be good news! ]

III B (Couldn't figure out how to get DH to approach drunk Eresh, this one works great tho)

[lunarchivist]

[Dan Heng is also someone who has no idea what the bedroom in the maze is for, but took full advantage of the quiet room to read and decompress from all the everything in the main party. He's curled up on the small armchair and rather enjoying the book he brought from the library, fictional or no.

Someone else coming into the room was a. Surprise. He opens his mouth to reply at first, but realizes she's not talking to him...and she just plops on the bed. Uh. Hm. The chair is in the corner that may be harder to spot at first...

But maybe the bed is for extra tired guests who need to rest? He will not begrudge anyone rest. He's in here reading, after all....

But then she keeps talking. Wistful, pensive...some of it more personal too. Um. He should. Probably let her know she's not alone before too much is accidentally divulged...

Deep inhale...Dan Heng clears his throat to hopefully not startle the poor girl too badly.] H...Hello. Would you like me to leave, Miss? [Sorry. Sorry. ]

1/

[queenofkur]

[ When he speaks, she simply shakes her head and sighs. There's no need to leave, nothing she's just said is critical information. ]

It's fine, I'm only talking to myself...

[queenofkur]

[ ... ... ... ... ... ... ... W-Wait. ]

[queenofkur]

[ There is... There is someone here... And they heard everything...? ]