( 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

[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?

[wwtd]

[ dances aren't so bad? but she's more than a little heartbroken at the smooches EXTRA part. but damn comparing him to ishtar!! ]

Am I - ?

[ hiyori doesn't answer right away. she takes in the flush on her cheeks, mussed hair, and bright eyes. gathering a bit of her gold dress into her hands, she steps over to sit on the ground at the foot of the bed in front of her. the thick fabric billows around her before she folds her arms and sits her chin on top. seeing her friend is enough to tug a small smile to her lips. ]

I'm okay, I'm just... taking a little break. [ not a lie. ] What about you? ... Are you taking a break, too?

[ sadly, did not hear eresh's monologue. not even the sweet idea to build a ballroom for her souls. ]

[queenofkur]

[ Her dress is so pretty, she got amazing tastes. Maybe next time they can choose their dresses together, like she did with Tsuru... Ehehe. But for now, she nods at her. ]

I-It's a bit much for me, so many people and so many interactions. I like it but I need to recover.

[ She smiles lowers herself on the ground, sitting against the bed's side next to Hiyori. S-She's tempted to give her a headpat, but maybe now isn't the right time for that! Much as Malkuth told her headpat between friends are common, she's still struggling to deliver them as promptly as she should. ]

Did something happen? [A pause.] It may not be my realm, but I can still sense when a soul is troubled.

[wwtd]

[ ere's red dress is quite fabu too but 👏👏 YES DRESS SHOPPING 👏👏 ahem.

this is a far cry from the goddess she first met, trembling in her seat about dating/meeting people. can hiyori say she's proud of her?! or is that too condescending... but she's proud of her. ]

You've come really far from the Speed Dating, hehe. I'm happy for you. [ there. nailed it.

as her company joins her on the floor, hiyori shifts to lean back against the bed too so they're side by side. not unlike their positions in the aftermath of seoul. idly, she stretches her legs out and stares at her heels. ]

Y-you can? [ well. no sense in hiding it anymore then, huh? she likes ereshkigal. she can trust ereshkigal. after taking in a breath, she blows it out roughly. so hard her hair flutters about her face. and then. and then... ]

I wonder if I'm not upset over nothing at all. If it's not normal for gods to kiss whoever they want? Because they're gods? Or if this - this just isn't going to work and ugh.

[ hands come up and cover hiyori's face ]

1/2

[queenofkur]

[ W-Wait! Ereshkigal ought to clarify something immediately as Hiyori praises her. ]

I-I'm not dating anyone!! [Perish the thought! She could never! She's yet to find a nice red-haired girl who also happens to have yellow eyes, be a human Master and defends humanity in her homeworld.] It's just... I always wanted to see a gala like that.

[ All girls have dreams like that, right? Especially lonely goddesses who read lots of romances in their spare time.

And-And... ]

[queenofkur]

[ ... And it's about Yato, huh?

Her panic fades and she goes quiet. She's going to spare Hiyori the pain of knowing Yato offered her a kiss for free. She doesn't need to know that, it would just hurt. Needless to say, she'd refused and shamed him, but... It's heart-wrenching to see Hiyori like that. To hear her wonder aloud if it "isn't going to work."

She leans forward and wraps an arm around the girl's shoulders, gently pulling her in so she can cry against her if she wants to. ]

Hey... It's okay. [She smiles and speaks in a gentle tone.] You're right to be upset. [She would definitely be upset if that happened to her.] God or not— It's not right to do that.

1/2

[wwtd]

[ o-ooh??? not dating anyone! single ereshkigal, noted. it seems important to her. dating or no, she's STILL happy for her. that she got to see her gala and it seems?? like she was having fun being around people and doing gala things. bdsm lectures...

she would hate to ruin such a GOOD MOOD with her bad one. immediately, she wishes she sucked it up and dealt with yato herself and asked him what the heck he's doing. at the same time? it feels nice to be comforted. to have someone on her side in this. someone she can vent - just a bit - to. hiyori sucks in a sharp breath and bundles her fists into her dress and lap. she's been able to fight the tears for this long.

but damn if that gentle tone doesn't make it difficult. she turns and buries her face in golden hair. ]

Then, why...?

[ BECAUSE HE IS A STUPID IDIOT HIYORI ]

[wwtd]

..... Am I being divinely tested?

[queenofkur]

[ Her patience is being divinely tested, perhaps. Unfortunately, she doesn't think there are enough brain cells in Yato's drunk brain to devise a thought right now, let alone a divine test. ]

If you are, the only right answer to the test is to slap him and let him know this is unacceptable behavior. [A pause.] And if you aren't, the only right answer is still to slap him and let him know this is unacceptable behavior.

[ It's really quite simple. Admittedly, the physical violence part of the solution could be skipped... But Ereshkigal knows from experience a little bit of physical pain helps make you feel better. She's not sadistic, but that's just the way things are. ]

You are a lovely young woman, and you shouldn't stand for such shameless behavior.

[ Nevermind Ereshkigal didn't tell Hiyori yet that she knows her and Yato are in love... B-But it's so very painfully obvious, she's sure half the base is aware of it! ]

[wwtd]

[ .........

there's something about ereshkigal saying the right choice is to slap him in both cases that makes hiyori laugh breathlessly. unacceptable behavior, yes. if they weren't dating, it would be different. if yato hadn't made all those pledges to make her happy and be with her and everything else, maybe it wouldn't hurt so much.

well, it hurt when he "kissed" bishamon but that was more of that figurative slap in the face than this heartache.

was ereshkigal always this way? hiyori believed the goddess of death was far more reserved, and far more shy during their first meeting. she doesn't hate this ereshkigal who puts her foot down, though - who is more righteous. maybe she knew she was there deep down. ]

You just want me to slap him, huh? Hehe. [ OBVIOUSLY.

the second part makes her cheeks get a bit warm. to be called a lovely young woman by someone quite lovely herself. a GODDESS. OF DEATH. give her a minute to realize ereshkigal is aware they're in love/dating/soulmates/whathaveyou. that it's not a secret. at all. ]

I kinda do, too. [ but she settles a bit more against her with something thick in her throat. ]

... You know who I'm talking about, don't you? You knew... back in Seoul.

[queenofkur]

[ She needs not fear, the shy and reserved Ereshkigal will return! But Hiyori is experiencing a rare thing indeed: the goddess opening up and being a bit less overwhelmed by anxiety - and being a little more herself. Not to mention she's much better at helping others than she is at helping herself.

She smiles when the other girl says she knows. ]

You've both mentioned each other quite a bit when talking to me. [Quite a lot, really.] It was only on that day in Seoul that he finally spoke the name of the human who is so dear to him.

[ It was just pure chance that he said it before she did. ]

He is young, immature, sometimes foolish... [Young may sound strange considering as a god he's probably one of the oldest outsiders. But compared to her, he's definitely very young.] But he loves you.

[ Now that doesn't mean he shouldn't be slapped. If anything he should be slapped even harder because, why would you do that when you love someone so much?!

But right now... It's important she hears it. Because in spite of his maidenless behavior (there are no other appropriate words), the love he bears for her is pure and true. ]

[wwtd]

[ ALL ERE ARE GOOD ERE. shy or righteous. riddled with anxiety or as divine as her station as the goddess of death.

but, yeah, she's kind of seeing the pattern here. gods are just LIKE this, huh? they can help others before themselves. she'd laugh if she didn't still feel like crying. what she DOES do is jerk back from ereshkigal to stare at her with wide eyes, face steadily growing red as a beet. it's been a while since she blushed this hard. d-did she? mention him a lot?! she didn't mean to, her journal has him plastered on every page so maybe from reading that so many times he just-

okay, she does laugh here. ]

A-all the time, foolish. [ ALL THE TIME, ERESH. you'll see.

young, is he? maybe that is true. he acts more like a kid than yukine did. immature, GODS yes. he's gotten better, but there are still moments where hiyori wants to bury her face in her palms and just GROAN and LAUGH and CRY.

he loves her. and she's young, too. older than a sixteen-year-old but with her life ahead of her, still. she's had her moments of emotional outbursts and bad decision-making. nobody is perfect.

not one of them.

hiyori's eyes finally fill with tears and she drops her eyes to their laps again. ]

... I'll talk to him. Set him straight. [ some weight lifts off her shoulders. ] Maybe slap him a bit. [ joking. probably.

suddenly, ereshkigal will find herself in a tight embrace as hiyori all but throws her arms and body around her. they might even go toppling onto the floor in a pile of gala dresses. ]

1/2

[queenofkur]

[ H-Heh...?

No sooner had Hiyori wondered where the old Ereshkigal was, she's already back upon being embraced like that and sent toppling on the ground! S-She's still not used to such displays of affection, even if she likes them!

Besides is he really appropriate to hug your friends on the ground? M-Maybe Yato isn't the only one who's drunk too much! Or is she so out of touch and friends do that on a daily basis nowadays? ]

[queenofkur]

[ ... Deep breathes and she closes her arms around Hiyori too, to embrace her back. ]

I... I hope you two will be happy.

[ Thankfully... She can't say embarrassed for too long when the topic is love! Yato may be - as she said - all the time foolish, but his love is pure. And so is hers. She's sure they'll be happy together.

If she had to guess... He is probably desperate for attention. Gods exist because of human thoughts to begin with, they grow powerful because of human observing and worshiping them. Perhaps it is that need that surfaced through his use of alcohol. He just needs to realize he already has all the attention he could ever need with her. And she needs to beat him up till if he doesn't! ]

You deserve it.

[wwtd]

[ she hasn't had a drop, though maybe she should. she doesn't know. maybe if/when she goes back. it's all confusing and yato is a moron. nevertheless, hiyori lifts at least her upper body off ereshkigal with a sheepish smile for all but tackling her like that. one that is so bright largely thanks to her. she doesn't know how long she would brew before she wouldn't be able to take it anymore and made some easily avoidable mistake.

he is desperate for attention. and he wants to be a god of fortune. but offering kisses for krypto - a god of fortune does not make. that's more like the old yato who did ANYTHING for five yen. he's better than that and she knows he wants to be better than that, too. it's her job to kick his ass into being so.

hiyori's smile shifts into a softer look. ]

So do you. [ and she can tell, ereshkigal wants it as desperately as anybody else. clambering off the goddess, hiyori takes her hands and helps her up onto her feet. ]

Are you feeling up to going back to the gala? I don't know about the food but we can dance and there are fireworks later, too. It's probably just some futuristic light show, but it sounds nice.

And if you're feeling overwhelmed again, I bet fresh air on the balcony is even better than the kind you got outside that Speed Dating place. I'll chase off anybody that tries to bother you! Like a bodyguard!

[ FLEXES. HER ARM. ]

[queenofkur]

[ So do you. She's not used to hearing things like that said about her, but that still makes her smile even more brightly. Why, she's even starting to believe it. Slowly. And even if sometimes she relapses and goes back to her gloomy self, there's still progress.

She sits back up when Hiyori lifts herself up and shakes her head. She wouldn't mind a body guard to keep Silco and Tezcatlipoca away... But then it'd actually put Hiyori in danger! No way she's gonna allow that. ]

Ahaha, I don't think I'll need that.

[ Don't worry, she's about to get fed two glasses of alcohol and make every last one of her acquaintances go through the most embarrassing moment of their lives. ]

I'll be going back after you. [A pause.] Unless you want me to say a word to him.

[ She's used to having to play the role of the evil goddess, she can do it for the sake of love if needed! Though whether she'll be convincing or not, that's another matter entirely... ]

[wwtd]

[ believe it, dattebayo. she believes in you. she's in there, ready to bloom fully like a flower like the ones at her shop. it's ereshkigal's springtime.

hiyori's arm lowers slowly and she nearly sputters on another laugh. wouldn't be a "word", would it? no, this is something she has to do. ereshkigal has done her job as a good friend and the word of reason. appealed to hiyori's slight violent side with the slapping, too. this is between her and yato. besides, she's a big girl. she can fight her battles as much as she appreciates the gesture. ]

It's okay. Thank you. You've done so much for me already, I couldn't ask you to -

[ hiyori opens her mouth to say something else, closes it, and decides to change it at the last moment. ]

But. If you happen to run into him at any point, I wouldn't stop you if you wanted to say something.

[ wink wonk ]