( 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

[ignoreher]

[ wow.

seems like the new guy needs a hand enjoying himself! malkuth's own mask hangs at her wrist, tutting softly as she comes over. ]

You're not gonna even take a turn in the maze? It's pretty fun, even if it's not the most challenging thing.

[lostdestiny]

[ He swallows another bite — alas, no improvement — and glances up at her, neither particularly interested or disinterested in the proposition. ]

What’s in it?

[ignoreher]

Secret rooms and treasure.

[ probably. could be some there. ]

[lostdestiny]

Treasure like this?

[ He holds up a plate of fancy but unappetizing food -- culinary fool's gold. If all the maze gets you is more of the same, eh. He'll just finish up here and bail for something less stuffy. ]

[ignoreher]

Treasure like candy. I spotted someone dropping sweet treats around the area, though I don't know if they're still there.

[ surely this isn't a trick to make shinn participate in the rest of the venue. ]

[lostdestiny]

[ This raises vague childhood alarm bells that oscillate between "witch in a gingerbread house" and "unmarked white van." ]

That's kinda suspicious.

[ignoreher]

[ the first one could be a real Abnormality in her world so she gets it. despite that, though, she seems excited at the mystery... ]

Right? You should come check it out with me!

[lostdestiny]

[ This sounds dumb and not really his thing, but Shinn is a bit weak to genuine enthusiasm. He huffs, but puts the plate down. ]

Alright, alright. But make it quick.

[ignoreher]

[ wow, that was easy! even young rebels like candy (this isn't it). malkuth holds out her hand for him to take-- don't worry she has an explanation. ]

We won't get lost if we stick together like this.

[lostdestiny]

We're not gonna get lost.

[ For a moment, he's sneering at the idea -- that's so dumb, he's a Coordinator, he's not going to get turned around by some dumb party maze! But then he remembers that stupid cave mission and... yeah, they could totally get lost. With another little huff, he takes her hand. It's probably for her benefit more than his. ]

[ignoreher]

Not with you around, anyway! I'm not the best with directions, and I get distracted pretty easily too.

[ not untrue. she'll lead him along to the dumb maze, into the hedges they go. ]

So, did you come with anyone? Or are you brooding all alone tonight?

[ she gets just wanting to be somewhere with people, even if it isn't your scene... ]

[lostdestiny]

I’m not brooding!

[ But honestly Shinn just here for food and to keep an eye on Lacus, both of which would have involved largely ignoring people even if they went well. The food sucks and Dearka and Yzak are here for anti-kidnapping duty, so… yeah, total waste of a night. He’d rather be at a less formal gathering or even in the simulator. ]

Hold on — if you’re bad at directions, then why do you want to go in a maze?

[ignoreher]

Getting lost is half the fun!

[ she's normal! ]

[lostdestiny]

[ He groans obnoxiously, but allows himself to be dragged onwards. ]

What’s the other half?

[ignoreher]

Finding your way out, of course!

[ how is that not obvious, shinn... anyway, once they enter in it's pretty easy to see how someone might get lost. the paths are many and winding. once you turn a corner, it feels as if the way you came shuts off.

like it doesn't, probably, but the tall hedges are definitely dizzying in a way. ]

If I was a little fairy leaving sweets around the maze, where would I put them... in a corner? Or maybe a secret room...

[lostdestiny]

You’ve got too much time on your hands.

[ Shinn is the only person who didn’t have a dramatic rendezvous in Foundation’s gardens at the last fancy ball he went to, so this hedge maze stuff is all new to him. The way the paths seem to close up behind them really does remind him of hurtling through the Gulnahan cave systems, with the walls coming into view for a moment as his floodlights hit them and then disappearing back into pitch black as he passed. At least there’s some light here… for now. ]

Anything good should be in the middle or the far end.

[ That makes sense, right? The “heart” of the maze or nominally the hardest part to get to. ]

[ignoreher]

[ yeah, she does, but that's definitely not connected to this. her thousands of hobbies are. ]

You sound pretty experienced with mazes. Used to sprawling areas with no navigation?

[lostdestiny]

Just once.

[ His face screws up into a sour expression for a second — no, that mission was not fun in the moment, even thought he pulled it off. A battlefield is more chaotic, but at least he can see more than a hundred feet from his face. ]

But it’s like building a base. Put it somewhere defended or put it somewhere hard to get to. Or both.

[ignoreher]

[ he certainly does have a soldier's knowledge. that much she could summize from their first meeting, but it only continues. ]

So what do you think of LILITH's base then?

[lostdestiny]

[ Another sour expression, and this one sticks. ]

I get that being near people helps us respond fast, and people probably move to be near the base because of that...

[ He glances up, like he's expecting a stray blast from above. ]

But it's just surrounded by people! People who'll be in a lot of trouble if anything seriously goes for the base.

[ignoreher]

It's not so easy to move camp, though. I heard they had some trouble with an ocean kaiju before I arrived, actually, and you could see the effects it had months after -- I helped clean up the beaches when I woke up, actually, it definitely took out the shore... Kind of a miracle we have some sort of industry building back up again after all that.

[ but it has almost been a year now, she supposes. will be in just a few months. ]

I don't know if LILITH has any defenses for the base itself, but the city around it is definitely at risk -- and us with it. Though I consider my safety less of a priority than the ones we're supposed to be protecting.

[ naturally. ]

[lostdestiny]

[ That last bit is so obvious to Shinn that he doesn't even comment on it -- it's their job to keep ordinary people safe, duh, full stop. ]

The only defense I've heard about is the buildings going underground. Which is good -- [ and, yeah, his family probably wouldn't have gotten blown up if they'd been able to go to a shelter instead of running for the coast ] -- but only if they're far enough down to take a few hits and only if people can get to them in time.

[ignoreher]

I guess we're there to make sure they have the time.

[ hopefully successfully this time.

a fork in the path... ]

Left or right?

[lostdestiny]

Left. Let's do all lefts for a bit and see where we end up.

[ No particular reason for left; he figures that if the maze is big they're still in exploratory mode. ]

Is just defending attacks really good enough? Like... at some point shouldn't we be stopping kaiju from coming at all?

[ It's the same problem that Compass had -- putting out little conflicts without stopping them at their source just means a lot of work and a lot of people getting hurt. ]

[ignoreher]

[ left they go!!! ]

Well... we don't get much of a warning. It's usually just before an attack that LILITH gets any indication in their numbers -- they usually follow rifts opening up, but you could consider that the "event horizon" of a kaiju atttack. If there's one opening, then it's too late to prevent it. Other than that, it's just been..
unusual natural and abnormal activity, like an increase in tremors or people suddenly abandoning their homes to go into the desert. The Imugi were preceeded with heavy rainfall as one of the symptoms.

[ things that aren't exactly notable until it starts to become unusual. ]

That's... generally when they've been able to cast their net on the approximate area of the next target, though it's not exact. Kinda like putting a haystack into different piles to find a needle.