oh, we dance in misery

[headandhand]

WHO: Open to all Dualizens!
WHAT: the Plague Memorial Masked Ball
WHERE: the Mayor's Mansion (central Dualis)
WHEN: the evening of November 16
WARNINGS: Visuals/discussion of disease and death in the setting. Anything else, please use appropriate warnings!

At 8 p.m. sharp, the lights inside and around the Mayor's Mansion turn up, and the doors are opened to the crowds that begin to trickle inside. All entrances are manned by Iterations, and all party-goers are scanned for both proper attire (formal and masked, mandatory) and weapons (absolutely forbidden) before being allowed entry.

Once inside, attendees are greeted to a spectacle of warmth and light and lavish decorations, all themed in white accented with gold and violet. Venture into the ballroom, and you'll see intricately carved ice sculptures in various representations of death, all laden with garlands of marigolds and violet chrysanthemums. At one end of the room, a rotating cast of musicians plays soft music in differing arrangements of strings and piano. Long tables at the other end of the ballroom are piled high with punch fountains and platters of delicious party foods, and a few bar stations serve beverages of the more adult variety to those of age.

Outside the main ballroom are seven smaller rooms, for more intimate conversations and quiet recovery from the main gala (or just skulking like a brooding weirdo, if that's your thing). Six of the rooms are decorated in monochrome blue, purple, green, orange, white, or violet, and the seventh room is pitch black with red accents.

Throughout the night, the mayor herself winds in and out of the crowds, shadowed by a pair of bodyguards. She is all smiles, greeting people with a friendly handshake and effusive words of thanks for attending the ball, but she never stays in one place long enough for a true conversation. This is a celebration of life and a remembrance of the dead, after all - not the time or place for talks of business or politics.

Enjoy yourselves tonight, everyone! And remember - death eventually comes for everyone.

Comments

a

[blitzcheer]

Oh, good, so it's not just me who finds this weird?

[ Multiple people from different worlds gathered on a different world—it was a possibility he just wasn't getting the culture. Didn't want to get it, really. It was a hard-hitting reminder of mortality that sat uncomfortably and personal in Tidus, though the man's remark does give him some small smidgen of relief. ]

Isn't this meant to be, you know... more respectful?

[ That was his impression of the invitation. ]

[axiomed]

Is it?

[ charles ponders that briefly. the impression he got, albeit mentally, was that everyone was put off by it, even if it wasn't voiced publicly. the joys of being a telepath. ]

Honestly, it's hard to tel in a place like this but the impression I got was that it's meant to unsettle us.

[blitzcheer]

That's how the mayor made it sound. [ It being about respect, anyway. ]

But I guess it's saying one thing and doing another, huh?

[ Which was the theme of this whole city, apparently. ]

[axiomed]

That does seem to be the case for many things here.

[ charles looks him over. ]

I take it you're a new arrival?

[blitzcheer]

Oh yeah. Tidus!

[ Should he offer him a hand? It seems like that kind of event, so he'll offer him a hand. ]

Showed up this month. What about you? You, uh... doing okay here?

[ It comes out awkward, remembering what he was told about the robot incident, but not wanting simply trail off.

Even if it isn't much of a better question. ]

[axiomed]

[ charles smiles kindly, picking up the train of thought from tidus' mind. ]

I'm doing well. Despite the sudden robot attack.

[blitzcheer]

O-oh! [ There's a surprise, but more for the fact, it was okay to say that? Tidus thinks for a second before asking with some discretion: ]

Did it really... [ He gestures to his own face. ] Look like you?

[ Some discretion. He's curious, but also somewhat alarmed. ]

[axiomed]

[ charles smiles. ]

It did. Save for the part where it walked on two legs. It never spoke though, at least. Not to me.

[blitzcheer]

[ Huh. Tidus couldn't say he felt these supposed copies were doing their job well, then. ]

Well, if we get a different kind of dance tonight, [ trouble, ] I can do some healing.

[ He's not entirely confident about how well he'll do, but sure of contributing. His confidence does grow however with a grin: ]

And I'm even better at kicking ball-shaped things!

[ uhh was that too loud-- ]

B-because I played sports! [ Blitzball, even if he doesn't say it. ]

[axiomed]

[ he lets a little chuckle at that. ]

Well, then! I will certainly look to you if I need help. Especially if it involves sports.

[blitzcheer]

[ He throws a dopey grin back. ]

Hey, you're not into sports, are you? I've been checking out what's popular here, and one of the bigger games involves a wheelchair too! Murderball?

[ Sound familiar? ]

[axiomed]

I fell out of sports since I got in the chair.

[ which is sad. charles used to be an excellent marathon runner. ]

Murderball?

[blitzcheer]

[ That is sad, Charles. ]

Yeah! Bad name, I know, but I looked up a video and it looks pretty fun. You have to get the ball to the opposite team's side, but you're getting knocked around at the same time.

[ FUN. ]

I remember it got described as 'wheelchair rugby'... but I don't remember which sport that is.

[axiomed]

[ the corner of his lips twitch. ]

That does sound like fun. Not very helpful, in this particular chair. Since it hovers, but certainly a keen idea.

[blitzcheer]

Having a hovering chair might be as cool as beating another team in a game. I guess.

[ Grin! ]

Not that I was thinking you should go join in. Unless you wanted to, then you don't want that getting scuffed. [ The hover-chair, he means. But after a moment, Tidus realises he might be taking up a fair bit of this man's time... ]

But uh, you probably didn't come to a party to listen to someone ramble about sports. [ 'Probably'. Aha. ] Are you meeting anyone tonight?

[ He's meant to be meeting his girlfriend under the guise of anonymity, neither knowing how the other will look -- so Charles not showing up to the ball with his plus one isn't an odd thought to Tidus. ]

[axiomed]

I don't mind your ramble on sports.

[ it reminds him a little of his students, though that still hurts a little. ]

And yes, I have company. My partner, Erik.

[blitzcheer]

[ It's nice to be told, regardless. Makes Tidus feel not so bad about the rambling.

But ohh, a partner? ]

Oh yeah? Did you meet them here? [ In this city? ]

[axiomed]

[ charles shakes his head, amused. ]

Oh, no. We're old friends and we came here, albeit at different times.

[blitzcheer]

Wow, really? [ Huh, that makes Tidus pause. ] Is that common? I had a friend show up the same time as me, and I know someone else who has a friend here...

[ But then, he's already thinking of a few examples that might not match. Didn't David say he had a friend here? Were they from his world? Someone vanished... ]

[axiomed]

[ charles pauses to mull it over. ]

I don't know if it is. He's the only one I know here personally.

[blitzcheer]

Hm! It makes sense in a way. If they can bring you here, they can bring people you know, right? People around you.

But then there's two years between my friend and me... [ And he stopped existing, so did it really make sense? ]

[axiomed]

Well, time-travel could be involved. And it is feasible to have people from different times.

[ says the man who met his future self. ]

[blitzcheer]

Yeah! That's pretty amazing. I mean...just being able to reach out in time like that? They could find a cure and then go back and have it in the past! That's what I'd do!

[axiomed]

I doubt you're alone in that, though time travel isn't always clear cut.

Sometimes, you can't change what's already happened.

[blitzcheer]

Huh? Why not? Sounds pretty easy to me.

Tell people what they didn't know at the time, give them the thing they didn't have... you just need to know where you need to go or who to talk to, and there! Future changed!

[ wow he really likes this idea?? ]