MASQUERADE PARTY, 33 Apocalypse Ave, Friday Evening

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

Party night. The best of nights. An ornate sign on 33 Apocalypse’s door invited all to knock and make themselves known.

The space inside was bigger than it looked from the outside, stretched and displaced by magic. The wallpaper was green and textured, hinting at the English countryside. On one side of the room sat a significant bar offering food and drinks, while the other gave ample space to sit. A large Jenga tower held prominence in a corner.

It was easy to miss it, though, in favor of the little streams of water that ran across furniture and floor. Tiny glass gondolas, animated by magic, made their way back and forth across each stream. The gondolas were real, though the water itself was an illusion. It called attention to the ceiling, doubly enchanted: both to draw all cigarette smoke to itself so it wouldn’t blow in anyone’s face, but also to mimic the starry sky above Venice.

You could watch the stars twinkle, or see the occasional cloud go by. Magical fireflies added to the illusion, dancing through the air like tiny lights. If you listened closely, you could hear the sea rolling in across an invisible beach. Even the air smelled faintly of it: the sea, warm food and good wine.

Welcome to Eliot and Margo’s pad, people. They’d make damn sure you had a good time.

[ocd up, come party!]

Comments

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[sword_chocobro]

Outside of his Crownsguard uniform, Gladio never really was much of a fancy-dress kind of guy. Thankfully, he was buddies with someone who was, but he was pretty sure Ignis would have a few choice words to say about not being involved at all in Gladio's attempts to make a nice suit distinctly his own.

Look, his other option for this thing involved the words 'sequined cape with a high collar', so....you're welcome.

He was also pretty pleased to have found a mask that really played into his whole eagle/wing aesthetic a little bit.

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

The door opened, and. . .

“Huh, no shirt,” Margo said, nodding like that was a valid choice. Because it was. “I’m into it. Welcome.”

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[sword_chocobro]

Hey, it was important to have a signiture look, right? Gladio's just included an allergy to shirts.

But the greeting got an appreciative grin and a grateful nod of his head. "Good to know," he said. "Thanks. Looking forward to it."

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

“Well, come on in,” Margo said, a hint of a sing-song in her voice because hey: hot shirtless guy, she wasn’t gonna make him feel unwelcome. “You can find your food and drinks at the bar. Ask Eliot about the signature cocktail, he’ll be happy to tell you all about it.”

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[sword_chocobro]

"Signiture cocktail, huh?" Gladio asked, with an intrigued sort of grin, sort of impressed by all of this, but in a way that suggested it really wasn't his scene, but he'd hobnobbed with enough royalty to at least appreciate it for what it was. "Definitely sounds like something I won't want to miss."

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[chef_chocobro]

"I could have sworn you had a shirt on when we left the apartment," Ignis noted, in the tone of someone who felt he really shouldn't have been surprised by this turn of events, and yet....

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[sword_chocobro]

To that, Gladio was just going to meet Ignis's comment with a shameless grin and a peace sign as he continued his way further into the party.

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[existencemisspent]

"Oh thank god, you passed on the cape."

And said yes to a delicious expanse of chest, which Eliot would also get around to thanking you for, Gladio!

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[sword_chocobro]

Gladio had to grin at that.

"Well, you nixed the sequins," he reminded Eliot, "and without that, what would even be the point? So I had no choice but to go with option two."

...and you're welcome.

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[existencemisspent]

"And I stand by my nixing," Eliot said, clearly eyeing that chest before meeting Gladio's eye again. "Especially when this is the result."

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[sword_chocobro]

Gladio held off his next grin until Eliot remembered that his eyes were up here before offering a simple, "I do what I can."

And if he needed to just take a moment to roll his shoulders and stretch his arms back a little before settling and adjusting his jacket a little, then so be it.

He let his hand fall toward Eliot's shoulder as he moved forward a little more into the party. "Don't let me keep you from your hosting duties, though," he said. "I'll maybe catch up with you later."

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[existencemisspent]

"Please do," Eliot agreed, allowing himself to be steered. (Few people were of the right stature to make Eliot feel cute in comparison. He found he rather liked it.) "I can reliably be found by the bar."