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

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

Jon had seen the way Margo and Eliot dressed, and he knew without even having to Know that he had absolutely nothing that would meet with approval.

So he was here in the boring black dress suit the island had left him a while back, which was the nicest thing he currently owned. At least he hadn't grown much since he was a teenager, and it wasn't as if he could look any more awkward than his usual.

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

“Hi, Jon.”

Margo hadn’t expected any better from him. She was just grappling with the fact she didn’t completely hate seeing him.

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

"Margo." Jon nodded and swallowed. "I, um. I'm sorry I'm not exactly the 'fabulous' sort, but...um." But he was him. "Thank you for the party."

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

“You’re welcome,” Margo said. It was dry, and full of eyeroll, and completely lacking in the party hostess pretense she’d been putting on all night. “Just have a drink and try to relax, will you? Your whole awkward spiel is just. . . no, Jon.”

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

"I, um. Yes, I...wait, my what? Erm...I...right," he finished weakly. "I'll, um, just go have a drink."

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

Margo eyed his sad-sack everything and made an executive decision.

“Look, Jon, I can sparkle you up some so you don’t embarrass yourself when you go in there,” she said. “Don’t ask me why. I just can’t stand whatever the fuck it is you’re doing here right now.”

Stupid bleeding heart for the awkward nerd brigade.

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

"I'm...standing," Jon protested weakly. "I'm not...not offensive." Out of date and style, sure. "I'm not even doing anything!"

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

"Honey," Margo said, all practicality, "If inoffensive is all you want to be, you might as well be dead."

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

"'Easily overlooked' would be nice for a change," Jon muttered. He shrugged awkwardly. "I, um. Tend to get...kidnapped?...a lot. Or just, um. Attacked."

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

“You’re got a fucking fear thing lodged into your brain au permanent,” Margo said, rolling her one remaining eye. “You’re not gonna squeeze out of trouble by looking like a depressing emo nerd.”

She leaned back and considered Jon. “I’m just gonna glitter you up a little.”

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

Jon sighed and nodded, submitting himself to her judgment. "I'm not emo, though," he felt the need to say.

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

“You’re so fucking emo it’s going to make me cry, Jon,” Margo told him.

She brought her fingers up. Then down again in a series of long and dramatic gestures, some of which were sweeping.

When she finished, glitter sparked and moved like a living thing along the hem and the edges of Jon’s shirt and hair.

(Yes, she’d gone for the hair.)

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

"I'm not like...like My Chemical Romance or anything," Jon protested again, partly to distract from the fact that his hair was glittering.

Fine, he did have a guilty love for some Panic! songs, but he wasn't about to go around wearing all black or anything.

...this one suit excepted.

He brushed his hair from his face, squinting at it. "This is distracting," he murmured, mostly to himself. He probably needed a haircut, too.

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[existencemisspent]

". . . Right. Do let me enchant that look just a little, darling, you're dreadfully underdressed."

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

"I'm fully dressed!" Jon protested. "Maybe not...not fancy, but I am in a suit."

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[existencemisspent]

"Is that what we're calling suits these days?" Eliot. Don't be mean. "Come on. I'm sure we can fix you right up."

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

"It, um. The island gave it to me," Jon said. "That one weekend, with the, the cars and everything? But yes, all right." He straightened and probably looked like he was marching to his doom (hey, he knew how to do that), but stood waiting.

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[existencemisspent]

"The island has terrible taste," Eliot informed him. "But don't worry, I'm just going to. . . ." He started through a complicated series of hand gestures, straightening the collar a smidge, deepening the color, adjusting those dreadfully outdated lapels, and with a final flourish, adjusting the cut to fill Jon our a touch and make him look a little less heroin chic.

". . . There. I'm sure there's a mirror around here somewhere if you'd care to take a look. It'll only last until morning, but I can work something more permanent later if you decide you like it."

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

Well, it had been created in a fifteen-year-old style, not that Jon could tell the difference.

"Oh. Um." Jon looked down at himself, not entirely sure what was different. It looked...better, but he couldn't have said exactly what the changes were. "Thank you." He wasn't sure he needed a mirror immediately, but he'd probably find one later. And Eliot's changes were much more subtle than Margo's glitter.

He looked himself over a moment longer, then shrugged and held his arms out again, more for inspection this time. "Am I acceptable now?"

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[existencemisspent]

“You’re. . . closer,” Eliot said. “You still need a mask.”

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

"Right. A mask. Oh!" Jon fumbled briefly with the polaroid he'd brought with him. "And, um. A picture if you don't mind."

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[existencemisspent]

“How painfully retro,” Eliot said, then struck a simple, dignified pose, his hands clasped behind his back. “If you must.”

He was actually very pleased to be asked for a photo.

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

Jon took the picture, smiling a little at Eliot's pose. "I, um. Prefer non-digital. Thank you."

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[existencemisspent]

“Of course,” Eliot said. “But if that somehow gets used for nefarious purposes, I will have to curse you.”

Re: Arrive and Say Hi

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

"Oh, no!" Jon hurried to assure him. "No, no nefarious purposes. Just...um." He sighed. "Fear entity. Not mine!" he scrambled to add, then grimaced. "For protection, not...not feeding."

He stopped and took a deep breath, aware he was doing this badly. "There's a...a thing that replaces people. Replaces their memories, too." Another deep breath. "But it can't change non-digital images. This is for...reference, I suppose. Just in case."

...was that non-creepy enough?