The Creepy And Now Holiday-Appropriate Mansion, Thursday Evening

[deathsmajesty]

Once again, the gate that blocked off the bottom end of Phoenix Way was opened, inviting everyone to the creepy (though much less abandoned) mansion. This time, however, instead of being guided around to the gardens, the lit path led them to the front door, where the a tall figure in a tattered robe and deep cowl gestured for them to step inside the door and get onto a...boat? Once people had climbed in settled themselves, the ferryman began to guide the ship down the River Styx. Or, okay, their long entrance hallway, with blue lights to either side of their boat to mimic water and bathing everyone in an eerie blue glow. (Yes, okay, the boat perhaps wheeled down the hallway rather than floated, but they had not refinished this house just to flood the hallway for verisimilitude. Even if Liliana had considered it for a few minutes.)

The double doors leading to the ballroom were opened, with thick fog rolling out of the doorway. And through that doorway, people could descend the stairs into the Underworld proper. Black and gold were the prevailing color, with deep red nods to a pomegranate motif. Gold coins and loose gemstones added to the decor, a nod to Hades' wealth - but even amidst all the dark opulence, touches of other colors could be seen: tucked away in various corners and small niches were flowering plants, a surprise kiss of springtime to be found in the least likely places. Rather than one large chandelier, they had several, creating areas of both light and shadow around the ballroom.

Welcome to the Underworld, dear friends.

Comments

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[special_rabbit]

Graham. The key component here was Graham. And his....copious amount of frequent letters keeping them updated on all the important stuff, once you managed to parse through all the pages of tangents and babbling.

Amaya just sort of followed Irene's eyes with a bit of a wistful sigh.

"I really do need to get into the chandelier business," she noted. And not even because of Fandom's recent upsurge in interest in them! Imagine all the nobles back home that could be convinced to have their own little one-upmanship on the thing sif she just sort of played her cards in peddling the idea to them right.

But, with that wry little comment, she did shift her attention back over to Irene with the faint sort of smile she got on her face when she still couldn't quite figure out what to do with how things had gone recently and admitted, "I'm glad we were able to come and do this."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[begmetwice]

See, comments like that were liable to make Irene start taking measurements of their own ceiling-to-floor ratios back home. Who said only the nobles needed chandeliers?

"Would we need to involve a glass-blower, for chandeliers?" Irene wondered idly, shifting a touch closer in response to that smile and reaching to give Amaya's arm -- so kind of her to put on this show, darling, but mind the swooning folks surely left in her wake -- an affectionate squeeze. "And you know, I'm glad we came, too. Polite of everything not to change too much."

Though, again, surely Graham would have given them a heads up if the island had been engulfed in endless winter or sent to space or some other insanity.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[special_rabbit]

Perhaps a better use for those measurements might be figuring out how to lift the ceiling back home first.

Although it should be noted, the apartment over the shop back in Daventry was remarkably like the one here in Fandom. That had been very intentional, of course.

Her nose wrinkled a little at the mention of finding a glass blower. "Not sure I know anyone really in that business at the moment," she admitted. "Suppose I could ask around. Or maybe pick it up myself. Where there's a market, there's a way! Otherwise, we'll probably have to deal with the Merchant of Miracles, and I still have to fight the urge to boot that scheming little whelp halfway to the Land of the Green Isles every time I see his tiny purple shorts."