deathsmajesty | Halloween Party, Creepy But Nowhere Near Abandoned Mansion, Tuesday Night

Halloween Party, Creepy But Nowhere Near Abandoned Mansion, Tuesday Night

After basically being dared to do it by Tony Stark (and putting in six weeks of renovations, bless Hannibal for the contractor), Liliana, dressed as an empress, hair pulled back in a profusion of curls by her angelic headpiece, was ready to throw her first Fandom party. Sure, it was for a holiday she didn't really understand, but she'd heard enough about it to make due: there was supposed to be candy and people were supposed to be in costume. Done. Everything else was just the same as a regular party, right?

Granted, the last party she'd hosted had actually been for a bunch of vampires and that had been seventy years ago on a completely different plane, but bah, details. You had food to eat, music to dance to, dark corners to sneak off to, and either enough witty people or enough alcohol to keep the conversation flowing. Liliana was hoping that there would be plenty of the former showing up, but just in case, she'd made sure to stock plenty of the latter.

Though her newly refurbished ballroom was actually very light and airy, she had done her best to recreate some of the spookiest elements she'd seen in her travels. The dancefloor was covered in about a foot of heavy fog that swirled and eddied with every movement. While most of the chandeliers were shrouded in fabric and false webbing, she personally found the main chandelier was decorated in something she much more unnerving. Black and red candles flickered about the room held by ghostly hands, dripping skulls, and the occasional elegant standing candelabra. One of the few concessions to magic she'd used tonight was to have the candles lit with tongues of false fire, which provided light but no heat. And they glowed blues and greens and purples, which was a nice effect. Red roses were placed upside down in vases, while more questionable arrangements sat in decorative vases. Out of deference to her guests' ~~squeamishness~~ sensibilities, all creepy critters, skeletons, and dead bodies were all cunningly crafted fakes, not a single real bone or drop of blood in the place.

Other than, of course, what her guests brought in with them. And should they leave with fewer of either than they'd come in with, well, that was hardly her fault. Probably.

Arrive and Mingle / Photos / Dark Corners [NFB] / Refreshments / Dance / Gardens / OOC

[~~Please hold for~~ OCD up! Do the thing!]

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Well, Summer didn't really have much of a choice, did she? What else was she going to do? Miss it?? Try to hold a competing Halloween party against the necromancer? Please. She might have cute abs and newly impressive arms, but she also had a brain, too, thank you.

(Sometimes).

"Thanks," Summer lifted her chin a little to tamp down any self-consciousness rising as she put on a smile and gave Liliana a look over. "So do you, bu, I mean, like, that is literally surprising to absolutely no one. Also, like, nice job." Her eyes started to rove around the ballroom a little. "This place looks great."

That's what this party was missing. Meat on sticks. Truly a failing that Liliana will have to rectify for next time.

"Liliana Vess, semi-local necromancer, and I can say for certain we haven't," Liliana replied, taking Amaya's bony hand with a chilly one of her own. "You did this in a single weekend? Truly?" She clapped her hands like a little girl at a birthday party. "Is it gauche to do business at a party? Because your costume has given me a brilliant idea for a gown. That spine is magnificent."

"You look wonderful," Stark said. He'd almost certainly said that already. Multiple times.

He was trying not to self-consciously cross his arms over his chest too often. He was mostly succeeding!

"And I do like matching."

Liliana took Irene's hand in her own chilly grip, returning both smile and sentiment whole-heartedly. "I have clearly been playing into the reclusive necromancer stereotype far too strongly, it's the only possible reason - though still highly inexcusable - that we haven't met yet. Liliana, the pleasure is mine, and...may I let you in on a little secret?"

She leaned closer and dropped her voice, taking the opportunity to also clock Irene's gown, the end result a large number of Ravnican zibs and zinos unless she missed her guess.

"The reason you all came into the back was less about making an entrance and more because I'm still refurbishing the rest of the house. There are perhaps six rooms ready for company and the rest is all shrouded furniture, dust, and unrealized potential."

Liliana was just going to roll with it, even if there had been a half-second of startlement there, it was quickly replaced by as warm an embrace she could provide. Emotionally warm, Liliana's body was quite obviously below a normal, human body temperature. "Thank you, darling. I'm quite pleased with how it came out." She preened a little, humility was for people less accomplished than Liliana Vess. "And you are charming as ever. But help a girl out, darling, what is your costume?"

"Hello, Nell," Steven said. "You look nice. Having fun so far?"

Llewellyn was probably not wrong about that concern. Especially combined with being somewhere they'd never been before. Which was one of many reasons Steven was trying not to stray too far that Llewellyn got out of his sight.

"Looks like there's plenty of things we can eat," Steven said. "That's kind."

Of course most events on the island were thoughtful about including vegan options. But that didn't mean it wasn't nice for Liliana to do the same.

It was basically a rule that Irene, dressed as she was, needed to find a short and toonish figure to socialize with, at some point. Bonus points granted for the bagginess of his costume.

"Need a boost, darling?" she offered when she made her way over to the food. "I could drag a chair over."

"Has it?" Steven asked. He felt a moment of uncertainty about time as he couldn't recall the last he'd seen Liliana (as opposed to sharing texts). He tried to banish the uncertainty by telling himself that this was clearly a Halloween party and thus it must still be October 31.

(He might surreptitiously confirm that on his mobile and pocket watch once he and Liliana were done talking).

Steven plunged ahead on more steady feeling subjects. "The party looks wonderful. As do you. You don't go halfway, do you? Thank you. For the invitation. And the food."

"No guest of mine is going to go hungry due to a lack of available options," Liliana declared staunchly. That included Eric, but she wasn't going to mention that to pretty much anyone but Eric. "I may not have hostessed in a few decades, but even being rusty, there are things I will not abide."

At least, assuming she liked the individual(s) with the dietary restrictions and/or was trying to make a good impression. Otherwise...

"And how have you found yourself recently? It's been awhile since I've touched base with Steven."

"Liliana Vess," she replied, taking his hand in hers. As a doctor, he probably clocked immediately that her body temperature was concerningly low, though she seemed just fine and not suffering from advanced hypothermia. "Proprietress of the Infinite Consortium. A pleasure. I'm so glad you could make it."

She did not seem to recognize that he was any particular scarecrow, no.

Don't think Nell wasn't considering just that very thing. Perhaps when their relationship was a little further along. Soon! But yes, for only an audience of one particular cowboy.)

"Thank you," Nell said. "Yes, many of my teas are medicinal, but some are just tasty."

“A nice selection,” Watts agreed, already sizing up what would survive being stuffed in his pockets for a few hours. “And there’s a dance floor…”

"I'll have to make sure I leave some books about it out for you," Gladio said with a faint snort. "And yeah, thanks. I'd complain about how everyone here is apparently such a good shot, but I knew what I was signing up for.

"Party looks good," he then offered, with a small nod of small approval.

"I feel like you could just wear this. Like as an outfit," Irene observed with a smile when she sauntered her way over, gesturing to Margo's whole leather-clad person with one hand and gripping her cigarette holder and drink with the other. "The bird's a bit much for just Tuesday, though, I suppose."

Liliana had no idea who Odin was but she firmly supported taking things for the matriarchy, so good on you, Margo darling.

"Margo, hello darling," she said when she spotted the queen. "Lovely to see you again. I heard radio say your shop escaped the infestation of tawdry unscathed?"

Jealous.

"I think I'm a sort of cowgirl" Nell said, touching her hat self-consciously. "To go with Gladio's cowboy. You look like a beautiful queen."

Liliana didn't know Anakin well enough to get the joke, but she barely understood any of the costumes tonight. Though the shampoo did give her pause.

"I'm trying to figure out if that's part of the costume or a very intriguing hostess gift," she admitted. "Either way, welcome to my party. I'm Liliana, a pleasure."

Steven smiled at the idea that Llewellyn felt brave enough to dance with him. "Could be nice. See how it goes?"

"Yeah, I know," said Rosa, because, hi, have you met her?

Oh, wait. No, you hadn't. She squinted a little at Liliana because she definitely didn't care enough to pay attention to most people unless she had to before asking, "Who are you?"

Hey, she didn't usually bother asking! Her manners were on point tonight!

"It's a bit overwhelming," Nell admitted. "And everyone is so fancy and beautiful. But it's fun to be here, and Liliana put lights out in her garden so I can go out there if I need a break."

"I dunno," Margo said, glancing at it as well as she could under the circumstances. "I'm starting to dig the terrifying witch vibe."

"I made sure it knew I was gonna fuck it up if I tried anything," Margo said. "And it knows when causing shit ain't worth it."

"The best and worst part of moving house," Irene noted in a sympathetic undertone, though the delivery of this information -- and Liliana's entire demeanor, honestly -- elicited a more genuine, playful smile. "It's always how much there is to bloody do before hosting, but then there's that potential to keep the despair away."

Irene had solved this problem for herself by downsizing tragically when she'd moved to Fandom.

"Your secret is safe with me, darling," she assured Liliana, theatrically crossing her heart. "Though only if you promise to elaborate on the matter of being a necromancer -- really, truly? I've never met one before."

Which was kind of saying something at this point in her Fandom residency.

Steven nodded at the part about it being a bit overwhelming. "That's good to know. About the garden. Get some fresh air, maybe."

Steven was keeping this in mind for himself as much as anything.

"She seems to have thought of a lot of details," Steven said. "Good hostess, that."

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Halloween Party, Creepy But Nowhere Near Abandoned Mansion, Tuesday Night

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