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

[deathsmajesty]

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!]

Comments

Photos

[deathsmajesty]

Please wait for our lovely photographer, flamesburned, to ping in to get pictures of you in your excellent costumes!

Re: Photos

[flamesburned]

Liz had a few different cameras set up to take photos as she waited for people who might like their photos taken.

Re: Photos

[hasaknightjob]

Photos or not, Steven did want to see Liz. So at some point in the evening he made his way over to her. Though his manner was more subdued than it usually was at parties, he still looked pleased to see her.

"Liz, hello! Are you busy working? I don't mean to interrupt."

Re: Photos

[flamesburned]

“Steven hi,” Liz smiled, “and you’re not interrupting,” she assured him, “I can take a break now,” she added.

Re: Photos

[hasaknightjob]

"Wonderful," Steven said. "It's good to see you. I keep meaning to pop by the Photo Hut to say hello but real life keeps messing it up you know how it is with island strangeness and travel and the like. You're well? Noctra enjoy her first Halloween?"

Re: Photos

[flamesburned]

“Same here, we ended up heading home last week when we weren’t sure how things were going to go,” Liz told him, “but Noctra’s been enjoying Halloween, she’s at home with Prompto while I work here for the evening,” she said, “how have you been going?”

Re: Photos

[hasaknightjob]

"I wondered where he was," Steven said, since he hadn't been fully certain if he just hadn't spotted Prompto in the crowd, especially with everyone in costume. "And, er, you know. Got back from holiday. Returned to all that strangeness. Been... interesting."

It was times like this when Steven especially regretted that he hadn't been able to go visit Liz as often as he would have liked. He wouldn't have minded getting her thoughts on some of the things going on with him but a party was not the place for it on several levels.

Re: Photos

[flamesburned]

"Oh how was your holiday?" Liz asked, "I know most of the school went off to New Zealand, it would be a wonderful place to visit one day," she said, "and last week was definitely rather strange, the Photo Hut turned into a Staples, that was definitely new,"

Re: Photos

[hasaknightjob]

"Llewellyn and I went to Peru," Steven said. "He planned the most amazing holiday. Thought of all the details. Didn't get back until about midweek, though, when everything had already started changing. Luckily Midnight and the Museum were all right. Blathers had some strange offers about educational programs but no other problems that I'm aware of. Suppose I can't blame you for wanting to get away, it being your home getting changed and all."

Re: Photos

[flamesburned]

"Oh I'm glad you and Detective Watts had a really nice holiday," Liz smiled, "it definitely took some getting used to but I think everything is back where its supposed to be, I haven't done a full inventory yet to see if anything's missing but I think everything's changed back but it was nice going back to the BPRD for a few days even if it wasn't planned,, I know Noctra enjoyed getting to visit,"

Re: Photos

[hasaknightjob]

"I'm sure they loved seeing her," Steven said. "Growing like a weed, I imagine. Hard to believe we're coming up on a year before we know it."

Re: Photos

[flamesburned]

"They did, she really loves Hellboy, she's really taken to him, I think sometimes we're not going to be able to get her to leave," Liz smiled fondly, "she's growing so fast, she's over eight months old now, I still can't believe it,"

Re: Photos

[hasaknightjob]

"Don't suppose you have any pictures?" Steven asked, looking hopeful. Or at least as hopeful as could be seen while he was wearing a bird mask covering half his face.

Re: Photos

[flamesburned]

Liz smiled, "of course," she assured him and got out her phone, she brought up her photos so she could show him, "there's quite a few of Noctra and Hellboy there and with the cats as well," she said as she handed over her phone.

Re: Photos

[deathsmajesty]

"Hello, darling," Liliana said as Liz was getting set up. "Thank you so much for agreeing to do this. Though you will spend some time as an actual guest, right? Or do I need to write that into the contract somewhere?"

Re: Photos

[flamesburned]

Liz smiled as she finished getting ready, “you’re welcome and I’m sure I can spend time as a guest,” she assured her.

Re: Photos

[deathsmajesty]

"Excellent," she said with a curving smile. She extended a slim and chilly hand. "Lilliana, to make it all official. Lovely to finally meet you, darling."

Re: Photos

[flamesburned]

"I'm Liz," Liz introduced herself as she took Lilliana's hand, "and same here, I'm glad we can finally meet, I'm not always able to get out to social events so I'm glad I was able to make this one, you've done a great job with the party," she added.

Re: Photos

[deathsmajesty]

"A baby will do that, I hear," Liliana said with all the vagueness of someone whose experience with small children was mostly theoretical. "It's one of the reasons I called the store instead of just reaching out to Prompto. I wanted to meet you and make sure you had a chance to come out and have a good time this evening."

Re: Photos

[flamesburned]

Liz smiled at that, “that’s true but it’s nice being able to come out here, thank you for giving me this opportunity,”

Re: Photos

[deathsmajesty]

Liliana waved that away. "No, thanks needed," she said. "But I am glad to have gotten a chance meet you."

Re: Photos

[flamesburned]

“Same here,” Liz told her with a smile, “Prompto’s told me a lot about you, I’m glad I’ve been able to meet you,”

Re: Photos

[deathsmajesty]

"Prompto is a delightful source of information," Liliana confided. "It's how I know much of what I do about Ignis."

Re: Photos

[flamesburned]

Liz smiled at that, "Prompto told me about you and Ignis, how has everything been going with you two?"

Re: Photos

[deathsmajesty]

At some point, they were going to have to figure out the right way to answer this question, especially with them both firmly denying they were a couple...while also tacitly agreeing that they were a couple.

For now, Liliana was able to answer in specifics, at least, rather than the difficulty the generality would create. "Ignis has been an absolute gift these past few days," she said. "I don't know that I would have been able to get everything done without his help."

Well, she could have. Just not as stylishly.

She gave Liz a mischievous look. "Though now I'm wondering what Prompto said."