deathsmajesty | 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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From:

pocketpretzels

“I had not considered,” Watts admitted. “That your mask covers both your cheeks and your mouth.”

From:

hasaknightjob

Steven touched his mask. From the inside it didn't feel like it covered too much because he could still easily talk and breathe. But as he touched it he realized that Llewellyn was right. The beak did get in the way.

"I could lift it?"

From:

pocketpretzels

Watts sighed. “I realise, of course, that obscuring of one’s identity is part of the holiday. But it makes it very difficult for me to spontaneously offer you a show of my affection,” he grumbled. “Lifting it would solve the problem, but at the expense of either the purpose of the mask or the spontaneity of the act on my part.”

From:

hasaknightjob

"I do like you being spontaneous," Steven said. He couldn't help it. Llewellyn being grumpy about not being able to kiss him made Steven smile. "I don't mind lifting it. Say here?"

Steven pushed the mask up so that it rested more on his forehead, with the beak now coming down towards the top of his nose.

From:

pocketpretzels

“Can you still see all right?” Watts asked.

From:

hasaknightjob

"I can see my handsome beau," Steven replied, smiling up at him.

From:

pocketpretzels

“Flatterer,” Watts laughed, rewarding that with a very quick peck to Steven’s lips.

It was getting easier, being properly affectionate in public, the more he did it.

From:

hasaknightjob

"What else do I need to see?" Steven replied, which really only proved he was earning that comment. The kiss did help the smile to linger on Steven's face, though, so there were benefits to it beyond just the kissing.

From:

pocketpretzels

“Your punch glass, perhaps?” Watts said. “It would be a shame were you to spill juice upon this tie,” he noted, reaching out to straighten said tie unnecessarily.

From:

hasaknightjob

"Good point," Steven said. He stepped closer to make it easier for Llewellyn to do that entirely necessary tie adjustment. "It is a very nice tie. Have to make sure to take it off carefully later as well."

From:

pocketpretzels

“That, I would be pleased to assist you with,” Watts all but purred, tugging gently on said tie.

From:

hasaknightjob

"I'll certainly need the help," Steven said. "Good thing I have you about."

Steven hadn't had the issues with physical shaking that he did on Sunday but what did things like facts matter here? Obviously he would need help with his tie.

Steven leaned up to give Llewellyn a kiss but then hesitated, silently questioning if it would be all right.

From:

pocketpretzels

“I am here for whatever you need,” Watts said, answering Steven’s unspoken question by tilting his head downwards slightly to meet him in the middle.

From:

hasaknightjob

Steven kissed him, keeping it light and quick, but a kiss all the same. "I needed that, so thank you. Thank you for being here with me as well. I mean - obviously you would. You're my date. But staying close. Thank you."

From:

pocketpretzels

“Of course, darling,” Watts said. “And we needn’t stay a minute longer than you should care to.”

From:

hasaknightjob

"Doing all right so far," Steven said. "Not too bad yet. I promise I will say if I need to leave. Or get some fresh air."

Apparently there was a garden area available for that very thing!

From:

pocketpretzels

“Good,” Watts said firmly. “Take care of yourself first and foremost, everything else is secondary.”

From:

hasaknightjob

Steven smiled at him. "Easier to do when you've a beau who will catch you if you need it. Don't know that I could have come on my own. Well, as much as I'm ever on my own."

Though considering Marc and parties it would've probably still been very much alone.