gooseberryhigh | WINTER MASQUERADE

WINTER MASQUERADE

The privacy curtains are erected in the Atrium as soon as lunch ends, and it's all hands on deck as Event Committee get ready to transform the Atrium. Students having dinner are given only 30 minutes before they're ushered out past the privacy curtains again, so the cafeteria can be claimed for a "special surprise." At 7 PM sharp, the Atrium opens, and the Anonymity Charm activates.

House-elves will take cloaks and coats when students arrive, and usher them past festive red curtains into a light-filled carnival. Yards of colourful fabric drape out from the center of the ceiling and fall all the way down to the floor, creating the illusion of a circus big top. Blinking holiday lights cover the walls, twisted into familiar designs: candy canes, evergreens, dreidels, green and red candles, etc. At different corners stand four tall trees decorated in honour of the four houses: one in plum and gold with fuzzy bear decorations, one in olive and copper with glass trout, one in azure and white with feathery jays, and one in orange and black with felt foxes. A mystery gift exchange is taking place by the trees, so come claim your present!

The dance floor is outlined with twinkling lights that magically strobe along with the music. Cheer captain Madison Ives has organized a dance spectacle opener with the help of the other cheer captains, and student band The Heretics are set to perform tonight!

The refreshments tables lining one wall features fair foods such as bagged popcorn (mixed with green and red M&M's), hot pretzels, candy apples, funnel cakes, corn dogs, french fries, cotton candy, and endless varieties of fizzy soda. (A few special treats have been set aside for vegan students. Prospero recommends the falafel on a stick.) Communal tables and chairs have been adorned with red-and-white-striped fabric, to give them a candy cane circus feel.

Step through the doors into the cafeteria and you'll discover a stage has been set up with anonymous karaoke. Have you been too afraid to sing in front of your classmates? Now, if you perform badly, no one will know who you are, so get up there! This room is also popular for the carousel-themed photo op, where you and a masked stranger can pose in front of seasonally appropriate mounts in the shape of a reindeer, a polar bear, a two-seat swan with holly and red ribbon around its neck, and a plastic Santa Claus inviting you to sit in his lap. Only once you've stepped up to the carousel mounts will you see the sprig of mistletoe hanging overhead. Event Committee volunteer photographers will take your picture, to be publicly posted later so you can guess who was posing with you!

If you want a quiet moment, then the balcony is the place to go. The decorations out here are just as bright and glittery, but the little benches have comfortable red and green cushions, and there's bluebell flame lamps providing warmth and light on this chilly December night. From here, you can see the sleigh rides running just outside the lodge, within the sphere of the Anonymity Charm. These romantic magical sleighs seat up to three, and circle the lodge on a set track that takes you past trees also decorated with brilliant lights.

Staff is present and also wearing masks, but they aren't using the Anonymity Charm, to make it easier for students to get help if there's any trouble. Anyone who's using anonymity to harass others will be given only one (1) warning before they're ejected from the dance. The same applies to a handful of MACUSA agents, in identical black masks and black robes, but they appear more interested in patrolling the dance than talking to anyone.

Just before midnight, Mr. Oakes presents an awe-inspiring fireworks show right above the lake. You can walk outside for the full view, but the backdrops will be taken down so you also watch from the tall windows of the Atrium. The last fireworks light up the sky at the stroke of midnight, when the Anonymity Charm ends.

CLICK HERE FOR ANONYMITY CHARM RULES

Decorating the Atrium begins around 3:15 PM, and the cafeteria is cleared at 6:30 PM.

Cocktail dress code. That's party dresses and suits, but you won't be dinged for getting too fancy or dressing slightly more casually. No jeans or t-shirts, though!

The dance starts at 7:00 PM, and runs until around 12:00 AM. These are also the hours of the Anonymity Charm: the charm activates just as the clock strikes 7:00 PM, and only within the confines of the lodge and the immediate surrounding area, and permanently deactivates at midnight. If students don't have a charmed mask of their own, a simple domino will be issued to them at the door.

Anyone wearing a charmed mask becomes unrecognizable to those looking at them. You might have known a person by their voice, height, hair, skin, or lips, but now suddenly... you aren't certain. This could be anyone.

This effectively means that you can't guess the identity of an individual by their physical traits. However, you might recognize them either from their speech patterns, or something they tell you. Also, the charm also doesn't affect your sense of touch, smell or taste. (But please don't lick anyone to figure out their identity.)

It's easier to recognize people by their masks, but if you want your character to struggle with this as well, you may. (The same applies to clothing.) This means you might be at risk of losing track of your date if you come as a couple. This is up to individual players.

Mr. Calderon-Boot has the power to take the charm away, though, so if you act in a truly horrendous manner or break a rule, you could still get caught. Not to mention that a lot of people will remember if the guy in the blue domino mask was being a total dick all night, and someone might later see it amongst your possessions.

If you leave the dance, the charm deactivates until you return. If you remove your mask, the charm deactivates, but will reactivate once you put your mask back on. The effective area of the charm is the lodge and the area immediately surrounding the lodge, enough to cover the sleigh rides.

» Setting Up » Before the Dance » Beginning of the Dance » Refreshments » Mystery Gift Exchange » Anonymous Karaoke » Carousel Photos » Balcony » Sleigh Rides » End of the Night » OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Being surveyed like this, when this person probably knows exactly who she is, makes Jade curl into herself a little more, protective hackles rising. It's for all purposes a compliment, but all she does is stand straighter.
"It's all right. Do I know you?"

"It's beautiful," Ari says, although she's looking at the floor now. Her hair is even more of a mess than it was when she arrived, and she gathers it over one shoulder to keep it out of her face.

"And yes," she answers at length, avoiding the urge to be sarcastic or clever. "But you know everyone here, don't you? It's not a very big school."

Jade's hair is always a mess, and she touches it now in empathy. "So is yours." She says, cautious, returning the compliment like one probably should at a dance. But it's true. It's not a style that Jade would personally wear, but the flowers are delicate and pretty. And she should really keep this anonymous girl placated.

"Some better than others." She can't place this person. It's making her nervous. "Maybe I've never noticed you."

But Ari doesn't acknowledge the return compliment. She's resolved that she isn't going to tell Jade who she is, which has put her into a tailspin of caution, or the lack of it. And she wants to say what she means just - one time. She takes a deep breath. "You always look beautiful," she says, still to her feet.

"And... maybe," she agrees, picking her weight up off the wall and hazarding a glance up at Jade. "Or maybe you have. Either way I can't tell you who I am."

The position she's in, this vulnerability's unsettling. She wishes she hated it more than she does. It's interesting but infuriating, being stuck between flattery and suspicion like this. The mask, even though it's useless now, gives her the cover and confidence to step toward the girl, eyes flicking up and down, taking in every clue. There aren't any, not really, with this charm. She stares her down like she can see through her, anyway.

"Why?" She raises an eyebrow, "Because you watch me?"

She doesn't sound bothered enough by that possibility.

"I just can't," she says, taking a step away from her as she steps forward. Elaborating would be counterproductive, even if she's made herself sound like some inappropriate, distant admirer. That's fine.

She stops. Jade had wondered, originally, if it would be possible to unmask this girl, expose her. But she doesn't. She's scared, maybe. Not a threat. "I'm not..." She doesn't quite know what she wants to say.

Not unapproachable? She was. Not scary? She could be.

"You could talk to me, sometime." She seemed, maybe, like she wanted to.

Ari's too caught up in her own head to glean any kind of information from Jade's tone. Does Jade know it's her? She doesn't think she does. Does she think she's someone else? Someone she knows or likes? If not, and she's still inviting their attention, what does that mean for Ari? She makes a small, irritated sound by clicking her tongue and crosses her arms over her chest.

"Would you want that?" she asks. "I didn't think you..." She shakes her head. She knows that Jade has kissed girls before, at the Grotto, but that doesn't have to mean anything. Still. "I didn't think you'd be interested," she says, which is more true.

Jade doesn't see how she has the nerve to look annoyed. She's the one who's being creepy, and following her, apparently. Jade rolls her eyes, not that she can see it. She suddenly wishes Ari was here, so she had someone to make a rude aside to. She hasn't seen Ari all night, so she presses on herself, ill-advised as that may be.

"And with that attitude, you'll never know." She shrugs. This is helping, to the extent she's willing to help someone who won't even say their name.

Ari has her hackles up, a little bit. She knows it's stupid to argue with Jade about this, like this. But she can't quite make herself stop.

"You don't like anyone," she says. "Why should I take the risk when I've no reason to think you might like me?"

It's true, largely. She doesn't like many people. People have every right to think that. But being confronted about it like this smarts a little. She has friends now. She's been making strides. But it's easy to toss her hair and retreat right back into the same arrogant, ready for a fight girl she'd always been.

"I wouldn't like you unless you thought talking to me was worth some risk. Be a little brave, for once. Or don't. I don't care."

She snaps, taking a few steps back. This is stupid.

Edited 2017-12-20 01:22 (UTC)

Ari stares at Jade for a long moment, and then nods. That makes sense. It's fair. Of course she values bravery. It's an admirable quality and it's not in short supply in their class. But it's not who she is, and the fact that she's here right now proves it.

"I'm sorry," she says, hands going to her face. She's not trying to take off her mask, though - tears are prickling at her eyes. "I didn't mean to bother you," she adds.

She feels badly, a little. This girl looks upset, and she hadn't done anything that bad. For maybe the first time, Jade tries to figure out exactly who she's talking to. Tall...ish. Longer hair than hers? Her best approximation is one of the sophomores, but it's impossible to tell. She sighs, sharp.

"You didn't. It's...you're going to be okay, I'm sure."

But she's not really in the business of comforting strangers. There's a beat where it looks like she's going to say something nicer. She turns back instead.
"I have to find my friend."

Well, shit.

It's probably vain of her to automatically assume Jade's talking about her, because she has lots of friends. But it would figure that'd be her luck tonight. So instead of saying anything else, she just nods and goes to hide in the bathroom, which was where she'd been trying to go in the first place.

She stays in the bathroom for a few minutes to compose herself before she slips out again and heads back to her cabin. She's had enough of being anonymous for one night.

WINTER MASQUERADE

Ari & Jade; a hallway

Ari & Jade; a hallway

Ari & Jade; a hallway

Ari & Jade; a hallway

Ari & Jade; a hallway

Ari & Jade; a hallway

Ari & Jade; a hallway

Ari & Jade; a hallway

Ari & Jade; a hallway

Ari & Jade; a hallway

Ari & Jade; a hallway

Ari & Jade; a hallway

Ari & Jade; a hallway

Ari & Jade; a hallway