genessia | [You'll Be Caught In The Night - After Life Halloween Party]

[You'll Be Caught In The Night - After Life Halloween Party]

Who: Everyone
What: Halloween Party
Where: Nova City - After Life
When: 4 PM October 31st to who knows how early of November 1st
Warnings: B for boos and booze. Also Gale is there so that deserves a warning in itself. Is spooky.

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Welcome to After Life. The entrance of the Nova City nightclub has the additional illumination courtesy of a purple neon bat to welcome the party goers, which that little bat seems more inviting than the almost ominous fog coming out of the front doors. Just beyond the door are a variety of glowsticks, should one feel so inclined to equip themselves with them for the night. The varying colored glass tables are trimmed with fake cobwebs with little spider lights illuminating from beneath it while at each table's end has a jack-o'-lantern of different carvings with color changing LED lights inside. The club's colored strobe lighting reflects off of the club's crystalline walls to help lend to the atmosphere in an almost eerie manner, even adding additional color to the fog hovering over the floor.

As the party begins, Gale makes a special introduction to the ladies who helped make the party possible- Yang Xiao Long, Ayame Sasaki, Gwen Stacy and Mikaela Banes. He wouldn't let the party go on without the much deserved recognition for them.

Food and Refreshments

The bar area has a variety of different foods and snacks for people to enjoy. Brownies, cupcakes and truffles from local confectionaries and other, less sugary options like jalapeno poppers, mummy hot dogs, garlic bread snakes, deviled egg spiders, salsa and dipping sauces with bat chips, dragonfly sushi and spooky fruit monsters are laid throughout the table. At the far end of the table is a little animatronic black cat with glowing green eyes.

Looking for something a little heavier than just snacks to eat, in case you missed lunch? Available to you on another nearby table are shaped pasta with varying sauce options, monster burgers, four different bento boxes, and snake shaped calzones each labeled with different pizza toppings for the stuffing. Yes. A few have pineapple in them. Please do not start a war in Gale's club.

There are various labeled cauldrons of non-alcoholic drinks such as water, punch and soda are on the table while other available are drinks such as mixed soda and punch floats and milkshake shots are there. All of the glasses on the table all have googly eyes attached to them. Also on this table is Gale's Cubone, wearing a tiny vampire cape and patrolling around the cauldrons. Don't even think about trying something funny or trying to spike the drinks, because Cubone will smack the culprit's hand with his bone and start wailing to lure the host over. Just don't even do it unless you want thrown out.

Bar Area

Need a beverage of the alcoholic variety? You'll want to visit the local alchemist over here. Overhead of the bar where the drink glasses hang are little bat lights that occasionally flicker and the cobwebs are lined around the edges of the circular bar counter. A pumpkin with the carving of a butterfly sits on the counter top with a flickering purple light within it. Drinks from the bar will be served in beaker and vial glasses.

Dance Floor and Stage

That stage up there sure looks inviting, as if it's just waiting to have one of its musical guests come on stage and steal the show for a short time. In fact, it's very much encouraged to do just that. While the stage is without a DJ or other performer, a preset playlist of the club's usual music as well as a list of Halloween music will cycle through- just be ready for the Monster Mash to play several times during the night. A skeleton is set up near the speakers, and it seems to 'dance' in time with the music. Up above the stage is a web with an animatronic spider that comes down from its web occasionally with flickering red eyes.

If you look closely through the thin veil of fog on the floor, you may notice reflective decals of monstrous footprints leading to the dance floor, as if trying to hint and lead the guests out to get their dance on. But party goers beware, there may be an impromptu dance to Thriller at some point in the night, and your host may judge every single one of you if you don't get in on it.

VIP Room

The VIP Room is a little less rowdy than the main area of the club, and is meant for a more chill atmosphere compared to the rest of the party. The room has its own stage for anyone to take over separate of the main room, but beware, this stage may have its own different kind of horror: Karaoke.

The tables here also have cobweb and spider lights around them and the lights in the room are a little dimmer, to accommodate the rotating bulb that casts shadow creatures on the walls of the room. You may want to come here if you want to eat an actual meal in peace without all the buzz from the bar area.

Employee Lounge

VIP Room not calm enough? Asking Gale or another After Life employee will grant you access to the employee lounge so you can have a little rest on the couches. The only drinks readily available in here is water over on the counter. The noise from the main area is completely nullified in this room. The party goes on all night, don't be afraid to take a breather.

Guests under 16 will receive a small bag of candy for attending, while guests 16 and older will receive some drink coupons to use at any of the three Gale Force club locations.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Jaune just quirks an eyebrow, watching as for once he's not the one spazzing. He hopes Horatio is okay. He holds nothing against the innocent dog.] You don't have to. There's a lot more over there. [He nods at the table, his voice still intentionally level.]

Why do you wear those? [It's a stupid, impulsive question, but he doesn't want to talk about their last conversation, so he blurts it out and instantly looks like he's second guessing himself.]

Ah...okay, if you are sure. [Scott didn't spazz often but he had his moments, especially when he was embarrassed. He's going to take the dog to the vet as soon as possible but first, they really need to talk.]

I'm a fox, kinda. And, uhm...Horatio's is a 'Hound'. So it's like a two-person costume....except one is a dog and the joke is awful. [Jaune really isn't the only one second guessing his life decisions.] It's stupid. I'm not very good at the whole partying-thing.

I'm not a helpless damsel who can't get my own brownies. [He almost snaps back. He isn't sure how he feels about Scott trying to be nice to him, but he doesn't really trust him.]

No, not those. [Pausing, he doesn't disagree with Scott, but he doesn't drop the topic either. Had it been anyone else, he probably would have found the joke hilarious.] isn't that a movie?

That's not...what I mean. [Jaune plz. Scott doesn't sound confrontational, though, just defeated. He deserves this, he guesses.]

Yes, it's a Disney movie. Very sad but also very nice. [And one of the few ones he remembers watching with his baby brothers before their parents went missing and he ended in an orphanage.

After a moment, though, it dawns on Scott that Jaune is talking about the glasses.] Oh, those. I have...an eye condition. When I was turned into an incubus it was fixed but now everything is back to normal.

[And of course, Scott had to mention the incubus thing because he's an idiot. He's looking like he wants to ground to open and swallow him whole and he closes is eyes for a second, which makes the light behind the glasses change and dim.] It's nto safe for peopel to be around me, Jaune, and this is why.

Then what did you mean? [Jaune isn't a fan of sad movies. There's enough sadness in the world already. But it doesn't surprise him that someone with as serious a demeanor as Scott would like that kind of movie.

He doesn't flinch, or really react. It's not like they weren't walking on eggshells for the same reason. It had happened. Things weren't back to normal, but whatever, eventually they'd both "get over it" and Jaune could pretend that he wasn't hurting and just push people away and--]

I'm sick of people deciding for me that I need to be protected. [It's mumbled under his breath, but still loud enough to be heard.] That is a load of crap and you know it. It's not safe for people to be around you-- do you think anyone is safe? That we get a choice about it? What, is it not safe because you're a jerk? [His voice cracks, and god. He wants a drink. He wants one so bad and they're right there where Scott isn't, but he finds himself drawn to him, stepping closer until he's only inches away.] Or are you just making up excuses because you can't admit to my face that I'm not good enough for you?

I mean that since it was my fault you lost your brownie, I am the one who should get you a new one. Just that.

[Why are they even argue over candy, what has their life become?And then, of course, the real reason why Jaune is angry comes up. Scott knows Jaune's right to be upset but it hurts to hear because he's not getting the full picture. Scott has been trying to keep his powers secret, only a few people know, but he owes Jaune this. He doesn't like lying and he's terrible at it. He doesn't want to do it anymore.

His voice lowers and he wished they were anywhere but in a room full of people that could overhear. It shows in Scott's face.]

I'm talking about a real risk of injury Jaune, I...[Jaune is suddenly so close that Scott's words die in his throat before they can go out and all he can do is stare for a few seconds. His heart is hammering in his chest and the people laughing, the music and all the noise around him is just too much to handle.]...c-could we go talk somewhere private? Please?

I don't want your help! [Or your pity, or sympathy, or kindness fueled by either of those things.]

[The closeness feels so different from how it did in his dream. Even though he thinks he can feel the warmth he radiates this close, he's still closed off from him, building his own barriers so no one can hurt him like this again.

But that doesn't mean he's stopped listening, and he pauses.] ...What do you mean, injury? [He stares at Scott uncertainly. He isn't sure if he trusts him, but he still wants to understand. He wants to know why, and even if a private conversation sounds like the worst idea right now, at least an explanation would be...something.] Fine. Let's go.

[Scott doesn't reply to the shouted words, even when they get a few heads turned in their direction. He doesn't know what to say to that. Quietly, with a line of tension in his jaw, Scott tilts his head down a little. Jaune is hurting, that much is clear, and there's no one else to blame but him for that. He wants to apologize again but Scott knows Jaune could mistake it for pity too instead of sincere regret and guilt.]

It's complicated...[Words feel like lead in his mouth, they're not enough to explain yet already it feel like he's saying too much. Scott doesn't know the place very well, it's the first time he visits the After Life, and the Employee Lounge is the only quiet room that comes to mind. He awkwardly takes a step back and motions to the room.

Scott knows they're moving because the people in front of them change and the music and loud sounds finally lower but the small time it took them to get to a private corner of the Employee Lounge room feels surreal. He runs a hand through his hair again, this time getting rid of the fox ears and holding them in his hands. It gives him something to fidget with before the gathers the courage to look back at Jaune.]

When I say it's not safe to be around me, I meant it. People always end getting hurt no matter what I try, or they realize I'm too broken to be worth their time. [Briefly, Scott touches the side of his glasses.] I have these power, I can not control it, and it can only destroy.]

[Unlike Scott, Jaune is unaware of the attention he has drawn. He's so immersed in his own anger, focused on his own sorrow, he doesn't even think about anyone else's.

Mutely, he follows Scott to the Employees Lounge. Whatever Scott has to say, it's personal enough for him to want to say so in private. Jaune keeps looking away, waiting with a sense of dread for whatever he has to say.

He wants to stay mad, and he wants to argue. Scott, broken? How could he say that about himself? But then their last conversation comes to mind and he knows he's the last person who has the right to judge if someone is broken. He buries his head in his hands.

He doesn't know him. He literally knows almost nothing about Scott and then he lashed out at him. He hasn't changed at all.

At least he's not responding with the same venom now.] What powers? Why do you think you're broken?

[Scott doesn't like being the center of attention. Many, many bad things had happened in the past when large crowds of people noticed him or some other mutant. Feeling uneasy it's an instinctive reaction and so he's very relieved when they get some privacy. Horation followed them but the dog sits a few meters away from the boys, keeping guard without interfering.]

I have these powers...they come from my eyes. They're blasts of concussive energy. But I was in an plane accident as a kid, hit my head pretty bad and ended with brain damage. That's why I can't control the blast, the energy always comes out of my eyes unless I keep them closed. The glasses I'm using are made fo a special material that reflects the energy. Gives me a lot of headaches too but it's better than spending my life with my eyes closed.

[This is the part were people either calls him a freak or doesn't believe it. Scott braces himself, expecting the worst once again.]

[He's quiet as he listens, taking in the information. It's not the most unbelievable thing he's heard, especially when he considers the people he knows, and that sucks. It really does. But it leaves maybe with more questions than answers.] Then why not just say that you have X-ray vision from the start? And, I mean, is that why you pushed me away after that dream, or is that just the reason you think I want to hear?

And you should really get better glasses now that you're here that absorb the energy instead of reflecting it.

They're not x-rays, they don't generate heat or cause things to catch on fire...[Scott's voice trails off, realizing that it doesn't matter. His shoulders are slumped and maybe it will be better all together to tell Jaune the truth.]

Being with me is dangerous, life-threatening. I'm not exaggeratting, it's a fact. I think you can do much better and I am also not sure if I am ready for a relationship. The last person I dated tried to murder my father and now hates my guts. I'm really not worth it, Jaune.

As for the glasses..I don't think such thing is possible. Where I come from, no material could really absorb the energy. It seems to come from another dimension, it's weird.

[He has portal eyes, strange as it sounds. When he closes his eyes, the opening to the energy dimension gets blocked by the eyelids.]

I don't get it. [Just because Jaune has some superhero knowledge doesn't mean he understands science.]

Living is dangerous. [He sounds frustrated, but not outright angry anymore. He pinches the bridge of his nose, leaning forward to rest against his knees.] I'm sorry that happened. And I get that you're trying to protect me-- at least I think you are, I don't know. But you don't even know me. I just, I don't know. Not everyone's your ex. If you don't want to, fine. But you don't get to decide whether other people think you're worth it.

...I'm sorry for overreacting before.

Wow. Something from another dimension? I've never heard of that ever. [You know because now they literally live in a place that's probably another dimension.]

Imagine I punch you really hard? Or that a wave crashes onto you? The force of the impact is what my eyes generate. [Maybe it's simpler if explained that way, even if it sounds sillier.]

You're a good person, funny and nice, Jaune and...very attractive. [Which was hard to admit now that they were not part of a dream and got Scott to blush slightly.] Whereas I am just me. And as Bobby once put it, with more issues than a magazine stand.

It's okay...I kinda deserved it. [Thanks, good not everyone is his ex because she was kinda crazy from the start. They only got together because Vileena's insistence was mixed with some light Stockholm syndrome from Scott's part.]

That's the conclusion Hank reaches after doing a lot of tests on my eyes, he's a certified genius. I don't quite understand it myself, it's not a very common mutation.

Scott, I've been punched before. I've been punched a lot, and knocked into walls, and hurt, and that was just in training. I've been thrown off a cliff and I lived. I'm not weak. At least not when it comes to that. I can take a hit.

[He rolls his eyes at the "attractive" comment.] I'm not but thanks. If I rejected you because you had too many issues, I'd be a hypocrite. [More quietly.] And getting rejected because you're too broken or whatever sucks.

You didn't. I was a jerk. [He finally looks at him, very pointedly. Do not start that shit with him.]

Well... that was when you were only working with your world's knowledge, right? Maybe you can find something out here.

Edited 2017-12-14 08:08 (UTC)

Okay, it's just...[Scott bits his lower lip, looks around for a second. How to put this on the right terms without sounding too creepy?]...I could literally vaporize you, not just knock you over. [Yes, nailed the 'not creepy' vibe, bravo, Scott.]

Wait...thrown off a cliff? When did that happen?

[Way to get him on mother hen mode, Jaune, good job.] Ey, I'm serious. I'm just not very good at this sort of things, the...flirting, and dating thing.

You do have a point about the limitations of working only with my world. [Okay, Scott gives him a sheepish look.] I'm really sorry this didn't work out. I hope we can still talk and be friends but I'd understand if you rather have me avoiding you.

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[You'll Be Caught In The Night - After Life Halloween Party]

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OMG thought I replied this!!! D: I AM SORRY

No worries!!! <3

thank you!

Re: thank you!

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