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.

----

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

Ey, it's a certified science fact. Just ask Mr. Spock.

[He drinks too because otherwise his face will crack and he will laugh at his own bad joke. Yes, Shinjiro is ahead fo him when it comes to beers but Scott is that much of a lightweight. He's feeling more relaxed now than ever, which should be a warning sign that something's not quite right because Scott is never relaxed, his own head in a too loud place for that, and yet...

Oh. Shinjiro is blushing. Or is it a trick of the lights? No, that's definitely a blush. How cute. But Shinjiro is also saying words and Scott really needs to focus and pay attention to them. When he does, his smile falters a little.]

That was an accident, not something you wanted to happen. Not something you would ever repeat on purpose. I know a lot about losing control. And it sucks, and you can never stop feeling bad about it but...[He waves the hand that doesn't hold his beer out in front of him,.]...if we don't forgive ourselves first, who will?

[Scott leaned in slightly, close to Shinjiro, now fidgeting ith the bottle in his hands.]

Don't say that. Maybe we are both broken but I haven't met anybody who isn't, even a little bit. I like to hang around you because of I...it's...it's nice. I like to listen to you talk. I want to help, I want to know more about you. I feel comfortable because we don't always have to fill the silence with words. And you understand If I'm weird and unfunny or I don't make much sense...like now.

[Way to make an idiot of yourself, Scott's mind provides, as he feel himself blushing too.]

I'll forgive ya first, if you won't. [ That part of what Scott said, at least, he could answer easily enough.

Shinjiro leanded in also. They weren't quite touching, yet. This wasn't like the dream. He just ... didn't want to shout out personal stuff to be heard over the party's loud noise, that's all.

He looked away, but at Scott's hands, rather than his own, slowly peeling off the label on his beer. ]

I. Uh. Like hangin round you, too. Might not need your help, but.

Um.

... I do feel like you understand. More than just, shared histories, I guess. And if you're weird, it's a nice kinda weird. Just ... you try even harder than I do, looks like, to do good, y'know? You try so damn hard.

Wish you'd be a little nicer to yourself sometimes.

[ Because Shinjiro was a giant hypocrite, of course. ]

Edited 2017-11-02 16:33 (UTC)

You might not need it but you can get it if you want it. [Scott's voice was a whisper and then he paused, blinking and blushing further.] Ah...the help, I mean.

[Smooth, so very...not. The looks he gives Shinjiro after the compliment is on the side of sheepish, he can't help it. Trying too hard isn't exactly a very endearing trait but somehow Shinjiro makes it sounds like it is. Something fluttered in his stomach and yet again Scott blamed the drinks.]

I could...try. [Yes, that sounded very convincing.]

[ That sounded like ... Shinjiro was beginning to wonder if he's had too much to drink. Or not enough to drink. Of course Scott was only talking about needing help. He flushed deeper. ] ... Uh. Yeah. The help. I'm, um, fine.

[ ... This nice feeling in his stomach. He couldn't blame it on the incubus thing, not now. And, he knew the difference between being drunk and feeling nice around other people. Usually, when he was drunk, he was more depressed about others, instead of feeling ... hopeful nice.

... Shit.

Scott was a nice guy, and Shinjiro wasn't. Shit.

He looked away from Scott's hands, to his own. He was very quiet. ]

You should. I ... I really think you deserve th'best stuff, Scott.

[One of Scott's biggest problems, and it's one that the adult self still had, is that flirting is beyond him. On the very, very rare occasions it's aimed at him, he doesn't realize it's happening because he never expects people to actually be interested. In the even rarer occasion when Scott is the one doing it...he actually isn't. Or rather, he does it without realizing that what he is saying might be interpreted that way.

Now he feels as if all her insecurities are written across his face and there's nowhere to hide. But he doesn't exactly regret the offering and Shinjiro doesn't look too mad at him.]

People are always saying things like that. About what others deserve and what not. Maybe we should all focus on what we need and what we want instead.

[He's starting to have a very clear understanding of what he wants and of course, it's something he can never have. Before anything else can be said, there's a cold snout nudging at Scott's leg and he looks down in time to see his dog rest his head on Shinjiro's thigh. Someone was getting bored, apparently.]

Oh, Horatio...I forgot I brought him with me.

[ Shinjiro just plain didn't bother with flirting. If he noticed people directing it at him - well, usually, just thought they were making fun. Having a joke, teasing him. Of course, that's if he noticed.

And, of course, the very last thing he was, was mad at his friend.

Maybe he could find someone nice to set Scott up with. There were a lot of really good people in Genessia. And, he had friends already, didn't he?

Never mind that the idea was like a cold knife in his gut. This - he wasn't a nice guy. It'd be fine.

Shinjiro chuckled, trying to find some humor in all of this. Probably best to not start brooding while drinking. Focus on what you need and want, Scott says? ]

You first, then.

[ Looks down at Horatio, surprised, but then his face relaxed. ]

... Poor guy.

Does he need t'go outside, y'think?

[There are plenty of other sincere reasons to flirt with Shinjiro, Scott could give him a few...if he were that sort of person. Alas, he was too shy for that and too awkward.

Shinjiro, no. What sort of terrible plan is that?

There's a reason why Scott rejected Jaune's advances, even if he wasn't 100% sure of why at the time.]

What? Me first? What I want you mean? [Oh no, no he's not opening that can of worms. he's not even sure. Horatio interrupting is almost a blessing.]

Poor thing. Are you getting sick of being inside? [Scott reaches out to pet the dog's head and scratch him behind the ears. Then he looks up at Shinjiro, a smile on his face. Scott's still feeling oddly relaxed thanks to the drinks.] Yes, I think it will be better if we went out. Usually he's sleeping near my bed at this hour.

[ Aw, poor dog. Shinjiro was about to pet Horatio when Scott reached down, scratching the dog's head. While it was on his thigh. That was. Really close? ~~Not as close as they'd been when he was an incubus, but~~ Shinjiro blushed again. He played with the label of the empty beer bottle, awkwardly.

He nodded. ]

Yeah, he's probably hungry, too.

Though. I've got some treats on me, if he ain't on any particular diet.

[ Dogs were easy. Animals were nice. Better than most people, really.

Well. Most. ]

Edited 2017-11-02 22:28 (UTC)

[Scott is naively unaware of what he did, he just wanted to comfort his dog and doesn't realize that his hand is so close to Shinjiro until he spots the man's blush from the corner of his eye. He pulls the hand away after one last scratch, color blooming on his cheeks too.]

Ehm...I give him mostly dry food but he's allowed to treats when he behaves. And he's been a very patient boy tonight, so he deserves some if you have them.

[Scott pauses for a second, looks from Shinjiro to Horatio and then smiles.]

Horatio...shake.

[Immediately, Horatio raises his left paw towards Shinjiro. HI-Five!]

[ Maybe if neither of them mention the blushing aloud, nothing ever really happened to begin with?

But, when Horatio obediently performed the trick for Scott, Shinjiro was completely distracted. He smiled a little, and took his paw. ]

Aw. What a good boy.

D'you think good boys get a treat?

[ Scratches Horatio's head with one hand, while he reaches into his pocket with another. Deftly, well practiced, he gets into the plastic baggy with one hand, fishes out a single treat, and offers it to the dog. ]

Yes they do. Good boys definitely get a treat.

[ .... If it were anyone else, Shinjiro would be embarrassed about this, later.

Score one thing, at least, that Shinjiro felt comfortable enough around Scott to do, without getting embarrassed and shy. ]

[There's technically no blushing if none of the participants acknowledge it. Sounds like another scientific fact. It's a good thing that Shinjiro is distracted with Horation, Scott thinks to himself because he's probably smiling like an idiot at the view.

Horatio let out a happy sound when he was offered the treat and then licked Shinjiro's hand.

It's almost a fact that you should trust a dog when they don't like a person and you must be suspicious of someone who doesn't like animals. With Shinjiro, it seems like his most gentle nature shows up around them and it's very nice to see.]

He knows plenty of more tricks and commands, I could show you some other day when we are not in the middle of a party. If..if you want, of course.

[ Shinjiro looks up at Scott, still scratching the top of Horatio's head, no longer smiling like he was, but his expression still soft.

... He did want to visit Horatio, at least. And. It wasn't like he wanted to stop being friends with Scott, or anything. It was just. Well.

He'd focus on just being friends. ]

... Yeah, I'd like that.

[ Then, something occurs to him. ]

If he doesn't mind other dogs, I could bring Princess 'round, too. I wanna make sure she's well-socialized.

Great. [He isn't sure why the prospect made him so happy, it just does. Scott's expression sobers up slightly too, even if his chest was still feeling all funny.]

He's trained to be around other animals and crowded places. [Scott wouldn't have brought the dog to the party if that weren't the case.] But we can be careful while introducing them.

Just...who is Princess? is that dog from Ash you mentioned time ago?

Yeah, I can see that. He's a good dog.

[ The last part was directed right to Horatio, so the animal knew they'd be referring to him. Plus. Shinjiro liked to see that eager tail wag.

He blinked. He completely forgot that he hadn't mentioned her name before. ]

Uh, yeah. I got 'er back from Ace not long after we talked.

I got a photo on my phone, actually. Uh.

[ He fumbles around a bit. After a few moments, he pulls up a photo for Scott to see. She's got a bit more fur, now, but it's coming in in clumps and patches, making her even more ... special-looking. She's also wearing a pink breakaway collar. Whelp. ]

That's her.

I got lucky, I guess.

[Shinjiro is not going to be disappointed then, Horatio is clearly showing his enthusiasm with his tail. When it looks like the boys are talking again, Horatio sits back on his haunches properly, standing near them as a guard dog of sorts.

When Shinjiro turns towards him to shim the picture Scott suddenly can't remember if they were sitting this close form the beginning or it happened gradually. Either way, he gets distracted by the picture because that's one...interesting looking dog. Certainly, one who could use more love so Scott gives Shinjiro a polite smile.]

Ah. You are taking good care of her. I don't think there will be any problem with our pets.

[ Scott really was fortunate.

Because ... yeah, as much as Shinjiro loved animals, he could recognize that Princess was a pretty "special" dog. Well, she was still a creature who deserved love and care, in his book. He wasn't going to abandon her just because she looked a bit frightening.

He kind of felt a kinship with her, really.

Shaking his head, wrly, he took back his phone ... and then realized. Yeah. They were sitting kind of close for 'just friends', weren't they?

Time to fiddle with his beer again. ]

... I'll uh. Take her to visit you guys in Attleton, then.

You got better parks.

[Scott knows all too well that scary looking doesn't mean evil or wrong. Just because something's out of the norm, you don't have to judge it.

That was the case with a lot of mutants in this world. Scott looks human, eyes-problems aside, and can pass as a normal teen without much difficulty. Not everyone had it so easy.]

Attleton citizens might be a bit nosy sometimes but they're very polite and welcoming. Kinda feels like living in a classic Hollywood movie. If you visit, we can go to the parks that don't have a lot of people or dogs at first, it could be better for Princess.

[Scott glances down at Horatio, missing Shinjiro's awkwardness by pure chance.] What do you say? Would you like to hang out with a friend? [The dog wags his tail in response, brushing his nose against Scott's hand and making him smile.] Heh. I guess that's a yes.

[ ~~Just another reason to like Scott, really.~~

Shinjiro nodded. He'd been getting that feeling, just from working in the Guardian office there. Of course, considering his transmission on the network and the whole reason he was doing community service, people tended to be a bit suspicious of him.

But. Then again, he was pretty used to that.

He couldn't help but smile, a little, at Scott and Horatio's interaction ... but quickly hid the expression on his face. ]

Sounds like a ... plan.

[ Totally meant to say "plan" all along, of course. ]

Edited 2017-11-03 17:01 (UTC)

[ ~~Shinjiro's the same way! And just as lovable.~~.

That pause makes Scott wonder if Shinjiro really meant something else but...no, it must have been his imagination. He's too hopeful for things he can't have nor deserves and he should be more realistic.

Yes. A nice ...plan. [He looks at Shinjiro's eyes and regrets once again that the glasses hide his own.] I should probably get going. Horatio is used to people but I don't want to overwhelm him either. Thanks for making this party bearable, I'm really not very good at this kind of things.

Tch. What makes you think I'm any good at these things, either?

... I'm glad I ran into you.

[ Just because Scott is wearing those glasses again, it doesn't mean Shinjiro isn't feeling his gaze. He knows they're making eye contact despite the barrier.

So, he looks down at Horatio. Safe, neutral territory. ]

Horatio, you be a good boy for Scott, okay?

Then I think we did a good job being terrible at it together.

[Scott tries to suppress a smile and is not doing a very good job. The night started out very stressful for him but in the end, he managed to enjoy himself and it's thanks to Shinjiro.

Horatio wags his tail some more at Shinjiro, as if he understood the question, and moves to the side when Scott stood up.] Do you want my drink tickets? I won't be using them.

[ Shinjiro shakes his head, and stays seated. ]

I've got more tickets than I can use, anyway.

Thanks, though.

[ As tempting as it might be for Shinjiro to drink until he managed to forget how he felt, or something. Well, things didn't work that way. He'd only end up hung over and hating himself. Might as well eliminate one of those two things from happening. ]

... Take care of yourself, Scott.

Edited 2017-11-05 15:49 (UTC)

[Scott nods, understanding. It doesn't really look like any of them were heavy drinkers, party or not.]

Take care you too and thanks again for a great night. I didn't expect to enjoy myself so much.

[There's color on Scott's cheeks but it's hard to tell if the lights surrounding them are to blame for that or it's something else. Motioning Horatio to come closer, they both head to the door and disappear from view.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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

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