lucetilogs | It's a dead man's party, who could ask for more?

Who: You, and you, and you, and you, too!
What: Halloween Costume Ball
When: The night of October 31st
Where: Luceti’s district in Malnosso World
Summary: Put on your dancing shoes, ghosts and ghoulies, because it’s time for a grand Halloween party!
Rating: H for Halloween

On the morning of the 31st, Lucetians would find a peculiar envelope on the doorstep of their villas. Addressed to the whole household, the envelope contained an invitation, black as night and embossed with ornate, orange lettering. What was it for? A Halloween Ball, of course. Attendance was entirely voluntary, and costumes would even be provided upon arrival! And with what a blast Malnosso World has been, who would suspect any foul play from their overlords?

Regardless of what attendees show up in, as soon as they step onto the ballroom floor, they will be Shifted into a costume. Maybe it’s the same as what they came in. Maybe it’s a sheet ghost. It could be anything! But as long as they remain at the party, they will be stuck in that same outfit.

And hopefully it’s good for dancing in, because the dance floor is on fire! Literally. Well, the perimeter of it, anyway. Don’t worry - the fire won’t hurt! It’s just for atmosphere, and fire is far from the only thing decorating the outdoor ballroom. An eerie fog coats the dance floor, and while there are no stars in the sky to light the ballroom floor, there are lit jack-o-lanterns and sconces hovering in the air all around. The jack-o-lanterns are harmless enough, but if someone is being a wallflower, they may just find one hovering over their shoulder, spooking them into participating. And did we mention the bats flying around? Yeah, there are bats. Completely harmless.

Let’s not forget the band on stage, either, a seasoned and highly sought-after group booked just for Luceti’s party this evening. They play everything from Bach’s Toccata in D to the Monster Mash to Ghostbusters. And, of course, Thriller. They’ll keep playing until the dancers are bone-tired!

No Halloween party would be complete without a vast landscape of treats. On the far side of the dance floor attendees can find traditional Halloween candies, Halloween-shaped bakery goods such as cookies, cakes, and cupcakes, eyeball punch for the kiddies, and something harder for the adults that looks an awful lot like blood (it’s not, we promise!). There are other “treats” set out as well, such as a platter of severed fingers and lizard eyes, but they’re not really what they look like. Probably. Oh, and be careful around some of the desserts - they might just bite back!

The party will last late into the evening, until the band quits and spectral janitors arrive to sweep away the big mess left behind by the Lucetians. Hopefully they won’t be sweeping up any limbs, but then again, it might be befitting of the occasion.

It is Halloween, after all.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yes. Yes she is. If you see her, you should ask her to dance. She'll be excited.

You really think so? She did seem kind of like the excitable type...

Oh, she is. Believe me, Duck is the most excitable person I know, and that includes you.

Is that... supposed to be a compliment?

[He honestly isn't sure.]

What would I obtain by insulting you?

[Not a real answer, but perhaps gentle enough that Emil won't really notice.]

I don't know. Nothing, I guess. You don't seem like the type of person who would enjoy making someone else unhappy.

[Really, she should be used to this by now from him, but she meets those words with genuine shock.]

No...n-no, I...

[Now Emil just looks confused. Did he say something wrong? He was pretty sure that was a compliment he just gave her...]

Huh? I'm sorry, I didn't mean... I wasn't trying to upset you or anything.

[Composing her face, Rue lectures herself in an inner voice that sounds like a squawking bird. She must stop letting herself look so vulnerable in front of this silly boy.]

You didn't. It's that you're...surprising.

I am? That's not a bad thing... right?

[It can be hard to tell with things like that sometimes.]

Not always.

[For Emil, she will even smile.]

Oh. Then I'm glad, I guess. I mean, if it makes you happy, it can't be all that bad.

[She wishes he wouldn't say things like that. Blushing and staying silent seem the best options.]

... are you sure I didn't say something wrong? You're turning red...

It- it was just-

[At least her whole face doesn't go tomato like Duck's or Fakir's.]

[It's still pretty cute, though.]

It's okay, you don't have to tell me what it is if you don't want to. I probably shouldn't have asked in the first place anyway.

Why in the world do you want to make me happy?

[There now it's out she said it and wishes she never had oh no.]

[Emil stops and blinks at her, looking genuinely confused by this question.]

Huh? Why wouldn't I? You're my friend, and I want to make all of my friends happy. Doesn't everyone want that for their friends?

[Rue's feet shift, back at forth, as she fights the most pressing urge to run somewhere else before this grows too complicated.]

I wouldn't know.

Don't you want that for your friends too?

[Because, to Emil, it's something so completely natural that he doesn't even really give it any thought.]

[Shoulders going stiff, Rue feels her voice ice over even though she isn't sure she wants it to.]

It would do no good to want that for something I don't have.

[That tone change is noted right away, and for a moment Emil fears that this time, he really did say something wrong.]

What do you mean? Of course you have friends... we're friends, aren't we?

[Unsure of everything, she crosses her arms and presses her lips together.]

Is that what you think?

[She fights so hard for a neutral tone instead of a stinging or disparaging one. Maybe she wants to be friends.]

[Emil tilts his head, scrutinizing her expression. She seems almost angry with him somehow, which just further serves to convince him that what he said wasn't what she wanted to hear, even if (to him) it had seemed perfectly logical.]

Um, yes... but it's not what you think... is it?

I don't know what I think.

[For reasons it is not in her nature to explain to Emil. Much like Mytho, though, it makes her heart ache to think she's hurting him, whether she has to or not.]

I don't know what...what determines things like that.

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