lucetilogs | Wouldn't you like to see something strange?

Who: Everybody!
What: The Halloween Ball is finally here.
When: Evening of October 31st. (Or earlier, for those who arrive pre-Ball to take advantage of the safety bubble.)
Where: In the village's main plaza.
Summary: After one of the most grueling weeks Luceti's ever known, it finally all comes to a head when a massive, spooky tent appears over the plaza. Once night falls, you never know what might happen...
Rating: Anywhere from PG to R for language or graphic descriptions, most likely.

It happens at midnight.

Without even a hint of a whisper, faster than you can even blink, the tent appears; a towering monstrosity of dirty, ripped canvas in stripes of black and red and white, swallowing the plaza whole. For most of the day it sits, silent and empty, with its great main flaps pulled open to show only inky blackness inside.

Step inside, however, and you'll see it's dimly lit with silver shafts of light that streak in through all those rips and tears. As foreboding as it appears, it's strangely peaceful inside.

Come 7:00 on the dot, that quiet, empty interior will instantaneously transform for the purposes of the evening. Even this sudden change, unlike many Luceti resident have undergone lately, is not as eerie as one might expect. Despite the gothic trappings, the blood punch fountain, there's something a little benign about it. Perhaps this is meant to be a reward for all that suffering you've been forced to endure for almost a week now.

Or maybe -- just maybe -- and who would ever think such a thing? -- it's not so benign after all.

(so, so sorry this is late, guys. have at it, comment-spam style! also, optional suggestion: put the time of day in your subject line title so we know if your character is showing up before or during the Ball itself.)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Okay, the constant staring of the Watch-wearing Watcher is starting to get downright aggravating.]

Oi! Looking's for free, Fangs. Anything more'll cost you extra!

[...Oh.

Great.]

Fortunately, I have no intention of doing anything other than looking, despite your persistent belief to the contrary.

Any particular reason you're a ghost, or is it random happenstance?

Merely crazy random happenstance, as it happens. But I'm not a ghost in here, mate--only when I walk outside. In here I'm alive.

...you've actually been dead all week?

Why, do I look that bad?

[All joking aside, Sparrow huddles a bit under his sheet before replying.] Only since yesterday.

Yes, lots of things seem to have started happening "since yesterday".

Oh? You don't seem to have changed much, have you, mate.

[Really, Jack? Really?]

No cravings for human blood, at least. But there hasn't been enough sunlight to see if I would burn, and the fangs were just annoying.

No, no, I meant you're still a bit of a knob. OH! Saw your Buffy the other night.

She seemed a bit mad, to be honest.

[Instant Watcher/surrogate father concern, here.]

Yes, that seems to have been...going around.

Is she all right? Was she hurt?

Buffy Summers doesn't get hurt.

[He smiles bitterly at that]

Never permanently, no.

But this week can't have been easy for anyone, and I haven't seen her for days.

Haven't...how could you miss her, Rupert? Purple and orange and red. She's downright shiny of late.

I'm as amazed as you are, believe me. I did see what she was stuck wearing, but that was before everyone started going insane.

Strangely enough, I think I only went mad...again...when I turned up dead this morning. When did you go mad, eh?

Depends on your definition. I started going unhinged the night before last, but the real insanity only set in last night.

I think I like you better mad, Rupert. Drink? [What's IN that small, black, square bottle that suddenly appears from beneath the sheet, extended in your direction, Giles?]

Trust me, you don't. [Giles takes the bottle and examines the contents critically. What is in here?] This me tired and sane.

[Safe in the knowledge that Jack probably doesn't even know what a Fyarl demon is, Giles takes a swig out of the bottle.]

[It's just whiskey, nicked from Bones. Jack fumbles about and presents a different bottle, this one full of rum, which he raises.] To exhaustion and sanity, may they preserve us in these dark times!

[Giles raises the bottle of whiskey. Ah, what the hell?] God knows, we seem to need the help. [And he drinks. It's actually pretty good whiskey]

Good whiskey, eh? McCoy's finest. [The rum bottle disappears back under the sheet.]

Easy to steal?

The stealing's the easy part; it's after he finds out about it that the situation gets a bit hairy, eh?

Are you attempting to set me up?

Now, Rupert; would I do such an underhanded thing as that? I've just supplied you with a far superior substitute for that bloody punch.

[A doubtful look at his costume.]

Unless you'd PREFER that...