cuddlecity | EVENT: A VERY NICE BALL.

EVENT: A VERY NICE BALL.

Blink, and a week goes by; close your eyes, and the evening of the fifteenth comes to life, the cool glow of moonlight illuminating the quiet streets of the city. For once, it seems like the entire city's come to a standstill — many of the local businesses have closed early today, with signs advising they'll reopen first thing in the morning, and even the dependable, cheerful squawks of the street vendors have hushed for the time being. Hurried as this year's event may seem, the annual celebration is a city tradition that's not to be missed; bakers and booksellers alike know this all too well, and any lingering souls in their shops will be gently but firmly shooed to the exits by late afternoon. They've got to get all dolled up too, after all, and such finery takes time.

Whether the Social Committee's video enticed you or you've been dragged by the metaphorical scuff tonight, the Samhain Ball hopes to offer you an evening of seasonally appropriate escapism. There's something for everyone tonight, from the comforting swells of smooth jazz and upbeat swing pouring out from the stage where a live band plays, to the mouth-watering smells and tastes of a gourmet plated meal served early in the evening, to even the simple beauty of the decorated ballroom itself.

The first hour or so of the evening allows for guests to enter at their leisure through double doors at the north end of the ballroom, where all are greeted by the smiling faces of Flora and Cornelius in their matching cream pantsuits. Should you choose this main entrance, you and your companion — or companions, if you've brought more than one — will be announced in grand style, befitting the occasion. (Savvy — or sneaky — attendees may note the auxiliary entrance on the west side of the ballroom. Follow the garden path, and be mindful of the sprinklers. They do have a tendency to go off at the wrong moments.)

Take a look around, and soak in the sights. The ornately carved ceiling of the ballroom has been obscured for the evening with tasteful black draping dotted with the gentle glow of strung lights. It lends a twilight quality to the evening, enhanced by the soft flicker of tea lights placed at the center of each table on the east side of the ballroom and the sconces hung on the wall throughout. Each table, too, features a soft cream tablecloth and a bounty of autumnal florals, perfectly arranged to match the golden chairs surrounding. There's plenty of seating for all, and no assignments — feel free to claim a table for you and yours, and free your hands of anything you may not wish to carry.

The slow fade of music from the stage signals attention to a single woman illuminated by spotlight, whose silhouette should look familiar to anyone who's spent time in the city. With a small, tired smile, Mayor Drake welcomes you and yours to the city's annual Samhain Celebration Ball; her speech is short, but touches on the importance of the holiday, from the appreciation of the harvest to the welcoming of the new year, and reminds both natives and visitors alike to take time in the coming months to cherish their blessings — including this most immediate one, the promised Samhain feast.

Once you've settled around a table, the ballroom welcomes you to chat with strangers and friends alike, encouraging conversation with soft instrumental music and the quiet, pleasant generosity of passing waiters carrying flutes of happily bubbling champagne. A little liquid courage never hurt anyone, after all.

Dinner is an affair in itself, plated and served by hushed but skilled waiters whose capable hands whisk courses in and out with no more than a smile. No matter your dietary preferences or needs, there's an appetizer, entree, and everything in between available for you — simply raise a hand, and a member of the waitstaff will be at your side to assist in taking your order when you're ready. Linger as long as you like at the table; there's no rush to leave, but when you're ready, let the swells of the music from the stage entice you to the west side of the ballroom, where a dance floor's lit by the warm glow of so many twinkling lights overhead.

The music itself goes on through the wee hours of the evening, so there's plenty of opportunities to fill your dance card with any number of partners. The songs themselves vary from gentle waltzes perfect for cheek-to-cheek swaying to faster rhythms suited for swing dancing's signature dips and twirls, and requests are always welcome if you've something particular in mind. There's even a microphone tucked to the side, just in case you feel the urge to croon with accompaniment to someone special as the night goes on.

Of course, if you don't feel like dancing, or just need to rest your feet, there's plenty of entertainment tucked in the hall. In a small room just off the ballroom, you might find a collection of old-fashioned photobooth machines, ordered on accident and set here where they won't clash with the rest of the decor. They're operational, of course, and free of charge; feel free to take a few silly photos, but be sure to wait for them to print. There's the gardens, too, equally decorated with twinkling lights, though the effect is muted by the moonlight that trickles through the canopy overhead; the adjoining hedge maze and walking paths have often been a perfect site for quiet walks and romantic interludes in years past.

While a perfect world might allow such a charmed evening to last forever, unfortunately all good things must come to an end, and as the late hour of the evening gives way to the promise of dawn, a familiar tune is played to signal the end of the event. As the lyrics go, you don't have to go home... but you can't stay here. Time to make your way to the exit, and see where else the night takes you.

Whew, talk about words. Should you need a recap: be pretty, because this is a fancy event. Bring a friend or come stag, whatever you choose; eat, drink, dance (or don't) and be merry, for this is an event without any dramatic accidental consequences. Well, except the sprinklers... and maybe your own excessive consumption of champange, but that's up to you!

And, though we say it every time, please don't forget that your mod team is here for you with answers to any questions you might have, whether related specifically to this event or the game in general. If you have any further questions specific to this event, we encourage you to ask away on our QUESTIONS COMMENT here in this post. If you have general questions, or prefer a more private venue, our GENERAL INBOX (and SCREENED INBOX) is always available for you.

Enjoy your evening, cuddlers, but if you would, please — save the last dance for us?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The music's definitely better than I expected! I was a little worried this would be all waltzing and I'd make a fool of myself.

( to be fair, derek probably is a bit of an overzealous dork, but he's not alone. kara danvers is equally dorky, and incredibly enthusiastic as a general rule, so her lack of judgment is really just out of fairness. it helps, too, that she's enjoying herself tonight, and that present company is refreshingly entertaining as well. there's nothing to criticize, as far as she's concerned. )

It seems like everybody is having a good time, though, for the most part. ( the words aren't out of her mouth for a moment before she realizes how presumptous it must sound. ) I mean, somebody might be unhappy, but I haven't run into anybody like that. No Samhain Grinches yet.

( samhain grinches? really, kara? she's a bit embarrassed by her own childish reference, but she does her best to smile through it and move on. anyway. )

Being a manager is kind of new for me... I was just a bartender before, and then Mick asked me to help him run the bar, and I really had no idea what I was doing at first. ( she still doesn't, but she's getting the hang of it as she goes. it's mostly paperwork and organizing, the sorts of attention-to-detail heavy work kara had done for cat back when she'd been an assistant. she's better at paperwork than she ever was at flirting with customers, that's for sure. ) I guess I've been hiding in the office a lot lately.

But... you know we don't just have to talk at work, right? If you wanted to get a bite to eat or see a movie or something, I'd go!

Ahhh, you wouldn't make a fool of yourself if your partner knew what he was doing. Then all you have to do is follow his lead. I could show you. I learned back when I was a kid and it's kind of like riding a bike.

[ He can't help smirking a little at the way Kara rambles like that. It sort of humanizes her, in a way. She's the manager at work; she's this gorgeous woman, so it's sort of nice to see that she's not perfect by any stretch. ]

I've never had a job before this one...

[ Derek realizes a second after saying it how lazy that makes him sound. ]

Not...like a real job. I inherited a lot of money and it afforded me the ability to just sort of keep watching over my town in my family's absence. It was sort of our thing. We protected it because God knows it needed protecting.

[ Now, he knows that McCall and his pack will handle it without him. They don't need him, anymore. At least, the version of Scott back home doesn't need him. The one here might not want to, but he does. He very sorely does for the moment. ]

I'll keep that in mind. I didn't know if that was, you know, boyfriend-approved sort of stuff to do with another guy, even just as friends. I'm...pretty far out of the friendship and relationship game, at this point, so I'm pretty rusty with the rules.

[ After all, the last serious relationship Derek had was in high school. ]

( she's not laughing. okay, no, she definitely is laughing, the sort of unrestrained giggling reaction that's loud and unmistakably enthusiastic, but it's not laughter at him. it's not that she's laughing at derek, but more just at the idea of oliver queen — or, for that matter, anyone — telling her she's not allowed to befriend someone.

which might explain why, in between giggles, kara splutters out: ) I'd like to see him try to stop me, ( before she's back to covering her hand with her mouth and trying to muffle the sound of her laughing fits out of politeness.

when the giggles finally subside, and she manages to take in a large enough breath to still her reactions, kara offers a wide, breathless grin in his direction before continuing on a little more steadily. )

I — oh, gosh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... ( tries to continue on, anyway. ) I just mean, he doesn't approve anything. I can be your friend if I want to be, and I do!

( she can't really imagine someone actually telling her that she can't befriend someone, in all honesty. she's supergirl. and it's just friendship, anyway. who would really have a problem with that? )

And you should show me, too. I think it would be fun to learn how.

[ Until she actually speaks, Derek is confused by the response he gets. Then, he realizes it's because she's semi-misunderstood what he'd been saying, thinking that he was suggesting her boyfriend could literally dictate who she spent her her time with when what he'd really meant was whether or not he would like it and whether or not she'd be willing to disrespect his feelings if he didn't. Maybe things are different where Kara comes from. They certainly are where some of his other new friends did, anyway, so he figures that's probably from where the confusion stemmed. ]

Oh, no, it's fine, that's...not really what I meant. I think it's probably just a culture clash thing, never mind. But I'm glad. That's awesome!

[ The more sunshine-y sort of people Derek can have in his life, the more he's sort of secretly hoping that kind of attitude will rub off on him and he won't get lost in the dark spaces in his mind so often when he's alone.

Derek moves to take one of Kara's hands to place on his shoulder and then takes her other hand in his own. ]

Okay, just move with me and let me lead. Give it a couple of minutes for you to get comfortable with the rhythm of it and you'll see: it's actually really easy.

[ With that, he gives her a smile and starts to lead her in a slow-ish waltz. He's expecting to have his feet stepped on a time or two while she's learning the movements, but in his opinion, it really is incredibly easy after the first few minutes. At least, the simple stuff is; it can be more complex, but he's not that good. ]

EVENT: A VERY NICE BALL.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject