Welcome to Gaia! ::

Lance's eyes slid to his fiance as he spoke, but gave the brunette no vocal answer outside of a displeased grunt as he once again fidgeted with the sleeve of the outfit he had been forced into. Maybe he should be slightly relieved about the fact that the said outfit was very similar to a uniform he's worn time and time again.

....Even if it was a bit lighter then what he was normally use too.

"If I didn't know better..." He said, finally speaking. "I'd say you almost had this planned. The white of his mask was probably a little lost with his features... Platinum Blonde hair, pale skin and silvery gray eyes, but Alistair didn't seem to be bothered by it in the least. In fact, if Lance had to guess, he was probably thrilled over the white mask... Alistair had been on some trip about how the blonde looked like something reminiscent of a 'White Knight'.

Lance was going to die.

"So should I say it or would you rather me continue to sulk in silence?" He asked, crossing his arms as he tried to keep atleast some sort of a barrier between him and the others in the halls. Lance was never comfortable with these things, even when he was little and his parents went to things like this. He hated dressing up and being stuck in stiff and uncomfortable clothes.



Laine had shifted through the crowd unnoticed and was now on the second floor, fingers crossed and arms leaning against the railing as she quietly watched people filter in. She tried to make guesses as to who was who, but ultimately she didn't know. The teen didn't know how long she'd be staying at this shindig... For as much as she liked to be out and about, this was the first time she'd done anything on this kind of a scale. This was a whole other level when compared to night clubs and just being out and about in general

She sighed, as she straightened from the railing, a strand of hair failling into her face.

--

"I look out of place." Kraven grumbled, repeating something he had already said atleast five times in the last twenty minutes. Somehow, his companion for the evening had convinced him to dawn the monkey suit he now worn. Damn squirt wouldn't even let him open his jacket or loosen his tie for Christ's sake.

"You are so dead when this is over."

All the same, the statement didn't stop Kraven from keeping the smaller man close to his side as they navigated the throngs of people, lest they get lost. Though it probably wouldn't be too hard for his partner to find him if that happened. Kraven sighed. "Which way."


Lance/ DMC Damocles - White Mask - HATING HIS LIFE RIGHT NOW IS HIS OUTFIT
Laine/ Corrupt Azurite - Black Mask(Outfit)
Kraven/ Alexandrite - Black Mask (Generic Nice Suit and hating it)

He used to go to places like this. Parties, dancing, music. He knew that, logically -- even without any memory of it. The rational part of his brain said he was used to this. He had to be.

That didn't mean it felt any more normal, stepping out of Stroud's nice car and into the flair and glitter of the gala.

Most of what Lazarus remembered was the inside of Stroud's apartment -- his whole world for the last several months. Out here, the world felt huge and the street seemed to shift under his feet without the help of any alcohol whatsoever. The lights were too bright, the music was too loud . . . it was all pounding in his head, and it took a significant application of willpower not to wish he was back in the apartment again, huddled somewhere small and dark and quiet, squeezing the heels of his hands against his eyelids to shut it all out. I don't want to go back there, he reminded himself. That's the point of this. I have to stay here and prove I'm fit for public consumption.

Even with that thought in mind, though, it was comforting to be able to pull the mask down over his eyes, if only psychologically. The long black ribbon did little to actually shade his eyes from the light, but still -- it felt like a created distance. Safe. It was a cheap, shitty crutch, sure: but it helped.

His initial squinting against the light betrayed his discomfort a little -- and no doubt to Stroud most of all, who, with eyes in the back of her head, missed no detail -- but he did his best to pull himself together after that, focusing singlemindedly on staying to heel like he was supposed to. He looped his arm into the crook of hers, stepping into the safe familiarity of Stroud's larger-than-life shadow like a pilot fish beside a shark.

Conversation was happening. Lazarus could provide conversation when it was expected. He did his best to project bland indifference rather than jittery nerves, and said, "I don't have any friends to meet -- I may as well watch your big game hunt." This sounded better, anyway, than admitting that even just being in the lobby, surrounded by moving, chattering people, was almost overwhelming. "Are you meeting anyone?" She'd arranged clothes for people other than just him, so he presumed she was -- but Lazarus supposed it might be nice to know in advance who some of Stroud's no doubt a*****e friends were.



Lazarus/Quartz -- Mask color: black

Fionan had heard about the ball, it seemed people everywhere were discussing the masquerade ball to be held at the hotel. He'd thought it a great idea for a date for Fiona and himself, he had been planning dinner and joining the gathered crowds to ring in the new year. This however seemed a better idea, they'd be inside rather than outside freezing, and it was a masquerade ball! It seemed something his girlfriend would like and he knew he liked the idea. So he'd asked her.

Paying for them both he'd walked with her past the doors and toward a desk where the masks were and collected a black mask for himself while watching Fiona pick up her own mask, orange, and smiled. "Shall I?" Offering to put the mask on her before he took the mask and decided to just go and assist her, as if she needed it. His own mask was put on afterwards.

"So, down here on the second floor or do you want to see the third floor festivities?" He asked. He knew the scene up there might not be his thing, could he feel the vibrations from the music up there? But it was worth checking out. This was a masquerade and New Years after all. Dressed in simple, though nice, clothing the blond glanced over to his blue haired counterpart, and often times his better half (at least in his mind). "We don't have to stay in any one ballroom so we can always check out upstairs." He offered with a smile and offered his hand out to her.



Mask Color: Black
Fionan Write - Civilian.

Eyes scanning the milling people, Arilee had already chosen and donned a pretty mask the color of soft, buttery sunshine. Sure, it didn't really go with the sparkly teal romper ensemble she'd worn, but hey. It could have been worse. Grinning down at Avacyn, she snaked an arm around the shorter woman's waist and gently steered her towards a wall.

"We don't have to stay long if you don't want to. And we might actually have a better time up on the club floor. We could dance? Or just find a shadowy corner and make out."

She waggled her eyebrows lecherously, hoping to coax a smile to Ava's face. They needed to have some fun after the nightmares and over-thinking they'd been doing. Well, at least Ari had been doing it. She wasn't entirely sure that Ava was being plagued by bad dreams.

"We can always leave if things get weird," she muttered more for her benefit than Avacyn's. Though if anyone had asked for her definition of weird, she'd have a hard time explaining. After all, how did one categorize future memories, a double life as a magical girl and the whole weird damn war raging through the city without looking like a complete nutter?


Arilee - Yellow Mask

Dressed to the nines in a strapless sky blue dress and a pair of silver stilettos, Hafwen could be found in the main ballroom with a scowl on her face, looking every bit the part of a girl who had been stood up by her date for the New Year's Eve Masquerade Ball though the actual reason behind her displeasure wasn't anything like that. She should have known that something like this would happen. That the other Crystal Academy girls whom she came together with would disperse as soon as they got here to look for their respective dates to spend the rest of the evening with.

So much for a girls' night out to a countdown party in which she was going to be left dry and hanging like this. To top things off, it wasn't as if she could leave anytime soon either since she had already forked out ten dollars for the admission plus she really didn't want to be put in a spot and have to explain herself should any of them chance upon her leaving the party prematurely.

Grabbing a glass of fruit punch from the nearest server, the blue-haired female sipped slowly on it as she went about relocating herself to one of the quieter corners to help pass the time via people watching, sparing a glance down at the top of her dress for like the umpteen time in the evening to check that the material hadn't slipped dangerously low to the point of exposing part of her buxom. Boy would she be glad to be out of this getup and in something more comfortable as soon as she got back to her dorm after the countdown was over.


Hafwen/Dallol (Dress and Heels, Hair)
Mask: Pink
Location: Main Ballroom
Open for all interactions =3

She was excited, practically bouncing as she stepped out of one of the elevators and pausing when she noticed someone else hadn't been far ahead of her in that. Being the ever-friendly little thing she was, she moved over to the guy, smile wide on her face.

"Headed where the good music is?" Because as nice as classical music was, it just didn't really lend to all-out, make you tired and happy, no-holds-barred dancing. Not often.
Chiku Ajali - Black Mask [Nega], Ballroom 3



Kaida sighed in relief. "Oh good! I'm glad." She gave him a warm smile, then shook her head. "No, not really. The most I'm doing is making sure someone isn't here. Other than that..." She shrugged, a soft chuckle escaping her. "I'm here on my own. I figured why let a lack of date keep me from enjoying such a nice party? You?"
Kaida Courcel - Red Mask, Ballroom 1



Bailey 'harrumph'ed and dug the comb she'd brought in her little bag just in case, setting to put poor Daniel's hair to rights. It just did not tame well. So she was going to let it go back to normal. Really, you think his parents of all people would know how his hair was! The mention of Almary made her droop a little, and sigh.

"Me, too. We'll find him, Daniel. Maybe not tonight, but definitely soon." They had to. So much they needed to talk about...and a friendship that needed to start. Poor Almary needed friends, she just knew it. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a figure that made her pause, look over, wrinkle her nose in concentration, then look back to Daniel. Something about the figure was...familiar. But she couldn't quite place it...
Bailey Jameson - Orange Mask, Ballroom 2

for fritzzz

A party? A formal party? A formal New Years Eve Party!

Jasper wasn't going to miss this for the world!

Adorn in a full tuxedo, hold the tails, Jasper Pennington made his way up towards the main floor of the party. A quick sign of his name and he was reaching for a mask. How lucky he had been that his father had agreed to stay home and watch Frozen on re-run with his sister all night. James Pennington had agreed that his son was only young once. While James' youth had been cut short, there were times the strick man would allow his son some little pleasures...

And other times what the man didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

Drawing up his mask around his face, Jasper then made a scan around the room. Three rooms but it was the one playing softer music that drew him in. A more upscale party promised a different class of people.


As he walked in, Jasper's eyes caught sight of a lovely lady in something he had not expected. Lolita? And she pulled it off as well.

Walking over, Jasper gave her a bow low in his waste and extended a hand. "My Lady. May I have this dance?"



Jasper Pennington -xXx
Mask: Black