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Contents

[0__] Introduction & Contents
[1__] Rules & Protocol _ How to get invited
[2__] Attendants List & Extended List _ Who plays who
[3__] Special Event & Rules _ Darklings Abound!
[4__] DeLonghy Manor _ The Terrain and the Staff
[5__] Opening Statement _ Everyone have fun!
[6__] Opening Post Graficcha _Banning, Longway & Misha
[7__] Opening Post Nychii _ Mei Lecter & Kyru
[8__] EVENT OPEN!

Notes:
__~Bathrooms are scattered all around, in the rooms themselves as well.
__~The four (semi-)accessible hallways are declared as Upper, Lower, Right or Left Hallway, based on the map given.

Locations: Entrance Hall => Manor gates ((Banning)); Restaurant => Vestiaire ((Misha & Longway))

Five going on six going on seven. Post Meridiem, that is. Seven on the clock.

The gates were opened, the Staff was ready, and the special forces were stationed all around the domain, nice and cosy and alert. They could be counted on, and the Duke knew they could be trusted. He'd worked with these people for years, after all.

Events like these weren't such a strange occurrence here on the domain. To keep the 'neighbours' from complaining and the far relatives from nosing around, the duke still hosted a grand-scale party about every two years, had done so on his own ever since his revered parents had passed on. This would be the first time people from the 'lower districts' and beyond would be invited in, though. Oh, how the neighbours would talk -said neighbours lived half a mile away from the edge of his domain, but they still considered each other next-doorers. Not without a hint of a smug smile did Banning think about how much fun he would have talking them down after all of this was over, if they even dared to openly question him.

~

Right now, the noble had other things on his mind though. The hectic last hours before the gates opened -they had been 'open' since noon, but no matter-, the rush hour, that healthy stress and excitation, all that made the silent manor come to life with a burst of adrenalin. In a melancholic moment, Banning had felt quite connected to the old, regal building, as if they shared that surge of energy. I would have their gears oiled and the spirit awakened so they could both do an excellent job on managing yet another quite large group of people intruding.

Let's do this hmm...

He almost fondly patted the railing of one of the two grand staircases as he languidly descended, speaking an encouraging word to the manor in his head.

The gates were open, the terrain is accessible, those who wished to come were now allowed to enter. 't Would be quite a cosy little party, not at all like the troublesome feasts that were held amongst the roughly threehundred local nobles regularly. To welcome his guests, he strode outside through the glass doors -they served their duty well to keep the entrance hall airily sunlit during the day- and headed out onto the gravel driveway.

Why not go and take a stroll to the gate and back, five minutes to get there and five minutes back, if he kept up his tempo? Yes, he'd do that.

~

Elsewhere entirely, standing a little lost in the dining room amongst the bustling servants and butlers, miss Longway and her Essentic were trying to keep their anxiety low and their spirits up.

Misha was more than eager today. The only reason why he wasn't gibbering about how he might get to see his siblings today and their owners, was that he'd spent the last two days snooping around the mansion, exhausting his nervous energy on his all-consuming curiosity. Now he was wibbling from his heels to his toes, back and forth, with a giddy smile. He had his ears raised slightly, poised for any sort of noise, voices he might recognise, or better even, the Essence-resonance that would alert him of his brethren approaching. The fact his 'first mother' was around only heightened his state of excitation, even if he hadn't found her in this huge building yet. They just kept missing each other!

His enthusiasm wasn't entirely shared by his Owner, who currently felt much like a dressed up doll in her quite elegant dress. So, right, there was NO dress code, but her sense of proper conduct had sent her scurrying to the shops to find something more flattering than her work outfit. No tie today, Timka. Currently she was keeping herself distracted by wandering around, a wibbling Misha half in tow, until she decided to head towards the vestiaire to lay in ambush there. The Alter followed her, humming along to the sweet-gentle melody thrumming through almost the entire manor.
You betcha the surveillance team was pumped up on mainstream hard rock though, in their own quarters.

~

Undoubtedly, this would become an interesting night. Things were abound they weren't even aware of yet, luckily tied back by the local EMP stations and electrical fields that continuously warded DeLonghy manor from any sort of hostile eavesdroppers.

The sun was on her slow descent, as if she had never once refused Drente the warmth of her rays, as Banning was headed to the front gates, and Longway and Misha snuck into the lobby.

Let the games begin.

Locations: Outside the Manor --> Manor Gates.

A green-garbed man approached the impressive DeLonghy estate, a large pot [with handle] full of what appeared to be purple, massive-petaled Geraniums in tow. Elst, having received the invitation a few days earlier, was still, obviously, cloaked in mossy hues, but of a different style of clothing. He’d quickly realized his usual ensemble wouldn’t do for such an event, or, more aptly said, Aoi, who’d picked up some strange realization of fashion faux pas from God knows who, had told him so. He now wore a long, jade cotton-silk suit-style jacket, paired with a matching pair of formal slacks, both embroidered with a simple leafy vine design in a shade of verdigris. Underneath was a dark-lichen collared shirt, accompanied with a long silk tie of another smoky hue of green. On his feet, a nondescript pair of smooth brown leather dress shoes. Along with his collection of books, this outfit was one of Elst’s scarce luxuries, purchased due to the fact that he received it for next to nothing, instead paying for it by designing a monumental floral arrangement for the entire cathedral when a customer, a tailor, had his third marriage. Nursery ownership didn’t come without its perks.

Had Elst walked this entire way? Yes. Strange? Yes. Was the fact that he was carrying a large pot of massive purple Geraniums odd? Nah. The pot itself, actually, carried something a bit stranger; Elst couldn’t exactly carry Aoi covertly in his current clothing, so within the jubilee of matching violet flowers he hid.

As he approached the manor gates, Elst’s eyes fell upon the lush foliage that seemed to decorate everything in sight, next wandering to the lone figure standing there. Or, more accurately, strolling towards the gate. Banning had decided to take a walk, it seemed. What lovely timing…

“Ah, Master DeLonghy, delightful to see you again. And nothing seems to have gone wrong since our last meeting, no mishaps with Aoi or anything… Aoi? The pot whose handle he held in his left hand, moved slightly, the Geraniums rustling as Aoi climbed out. The soil, having been given a top coating of crushed quartz, did not dirty his feet.

Locations: Outside the Manor --> Manor Gates.

Ellandra wrinkled her nose as she adjusted her flowy, pastel-colored skirts for the fifth time. Why had she decided to be proper and dress up for this ball, again? She could just as easily have come in more comfortable attire, after all. Oh, well. At least this gown wasn't like the red one - it zipped comfortably up the back instead of having hundreds of tiny buttons to fasten. Strangely enough, she was looking forward to this ball, not because she liked the idea of a high-class party (far from it, parties meant people and people were frightening), but because of who would be here - she had no doubts in her mind that at the very least, Misha would be, and she was eager for another chance to see her first friend/semi-adopted brother.

She took another step forward toward the gates of the manor - it didn't impress her any more this time than it had the last time she'd been here; maybe she just wasn't easily awed? - and tripped, bemoaning the fact that she'd actually dared to wear heels (albeit low ones) to this thing. She was short, there was no reason to try and increase her height through artificial means! But the carnival girls had been persuasive - she was something of a dress-up doll for them, she just knew it. At least she had avoided being wrangled into what the burlesque girls had tried to talk her into - though that was safely stored away in a secret place; she'd wear it sometime, in private with her husband.

Swallowing, she looked up at the gates ahead. "Well, here goes being social," she murmured to herself, hoping she could make it through the ball without fainting.

Location:: Outside the Manor --> Manor Gates.

Dorian smiled to himself softly as he came upon the gates of the DeLonghy estate, thinking very much to himself that it resembled his grandfather's own manor. Very stuffy, imposing, and all around peaceful and boring. Good thing Dorian was here to remedy that. As per usual, he couldn't come in a tux or some other buisness suit like most normal men, no....he had instead vouched for his snow white long coat with the gold trim, and ruffly sleeve ends, some more suitable onyx tux pants that were pressed superbly by the poor little chinese woman down the street at the laundrymat who kept cursing his 'exact specifications' under her breath and told him many times in another language where he could shove them. Underneath the jacket lay a matching vest, and above that was his silky black tie that had a garnet placed directly in the center line, so as to sparkle better and grab more attention to itself. But the part of his outfit that Dorian was MOST excited about were his new boots. Knee-high white leather beauties that ended with a stiletto heel and made the most refreshing 'clic-klak' sound when you walked. He worshiped these boots. It had taken him FOREVER to get them, as there was an incredibly long waiting list at the Trashy Diva, a semi-well known crossdressing emporium.

It was a marvel of the human mind, really. To have them figure out how to make stilletto boots strong enough to support a man while still looking dainty and cute. He looked quite the gentleman tonight, but looking beside him, he had to admit the little toaster looked cute too. He'd dressed Claudia in a matching, frilly little snow white outfit full of tule and other gauzy little materials that made her look like a walking six-year-old ball of puff. Her sash and bow was a deep onyx, to match the tie he wore, and she had a garnet barette in her hair while Dorian let most of his down tonight. He'd tied up a little in the back with a black ribbon, but most of it had fallen to the sides pleasantly. He had the rock thingy in the pocket of his trousers, liking to keep it close for some reason. Putting his hand at the back of Claudia's head, he motioned for her to keep going as they approached people.

She was quiet, as ever, and just looked up at her 'father' with ultimate devotion. Much like a puppy, really. Well okay, he had to admit he KINDA liked the walking home appliance, since she was one of his only sources of physical contact and company. Looking to the group of people that had gathered outside, he raised an eyebrow with piqued interest. Best way to cause a ruckus was to be around people, right? Taking Claudia over, he smiled at the green-clad man and the man who owned this estate.

"Hello there boys. Wonderful evening, don't you think? Eh? So THIS is what they look like when they get bigger?" Dorian smiled, inclining his head into a bow to greet the pair, but got distracted by Aoi peeking out of his geraniums. Claudia reached out to tickle the little plant-like creature and smiled at it like any normal child would. Dorian really wondered sometimes if he should install a more advanced AI system in her, but he banished the thought for right now. It was time to party, not plot the extentions he had in mind for little Claudia. She'd been six for the past seven years now, she'd be okay with a few more years not knowing she wasn't going to age. Nonetheless, little Claudia looked up to the man in green carrying said living plant and smiled, cocking her head as her pretty little golden curls fell to one side.

"Sir? What's her name? She's so pretty....is Papa's little rock going to be pretty too?" she asked airily, and Dorian let the 'Papa' comment slide as per usual. He'd just gotten used to it, even if he called her a toaster, it was usually affectionately.

[ Location ] Outside the Manor -> Manor Gates.

Today had been complete and utter chaos. Dreamer was not used to taking care of herself, her dress was in late for cleaning and pressing, she burnt her breakfast because she was on the phone and to top it all off, she'd been late to pick up her dress. Thankfully, now as she twirled in front of her full length mirror and examine her figure, she was quite pleased with herself. The dress shes picked was a black mermaid dress with a sweetheart neckline and halter style straps. The bodice was fitted and curve-hugging down to just above the knees where the mermaid skirt flared out just enough. Dreamer had picked black heels and diamond dangly earrings, it was perfect because her hair was up and, one could probably notice the slight point of her ears now. As simple as her hair was, Dreamer had spent a few hours on it, tugging all her hair into a neat yet messy bun. The natural curl her hair had just added to the look as if gave it a slight wave. As per what she did with her makeup, something to enhance her eyes. A smoky look for her eyes with a light red gloss for her lips, the kind that usually left a mark if she kissed anyone. She usually only used it when she didn't have to, leaving lipstick marks on people was quite rude, not to mention with the jealously some female had these days, it could be mistaken for something else. She also dashed a bit of pink on her cheek bones, and had almost wanted to hide her wings with some type of makeup. Though she'd decided to leave the tattoo's there for now. " Well this is it. " She said with a smile.

Almost as if she were gliding across the floor, Dreamer exited her closet and, swept her clutch off her bed as she exited to go to the front. A sad feeling sunk in as she reached her door, George always walked her out, he always wished her a good night. Feeling her eyes water up Dreamer fanned them and blinked quickly. Make up, careful with the makeup! She told herself, she didn't want to ruin the make up or she'd surely be late. Opening the door Dreamer glanced down the hall, she wasn't looking for anyone, she just didn't want any of the other nobles stopping her to ask where she was going. She'd managed to store her wings neatly this time, though they now marked her back with a silver, smaller version of her foggy wings. This too, she didn't want to have to explain, but it was the only way she could properly manage them. When she reached her elevator though, it was a different story. There were two people, both elderly who watched her with a scrutinizing eye; needless to say it was a very awkward elevator ride and Dreamer almost ran out when they reached the bottom floor. George had always taken care of calling a carriage for her, she didn't walk anywhere unless she was working out, and even then dancing gave her all the exercise she needed. Dreamer stopped dead in her tracks when she finally remembered she'd never called for a taxi in the first place. Oh my god... Her mouth dropped, and she face palmed herself. Taking a deep breath Dreamer glanced around, people had noticed the girl with red hair in a pretty dress, they'd almost noticed she seemed quite shock someone wasn't here. Oh for the love of... Dreamer swore silently, hicking up her dress she started walking around the block.

" There has to be a carriage somewhere. "

And indeed she found one, though she'd had to walk into a poorer section of the upper class districts and, the man was rude; she had found one. " The Banning manor please. " Paying him she seated herself and took a deep breath, relaxing her feet and trying not to notice how the horse was exerting a very unhealthy smell. The ride to the mansion was almost uneventful, that driver didn't talk to her and evaded any attempted she made at making conversation. George had called her, wondering how were things going. She usually called him about ten times a day and now that she hadn't called him, he had been a little worried on her whereabouts and, how she was going on her own. As the large green terrain of the Banning mansion came into view, her excitement grew. She'd never had a chance at meeting the duke, then again rarely did anyone meet him. When the carriage stopped, dreamer waited for the driver to help her out of the carriage; something that never happened. So, she helped her self out, she was already on a I-can-do-it-alone streak, she may as well add this to her list of experiences. Once out, Dreamer straightened herself out and lifted her chin, a soft shy smile settled on her lips as she fixed her dress. She wondered who was going to be at the party, she's subtly asked around and no one she knew had been invited; which she considered weird. her expression almost dropped when she thought about that day in the office. She hoped this wasn't a hoax to confront her about that day, that would just be awkward. Dreamer tended to cheat when she walked, she always seemed to so fluidly move, when in reality she was used to her wings supported some of her weight to make it easier to float. " Duke Banning. " She said politely, inclining her head slightly in greeting.