THE MASQUERADE MEME - 2023

[melplayspersonal]

 You’re invited to a Masquerade
One night only, let yourself escape
Make your way as black cats serenade
You’re invited to a Mysterious Masquerade!

THE MASQUERADE MEME

In the simplest of terms, a masquerade is a masked dance, and that’s what this meme is all about! Pop on a simple domino mask that goes around the eyes or go with a full brand-new ensemble, gather in a gigantic ballroom, and let the music take you away. Though this trope is a tale as old as time, there’s many ways to go about it! You know the usual rules – pop a character with any preferences or leave it blank, and go for it! Mix and match prompts or make your own!

Royal Regalia

The royal family is throwing one hell of a shindig in order to get their prince/princess to find a worthy bride/groom, or maybe the lucky one is already hitched and celebrations are underway! Has Cinderella been invited to this ball or did she stumble in by accident? Maybe you’ll meet your one true love without realizing the crown comes with the mask!

Supernatural Sides

Get a taste of the macabre when all the monsters show up for this mash! Perhaps it’s a Vampires Only party with you as the special exception. (Or their dinner!) Are the witches and warlocks gathered to perform a special spell once every hundred years? Or you thought this was an ordinary humans-all ball, just to discover your elaborate costumes are taking over your own personality!

Criminal Caper

Bring this party to modern times with this take on Ocean’s 11! You (and maybe your gang!) are here to steal something or someone precious, and everyone has a role to play. Observe the crowd, blend into the crowd, or be the major distraction. On the flip side, you may be the eager detective trying to finally get the cuffs on your target. There could be a huge UST blow-up if criminal and copper wind up in a dance – especially if they don’t recognize each other!

 

Comments

Princess Allura | Voltron: Legendary Defender

[heartofalioness]

[[Up for all three, especially Royal Regalia and Supernatural Sides!]]

Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter | Sailor Moon

[roseeclair]

[[[Up for all three: princess, alien princess/kidnapped mortal, or superhero trying to scope out the bad guy's decadent party.]]

Kotori Iida | Sweetness & Lightning

[ricebird]

[[[Definitely more likely to wallflower by the refreshments, but might be up for being dragged onto the dance floor by royalty or the supernatural... or coerced into a caper, for a good cause.]]

Dorothea Arnault | FE3H

[eaglesoprano]

[[[Up for anything, especially Royal Regalia or being the face for your Criminal Caper.]]

Dorian Storm | Critical Role | OTA

[makingmyway]

[bigmoonlittlemoon]

It was not their first time playing undercover at a big fancy shindig. Of course, last time had ended in minor disaster, but they'd still managed to be pretty successful. They'd hopefully have a smoother time of it this time. Maybe. The halfling could hope anyway.

Orym had found himself on team infiltrate and distract along with Dorian. It only made sense that they'd leaned into the bard's noble background, presenting him as Brontë Secondsun Wyvernwind once more. After all, Dorian certainly looked the part of handsome, charming nobleman, as if he belonged in this shining place alongside all these fancy, beautiful people. Orym, however, knew the other man well enough to see how uncomfortable and on edge Dorian was with it.

For his part, he'd fallen into his cover as Brontë's personal bodyguard attendant. It gave him an excuse to stick near the bard, which is where he wanted to be anyway -- even if he had to bite his tongue hard again and again as interested parties keep sweeping in to take up Brontë's attention, try to tempt him into conversation or a dance. This was not the time for him to be jealous, of course. And yet.

Orym was dressed for the occasion, elegant but understated, a leaf and vine motif in pale gold against the deeper green of his vest. The trousers were form fitting, but easy enough to move in. A mask that appeared to be made entirely out of leaves and flowers sat over his eyes, tapering off into smaller vines and tendrils that wove through his hair.

At the moment, they were alone, a quiet moment as he looked up at the taller man, not missing the discomfort on his face. He shoulders into his hip lightly, subtly. "You hanging in okay?"

[makingmyway]

Just once, Dorian wished that he could attend a ball with his friends and not have to be Brontë Wyvernwind.

Of course he knows that this wasn’t just a party they were attending, and they had important work to be doing. And they didn’t have Eshteross to help them this time, so they depended on his background more than ever in order to pull this off. He’s at least given more warning this time that he would have to take up his role as a noble once again, the decision being made from the get-go once they realized they needed to infiltrate the ball. So he feels more prepared donning the persona of his former life, fitting in with the rest of the upper class in attendance.

But he also remembers just how much he hates it. As much as he enjoys going to balls and fancy parties, he hates the role he has to play, what he has to do and say and act in order to pass among the rest of these people. How he can barely give Orym more than a glance because the halfling is playing his help, how he has to pretend like he’s better than the other man even though that’s far from the case.

What he especially hates, though, is just how easily he was able to slip back into Brontë in the first place. And the more he had to act this way, the more he worries that he’s losing more of himself in it.

The suit that he’s wearing feels even more stifling than before, and the mask - decorated enough to look fancy while still being rather plain overall - feels too heavy on his face.

So lost in his thoughts, he jumps slightly at the light touch, and he doesn’t know how to answer Orym for a moment. Eventually he settles on, “I think I need some air.”

[bigmoonlittlemoon]

It isn't lost on Orym that Dorian keeps having to step back into the life and identity that he'd deliberately left behind. The halfling makes a note that one of these days, he will have to take the bard out somewhere fancy where he could just enjoy it as the person he is, not the person he used to believe he had to be.

For now though, they have their reasons to be here, the way that they are.

That doesn't mean Orym isn't paying attention to Dorian, to how on edge he seems. Especially when he jumps at the touch. "Yeah, good idea. There's a balcony... I could use a breather too."

He steps back and to the side just enough to gesture for Dorian to lead on so he can follow, behind and just to his right, where a good bodyguard would be.

[makingmyway]

With a slight nod, Dorian manages to hold his head high for long enough to cross the ballroom to get to the balcony doors.

Once he steps outside, though, away from all the judgmental eyes, his shoulders sag as he releases a deep sigh. He removes his mask to run a hand down his face, then grips the balcony railing as he leans heavily against it, his head hanging as he tries to focus on just breathing.

[bigmoonlittlemoon]

Orym lets the drapes that keep the balcony a rather private little alcove fall shut behind him, turning in time to see Dorian lean so heavily on the railing. He frowns and with a nimble leap, hops up on the railing beside the genasi. He balances there easily, setting a hand lightly against Dorian's head, fingers sifting gently through his hair.

"Hey, you've got this. And I've got you. Just breathe."

[makingmyway]

Though he doesn’t look up, he still nods a little as he leans into Orym’s touch.

“Y-Yeah…Yeah, I know. I’m fine.”

A bold lie, obviously. But they still have so much to do, and they were relying on him.

He can’t afford to not be fine.

[bigmoonlittlemoon]

"No you're not," Orym murmurs quietly, fingers continuing what he hopes is a soothing touch through Dorian's hair. "But you will be." He knows that Dorian would manage this, that they'll both pull it together.

They can afford a moment or two to breathe and gather themselves. Dorian had caught the eyes and attention of the people he needed to. Out here they were alone, the music from inside the only thing that really made its way to reach them.

"Dance with me, Dorian?"

[makingmyway]

Dorian sighs, closing his eyes as the touch does soothe him, even just a little bit.

“I have to be. We still have so much left to do.”

Though he doesn’t make any move to head back inside just yet, just enjoying the quiet with Orym aside from the bit of music they could hear from inside the dance hall.

The request has him blinking his eyes open again, and he glances at Orym in surprise.

“What?”

[bigmoonlittlemoon]

"Dance with me," he repeats, stepping back, more or less dancing along the railing, unworried about the rather steep fall over the outer edge. He holds out a hand towards him, a smile playing over his lips and green eyes dancing behind his mask.

He inclines his head towards the curtain. "We've got a little privacy. And besides, if anyone sees us, it'll give them something to talk about, right? Wouldn't be the first time a guard's fallen in love with the one he's protecting."

Maribelle | Fire Emblem Awakening

[troubadamsel]

Asterios/Berserker | Fate Grand Order

[beefaroni]

Drake Mallard / Darkwing Duck | DuckTales (2017)

[flapsin]

[Any setting could work for him! He's trying to be the cool and mysterious stranger wearing a domino mask over his other mask!]

[lovebites_sodoi]

[ Round two, electric boogaloo! Since we already played this in the "canon" verse, any strong feelings about giving AU a try, like a vampire/monster ball? I can see DW as a Van Helsing-Monster Hunter type (maybe a beginner lol)

Any thoughts on that or doing something else? Open for anything/everything! ]

[flapsin]

[Yeah, that could work! Drake Mallard, descendant of Van Shellsing!]

[lovebites_sodoi]

[ Oh good, I've created something terrible already.

Want to to flesh out more details first, or just dive on in and have one of us make a starter? ]

[flapsin]

[I think I'm ready to just dive in if you are! Would you like to start?]

let me know if you want any changes!

[lovebites_sodoi]

[ Boys and girls of every age, wouldn't you like to see something strange?

If you asked this local village, they'd all give a resounding NO, WE WOULD NOT. They were rather sick of it, quite frankly! They'd been ruled over by vampires and other creepy crawlies for decades, living in fear of what the next night would bring. And as if things couldn't get any worse, rumor was that on the night of the full moon, the next head of the clan would be chosen. There were even whispers that there was going to be a sacrifice in celebration of the event, and some poor mortal girl had been already chosen!

The problem with rumors, however, is that they're often not true. In fact, a lot of those monsters were just bad neighbors instead of malevolent murderers, but how were you supposed to get monster hunters to your door if you didn't spice up the story? So with some truths and lies mixed in, a call was given out - make your way to the McCawber Manor during the "royal" ball, eliminate the next clan head, and save the girl! Or at least two out of three, the villagers weren't picky.

But who would be brave enough, prepared enough, stupid enough - er, confident enough to slip into a Monstruous Masquerade? ]

[flapsin]

[Drake Mallard, heir to the legendary Van Shellsing name, answers the call to action without hesitation! This is it, his big chance to prove himself as a true hunter of monsters!

And so he shows up at the door at the appointed hour, wearing a cloak over his formalwear and a domino mask over his normal mask. He swallows his fear as he goes to use the likely creepy knocker on the door.]

Hello? Party monsters? One... flapping sinner, who is definitely exactly like you... here to get my party on!

[lovebites_sodoi]

[ As expected to such a haunted looking decor, the door sloooowwwwllllyyy creaks open, and a ridiculously tall corpse of a man lurches over, one of the no doubt many servants roaming these halls. He squints, leaning down to really take a good look at Drake. He growls deeply and darkly in his throat...

"You'rrrre laaaate. The gueeeest of honorrrr jussssst arriiiived."

Honestly, if monsters can't be punctual, what good are they? He steps aside, allowing Drake to enter the manor full of cobwebs and spooky paintings that follow your every move.

"The balllrooooom is dowwwwwn the hallllll to the leeeeeft. Caaaaan't miiiiissssss iiiit."]

[flapsin]

[Oh god even the door-man's scary-

But of course Drake isn't afraid! He smiles sheepishly and rubs at his neck.]

Just- just a little fashionably late, yes! You know how it is, trying to get around while staying out of the sun, if you know what I mean.

[He winks and meekly pats the corpse's shoulder. ...And then rushes off towards the indicated ballroom.]

H-hold on, don't start the party without me! [And especially not any sacrifices!]