happilyeverbeginning | THE MASQUERADE MEME

Entry tags:

THE MASQUERADE MEME - 2023

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Drake has a vacant smile on his face for a moment and takes some theatrical bows in response ro the applause.]

Thank you, thank you all! We're very happy to have your support, especially with Dame Morgana's position as-

[He then freezes and goes pale as a sheet, before slowly looking towards Morgana.]

... Wait, what??

[ Morgana sputters, trying to come up with an excuse, a way out, a feasible lie... and she's got nothing. It's over. She's not only still trapped, but she's put an innocent fool in trouble too. Eventually, she can't even take the applause anymore. ]

OH, SHUT UP! I don't want to be the head of the clan! I don't want to rule! I've told all of you that over and over and over! I just... I just want to leave!

[ "And we've told you over and over - it's time to grow up and put those childish notions of yours behind! You're not going anywhere!"

Morgana is being backed into a corner - literally at this point! She only has one trump card left, and that's to sic 'em on Darkwing - the Von Shellsing! - and run while they take him out! ]

What about him? He's... he's... he's...

[ ... But she can't bring herself to do it, and any accusatory pointing just falls, as she folds into herself. She can't let them hurt the one guy who's been nicer to her in an hour than any of them have for her entire life. ]

... He's... nobody... and he's got nothing to do with this.

[There's hope in his eyes for a moment! Of course, she's being forced into that position! She doesn't really want to be some kind of malicious master of monsters...!

But it's what she says next that really trips him up. He looks towards her, crestfallen.]

Is that all I really am to you? Just a... nobody...?

[ She's unable to even look at him, her words driving a stake into her heart. But it's better to have him hurt emotionally, than have him very hurt physically by this entire room ripping him apart. Besides... it was all an act to begin with, wasn't it? He couldn't really be in love with her! ]

... Of course you are. I just wanted to get them off my back, and I thought them seeing me date an outsider would be enough for them to throw me out. You weren't anything but a shield.

[ Now those are sad "Dawww"s in the audience.

"Yes, well, the best laid plans of mice and monsters... back to the party, everyone. I'll see this... unfortunate gentleman out, since he clearly has no place here." ]

[He stares at her, feeling like he's been stricken in the heart. He's completely stunned!]

Wha-what...? [He gives no resistance when he's grabbed - at least not initially. He very quickly starts struggling and flailing for freedom.]

Hey, I- I'm no no nobody! I'm Drake van Shellsing, the renowned monster hunter! Of- of course I belong here...!! [He says while stakes and cloves of garlic fall out of his clothes!]

Wait, did I- did I say the inside part out loud?

[ Morgana slaps a hand to her face. Her one act of true kindness and nobility was apparently good for ten seconds.

The exact result she wanted earlier was now happening, because no one is looking at her anymore.

"VON SHELLSING?!" The entire party shouts, glasses dropped, monocles falling off of faces, and even the sad music that had been accompanying this charade was being replaced by a dramatic slamming of the piano keys.

The guest who'd been about to throw Drake out drops him, seething with anger. "A Von Shellsing! I should have known! Well, your famous legacy ends tonight... You're about to become the main course!"

That's right, nobody was looking at Morgana... until she ran forward, snatched the hero by the hand, and kept on going! ]

RUN, YOU IDIOT! RUN!

[Their initial looks of surprise and exclaimed cries bring a smug smile to his face, even as he's dropped to the floor.]

Ah, like music to my ears...

[And before he knows, he's being pulled along by Morgana! He starts moving his feet to tey to keep pace with her.]

H-hey, I'm supposed to be one doing therescuing here! [With his free hand, he tries pelting some of their pursuers with what few garlic cloves he didn't drop!]

Did you even count how many monsters are in there?! You'd be taken out before you uttered a single cool catchphrase!

[ "GET BACK HERE!"

The chase is on, and while a few are scattered by the smelly cloves, there's still way more ready to take a bite out of both of them! Past the ballroom, past all the stereotypical paintings that watch you where you go, past the creaky front door... ]

Head for the rose gardens! We might be able to lose them for a while in there!

Hey, don't underestimate me! I've imagined myself taking on ten times as many monsters! ...I- I just haven't gotten around to trying that in reality against any monsters at all yet...

[Drake suddenly feels himself running faster! And he's quite receptive to her suggestion.]

Good thinking! That sounds like a great area, very romantic!

[ Oh, he has got to be kidding her - ]

YOU'VE NEVER ACTUALLY HUNTED ANY MONSTERS BEFORE?! And you're just telling me this NOW?!

[ To be fair, it certainly explains a few things about his earlier actions... she just thought he was a love-sick fool! Turns out he's just 100% a fool anyway!

But she makes a quick turn into the rose garden/hedge maze, stopping before a perfectly trimmed and perfectly shaped row of black roses that she can kneel in front of and hide... and keep him hidden too, via holding him very tightly to her body. Hope he doesn't mind. ]

It didn't come up!! It's because this is a trial by fire... This is nothing for a Van Shellsi- mph!

[He's muffled while being held up against her. Much more up close and personal than he expected! A blush spreads across his whole body, and he feels warmer than ever as he tries to go along with this and wraps his arms around her.]

[ Morgana stays silent as the crowd of monsters passes by the gardens...

"They couldn't have gotten far! Search the entire grounds! Allowing a Von Shellsing in our midst... that tears it! Lady Morgana's first act as clan head should be to tear off his head!"

... And fortunately, the partygoers don't seem to think of looking through the gardens for now, going by them completely. Morgana lets out a sigh of relief... before remembering what she's doing and with who. She's now also blushing a bit, releasing her hold on him. ]

... Hmph. You'll never get a better chance to stake your first monster... so. Go ahead, Shellsing. I won't fight it.

[Drake just lets himself melt into the warmth of her hold for the moment, forgetting the imminent danger once again. At least this keeps him quiet!

Then, she releases her hold, and he takes another moment to pull back. He looks at her in shock as he hears what she's saying.]

Really? You'd... be my first...? [He blushes. But then he quickly shakes his head as he reminds himself of what that entails!]

Wait, no, I can't do that! Why are you giving yourself up like this?!

Because there's nothing else for me... I'd rather be staked than go back there.

[ She gently pulls off a rose from one of the bushes, and begins to pluck each petal as she tells her Tragic Backstory. ]

All my life, everything has been decided for me just because of my last name and my bloodline. I never had a choice about what I wanted to do, or who I wanted to be... all because of some great McCawber who I never even met. It's all anyone ever sees of me, and all anyone wants from me. All for some last name I never asked for... you could never understand.

[ Sure, he may be a newbie Shellsing, but the name itself carried a ton of power! Surely someone like him has complete and total control of his own destiny. To think she'd be envious of someone like him... ]

[He frowns, his heart aching as he hears the life she's been forced to go through.]

I- I guess it's not something I can completely relate to. But I did kinda not choose the Van Shellsing name. Sometimes I feel like I'm not naturally cut out for this kind of thing... But then again, look at me. I am kinda oozing with talent!

[He flips a stake around in his hand, then winces and pauses for a moment before treating a splinter, before sticking it back in his cloak.]

...Sorry, but I only stake real monsters. And you sound like the opposite of a monster to me! This kinda just makes me loop back around to wanting to rescue you?

[ Granted, the fact that he's still alive does show some talent, and hopefully not dumb luck. She looks back at him, the rose mostly stripped away and laid bare, just like her soul. ]

How can you say that, after all I've done to you so far? I've tricked you, lied to you, tried to use you as a shield, hurt you... Those sound very monstrous to me. And how do you know I'm still not trying to deceive you?

[ Perhaps as a way to make up for all she's done, she tries one last play to scare him off. Maybe if she threatened his skin, he'd finally stop risking his own and protect himself?

She leans over, running a finger down his throat. ]

For all you know, the second you turn your back to me, I could sink my fangs into that pretty little neck of yours.

[Yeah, definitely... definitely all talent and not that other thing...

She can probably feel him gulp while he looks right at her, his eyes widened in surprise.]

R-really?! But it's just our first date! [Then he blinks for a second as it hits him, and the excitement fades from his voice.]

Oh, you mean in a... vampire-y way. No, I don't think you'd do that. I trust you! You might have done all those things, but... It was out of desperation, right? It's not because of any alleged badness. See? You're still good, you're great!

[ Wow, there wasn't a trace of fear in his eyes! Being a Shellsing must endow him with incredibly bravery! Plus all that sincerity... he's so pure, it's like being hit with a blast of sunlight! It's a wonder she hasn't crumbled into ashes! Although she is feeling weak in the knees... ]

But... what would people say? You're supposed to be a legendary monster-hunter! If you let a monster like me out of your grasp... your good name would be tarnished forever! I'm not worth damaging your reputation!

[ The date was supposed to be fake, so why are all his feelings so real? ]

[Yeah, there doesn't seem to be fear in those eyes. Just beating hearts!]

Reputation, shemputation! [He waves a hand dismissively.] If I'm going to take a public hit for doing something that seems right to me, than so be it! ...Plus, I'm sure I'll make up for it with plenty of other awesome and mind-blowing victories!

And hey, who knows? Maybe the rest of the world will realize you're better off alive, too! Maybe they'll start seeing things the way I do.

[ Could that really be possible? Could other mortals accept her the way he has? Can she have a life outside of that dreary castle and its cruel inhabitants? Can a monster actually have a happily ever after?

Just like the rose has shed its petals, she seems to have shed all the masks and layers she was hiding under, so the real her can shine through. She can finally start being honest with him, and with herself! Slowly, hesitantly, maybe with still one fraction of fear left, she tries to reach for his hand... ]

If... If you really believe everything you've said, I... I've always wanted to... to sing, really sing, for a whole audience, to really be hard at last...

[Drake grips her hand excitedly! but softly. And he looks back at her with an encouraging smile.]

See? You should do that! Now I only caught a little taste before, but it was the loveliest bit of music I ever heard! You'll really kill it alright. On stage!

[ And with that, she does something she hasn't done in what feels like an eternity - give a genuine, honest smile. Not an seductive smirk, not a evil expression, but an actual happy smile, all across her beak. Her hand squeezes his own, and her entire heart feels so full, it could burst! She has to let something out! ]

Never knew I could feel like this,
Like I've never seen the sky before.
I want to vanish inside your kiss,
Every day I love you more and more...

[ Which is a sweet, heartfelt thing to do... but also incredibly stupid when you're trying to hide. ]

[As for Drake's heart, he feels like it's exploding ten times over! It's just such a heartfelt moment, he can't think of a single reason to be quiet about it! So he grasps her hands and looks into her eyes, touched by her look of pure happiness, as he sings along with her.]

Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing?
Telling me to give you everything.
Seasons may change, winter to spring,
But I love you until the end of time!

[ She's never felt more alive! Never felt more free! A night she's long since dreaded has now become one she never wants to end. Their hands clasped together in a tight yet gentle embrace, gazing deeply into each other's eyes, their faces getting closer and closer together, absolutely nothing exists outside of this perfect harmony. ]

Come what may...
Come what may...
I will love you,
Until my dying day -

[ Except, obviously, something does exist - namely the guy who outed them before, who rips apart the very large part of the garden they'd been hiding behind.

"THERE YOU ARE!" Which might be a total mood killer, and judging from his anger, intends to be a Darkwing-killer as well. ]

HEY! We had finally a perfect duet going on! ... I mean, Darkwing, watch out!

[He was completely caught up in the magic of the musical moment! And why wouldn't he be? On stage, a song is never interrupted until it's over!

But that golden rule has been broken by the guy who found them. Any of the monsters who heard and saw that are probably very bewildered and thinking something like, "Ma'm, this is a Frankendenny's".]

Some people can't understand how good art is supposed to work...!

[He then gives a nervous yelp as he dodges out of the way of their fanged foe. Okay, now to remember how to do the thing he came here for!]

D-don't you worry. Leave this to me! I'd "stake" my reputation on it-!

[He gives an aggressive wink as he says that, and he reaches for a stake in his coat! ...Except it's kinda jammed there, having poked into the fabric, and now he hops around while trying to extract it.]

C-c'mon now!!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject