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

[flapsin]

[He blinks in confusion, while sprawled on the floor.]

...I did? [He's still reaching for the stake stuck through his coat, but he lets go of it as the realization sinks in.]

...I did! I mean, of course I did! [He clears his throat. Without getting up, he shoots a confident look towards the assembled monsters.]

I hope you now know what you're messing with when it comes to a Van Shellsing! Now... who wants to be next?

[lovebites_sodoi]

[ Eek! The whole group begins to back up in fright... Shellsing managed to seduce the Clan Head, and take out one of their most powerful members! Who could stand a chance against him?!

Morgana lets out a classic evil laugh, though it's for the power of good, so maybe more of a anti-hero laugh? ]

That's right, you fools! If any one of you ever dares to try and take me back to that wretched place, take a look at what's in store for you! As of this moment, I'm never again a McCawber!

[flapsin]

[He can't believe it! She's really turning away from her evil destiny for him! This is the kind of thing that's only happened in his dreams! He gives a surprised, if proud look, but he also manages a quick stage whisper to him.]

It's okay if you keep using the last name, though - it's a very good alliteration!

[With that, he turns his attention back to the assorted monsters.]

That's right, you vampiric villains! Stand back while you still can! Before this party turns into quite the high-stakes dinner...!

[He decides it's time to stand up to face them! ...Although as he tries to get up, he immediately falls back down and slaps his bill on the ground.

That stake that's stuck through his coat also seems to have planted itself in the ground when he fell!]

[lovebites_sodoi]

[ ... Huh. Is he still trying to play the part of the hapless fool? Because there's really no point to that anymore. He seems more eager to kill the tension than to kill any of them...

Morgana gets on her knees to try and pull the stake out, hoping the caustic crowd doesn't change their mind about him as quickly as she did. ]

Here you go, darling... Oof, these things are really huge... you must be ever so strong to carry so many of these all the time!

[ Still be scared of him! He's still a threat, she promises! ]

[flapsin]

[It's part that he seems to be very good at playing! Like an advanced form of method acting, almost as if this is who he really is inside!]

Wh-why thank you! [He says with a quick blush while she helps to pull him loose. The stake really seems to be stuck in there!]

A hunter of horrors can never be too careful! Although let's try to be gentle, this is the very last one I have on me. I wouldn't want to be completely defenseless!

[He says with a slightly nervous laugh... but then there's a snap, as Drake is now freed and lifted right off the ground towards Morgana like a rubber band, while the stake has snapped into pieces.]

[lovebites_sodoi]

[ The man REALLY needs to learn not to say everything that comes to mind, because the once frightened crowd definitely heard the little admission.

"... So, five bucks that he killed Vlad by accident?"
"Raise you twenty we can get rid of him before the dessert trays come out."

Meanwhile, with a very ungraceful thud, Morgana now finds herself flat on her back with her handsome hero on top. Which, in any other circumstance, she'd happily welcome! ]

... Darling, I don't suppose you have any emergency back-up plans in that cute cape of yours?

[flapsin]

[Well at least on Drake's part it's one of the most pleasant landings he's had all night! He's caught up in being on top of her for a moment before being reminded of the situation.]

Emergency back-up? [He blinks. It's hard to think straight while looking into Morgana's eyes, in which one can easily get lost forever!]

Oh right! There is the gliding function built into this cape. If we can get into the air, it can get us soaring to safety like some gliding mammal! [He chatters excitedly, hoping she's impressed by it, while the monsters start to close in...]

[lovebites_sodoi]

There is an obscenely tall and intricate water fountain the middle of the hedge maze! Who would've thought that eyesore would finally be good for something?

[ Hopefully he only gets lost in her eyes and not in the hedge maze! In fact, why take the risk? If he doesn't mind, as she gets up she's just going to scoop him up bridal-style and make a run for it.

He probably envisioned the get-away with these potions reversed, but hey, he also probably didn't envision it with a horde of monsters at their heels. ]

[flapsin]

[He blushes slightly as he's scooped up! And he looks around nervously, while coming back to his senses.]

Wait, shouldn't I be the one carrying y-

[He looks at the encroaching monsters. And clings to Morgana.]

You know what? You got this! My- my hero! [He'll just handle the next stage of the escape, that's all! Completely flawlessly!]

[lovebites_sodoi]

[ No time to argue as she puts in the legwork! Luckily she's spent enough hours brooding in these gardens to know her way around and hopefully puts some distance between themselves and the exhausted, annoyed audience.

True to her word, right in the middle of the hedge maze is a fountain that is ridiculously gaudy and just as ridiculously tall. Morgana had hoped to never see the stupid thing again...

... Considering the statue is of her. Embarrassed, she sets Darkwing down. ]

This was a birthday present from last year. I demanded they built this maze so no one would ever see it again!

[flapsin]

[Drake's protest dies as he nestles against her while she carries him. As they reach the statue, he gazes at it with awe!]

But it - it's a vision of artistic beauty! I didn't think stone could capture your eyes so-

[The murmurrings of the crowd reach Drake's right.]

Right, right. The escape. Let's get that started! [He leaps onto the statue and hugs it tightly while climbing it!]

[lovebites_sodoi]

[ Luckily her claw-like nails (which, honestly, should have been another clue earlier, good sir) help her climb up along with him. They've got a bit of time before the rest of the ghoulish gang reach them, and she can only hope no second is wasted!

Once at the top of her own head, she nervously looks at her hero. ]

That glider thing... are you sure it has enough strength to hold the both of us?

[ She was afraid of weighing him down morally before, but now it occurs to her that she might be doing that physically too! ]

[flapsin]

No, not at all!

[He responds matter-of-factly while perched atop the head.]

But that's just because this hasn't been tested before. It'll be fine, we're both light as a feather! [Despite both of them having more than one feather.] Just hold on tight and we'll be off! [He prepares his cape, hoping to catch the wind just right!]

[lovebites_sodoi]

[ That's... not exactly instilling confidence in the plan, but it's too late to back out now! As the wind starts to pick up, she mentally tries to figure out how this is going to work. Holding him from behind would get in the way of the glider, so this might finally be a chance for him to do the bridal carry instead! ]

If we don't make it, I don't regret meeting you! It was the best thing that ever happened to me.

[ While he's already brimming with confidence, she figures one more cheek smooch will give him an extra boost to those stats! ]

[flapsin]

[Drake does feel a little nervous! But all of those nerves are melted away by her words and her smooch.]

D-ditto!!

[Emboldened and empowered, he lifts her up in a perfect bridal carry!]

Now let's get dangerous!

[With that, he leaps up into the air! The wind catches his cape as they start to soar into the air and over the hedge maze.]

It's working! It's working!! [He really shouldn't sound this surprised that it works.]

[lovebites_sodoi]

[ It's the power of love! And cartoon physics! The reaction of the monsters on the ground who see this?

"They're very slowly getting away!"
"... Anyone else want to go back to the mansion and just drink this night away?"

Various exhausted agreements. Fine, have her! She would've been a lousy clan head anyway! What could he possibly see in her?

As for Morgana, she gasps in surprise and delight, holding onto him even tighter. She really did wind up flying away one day after all! ]

My hero~!

Come what may,
I will love you...
Until my dyyyiiing daaayyy!