Connie and Nyra's Halloween Party - 29B (Nyra's Loft)
A burly security guard from Nachton Security sits behind a table at the top of the stairs. His table has signs announcing events planned at specific times as well as explanations of other events. The door prizes are described except for a closely guarded secret Grand Prize. Behind his table sits three pumpkins that can be won by putting your name into the bowl upon the table. These ceramic works of art are painted by the resident artist and are roughly the size of a volleyball. One depicts a graveyard with ghosts and zombies, another shows a spooky mansion complete with gargoyles and Gothic architecture, and the last has intricate dragons terrorizing knights in armor.
The door to 29B is obscured by a curtain made up of a multitude of thin strips of material. The torn and frayed edges are soft, most are braided together, making an illusion of a solid wall. Once through, the guest discovers they have entered a gypsy enclave.
Colorful lengths of fabric meet in the center of the ceiling and then spread out to the walls, giving the impression of the inside of a tent. Large pillows are scattered around the floor in conversation pieces, though there are two fabric draped couches for extra seating. There is an island covered in succulent dishes, edible arrangements of appetizers, fruit, vegetables and desserts. The attendant behind the island proffers water and sodas with your snack.
The bathroom is disguised by trees that almost reach the top of the glass brick wall. Atop the wall sit an array of colorful candles burning brightly.
There is a circle of cushions around a short table. Here you find the Pumpkin Painting contest in full swing. Each participant can paint their very own 5" diameter pumpkin with the array of items, from oils to watercolors with wide brushes to tiny. There are glitters, glue, googly eyes, pompoms and pipe cleaners in a wide assortment of colors. The small sign at the table reads: Door Prize #3 to the Winner of the Best Pumpkin Contest. Judging to be held at midnight.
The bronze sculpture in the middle of the table is labeled Door Prize #3. It is a dark piece, suitable for Halloween of a female figure floating upward as if her soul is rising to heaven, while beneath the figure is a broken skeleton. The piece is small for the artist, only twelve inches tall by eight inches long and five inches wide.
Another circle is a lovely gypsy woman applying Henna or paint upon any willing guests. Either to accent an outfit, help one that came uncostumed or to allow the guest to take home a fleeting reminder of their fun.
Nyra the host of 29B is standing near the circle of couches, greeting guests and chatting with friends. Her gypsy costume is so amazing it takes friends a moment to recognize her. Her head is covered by a bronze scarf which trails down her back. Her undershirt is a warm cream off the shoulder creation with long sleeves that are split open from the top of the shoulder to the wrist, but tied closed at the elbow. A deep burgundy waist cincher accents her curves and draws ones attention to the double skirts in honey underneath black. The tiara around her forehead jingles with gold coins, matching the bronze scarf similarly adorned around her waist. Her bare feet display burgundy toenails and gold bell anklets that jingle with her every step. Kohl makeup complete the effect, making her the perfect gypsy wench.
The loft is a spray of colors from bright yellow, warm gold, heady maroon, luscious burgundy, royal blue, emerald green and pitch black. The lighting is sufficient for each area to see clearly but dim for candles and the scattered brass lamps to look flickeringly atmospheric. The scent of sandalwood incense is noticeable but not overpowering.
He gently touched her cheek,fingers tracing her jawlines,feeling the throb of her veins. Mathias leaned in and returned her kisses with equal passion,his hands sliding around to explore the seams and fabric of her costume.
"Let's go - we can make apologies to COnnie and Nyra later. As I only have eyes for you - all I want to see is you right now."
"You think?"
She felt his urgency, but still felt a little strange just running off like that.
Without any further worry, she decided she'd think of something to tell the girls. And maybe if she bought one of Nyra's pieces, she'd not mind so much their fleeing into the night.
And as the two of them departed, she was really glad she'd come, but ever so much more glad to leave.
(Shay out with Mathias.)
Glad again that her hair was becoming curly, Rachyl had had Meegan style it "big and curly" for her. It almost looked as if she were wearing a helmet, for the round-poofiness that the curls gave her head certainly could have protected her from a large burly sports fan.
Her green eyes were hidden behind gradient-shaded sunglasses that were entirely too large for her face - width-wise they were just fine, however, they reached just below her cheekline. Sparkly silver tended to catch the eye as she moved or as her hair bounced; her face and visible chest was lightly powdered with glitter. Not overwhelming, just an ethereal presence of "shine." Two necklaces fell across her chest. One ended just below the divit at the bottom of her throat with crystal ankh, the other lower, almost at the valley between her breasts was a silver peace symbol.
Narrow strips of the fabric of her costume stretched behind and around her neck; the top of her back was bare.
If one's eyes became riveted to the necklaces, though, the dazzling psychedelicness of the woman's outfit would cause you to look at the rest of her. Sunset orange, yellow, and red, mixed with stormy purple and verdant green enveloped her body like a second skin. Completely covered from the chest down, her cleavage was accentuated slightly by a series of lavendar ties and her hips by a silver chain of charms that jingled as she moved. The pant lets stretched down, skin tight to her knees where they flared out, reaching her ankles in a loose pleated bell, covering the high tops of her leather shoes.
The "dead bodies" attached to Rachyl's feet were actually three inch, white leather platform shoes. Actually boots, as they reached - invisibly - to the middle of her calves.
She reached the top of the stairs, and with a smile, and a crack of the gum in her mouth, said, "Hey theyah shugah." Winking, she handed the invitation to Jack and stepped aside to allow Meegan access.
"I still can't believe you talked me into letting you wear that thing."
Meegan felt much more at home in her costume than she did in the one she'd had made for the Ball later. Nothing said Goth like Coven Priestess. She felt very comfortable in the black velvet. She had put a black wash in her hair that she knew from experience would wash out completely when she showered next. She'd then put random spirals of curl trough out her hair then dusted the entire thing with black glitter. She'd lined her eyes with think kohl and put on fake deep black eyelashes, and had paled her face with judicious use of foundation. She smiled a bit when she thought of the black and orange teddy with garters holding up her fishnet stockings. She completed the outfit with a pair of chunky black heels.
She gave the guard a grin as she handed him her invitation.
"I think I need a drink to help soften the harshness of your ensemble." She grinned at Rachyl and took a look around.
Wiggling her eyebrow at Meegan, she turned to Jack. "So, where're the hostesses and the beverages?"
They both looked as he pointed into 29A. "Food's over here in 29B though." Rachyl could tell he wanted to talk to her, but she smiled her thanks and, taking Meegan's hand in hers, clomped off into 29A.
First she went to the kitchen to put together a plate of assorted munchies since she had no idea what Jan might like. There was a neat variety and even some vegan looking dishes. 'Makes sense, Nyra is one. Thankfully, I'm not.. so much more to enjoy that way.' Popping a cheese cube into her mouth, she grinned.
Spying a couple of empty cushions at the pumpkin table, she grabbed her almost overflowing plate and scurried over to claim them.
"A psychotic vampire clown... you must have an interesting imagination."
Deciding he should not be ambitious, Jan picked out on of the smaller pumpkins and studied it a moment before deciding what to do with it. He knew his limits in this area and therefore decided large detailed plans for pumpkin perfection were out.
"You seem to have a vampire theme then."
He nodded to her clothing, before picking up an Hors d'oeuvres and munching thoughtfully. Finishing off the morsel with a sip of wine, Jan continued.
"So is that a like of the 'undead' or dislike? I mean scary psychotic clowns is not a flattering mental image."
He picked up a bright green acrylic paint and a larger brush. Holding his pumpkin by the stem, Jan began to paint the entire thing green.
"A witch... at least I hope its a witch. That is supposed to be a nose with a wart." He pointed to the tiny pom pom. "And this is hair.. and I figured she should have dental problems because that is the real reason witches are grouchy. Living in candy houses and eating little children gives you cavities."
Delicately she nibbled on a carrot, looking at their pumpkin art. Hers was covered in fall leaves she carefully painted on using a stencil. There were a few pathetic looking flowers peeking out from between leaves here and there, though she wasn't sure anyone would realize they were mums.
The pumpkin next to hers was, well, different. Cyrus had made his mottled in color, brown under black and gray spots. The painted feline mouth was open in a snarl with large fangs protruding, made from white construction paper. It was interesting, but not pretty or spooky. More frightening, the longer Suki looked at it.
Picking up a radish to nibble on and directing her attention to the people painting, she tried to put it out of her mind.
"You know," Rachyl said musingly, standing over the pile of rotund orange squash, "the last time I did anything with regards to decorating pumpkins was the year I graduated high school. A few of my friends raided a pumpkin farm near my house and they left me a couple on the doorstep."
Rachyl remembered the bill her mother received the next day... Only to have it shoved in her face as she explained she'd been on a date on the other side of town. "Yeah," she drawled, "I haven't touched pumpkins in a while."
Several images flashed in Rachyl's mind, that she wanted to put on the pumpkin... but she eventually settled for a standard, goofy-looking scary pumpkin and handed in her fruit.
Sitting there beside Jan, she thought about his question while he painted. It was certainly a fair one, but oddly enough one she'd never been asked before. Or ever considered. You know.. she paused a moment, forming her sentance carefully. I wouldn't say I disliked the undead, or that I liked them. If they existed of course.. I'd think they'd be like everyone else. Some good ones and some assholes.
She chuckled and grinned. Besides, this pumpkin here, she pointed hers out to him, Well when I think about it, it reminds me of this friend of my Mom's when I was a kid. A real goofy guy. And anyway, some people happen to find clowns very scary!
Looking over his witch in the making, she nodded approvingly. Seeing the creative uses of construction paper and such around her she felt hers was a little under dressed, but gave a mental shrug. She toyed with the idea of making another but dismissed it.
Taking a sip of her drink, she looked at Jan out of the corner of her eye. Maybe it was just a weird night, or the liquor, but she felt a little bold. So, is there a certain someone who'd scratch my eyes out if I asked for your number?
"Yep clowns are evil."
Laying back against another pillow, He pondered her answer. If vampires were real... Very enlightened view she had when you took in the mythical monster idea but then books like Anne Rice's and movies like Underworld painted them in a varied light, making it more about personality and less "monster without a soul" He wondered again what she knew and what she didn't but in a crowd of people was no place to find out.
He grinned and chuckled at her question.
"Oh yeah, I'm really popular, a whole line of people... ok, no not anyone. About the worst would be possible harassment from my sister who finds tormenting me a pleasure."
Jan sat back up and took one of the markers and wrote his number down on it.
"Here ya go,Ma'am, it was a pleasure dancin with ya. We should do that again sometime. "
He finished his wine and looked around at the dwindling crowd.
"Mind if I look you up next time I'm at Duibne? It would be nice visiting someone other than my sister and her scary lab rats."
"Sorry about that. Just wanted to make sure everything was going smoothly. This catering company is amazing but I would hate for them to run into a problem and not have an answer." Once she stopped apologizing she realized that she had rambled on excessively. Smiling apologetically again she noted the pumpkin painting seemed popular.
"Would you like to join me in painting a pumpkin? Its quite a challenge as I found out when I made the door prizes. And those are ceramic!"
Meegan walked over to the pumpkins and those around the painting station. She gave a bright smile to Rachyl and waited to be introduced to the others.
Looking at the pumpkins being created she smiled widely. "I love your pumpkins! They are great. And just think, you can take these home and they will last much longer than a cut one."
Since deciding to wear the Disco outfit. Psychedelic Disco Chick. She'd briefly wanted to go completely-whacked and go monster-disco chick, but plain-disco was fun and she felt so slinky with how closely the suit fit her.
And she was very proud of herself, too, because of the exercise she'd been getting at both Gothic-ah's neighboring gym and Aron's mansion, she actually had been able to fit into it.
"I think I'm going to grab that bite to eat, Connie."
"Five long rectangles with light dots on them does not a skyline make."
"Oh, shut up, let's see you paint better."
"Even Rachyl painted better."
... made her almost giggle at just how silly her creation was, as she set it along the line of pumpkins to be judged.
"Aye, a bite to eat would be great," she thought as she entertained - for less than an instant - taking Rachyl out for the kind of meal Connie was craving. But Rachyl was Nyra's friend, and was well on her way to becoming one of the vampire's own, so she shut that idea down faster than a lightbulb burning out.
"But first we need to make the announcement that the pumpkins need to be turned in for judging."
Placing her still damp work of art on the long table set aside for them, atop the black plastic. Smiling she went around scooping up the finished pumpkins that had migrated around the loft. Spooky ones, pretty one, clowns, skeletons, vampires and graveyard scenes. With a jingle on her hips she made her way back to the painting table. Two people had finished and only a few were left. "Soon as you finish we will be judging them. Please bring yours to the table draped in black quickly."
She realized there might be people in Connie's loft who painted so she walked swiftly to Jack and asked him to herd everyone from over there into this loft for the end of evening events. They had pumpkins to judge, costumes to judge and prizes to give away. He would bring them all and the beautiful ship in a bottle back to her swiftly.
She found a stool placed near the pumpkin judging table and stood atop it carefully. Clapping her hands together she attempted to get everyone's attention. "Thank you all for coming! It has been a wonderful evening. We hope everyone has enjoyed themselves fully. In a few moments we will begin judging pumpkins and then costumes. Door prizes and the Grand Prize will also be given out."
"Mind if I look you up next time I'm at Duibne? It would be nice visiting someone other than my sister and her scary lab rats."
Sure thing, that'd be cool. She popped a piece of cheese in and chewed it a moment to let the urge to grin ridiculously with happiness pass. I guess with your Dad being there too they give you access to roam the place, huh?
When Nyra walked over she turned and gave the artist a small grin, and nodded to Meegan when she was introduced. Hey, nice to meet ya.
Listening to Nyra as she explained the upcomming events, Serena groaned to herself. Costume contest.. uuuugh. Thankfully she hadn't dressed to be outstanding unlike that walking disco diva.. wait was that? Good grief, she giggled to herself, she'd been so wrapped up in flirting with Jan she hadn't snapped when Rachyl had come over.
Making a mental note to grab her attention and catch up before the party ended or at least get her number and set up some time to have lunch soon, Serena turned to study the array of decorated gourds.
I think these lil punkins could tell us a lot about their creators..
"I have a place close to your heart already. I feel honored."
Looking up as the others entered, he picked up his little witch pumpkin and was about to put it with the others when his companion made a comment about how much the little vegetables said about their owners.
Holding the witch up next to his face, he looked at her and blinked flirtatiously.
"Oh? and what does this beauty queen say about me?"
He then moved over and sat it in line with the others for judging, not that he expected much to come of it. It had been fun though, perhaps he should go into food painting as a relaxing past time. Grinning at the thought of bestowing painted zucchinis onto Carol's desk and sneaking in tribal looking coconuts into Nova's lab, Jan decided it was perhaps best for his clan if he just stuck to music instead.