OSTARA MASQUERADE

[wiztrict]

ostara masquerade

what's up?

It's just after 7:00 PM when all those who decided to attend the mysterious masquerade begin to hear traditional Celtic music coming from the stairwells. If they follow it, it leads them to the mysterious 5th floor, where an opened door has appeared. Walk through it, and they'll enter another world.

Party-goers immediately find themselves in a mossy forest, where the trees are decorated with tiny flowing lights and a small stream is all that parts them from a path that leads them to a beautiful party deep in the woods. As soon as the hop over the stream, their outfits change and they're suddenly wearing masks that completely disguise them. Their new outfits are reminiscent of old Celtic dress with a hint of the fantastical, from long gowns to tartan to doublets. Flowers are abundant, both in their hair and on their masks, which are shaped commonly like spring animals. Rabbits, deer, lambs, and (of course) chickens. With the mask on, no one can recognize them, even if they otherwise should be able to by their voice or appearance.

There are giant toadstools that serve as seating, or they can lie down on a patch of moss. Drinks, which are plentiful, are served in large acorns or as improbable dew drops that retain their surface tension despite their size. If they want a snack, there are two bowls of bottomless eggs. The white eggs are the richest, most luxurious soft boiled eggs they've ever tasted. The rainbow colored eggs are a candy shell full of chocolate.

Meanwhile, beautiful snowy white chickens wander through the clearing, unconcerned by the humans.

A ?man? who must be one of the residents is teaching people to make Ostara egg charms: blow out an egg, paint it with something that represents your desires, and then either hang it up if your wish it about a person, or bury it if your wish is about prosperity.

visuals!

how this works!

⬥ How the Anonymity Charm works: Someone wearing a charmed mask is unrecognizable to those looking at them. While it can't immediately be determined who they are from their appearance or their voice, maybe something from their speech patterns will tip your character off — or something they choose to tell them.

⬥ Characters will know intuitively when they're speaking with someone they're related to, but they won't know the nature of that relation. For example, Rose Weasley would know if she were talking to someone she's related to, but she wouldn't know if it was Hugo, Roxanne, or Albus.

⬥ The party begins a little after 7:00 PM, and will last until 3:00 AM. If your character doesn't leave the party on time, they'll fall asleep and reawaken in their bed.

⬥ When your character does exit the party, they're still wearing the fantasy costumes the magic put them in, and they still have their masks, although they no longer disguise the wearer. Hopefully they weren't too attached to the "sexy" outfit they arrived in.

locations!

⬦ WHAT'S UP?: What did your character arrive wearing, and what did the magic of the 5th floor dress them in instead? What's your character up to tonight in general?

⬦ THE TOADSTOOLS: A patch of gigantic toadstools for sitting on, and baskets full of eggs and strange drinks.

⬦ THE WOODS: The woods are quieter, more private.

⬦ EGG CHARMS: Does your character make an egg charm? What are they wishing for?

⬦ SPIN THE CHICKEN: One of these chickens seems keen on facilitating a strange sort of spin the bottle. Pick up the chicken, set the chicken down, and it will choose a (supposedly) random person somewhere in the circle.

⬦ LATE AT NIGHT: The lights all dim, and it seems to be time to head back to the real world. Or perhaps your character already has.

⬦ OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

Comments

SPIN THE CHICKEN

[wiztrict]

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Scorpius & Open++

[terebinthine]

Any other night Scorpius would complain, object and fight anyone who tried to get him to join a game like this. However, tonight he's not Scorpius. Tonight, he could be anybody. Tonight he's decided he's a person who plays spin the bottle—er, chicken.

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Scorpius & Lorcan

[fursuiter]

"Do we kiss now?" Lorcan asks, holding the chicken in his lap and petting it oh so gently. He's not shy by any means, but he's not keen on making the wrong assumption. "Is that how this game works? Although I wouldn't mind, either way."

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Scorpius & Lorcan

[terebinthine]

Scorpius clears his throat and reaches deep inside him for a little more fake confidence. This other person is so calm that it takes him aback, and makes him hesitate to approach. "Ah, yes? I think so. Yes. Do you... want to?"

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Hugo & Open++

[hugogogadget]

Hugo can't remember if it was from their Henhurst orientation video or some other fowl-focused literature he's consumed of late, but he recalls that chickens are capable of love and lust.

Comforted by this knowledge, the owl-masked boy gives the matchmaking chicken a trusting pat and sends it on its way into the circle.

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Hugo & Lorcan

[fursuiter]

"Ah, she's quite fond of me," Lorcan tells the stranger as the white chicken waddles into his lap once again. "Destiny or favoritism, you think?"

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Hugo & Lorcan

[hugogogadget]

"They do fancy you, don't they?" Hugo laughs, standing and brushing off his kilt.
"Do you have little chicken snacks hidden on you? Turn out your pockets and shake out your robes. Let's clear this up right now."

Hugo plans on kissing this mystery person either way. The mystery is too fun and the Chicken has already spoken.

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Teddy & Open++

[20thcenturytoy]

"Go on luv," Teddy encourages, watching the chicken toddle out into the unknown. "Reveal my destiny."

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Teddy & Lorcan

[fursuiter]

Well, Lorcan's destiny to hold this chicken again. "Quite the wingwoman," he notes, lightly scritching her chest feathers after she comes running up to him once more. "Am I widely compatible or do I simply smell of feed?"

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Teddy & Lorcan

[20thcenturytoy]

"An oracle merely divines, rarely explains," says Teddy. Quite sagely, if you ask him.

He grins roguishly at this fated meeting, though whether it translates is anyone's guess. His face might look like anything. But that's always true.

"If she tried, you would never understand."

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Rose & Open++

[changeyourmind]

Is it a little risky to play spin the chicken at an anonymous masquerade where your entire family probably is? Yes, but Rose trusts the chicken for some reason.

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Aster & OPEN++

[asterroid]

Aster kisses the chicken's fluffy little head, and releases it into the circle. "For luck!" She says, to explain the chicken mites she probably just got.

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Aster & Hugo

[hugogogadget]

"C'mere, c'mere. Atta chicken! That's it." Hugo encourages the chicken on its last few chicken steps across the chicken kissing circle. "Now," he looks across the circle as the mystery person. "I saw you kiss this feathered fella. Do I do the same or do we snog? I'm embarrassed to say, it's been a while since I read the Spin the Chicken rulebook."

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Aster & Hugo

[asterroid]

Aster tries to make eye contact with the chicken, as though in its little bird eyes it holds all the secrets of the universe. It does not, so she addresses the human in question. "You know, I think only you can decide that. Is the chicken a messenger or the fate itself. Who can say."

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Dominique

[potionmagique]

This masquerade may not be her comfort zone, but if there's one thing that will bring Dom out of her shell it's animals. Especially cute animals. Especially cute animals that like to be held. This one's so friendly it's gathered an audience! Not like the ones that are just sort of sauntering around like they don't care about anything.

"Oh, chicken!" She exclaims brightly, taking her place next to some unsuspecting contestant. She holds out her hands, attempts to pick it up, then -- overwhelmed and a bit self-conscious -- sets it down again.

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Lorcan & Open++

[fursuiter]

Well, he's only related to one person at Henhurst and he's confident that person is definitely not in this circle. That makes him a very eligible bachelor for a chicken to run toward.

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Siân & Open++

[highlygrifted]

The awkwardness of debriefing after a snog is the main reason Siân tends to keep people at arms length, so the chance to do a bit of no-strings attached kissing is appealing. Before setting the chicken down, she gives it some stern instructions, "No one who's just had a soft-boiled egg, alri?"

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Siân & Hugo

[hugogogadget]

"I ate chocolate eggs," Hugo reassures the person across the circle. "Though..." he hesitates before coming clean. "I did throw them back up." Better to tell his match before, rather than risk the chance of them realizing during.

He shrugs, a bit sheepish. "Points for honesty?"

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Zsofika & Open++

[toadyouso]

When Zsofika notices a small crowd gathering, her FOMO kicks into overdrive and she hurries over from the creek bed she'd been exploring with a little snail still clinging to the underside of her wrist. She takes a seat and quickly deposits her new friend on a soft patch of moss when she realises that she's just stormed into a game spin the .... chicken?

Well, alright. She's game. No time like the present!

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Moe & Open++

[skeeterboy]

Even anonymously, Moe will claim that he didn't mean to end up here. He was only curious what was happening, why people were picking up the chicken and then setting it back down. Of course, despite his protests, he's still here, isn't he?

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Moe & Zso

[toadyouso]

Honestly, it seems like the chicken is more interested in the snail sitting in the moss to Zsofika's left than it is in her but, as any good friend would, Zso is willing to take one for the team. Sally the Snail just got out of a long term relationship and isn't ready to snog any mysterious strangers yet.

"That's me, innit?" Zso announces and puts a hand out to the masked stranger so that he can help her stand. He seems quite tall, which is ticked box for him.

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Grizzy & Open++

[hotgoss]

As soon as Grizzy realizes that this is basically just spin the bottle, with a bizarre Henhurst twist, she practically shoves herself bodily into the circle. "My turn!" she announces, though no one is arguing. Without hesitation, she snatches up the chicken, which clucks in surprise.

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Grizzy & Scorpius

[terebinthine]

The chicken gets distracted at the last minute, and ends up in front of Scorpius instead of his neighbor. "Really?" he asks the chicken, which looks at him impassively. Apparently it's certain in its choice.

"Well," he begins, but can't think of what to say next. Instead he offers a hand to the young woman. It seems like the thing to do if you're going to kiss someone.

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Neptune & Open++

[tunafitz]

Placing far too much importance on the whims of a feathered animal is right up Neptune's alley. This is absolutely not the first time he's relied on a matchmaking animal to reveal his Fate to him. But hey. Third Fourth Fifth time's the charm, right? His future in hinging entirely on you little chicken, so don't fail him now.

SPIN THE CHICKEN: Neptune & Teddy

[20thcenturytoy]

As the chicken wanders toward him, Teddy looks up at his match with smoldering faux gravitas. The crocuses are pretty, though, and atop a hare mask the effect encourages cheer rather than seriousness. He grins broadly. (Or smirks. Really, it's sort of more of a smirk.)

"Hop to it, then."