Gathering: Halloween Gala

[concierge]

A large, decorative sign situated prominantly in the lobby reads:

The Nexus Hotel
proudly presents its
ANNUAL HALLOWEEN GALA

Formal Reception
Nexus Dining Hall
6 PM - Midnight

Monster Mixer
Nexus Basement
8 PM - 2 AM

Masquerade attire recommended for all guests

Most of the chairs have been removed from the Dining Hall to allow for ballroom-style dancing to the orchestra set up on the far end of the room. A polished cherry wood open bar is aligned along one wall. The adjacent Bistro is open for the duration of the formal reception, serving gourmet hors d'oeuvres.

Downstairs, the basement's largest storeroom has been converted into a spooky nightclub, complete with DJ, dance floor and cocktails.

Comments

[trulyoracular]

Olaf's pleased with the costume and how it turned out, even if he's not entirely doing it for any other reason than he has a costume and he wants to wear it. "I'm a kraken," he explains, flipping some of his purple arms up in the air to disguise the fact that he's very much checking her out in that incredible catsuit. "I krake."

[legendthatwas]

"A kraken," Martha echoed, straightening her wig a little bit. "And what exactly does...uh...kraking consist of? I was under the impression that kraken did all sorts of dragging unsuspecting ships to their doom under the waves, is that about it?"

Honestly, at this point, Olaf could tell her that there were such a thing, that they weren't mythological, and Martha would have had a fair chance of believing it. Despite being a scientist and sceptic, travelling had taught her most myths were based on some reality, in her experience.

[trulyoracular]

"Mostly being a predator of the seas and rising up when required," Olaf says knowingly, as serious as you can be when you're wearing a giant purple costume with orange spots on it. "And you would be..." he says, taking some extra time to look at her because he can. "You would be gorgeous."

[legendthatwas]

"I never knew they were so vivid in colour." Martha was used to being vaguely flirted with by older-than-they-looked men by that point in her life, perhaps even enjoyed it a little more than she should. She grinned in response. "Thank you, Olaf--though I'm maybe a little less impressive than yourself."

[trulyoracular]

"Well, they're not all New Zealand krakens," he insists very seriously, but only because it's the best way he can get away with the purple fabric that he used. "And I'm not sure I'm impressive so much as I am large in size. I'm hard to ignore."

[legendthatwas]

"Right, okay, so Antipodean krakens are different in colour. I'll make a note of that for future reference," noted Martha, in serious tone but incredibly amused expression. "And you are hard to ignore. While still managing to be impressive."

[trulyoracular]

"I am above six foot and dressed as a wild purple kraken of the seas," Olaf admits, as sensible as he gets in a situation like this. "If you did miss me, I might start worrying about your field of vision and for such a rrwowr catwoman like you, I'd hate for those gorgeous eyes to fail."

[legendthatwas]

"Storm," said Martha, "not Catwoman, I'm afraid. But comics, that's close enough..." She got the impression that Olaf didn't really pay attention to that kind of thing, which was fine. Some people didn't. And it was a catsuit, after all.

She also was trying to hide her biting her lip and smiling at the flattery.

[trulyoracular]

"I saw the catsuit, actually," Olaf admits and he thinks of cats when he sees catsuits of the like. Whatever she's supposed to be, he likes it, a lot. "Remind me," he clarifies. "What's a Storm?"

[legendthatwas]

"Storm is one of the X-Men," said Martha. By this point in her life, she didn't feel overly self-conscious or ludicrous about explaining this sort of thing to someone wearing a giant squid/octopus costume. A god type person, even. Though, to be fair, having had a drink helped.

"She controls the weather?" she continued. "That's her mutation. She's from Africa." And it was bothering Martha like hell that she couldn't remember from where in sub-Saharan Africa Storm was from, if it was somewhere real or fictional or what.

[trulyoracular]

Olaf stares at her like she's speaking a completely other language, even though he's certain that it's English. "What's an X-Men?" he asks, perhaps showing his age for the first time in ages.

[legendthatwas]

"Um, from the comic books? And movies. And TV show," said Martha, who was a child of her time. She also was pretty good at reading bewildered expressions, by now. "This is completely going over your head, isn't it."

[trulyoracular]

"I'm from a time before comic books, movies, and TV shows," Olaf reminds her, and given that his preferred state involves a lot of weed and a state of general hovering between conscious and high, he doesn't pay much mind to them now. "Still, it looks good!" he says with two thumbs up.

[legendthatwas]

"You've been living in the time with them," pointed out Martha, but only gently--she wasn't much fussed by this, to be honest, not being recognised by everyone. "I'm glad you like the outfit, though. Effective?"

[trulyoracular]

"Very," he praises with a lascivious grin. "I should buy you a drink to celebrate the way you're pulling your costume off," he offers, giving her a wink and a gesture towards the counter.

[legendthatwas]

"Oh, I'm leaving it on," Martha said with a wink of her own, deliberately misunderstanding. "But I'll accept a drink, that's for sure. Particularly from the kraken of the Nexus hotel."

[trulyoracular]

Olaf taps his nose with an elongated purple limb, grateful that she's said exactly that. "This way, my lady," he offers, always intent on giving the woman a good time and a good drink. "Can I interest you in some of the personal cookies I've baked for the occasion?"

[legendthatwas]

Olaf looked seriously, seriously ridiculous, but fortunately Martha was good at handling that kind of situation, even with someone who wanted to buy her a drink. "Would these be special cookies?" she asked with a careful sidelong glance at him.

[trulyoracular]

"Are there any other kind?" he asks with the sort of boyish innocence that ought to give a person faith in him, even though he absolutely deserves none of it.

[legendthatwas]

"Uh, yes," said Martha, sceptically. "Normal people cookies that don't have weed in them. Unfortunately I have to decline." Random drug tests at work were all just part of the job, and in her profession, didn't seem entirely like a bad idea.