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

[bonetown]

Alex is totally and completely ready to rock the hell out of the party. This year, there's no weird possibly-bird-kissing-related disease and she doesn't sound like she spent two days with Max's weird trash cooker, so there's no chance that her Marilyn Monroe costume is going to get her mistaken for a drag queen, nope, not this year, not for Alex Kerkovich.

She's downstairs in the mixer, but lingering just outside the door because she needs a boob check and there isn't a convenient mirror around, so she's resigned to giving them each a lift and a pat, making sure the push-up bra is working for all its' got. Only when she thinks she's ready does she reach out for the next passing person. "Hi," she greets breathlessly. "Are you going inside? Do you need some company?"

[haolehothead]

Halloween is not supposed to be held in some weird space-hotel that Danny keeps managing to trip into. Halloween is supposed to be his and Gracie's time to go trick-or-treating door to door. And yes, okay, fine, he understands that his apartment complex is not exactly a child's paradise of candy, but it's still their time, so when he stumbles into a fancy dress party, he takes the time to appraise it and flicks the red cape he's wearing back.

Right, okay.

He can cope with this. Time seems to stand still every time he shows up here, so maybe this is a little pre-game warm-up. Maybe he'll have a drink, maybe he'll find some food, maybe even relax before enduring the childish marathon of candy hoarding. And actually, now that Danny thinks about it, it sounds like one hell of a good plan.

[trulyoracular]

There's a costume gala.

There's a costume gala and Olaf doesn't have his costume, so he pops back to Auckland and informs Mike that he has pressing business before digging the kraken costume out of Mike's basement and ignoring anything about gods and Loki and hunters and he will get back to that, he truly will, but right now there is a costume party to attend and he has a kraken costume to slip into (so to speak).

Once he's well equipped, he goes back in all his purple and multi-legged glory, incredibly proud of himself for finding it in the depths of his closet.

[malachai]

To be honest, what he was wearing wasn't much of a costume. Docs, black jeans, his black jacket and the scabbard and sword he usually wore strapped to his back when he hunted. Okay, he didn't usually let his demon horns show, or smile wide enough to show his fangs, but it was Hallowe'en and he was trying to get into the spirit of it.

That's when he saw....entirely too much purple.

"Why do I get the feeling I don't want to know?" he asked as he approached.

[trulyoracular]

Olaf spins as gracefully as he can manage when he's got multiple arms in all directions. Cautious, because he's got a beer in hand, too, and that's more precious than anything. "It's a costume gala," he says, like the costume is entirely warranted. "Besides, this is the best one I've got!"

[malachai]

Nick had to admit that he'd considered going as one of the Greek gods, Apollo actually, but he'd decided against it after an hour or two of laughter over the irony. In the end, he'd gone as pretty much was he had been once, a Dark Hunter. In the spirit of the night, he'd let his horns show (and didn't that just feel freaking strange after all these years).

Whatever, it wasn't like he'd come as the Malachai.

[malachai]

"And you've most definitely risen to the occasion," NIck nodded, laughing. "I think you'll be walking away with the most colorful award at any rate. If they're giving shit like that away, that is."

[vampire_shield]

Bella walked into the party still half amazed that she hadn't completely wiped out yet. She was teetering on five inch heels - something she'd never been able to manage in her human life - as easily as if she was on bare feet.

And she loved it.

The fact that she was dressed as a witch and meeting a witch dressed as a vampire, was just a bonus. She also couldn't wait to see what everyone else thought up for their costumes.

[trulyoracular]

"Are there beer prizes attached to rewards?" Olaf asks, turning to look to the front of the room and likely nearly taking off someone's head by the rate at which he turns and one of his appendages goes flying. "Because I could use the help. I'm a little ... job deprived, you could say."

[malachai]

"Whoa," Nick half-laughs as he ducks a flying arm. "Might want to be careful with the flying parts there, man. You might take someone's eye out, or worse."

He frowned a little then nodded when he figured out what the guy was talking about. "What, with all the changing into old men and flopping face first in board shorts onto the floor, no one was willing to hire you for beer money?"

[notgivingyourmoneyback]

He's still not entirely sure what this strange place is or why he can't leave (and yes, he had checked as many doors as he felt was necessary, all leading to the same bullshit conclusion - that's he's stuck here), and he's not happy about any of it. Especially not when there is mention of a Halloween party that he is likely required to attend and requires a costume.

Since he has only just arrived at this ridiculous place, he's not sure where to find a costume. That is, until, once he obtains a room, he finds what could only be considered a costume tucked in the closet. Oh, he knows what it is, he's seen the movie. He just doesn't think the closet is funny.

Though, unless he's going to the party as 'Bruce Wayne', this will have to do. Hey, at least it comes with a cool hat, right?

So, black pants, black shirt, black trench coat, black hat, black shoes, black mask and a red tie - he's all set to be Denny Crane's alter-ego. He did draw the line at coloring his hair or wearing contacts to change his eye color - this is ridiculous enough.

As much as he isn't thrilled with the idea of being stuck here, he does need to eat, so he makes his way to the dining hall for food if nothing else.

[notgivingyourmoneyback]

Harvey is making his grouchy way through the dining hall and sees the guy in the red cape. It's not much of a costume, which is why it catches his eye in the sea of other costumes about the gathering.

"Nice cape," he remarks as he moves through the room, searching for a bar, because he could use a drink.

[almightythor]

Thor wasn't exactly sure what Tarzan was but he was allowed to carry around Mjolnir and that made up for the briefness of his costume in some respects. He was not shy about his appearance but he found that in Midgard, one normally should be clothed in most occasions.

His first order of business was, as always, food and drink, and Thor made his way to the refreshments.

[powerof_water]

Adam's costume wasn't uncomfortable by any stretch but the velvet suit he'd donned to be a vampire was a little outside the box for his usual jeans and tshirt wardrobe. He slipped in his plastic fangs and when he spotted Bella.

"I vant to suck your blood?"

[lianyu]

Ollie feels a bit silly, but after a week of wallowing in his own misery, he decides getting out might help. He doesn't know how (Star City has nothing to offer him now, just shame and heartbreak), but anything has to be better than sitting in his room, watching movies and catching up on five years of pop culture.

He doesn't even consider cheating and going as the vigilante; he hasn't touched the outfit or the bow since he arrived in the hotel again. Instead, he opts for something ridiculous and playful, and he even orders up a few things from the hotel shops to make it happen.

When he steps into the dining hall, he doesn't quite feel the part, but he's done enough playing the part of millionaire playboy to make a Tony Stark costume work, drawn on beard and all.

[vampire_shield]

Bella's hands came up to cover the laugh when she saw the fangs, but the giggles escaped anyway.

"You do and I'll have to hex you into a frog or something," she fired back, waving a plastic wand at him.

[haolehothead]

Danny flicks it, giving a bemused smile as he turns to see that while he's gone the superhero route, he definitely got more than outdone by this guy. "Yeah, see, I didn't realize that there was more than a cape that you could work with," he says, blinking in surprise and yeah, okay, a little bit of awe. "And you would be dressed as...?"

[trulyoracular]

"Less that and more that I'm lazy and don't particularly enjoy working when the surf's up," Olaf says, shrugging. That and he also sometimes doesn't like to work when he's hungover, drunk, or high. So, really, most of the time. "I really need to make this oracle thing into a business venture."

[malachai]

That had Nick blinking. A lot. "Wait. You're an Oracle?"

[vampire_shield]

Bella was doing her best at human speed as she walked from the table holding the drinks with a glass in her hand and thought she was managing it well enough until she nearly plowed into a new arrival.

She stopped immediately and her eyes flew up. "Crap, I'm sorry."

[malachai]

"Nice look," Nick said in greeting as he approached. "Apparently we went to entirely different ends of the spectrum, costume-wise."

He indicated the jeans, boots, and leather that covered him from top to bottom, then nodded at the hammer and touched the handle of his sword. "But neither of us are leaving the defensive stuff behind."

[themadmanwithabox]

While the Doctor had perused a multitude of impossibly vast costume options in the TARDIS' wardrobe and while his fez had called out to him with that intoxicating siren's song, there had been one outfit in the depths of the TARDIS that he'd pulled out with no lack of fondness brimming over as he ran his fingers over the spotted cravat and the worn weathered kilt before tugging them out.

Jamie McCrimmon might not remember him, but he remembers Jamie.

And tonight, the Doctor is honouring his dearest Highlander by wearing the clothes that he had left and the cravat is as cool as you get.

[powerof_water]

"Oh, frogs. Very powerful magic," Adam teased, grinning at her. He had a little bit of a lisp from the stupid fangs but it seemed to be getting better the more he spoke in them.

"What would you even do with a pet frog anyway?"

[vampire_shield]

"I'd build it a lovely terrarium that it could sit and swim in all it wanted," Bella responded promptly, nodding with her brilliant idea. "I like the fangs. Nice touch."

She wanted to ask how the spells had gone, but she was partially afraid of the answer.

[the_watchtower]

Chloe is, yet again, in the middle of a hotel with a fluffy dress on but at least this fluffy dress is by choice and not because she's stuck here with no memory.

(Well, she still has a few holes but most of it has come back so she calls that a win).

Tonight, in honor of her new residence in this weird hotel and not back in Metropolis where she belongs, she's decided that Wizard of Oz is the only way to go. She'd just look stupid as Dorothy so she's decided to be Glinda the good Witch instead, complete with crown and wand and fluffy pink gown. She gathers the lace and tulle in her hands and hightails it to the drinks, wanting one to make her feel a little less awkward about such a conspicuous costume. Sure, she picked it, but she never seems to think these things through.

"Uh, coming through, dangerous costume related liability not covered under your policies, move aside, hope I don't spill drinks on you?"