RPA's 8th Year Masquerade Ball (IC)

[Skeletor]

Alistair was standing outside her hotel room on the balcony. It had been a long day. Hell, a long year. She was beginning to feel like a ghost lately; pale and grief-stricken...shuffling through life aimlessly and practically walking through people as if she were mist they could just stroll through with only minor annoyance crossing their faces before they continued on. After taking a long drag from the blueberry Swisher Sweet she had tucked between two fingers, Alistair tipped her cowboy hat to one of the house keepers then pursed her lips, expelling the smoke from her lungs in a slow, relaxing exhale. She watched the swirling smoke dissipate and found herself wishing she could just fly away with it. Too many things had been weighing heavily on her shoulders lately and she didn't feel like sticking around to find out whether or not it would completely crush her in the end. Pushing some of her dark hair behind one ear, Alistair sighed and put out her cigarillo. As she was getting ready to creep back into the room to search for some alcohol to take the edge off of the pain...

She realized as she stepped through the doorway of her room that she was no longer looking into her room. Pastel clouds the colors of cotton-candy swirled about her ankles and above her in the sky. It reminded her of a prettier version of the smoke she had wanted to be like just a moment ago.
"I haven't even started drinking yet. What the..." her words trailed off as she looked down in confusion upon the feeling of the clouds twirling past her feet. Alistair was shocked to find that she was dressed in a lovely black and grey ball gown with all the ruffles and perfect ruching she could have ever wanted in a formal dress.
A thankful smile crept over her lips. It had been a long time since she'd worn a ball gown. Too long.
Not only was she wearing her dream gown, Alistair was elated to find she was also wearing matching lacy gloves, a black choker, and...a mask. A masquerade, she thought. It was like a dream come true.

Eventually, Alistair had wandered over to the castle just ahead and caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror as soon as she wound up in the decadent area that was the grand entrance. Grand, indeed, she noted.
Staring at her reflection for a moment, she discovered she had not been walking at all - she'd been floating! Alistair saw that her skin was unusually pale and it was nearly translucent. She wondered what all that was about, but then she got distracted for a moment upon seeing for the first time that the mask she was wearing was black. And that her makeup was done in just the dark fashion she enjoyed - gothy, ominous, and yet...inviting. She noticed a red rose fascinated to the top of her dress and smiled in satisfaction upon discovering her lips were painted the same poignant hue of red as the dark flower she had been adorned with. Whoever did this, thank you, prayed Alistair silently. Almost nothing made her feel better than looking her absolute best. Ghostly qualities aside...

As she ventured further into the room, she noticed couples traversing up the stairs and down to what she assumed was the ballroom just beyond.
"Well, I look positively dapper. But now I need a date," she sighed.
Looking around, Alistair noticed she wasn't the only one alone and decided to find a wall to lean against and decorate with her presence for awhile until she could find a way to solve this problem. Her eyes traveled the room, soaking in the richness and elegance of its design. Every detail was perfect.
Suddenly, she noticed a small table nearby and upon it there sat various stationary supplies. So she began writing a letter and when she was finished, she sent it floating through the air on a wisp of spectral vapor...

[AngelDellaNotte]

Angel stood in a dark corner of the night club leaning against the wall. She looked down at her watch seeing that she was about seven hours into a twelve hour shift. She had a quick break earlier in the night but a fight on the dance floor had quickly ended that. She glanced down at her watch seeing that she was about ten minutes late for her lunch. The lunch schedule had been knocked off plan after the fight broke out. She wondered if she would be going anytime soon. She reached down to her radio checking to see if it was on as she hadn't heard anything in a while. Yep it was on and the volume was all the way up. Placing the radio back on her duty belt she looked up at the crowd of dancers. She really hated when the first of the month fell on a weekend. Everyone had extra money to spare and came out to the casino to have some fun. But not Angel she was stuck watching everyone else have fun.

Her ears perked up when she heard her call sign on the radio and the dispatcher cleared her for lunch. She let out a sigh and walked to the employee door. She punched the door code in and walked through heading to her locker. Once there she grabbed her phone and her lunch, a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich and walked to the break room. She sat down at the table briefly looking up at the TV seeing someone he placed it on a news channel. While she took a bite of her sandwich she turned her phone on seeing that there was a message for her. Opening her e-mail she saw it was from RPA. Thinking it was just another site wide message she clicked open anyway.

It was an invitation and no sooner then she finished reading it the room began to fade. At first she had thought she had waited too long to eat and she was passing out but then a simmering light surrounded her. When it faded she noticed the sunset which was strange as even though she had been stuck inside for hours she knew that the sun had been down for a while. Looking around Angel noticed a castle. She blinked a few times as she realized the castle was floating in the sky. From there she looked down at her clothes. She was no longer wearing her dark blue uniform and duty belt but instead had a black tuxedo on. She looked down at her hand expecting to see her phone there but instead she saw an invitation in her hand, she scanned briefly realizing it was a paper copy of the one she had read on her phone. She shrugged and tucked it into the pocket of her jacket smirking when she felt something cool and metal inside. She pulled it out noticing a small flask, that she opened and took a quick swig of before placing it back in her pocket.

Angel walked to the towards a large set of double doors and through them seeing a sprite at the top of the stairs. The sprite nodded to her then called her name out indicating that she should head down the stairs. Angel tipped her hat to the sprite and then jumped on the railing and sliding down. When she reached the bottom she jumped but lost her footing on the landing and crashed into someone.

[TheDoctor]

My oh my, what is this?

A man in a sky-blue tuxedo stepped into the entrance hall, sapphire eyes absorbing the expansive room from behind a quaint, decorative mask split silver and azure. He pushed a stray lock of combed blonde hair above the ceramic veil and inhaled a deep breath, feeling the warm, summery air fill his lungs. It wasn't just the air, though. The hue of the hall, the dancing animated lanterns, the everlasting twilight coloring a pastel blaze of fantasy: they all kindled his imagination with an unquenchable sense of excitement. He released his breath with a sigh of arrogance.

The Staff have certainly overdone it this time.

"The Doctor, A Dandy Guy, in Space, also known as Prince Sexy, has arrived!"

Oh my god, why.

The man, known as The Doctor, and not, in fact, as "Prince Sexy," whipped his head around to stare at the sprite, which stared back at him with a look of surprise. When he gestured to himself with a cock of his eyebrow, the sprite shrugged her shoulders and turned her attention to the other patrons needing to be announced. Rolling his eyes and turning away, he started up the stairs in the entrance hall. That was a joke, Elizabeth, not an actual title. He would require a word with her as soon as he found her.

Wait, how would he find her in a masquerade full of people he had never met?

Huffing quietly, The Doctor restored his calm demeanor and escalated the stairs gracefully. Couples were already meeting, thrilled at their ability to meet in the flesh. He had made no plans to meet with his fellow writers, choosing instead to let the night take him as it would. Well, that wasn't entirely true. He had made plans to so-called "wingman" with Craze, but at the last minute, Craze found himself a fine lady to attend the ball with. Of course he did.

And so, bemused and befuddled, The Doctor was left to attend alone.

That was okay with him, though. The ballroom raised his spirits dramatically from appearance alone, adding a gentle spring to his step as he descended the stairs to the floor. He took a glass of amber champagne from a server who passed him by, sipping the ecstatic liquid as his gaze embraced the room's inhabitants. All of them were strangers to his masked vision, but then again, he was also a stranger to them. Damsels in elegant, flowing gowns stood perched upon heels of unknown height, hearts glimmering with reveries of the evening to come. Gentlemen in strapping, well-cut dress clothes lifted their shoulders back, pushing their chests slightly forward in an attempt to catch their hopeful, mascara-clad eyes. Social events such as these were ever so lovely to observe, and to some, even more lovely to participate in.

Reaching the bottom of the staircase, The Doctor took another sip of the bubbly drink before settling along the base of the stairs. He would wait for a proper time to swoop into conversation with either lad or lady, but it was far too early into the occasion for the seeds of dialogue to bloom. Yes, waiting was a fine, fine choice indeed.

[Soulio]

What was a small. somewhat messy room littered with posters and various electronics very suddenly became a starry filled night, a beautiful castle standing tall in front of Soul.

"What the..." he mumbled to himself, looking at his surroundings. It was simple, but oddly complex in its beauty. Soft light kept the area from being cast into darkness, but not bright enough to ruin the scenery. Looking down, Soul quickly realized he was fit into a suit, perfectly pressed, crisp and clean. Immediately he fixed his posture, standing straight and holding his chin higher. He then realized that a mask was on his face, keeping only his lower facial features to the open. Half his face was hidden beneath the mask.

"Masquerade ball, huh? Alright," he said, now walking with purpose towards the castle, noticing a few others walking up the stairs as well. There were a few people standing right outside the doors, all in masks as well. Before making his way inside, he tipped his head in respect to one of the women outside.

"Mi'lady," he said, saying no more as he entered the grand castle, silently in awe at the decor. He just kept following the carpet that was laid out into a clear path, following the people as well that were mulling about the castle. There seemed to be a sprite up at the stairs, so mainly out of curiosity, Soul approached the sprite, surprised it knew his name as well as his title.

"Presenting Soul Repera, Fancy Reaper! Welcome to the RPA Ball!"

"This is going to be one interesting night..."

[Veloci]

Veloci was lost. One moment, he had been at home, watching videos and reading RPs. The next, he appeared in a strange place, straight out of a little girl's fantasies. A beautiful, breathtaking, even, castle floating in the sky. He felt his clothes, which were like nothing he had ever worn before. It was then he noticed the metal on his face. He reached up, and felt the smooth curves and sharp lines of a mask. He smiled. A masquerade, a social gathering, one he wasn't prepared for. To be fair though, he wasn't prepared for any kind of social gathering. He had never been to a party before, and, as such, he knew not what to do beyond instinct. He moved forward, watching as the sprite announced him.

As he entered, he let out a gasp of breath which he quickly stifled. The entry hall was even more elegant and breathtaking then the outside. He moved around, watching as others, male and female, moved into and around the ballroom, all wearing fine clothes and masks. He couldn't tell who was who, at all. He smiled again. If he couldn't identify anyone, then surely, they couldn't either. He moved off to one side, watching more people move into the ballroom, and finding certain people with uncanny precision. He would need to enjoy himself, but, the night had just begun.

[P.K.]

P.K. had started reading over the invitation only to realize that her entire surroundings had slowly changed, along with her outfit. What had been some light Pajama pants and shirt had changed into a rather fancy dress. P.K.'s reality Ego didn't really care fore dresses, she might like looking at them and dressing other's in them but didn't always care to wear them herself. But it was beautiful none the less. She noticed the necklace hanging around her neck and smiled as she touched it before feeling at the mask that hid part of her face. What was going on anyways?

She found that she was sitting on a set of stairs facing away from the castle but she she looked around she couldn't help but be amazed at the view, the sight of the clouds drifting right by and the hue and shade of the pinks and oranges and whites and blue all together as if someone had painted them there. "How wonderful!" She got to her feet and wondered closer to the scene ignoring for the moment the castle behind her as she drank in the rest of the scene.

Arc opens his eyes to find himself laying on the ground with the castle facing him. The last thing that he remembered was that he was running down the road towards home when an invitation lands in his face blinding him for a moment causing him to slam right into a tree knocking himself out cold. As he gets up he notices that he's not in his regular clothes and that his nose isn't broken, nor bleeding. In matter of fact he's not in any pain at all. "I must be dreaming or I gotten myself killed." Arc mutters to himself hopping that he's just knocked out and not dead.

As Arc gets up onto his fee he looks up at the castle and actually admire the castle. It kinda reminds him of Neuschwanstien Castle back in Germany. As he looks around he finds not only the stairs, but notices P.K. "Well that settles it. I'm knocked out cold somewhere." Arc mutters to himself as he walks over to her. "Hey sis what are you doing out here and do you have any idea where we are at?" Arc asks P.K as he rubs his head.

P.K. turned at the sound of a voice addressing her as... sis. She looked at the man for a moment before a wide smile spread over her features. "BB!" She tackled him, as much as one could in a dress, and wrapped her arms around him in a hug before taking a few steps back. "Hum, that's a good question." She replied before looking past him at the castle. "I'm pretty sure its a dream of some sort but how we got here and why are not answers I have yet." She said. "But something tells me we'll get the answer soon if we enter." She pointed to the stairs leading to the door before she took another step back to look over her adoptive brothers outfit. "Look handsome there bro." she covered her mouth for a moment, those words didn't quite seem to fit the atmosphere around here. "Your looking... Rather dashing dear brother." She tried.

Arc eye's widen a bit, but laughs when his adorable little sister hugs him almost causing the two to fall down the stairs, but regains their balance and Arc hugging P.K back tightly. When she tells Arc that she two doesn't know what's going on or where they're at. Arc couldn't help, but look at his adopted sister's dress as well and looks at her with a smile. "Thank you sis. You look very beautiful and very adorable." Arc tells P.K with a smile as he notices a mask on his belt along with a sword and a colt 1911 pistol neatly placed. Acr carefully places his mask on his face and look at his sister with a smile.

"Whenever you are ready we can head up and see what's going on." Arc tells P.K as he rests his hand on the hilt of his sword and offers his arm for his sister. "Don't want to be rude by not escorting you up the stairs." Arc tells P.K.

She couldn't help but giggle, this felt so odd yet enchanting at the same time! She looked at her brother for a moment before slowly taking his arm. "S-sure." it must be a dream! but his arm was warm and sturdy as they started walking to the doors. "I wounder..." She said. From here she could see others entering into the doors as well. "There are others here... will they be people we know? Or complete strangers? and how were they brought here? how were they picked?" She wondered out loud but mostly to herself as they reached the doors. "I have a feeling many of these people are in some way connected to us." She said looking up to Arc as they continued to walk inside. When she looked back inside the interior of the castle was just as stunning as the outside. "Oh wow..." Who could dream all this up? well a lot of people but she wanted to know... who.

As soon as P.K takes his arm he would escort her up the stairs while also noticing the same thing. If this was truly a dream, then normally he won't feel anything, but her arm is soft and arm. Once up the stairs he looks in amazement at the decor and the entrance of the room. "Yep this definitely reminds me of Germany." Arc tells P.K as he two notices others walking in. When Pk informs Arc of her observations. Arc looks at his sister and smiles agreeing with everything. "I say it's both friend and stranger, but if we are selected for some reason or anything bad happens I'll make sure that you are safe. For now the only to know what's going on is to go forward and not back." Arc tells PK still smiling as he silently observes the area while making plans if something does happen.

"I suppose your right." She agreed before looking back to the castle lay out in front of them. It was grand indeed, space enough to fit her house! and maybe both her grandparents house! And there appeared to be strange creatures flitting about, Calling out names, announcing names really, she could hear it from here. "There, I think we go there." She said before smiling at him and starting to walk, though keeping her arms around his. From here she was sure she heard some familiar names... Onyx? Omac? "hum..." She thought for a moment as they reached the room almost jumping when one of the beautiful announcer called her name and Arc's tittle. "Oh... my..." She breathed as she peered down the stairs as the dancing floor and the people slowly gathering there. "Now that I think about it... the Invitation did say something about a masquerade, a party..." She whispered almost afraid to be to loud now. "About... RPA..." She slowly looked up to BB with a small smile forming, though nervous.

Arc didn't flinch when the announcer called their names. To him right now feels like a Military Ball except no long boring speeches, everyone in uniform, and no long promotion ceremonies and awards. However when Arc notices his little sister being nervous. Arc looks at PK giving her a little smile. "It's alright sis. I got you. Take a deep breath. Count to four and then exhale." Arc tells Pk trying to calm her nerves down a bit. When PK mentioned something about an invitation. Arc looks at PK with a look of sudden realization. "So that was the thing that blinded me and caused me to slam into a tree...." Arc mutters to himself as he walks with PK to where the others are.

P.K. nodded taking a deep breath before letting it back out and following Arc to the floor of the dance floor. If it could be said, this room was even more magical then the rest, it was beautiful and the very air was sweet... sweet with something... More and more people were announced as she looked around, those standing against the walls some seemed Vaguely familiar but she was not ready yet to approach and see how much so, still if this was really the gathering of RPA's people... many many friends would be here, And in the flesh to. How exciting!

[Derpnaster]

Just when Derpnaster was beginning to enjoy the strange solitude in the large ballroom and his small claimed spot near the snack table, a whole horde of people of all stripes cam through the door, each being announced by the small fairlylike creatures that announced him. Though no one was there to hear his, which was just fine by the Techie's standards.

"Guess I wasn't the only one to be pulled here.."
Derp said as his pale eyes moved beneath his dark glasses to causally observe the newcomers.
Among many men all dressed in fancy, much more so than his own, suits, and woman looking strangely beautiful by all standards, each in her own way. The lone observer noticed several that like himself went right for the wall.

Before Derpnaster could make anymore mental comments he noticed a note floating right in front of him .
Strange...
He took the note out of the air and began to read it, all the while wondering who would do such an thing with a letter.

[Miyopup]

Miyo's stomach was growling and still growling when she realized she wasn't in the kitchen about to eat a burnt burger. She pondered for a second what happened to the burger when she transported to a completely different place. Miyo gasped and suddenly stood up, frantically looking around.
"What? Where? Who?" She took a step forward and felt something brush against her feet. A large -very large- dress made a slow swish from her abrupt halt. "Woa- oh my god!" She started to feel herself, her fingertips trailing on tiny stones that glittered. Miyo did a full twirl then stopped and let out a giggle. She had just been checking her phone for messages and then POOF. She was only able to glance at the shiny message from RPA.
"So. This is a-" she answered her own question by touching her face- or trying to touch her face. In it's place was a mask of some sort. It had a cute button nose Miyo calculated. She did tiny little stomps in place to express her absolute joy and ran up the steps to a huge castle. It was so grande in Miyo's opinion. Luckily, she loved grande.
"Miyo!" A sprite called out. It was so cute looking, Miyo thought. She stopped and froze like a deer caught in the headlights. She hated to be looked at and quickly entered the building's tall doors. She sped down the steps, her hair bouncing and her gold and black dress dragging on the floor behind her.

Miyo looked around the room and then ran forward toward the long, white, and filled with food tables.

"Excuse me, pardon me- I must have food!" She cried and pushed past people.

[Liono]

Jokes on her, I don't have someone to dance with. He walked over to the wall, observing the people already here and the ones walking in. The one good thing about being at a party is you can see all that happens, later to be used to his advantage. Also, he can check out the nice looking men here. Onyx never really had a thing for women, though he can feel romantic with one. Men just suited his tastes more.

So these are all RPA users, huh. He started to compare the people to the things they told him while he was browsing RPA. Almost senior... Omac there? Very blue eyes... Is that PK? Hopefully nobody saw Onyx when the sprite called his name. This was supposed to be a masquerade party. What was the point? That person might be Veloci, and that one might be Angel... He really didn't know who was who, each one being a guess. Onyx didn't know many people on RPA, so he might meet some new people. That is, if they tell him their name.

"I'm a little thirsty, where are the stands?" he said, looking around. "Here!" a familiar voice called out. Onyx yelled out in surprise. "What's wrong with you?! And I was standing next to a wall!" "You said you needed a drink, be grateful!" the sprite said. Onyx looked at her hand, a cup of water resting inside. "Thank you, I guess," he said, accepting the gift. "I'm here for whatever you need!" The fairy flew out of sight, into who know where. "I guess I'll stay here like the rest of all the parties I've been to," Onyx said, drinking his water.

[Tatsuke]

Watching others gather around in the ballroom started to make her feel more small. Keeping to the wall she watched as a few were heading to the food and punch. Though her mind was more interested in what the bar had. Maybe Red Bull. Something better than punch. Tatsuke didn't like punch. She was more of the type that drank soda all day to red bull when working. When bad days came she'd have a little alcohol to feel better. But never a lot. Just enough for a buzz. Shaking her head she wondered if that was a bad idea to have a buzz. She was normally more talkative then and that might be a bad thing.

Looking around though she fiddled with her heart necklace more. Unsure if she should just be a fool and play around in the center of the ball room dancing to her own music in her head. This was very tempting, though she honestly didn't know how to dance. Only slow dance. So she staid where she was ignoring her thoughts she looked up at the lights that seemed to be magical above the ballroom floor. They reflected beautifully off the floor and seemed to cast an amazing glow around the room. It truly was an amazing thing to witness.

'I wonder if I'll meet anything interesting here...Or anyone I may know,' Tatsuke thought to herself feeling uncomfortable about these things. She didn't even go to her own prom so why did she decide to come here? She guessed to see how fun it could be or who she might be able to meet. These things wondered through her head as she watched the people coming in and hanging around the wall. She made sure to keep a little distance from those hanging around the wall.