[MINGLE] Saints & Sinners Masquerade

[sixthiteration]

WHERE: Corn field next to the inn
WHEN: 31 October, all day and night
OPEN TO: ALL - MINGLE
WARNINGS: Please warn as appropriate in your subject lines
NOTES: Please make sure you have read and understand the event details! If you have questions, drop them here. RECOMMENDED BUT NOT REQUIRED: Put your SCRUBS COLOR in your OTA subject line for folks doing bingo. Time your OTA for the harvest feast, the masquerade, or both. Costume matches and details for folks who did not get matched are here.

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This morning, our intrepid villagers awoke to a surprise of the nicer kind: A bundle of clothing left at the foot of their bed, tied with a bow. There is also a note: Put on your new outfit and join the festivities in the corn field next to the inn.

You may be thinking, what corn field next to the inn? The one that sprung up fully-mature overnight, of course.

In the middle of the field, villagers will find an autumn feast: Tables piled with harvest time food and drink, warm and rustic decorations, the day's sunshine fending off any chill in the air.

Tuck in and enjoy, villagers, but take note: Things often look different in the dark, and you might be one of them.

Comments

[houmaprotector]

"Alec Holland." the man is...surprisingly calm for someone he's never seen before. At this point he's paced the compound carefully, like a large dog trying not to spook other ones.

He nods, "Dr. Alec Holland. If you want to be specific. You're smart to avoid the food, but the corn is normal as near as I can tell."

[cryptoherpetology]

Alex adjusts his own body posture, making sure to move slowly himself, hands where Alec can see them. Most of the cryptids he works with are animals, but he's spent enough time around sentient non-humans to be mindful. He doesn't stare, as curious as he might be.

"You can tell?" he asks, looking over to the corn.

[houmaprotector]

"I'm a botanist by profession."

Ordinarily he could speak to the corn which is...frustrating but it was good to do real science in this case.

"...This feast however does have me concerned but who am I to tell people they shouldn't have fun here? Their lives are had enough."

[cryptoherpetology]

"Oh, I'm a herpetologist," says Alex, with the confidence of someone knowing the person he's talking to will actually know what that means. "A crypto-herpetologist, if you want to get in to unofficial specialties," he offers, a subtle way of saying and that's why you're not terrifying me. "And that sounds like excellent reasoning."

[houmaprotector]

Interesting. crypto-herpetologist.

Alec manages to look nonplussed but he's intrigued. Most human beings don't involve themselves in crypto...things without a. Well. a gun. He adjusts his collar, "...Besides most things don't tend to affect me, so I'll be around to pick up the pieces if any of them end up hurt in some capacity."

It is the least he could do after all, "You've just arrived I take it?"

[cryptoherpetology]

There is a knife tucked into his boot, and probably another one or three hidden under his clothing, and he's very aware of the lack of a handgun's weight at his other ankle, but he's not making any moves for his weapons.

He's at a party. Stabbing someone would just be rude, and probably more something his youngest sister might do. Antimony is much more comfortable getting violent in public than Alex is.

"Not long ago, no. I've mostly been in the schoolhouse, or out in the woods. The wildlife here is amazing," he says, and the way he smiles while talking about that many impossibly dangerous animals can only be described as Irwinian, despite his very American accent.

[houmaprotector]

"...It is beautiful. The plant life is incredible. Thankfully there a number of other scientists here and it is...pleasant to have colleagues who seem willing to accept me again. Hell, I'm happy."

He almost sounds normal, "I'm actually happy. Dressed in clothes and happy. Some of the wild life's dangerous but I assume you're prepared for that - planning on catching a few creatures to study? It is...unlike anything of the Red I've ever seen."

[cryptoherpetology]

Alex can't help but smile. "That sounds like quite the relief," he says. "Being accepted more than the clothes- though I can't fault you for that," he admits. "You'll have to start introducing to me to some of these colleagues," he adds, trying not to sound too hopeful. "I've met Samantha, the young woman with the blue hair, and Tony-" he stops before describing him, "-well, he seems like someone that probably already knows everyone, so I assume you already know him."

[houmaprotector]

"I don't think Tony recognizes that he's a de-facto leader for a number of people." he smiles, "And I'm not going to disabuse him of that notion he's...I've known people like him."

Wayne. He sighs and oxygen fills the space between them, "...People who are leaders, who truly put themselves into leadership positions don't...ever realize they're actually leading people. At least in my experience."

That's how it happened to him at any rate.

"It's best to just let him to continue to act in his best interest, because his interests tend to generate for the group. There are a number of people like that here."