#sgn:masquerade

[sgnelias]

* 𝘋𝘌𝘊𝘌𝘐𝘝𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄.

          It’s almost midnight. He’s heard that parties could go on to the dawn, memories that escape them come morning. But it feels a little out of reach in his present state. Though, he wonders if anyone does that willingly. It sounds like something one would have to be high or canned to do without a second thought. Or maybe just someone with a little more self-confidence. The small percentage within him says he’s missing out, just like the previously very necessary piece to his outfit. Rolling his eyes at the retreating figure, he trudges forward.

          The missing cape aside, he wonders where all the momentum had gone. Just how much of the 9:00 PM energy had remained with attendees? How many have headed home? A quick glance tells him that at least forty percent are still around, if his memory serves him right, that is. Without facial features, he’s left to memorize the hand gestures, speech patterns, and the most vivid of colors. On the flip side, the tribune writer part of him wakes. He even thinks he’ll make a feature out of someone. Perhaps he’ll see a new submission on this night in about a day — events that had fallen from his peripheral. 

          After a good five minutes of hesitation, he sneaks in a wonderfully colorful beverage before rushing to fix his mask back in place. Note to self: choose more breathable, and food-friendly material. Elias takes another, more thorough, look around the ballroom. He’s not searching for anything or anyone in particular, but as the music changes to something a bit more familiar — a violin piece he’s sure is in his phone somewhere — he spots a particularly wonderful person off to the side. He can’t lie to himself. He’s been stealing glances for a while now. The ball ends in about an hour anyway, so he should try for a dance while he can. The urge to walk up to them — stride more confident with the anonymity, and voice slightly altered by the mask — grows ever stronger with each step. “If it’s alright with you, would you care for a dance?” Elias bows with an extended hand, somewhat reminiscent of long, warm nights, and afternoon picnics.

@sgnlara

[sgnhyunjae]

find you

surrounded by ornaments, beautiful adornments that seem to come straight out of the sky, a grand illusion wherever you walked, it’d be easy for anyone to lose themselves to the atmosphere of the event—to dance with strangers, to mingle with the masked crowd that keeps growing. but not hyunjae, he came here with a clear purpose. among the herd of elegant suits, bewitching gowns and glamorous masks, his eyes search for bright blond hair and a dimpled smile. even if the latter is wholly covered, he’ll know it when he sees it.

no matter where, no matter when, i’ll find you.

it’s a silly little bet, seeing who can find the other first, but it gave hyunjae something to prove. even if somehow, some way, his eyesight fails him one day—like a miracle, he’ll gravitate towards ( @sgnseungjun ). and it doesn’t take very long, the sweet crinkle of the younger’s familiar laugh reaches his ears soon enough. a melody to his ears that he instantly recognises, driving his feet to move towards the source. but, he stops.

and it wasn’t because he was wrong.

the couple before him shined brighter than any of the decorations on the wall, fitted together perfectly, as if they were meant to be. for a moment, hyunjae felt blinded. by what, he doesn’t know, but he turns his head all the same. he can’t bring himself to intercept—he doesn’t belong there, he’s not fitted to be by seungjun’s side. suddenly, he can’t approach the other, it feels wrong. seungjun glimmers like a star, and hyunjae? he’s the darkness whose very existence threatens to devour anything that twinkles. seungjun is meant to shine like this, next to someone who glows just the same.

so, hyunjae remains rooted where he stood, lets the other guests crowd around him, shielding seungjun from his view.

i found you—but was i meant to?

[sgnsian]

* ❥   ⁝   eyeing you

♡  @sgnxiseul   |   an interesting update in self-awareness! despite being shy on first appearances, sian is learning that she’s more forward than she originally thought whenever it comes to cute boys.

such is the case at the masquerade; despite the entire gala being an overindulgence of visual decadence not only with the scenery, but even with the beginning dinner and the added on entertainment, despite the fact that sian had enough eye candy to look at with the way everyone is dressed to the nines, she can’t help but keep an eye on a man that she hasn’t really seen around campus before. and while that’s not too much of a surprise considering she’s moved into her major classes now, keeping her primary location in one building for most of her academic time outside of clubs — she’s still so curious, enough for her to keep her eyes upon him for a good while as she takes a rest at a table with some of her club members. it’s quite obvious that she isn’t paying too much attention to whatever the dahlia girls are droning on about, mainly glancing from afar at how a man that attractive seems to primarily be alone, keeping himself as close as possible to the wall as he can without becoming one with it at this point. it’s one of the many things that has her interested.

so when each of the other girls find themselves occupied with something else and slowly leave the table one by one, she finds herself doing the same, gathering enough courage to rise from her place and slowly make her way over to where he was standing. and there’s a part of her mind that wanders to the similarities of this situation to one in the past, one that didn’t end up working out all that well in the long run with an object of her affection, but sian says this time it’s different. for one, she truly has no idea who the man is ( and therefore can’t put him upon a pedestal ), two, she’s not drunk, not even really tipsy, but she has had some drinks in her system which is propelling her confidence; and three — my god, he’s even more striking up close. the smaller can’t help the way the grin spreads across her face once she’s in front of him, hands smoothing off the wrinkles in her ballgown, and she can only hope that she isn’t appearing creepy.

“hi there,” she greets, voice subdued at first, rising after she clears her throat lightly, “i couldn’t help but notice that you’ve been in that spot alone for a bit now. are you not having a good time, maybe? or are you waiting for someone?” she questions, eyes darting back and forth in wonder. you’re too handsome to be alone, she wants to say, but she tries for something else, “you should liven up! have some fun!”

[sgnjongin]

confrontations

@sgnahri

jongin has always been a demon in human skin, so for him to dress up like a goblin king on such a prominent night as this, to take that mantel and don it like a crown ought to be telling at best, a warning at worst. he’d debated with himself about whether going as a demon might be too on the nose for someone as chaotic as he was known for being, but in the end decided to amp up the playful aspect as much as possible, just in case he needs an easy out. besides, as soon as he enters the event, he thinks he spots someone else dressed as the devil, so it’s a fair game, all things considered.

he loses yoori immediately upon arrival, the girl as eager as ever to be away from him (which he can’t blame her for, having spent all summer trapped less than thirty feet away from him), and he’s already making plans in his mind to ramp up the stream of disorder as soon as possible, but first... he must be sober when he deals with ahri. he finds her rushing about the room, the dahlia event staked on reputation and glamour, as these things usually always are, and he can tell she’s stressed about it, her movements jerky and quick. good. he wants her stretched, he wants her frayed and off-center-- he wants the truth from her.

he follows her discreetly as she wanders through the back rooms, the kitchens, the hallways, eventually finding an opportune moment to corner her in storage. getting her alone is key in forcing her to drop whatever nice act she always puts on. “ahri,” he greets, as though he’s happy to see her, flashing his teeth in what might be a grin, might be a threat. “i’ve been looking for you.” he shuts the door behind him, leaning back against it as he watches her. “nice outfit, you really blend in with the wallpaper.”

[sgnjiyul]

aurora

there’s a part of jiyul that wants to make a break for it. he’s grateful to have had the opportunity to attend the masquerade, but he knew almost immediately that events like this one would never quite be for him. still, he’d made an immense effort to try to make the most of it—but it’s been enough time and jiyul thinks his experience warrants an early conclusion.

it’d be easier to slip away without saying anything to anyone, and he’s sure no one would really mind if he sent a text explaining he was heading home, but he thinks he’d feel uneasy if he didn’t check in with @sgnhyunjae at the very least. 

he walks around the edge of the ballroom, gaze watchful for a familiar presence. he spots two, hyunjae and seungjun, and he’s about to call out to them when he witnesses an encounter that doesn’t feel real. for one, jiyul can’t put a finger on a single time that hyunjae’s snapped at seungjun. the masks don’t do enough to obscure what’s happening. he hesitates, wondering if maybe he shouldn’t interrupt, but when jiyul focuses again, hyunjae’s alone.

idle moments pass and jiyul shakes aside the errant thoughts and pushes his way through to the bar. “hey,” jiyul says, first, in greeting to hyunjae. he looks at his friend and then at the bartender, shaking his head discreetly when the bartender poises themselves to hand over another glass of a clear liquor. “no more alcohol, please,” he mouths instead before returning his attention to hyunjae. “how much have you had to drink?” 

he closes his hand over the abandoned glass of whatever hyunjae had ordered, sliding it closer to himself and pushing the new glass of something clear and fizzy—probably soda—to hyunjae. 

“you don’t look like you’re having too great a time,” jiyul murmurs, the tiniest, almost apologetic smile on his lips. 

[sgnhyuk]

clumsy hearts

     after the shock of having @sgnjiyul dragged over and introduced to him—by seungjun of all people—has worn off, hyuk finds himself itching to find his friend (?) again. he’s still not sure what to consider them, since they’re not really friends even if they’ve started eating lunch together again whenever their schedules allow them to. it’s ended up being about twice a week and sometimes three times if his morning class lets out early on fridays, and he won’t deny that he really enjoys these times. 

     he had been required to mingle and it had drained him enough that he wanted to find someone familiar to talk, and since most of his other friends seemed to be fully preoccupied with networking or trying to find people with the added obstacle of masks, he deems it safe to seek out jiyul for some refuge. 

     walking around after claiming a champage flute for himself—to prevent other people from offering him a drink, not to actually drink—hyuk wonders idly where jiyul would be. the other male wouldn’t have left right? he has half a mind to text his friend (he’s decided they’re friends again) before he gets a very distinct ~jiyul vibe~ by the wall and he glances over to see that it, indeed, is jiyul. standing by the wall. 

     during a ball. 

     it’s a shame that he knows the other student probably doesn’t want to dance or anything, but at the same time? it didn’t hurt to ask. sidling up to him, hyuk clears his throat with a smile playing on his lips once their eyes meet. he hopes that he still looks as good as he had when he had left his dorm earlier that night, and he runs a hand through his scarlet hair to ruffle it slightly, so that even if it was a bit messy it hopefully looked like it had been done on purpose. or something. 

     “fancy a dance with me?” he asks, entirely forgoing the teasing pickup line that had briefly crossed his mind as he made his way over. “or maybe not—i can feel how much you don’t want to be here from across the room, you know,” he teases, an easy grin on his lips.

[xsgnwonnie]

🪐 ✨ dahlia masquerade ball looks; no face reaches his celestial destination  🪐 ✨

[seongnamkrp]

how formal, exactly, is the dress code for the masquerade ball? for example, is it white tie, black tie, or black tie optional?

hi there! we’re thinking of it to be creative black tie / black tie optional! nothing extremely dressy like white tie, as they want people to be creative with the theme and to have fun! but you most likely won’t be getting in with something as simple as a button down and slacks or a dressy club dress either. i hope that gives you a better idea!

[sgnelias]

* 𝘗𝘏𝘈𝘕𝘛𝘖𝘔 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐄.

          To no one’s surprise, he eventually loses Chanyeol once the real event kicks off. Elias isn’t much of a party-goer himself, and even with the whole unrecognizable get-up, he thinks it’ll take some time to get comfortable. Some elements of this masquerade ball is his scene, though, so it’s not all bad. His shoulders slump as he idly wonders where to go from here. Does he try to look for the guy, or go off on his own? Surely, it shouldn’t be that difficult to find someone so tall. Quickly looking around, he guesses that Chanyeol would be with whoever is the loudest. However, his half-hearted attempts at really looking keeps him from center stage and off to the sides. A wallflower’s behavior, he’s grown to accept. 

          Even though he was mildly anticipating this masquerade ball, it somehow didn’t occur to him that he’d otherwise be left alone sooner rather than later. So perhaps it isn’t too surprising when he ends up walking a little slower as his eyes wander — only hoping to find someone he recognizes. That’s always Plan B, isn’t it? 

          It’s relatively simple to tell when he’s at the quad, or people watching by the food court. This, though? A huge ballroom filled with masked people wearing clothes they might not otherwise wear is straight out of a ‘where’s wally’ book. That is, until he spots someone who didn’t seem to put in that much effort into hiding at all. “Figures,” he says as he amiably walks towards Cameron. “If you’re not going all out, then what about all this piqued your interest to begin with?” Despite his remarks, he smiles in relief at a familiar face, albeit his own being fully covered. “If you’re here for the food, you sort of missed that by about,” he checks his watch — even now, he’s unsure whether it was necessary with his white gloves. “An hour? Almost.”

@sgncameron

[sgnjongin]

        We must not look at goblin men,                           We must not buy their fruits:                    Who knows upon what soil they fed                                                 Their hungry, thirsty roots?

[sgnelias]

* 𝘊𝘌𝘓𝘌𝘚𝘛𝘐𝘈𝘓 𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒.

          Of all the things he’s somehow tolerated in the time that they’ve known each other, a masquerade ball is probably the least annoying. There’s little to no chance he’s going to admit it, but in a way, it’s a guilty pleasure of his. Perhaps Chanyeol dragging him to the ticket booth two weeks in advance was a bit unnecessary, but he’s spent the rest of the time both loving and hating the ‘what will I wear?’ argument with himself. Elias isn’t quite skilled enough to make what he envisions a reality, so he had it tailored instead. The mask itself was almost a no-brainer once he saw all the options. White and gold accents that would otherwise be black if not for the suit itself. Being center stage was never in his prerogative, but perhaps for a night in anonymity, it was an opportunity worth taking. 

          In the end, what he settles on doesn’t surprise him. It’s reminiscent of the venetian carnivals he’s always wanted to attend. It’s not as flashy — clearly lacking the striking colors the carnival attendees would adorn — but rather it is lucid in its theme. It almost makes him laugh at how this concept’s interpretation stands in juxtaposition to the event on Valentine’s Day. Loosening his grip at the unfamiliar crowd, Elias takes solace in his outfit. Edna might be adamantly against capes, but for the purpose of this white suit and a mask that adorns his entire face, he felt like he couldn’t go without.

          “If I knew we were going to arrive at the tail-end of the dinner party, I wouldn’t have bought the ticket.” His eyes wander to and fro without a destination in mind. At first glance, it’s almost impossible to tell who is who among the attendees. However, with a bit of patience, he might be able to make reasonable guesses throughout the night. A part of him counts on it, if only for the sole purpose of busying himself. “Though, perhaps we could still get the main course and dessert.” Elias looks behind him — the towering figure he’s been trying to grow more accustomed to while out and about — and sours at the realization that he won’t be able to read Chanyeol’s expressions, or anyone else’s for that matter, all through the night. “You hungry?”

@sgnchanyeol

[sgnactivities]

                             DAHLIA MASQUERADE BALL !

those who desire to get away from the monotony that life on campus brings should be delighted by the news that spreads across the school grounds like wildfire, confirmed by the flyers and posters advertising the event for all to see. organized by the dahlia social club, they have decided that this semester’s big philanthropic event will be a masquerade ball that is open for all to attend and enjoy. the event will be taking place on saturday, september 26th in one of the most glamorous ballrooms within sowon, at the silver millennium hotel. a ticket purchase is required to enter, and all proceeds of the night will be given to a-pad korea, a disaster relief group that is assisting those who have been negatively affected by the recent floods nationwide.

the theme of the night is “celestial bodies: a night of fantasy” insinuating an evening of magical decadence, and formal wear along with masks are required to enter the premises. the evening will start with a pre-dinner party ( additional ticket purchase required ) starting at 6pm within the silver millennium’s dining room, with a 4 course meal catered by the finest chef’s korea has to offer. the actual event begins at 8pm, where the ballroom will be decorated from head to toe and a grand illusion of sun and moon imagery, along with other out of this world adornments. while there will be several djs to keep the party going through out the night, there will also be live performances from different dance troupes, a circus troupe will be providing gorgeous various aerial dances, along with magicians and fortune tellers to keep the fantasy theme alive through out the night, making sure that this will be a night to remember. there will be an open bar available as well as finger food, and the doors to the hall will close at 1am.

ooc wise, this event will last from today, september 11th until october 2nd, a total of three weeks. as always, you are free to continue your threads after the end date, but no new threads are allowed to be made. please make sure to tag all threads and other related things as sgn:masquerade, and we encourage edits of what your muse will be wearing to the ball! if there are any questions, please feel free to ask -- and have fun!