i reach out to touch you:

[capemods]

WHO: ImPorts in Venezuela
WHERE: Mérida, Venezuela
WHEN: October 19th 10AM to October 20th 10AM.
WARNINGS: Strong language is likely. Potential violence.
SUMMARY: Welcome to the twenty-four hour masquerade! Refreshments will be flowing throughout the hours, and while entertainment is provided (both musical and theatrical), don't let that deter you from inventing your own mischief. Remember, there's only one rule: while at the masquerade, you cannot remove your mask!

As the levity hits its high notes, however, beware the dark figures scheming in the shadows, those poisoners with swift hands. By 12AM October 20th, the imPort-only virus will be exposed and infecting the masqueraders first, before spreading outwards.
FORMAT: Whatever you'd like.


Masks of all counterfeits paid tribute to the color spectrum that soon poured out into the confetti-strewn streets that morning. The flood of spectacle drowned away any groans of the mundane, and once ten o'clock stuck then did intrigue ascend to the hazy plateau of status quo. Bodies moved like whispers against each other, some seeking friends, while others hoped to fool foes. The air sung with sticky excitement: mischief was welcomed here, as long as you did it honestly. As long as you wore your face over your mask.

Comments

[maggotbone]

[Callie had made sure to have her visit to Venezuela to be as short as possible- she had taken enough time off work, and while this was a benefit to the D.O.I that she attended this event... she didn't trust her subordinates to not run amok in her absence.

She wore a more decorative mask with cut outs to accommodate her horns, her hair was pulled back, and she wore a simple white dress that hugged her hips and showed off her boobs. After all, Callie was very proud of her boobs.

Funny enough, within the crowd, Bradbury was the first person she recognized off the bat. She approached him, hands on her hips.]

Bradbury.

[She eyes him a moment before smirking.]

You look like a man that can use a drink.

[waiting]

Can't drink on the job, Miss Maggotbone. [ Despite that, he offers her a grin from under the mask. She's a hard woman to miss, Callie, mask or not. He'd noticed her arrive, but he wouldn't have come over to speak with her, so he was pleased to be recognized - and acknowledged.

Besides, he's a guy who always appreciates a pretty woman in a nice dress. Even if he's strictly on a hands-off policy, these days. ]

Where's your date?

[maggotbone]

Not here.

[Yet or at all? She doesn't get into it, giving a shrug. She does raise an eyebrow]

That's right... international travel. Kind of a big deal for 'ol Mitch considering our struggles. I guess you do have to stay sharp.

[waiting]

[ He doesn't ask her to clarify, either, and the mention of Mitch has his eyes skimming over the crowd again, a brief tension in his shoulders that eases once he spots where the Mayor is currently socializing. ]

Try to, anyway. I'm still surprised he agreed to go. Back where - when I came from - he hadn't even left the country before.

[maggotbone]

What about you?

[waiting]

Me? [ He raises a brow. ] I was a Marine before I signed up with Harbor Patrol, so I've been all over the place.

[maggotbone]

A soldier. I should've known.

[She nods, understanding the connotations and she crosses her arms over her chest]

I guess Mitch really had no choice to show up. It's kind of big of Venezuela to open up their doors to us. Even moreso to throw this soiree.

[She can't help but find the humor of "heroes" wearing masks to a party, but it's a nice sentiment.]

[waiting]

It's a pretty big, all right. [ In more ways than one. He casts an apathetic eye over the overblown celebration, grimacing a little. ]

Feels kinda weird, you know? [ Like this, it's almost like they're being -- what, fetishized? If they were trying to make them feel included, this misses by a long shot, since it only seems to emphasize how different they really are from the rest of the world. ] I mean, I'm still pretty used to thinking of myself as... normal. Here, I'm not.

[maggotbone]

[At that, Callie had to laugh.]

Yeah, well, get used to it. You're a freak like every one of us Imports.

[She gave him a nudge]

But if you need some pointers or some advice to cope.... I guess I feel generous enough to help~

[waiting]

[ "Freak," huh? He decided not to comment and just smiled, shaking his head. ]

Sure. Hit me.

[ Even as he spoke, though, his attention wasn't entirely on her, diverted between listening to her response and paying attention to the rest of the room. He can multitask just fine, but hopefully Callie isn't insulted by it. ]

[maggotbone]

[She's not bothered. She knows he's working.]

Well, what's the strangest part for you? Where is it hard to adjust?

[waiting]

[ He shakes his head. ]

Mostly? It's just the whole set-up. Having the MAC, the dog-tags - being trated like you're something special, even when you're not. Knowing that this isn't where you should be.

[maggotbone]

Psh. Being treated like you're something special is a perk, if you look at the big picture. But I guess I understand how that'd feel weird to a normal guy.

Who says you shouldn't be here?

[waiting]

[ He laughs. ] It's not like I ever even dreamed about being a superhero.

[ The question, though, he doesn't answer; maybe he can pass it off as not having heard, or being distracted. If she follows his gaze, she'll find it locked onto Mitch (as usual). ]

[maggotbone]

[She notices he doesn't answer and she watches his gaze, and laughs, looking back at him]

Wow. You take your job seriously. That's good... honestly, it makes me a little relieved to know someone so dedicated to Mitch got brought here... even if the last time he was seriously attacked was over a year ago.

[waiting]

[ The loyalty isn't really something Bradbury can explain, even to himself, so he shrugs when Callie mentions it. ]

Yeah, I'd heard. [ Only Mitch would hire James Bond for a bodyguard, then get killed anyway, for working even when he wasn't around. He frowns. ]

[maggotbone]

...Are you really that worried something's going to happen here, or are you always this intense?

[waiting]

[ He blinks, then laughs, dragging a hand back through his hair. ]

Do I really seem that wound up? [ He pauses. ] Call it a gut feeling, I guess.

[maggotbone]

I get that you're working but loosen up a little, will ya? You're making me nervous.

[She nudges him]

I guess on the plus side if something does happen, there's like... how many of us super powered types here? I think we can handle it.

[waiting]

[ He does try to relax a little, but it's a bit like watching a mountain try to shift. ]

Maybe. But anyone who'd want to pull something would know that.