I think I forgot to post these. Me and my friend went to a masquerade themed art show, but we were the only one really dressed up lol. Somehow I was able to have the lace stick to my face all night.
Say what you will about Van Helsing 2004; hate it, love it, be indifferent, But the All-Hallow's masquerade ball went sooooo hard and it had zero right to do so! It's a fun, campy, monster mash movie with wonderfully dated ( and expensive) cgi and non-stop action meant to be a popcorn flick one takes out to watch around spooky season. And it has this* chef's kiss* GORGEOUS 6 minute sequence plopped arbitrarily in the second act, which unexpectedly surpasses nearly every other ball in the last 30+ years of film( notable exception being the Cinderella 2015 ball) for literally no reason other than to be dramatic af.
Like feast your eyes on this Gothic masterpiece!!! Who doesn't want to immediately live in this picture?!??
They used those candles with oil in them so that they would have real candles, real string orchestra( I believe), probably around 100 real life extras( something which is tragically absent in modern film), said extras are all in beautiful fully decked-out costumes( which are in luxuriously dark colours, but nearly no fully black, another thing you cannot say for much modern cinema), REAL CIRQUE DU SOLEIL PERFORMERS for all the acrobatics!!!! Hell, instead of filming in a sound stage, where they could control the reverb and the acoustics and the size of the set and the bloody lighting ( they apparently had a heck of a time emulating the firelight for this sequence) and the temperature( it's very cold in stone churches!) better, they filmed in a Baroque church in Prague! As I said, peak dramatic splendour, jfc...
Think about that a second...They filmed a vampire masquerade in a Baroque Catholic Church( St. Nicholas' in Lesser Town, if you were curious) with amazing over-the-top acoustics and marble statues and real, tiled floors and marble pillars and a choir loft which they very much utilized, covered the pipe organ and the altar with a grand brocade curtain so it wouldn't be so obviously a, you know, a church! And there's a gold gilt elevated and canopied pulpit into which they put two vampire kiddies for, again, the sake of being dramatic.
And the costumes! They remind me of the 25th anniversary Phantom of the Opera Masquerade costumes. Same quality, like they're old, well-cared-for costumes pulled out of a warehouse, instead of fast industry churn-outs. With lots of trim and colour and masks and lace and feathers and..just...ugh.. they are all perfect! Just look at all the head pieces on the ladies and the hats on all the gentleman ( save Dracula of course) and the powdered wigs on the musicians. ANNNNDD! The dresses are historically correct!!!!!! It's the 80's bustle era! Nobody does the 80's bustle era in film anymore and it's a bummer. Oh and one other thing! Anna's ( and other women's) hair, at least here in the ball, is also historically accurate because it's all pinned up! None of those fucken modern beachwaves at a ball! Everybody's got updo's!
Gah, I swear, Dracula in his gold cloak really does things to me in this scene!
By the way, the acrobatics are bonkers in here for just background stuff!! Especially the random guys on unicycles and the dude playing the violin whilst standing on a ball...Like....WHAT?
Anyways, all this to say, that this masquerade ball feels sooo real and tangible and because of that it blows every other film out of the water, and no, I will not change my mind!!!!!
Here's a few more gifs, bcuz, why the hell not, this scene is sexy as fuu*ck?
Hello all the wonderful people of the realm! And to the greater Medievalblr in general! I’m @evilbaron (also known as @sirtin) I know, shock to us all. Thank you all so much for the warm and lovely welcome! Yall have blown my mind out of the water as far as it comes to starting a blog. lol maybe it’s my Sir Tin Nepotism… anywho! With the help and inspiration of @your-evil-adviser we will be throwing a medieval Masquerade Ball and Feast in honor of the new addition to the Medievalblr family!
Now what is this exactly? It is a Roleplaying Event for any and all Medievalblr folks who wish to participate. Anyone from knights, nobles, royals, jesters, bards, heroes, mercenaries, sellswords, serfs, servants, advisors, wizards, barbarians, clerics- wait that’s D&D… but you get the picture! EVERYONE is invited! Anyone who does stuff with Medieval-posting is welcome to accept the invitation. Using special tags (that we’ll come up with) you can RP with fellow guests on a whole Medieval community based event. Roleplay and all in-world artifacts (such as invites, art, and the like) will be posted here on Tumblr!
The event will be probably about a week long so that all attendees have plenty of time to interact with guests and posts! (Especially since a LOT of our friends are not based in North America and have far different posting schedules than I do)
As per everything else? We’re honestly still coming up with stuff! So if you have ideas please DM me and Your-Evil-Advisor with your ideas! Or reblog this post with ideas of your own!!
More details will come with time but for now again I just want to say a huge thank you to you all! You made this a welcoming space for me and I want to do the same in return for you!!
Summary:
“It doesn’t have to end,” ‘Strength’ said, his smile never falling. “At least, not for a little while longer.”
“And did you have something in mind then?” Scott asked, head tilting again in curiosity.
Strength walked closer to him, and Scott could feel his heart beat wildly in his chest as he reached for one of his hands. Gingerly, Strength bowed, lifting Scott’s hand towards him slightly. “Death, may I have this dance?”
or; at the end of the night during the Moonlit Masquerade, a dance is shared at the top of the Blue Kingdom castle.
pspspspsps come get your fluffy flowersmiths before the canon dooms us all :D
look you CANT give me a masquerade ball in Minecraft and then not have any ballroom dancing. smth smth fine ill do it myself /silly
also hey consider checking out my commissions. i can write like this for you!
Read below or on Ao3!
As the night’s events wound down, people either lingered in the makeshift ballroom or stumbled through the castle halls on their way out. Most of the masks had long been abandoned, the gimmick of the masquerade falling as the ball came to a close.
Music still drifted through the air, soft wind instruments with strings continuing to play long into the night. It was quiet enough in the main hall, but Scott could still hear it from the rooftop garden. It was just quiet enough to be pleasant background noise.
Scott looked over the edge of the castle wall, staring across the kingdom below. The night had gone well, he thought. It was fun, getting to just relax and have a good time for once. No tension, no worrying about the state of the kingdoms or the brink of war.
Standing at the top of the castle was nice, a soft, cool breeze blew around him that felt nice against his warm skin. The buzz of the alcohol he’d had was still strong enough to be noticeable. It wasn’t as nauseating as it had been earlier, not with the Cleansing Aura he’d casted. But it was enough to feel pleasantly warmer, looser and light.
It was nice.
At the sound of footsteps approaching, Scott turned around, leaning against the stone brick. A warm flush crossed his cheeks, smiling as he watched Nom approach.
The knight wasn’t wearing his mask anymore, the golden accessory hanging loosely between his fingers at his side. It was odd, seeing Nom without his armor, Scott was just so used to seeing it. But the black and gold outfit he wore suited him.
“Oh! Sorry I didn’t realize anyone else was up here.” Nom quickly put the mask back on, a bright smile crossing his face as he slowed to a stop just a few feet away from Scott.
“You don’t have to keep wearing that, you know,” Scott tilted his head a bit to the side, the movement sluggish feeling with the drinks still in his system. “The ball is over, pretty much.”
Nom just laughed, light and easy. The sound made Scott’s heart flutter a bit. “I know, I just… think it's cool to keep pretending. For a little while anyway. Don’t you agree, Death?”
The smile on Scott’s face widened, and he pushed off from the wall he was leaning against to stand upright before he slipped his own mask back onto his face. “You’re right, Strength,” He hummed in agreement. He could play along, just for a bit longer. “Tonight was a lot of fun.”
“It doesn’t have to end,” ‘Strength’ said, his smile never falling. “At least, not for a little while longer.”
“And did you have something in mind then?” Scott asked, head tilting again in curiosity.
Strength walked closer to him, and Scott could feel his heart beat wildly in his chest as he reached for one of his hands. Gingerly, Strength bowed, lifting Scott’s hand towards him slightly. “Death, may I have this dance?” He pressed a light kiss against the back of Scott’s hand, eyes from behind the mask never breaking contact.
Scott’s face flushed impossibly warmer, his breath catching in his throat. “I..” He looked away, biting his lip in embarrassment, “I don’t really know how to dance…”
“That’s okay,” Strength stood upright, never letting go of Scott’s hand, “I can show you how.”
Flustered, Scott just nodded. He couldn’t tell if the warmth that settled in his face and chest was just from the alcohol, or if it was from the way Strength pulled them closer together.
“Keep your hand here,” Strength murmured, taking Scott’s other hand to put it on his shoulder, “And I’ll have my other hand here,” Gently, his hand settled on Scott’s waist.
The touch was so light yet steady at the same time, keeping Scott so close to the other. Their still connected hands shifted as Strength readjusted his grip, pressing their palms together as he squeezed Scott’s hand gently.
“Just listen to the music, and follow my lead,” Strength continued, meeting Scott’s gaze and holding it. It was hard to tell with the mask and the dim lighting around them on the rooftop, but Scott was sure he could see Strength’s face also flushed red. It must be from the drinks he’d had during the ball, he figured.
They stood like that, unmoving and looking at each other until the music picked back up. Scott forgot it was there, and yet somehow the instruments that had faded into the background were loud enough to be noticeable.
Strength began to move.
Scott followed where Strength led, a steady rhythm picking up. One, two, three. One, two, three. The hand on his waist gently guided him, a small push in the right direction. When Strength stepped back, Scott stepped forward, and would reverse when he stepped forward.
Glancing down, Scott watched their feet as he memorized the movements. Step forward, step back, then side to side. Repeat. The gentle warm buzz that filled his mind from the drinks made his movement feel smooth, like he was gliding across the wooden floors.
“That’s it,” Strength smiled brightly, a warm laugh rumbling in his chest. Scott swore he could hear his own heart beating much faster than normal. “You’re a natural at this, Death.”
The laugh was infectious, Scott found himself laughing softly in response, the sound easy as it escaped him and settled between them in the night air. “Thank you, Strength,” He gave a small nod as he looked back up, “You’re a great teacher.”
“Thanks, I try,” Strength guided them into a turn, and Scott only stumbled a little bit as he followed. The grin on Strength’s face twisted into something a bit more teasing, pulling them back into that same steady rhythm as before to the music around them. One, two, three. One, two, three…
“There you go, you got it,” Strength murmured, and this time when he turned them again to face the fountain in the center of the gardens, Scott followed with ease.
With only a small nod as an indication that he was going to do something, Strength let go of Scott’s waist as he lifted their connected hands up. Scott let go of his shoulder, letting Strength guide him into a spin. He practically twirled, heart fluttering in his chest, his cloak swishing around him as he spun. Strength’s hold on his hand as he guided him never let go, practiced and steady.
When Scott was pulled back towards Strength, they slid back together into a shared space with ease. It felt like puzzle pieces clicking into place as Scott put his hand back on Strength’s shoulder, and the other’s hand gently rested against his waist once again. Getting back into the same rhythm as the music played around them.
The movement of the dance was steady, grounding, Scott never felt so comfortable doing something so new.
Scott huffed, light and warm as he shook his head slightly, still smiling. “You know, people usually say dancing with death is a bad thing. It’s not a good omen”
“I’m not afraid,” Strength said, without any hesitation. Their steady dance together slowed slightly, the gentle waltz just turning into a smooth side to side. It felt more like swaying, just moving for the sake of moving.
Looking away, Scott was glad he was wearing the mask again to hide how flushed his face had gotten. He couldn’t stop his smile from falling a bit, ears twitching downward. “It’s silly. I know it was just a gimmick for the ball to have titles based on tarot cards… But besides El being partnered with me, I feel like everyone avoided being alone with me for too long because of the whole… death thing.”
The swaying slowed to a stop, and Scott was expecting Strength, for Nom, to pull away. He could feel a buzzing under his skin that wasn’t from the alcohol, an unease settling in his chest that threatened to turn him invisible at a moment's notice.
Instead, Nom’s hand on his waist pulled him closer, and squeezed Scott’s hand with his other before he let go. Scott’s breath hitched a little as Nom gently cupped the side of his face, nudging him to look back up and meet his gaze. With only a little hesitation, Scott did, and saw a small smile on Nom’s face with a soft look in his eyes.
A thumb gently brushed against his cheek, just under where the mask rested on his face, and instinctively, Scott leaned into the touch. “May I?” Nom asked, murmured into the space between them. Scott just nodded against his palm as he rested his free hand against Nom’s other shoulder.
Gently, Nom pulled the mask off of Scott’s face, being careful with the thin material and feathers. Then, he watched as Nom pulled off his own mask, and set them both aside on the edge of the fountain beside them.
Nom’s arms wrapped around him, pulling him impossibly closer as Scott instinctively shifted to wrap his own arms around the knight’s shoulders. The steady rhythm of the slow dance they’d been doing picked up again, Scott still following Nom’s lead as they swayed side to side, gingerly turning in circles as they moved around the fountain.
Around them, little orbs of light blinked into existence, moving around in the air like they were dancing with them and twinkling like stars in the night sky above them.
Nom just smiled, warm and gentle. “See? It’s just us. No more masks,” he murmured, squeezing Scott’s waist slightly in reassurance. The flush on the knight’s face was more obvious now, no longer hidden underneath the mask, a light warmth across his cheeks that made Scott’s heart skip a beat.
Scott smiled back, light and comfortable as he continued the slow dance with Nom. “Just us,” he echoed, tilting his head forward to rest his forehead against Nom’s. The thrum of magic that had lingered under his skin from before practically dissipated, vanishing like it had never been there in the first place.
One of Nom’s hands lifted off of Scott’s waist as their dancing slowed again, finding the side of his face again. Scott didn’t hesitate to lean into the touch as the knight cupped his face again. “You’re wonderful, Scott,” Nom breathed, barely above a whisper in the limited space between them, “don’t forget that.”
“You are too, Nom.” Scott murmured, without hesitation. Before he could second guess himself, he leaned forwards to gently press their lips together.
Nom practically melted into the kiss, the hand at the side of Scott’s face falling back to wrap around his waist once again, keeping them close together. Scott felt pleasantly warm, his heart beating wildly against his chest.
Around them, the flowers in the garden grew just a little bit bigger, new ones sprouting and blooming around Scott’s feet, the orbs of light twisting around in the air. When they parted, neither leaned too far away. Nom rested his forehead against Scott’s, grinning brightly as he tightened his hold on him again.
And Scott couldn’t help but smile back, just as bright and warm as silently, their dance continued to the music that seemed to continue playing just for them.
