End of Summer Party at the Tower of Air

[Strawberry]

To kick off election season and to say goodbye to summer, come to the Tower of Air on Saturday, September 18th. All ages festivities start at 2 PM, followed by a 21+ party after 10 PM.


Daytime Festivities


-Full barbecue featuring Polynesian pork wrapped in banana leaves, put in the ground, and left to cook with coals overnight,
-Burgers, hot dogs, and grilled veggies
-Sno-cone station with 30 flavors
-Frozen fruit cubes
-Strawberry lemon cupcakes
-Strawberry banana popsicles
-Cheesecake wontons
-Flavored lemonade (all the same flavors as the sno-cones!)
-Face painting
-Costume photo booth with souvenir photo strips
-Dunking booth featuring gubernatorial candidate Karma Armstrong (5 silver for 3 attempts or 10 silver for 8)
-Wind Tunnel*
-Feather Fall from the top of the tower into a cloud*

(*not suitable for pregnant people or people with back or neck conditions)

Nighttime Festivities


-Full bar served by air elementals
-Signature cocktails including:
--Strawberry Mint Moscow Mule
--Lemon-lime Magic Margarita (changes colors!)
--Watermelon & Strawberry Granita
--Strawberry & Blackberry Basil Bourbon Smash
-Raspberry Moscow Mule cake
-Pineapple RumChata Shortcakes
-Frozen Margarita Mousse
-Endless charcuterie and crudités
-3 floor neon rave featuring different genres of music on each floor (neon glow paint optional)
-Midnight fireworks over the Gloaming
-Wind Tunnel*
-Feather Fall from the top of the tower into a cloud*

(*not suitable for pregnant people or people with back or neck conditions)

((OOC: Board event only. Feel free to reference in play or post about it here!))

[Strawberry]

After hearing about a certain birthday, a special cat-face firework was added to the display;

[Kira Adia]

Kira chose to arrive later in the afternoon, but still well before nightfall. Her choice of clothing was simple, closer to her older casual style, and her hair was left down in her untamed waves.

Kira made it a point to move from conversational group to conversational group throughout the evening. She mostly avoided the raves during the night time celebrations, but was more than happy to join in viewing the fireworks.

She declined to do any campaigning at the party and declined to comment on the election when asked, feeling it to be in poor taste at this particular party, and redirected the conversation to other topics.

[Strawberry]

Karma promised she could throw a party so she did her best to deliver. First to arrive, last to leave, she made sure to greet and speak with every single person, adult or child, that came to the party. Her ensemble was a black body suit with feathered shoulders that flowed into a similarly made cape, but during the day, she wore over top of it an ivory and black ostrich feather cloak inspired by Swan Lake.




She showed young and old alike how best to swan dive from the top of the tower into a slow feather fall that caught jumpers in the soft safety of a cloud (and the soft net within) before being lowered to the ground once more. During the day, she had enough strawberry banana popsicles to give anyone brain freeze in between stints on the dunking booth bench, and at night, after the ostrich cape came off, she espoused the merits of each signature cocktail, drank her fair share of each, and ended the night absolutely covered in neon paint.

[Caleb Feren]

Caleb wasn't far from Karma, or the festivities, though he was manning the food and the pit. Sticking to the background and the shadows (as it were)... still, someone caught a picture of him.

[BardGallant]

Earlier in the week, when Dris had heard that Karma was throwing a party, he had one of his closest contacts hook him up with a custom made long-sleeved t-shirt. His own personal supportive design was finished just in time for the Saturday festivities! Though it was a small wonder he remembered to even put it on given all the partying he had been participating in starting the morning before! Did Dris show up already drunk? The possibility of this was extremely high.



As ever, Dris showed up in the company of his loving boyfriend Rhys Germain. It was a short walk from their mansion at #11 Twilight Isle in the Gloaming District to the Tower of Air, and they made certain to socialize with everyone they knew when the opportunities presented themselves. They brought with them their best girl Gussie, and god-daughter, the sympathetically resurrected Maybelle IvyGreen. Naturally, they spoiled her rotten with sno-cones and cupcakes and face painting aplenty. They gave her a few tries at the dunking booth, and took a couple of turns themselves. Dris was too skittish to try the the feather fall, but had no problems jumping in the wind tunnel.

By the time evening rolled around, they escorted Maybelle back home, but then returned later to join the 21+ crowd. Dris wasted no time in revisiting his inebriated state by drinking at least one of every cocktail available. Rest assured he returned for seconds, especially that Lemon-lime Magic Margarita. He pulled Rhys through every level of the dance floors, whether he liked it or not, and made sure to find a cozy seat to cuddle with him when it was time for fireworks. When the special cat faced addition appeared in the display, he gushed about how sweet Karma was to include it!

The bard stuck around with his beau for several hours long after. Eye witness reports claim that they saw Rhys literally carrying a black out drunk rag doll of a Dris from the Tower and back across the lagoon to their mansion in the Gloaming by morning.

[Rhys Germain]

Rhys was not drunk when he showed up to Karma’s party with Dris, their goddaughter Maybelle, and their best girl Gussie, but he was a little bit hungover. But between a little hair of the dog, some sunglasses, and the Isle’s twilit skies, he was in pretty good shape by the time they’d worked their way around to some of the afternoon’s activities. Good enough to socialize without scowling, at least.

He tried his hand at painting Maybelle’s face—and Dris’, too, if he were so inclined!—and even helped the young girl dress up Gussie for a little costume time in the photo booth. Who didn’t love an Irish Wolfhound in a feather boa and tiara? After Maybelle had a few strips of photos in her pocket, he accompanied her on a feather fall, and later into the wind tunnel with Dris.

Rhys also made sure partake in all of the day’s sweets, making short work of many cupcakes, popsicles, and cheesecake wontons. He also kept a glass of lemonade in his hand for most of the day. Hydration was important!

After dark, once Maybelle was safely home again, Rhys was ready to revive his party vibe and he did so by trying every drink Karma had on offer. He tried all of the boozy sweets, too, and quickly decided that the margarita mousse was his favorite. The pineapple RumChata shortcakes were a close second, though!

Well-lubricated as he was, he allowed Dris to pull him through the rave and danced until he thought he might fall down. He was all too ready to find a place to curl up and relax to watch the fireworks when it was time. And once the display had ended, he spent a little magic to get his knocked-out boyfriend draped over his shoulder so he could carry him back home to Number Eleven.


The day’s T-shirt:

[Delahada]

Salvador's PR specialist failed to convince him to show up any earlier than 10 PM. When he found Karma, he immediately told her how beautiful she looked, and took a moment to inspect/admire her shoes. The Spaniard otherwise mostly avoided the rest of the crowds, though he had a fist bump at the ready for Caleb and pat on the arm for Dris. This day was decidedly a no hugging day.

The Spaniard had dressed in his usual style of jeans, boots, and t-shirt. He had left his leather jacket elsewhere. The colors in the shirt he chose to wear was a statement of support, but the message was universal.



In his company was, of course, the young man everyone knew as gatito. They were fairly inseparable the entire time they were in attendance, almost constantly in physical contact with each other. Salvador himself passed on the cocktails, choosing instead to stick to basic beers and the occasional Bomb Bomb. He could be seen frequently snacking on many of the endless vegetables.

The pair of them steered clear of the raves completely, choosing instead to find friends to mingle with elsewhere in the Tower. They took many turns diving off the top and reveling in the feather fall. Anyone watching Salvador closely might have even caught a glimpse of a double set of transparent, red and black, ragged wings flickering in and out of sight like a figment of the imagination every time he dropped.



Giddy from shared adrenaline highs, Salvador and the gatito found themselves a place to lounge together to watch the fireworks, heads bowed closely together so that the Spaniard could listen to his companion describe them in whispers. He hugged the young man close to his side when the special cat shaped array stole his companion's words away. At some point afterward, the pair of them slipped off without a trace. No one had actually seen them leave, but there was no sign of them come morning.

[Partly Cloudy]

Gatito showed up in Salvador’s company, right on time for the Twenty-One And Up portion of the evening to kick off. Right away, he sought out Karma to compliment her on the festivities and her daring ensemble. The feathering of her cape made his fingers itch with the urge to touch, but he refrained. He did offer her a hug, however, if she were so inclined, and wished her well in the gubernatorial race. He also had a fist-bump and a grin ready for Caleb.

As he had done at an event earlier in the week, the young man acted as a social buffer for the Spaniard, remaining at his side and engaging each familiar individual they ran across. He had well-wishes for Kira in her political aspirations and hugs for both Dris and Rhys, reiterating his appreciation and gratitude for the party they had thrown in honor of his birthday.

When he eventually made his way around to the food, gatito took particular interest in the cakes and other sweets and tried each of them, humming as he dissected and appreciated their flavors. He also tried each of the cocktails, giving them the same treatment. He never knew when he might find a new favorite! But it was Bomb Bomb he ended up carrying through the party with him. That was a drink he was absolutely going to miss once its limited run was up.

The raves were a little too loud for him, so he retreated to the top of the tower with Salvador to enjoy the thrill of the feather fall. Once was not enough; he had to do it again and again. Sometimes he dove gracefully, and sometimes he employed a little of the magic inherent to his breed by walking off the edge of the Tower and across the open air until he was centered above the cloud, but each time he fell, he did so laughing. And in between his own falls, he leaned over the edge of the Tower, eager for a glimpse of Salvador’s wings.

Gatito was on Cloud Nine (almost literally!) by the time he and Salvador found a place from which to watch the fireworks. During the display, he leaned into the Spaniard and described each of the bursts that lit up the sky. And when the cat-shaped fireworks finally flew, he bit his lip and watched with shimmering eyes. He made a point to leave a note thanking Karma for the tribute before he and Salvador disappeared from the party.

[Szuzak Mos]

As requested(and not as though he could truly do anything else at the hour it was going on) Szuzak did appear at the shindig. Wearing his usual coat and even being seen with a Watermelon & Strawberry Granita he perused the party goers. At one point, he did pour an extra fluid into the drink though its contents remained to be disclosed.

Some people may have seen him enjoy the wind tunnel frequently though he spoke very little and his demeanor did not vary much. At one point he did venture into the rave which was met with the rub of the back of his head and "It's loud...." before he exited briefly.

The Midnight Fireworks were enjoyed with a seat by the water and overall he would leave content.

[Scarlett]

Scarlett had always considered Karma a friend so when she heard about the party she wanted to make sure to show respects and attend. Conscience to the theme, she arrived in a summery dress of peach colored lace that had the same color stitched in the brown corset about her waist. She mingled with those she knew but really spent the majority of her time exploring as much as she could. When the fireworks started, she stood off to the side and watched the display before ending her evening watching those brave enough to sail through the provided tunnel of wind. It was a fantastic party and she made sure to give Karma a big hug of thanks before she left.

[Josette Wheeler]

After the evening performance at Shanachie, Josette made sure to make time to attend the fabulous party at The Tower of Air that sounded like a love letter to the end of Summer.

The prima ballerina happily chatted away with her newly revealed secret admirer by her side. Though the two attended as friends to the event, she happily introduced herself and Dax to anyone they did not know that were willing and open to meeting new people.

Mindful of both of their sensitivities to sound and flashing lights, they stayed away from the rave, but the adrenaline junkie in Dax pulled the ballerina towards the Feather Fall.

Watching Karma’s spectacular swan dive, she put two fingers between her lips in a whistle of appreciation for not only the dive, but the diva worthy ensemble. The nod to *Swan Lake* in particular had Josie beaming and she made sure to make it a point to compliment Karma on that spectacular plumage as well as her flourish in flight as she wove her way through the crowd.

When it came to be her turn to do the Feather Fall, her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears as she gripped Dax’s hands and looked down before she gasped as he caught her tiny waist and abruptly turned her so she couldn’t look down.

“Eyes on me.” The man rumbled out with a knowing smirk. “You ready? One of the best rushes in the world. You’ll love it. Don’t think. Just let go.” He instructed as he leaned her back and felt her pulse racing.

“Wait, backwards?!” Josie barely managed to get out before the heavily tattooed daredevil had the audacity to wink before he released her and she fell like a shooting star in a shimmering blue glow of light. Thanks to the special ring she wore, the dress wove a protective tapestry of airy clouds around her lithe frame to keep her covered as the ballerina enjoyed the glorious sensation of flight in a different way from the stage and her astral travels before hitting the safety of the clouds with an oompf.

He was right. It was a rush! There was a healthy flush to her cheeks from the exuberance and all the adrenaline pumping through her veins as she stared up at the stars for a breathless moment and gave Dax a playful shove after he landed, laughing the whole time. “I’ll get you back for that one!” The two spent the rest of the night chatting it up with friends and fellow party goers, partaking in the food and sampling a few of the delicious looking cocktails before she mentioned a cherished book and a gift she had been wanting to give him for some time.

If she happened to catch the lovely Scarlett before she departed the party, she positively gushed about Peter and his debut at the ballet, before inquiring if she’d learned to hear the flowers yet.

The two made a decision to make their way to the beach at Seaside by the end of the night. It seemed the perfect place to bid a fond farewell to Summer.

[Jaycy Ashleana]

The redhead made a rare appearance ... rather, she made a rare appearance with her younger children during the daytime festivities. Bella (5), Varel (7-appearing) and even Talia (1 1/2) had a grand time getting their faces painted and sharing 4 different lemonade flavors. They all (except the youngest) took several turns dropping onto clouds!

For the most part Jaycy kept to herself during the day, seemingly focused on enjoying the outing with the youngsters. She didn't ignore anyone who came up to chat, however, smiling a bit sweeter than usual in the short conversations.

She came back later (much later, in fact), having taken a moment to change before the nighttime events, where she wandered the floors of the rave briefly before finding quieter surroundings to spend time with her friends. A few cocktails even found their way into her hands through the evening.

[Dax]

If the tattoo artist was being honest with himself, he’d have admitted to never once attending a ballet before finding the Shanchie Theater and its talented host of dancers. He grew up cutting class to surf some of the best beaches before enlisting to chase adventure and glory before finding neither. Dax had always chased the next high and the next rush yet he’d been utterly transfixed sitting quite still watching the performances on stage. He’d marveled at the athletic prowess of the dancers, their grace and agility along with their unforgettable performances. Perhaps it was because he was sitting so close, perhaps it was because he was sitting beside the director herself that Dax had found himself so entertained that if that’s all that had been scheduled he’d have considered the night out a success.

But there was more fun to be had at the Tower of Air and Dax was keen to chase those last moments of summer down and force the season to surrender at the last possible moment. It couldn’t come at a better time too. A series of events had cascaded at his tattoo shop that had seen some long dead ghosts come back from the perceived dead. And that hadn’t been bearing gifts of forgiveness. Given that which gnawed at the edges of his subconscious, Dax was more than happy to cut loose, enjoy some good food and drinks, converse with whomever they managed to bump into and just sorta unwind for a bit. The ballerina was given a humble smile as they avoided the rave but when he saw the tower and people like Karma making an art out of freefall…well…he just *had* to get that breath of fresh air at his side up there.

“Eyes on me.” Dax’s voice a low rumble as he pointed to her eyes with fore and middle fingers and then his own. He’d felt her pulse thundering with the rhythm of crashing surf. Oh how he loved adrenaline! His grip on her waist was secure…no heart stopping taunts of dropping her when she didn’t expect it. Dax’d never let go if she wasn’t ready or if she suddenly couldn’t go through with it. She was no green recruit frozen on the ramp as the ground zoomed by some 1200 feet below. “You ready? One of the best rushes in the world. You’ll love it. Don’t think. Just let go.” Dax’s smirk was one of pure Devil Dog delight as Josie realized that she’d be going backwards. “We can go again face first.” Dax offered; not sure she would even hear him what with her pulse hammering the way it was. And then she was off to chase the clouds and slip the limiting bonds of gravity.

We jump from planes and land with wings. An old saying from even older jump masters he’ d picked up during his final jump to earn those coveted wings.

He’d wait until she cleared the landing zone and he’d be off right behind her with a running back flip that stretched his body in a crescent arch that allowed him to spot the landing so far below. He’d fall as gravity gripped him and pulled him towards the cloud below where he’d land with his own grinned oomph to match her own before turning that grin Josie’s way in time for that playful shove. “You wanna drop me on the next one?” Dax offered to go again and maybe even worked in a little dare there as well.

Dax gladly spent the remainder of the night at Josie’s side and was eager to toast the celebration and fellow party goers before finding a
bit of sand to share with the ballerina over a bit of ice cream. He was touched by the mention of a cherished book and a gift she’d been wanting to give him…and watch him try to turn that opportunity into seeing her again! Summer might be passing but a new season of opportunity seemed to be just upon them.