Friday, April 29th, 2016.Weather: It’s another cold, rainy day. Ho hum.
Events: The scene at the opening of the Hereafter would be better placed in New York or LA. It’s absolute insanity hours before the doors even open. Rumors have circulated for the past few days as to the surprising amount of celebrities expected to be on the guest list, and it’s quite clear that no small number of people have shown up without an invitation to try and work their way in, or at least spot someone interesting. There are photographers and
two tv crews, and the whole thing looks entirely out of place surrounding a small building in a one-light town.
Fortunately, those with invitations have an easy enough time with it. There’s complimentary valet parking, and a relatively short wait at the door. The bouncers keep people moving at a safe and steady pace, and the staff seems well prepared for the turn-out. If anything, the bouncers appear bored and utterly uninterested in the mobs outside. They have eyes only for those with invitations, and they cannot be fooled by counterfeits.
After getting past the bouncers and descending the stairs or elevators, guests check in at a concierge desk. Here they again have their IDs and invitations checked, and they are admitted with a smile.
So, is that it? That’s all? That easy?
Yes, and no.
First, witches on the look-out for magic are
going to find it, and well before they even step in the doors. Generally speaking, witches wouldn’t ordinarily know they’re entering a spelled or warded area. The most common and effective wards used are invisible to all, something triggered by necessary qualifiers. The Hereafter has made no effort whatsoever to hide theirs, or at least not all of them. It’s not the sort of thing that would stand out to a civilian or untrained eye, but even low level witches might recognize the patterns of protection sigils, well,
everywhere - especially around the main entrance. They’ll be found in chalk against the exterior bricks, or even on the pavement in the parking lot. Nothing large enough to draw attention or curiosity from someone who doesn’t know what they’re looking for, but those familiar with magic will
probably recognize them. As far as any of them will be able to tell, all of the spells and wards are the building are white magic, and absolutely
nothing offensive or even remotely dangerous. The wards discourage violence, but won’t physically harm someone that does it anyway. One of the most common spells is called a ‘bring no harm’ ward, meant to discourage individuals from entering the building with a specific intention to harm someone inside. Say you’re a vampire that’s set out with a plan to end the night by draining some drunken fool. You don’t care who, you just figure you’re in the middle of nowhere and this will be a convenient place to make a body disappear. You’re going to find it difficult to enter the building. Not
impossible, but doubt and insecurity will blossom inside of you. You won’t be able to stop thinking, ‘what am I doing? Why am I doing this? Is this really a good idea? I’ll certainly be caught.’ In most cases, such an individual that chooses to fight the thoughts and come inside anyway will eventually decide their original plan was a bad idea and find themselves frequently distracted.
Second, many will be informed at the concierge desk that they have been granted VIP status. In some cases, this isn’t a surprise. Celebrities and prominent figures of the state are given VIP status, and that’s to be expected. A few successful business owners - again, not a shock. But there are other qualifiers as well. Tonight, all vampires are immediately flagged as VIPs, as are all psychic amplifiers and psychic dead zones. All VIPs are given a special bracelet, and a hospitality agent offers to escort them to a VIP booth or room for their use for the evening. The VIP bracelets given to vampires are red, which is a discrete way for all staff to know how to serve them. While they would have no way of knowing it, the VIP bracelets of amplifiers and dead zones have a repulsion ward set upon them. Meaning, the two won’t possibly cross paths. When wearing them, they’re not going to feel any different. The most they’ll notice is a strong, sudden urge to move into another area. In most cases, this comes across as a strong desire or curiosity, so it’s not even a
negative feeling. It’s more of a ‘that side of the dance floor looks a million times more appealing than the other’ or ‘oh my God, I really
really want to go get a closer look at this shiny thing over on the opposite side of the bar.’
And oh hey, while we’re on
that subject…
there are absolutely amplifiers and dead zones in the building. The staff makes sure that they don’t cross paths so unfortunate incidents don’t occur, but psychics are
going to feel the effects. Tonight special measures have been taken to highlight the effects of amplifiers, and psychics are going to feel a noticeable surge in their power as soon as they begin descending the stairs. And in some small areas, they might notice they cannot tap into it at all.
There are a few more ‘little’ things guests may or may not pick up on. For one thing, all vampires on staff have been given free reign to flash their fangs when they feel it appropriate. They’re not hiding them. They manage to keep it well timed, flashing them briefly in playful or knowing grins, and they seem to have a good idea of who
not to show off to.
Finally, there are a lot of drink specials with supernatural themes. Drinks named after various spells, elemental themes, supernatural puns, and spins on more common drinks. Some of the bartenders eventually start a running tally over what drink is more popular: Sex with a Vampire, or Sex with a Werewolf.
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