Masquerade Mingle

[thespaceopera]

[The night has finally come--the Gravity Rush is nearly upon us! What normally serves as a large performance hall has been gutted, emptied of its boring furniture and rigged up into a fantastical mismatch of technology and old culture. No matter where you go tonight, you're encouraged to move around, dance, play games, whatever helps you sleep in late tomorrow morning.

If you aren't one for scurrying around a ballroom all night, there's always plenty of people-watching to do. After all, so many people are wearing extravagant costumes and elaborate masks. How can you even tell who is who? Get lost in a crowd of sequins, chatter with a sun and a moon, or try to beat the guy in the monster-mask at a game of cards. Meet your friends or make some new ones--this masquerade party has begun!]


[[ooc: All sections are up now, have fun! A related ooc post is HERE for any questions or plotting you'd like to do.]]

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[tallasaking]

[Oh, he truly will. Tyrion will make sure to sneak around and get him in the back if he can.] Then we shall continue to get acquainted. Although is it not like the handsome heroes to disappear in a wisp of smoke? [Or so he has always read.]

Then a waltz it shall be ... where I cannot let go of you. Such a shame. I shall weep. [He wraps his small hand around her waist, before he pushes off in the first step, keeping his grip firm - purely to lead of course.]

[passingthrough]

[If Winn ever does break her heart she's going to have to actually stay there and guard him, isn't she?]

I'm sure Kurt—the only other one here from my world—would agree with you about handsome heroes. [She looks around the dance floor before nodding to a a man in a pirate costume.] He's the shirtless one with a tail. He's usually blue. Apparently, being grey was part of the costume somehow? Anyway, he can literally disappear in a wisp of smoke.

[She moves long with him, following his lead. There is still an adjustment to dancing even with him airwalking higher up, but she's figuring out how to compensate for it.] I thought you might be disappointed by all the touching.

[tallasaking]

[Yes, yes she is. Until she manages to convince them all that he's really just a puppy.]

Well, if he is a hero, I am sure he will. [He looks where she is pointing, and nods at the shirtless young man with the tail. The tail might get him looks, but the rest of him looked more than appealing enough, so he doubted Kurt had issues.] And he is in fact handsome, so there you have it.

[It is at that, considering how short his arms are, and this is his very first waltz.] Oh yes, absolutely disappointed. See how disappointed my face is.

[passingthrough]

[Just the part where people think he's a demon some of the time. But she wouldn't argue against her friend being handsome.] He's one of the X-Men like me. [Hero is a large word to claim. Though it is easier for her to apply to others.] We fight the good fight.

I do. Smiles must be very deceptive where you're from. Speaking of where you're from, I finally realized Margaery is from there too. And I met Robb Stark.

[tallasaking]

[He wouldn't even be sure what a demon was - right now he's just an interesting looking young man who is not a wight. Beyond that, Tyrion of all people is not going to toss around 'odd looking' at anyone.] So he is like family to you?

[A quiet snort.] It depends entirely on where you are smiling, and with whom. [He brightens, then frowns.] Margaery is loveliness herself, wrapped in enough wit to use it. Robb Stark ... well. He's a Stark.

[passingthrough]

He is. But, you know, picture a family who likes each other. [She gives him a little smile.]

Margaery is one of my crewmates now. I like her. I have a good crew.

[She remembers Robb making a somewhat insulting jab at Tyrion for his stature. She shut that down immediately. Other than that she'd like him, but that was a pretty big "other than that" to judge someone for what they are and not who. He came back with some comments about them being on different sides of a war that were more understandable though.] What's wrong with the Starks?

[tallasaking]

That is something of a stretch ... but I shall do my damndest. [He smiles in turn, spinning them around the floor as gracefully as he can.]

[He smiled a bit more at that.] She is easy to be liked, and she will look out for your best interests, no worries there.

[Now that was an interesting question, and he looked back at her.] Absolutely nothing. They are good, honorable family - brave to a fault. Stubborn, though, and oftentimes ... unwilling to bend where bending could have saved lives, including their own. [He sighed softly.] I am afraid politics is not a game that the Starks play well. They lack the duplicity for it.

[passingthrough]

[She stays close as they dance giving his arms less of a stretch and she smirks at his reference to imagining a happy family.]

Sounds like I'd be bad at politics too. [She would hesitate to call herself good. But brave, stubborn, and honest are things she can describe herself with freely. Of course, the reason she stops at good and honorable is because of the ways she's had to bend in order to save lives.] Good thing I also have no interest in it.

[tallasaking]

Many people are, and that is why many people should stay away from politics. I am glad you are one of the wiser ones. [Tyrion stated firmly, because by the Seven, he would never want to see Kitty mixed up in this sort of thing. She was too damned ... well. Everything.]

[passingthrough]

Not using any of that wisdom for yourself? [Though she wouldn't be too surprised if his options were limited where he's from given what he's said about it.]

[tallasaking]

I reserve my wisdom for the game itself, and mastering it. I am duplicitous enough to get away with it. [Tyrion all but purred, amusement flickering across his face, before his gaze became more serious.] It is how I have stayed alive, so long.

[passingthrough]

You seem like you've been straightforward with me. Is that just because you're good at what you do or because I don't have any political power so there's no need to dupe me?

[She can appreciate the survival tactic though. She had powers and her team. It's how she got through war until trusting someone she loved got her killed. He was alone and at a disadvantage in a physical fight.]

[tallasaking]

That is because I like you a great deal, Kitty Pryde, with that comes my respect. Respect demands that I treat you as honestly and honorably as you have treated me.

[Is his simple and grave response. Kitty had been nothing but kind to him, gracious, even warm. She had told him things that most would consider confidences. To use that in some clever game? Would be reprehensible.]

[passingthrough]

[She smiles softly. It's the answer she already believed so it's easy enough to accept even if part of her reminds herself she trusts too easily and fully and it's gotten her in trouble before. She meets his eyes. It's easy to do with him airdancing. She even has to lift her chin just a bit.] I like you too.

[tallasaking]

[Well, if there is one person alive who understands how much trust can be twisted against one ... it is Tyrion. Which is why it is so very important that Kitty not do the same. It's so fragile, this.]

Well ... there is a first time for everything. [He gave her a gentle smile.]

[passingthrough]

[She doesn't want to abuse the trust others have placed in her either—Tyrion's or Winn's.]

Now, that I don't believe. You have other friends here. [It may be poor pickings at home, but here he's already mentioned some.] And Margaery speaks as highly of you as you do of her. [But she does smile back.]

[tallasaking]

[Which is why they are both being very well behaved. For them.]

I do have other friends here - which still surprises the bollocks out of me. [He smirks again, before he looks pleased.] Does she now? Well, that is quite flattering, from the Queen of Love and Beauty

[passingthrough]

Sometimes I'm still surprised I have human friends. [Not that she was ever opposed so much as she was just hated and or feared at every encounter back home. And there was never any time or opportunity to work on building some kind of understanding. Always more lives to save. More forces to fight.]

Is that an official title? [Looking amused.] She told me she wasn't a queen yet. She's engaged to a king though?

[tallasaking]

Sometimes I am surprised I have friends at all. That I have not paid for, that is. [He gives her a smirk. In truth, he probably had more friends than he wanted to admit to - but that would make those poor bastards vulnerable.]

Where I come from ... she has been married and widowed, all in the space of a day.

[passingthrough]

Oh. [Surprised.] That's terrible. [Guess which lady of highgarden wasn't honest about what her finace was like?] She doesn't know?

[tallasaking]

No, she was engaged to my nephew - and my nephew was a vile abuser of women, dogs, and whatever else he could get his cowardly little shit hands on. She deserved much, much better. I hope when Tommen comes of age in the next few years, he'll appreciate her.

[passingthrough]

[She was clearly not expecting that and is at a momentary loss for words.] That is not how she described him. [Wondering if she lied or didn't see him for what he was.] Who is Tommen?

[tallasaking]

Oh really? [Now, he is curious.] How did she describe him? [The Tyrells did have a creative turn of phrase.] Tommen is my other nephew. A sweet young man, if there ever was one.

[passingthrough]

Handsome, which doesn't mean much. You can be handsome and terrible. And what was it...brave as a lion.

How old is Tommen? And she'd really just marry the other one's brother? [She doesn't seem to like these ideas even if free choice didn't exactly get her anywhere better.]

[tallasaking]

Yes, he was rather comely, that much was true. He was also terrible. And ... hah! Brave as a lion. More like brave like a milk sop.

[He shook his head a little, before he frowned and thought about that.] Seven Hells, how old is Tommen now? Fourteen - he would have just turned fourteen.