And We Danced (Masquerade Overflow!)

[thespaceopera]

The Captcha is upon us, but the party isn't over! Feel free to continue your threads here, start new ones, and continue the dance party!

- Original Mingle
- OOC Post

[[OOC: Wait for Sections! Sections are up! Feel free to use the section prompts or make your own! We'd also advise against just linking back to your original mingle post for the sake of players with slower computers.]]

Comments

[thezerothlaw]

No, Beverly.

[He reaches for her hand, gently.]

I did not think you were implying anything. I was merely curious. You have no need to apologise. I'm not offended.

[dancingmd]

[She lets out a relieved sigh. To someone who has been considered property before... Well, she was worried that what she said might make it seem as if she thought of him as some sort of... Exotic bauble to show off. So she is glad, very glad, to know she is worrying too much and overthinking things, as is so often the case.]

Good.

[She leans in to give him a peck on the cheek. All is well.

And they've been entirely too serious here - admittedly, mostly her doing - so she decides to lighten the mood.]

Now, what would you say to a game?

[thezerothlaw]

A game?

[He tilts his head, curious. This is unexpected.]

What sort of game do you propose?

[dancingmd]

[Oh, how she delights in that curious head tilt of his.]

Hide-and-seek!

[thezerothlaw]

Hide-and-seek?

[That... vaguely rings a bell, or something he's heard of with a similar name.]

Forgive me. Is this not a children's game? Perhaps I am misinformed.

[dancingmd]

You weren't, but does that really matter? It fits the theme of a masquerade and besides - [She slides her mask back down over her eyes and grins.] - it's fun to be a kid again sometimes.

[thezerothlaw]

I may have an advantage in a game of seeking.

[Just... pointing that out. In the interest of fairness, let's just be upfront that he can follow the feeling of a mind he knows well.]

But as you wish, certainly. What are the rules?

[dancingmd]

[Ah. Good point. She considers this.]

From how far away can you sense me? We may need to make up some of our own rules, as a work around.

[thezerothlaw]

[He closes his eyes, thinking.]

There are many other minds here which do interfere considerably. At a distance, your mind blends together with them. I begin to be aware of your presence in particular at a distance of around 20 metres, though you are not fully distinct to me until just over half that distance.

[dancingmd]

I think we can still play with that.

[But first, because this has aroused her curiosity:]

Is my mind... stronger to you, than other people's? Or would this apply to anyone?

[thezerothlaw]

I am... more aware of you. I am familiar with the texture of your mind, and its patterns are more evident tome. I suppose it is akin to paying more attention to a familiar face at a distance than an unfamiliar one.

[dancingmd]

[She nods. It makes sense and she has to admit, it's a nice thought, that her mind draws his attention like that.]

Or the sound of a voice in a crowd - how everyone turns into an indistinct murmur except for the one you know and are familiar with.

[thezerothlaw]

Precisely.

And while I don't mean to 'cheat,' the fact remains that I cannot cease to sense in this way, no more than I could cease hearing.

[dancingmd]

I don't mind the challenge. Usually, the seeker closes their eyes and counts to 100 while the other hides... [She laughs] theoretically anyway. Most of the time, people do not really give the full count. But I trust you won't do that.

[thezerothlaw]

Of course not. If I'm required to count to one hundred, then that is how high I will count.

[Obviously. It's a rule and he follows rules.]

[dancingmd]

Excellent. Though if you like, I can be the seeker first, if that will give you a better idea of how the game works.

[thezerothlaw]

Very well.

[And he won't even cheat. Because it would be so easy to tweak a mind gently to affect its attentiveness, to be forgotten as soon as their eyes are off him. He knows, because he used to do it frequently. But that would be beside the point, here.]

You count, and I will hide.

[dancingmd]

[She claps her hands together and grins.]

Thank you, by the way, for indulging me. I know this must be... very strange for you.

[thezerothlaw]

It is a little, but I don't mind. It's a new experience, and one I welcome.

[dancingmd]

[Wonderful! She is all about offering him new experiences - she just is always leery of going overboard.]

Then we can begin!

[She starts to close her eyes but then abruptly opens them again.]

Oh! One more thing: boundaries. No going outside the garden!

[This time, she closes her eyes for certain and even turns her back to Daneel before starting to count, slowly.]

One... Two... Three...

[thezerothlaw]

[Daneel moves swiftly when he wants to, and fairly quietly, too. Actively hiding isn't something he generally has had to do, and an adult-sized person has a harder time of it than a child. Also, he doesn't want to do too good a job, because then Beverly might be frustrated.

So eventually he finds a spot under a sort of small tree or large shrub. It has large, broad leaves that sprout from the top of a thick green stem that drape down to the ground, forming a sort of tent. Daneel crawls inside, draws his knees up to his chest to fit, and is still.]

[dancingmd]

...99 ...100

[Beverly finishes counting, opens her eyes, and starts her search. There's plenty of places to explore, with all the twisting paths and little hidden nooks. Unfortunately, she realizes belatedly, her dress is a bit of an impediment - one she'll have to work around when hiding. For now though, she's engaged in her search for Daneel. A couple of times, she thinks she might have spotted him behind that boulder or between those two trees - usually to find it's only another guest at the party.

Daneel's hidden himself pretty well but finally, she sees ah- is that?! Yes that is definitely a foot sticking out there. Never mind that he would have sensed her long ago, she does her best to sneak up, gently pulling aside the big leaf covering Daneel's head.

Seeing him squashed up there, oh so very serious in his hiding duties, she scrunches her nose up with amusement.]

Do you know how very cute are right now?

[Well, she almost always thinks that, but doubly so at this moment.]

[thezerothlaw]

I presume that is a good thing.

[He looks up at her, his face as grave as though he weren't squished under a tree. Serious hiding duties, indeed.]

I also presume this means that you have won this game.

[dancingmd]

[Nope, it's too much, she can't resist: she bends down to give him a kiss before answering.]

Very good.

[Then she grins mischievously.]

But the game is not over! You're it this time!

[thezerothlaw]

[Daneel climbs out from his hiding place, and kisses her again.]

Then I will count.

[He still feels he has an unfair advantage, but he shuts his eyes and begins counting, all the same.]