THE GALA ON ADSUM (Mingle Log)

[serpentis]

Who: Anyone and Everyone!
Broadcast: Nope!
Action: A ballroom on Adsum
When: 2/21, Evening-Night



[And the night has arrived! Dorian put out an open invitation, and anyone who is interested is welcome to dress up and meet up for a night of dancing and fawning over each other. Make sure to wear your best, everyone! It's a very special episode of Drift Fleet!]

((OOC: There was an open invitiation, but even if your character never replied or has had personal contact with Dorian, feel free to assume he's let them come along or be dragged along by someone else! I'll be tagging some threads, but if you want a thread to be closed, please just say so in the header.))

Comments

Cecil ; OTA | Any format

[proteusmoon]

The party reminds Cecil a lot of the lavish galas that used to be thrown in Baron before the death of the Queen and it rouses a lot of nostalgia — and yes, a bit of pain — to be here amongst the colorful party-goers. She hasn't been queen of the country herself long enough to have a reason to host such an affair and, frankly, she didn't think large parties were appropriate while Baron was still mourning the passing of their former monarch and the entire world was still feeling the wounds that the war had left on them so sharply. The last event had been her coronation and she had been careful to ensure it came nowhere even close to being considered extravagant for these very reasons.

Normally, she would have felt more conflicted about attending this one, but when the idea was propositioned to her, she found herself less so than she should have been and she immediately impulsively answered in agreement. Come to think, she's been a lot more compulsive lately. The pheromones issue seems to have been fixed, but now there's this... She thinks she knows a little bit how Zhas must have felt.

Now, here she is, dressed in a silver, relatively modest cocktail dress, at least in comparison to some of the other bolder, more luxurious gowns seen throughout the event, and while she does keep thinking back to Baron, she hasn't yet made use of the wall to sit out any of the activity, socializing in a friendly manner as the compulsions take her. Her hair is half done up, a sparkling silver clip with an emblazoned lavender butterfly on it holding her white waves in place, and she's even seen fit to wear some makeup, the effect making her already naturally dramatic appearance look even more so. All in all, she seems rather happy.

[detectivewonder]

Care to dance?

[Tim's smiling, full of adrenaline for reasons that have much more to do with other atendees at the dance, still unaware of the pheromones he's emitting. His suit is well-tailored, but it's also all he has to wear apart from what passes for uniforms on-ship, so it's become rather mundane. Still, he manages a courteous smile and a bow, and a look of genuine interest - part socialite training, part genuine curiosity about a crewmate.]

[proteusmoon]

[ This is literally the most upbeat she's ever seen Tim, so he has all her attention immediately. Unfortunately, this combined with his closeness just means that the pheromones hit her full in the face-- and hard. She turns red right away and takes a few steps backwards. ]

Oh-- You're... actually rather handsome.

[ She blurts it out and it's clear she didn't really want to say that by how it just makes her embarrassment a little more apparent. ]

I mean-- when you smile.

[ Wait, no. That isn't what she meant to say at all. ]

Ah, sorry.

[detectivewonder]

[He doesn't know quite how to react to that at first, so he defaults - what would Dick Grayson do? he lets the smile go just a little wider, guessing at the right response.]

That's okay. I don't smile that often.

[proteusmoon]

[ Ohh... that doesn't help. She titters, still blushing. ]

...Uhm, I'd love to dance with you-- if I really believed you knew how.

[ She's doing so well. As in not at all. ]

[detectivewonder]

You don't think I know how to dance?

[There's a warmth of challenge in his voice, and his eyebrows raise just a little.]

The first time I left the First Breath after getting here, it was to go play dance instructor. You might be the first queen I've danced with, Your Majesty, but I promise, I don't step on toes.

[He holds out a hand.]

[proteusmoon]

[ She doesn't even hesitate, taking his hand and moving in close to him. One corner of her lips curls upwards in a little smile. She has her own competitive streak and he's just feeding it with a tone like that. ]

You're not even the slightest bit intimidated then to be dancing with, what I'm sure to you, is a fairytale queen?

[detectivewonder]

Cecil, I respect you. But if you'd ever danced with Koriand'r of Tamaran, you'd know that there are far more intimidating dance partners.

[He executes the first steps perfectly, with martial poise, feeling out the steps, whether or not they both began expecting the same style. He's not Cass, but he's mimic enough to read her movements and still keep the lead while matching her.

[proteusmoon]

[ Just to be difficult, she makes a conscious choice to make it as challenging a set of dance-steps to follow as she possibly can, falling into one of the more complicated dances of Baron. Cecil herself moves at all times with a natural sort of grace that makes her seem otherworldly and, if anything, dancing only makes her seem to practically float on air. She moves with practiced ease and doesn't even seem to be trying all that hard in spite of the complex steps. ]

Hmph, well, you might be darling to look at, but you're no Ambassador to the Fey yourself.

[detectivewonder]

I wouldn't presume. But I do okay.

[He focuses on the dance, rather than trying to decipher her sudden - is it flirtation? Maybe it's just ballroom manners.]

[proteusmoon]

[ Either way, she doesn't seem too impressed with his dancing, but he's just good enough for her to feel a little put out that he's not awful. After all, she can't rightly tease him this way and it means that she probably isn't particularly impressive herself with her own skills. Suddenly, she's not even sure why she agreed to dance. Dancing has never been her preferred way to pass time and she can only say she truly enjoyed it with a few people...

She frowns. She can't remember one of her favorite dance partners from Court. ]

[detectivewonder]

Is something wrong?

[proteusmoon]

[ She shrugs a shoulder. ]

Everything is wrong. It can't be helped.

Specifically, I just found another hole in my memory. That's all.

[ She says it like it happens very often-- because it does. ]

[ladiesss]

[she doesn't mean to keep staring at people. she really doesn't. she especially doesn't mean to keep staring at pretty girls, but that keeps happening...

either way, Krista came to the party all dressed up in a black dress, with her hair done up until it no longer looks lanky and lifeless... she's got a small, bird-skull necklace on, but it's definitely less creepy than she usually goes for. and she's just... admiring. wow. what a pretty person. what a cute dress.

she showed up to try and be an adult, but looking at all these gorgeous women still make her feel way out of her league.]

[proteusmoon]

[ Cecil always thought the fae girl was pretty, even with the copious amounts of blue eyeshadow, but tonight, she looks rather stunning and the knight-queen can't really help herself when it comes to saying or doing exactly what she wants to, when she wants to. When she sees Krista, she excuses herself from her current dance partner and shoulders her way through the crowd to reach the younger woman. ]

Sir--

[ She gives a playful little curtsy. ]

--you look very alluring tonight. It's good to see you.

[ladiesss]

A... Alluring? [oh golly she's been recognized. she starts blushing, not sure whether or not she wants to frown or giggle--] Ew, no. Don't say stuff like that.

[proteusmoon]

[ Cecil just chuckles, because, aww, what a predictable response. It's cute though. ]

It's too late to take it back now. I wouldn't anyway, even if I could, you know.

[ladiesss]

I... Guess? [this whole thing is a little weird to her. she tries to straighten up, tries to stop acting like a flustered teenager and more like the adult she's pretending to be.] Um... Well, thank you. You look really pretty tonight too.

[proteusmoon]

Well, thank you. Are you enjoying the party?

[ladiesss]

Um... Kind of. [she smiles, shy.] It's kind of fun to see everyone all dressed up, but I kind of... Feel like I'm a little out of my league, you know? Especially with the locals...

[proteusmoon]

They are rather... flashy, I know.

[ And that is a polite understatement, honestly. Even Cecil feels pretty conservative and plain compared to most of the natives of this moon. ]

Don't worry though. Sometimes less is more. When everyone around you is a peacock, the only way to stand out is to be a swan, right?

[ladiesss]

Whoa. That's deep.

[she... isn't sure how to take that. standing out? not really her thing.]

I don't know if "swan" is really my style either. How about a crow or something? Does the metaphor still work?

[proteusmoon]

[ She laughs. What a cute. ]

Yes. You can be the crow, I'll be the swan. A friend calls me that anyway and you do look a bit like a crow queen.

[ She impulsively reaches out and lightly pokes one of those bird skulls. ]

[ladiesss]

Aw, thank you!

[that gets her smiling. she's genuinely delighted by the creepy compliment, and doesn't seem to mind having her jewelry poked a little.]

I was worried they'd be too much, but that's kind of exactly what I was going for. I'm all right being the spooky one at the party.

[proteusmoon]

Too much? Here? It is a little spooky, I suppose, but even then you're a long way from gaudy, which is more than I can say for a good number of the other guests.

[ She says that just loud enough to be overheard by a few people standing nearby. Oops. She smiles sheepishly at those who seem to hear. ]

Ah... I think my chip is glitching again, just differently now. Anyway, I really do like the look. Dramatic, but not too much. And your hair... Did you pick the dress out yourself?