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

Jove Lavellan | OTest of all the As

[dawnwillcome]

[Despite her protesting, Jove is here at this party for some reason. The reason is absolutely Dorian, but if asked she'd never admit it. It has nothing to do with keeping an eye on him, of course. They do match though, her dress something that could absolutely be right at home in her own world. Her hair is down from its usual ponytail, but swept back from her face with a simple braid.

And yes, her toenails are definitely painted to match.

Still, coming to a party thrown by humans wasn't something that was on the top of her list of things to do. That likely shows in the way she hangs around the edges of the crowds, blending as well as an elf with white hair can while sampling anything that looks like it might be some form of dessert. The Winter Palace is still a very bitter memory, but at least there are no masks involved with this ball. So far, she hasn't been asked to stop anyone from assassinating anyone else. Maybe, just maybe, it'll be a relatively uneventful evening.

A girl can dream, at least. Maybe there will even be tiny cakes.]

[unconfines]

[The closest thing to a proper party he's ever been to were loud, impromptu sing-a-longs at rowdy taverns in the wee hours of the morning. An event like this, with all its elegant dress and classic dancing, feels distinctly like a place he shouldn't be making a spectacle of himself. Which, if he's honest, is what really makes him relish making a spectacle of himself.

As such, he's approaching all this with the air of a party crasher, invitation or no, which essentially means he's helping himself to as much food and punch (Maker bless the kind soul of whoever spiked it, he needed it) as he can possibly have, as soon as possible. Unfortunately (or fortunately) for everyone else, he's very much lightweight, and he's flushed a bit pink as he ducks from person to person and tray to tray, still early on in the evening.

Which is what has him eventually sidling up beside her, picking at a plate of various finger foods. He leans toward her, with a loud, conspiratorial stage whisper:]

Now, now, that's not how it's done at all.

[dawnwillcome]

[And isn't he taller than she expected him to be? He's a human so it only makes sense he would be, but there must be something about the scale of the little videos she's seen people on before meeting them that's throwing her off.

So Anders is tall, and Anders is quite drunk. He isn't exactly conducive to her attempts to play wallflower, but it's a little hard to hold that against him when he looks so pleased with himself. Shouldn't she allow someone a good time with no admonishments when they're destined for things that are much less positive?

Tall and drunk and now very close, and isn't that interesting. She laughs, lightly, and steals what she hopes is a sweet from his plate.]

You'll have to be a little more specific, I'm afraid. As far as I was aware, I wasn't doing anything.

[unconfines]

That is precisely the problem. I had to come all the way over here to admire that lovely dress of yours, and isn't that a travesty?

[He is shameless and relentless. And happy to share, as it happens, going by the way the plate swings slightly towards her. He smiles broadly down at her; she is lovely and, as it happens, easy to talk to. Maker knows he could use more of that, these days.]

Of course, I'm here now, so that point is moot, but. It's the principle of the thing, you see. [He swirls his drink in his cup, takes another quick sip.] And let me tell you, the best parts of the party to crash aren't tucked away over here.

[dawnwillcome]

[For her part, flirting with her companions was something Jove had done often. Most of them responded well, and a few of them flirted back in the own way, but it was rarely ever as... obvious as Anders is making it. Certainly none of them had ever made their way into her personal space so easily, with the obvious exception of Dorian, but that was always playful, nothing that would ever lead to anything.

So this, this blatant flirting and his proximity? Yes, it might be making her blush a little, but it can just as easily be attributed to the drinks she's already had herself, or perhaps the heat. Yes, it's probably just the heat and despite it, she can give as good as she gets.]

I have heard that the good things in life are things you have to work for, so you should be thanking me for giving you the chance, don't you think?

[She'll just let him think on that while she takes a bite of the food she's stolen, and she feels intensely glad to find it is in fact a sweet, some wonderfully flaky pastry filled with chocolate. She could stay on this planet forever.]

Now that you've brought food I see little point in leaving my nice and comfortable corner, but I'll indulge you for the moment. Where shall we crash, Anders?

[unconfines]

Well. [He's delighted to be indulged, and his eyes are bright as his voice skims lower.] As it happens, I'm told I'm very, mm, industrious once I've set my mind to something. You should know I do nothing by halves.

[Is he talking about crashing the party, or is he talking about her? One, both, either. It's more fun not to be too precise. Either way, he soldiers on.]

Food is just the first step. Food might as well be the bottom of the barrel, which is why I went ahead and did it for you. No, no. We're going to do much better. A party isn't properly crashed until everyone knows you've crashed it. And every party could use a little excitement.

[Not that the party isn't nice. It's very nice, with all it's elegant decorations and carefully constructed pastries. But he doesn't belong in a party like this one, and the urge to make the slot fit better around him is strong, and not one he's ever been any good at passing up.

And anyway: he's drunk, she's fascinating, and he likes the color of her cheeks in the low light, when he leans close.]

Care to liven things up with me? [He offers his hand to her.] Fair warning: you're probably going to need more punch.

[dawnwillcome]

[The leader of the Inquisition would humor him, but eventually turn him down for party crashing. They shouldn't cause a scene, not when she really has no desire to be jailed on an alien planet and she's only here because Dorian's good name got her in the door. It would reflect poorly on him, and that isn't something she particularly wants.

But she isn't the Inquisitor here, and the only one who even knows she has titles is Dorian and she's fairly certain he would encourage bad decisions anyway. She's had a few glasses of the punch already, and what could a little misbehaving really hurt?]

Maybe we'll start small and work our way up, if you do well.

[She can tease him back, too, as she slips her hand into his. She really has no idea what he plans to do with it, if he'll drag her off to another corner or onto the dance floor, but Jove is certain she can handle it.]

I would like to avoid jail, if we can help it.

[unconfines]

Ooh. [He feigns disappointment, setting his half-eaten plate off to the side while his free hand curls eagerly around hers.] You drive a hard bargain. Still, as much as I enjoy being thrown behind bars, I think I should be able to cancel that part of the evening. [Stepping closer, head dipping conspiratorially:] I am here to please, after all.

[Dance floor, shmance floor. He intends to get started here and now. He'll draw her closer to him if she lets him, the other hand coming up to rest at her waist. It's a poor (maybe intentionally so) imitation of what he's seen other people doing on the dance floor.

Step one is getting her out of the corner, and what fun is walking when you can travel in style?]

You should know, I've never done this before in my life. [He sounds positively exuberant about it.] But there's a first time for everything, isn't there?

[heresyandlace]

[he knows so little about her, and yet he still finds himself distinctly surprised to see her here, all dressed up like this. it's delightful, really.

so, he wanders in from the edges, intending to draw up at her elbow.]

Y'elaiahl'enn haiah, Jove.

[an elven greeting for an elven lady. it's fitting, isn't it?]

[dawnwillcome]

[Again she isn't expecting anyone to sneak up on her, and she certainly isn't expecting him to seek her out, so when he speaks she jumps and immediately curses herself. That's twice now, and she's about to say that in a rather unfriendly fashion when she catches what he's said, in a language not too unlike her own. Tensed shoulders relax, just a bit. That was friendly enough, and the gesture of speaking in a tongue that's familiar doesn't go unnoticed.]

Andaran atish’an, Tek. [The literal translation is convoluted and incredibly formal, but boils down to enter this place in peace. It's fitting, since she really would prefer some peace between them, considering the setting.] I'm surprised to see you here.

[Talking to her, specifically.]

[heresyandlace]

Are you? You don't know me very well, then.

[and he stands settled comfortably beside her, as if they're friends, allowing his gaze to drift out over the glittering crowd gathered there. it's as much to take in the sights as it is a demonstration of the fact that he feels no reason to keep an eye on her, even this close.]

This is exactly the sort of thing I wouldn't miss for the world. [--bothering someone who'd rather not speak to him at all, included.]

[dawnwillcome]

[To her surprise, she laughs.]

That's something I won't argue.

[She doesn't know him at all, and that might be part of what makes it so difficult to completely relax around him. She has no idea what she's done to gain her his attention, doesn't know his intentions, and that never makes for a good time.]

Which part, exactly? I know I'm enjoying food that's not in gel form, but maybe you're more drawn to all the dancing.

[heresyandlace]

Oh, I very rarely ever dance. The food is nice, though.

[and he folds his arms while he thinks, perfectly at ease as he watches the motion of the crowd.]

I think I most enjoy the show of it, however. I have a particular fondness for beautiful things, and I love observing how each person chooses to present themselves. It's fascinating to me.

[dawnwillcome]

You would be right at home in Orlais. Everything is about The Game there and how to play it, nothing means what it should and everyone hides their faces behind masks to hide what they're really playing at. Someone told me once that there, a choice of shoes can destroy an entire family.

[Jove couldn't stand it, the duplicity of it all when coming out and saying what you meant was so much easier, but it's hard to deny that that sort of thing had a certain kind of point to it.

Still, she'll take bluntness any day.]

[heresyandlace]

Oh... that sounds like a lovely place to visit.

[there is certainly a difference between visiting and dwelling there, and he is sure to make that distinction.]

Though, I suppose you might disagree?

[howcanihelp]

[ An elf, a girl, looking about as awkward as Stephanie feels? She is so there. She, too, is dressed up quite nicely, though her dress is not quite a Ferelden style. Her hair is certainly the neatest it's been since she arrived, and all in all, she feels quite elegant.

Also kind of like she's a huge fake at elegance, but still. ]

Is any of this food particularly good? I've got to nibble on something and there's just too much to try to choose from.

[dawnwillcome]

[Lucky for Stephanie, Jove has managed to slip through the party and sample a few of the different foods. She had tried to avoid being stuck with a plate of her findings to make it easier to move around and keep from being cornered, here she is having exactly that happen.

Still, Stephanie seems harmless enough. Jove really needs to learn to loosen up when it comes to humans at fancy parties, so she gives her new companion a smile and hands her plate over.]

These are all quite good. I've been focusing on the sweets myself.

[howcanihelp]

I will certainly not turn down a sampling of sweets.

[ Oh, but she doesn't want to take your plate...? Well, she'll just make sure to hold it where Jove can still reach it easily if she wants to ]

I'm Stephanie Amell, by the way. You're from Thedas, yes? I recognize your vallaslin.

[dawnwillcome]

[Isn't that a surprise. Jove's eyes widen slightly, her smile easing into something softer.]

It's not every day a shemlen calls them that. Do you recognize the markings, or the meaning behind them?

[howcanihelp]

I didn't have much time to learn, I'll admit.

[ and OH, how she wishes she could've. Learning about whole cultures that she knows next to nothing about? Well, she DID sit and talk at length with Sten about the Qunari, after all. It's all just so interesting and wonderful. ]

But they're symbols of your gods, I believe? That's really all I know. There was a... werewolf problem, so I didn't have much time to talk with the clan I met.

[dawnwillcome]

They honor them, that's right. Mine are the markings of Ghilan'nain, mother of the halla. I-

[Wait what. Jove stops and frowns, unsure if she actually heard that right.]

Did you say werewolf problem?

[howcanihelp]

I... [ Stephanie's not sure how to process that abrupt shift ] Yyyyyes?

[faithfulwisdom]

You look far too lovely to be hiding in a corner.

[Finrod looks every bit the part of the Elvish prince tonight, his usual simple tunic traded for something slightly more elaborate and his hair carefully braided back. He feels a bit more himself too, and that comes through in his posture. gone is the mask of constant cheer, but the intensity of emotion brought about by the augment malfunction has also passed. This Finrod is much more balanced; he no longer attempts to pretend that he is entirely contented, but he is... at ease.]

Unless, of course, you have placed yourself here to better sample the desserts.

[dawnwillcome]

Flatterer. You're not looking so bad yourself.

[But she says it fondly, because she certainly doesn't mind the banter. Flirting was something she had expected to happen tonight, and it sits better when it comes from a friendly face, someone she knows already and respects.

She tips the plate towards him, clearly fine with sharing if he's interested.]

For the desserts and to avoid too much notice, if I'm honest. These sorts of parties aren't high on my list of favorite things, but I promised a friend I would come.

[faithfulwisdom]

That it is flattery does not change that it is also true.

[And he will accept a little of the dessert on that plate, nodding his thanks.]

I am glad your friend persuaded you. These sort of events are always more entertaining with a few friendly faces.