F01-OP Blackbook, Grand Opening

[Hirru 0]

***

[Jevi 0]

The attacker scurried off the moment they felt Jevi's grip loosen on the handful of hair. Dipping out of the club with their metaphorical tail between their legs. She followed his retreat, making sure he were headed towards the front door. Hopefully Oscar's bouncer could do their job next time and keep uninvited guests out. 

Then again, was anyone really 'uninvited' if Oscar dropped flyers on every single open floor?

Averting her gaze from the front door to the establishment, she would give a sweeping look at the players around her. The ones that just stood and watched as a woman was attacked. Sucking her teeth to show her annoyance, she turned around to see how Mari and her husband were doing. 

“V…Am shorry.”

"Huh? Mari wha-?" she looked down at the man she was currently using as a seat. Did Jevi invertedly start a bar fight? She first looked back to the opposite end of the bar, past the shoulders of curious players gawking in their direction, to Lancaster. Why had Mari decided to go after Jevi and end up fighting with someone else? (Did she stop another attacker, or did Mari just want in on the action?) Lancaster seemed amused though, watching the two perform as if they were an act on a stage. At least it seemed he and Mari were on the same page, rather than giving her a reason to escape from him. 

"What are you doing?" Jevi asked first, referring to the man beneath her. "Why are you-?" He didn't look familiar, even as Jevi gently pushed the mask from his face with a sandaled foot. Whatever he did, he probably deserved it.

She was just mad she didn't see Mari kicking his ass. 

Reaching a hand down to help the woman up off of the floor, she would pull Mari up off of the man and to her feet. "C'mon" she would gesture for Mari to follow her away from the bar. Jevi had no where in particular to go, just away from the scene they had created. They circled the large dance floor, which had grown with bodies since she last gave it any attention. 

"Got nothin' to be sorry for, why're you apologizin'?"

[Mari 1]

Mari patted the guy she was sitting on. "Unconk...unconsh...un..." She frowned, why was it so hard to talk properly. A shake of her head, an a deep breath. "Unconscious." Mari said with the fluidity of someone who hadn't just downed seven straight whisky drinks. "C-Came to thank you fer helpin' me get Lancashter here an...man...yanked my hair." Mari would rest the back of her head against the bar, closing her eyes. She was so sick of fighting. Mari figured Vincent did this to allow Mari to let off some steam, but this wasn't what she needed. "Hmmm?" She'd open her eyes again, feeling something move in front of her face. "Ah." Mari grabbed hold of V's hand and used it to help pull herself up.

A slight stumble and Mari's head collided with V's shoulder. The woman would gesture for Mari to follow, then a tug on her hand and they were off, away from the fight and from the bar. The one place that had been Mari's sanctuary throughout the hole night. A glance over her shoulder at Lancaster, but he just watched the two of them, an amused grin on his face as he sipped his drink. Is this okay?  Mari thought to herself as she unconsciously squeezed V's hand.

V pulled Mari around the dance floor, where couples embraced a little too closely - others in passionate positions. Mari cleared her throat and shook her head, she wasn't used to being surrounded by things like this.

"Got nothin' to be sorry for, why're you apologizin'?"

"Oh."

Why...was she apologizing again? V paused and let go of Mari's hand, eyes turned to her as though waiting for an answer. "I-" Mari shifted her gaze away, the bar unseen now. Her husband disappeared behind the crowd. "I- you seemed...annoyed? I think. When Lancashter arrived." Now that Mari was voicing it, it seemed a little silly. "And - I asshumed yer were not wantin to hang out no more. Which ish fine but-" Mari gestured from V toward herself with a few points. "You and I are now here, sho maybe I wash wrong. I don't know. I'm not good at shoshalishing. Hell. I'm not even good at apologiesh."

An awkward laugh followed by the tug of her hair. Gods...She was bad at this. The alcohol certainly didn't help. "I..." She looked down at her hands then clenched them into fists, unclenched them and stared at her open palms. "I do a lotta bad thingsh. Sho easily...but thish? Thish is hard."

@Lancaster

@Jevi

Edited Friday at 04:26 PM by Mari

[Cascade 0]

Hands grabbed her, moving her about the room. She attempted to pull away in protest, but they moved quickly pushing her down into a seat... that wasn't at all a seat, rather someone's lap. She felt the warmth of lush skin beneath her, a scent of liquor, smoke, and something faintly sweet entering her senses.  She turned seeing the faint glow of a cigarette being laid to rest. The person under her shifted, the lights flickering back on, everything had happened so fast. She looked around noting the change in the room, others had been moved and paired at random. A scuffle at the bar had drawn some attention, the sound of glass shattering, followed by some yelling and then pounding. A woman's voice cut through claiming Cascades attention. The tone low, steady. "Hi there, you're quite warm." the woman offered gently.

A soft flush rose in her cheeks, this certainly wasn't what she had pictured for the evening. "Can I offer you a drink?" She didn't startle or pull away as most would when caught in the act of... whatever this was. She simply breathed in once- long, steady- and let it out along the woman's collarbone, like someone acclimating to warmth rather than apologizing for taking it. She turned slightly, carefully, just enough to lean back and meet the eyes of her new companion. A pair of striking purple eyes looked back at her, a wine glass in hand, gesturing her way.

Cascades voice, when it came, was hushed. Not shy. Just soft. "When I felt hands leading me in the dark, I hadn't expected them to drop me here. Not that I'm complaining...." She sighed softly, "A drink would be nice." She moved, adjusting and relaxing into the woman's lap, "If you want me to move, say the word and I shall." Until then she would stay, content and warm in the woman's lap. She crossed her legs, the fabric of her dress falling just right as she moved. She took the glass with a thankful nod, taking a sip. The slight tingle of the liquid on her tongue was a welcome sensation in the course of the evening. "Our host certainly made sure that the evening would prove eventful."

@Simmone

Edited Friday at 09:55 PM by Cascade

[Jomei 0]

"And I definitely owe you that guitar when we get out of here.”

But.. this was his guitar. 

The corner of his lips curved into a smirk. Obviously she was a bit flustered, torn between enjoying the evening and performing. Didn't matter how experienced she was, it came with the life. Jomei was very well aware of that. 

"He makes you happy? Then that's all that matters Go sing your song so you can spend some time with him, you've earned it." 

The ginger was left alone on the side of the stage as Lysette took to the spotlight once more. Holding up his instrument, he would dismiss it back into his inventory with a flash of white light. He watched from off stage, listening to Lysette's voice as she performed her last song for the night with a smile on his face. It had been far too long since he had performed in front of a crowd, let alone with another performer. The adrenaline of being on stage was a drug he didn't realize he missed, and he was still riding on that high. 

"Speaking of spending time with someone.." he'd say to himself, rubbing the palms of his hands together and peeking past the tied off curtains for Lessa. He was familiar with what she was wearing, her flowing blonde hair, the mask adorning her face. Yet, in the crowd, it was still difficult to pick her out. Perhaps it was his turn to seek, and her turn to hide. 

Before blending into the masses once more, Jomei looked to the light fixtures above. Anticipating another trick that would drag him off to another part of the club. Back with Oscar, with Lessa, or with someone random. He waited for a moment for the lights to cut out.. but the darkness never came. Guess Oscar didn't have any further need for Jomei's assistance, guess he could just -

And off went the lights. Of course.

Once the dark had dispersed once more, there she was standing in front of him. 

A smile painted on his face, he shook his head as he looked at Lessa. 

"Someone doesn't want to let us have our fun." A couple of small steps would close the distance between himself and the blonde. The tips of his fingers would delicately trace her jaw, tilting her chin upwards to meet her gaze. "We can make up for that now though." His face hovered in front of hers for a fleeting moment, "You're mine for the night now. And I'm yours." 

His lips would press into hers, with no interruptions this time. 

"I believe I owed you that.. after being rudely stolen away from you." One more peck of a kiss, "And that one's for me."

Pulling himself away, just to give them both enough breathing room, he would hold a hand out to her with palm facing the ceiling. "Still holding space for me?" 

@Lessa @Lysette

[Simmone 0]

Such an interesting twist of events, and the sounds of broken glass and undoubtedly a bar fight breaking out the floor just below them made the evening even more of a mystery. It was likely that some neanderthal had found themselves shoved out by some of the many wait staff that rushed about the place, likely some with a bit larger features and height to boot. Like the shaded men that had awarded Cascade into her lap not but a moment prior. Honestly their inclination to remain under guise spoke to just how often such things might occur, anonymity giving them the benefit of not gaining a second helping of trouble. The wine glass passed to her snuggle buddy, one thrust in the situation just as she had been. It would appear that they were almost acting like experiments, or perhaps that was half the allure of the club. To have your own inhibitions stripped from you like a piece of clothing, all the while given a mask to maintain a level of pride.

The sad thing was, Simmone couldn't even fault the reasoning. In here she wasn't bogged down by expectation or perception, in this place she was only The Black Cat. A playful and mischievous number for as long as that mask remained on she would remain as so. Some part of her held to that with a dire tough fist, to ease the requests and melt into relaxations. It had been far too long since she'd had the opportunity....

A pale white hand traces itself down an exposed shoulder of a darker complexion, like a child tip toeing down a hallway. Skin tender and hotter then hers, tracing markings that lingered on them like a paint brush to a canvas. "Quae via ad libidinem.... sanandam." The woman hesitates on the final word, a bit of a skill identifying the markings and very old studies layered under rust and dust from her college days. The woman was hardly multilingual, and more then likely butchered it she was certain. The woman dwarfed this girl both in age and experience, in height and features. The contrast of eyes and hair, of skin would become like water and slip away through the cracks. Instead that warmth and softness worked like an amplifier, where every breath, every smell threatened to turn the cat feral. As if this scene had eroded her resistance, and the deprivation was the only thing left. A want, quickly becoming a need. A hand reaches over @Cascade's shoulder, while the other arm slinks around her waist like a belt. A ball of yarn for the cat to play, as she's pulled in and offered just a simple reply.

"If you want to leave, I'll... oblige." The flushed and intoxicated expression on her face as a shoulder finds a space beneath her chin nesting her cheek upon it, spoken into the girls ear in low murmur. "But it could be fun, to let it all go. For but a single moment more. A single night..." With a heartbeat tapping against her chest, made wild by not only indulgence of alcohol but by flesh. "Stay, and make yourself comfortable. I certainly have."

[Scar 0]

The dark invitation felt almost unreal when he held it, as if the dying sunlight was being absorbed into the shadowed paper. The gold filigree sparkled faintly in the light when he turned it over, tracing the edges of the fancy lettering calling him. A Masquerade Ball. Tonight. The Blackbook.

After dusk was upon the city, Jack was at the door of the place, a grand hall made of glass and marble that reflected the moonlight into silver fragments. He once more pulled at the collar of the black suit that he had borrowed, its fabric still having the faint scent of cedar and old perfume. Even though the sleeves were a bit too long, the suit was a good fit for him. His boots were shiny but worn, and they seemed a little off together with the shiny marble floor.

Two men in the same formal dress were standing at the entrance. Each of them was holding a tray that was lined with velvet. On one side, there were a few deep, shiny black mask, subtly decorated with faint red lines that resembled veins under the surface. On the other side, the masks were white, feathered at the edges and sprinkled with slight traces of silver. "Sinful or Sainted?" the one at the left and right side of the gate said, his voice being courteous and professional.

Jack hesitated, glancing between the two trays. The black masks were calling him with their quiet power, maybe they were dangerous or simply charming, but still his hand moved to the other side. The «Sainted Mask» was much lighter than he had thought, and it was cool on his skin when he tied the slim ribbon behind his head.

The moment he stepped through the grand doors, the noise hit him all at once. The sound of the orchestral strings getting louder and the clinking of crystal glasses could be heard. The thousand reflections coming from the mirrored walls were the images of the masked and richly dressed players, who were like the stars moving in the sky under the chandeliers.

He had witnessed some parties before, but this was something beyond his imagination. Perfume and laughter filled up the air and it struck him as being extremely weird, to see so many faces, or rather half faces, all gathered in one place. People were doing the talking, dancing, and shining, while Jack, in his borrowed suit and mask, was standing there as if he had entered a story which was not his.

Jack was at the border of the crowd, taking a look at the place through the lens of his sight, and with a slight shove of his hands in his pockets. He wondered what the point of it was, why an event like this existed in a world that was still struggling to find its balance. But then again, perhaps that was the reason. Maybe people simply needed a night to forget the danger outside the walls.

Not knowing how to dance and not being willing to try it, he was in his own world as he moved to the side of a long table which was covered with exquisite platters. He smelled the roasting of the herbs, the freshness of the bread, and something buttery which he couldn't identify. Tiny, artful bites were arranged in rows, too small to be a meal, too perfect to resist.

He picked one up, glanced around as if expecting someone to stop him, and popped it into his mouth. To his surprise, it was delicious, something crispy, then soft, then disappeared. He kept taking one after another until the feeling of guilt came over him and he grabbed a glass of champagne.

The bubbles hit his tongue like starlight, sweet and sharp, and before he realized it, he downed the entire thing in one go. A faint burn lingered in his throat, and he exhaled, the corners of his mouth curling into an embarrassed grin.

On the other side of the room, dancers wearing masks moved gracefully to the music they were used to, the orchestra getting louder like a wave. Jack was against the closest post and was quietly thinking while watching. Despite all his discomfort, there was something wonderful about the disorder, something that was alive.

For tonight, at least, he wasn't a wanderer or a hired errand-runner. He was just another mask, like many others, caught up in the weird, sparkling rhythm of the Blackbook Ball.

* * *

Spoiler

Scar | HP: 140/140 | EN: 32/32 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 4

WC: 747

Edited yesterday at 07:28 AM by Scar

[Oscar 0]

The mystery only deepened. She spoke of her village, of Hunters. Oscar bit back the urge to ask how she had gone from there to here. Just what was her story? Certainly such places existed. A place where Hunters would be so venerated. Answers and questions had been supplied in equal measure. It explained her uncertainty and her mis-speaking. But it begged more questions. How could she grow to be so ignorant of something as fundamental as desire? And what of those etchings on her back? Those would come later. Now was not the time to share life stories. But he couldn't deny that he fit her description.

In all but two, at least.

“You've caught me in a good light. I'm not ordinarily so measured. I think it's the setting. Not really the place to be irreverent and impulsive,” Oscar corrected. 

But he was patient, always. With his midnight hours occupied as they tended to be, one had to be. And one needed to be of great strength and focus to keep an entire population of Player-killers at bay. Now that he thought about it, though, he felt he was more foolish than courageous there. As for honesty-

“The way you speak makes me think you think I'm a good man. I'm not,” Oscar began. He pivoted, placing his hands on the railing on either side of her frame. The motion would make her gaze trail up - unless she wished to stare at his chest. “Good men lie-” They dress their desires up in dancing and meals, anything to hide their intention. Oscar wore his on his sleeve. “- I don't. I would be more than happy to tell you everything I want to do.”

He prided himself on not getting attached. Filling a need, scratching an itch - whatever you wanted to call it. He could always keep it separate. And every single name in his little black book would do the same. Match his energy. No strings. But there were already so many. It should have made him step back. This really wasn't a good idea.

But he was just too impulsive.

One hand moved up, fingertips hooking under her chin. He guided her, tilting her head to the side. Exposing her neck to him. And he seized that chance. His lips danced over her soft flesh, just beneath her jaw. Teeth raking ever-so-slightly. His hand moved to cup her cheek, his other resting over the back of hers. He breathed out a small laugh, attention shifting - lips ghosting against her earlobe.

“I would be as irreverent and impulsive as you would let me be,” he said in a whisper almost too faint to be heard over the music below.

@Winnie

[Alinta 0]

<<MASKED: SAINTED>>

 Alinta originally wasn't going to go; the last event she had gone to was filled with Player Killers and that terrified the woman but this... this was in the center of town. She doubted any would show. This was run by Oscar; and she had tried reaching out to him a few times, but the man was busy. She could see why... as she had stepped into the nightclub, music thrummed - vibrating her heart. Different scents wafted across the dance floor, there were all manner of people here - some at the bar, others practically oh... Her eyes landed on a pair of woman on a lounge chair. Decadence.. That was the only way to describe this. 

Alinta thought her outfit may be a touch to revealing at first; but seeing what others wore- she felt she was fine. Black silks adorned her, tightly wrapping her build, with a sheer panel at the front, and a long slit down he side, it showed more skin than it covered. Long hair tied up in her trademark high ponytail, swishing side to side as she side -stepped various dancers.  An awkward orange haired woman and her dark skinned partner, a pair of lovers slow dancing beneath a flickering blue light... everyone seemed to be partnered up. 

A waiter walked past carrying a tray of red wine glasses. "Give me that!" Alinta said as she quickly grabbed two glasses, downing one and placing the empty back on the plate, and keeping the other. "Phew..."  Alinta wanted to find Oscar- but it didn't take long to see him, he was standing on a balcony, overlooking the dancefloor. Their eyes met briefly, and Alinta coughed, looking away. He was busy. Maybe another time...

Coming across a dark haired man wearing a delicate white mask Alinta couldn't help but offer him a smile and a nudge of her shoulder against his arm. She took a small sip of wine from her glass, pausing to swirl it, then taking another. Events like this? She was used to it. Despite her being a little bit of a recluse this was akin to those PR events she'd have to attend out in the real world, a sweet smile, a bat of long eyelashes - complimenting platitudes. All things she could handle.

"You look like you're alone." Alinta said with a small tilt of her head, ruby red hair falling and cascading down a bare shoulder. Her eyes would flick back up toward Oscar, who seemed to be busy with another woman. Maybe that's why... Her eyes refocused on the man before her. No use in dwelling on things that could never be. "Looks like we both are."

Alinta shifted to stand by his side, a little too close perhaps. She swirled the glass in her hand. "I...almost didn't come here. I'm not good dealing with large crowds and I only know one person here. I am sure he cooked all of....this...." Alinta gestured to the food with her glass of wine. "So I'm sure its all absolutely delicious." A pause. "So, what brings you here?"

 

@Scar

 

Vanity: @Oscar @Mari @Jevi

Edited 7 hours ago by Alinta

[Scar 0]

Jack hadn't expected anyone to approach him at all. For most of the night, he had mostly been observing the goings-on around him. He was one of the hundreds of masked people who had come to gather under the glittering chandeliers. Still, by the time the movement made an impression on him, the champagne flute he had been holding in his hand was empty, and the taste of sweetness and regret was still lingering on his tongue.

Very light touching of the arm. A faint laugh. Then a woman, tall, beautiful, and absolutely comfortable with the chaos, appeared next to him. The mask she had put on highlighted beautiful eyes and a smile made of equal parts charm and challenge.

He blinked once, startled from the fog of his own thoughts. After a short pause, he answered very quietly but in a calm tone, "You could say that." His gaze flicked briefly across the room, as if to confirm her observation. "I don't know a single person here."

This was the truth. Despite all the noise, the laughter, and the fleeting touch of the dancers' silks, he had never felt so removed from the world. The music became louder, a brief movement of violins over the constant beating of the drums, and Jack couldn't help himself but to look at the lady standing next to him again. She didn't seem like someone easily lost in a crowd.

He followed her gaze toward the balcony where a man stood overseeing the event, his presence commanding, detached. Jack noticed the very slight change in her facial expression and he understood that the change was very telling and that it said more than words could. Yet, when she looked back to him, her composure was flawless.

Her remark about the food drew a faint curve to his lips. "If that's true," he said, "then I owe him a quiet thanks. I've been stealing his work piece by piece since I got here." With his hand, he indicated the table from where the appetizers were disappearing very quickly but still, it was shining due to the warm candlelight. "Didn't even know what half of it was. Still don't."

He rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly aware of how out of place he must have looked, his borrowed suit, his too-careful stance, his lack of rhythm in a world built on it. But something about this woman's ease put him just enough at peace to stay where he was.

Her mention of the crowds earned a nod. "You alone are not the only one. Places like this feel.. heavier than they look." His words came slowly, chosen with quiet care. "There's something about too many voices in one room. Makes it hard to breathe, sometimes."

He turned slightly, meeting her eyes through the pale reflection of his «Sainted Mask». "Still, I guess there's a reason for everything. Maybe nights like these exist to make us forget what's outside. Or at least make us pretend for a few hours."

Jack caught himself before the thought grew darker, shifting the topic before it could settle. "You said you only know one person here. From the way that you are talking, it seems like he was the reason for half the city being here." His tone was light now, almost teasing. "If I was going to be in the same room with a celebrity, then I'm thinking that maybe I should have been more properly dressed."

Another glass, just a little different, was being offered to Jack by a waiter who was passing by. He took it, and then he turned the glass a little towards her. "To large crowds, then," he said with a small smile on his face, which was barely audible. "And the rare company that makes them bearable."

The orchestra's rhythm deepened, and for a fleeting moment, Jack's reflection in the champagne looked less like the man who'd spent his days chasing errands and more like someone beginning to understand why people came to things like this at all.

* * *

WC: 676

@Alinta

[Alinta 0]

The man blinked, glancing down at her. Alinta had to lean in closer to catch what he was saying, as she did she caught a whiff of his cologne. Her eyes fluttered close, it was a welcomed scent, lavender, mixed with freshly pressed linen. It was...comforting. She almost forgot what it was like to be close to others, in any sense of the word. "Well..." Alinta would say with a shrug of her shoulders, lavender eyes glancing up and down his form. Well dressed, stood tall and confident. "Alinta." She wasn't sure if she was supposed to tell him her name. It ruined the magic of the evening, but - she didn't care. "Now, you can say you know at least one person." A slight tilt of her wine glass toward him before her lips drank deep of her glass. She wished she could feel drunk.

Alinta didn't voice it, but she had to admit - it was nice finding the other essential loner at the event. Her eyes wandered across the dance floor, so many people intermingled. It seemed like everyone knew someone. Alinta's eyes followed the tall man's hand as he gestured toward the food. She reached out, her own soft hand lightly grazing against his as she passed, to pick up a single chocolate covered strawberry. Alinta popped the entire thing in her mouth, stem and all. She covered her mouth as she chewed, yet a thin trail of juice still dripped down from the corner of her mouth. "Mmm...." She'd voice her delight before swallowing. "Well, handsome stranger...I'd dare say you picked the best place at this event. We could try all of them. We got all night, right?" Alinta turned to face him, a grin on her lips. The food table...the place the loners would often congregate, she didn't mind being here at all.

The woman watched as he rubbed the back of his neck, mentioning his unease with the crowd. Another glance toward the dance floor, then to the bar- where a particular redheaded man was practically man-spreading across half of it. Obtuse, and selfish. Her smile faltered, confident veneer crumbling as she crossed her arms under her chest. Hugging herself tight. "Not wrong..." Aincrad was a difficult place. Stiffing, especially for people like her...too afraid to go out and fight. Valuing her life over some kind of battle with boars and dragons. Not that the woman voiced it, how could she? The man was a stranger. "Too few voices...." She said quietly. "Or too many..." A sigh as she drained her glass.  "Can't seem to win."

As the man offered for the two to play pretend for a few hours Alinta would force that practiced smile upon her features again. "You're perfectly dressed."  A waiter interrupted their conversation and Alinta placed her empty glass upon his tray, grabbing another glass. She could drink as much as she wanted here. Alcohol wouldn't affect her.

"To large crowds." Alinta said with a clink of her glass. She'd watch the man, and wait for him to take a sip of his own. "And to the sweet succor of a handsome man amidst an otherwise bleak night." 

@Scar

[Scar 0]

The clock seemed to halt ticking when she moved to his vicinity with her very aura. Before everything else, the combination of vanilla, bergamot, and citrus reached him, very refined, very intentional, a fragrance that smelled comforting and, at the same time, was piercing enough to get the attention as if it were a whisper in the night. Jack saw her move with his eyes only, and she simply took one chocolate-covered strawberry from the tray extending the hand in a very natural way and without any rush. Her self-assuredness was what it was, and though words were not used, it was the power that was behind it which slightly awakened the urge in him to wrap the confines of his curiosity around that power.

Then, with her dark eyes sparkling in the firelight, she looked direct at him. "Alinta," she introduced herself, her tone having the slightest smile hidden under the smoothness of her words. It was the iron out of leather kind of voice which could make a guy vulnerable without definitely using a blade.

Jack looked dumbfounded for a second, thinking and feeling all at once. Definitely, he never thought of the possibility that someone might come up to him, let alone someone who has the proficiency of a person who is used to such places. His lips parted, almost on autopilot. "My name is Ja-," he paused. His expression shifted, a flicker of hesitation quickly masked by a faint grin. "You can call me Scar."

It was with champagne that he quenched his thirst and a gulp he took from his glass. After a while, he muttered, turning his sight from the people present to her and then uttering those words again. "I must confess that I did not quite know what to anticipate this very evening. The whole.. 'Blackbook Masquerade' sounded like a trap from the start." His tone became lower as he was revealing the thought to her alone. "Still, I have always been very poor at keeping myself out of the way and so I find myself going right into the middle of the mess just to have a better look at it."

He watched her reaction, the faint arch of her brow, the subtle curl at the corner of her mouth. She was studying him, too, that much was obvious. It wasn't hostility, though. It was something else. Something like intrigue.

"I assume that you have not come here for the dance either?" he asked as he looked at the packed ballroom where people wearing masks were gracefully moving to the melody of violins. "And you don't seem the type to lose yourself in someone else's rhythm." He let the tease linger, watching her closely.

The trace of her fragrance was there in the space that separated the two of them, and he was making an effort to calm himself by taking slower breaths than usual.

He reached out to the platter again, plucking a second strawberry, but this time held it between two fingers instead of eating it. "So," he said, a faint grin tugging at his lips, "Do we keep pretending.. or do we make this night interesting?"

Whatever her reply might be, one thing was certain, Jack wasn't going anywhere just yet.

* * *

WC: 543

@Alinta

[Bliss 0]

Bliss set down her empty glass. The faint warmth of the old fashioned still lingered in her chest. Then it all went black. Bliss could swear for just a split second that everything went quiet for just a moment. The laughter and chatter of the crowd seemed to be choked to a silence. The music cut out. For but a split second, there was nothing. No light, no sound, the only thing she could hear was the loud pounding of her heart. As she attempted to calm her anxieties, she felt an unnatural pull that felt all to familiar.

Her stomach dropped, Aw fuck, not again. The air around her seemed to bend, just like that day at the beach. She shut her eyes for a moment. She braced herself and attempted to ignore the sensation of her body being tugged toward something unseen. Then, she stopped. As she did, light returned. The lights flickered back to life, their glow washing over the club once more. The music resumed, but it was like it had never stopped, did she imagine that everything went quiet?

Bliss blinked a few times, attempting to reorient herself. Standing directly in front of her was a woman, their hands were already in each others. As Bliss looked the woman over, she realized that she wasn't much shorter than the woman was. Every detail about this woman was striking. Of course she's gorgeous, because everyone in this godforsaken place was given the insanely attractive gene. 

Her cheeks flushed, she attempted to regain composure. Bliss gave a polite bow, still holding onto the woman's hand. "Well... it looks like we've been paired up. Shall we?" She smiled at the woman, her fingers on her free hand were trembling slightly as she waited for the woman to say anything. Bliss couldn't help but wonder if this was a part of the event.

Spoiler

WC: 314

 

[Alinta 0]

Scar....

A name befitting of a protagonist from one of her novels. A smile broadened as she watched him from over his glass, how nice to have someone with the same tastes in namesakes. "Scar..." Alinta repeated as she inched closer, peering into his features. "I see no physical scars..." Her eyes would search his face, but she saw nothing but a quiet calm teetering beneath ruby red eyes. A thought crossed her mind, her eyes betraying her  as she glanced to his chest, then his arms. Perhaps his scars were hidden beneath his clothes? Alinta cleared her throat. Not wanting to ask such a risque question of a man she had met all of five minutes ago. "Still...." She spoke quietly, "I think it's a fine name...Ja-  Scar." She would add in a playful tone. Using ones real name was a bit of an unspoken taboo here. It was something precious one would hold tight to their chest. A gift for the precious few and the man had been almost too ready to give it to her, and she - was nothing more than an undeserving waif passing by through the night.

"I think you and I are the opposites in that." Alinta would say as she shifted slightly closer to him, her bare arm touching the soft material of his. It reassured her that it was okay to be here, to be able to relax. That she was safe. "I didn't think it a trap, knowing the host...but admittedly..." A concerned glance over the players that danced around them. "I was worried I'd run into some of those orange players here...thankfully there doesn't seem to be any." Of course, she couldn't be sure, the masks hid all. But it was safer to not know.

"I...." A heavy sigh as her shoulders rose and fell. A tight feeling in her chest as she admitted her own shortcomings. "I..." A glance and a tilt of her head up at him. "I don't really leave the safe zones. I came here because...I was lonely." She'd not admit to having no friends. Too afraid of betrayal, of someone taking her life a she slept....but in her loneliness Alinta was wanting to seek out others. They say once you mastered being alone you're ready for the company of others....but....it didn't make it easy...it didn't make this easy.  Not that the woman would easily admit or even show that. 

Instead of bringing the mood down Alinta would straighten her back, down her glass- and place it, now empty upon the table. "Looks like we're both tangled up in a mess tonight." She would say with a bubbled laughter, practiced, perfectly executed. She was used to events like this.

Scar had reached out for another strawberry and held it between them. A challenge? Alinta blinked, the cracks in her confidence showing as her cheeks flushed. Her heart beating just that little bit faster and as she breathed in deep she'd smell wine, and lavender and him. "S-so..." 

Pretending?  Interesting? 

What was he implying? Was he hitting on me? I can handle this....I can do this. This is just another PR Night, another person I have to impress. I can do this..you can do this Raven... you're not Rachel. You're Raven fucking Ebonheart. No. You're Alinta. You're strong. Powerful. Confident.

A hand shot out to grab his wrist to lower it toward her, and in a state of panicked fake confidence Alinta would lean forward and pluck the strawberry straight from his fingers with her teeth, breath tickling his skin as she quickly pulled back, shifting her entire head away from him so she didn't have to look him in the eyes after that.

It wasn't like...she liked him or anything...she had just met him.

@Scar

[Scar 0]

Jack's lips formed a small smile as she grabbed the strawberry right from his hand with her teeth. He had thought maybe she would be a bit hesitant, or at least decline in a polite manner, but not this. The fast action, the sudden closeness, the gentle touch of her breath on his skin, it was a detail that didn't escape him. He removed his hand slowly, intentionally, as if to emphasize her small victory he was letting the moment hang between them.

After a while, he spoke teasingly, "Bold." His voice was warm enough to be smiling along with her, but he didn't lose his control. "That's certainly one way to take a challenge." His eyes flicked to the chocolate-stained corner of her mouth, noting the subtle sheen of sweetness, the way her fingers barely touched the fruit before she claimed it entirely. "And here I was thinking that the Sainted Mask would inspire more restraint."

He leaned slightly closer, tilting his head to examine her expression, a touch of curiosity sharpening the otherwise calm gaze. "And you.. smell very intriguing," he said observation without any effort for the reply. "A hint of vanilla.. and citrusy, quite the combination. I'll admit, it's.. quite distracting." The tone was not one of accusation but rather an acceptance of the subtle detail, a clue into the person she was behind the mask.

Jack adjusted his posture, his free hand brushing lightly against the edge of the platter, lifting another strawberry, though this time more playfully, teasing her with it before pretending to take a bite. "You're quick," he said with a slight chuckle. "I'll give you that. Most people hesitate when confronted with the.. delicate art of taking food from someone else's hand. But you.. you do it with conviction."

He didn't rush to fill the silence and instead chose to stay still for a moment longer. The noises from the dance floor, the murmur of the masked crowd, the gentle clinking of glasses, and her own heartbeat were what he let fill the void between them. Slightly leaning back, Jack allowed a smile to escape from under the mask's rather serious line. "I think we are.. rather similar in that regard," he continued in a teasing tone but with an undertone of something quieter, something more intentional. "Both lost in a crowd, scavenging for a bit of solace where we can, testing limits.. and maybe even each other."

His gaze swept over her again, looking for signs that she was try to hide, the fleeting glance, the quick inhale, the moment of hesitation before she allowed herself to reach. "Pretend," he said, echoing her earlier thought, his voice barely above a whisper, "Or not. I think we both know there's a little more to this than polite pretense. At least for a few hours."

Still holding the strawberry, Jack's hand lingered over the platter, still holding the strawberry, letting the faintest tension play in the air, daring her to act again. "So, Alinta," he said finally, eyes twinkling behind the mask, "Are we merely putting on a show tonight, or are we allowing ourselves the privilege of a little mischief?"

With an amused smile, he was waiting for her to respond to his question. He knew perfectly well that the tiniest slip, another strawberry, a glance, a movement, would reveal far more to him than any words could. At the moment, he is just the quiet, patient viewer behind a teasing smile, and thus, the playful tension that lies between them at the table, can stretch on as long as it wants.

* * *

WC: 601

@Alinta

[Alinta 0]

Did I actually fucking do that.... Christ....

Alinta kept her gaze resolutely away from Scar for a few moments, chewing quietly, letting the heat she fell on her cheeks subside. Ever the person to constantly test boundaries only to falter at the slightest challenge. Bold... He'd call her with an amused tone, an exhale of mirth and excitement as he lapped up her challenge and returned with many of his own. "Re-Restraint..." Alinta began, she caught herself and with a deep breath she'd throw him a daring smile. Facade returned.  "Restraint." She repeated with an airy smile, reaching out to brush errant strands of black away from eyes that threatened to tear her apart with how sharp they were.  "Such a thing is for the dead, the damned. For hearts and souls that don't beat with fervor."  Alinta inwardly thanked all those late nights she'd spend writing fan-fiction, it made the words that much easier to say. She was serving him a steaming pile of bullshit, glittered up and painted gold. Her hand fell to his chest. "And it feels like yours is beating..." A calculated pause. "Quite fast."

Alinta wasn't sure if the man was bold, playing her, or just pushing her buttons. He'd lean in closer, commenting on her smell and Alinta faltered, her hand quickly drawing away to cover her own chest. "M-my?" She couldn't finish the question. He tilted an angled jaw, smiling down at her like a Cheshire cat. Calling it...no her distracting. He went as far as to dissect the perfume she wore. Alinta barely noticed it herself. So used to wearing it daily. "I..." A small glance away, struggling to hold his gaze. She must have looked so odd, constantly flickering between someone who held themselves with a wealth of confidence only to falter into a blithering mess at the slightest provocation. "Hah...." She shook off the sudden trepidation with a laugh. "hhahah..." And a flick of her hair over her shoulder. 

"Oh Scar...." She'd place a sweet emphasis on his name as she challenged him right back, taking a step forward into his personal space, so much so that she had to angle her jaw up to catch his gaze. Although Alinta would never quite fully meet it, she'd look just over him to avoid becoming too flustered. "I'm only acting the part, no? What you'd expect..but don't you think you're being a little..too forward? Testing each other? You're skipping a few steps there, aren't you?"

He'd ask her, with a wave of a chocolate covered strawberry, mischief?

And the woman was terrified of her own answer.

"You're the one wearing the sinners mask, I am naught but a lost saint - marred in a pit of gluttony and sins for the evening."

wc: 460

Edited 2 hours ago by Alinta

[Scar 0]

Jack's grin widened as Alinta's words tumbled over themselves, a cascade of daring, teasing, and sudden vulnerability. He moved the chocolate-covered strawberry just a little bit closer, keeping the playful suspense for just a moment longer. "Ah, a lost saint," he mused, voice low and teasing, "marred in a pit of gluttony and sins..? I think you underestimate yourself."

He also turned his head a little, looking at her under the «Sainted Mask», the edges of his mouth almost smiling with humor. "Though.. perhaps," he went on after a short pause, raising a brow, "a saint like you would find me intolerably forward. A sinner like me, testing boundaries, pushing hearts into peril.." Jack didn't finish the sentence, but rather, he seemed to challenge her by letting the phrase hang into the air. "..or delight."

He finally leaned in, the faintest scent of citrus mixing with the soft air between them. "Testing each other," he repeated, smirk twitching as his eyes glinted, "is hardly skipping steps. It's.. necessary. A rehearsal before the real mischief begins." Jack allowed a soft chuckle, brushing the top of the strawberry lightly across her hand before letting it rest teasingly in the air. "Besides," he added, his voice dipping into playful warmth, "I must admit, your saintly act is.. remarkably tempting. One cannot help but wonder if the mask hides the sinner, or simply amplifies the saint."

Jack let his eyes slowly travel over her body, he wasn't being rude but at the same time, he wasn't being very discreet either in showing his interest. "But you.. you almost had me fooled," he said, turning his head slightly. The teasing sparkle in his eyes was the reflection of fun he found in this. "Almost enough to think you weren't enjoying the challenge."

With a playful gesture of his shoulders, he once again offered her the strawberry, but this time he only came halfway with his intention of the offer. "Well," he said gently, through the mask locking his gaze with hers, "Tonight a saint or a sinner, shall we continue.. this little.. test? Or are we both too cautious to admit just how far it would go?"

Jack deliberately kept the silence. The music, the banter from the dance floor, the sound of glasses being clinked around them, and the flicker of the candlelight all helped to intensify the quiet that was full of tension. His smile became gentler, the teasing sparkle however still being there, inviting her to answer without her dropping the pretense completely. "I'd hate to spoil the game," he added, "But it seems like we're both rather skilled at playing.. and at being tempted."

* * *

WC: 443

[Azhoda 0]

Az placed her empty glass on the bar and sighed that this was not her place. But she could just sit here and watch people for a bit. The last time she danced was with Yuuki, and just as today, he also brought her here. Az thought of leaving and moving away from the party. As she moved, she spotted Yuuki on the dance floor and thought it would be the least she could do to tell him that she was leaving.

But it appeared the purple-haired guy had other plans. "Finally came to dance," he said, grabbing her hands and not letting her go. It's not that she was bad at dancing; she just didn't like it all that often. But clearly, Yuuki was in the mood to get the engineer out of her comfort zone.

As they danced a bit, suddenly, the music switched up, and Yuuki smiled. "Perfect timing, enjoy Az," he said. Then, suddenly, just as before, the lights went dark, and as if someone or something forced her to flick, she knew she no longer held Yuuki's hands in this dance. When the lights came back on, she looked down towards the person with whom she suddenly seemed to be locked into a dance. At first, Az was confused, but then shrugged it off, knowing no matter who it might have been, they wore a mask just like hers, and were now locked hands with Az.

Az wanted to yell at Yuuki for luring her here, but she didn't, for some reason unknown to her. She looked at the girl and nodded, "Guess you will be my new dancing partner for this song then," she said, her voice calm and collected. The redhead was seeing if the girl wanted to lead the dance, otherwise, Az was not against leading her smaller partner in this song. "It would be my pleasure to take you for a dance tonight, if you want," She said, somehow surprising herself a bit, but honestly she did enjoy it.

@Ceres