tampered | (no subject)

(no subject)

WHO: YOU.
WHEN: Valentine’s Day, sundown – 4 a.m.
WHERE:

caughtthebullet estate, the Palace.

And what is a City overrun by Venice flair without its masque?

Come sundown, the overly-lit Palace, suffering under a sea of orchids and a white-and-gold palette, will be welcoming the ladies and gentlemen of our fair City as its guests to this year’s Valentine’s Day ball. Have no fear, the Palace staff has been given notice to help newcomers dock their gondolas!

Should they lack their own, ladies will be served a dance card, white cape and masque upon arrival. Gentlemen without can also be helped find a suitablemask.

Guests will not be introduced by name, but by their choice of pseudonym; instead, they can play the guessing game until masks are formally removed at midnight, giving their time, and maybe their hearts to some hopeful stranger.

jesusing_clown and a cohort of waiters will produce the evening’s treats;

taravata will be attending on any task that calls for strong arms and keen balance;

risetwice’s patisserie will be providing breads, cakes, and the evening’s tort; and

eagleofautozam has promised sweets and candied souvenirs.

The ball’s sponsor and delightful host,

caughtthebullet passes his compliments, and the

sparkling_by puts himself at your service.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Please, be welcome.

[ooc: up very early, but you know what to do! Thread, threadjack, take advantage of the masks for cute shenanigans, and most of all, have fun! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Forbid it? Like I need your permission."

He probably can't see it underneath the cover on her face, but Angela's pleased smile is evident in her voice. She reaches over and straightens his already straight tie, just to keep her hands busy. His suit and chivalry certainly pass her judgement and she shows this with an approving nod.

"You have all night. The clock is still ticking and my dance card is still blank, though."

"I would throw myself to the ground in front of those decadent shoes to keep you here for a moment longer."

Hm, perhaps that was laying it on a bit thick, he wasn't Finnick Odair and never would be, but still. He took one of her hands and stepped back, motioning for her to give a little pirouette so he could see the full effect.

"Tell, me. What is this dance card I keep hearing so much about this evening?"

A bit thick? Not even close. To Angela, she's convinced he's been taking lessons in charm and flirtation from that green-eyed player, but she accepts it nonetheless, reveling in the attention she secretly enjoys.

She follows his direction, turning slowly for him to see that her usual curls have been straightened out into a tight updo with clips and a stargazer lily tucked at the base of her bun. That was a last minute addition by her just for fun due to a certain conversation about them being her favorite. "I'm supposed to write down the names of all the men I plan on dancing with tonight. It's old-fashioned, but I can deal with it for the night. It might come in helpful remembering who I spoke to if I drink too much."

She truly was a living work of art, well worth the looks she was getting from passers-by. And he made a mental note of the flower as well, it suited her.

"Is it impolite to request a few of those for me? Or is it ladies' choice only?"

The dance card is hanging off her wrist that by its blue ribbon and Angela lifts her hand and shakes it, enough to make the small booklet dance back and forth.

"You can request," she replies, "But it's a lady's prerogative to say no after all." There might be a couple of other people she will ask for a friendly dance from, but Cinna's in luck as most of the spaces on Angela's mental card has his name printed in them.

He reached out with a tentative hand, an open question as to whether or not he was permitted to see the book. "I have to admit, it is an elegant solution, though I wonder if I'll recognize any of the dances. I'm still learning them."

And admittedly, he'd tried to do some cramming since Angela had agreed to accompany him, but he wasn't sure how much he'd remember. Perhaps he should have asked Finnick for assistance.

Angela really doesn't care if Cinna's skills lie more in crafting fabric to bodies over making slick moves on the dancefloor. As long as he makes make great company tonight, nothing else matters. Holding out her hand, Angela doesn't make any attempts to untie the ribbon, instead allowing Cinna to make that decision for himself.

"If you can move side to side and not step on my feet, you'll survive."

"I think I can manage at least that much."

He undid the delicate ribbon and opened the book. Seeing the blank dance card he tsk'd lightly. "I really am the first to mark your card, aren't I?" He pulled a small pencil he'd been given and perused his options.

"I'll take that as a promise."

Angela shrugs playfully at his question, pushing the mask off her face. Surely this breaks the rules of the ball, but she didn't put on a ton of makeup just to have it hidden behind paper-mâché and paint.

"Considering that you're my date for the night, it would be rude if I gave the honor of the first dance to someone else."

With that comment, Cinna casually penciled his name into the first and last dances, as well as one or two between. He tucked the pencil back into his jacket pocket and closed the card.

"It is an honor, but don't feel badly if you want to have your fun elsewhere this evening. I won't hold you to any promises made during a curse." Although he had to admit, he would be a little disappointed.

"I was still lucid during that curse. I accepted your offer because I wanted to and not because I was cursed to, didn't I?" Angela replies as she gently plucks her card from Cinna's hand. She takes a minute to awkwardly tie the card back on, distracting her from asking if this was just a casual date or if he wanted more after the palace kicked them out for the night. Either one is fine with Angela and this much is obvious as she looks back up at Cinna, brown eyes shining with a smile.

"I do owe Finnick one waltz as payment for his help in me picking out this dress, but I don't see why you can't have the rest of them."

"Well, I will have to steal Katniss for a dance, perhaps some of my other clients, for form's sake if nothing else."

He offered a hand, matching her smile with one of his own. Who knew where the evening would end? It certainly had been a long time since he'd considered enjoying himself like this. Maybe it was time.

"But the rest of my time is all yours my dear. Shall we begin?"

"Don't forget to dance with Finnick. It'll break his heart if anybody forgot him." Angela lays her hand in his and lets him take the lead on this dance. It's only ladylike to.

"Why the hell not?" So much for being ladylike.

[ooc: Around midnight, she's gonna dip out on him because of an emergency, but she'll totally make it up to him later.]

Finding an empty spot on the dance-floor, Cinna pulled Angela close to him with a warm hand on her hip and with a quick check at the movements around him so he knew which dance he was doing. Confident it was something he could manage, he began to move them in a small circle.

"Ah, but what if his dance card is already full? I'd hate to deprive him of one of his little friends. He might actually pout and I'd never hear the end of it."

[ooc: Awwww, Cinna ain't gettin' any. That's... par for the course. The Chase thing?]

She breathes deep as they cross the room, passing other couples, familiar and stranger alike. A firm hand on his shoulder is a signal that he's doing just fine on the waltz the band starts playing. Another deep breath and Angela's hypnotized by Cinna's scent, whether its natural or from a bottle.

"I'm sure he'll find a way to erase a name to put in the name of the man who dressed him for this shindig," Angela answers, voice low. "It's only fair."

[ooc: There is always tomorrow, Cinna! And yeah, sadly she is the type to run when a friend is in trouble.]

Cinna leans a bit so he can speak softly, "Ah, but now that the man has a beautiful woman in his arms, he might not want her to leave."

But there's a teasing chuckle in his voice, certainly, if it looks like Finnick could use a break from his admirers, Cinna will provide a happy distraction. It is the least he could do for a friend. But now that he's in the moment, it's far too easy to remember how long it has been since he'd danced with someone he was actually attracted to. It made an intoxicating change from the Capitol affairs of home and he could only imagine how Finnick was handling it.

Choice, control...

[ooc: Tell me he's at least getting a good night kiss for his troubles.]

Edited 2011-02-15 06:33 (UTC)

"Hmm." Angela hums lightly, just enough to send vibrations from her body to Cinna's as she presses her cheek against his. Little does Cinna know he's providing a distraction to Angela who hasn't fully let herself let go and relax in a handful of months' time. The music finds its way deep under her skin, and the tension she didn't realize she was carry in her should melts away. "I can't tell if you're talking about Finnick or yourself."

[ooc: Oh definitely.]

Edited 2011-02-15 06:36 (UTC)

Sliding the mask to the top of his head, he let her see his face and his smile, "I assure you, this would be all me for once." Cinna can feel her relax, the same way Katniss does when they're at home and safe and she's not worried about walls or attacks and he's oddly touched by the sensation, falling silent for a moment. A voice in the back of his mind whispers that now would be a very good time to reconsider what he's doing. It may not be the Capitol, where any friend he had was a target, any potential lover marked, but... habits are hard to break.

So Cinna makes a willing choice and slides his hand a little further down her back and pulls Angela a little tighter to him. "And thank you for it."

It's a choice Angela allows Cinna to make and she makes one of her own by pressing herself up against him, but not before she pushes his mask a little farther back so she can see all of his face up close and personal. Maybe she's staring a little too intently, but Angela can't help but memorize the curve of his jaw and the way his eyelashes cast a heavy shadow on his cheekbones. Her fingers twitch in the slightest way, aching to have a pencil or a piece of charcoal between them to sketch what she sees.

"Why me?" She means thanking her. He's paid her a plethora of compliments tonight, but that one goes above her head a little.

"You're reminding me that I can do this. Enjoy something for myself."

It's a simple admission, but one difficult to make. How long has he dedicated himself to others, first to make them beautiful, then to make them symbols? How much of his emotion has he poured into his work instead of feeling it himself? When was the last time he simply took something, instead of bartering for it, giving something up in return. This night of dancing is more than a little selfish, and perhaps long overdue.

"You're allowed to. It's not a crime."

But Angela understands. Her reminder to him is a reminder to herself. It's why she finally relaxed the way she did, in a much more calm and familiar situation, dressed to the nines. Tonight, she wants to forget all her problems if only for a few hours and let her metaphorical hair down around somebody who didn't expect her to be happy-go-lucky all of the time.

"But hey, now that I know, I'll make sure to call you up and remind you to enjoy yourself every so often. I might even call you at 3am and make you go to karaoke with me," she laughs, all pearly white teeth, as she turns them around towards a quieter corner of the hall. "And you're not allowed to say no."

Where he came from, things were different, but the twisted and sick ins and outs of the Capitol aren't things he's willing to dwell on tonight and so it's with a slight rais of the eyebrow that he lets her move them across the floor as he tries to decipher what it was she just said.

"Karaoke? What is- is that the thing with the singing that you took Finnick to?" It sounds somewhat terrifying and as much as Cinna can think of worse things to be woken up to do, that one ranks fairly high so far as the City is concerned.

Angela hums a yes without saying much more than that as she concentrates on taking the lead for a moment until they're far enough from the band to talk without having to raise their voice over the instruments. She has no idea what really goes on in Panem, other than her assumptions that the Capitol is full of fashion and illicit affairs and each district is known for something. It's a complete farce of what the place really is, but considering she gets all her information from Finnick, well, it's no surprise that she only knows of the shiny parts.

"Believe it or not, it's actually fun. Especially when everybody's too drunk to realize you don't know the words or can sing. Or both, even." Her body relaxes against Cinna's again, a little more than it did earlier, as she gives him back the honor of being the lead. "We should go sometime."

Yes, that is her way of asking him out on an actual date.

"Only if you promise to not make me sing..." He leans her back into a short dip, "...the first time."

It's his way of hoping there will be more than one date. He knows there's no way he's getting up on a stage in front of strangers right away, it's his clothing that decorates on stage, not him.

The dip takes her by surprise but Angela doesn't squeal. She just waggles her eyebrows at Cinna.

"Only if you promise to sing the second and third times."

He might be in luck. Angela's willing to give more than one chance to more than one date.