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! ]

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Cameron hasn't exactly been searching for him, but she certainly kept an eye out for Derek. When she spots someone that could be him, she walks over. Champagne flute in one hand, Cameron stops in front of the stranger-that-is-most-likely-Derek, smiling.

"Enjoying the evening?"

Derek turns, his head tilting down and back up as he looks over the woman in front of him. She's pretty, actually statuesque is a better description, in a stunning kind of way. And he grins, one that reaches his eyes so that it's obvious he's grinning beneath the mask. "So far. And looking like you do, I'm sure you're enjoying it too."

Cameron recognises the voice and her smile turning into a grin to answer his, and she steps a little closer. Under normal circumstances, the obvious once-over would make her roll her eyes or laugh, but she hasn't dressed up quite this much since her best friend's wedding and for once, the look just gave her a brief moment of smug satisfaction.

"I really can't complain. Maybe I should thank the person who convinced me to come here."

He knows who it is now and that makes him smile behind that mask as well. He put an index finger to the lobe of one ear and tilted his head. "I'm listening, pretty girl." He teased.

Cameron's shaking her head in amusement, but she does lean closer, standing on tip-toes to whisper a thank you into his ear before dropping back down and stepping back, sipping some champagne to hide her grin.

"Happy now?"

With those heels she's at eye level to him. But when she leans in to whisper in his ear, he instinctively dips his head and feels the slightest hint of goosebumps breaking out over his neck. His grin grows as she pulls away again and he offers a nod of approval. "Very. You still up for playing teacher?"

"I did come for the very reason of passing my meagre waltzing abilities on to you, so yeah." She places her champagne flute - now empty - on a near table and smiles at him. "So, how much do you know? Do I start from the very beginning?"

[ooc; ffff she's tiny. I don't know how tall Derek is, but even in three inch heels she'd be... 5 foot 6 or so?]

"I'm pretty sure it's a three count dance maybe kind of like the the two-step, but I could be wrong." He paused only for a moment. "In fact I'm pretty sure I'm wrong."

"Well, you got the three count part right." She points at a couple waltzing past them - quite literally waltzing, that is - and nods. "Those two have good posture and dance hold, but that's for later."

She gathers her long dress up in one hand, revealing high heels and just the start of her legs, and shows him the steps, counting softly under her breath. It's been a while since she's danced anything, but she still remembers at least the basics.

Looking down, Derek watches her movements. The smile on his lips grows crooked and he shakes his head in a visible sign that he really isn't sure he can actually waltz. Sure he's got rhythm but this is waltzing. A guy from the wrong side of the tracks in Chicago really didn't stand a chance at waltzing.

"Alright, alright. Wait a minute." He takes one of her hands in his, still watching her feet.

Cameron smiles, a little reassuring and a little teasing all rolled into one. "The basic is not that difficult." To prove it, she takes his other hand, places it on her back and starts moving again, slowly counting along with her steps. It's just one step forward, one step sidewards and a close.

His hold firm on her hand and the other resting lightly at the small of her back, he looks down and tries to mimic her movements. He stop-starts a few times, counting along with her in his mind. "You might regret taking me on, pretty girl. Maybe I should just go ahead and apologize now for whatever's about to happen."

"If it gets too bad, we can always skip the waltzing and just dance." While speaking she keeps moving with him, introucing a bit of a turn to their movements. "But you're not chickening out on me yet, are you?" Openly teasing, now.

"Not yet. Just offering you an out in case you get tired of this or I start embarrassing you." He teases back, his feet mirror-mimicking hers fairly well now... until that turn. But he only misses a beat and quickly recovers. "Hey now, we're getting complicated there."

"I'm wearing a mask and haven't revealed my identity to anyone but you," Cameron laughs. "Why would I be embarrassed?"

Then she pauses briefly - just in speech, not in movement - and tilts her head. "Huh. Saying that makes me feel like some kind of superhero with a secret identity."

She throws him a sly look from under the mask. "Can't handle a little twirling?" And because he managed fairly well and it is supposed to be a waltz, she does it again, and again, until they're turning with every step and actually moving through the room instead of staying on one place.

"Well you got the superhero part down. The secret identity is... well you'd have to work on that." Through the eye hole of his mask there's a wink. His grip on her hand tightens a bit at the unexpected twirls but after a few, that grip eases up a bit and he's moving fairly well with her.

And soon enough, he even takes over the roll of leading her over the dance floor. "Woah, look at that... just like a pro. My family would never believe I'm doing this."

"I'd make a terrible superhero, unless you count a high heel obsession as a superpower." She's grinning an shaking her head at the same time. It's been a while since she's had quite this much fun. It makes her think back to her best friend's weding, and that thought gives her pause for a moment. Amy's wedding was the first time she slept with Jack, and she wonders if this - flirting and dancing an having fun - isn't cheating in some way. She misses him, of course she does, but it becomes a little more bearable every day. Shouldn't she-- Cameron shakes her head again, this time in an unconscious movement designed to get rid of the thoughts, and wills herself back into the here and now.

"You're doing well," she notes, a hint of pride in her voice. "Why would your family not believe you? Waltz not your kind of thing?"

"Hey I count it as a superpower. Those heels make for some pretty sexy legs." He spun them around a few times on the dance floor. "Not really my kind of thing at all. My sisters would be shocked to see it and my Momma... well Momma would be proud, I guess. She was always proud no matter what I did."

"Taking down criminals by means of sexy legs, one day at a time." Cameron rolls her eyes. "Yeah, right." But she's laughing again, and spinning with him until his face - well, the mask - is the only thing still in focus, the rest of the room a little blurred. "You have sisters?" she asks, curiosity perking up.

"It's good to have someone proud of you, supporting you." It's said lightly, but there's a sadness in her voice that wasn't there before.

(ooc; Hi! Hi! *flails* I was wondering. Do you have AIM or such?)

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