bluh bluh huge ball

[thalassino]

Characters: Vatheon
Location: That Castle
Time: Evening, on Sunday
Style: Any
Status: OPEN. Threadjack, threadhop, spam away!

[ Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen of Vatheon— whatever your newfound stature may be, Prince, Princess, Knight, or Peasant, you will all receive a message on your SFC on the eve of Saturday regardless:

You are cordially invited to the castle for this evening's ball. In addition, you are all welcome to try and solve the riddle if it fancies you. It just may break the curse!

The invitation is unsigned, but its intentions are clear. Maybe you hadn't quite noticed the sizeable castle in the distance of the city that had sprung up, but this message would surely garner your attention toward it now.

Should you arrive at the castle, plenty of attractions await you:

Ballroom ❧ A very large and beautiful ballroom is lighted up, complete with a playing violin orchestra. While the curtains will be drawn during this event, there is a windowed view and exit on one side of the ballroom that leads to:

Smee's Rose Garden ❧ A broad and colorful spanse of a garden, complete with many paths and turns. Plenty of roses are arranged in great arches, which provide perfect little places should you need some privacy with your sweetheart. Anyone familiar will even tell you that the garden was purposefully designed for just that sort of thing.

The Riddle ❧ There is an inscription located on a noticeable plaque set in one of the garden's benches. It reads:

Two are necessary to break this curse
Riled up, upset, what kind of love?
Only this kiss will stop it from getting worse.
Look for a winged one is push comes to shove,
Look for a glance slightly dark,
Search for a pair in reluctant love.
One answers a call; that's your mark;
One longs for patria though adverse.

Dining Hall ❧ Connected to the ballroom is an extremely long hall that stretches as far as the eye can see, elegantly arranged as the dining area. Expensive and exquisite cuisine seem to be on the menu— try something new? Chances are you won't be eating from a selection such as this again anytime soon!

Dais ❧ There is a noticeable raised dais that is easily visible via any area within the ballroom. It's locked off from guests, though— what is it for...?

Do enjoy. ]

Comments

[aim_exorable]

[Don't mind if Darkleer actually decides to join you for once, Dualscar.]

Wishing for some company, sir?

[devwocean]

[He frowns up at the centaur, wary.] Perhaps. Are you offering?

[aim_exorable]

[No wariness here. Just a steady, calm amusement as he smirks down at the other.] Let us say I am. Would you accept?

[devwocean]

[The amusement pisses him off, but he flicks his tail irritably and gestures offhandedly] I suppose I wwould. You might provvide some amusement, hoofbeast.

[aim_exorable]

Only some, sir?

[The smirk turns a bit more sly as he settles down besides the fountain. Wow that sure is a change from Darkleer's usual schtick.]

[devwocean]

[Dualscar pushes forward, so his lower body is mostly beached on the rim of the fountain near Darkleer]

Wwhat's up wwith you?

[aim_exorable]

I am simply enjoying myself. The night is quite fine, after all, wouldn't you agree?

[With that tail now in reach, Darkleer idly draws a finger down the scales.]

The water seems to be treating you well enough.

[devwocean]

[Dualscar twitches in surprise, his tail flicking up, and it's an effort not to pull it out of Darkleer's reach. Up to now the blue-blood's been standoffish at best, outright sarcastic and offensive at worst, and now he's flirting?]

Wwater's my natural habitat. Are you drinkin' or something?

[aim_exorable]

[Flirting? Who's flirting? Darkleer is simply admiring a very fine specimen of aquatic biology. Can't he do that? He's quite the nature lover.]

[Right now, emphasis on 'lover'.]

I have not yet indulged, no. It has crossed my mind. [Quite often, in fact, and Darkleer is not normally a drinker.] Would you care for some, however?

[Another slow drag of his fingers down Dualscar's tail, curious to see it twitch again.]

[devwocean]

[Dualscar's confused now, and that makes him wary and nervous. And being wary and nervous makes him angry. He grits his teeth, trying to decide if he likes that weird, nice feeling of Darkleer's fingers on his scales]

Yes, sure. Go get me somethin' to drink.

[At least it'll give him a chance to compose himself]

[aim_exorable]

[Well, if it makes any difference, Darkleer certainly likes doing it. He likes doing it so much, in fact, that his fingers go right up to where skin meets scale, lingering on the seadweller's hipbone.]

Wine, then? They have much to spare.

[devwocean]

[Dualscar almost slaps the hand away, suddenly aware of his nakedness in a way he hadn't been before. But instead he just grips Darkleer's wrist, looking up to meet the centaur's gaze]

Yes, get me some wwine. And next time, ask me before you start gettin' fresh.

[aim_exorable]

Fresh, sir?

[As he begins to rise to his hooves, he just so happens to get rather close to Dualscar's face, blue eyes half lidded and confident, not even bothering to fake innocence.]

I hardly know what you mean. Now then. I shall return in a moment. Please be patient.

[Pulling his arm away, he rises properly up and begins to trot away.]

[devwocean]

[Snort.] I bet you don't.

[He scoots back into the water, resting his arms on the fountain edge instead and watching that horsey backside trot away. What the hell is going on here?]

[aim_exorable]

[A few minutes later, and Darkleer returns, a large goblet of wine held carefully in one hand. Wordlessly, he holds it out to Dualscar.]

[devwocean]

Thank you. [He takes the goblet and shifts up to recline on the edge again, deciding that if Darkleer wants to look, and maybe touch a little, he's not going to be a wiggler about it.] So wwhat has you in such a good mood?

[aim_exorable]

There are quite a few things to be satisfied of tonight. Tonight is when the royalty gather, or so I've been told.

[Settling down again, he takes that invitation and runs down his entire palm this time like. His hand may be callused and rough, but his touch is carefully gentle.]

There is also good food, and apparently good wine... That would be enough to put quite a few in a good mood.

[devwocean]

[Okay, that's a bit more than he had expected, and his tail flicks uncertainly. He takes a swallow of the wine, trying to relax. It IS good]

You don't drink, really?

[He eyes the centaur's flank thoughtfully, then looks around to make sure no one's watching before reaching out and giving him a pat.]

[aim_exorable]

[That's almost shy, Dualscar. Darkleer could like you more if you were less of an arrogant seadweller and more like this, even if he knows it's just an attempt at keeping up an image. He could also like you more if you stopped touching the horns of the troll he is trying to paletap.]

I never said that. I simply haven't had a chance to tonight. I have been busy talking to the other inhabitants of this place.

[By which we mean flirting. He has been flirting an awful lot. Like right now, as he continues to stroke along Dualscar's tail.]

[devwocean]

[Dualscar's tail flaps like an irritated seal and he can't help but watch the hand stroking down his side, where his legs and hip would be if he had either. He squirms a little]

Wwell maybe noww that you're sittin' here, you could havve one. I wwouldn't mind. It's wweird to drink alone, in any case, especially wwith you wwatching me.

[aim_exorable]

[He likes watching you squirm, Dualscar.]

[Just FYI.]

[Bowing his head down almost modestly, Darkleer nonetheless keeps his eyes focused on Dualscar almost intently.]

I apologize. I meant no disrespect. Are you certain I may indulge in my lesser nature?

[devwocean]

[He takes a drink from his own goblet, eyeing Darkleer with irritated confusion]

You don't havve much choice, to my mind. If you wwant a drink, then get it. I'm not goin' anywwhere.

[aim_exorable]

[So let's recap.]

[Dualscar wants Darkleer to drink with him. Dualscar gave permission for him to 'indulge in his lesser nature'. However, Dualscar is also not going anywhere, and told him to get his own drink.]

[Well, let it never be said that Darkleer is not obedient.]

Thank you kindly, sir.

[More movement, but this time, the way he shifts forward isn't to help himself get up. Oh no. Instead, it's to get closer to Dualscar's face. One hand curls beneath the seadweller's chin, and then he's pressing their lips together.]

[What? He's getting a drink to taste the wine. If the wine happens to be in Dualscar's mouth...]

1/2

[rebull]

[Ignore the rather angry sounding fox noises from a near by bush, followed by some cursing because ow ow ow ow thorns ow. Why is this making him so mad?!]

[ALSO, HAH. NOTHING HAPPENED. THE KISS DID NOTHING.]

2/2

[rebull]

[Right, shit, nothing happened... he's still, the same. Dangit.]