Masquerade Ball - Totally not an ambush

[hiken]

Who: Anyone going to the Corsair Island Masquerade Ball!
Where: ...IDK?
When: April 26th - 27th (Early AM)
What: The Masquerade Ball + Ambush (12am)
Warnings: D for dancing, V for violence, A for Ace, L for Luffy
Style: Action or prose.
Status: Open to anyone attending!

There are going to be two main threads. One for the ball itself and the other for the Ambush! There will be an obligatory third thread for FASHION. Just remember to tag your muse in the subject header and OTA or 'Closed to ???' as you comment.

Comments

[om_nom_namur]

[Oh shit, busted! Namur drops his head below the waves again, but the next swell pushes him a little too far up onto the rocky shore to hide. And... hell. Maybe it's one of the pirates, come back early to try and get at their ship. Either way he'll have to deal with her. No point in dragging it out. So he stands to full height and makes his way up the beach, waves crashing all around.

He could swear he's smelled her somewhere before...]

Party's thataway. [He waves his arm almost like he's shooing a dog.] Get yerself a li'l bit turned 'round?

[the_grey_lady]

[she tilts her head to the side and folds her hands in front of her]

My, my, it seems I must have. [sigh] The sea is so beautiful at night, don't you think? I'm quite taken with it.

[om_nom_namur]

Uh... Yeah, but...

[Wow, no freaking out because aaaack a monster just came out of the sea? Namur squares his shoulders and starts circling around, just out of reach if she happens to have a sword or something.]

Look sweetheart, this ain't a good place t' be dippin' yer toes in the water, a'ight? Expectin' some crazy shit t' come washin' up with the tide an' it'd be a shame if y' stepped in it.

[the_grey_lady]

[She watches him circle when he is in her range of eyesight, without moving her body or turning her head]

Perhaps I enjoy the mystery. Yet [she taps her fingers to her cheek] I believe I've already seen the, how did you put it, 'crazy shit' wash out of the water and I dare say I find myself rather intrigued by him.

[om_nom_namur]

[Namur points and opens his mouth to retort but it dies in his mouth. He really piled that up perfectly then stepped in the dead center.]

Oh ho. See what y' did there.

[One thing he's pretty sure, this isn't that Codi 'maid. Voice is wrong and this one jabs with a hell of a lot more precision.]

Guess yer gonna have t' jus' live wonderin'. Got shit needs doin', but if yer Navy that'll muck it all up worse'n a hagfish with a cold.

[the_grey_lady]

[she laughs lightly]

My apologies, kind sir. I am not affiliated with the Navy, no, though I appreciate the warning. Alas, however, I will be missed so I must return, however...

[she holds out a hand]

Would you honor me with a dance?

[om_nom_namur]

[It's Namur's turn to cant his head to the side, and pull it back a little while he's at it.

Because what. the. hell. even?]

Shit, the hell'd I do? Suddenly Mr. Totally Damn Popular.

[He runs a hand over his hair and checks the air towards the ship. Nothing tastes amiss yet, so that's a good sign. And he has to admit, he's curious, too. The woman's haki presence is surprisingly strong. Whoever she is, she isn't someone to spurn lightly. Namur blinks, then smirks, rising from his half crouch and advancing.]

Never been one t' leave a lady hangin'. Got a beat, sweetheart?

[the_grey_lady]

Surely you can't be so surprised? After all, good men are exceedingly difficult to find.

[she grasps the skirt of her gown, lifting it slightly as if to prepare for dancing and dips into a polite curtsy]

Can you hear the music from here?

[she can, a faint waltz is swirling down from the main hall]

[om_nom_namur]

[His hearing is generally better than a human's, so he hears it nice and clear. Namur raises an eyebrow at the curtsy and takes her hand, pulling her up close. He expects a knife in his gut or a gunshot at any moment, though he feels no ill intent except from the hall up the hill and the ships skulking in the waters outside of the inlet. There's time for a breath as he draws himself up into as close as the right position as he can get by throwing his shoulders back and sucking in the base of his fin, then the downbeat hits, and he launches himself into motion.]

[the_grey_lady]

[she moves with him gracefully with the easy steps of someone who is perhaps as used to dancing as she is to other more aggressive things. After a moment, she gives a low chuckle]

You're certainly quite tall, are you not? And fearsome. What great teeth you have, my friend. What bright eyes. Perhaps it's the lure of danger that draws women to you?

[om_nom_namur]

Guess if they're bein' lured in, that'd do it. An' chemistry.

[That's what draws him most, after all. Bursts of emotion spurred by chemicals coursing through the body. The right kind of burst is like a drug floating in the air. Her chemistry's confusing, but he recognizes a few things. One of them he's willing to change.]

Got y' figured out now, sweetheart.

[It may be a bluff. But his shoulders slump forward just a little as he relaxes into the tempo and presses forward, moving the woman deliberately over the sand. Taking control. He sends her out in a spin so he can pull her back tight against him, feeding her momentum into a series of quick swirling steps, like being caught up in a maelstrom.]

[the_grey_lady]

[she flows with the steps like water, allowing him to lead her where he will, responding to the push and pull of the steps as easily as if she'd decided them herself.]

Are you quite sure? [said teasingly]

[om_nom_namur]

Hell yeah.

[Even if he isn't... entirely. He's gonna smile like a punk and claim it anyway and that's almost as good as truth. A few more turns and it's the perfect moment for a dip. Namur brushes his fingers down her arm before helping her ease back onto her feet, taking her hand in his again and leading her into another series of underarm turns.]

[the_grey_lady]

[she laughs delighted as he dips her and shakes her head at the fingers before she's spun again. The waltz ends on a sweet note and she spins to a stop, skirt swirling around her legs. She pulls out of his grip and smiles at him.]

Thank you for that.

[she leans up as much as she can to kiss as close to his cheek as she can get. Then smacks him on the ass most soundly before making her way back up the hill]

[om_nom_namur]

[Namur is left on the beach, blinking in confusion. One moment he'd been pressing the advantage, then it was like she turned into a sea nymph, barely more corporeal than water itself. A slow, deep blush creeps over his cheeks and nose as he grins again, watching her sweep away.]

Well. Damn.