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

[the_grey_lady]

[She cants her head to the side, her hands in front of her, and smiles lightly]

Perhaps, kind sir. Are you offering me entertainment?

[donthithimintheballs]

[Never going to get used to people calling him kind. He can't even scoff that off for the moment. Not yet at least. He did snort, softly.]

Not sure I'm the kind of entertainment you'd enjoy, though I could offer you a dance, if you would be interested. [He's even trying to sound educated. Daww.] Otherwise, I might bore you.

[the_grey_lady]

You'd be surprised. Refinement I can get in spades. [she smiles]

But a pleasant dance with a rough around the edges gentleman, well, I can hardly say no.

[holds out a hand for him to take.]

[donthithimintheballs]

[Welp...]

[That set off almost ever warning alarm in his head.]

[He didn't really flinch, but the comment of spades, and pinning him as a rough around the edges gent? Damn it, he shaved and everything. He's being... grossly nice to people (when they were looking. The two guys he knocked out already were another thing).]

Then allow me. [he took her hand lightly, leading her out towards the edge of the ball room. Taking inventory on anything he CAN learn off her. Appearance. Smell. Temperature. Pulse if he can, anything. Someone to consider here.]

[the_grey_lady]

[she laughs lightly and allows herself to be lead onto the floor and into the dance.]

Are you enjoying yourself? I don't believe I've seen you at events like these before. Who are they recruiting these days?

[donthithimintheballs]

[he leads her out and this is some uncounted dance for him. He'll be full up on god damn dancing for a year or more.]

Strangely enough? [He lead with, smiling charmingly (or as charming as this big lug can)] I am enjoyin' myself. It's my first event. [neither of which were a lie...] And yourself? I take it you come to many of these events.

[the_grey_lady]

I've gone to my share of them, certainly.

[a quiet pause and she cants her head slightly]

However, I must say that you're quite polished for it being your first time. You should never reveal that it is, you know. Seeming to know what you are doing, when in fact, you do not, could be quite an ace up your sleeve, mm?

[donthithimintheballs]

That so?

[He canted his head a bit, still smiling, though he wasn't too keen on it anymore. And Ace up his sleeve, huh. There is another one. Who was this woman?]

Never said it wasn't my first party. [And it wasn't. He doesn't remember HOW he learned to dance, or the parties, but he remembers there was something there.]

Any other pointers, good lady?

[the_grey_lady]

[she gives him a long look and then sighs lightly]

Nothing that you would listen to, I'm afraid. Aye me... But at least there will be tonight.

[donthithimintheballs]

[a brow raise, hidden behind the mask.]

Try me.

[the_grey_lady]

[flatly]

No.

[and then lightly]

Some things take learning on your own, don't you think? How ever do you hope to succeed if you can't at least do that much?

[donthithimintheballs]

[Heh. Not exactly the answer he was looking for.]

My entire life is a new lesson learned. Sometimes it's nice to have a heads up, once in a while. [he gave a single shoulder shrug, very light as they danced. He doesn't like that he can't get a read on her.]

[the_grey_lady]

[another flat look and a silence that goes on perhaps longer than is strictly comfortable]

Tell me, are you always such a complete boor or am I just fortunate tonight?

[donthithimintheballs]

[it's an insult he's heard before, so that's nothing new.]

Guess you're just the unlucky one. Putting on graces tends to be boring.

[he takes a stab at it though, to see how many of those weird coincidences in speech were just that.] You know who I am though, don't you?

[the_grey_lady]

[she gives him a very long look. A look that he should obviously be very used to given his nature. Fortunately for them both, perhaps, the dance ends and she extricates herself from his grip]

Thank you for that...engaging moment.

[before turning away and slipping through the crowd.]

[donthithimintheballs]

[the song stops and he gives a small bow as she backs off. Heh. Striking out. That is damn normal, but this woman isn't normal at all. And no answer to his question. Yep. Doesn't like this one. He's going to try to keep an eye out for her. Navy maybe?]

My apologies that is wasn't more interesting, Miss. [was all he said out after her, trailing her a bit, but missing where she went. Yep. Don't like that one. This polite stuff was crap.]