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

[uccellodifuoco]

[Then he's playing the role perfectly. Ikki accepts the drink, taking a ship and looking around before talking in a very low tone to him.]

Remind me why coming to the ball part was better than waiting outside.

[fierybluebird]

[Information.]

[Marco has to think on a code word for that though.]

So you can learn something.

[uccellodifuoco]

Learn something, of course. Couldn't you have just passed me the notes of today's class? I could have been sick and unable to come to school.

[But he knows that Marco's right, information is important and they all have to do their best to get something. Though he honestly doubts that some of the Spades are even going to remember what they are supposed to do during the first part of the ball. Even after the forum Ace called for and where he exposed the full of the plans.]

You know that those social gatherings have never been my thing. My place's the battlefield, I didn't join for honours or rank, those aren't going to stop those bastards from killing children and attacking islands.

[Of course he means Isla Empieza and Kairi, not innocent nameless children all around the world and islands assaulted by pirates. But no one needs to know that and he has to play the part, hopefully he's doing it well enough.]

[fierybluebird]

Promotions aside, sometimes you have to play the game to get ahead, eh?

[uccellodifuoco]

I suppose. Though I'm more used to be played with than to play myself so don't bet too much on me.

[He takes another sip. Had Saori been there she probably would have been able to milk everything from everyone already, or come close to. This kind of thing was really her natural habitat, no matter how hard she tried.]

You seem to be more comfortable than what I expected.

[fierybluebird]

I love a good party. It's fun to blend in while no one else knows the full truth.

[uccellodifuoco]

Isn't not knowing the full truth the point of masquerade?

[A soft chuckle.]

[fierybluebird]

Exactly. That's what makes it fun.

Aren't you a little excited too?

[uccellodifuoco]

Excited isn't the word I would use. But even I'm not apathetic, that's for sure.

[He casts a glance around casually.]

They sure did a great job with decorations and all.

[fierybluebird]

[Marco bites his bottom lip for a second.]

[The whole discussion about Mars is still weighing on him, and enough that even he can't hide it all. He nods though.] Not bad at least, but there's a lot of royalty here so they went all out.

[uccellodifuoco]

Yes, a lot of royalty. And a lot of monkeys dressed up in silk who think they can pass as royalty just because of that.

[This time his tone is even lower almost just a mutter, as he disguises it with taking a sip from his drink. He smirks after that, focusing on Marco again.]

I bet that you have a full dance card for tonight, don't you?

[fierybluebird]

[His eyes spark in amusement.]

Guilty, yoi.

This kind of thing is like a battlefield, but with lesser stakes and greater rewards.

[uccellodifuoco]

I'm not sure about the stakes, or how it is like a battlefield. I've never had to compliment someone's clothing in the battlefield.

[No, really, how is this like a battlefield. Little brother is confused.]

[fierybluebird]

Tactics, my baby brother. Tactics.

[uccellodifuoco]

Pretty sure that if I used my usual tactics here the result would be different than in the battlefield.

[Though eventually it will boil down to that. As soon as Ace gives the signal. His eyes wander around apparently though he mostly does so to check if Ace is still not giving the signal.

At this rate Ikki will end punching someone just because Ace lifted his hand to wave or something.]

[fierybluebird]

Do you use the same strategy for all fields, no matter the terrain or circumstances?

[BUT HE CANNOT EVEN HIDE HOW AMUSED HE IS. Damn it Ikki you are like, the best bro. Where have you been all his life?]

[uccellodifuoco]

[He looks at Marco dead serious.]

Yes, with slight variations but still the same. It's a certified fool-proof strategy, guaranteed to work every time, why would I change it?

[It basically boils down to:
Is it someone/thing you can kill without remorse?
- Yes -> Is it someone/thing that can die?
{
-- Yes -> Burn/punch them until they die
-- No -> Burn/punch them until that changes and they die
}
- No -> Yell at them until they do what you want them to do]

[fierybluebird]

[JUST SHAKES HIS HEAD.]

[BRO.]

[BRO.]

[Bro, plz.]

[No wonder Ikki doesn't get along with Athena as well as he could.]

You're the type to hunt rabbits with a cannon, eh?

One day remind me to teach you how to use greater finesse. Saves you a lot of energy and work, eh.

[uccellodifuoco]

No, I'm the type that hunts rabbits by setting their dens and their surroundings on fire and smash whichever gets lucky enough to escape.

[A cannon isn't fun enough.]

If it's finesse what you want, though, I can do that too. Though some would say that it's better when I'm straight forward about it.

[Some crazy people think that locking others in their own minds, trapped in an eternal nightmare composed of their most terrible fears, some of which they may not have been aware of, until their nerves are destroyed due horror and shock followed by their minds cracking leaving only a breathing lump of meat is worse than just killing them. Figures.]