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

[maskedtyrant]

((ooc: Involves mask! Just poke me if this isn't okay.))

Well, little magpie, you certainly tend to attract interesting company. A familiar-yet-not-so-familiar masked woman has spotted Elissa's antics and is quick to wave in her general direction with a wide grin, and casual sips of her wine.

[elissacousland]

Elissa's brows lift beneath her mask when she spies the Tyrant and she sends an answering grin to the other woman. Snagging another little plate of puffed, savory tidbits from a waiter, she wends her way through the crowd. "I did not expect to see you here," she says with a laugh while holding the plate out in offering. She lowers her voice to add, "If you were on the official invitation list, we may need to have serious words in a more private location."

[maskedtyrant]

Now it's the Tyrant's turn to laugh, although it's much less dignified--she nearly sputters on her drink and just barely misses taking Elissa's plate of food with her on the save.

"Goodness! No--with these chumps?" It takes a considerable amount of effort for Codi to lower her voice again. "Trust me, I'm just as surprised as you are. Apparently the memo for this masquerade was much more...widespread than I could have anticipated."

[elissacousland]

The Grey Warden-turned-pirate perceptibly relaxes just a little more at the other woman's reassurances. "Good. If I thought I'd shared my little talents with the wrong sorts..." She trails off her mildly stated threat and winks at the Tyrant.

"Try these little shellfish pastries. The puffed ones. I had to force myself away from the buffet lest I created a spectacle of myself."

[maskedtyrant]

The Tyrant nods and accepts one of the offered pastries--but she has to remember that she's on business, here. Having formally met Elissa at this point, keeping up that persona is becoming an actual effort.

So she only takes one. It is, as promised, delicious, and Codi is very happy for this.

After a pause to properly savor the treat, she responds. "I would be more worried that others learn of your talents without you realizing it," the Tyrant grins. "You don't talk to people for very long, but you do hover around their purses for a lot longer. How soon before they start catching on, do you wonder?"

[elissacousland]

"Hrmph. Surely, I am more subtle than you say," she quietly grumps, but it was true she had enjoyed more of that marvelous, bubbly wine than was probably wise. "But I shall heed your advice. I'd hate to be caught by these fools. I would be terribly shamed."

Elissa pops another of the tidbits into her mouth.

[maskedtyrant]

"Hmm--me too." Codi drowns the last of her current mouthful of shellfish with a gulp of champagne, then sneaks another from Elissa's plate. "You'd think, for an organization that can throw a party like this, they wouldn't be such a dull lot to talk to. It's a good thing there are so many of our kind here to spice things up, yeah?"

[elissacousland]

"Have you taken note of that many? I find we are blending in quite well - either that or I simply am not that well-acquainted with other crews," was said in a discreet aside. "Wouldn't it be funny, if I have flirted with others of our kind without knowing it?"

[maskedtyrant]

The Tyrant nods and pops her second morsel. She at least has the decent manners to finish chewing before the inevitable grin splits her face.

"Who's to say you haven't?"

[elissacousland]

Elissa can't help but to laugh at the question. "If I point some of them out to you, you could tell me," she added with a grin of her own in an amused whisper. "Considering that I have been flitting about since I arrived, I daresay I have mingled with both friend and foe."

[maskedtyrant]

Codi hums in amusement. "I'm sure they'll let you know when we disperse," she chuckles. All but one, of course. "I like to think that they're playing along. Makes it more fun that way, doesn't it?"

[elissacousland]

"Ah, but what if they do not know me well enough to recognize me? We may never truly discover that we've passed... well. Like pirates in the night?" she chuckled.

[maskedtyrant]

The irony continues! The Tyrant smirks and gently bounces on her heels. "Well, it is a masquerade, yes? It's all about the mystery, the near-misses, the intrigue..." she trails off with an absent wave of her hand. "...so on, you get the idea. Kind of romantic, isn't it?"

[elissacousland]

With a small, dreamy smile, Elissa agreed, "I suppose that it is. There are many handsome men here this evening, but I should not have had nearly so much fun thus far, had I not been able to dance with my favorite one of all."

She sighed, half-amused, half-irritated. "Alas, our meeting was brief and I had to distract a Navy man that interrupted our retreat to the terrace. I suppose I shouldn't complain as it means I've won a sizable wager."

[maskedtyrant]

Codi pretends to be surprised. It is, in reality, thinly-veiled annoyance; so Haytham actually showed up and danced?! She had so much money riding on that! Curses!

Granted, that wasn't the entire wager--and she can't help but make sure that the claim holds. "A prince charming? Sweep you off your feet on the dance floor, did he?"

[elissacousland]

If you keep making her smile so much, Elissa's cheeks are going to start aching, Tyrant. "Swept me into a dance and made certain our path took us behind one of the pillars so that he could steal a quick kiss without missing a step," she agreed as she lightly swayed to the current music.

"I am fairly certain that my heart is doing its best to beat its way past my defenses. I may be in trouble."

[maskedtyrant]

As irritated as Codi is that she's lost her bet, she can't help but be happy for Elissa and Haytham's successful date. That had been the initial hope, after all...too bad that it would come at a price. What she does for the sake of love!

The Tyrant's smile turns tight as she tries to hold back a grin. "Aye, don't let it get to your head too much," she says. "There's still work to do."

[elissacousland]

"True enough - though that work frightens me far less than my ..." She trails off as she realizes she was about to divulge far too much to this masked stranger. Instead, Elissa offers the plate to the Tyrant, adding, "Another?"

[maskedtyrant]

The Tyrant takes the bait, but doesn't drop the subject. "Thanks," she nods, reaching for another shellfish pastry, before dragging the conversation back where she wanted it. "--Your what?"