[open] welcome to the masquerade

[implying]

Date & Time: Friday the 7th, 4pm to midnight.
Location: Palace of Versailles, France, 1772.
Characters: anyone! Even characters not yet accepted as of when this log goes up. 8)
Summary: It's just some fancy masquerade dance with spiked punch.
Warnings: here be pictures, slow connections beware.


Welcome to Versailles.

The decorations are arranged, the food is prepared and laid out, the music has been rehearsed, and... most people have their costumes and masks ready. At precisely 1600, the Transporter machine activates, and a full room of people and all of their decorations, food, musical instruments, and costumes are sent back to 1772. The Palace of Versailles is in the height of its splendor, the weather is perfect and cloudless, and the gardens are in full bloom for the spring.

➣ Explore the Palace

Holy shit look at this, you have the chance to get your grubby little fingers all over history before it even becomes properly history. Do you know how many famous butts sat in all these plush velvet chairs? Or are going to sit in these plush velvet chairs? And they were all probably just talking the hell out of French, too. Wow. Go invade some bedrooms, poke your head into the kitchens (but no more than that, or territorial cooking elves might take offense), just. Touch everything. Everything. Just know that where ever you are, there's no escaping that beautiful music your fellow Transports are inflicting on you, that shit's just echoing all over the place tonight.

➣ Admire the Gardens

Jeez look at this, these people just had way too much money. But you get to benefit from it! You can basically just get yourself lost for hours here, so try not to starve or anything. Meet all the statues, go streaking through the fountains (please don't, no one wants to see that), get lost and desperately burst through cute little trees in your increasingly frantic attempts to find the exit. There's all sorts of fun you can have!

Just don't wander too close to the edge of the grounds, or you'll encounter (run into?) the invisible forcefield set up to keep wandering guests from utterly ruining history. That's probably a good way to get yourself a bloody nose.

➣ Enjoy the Banquet

There's tables and tables of this finger-licking good finery here, and it's all for you. And can you believe how fancy it is? Oh my god, those sausages have adorable little spears through them. And those spoons gently cradling their cheesy goodness? Yeah. They're made of crackers. And don't even get me started on these desserts. This is amazing. You've never eaten this good. And naturally, each drink (some of which are spiked, you're welcome) has adorable little frozen flowers in the ice cubes. Who even comes up with this stuff? Elves, that's who.

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Comments

[notstubborn]

[ For the briefest of moments Elena regrets letting herself get talked into coming, for the briefest of moments she thinks she should've just ignored the calls, but then she turns her head to look at the other woman and all those thoughts and regrets dissipate.

Don't be selfish Elena, she thinks, you're not the only one suffering.

Yesterday was hard, effectively souring something that they should be excited about, instead only adds to their misery.

She sighs tucking some of her hair behind her ear (usually tied up, she let it down for the night), tapping a nail against her own glass. ]

Hey ─ [ The rest of whatever she was going to say doesn't make it past her lips. There isn't much she can say at this point. ]

[totallytrustworthy]

[if it wasn't for Elena, Chloe probably wouldn't have pressed the idea. Probably wouldn't have come at all. Distraction is, however, the easiest way to let pain slide off your shoulders, and no one needs or deserves it more than Elena Fisher right now. But Christ is it hard to look her square in the eyes, not after getting her bloody husband killed....

Chloe does her best regardless.]

Beautiful party.

[notstubborn]

[ Distractions, yes she is very much in need of distractions right now. The last two weeks haven't been her best weeks, she barely left her room or slept, though it is hard to see as such now. Dark circles and still fading bruises were hidden nicely underneath make up, but the tiredness still lingers in her eyes and posture. ]

Yeah, it is beautiful. [ She gives the room a quick look over. ] The palace is beautiful. [ I wish Nate was here to see it, goes unsaid but clings to every syllable.

She doesn't hold any blame against Chloe, it isn't her fault no matter what she thinks. If there is any blame to be placed she knows very well where to put it. ]

[totallytrustworthy]

He would've hated it. [She says that like she has a right to. Feels awful for even mentioning it afterwards, but if she's faking it, she's got to fake it like her hands are clean; showing guilt would only make Elena feel like everything's off even more than usual. Not a helpful way to focus on the moment instead of the past, anyway.]

[notstubborn]

You're right. [ It hurts, feels like someone punched the air out of her lungs, but she swallows it down and forces up a smile. ] Not nearly enough to pilfer.

[ She shakes her head, bringing her glass to the lips and throws back a little too much of her wine. ]

[totallytrustworthy]

[There's an awkward pause as Chloe watches her gulp down more of her wine. Tries to pretend she's taking in the scenery, but with the expression she's carrying, that's a blatant farce and they both know it.

Right, screw coverups. New strategy.]

Drinking game. You and me.

[notstubborn]

Drinking game? [ It throws her a little, she blinks a few times. Not the most classy thing to be doing in the middle of a masquerade ball, but ─ ]

Sure. [ A pretty great distraction if she's heard of one, and who knows they may get to a point where they'll simply stop caring. ]

[totallytrustworthy]

Pick your poison, sunshine. [She lifts the list of drinks up, extends it patiently for Elena to glance over and figure out just how drunk they want to be by the end of it.]

[notstubborn]

[ She gives them a good look over before picking the strongest of the option, which in itself is more telling than any words could possibly manage. ]

[totallytrustworthy]

[Right. She thought as much.

Shot glasses lined up-- seven for them both-- Chloe rests her fingers on the first in her row and sets her sights on Elena.] Ready when you are.

If you're certain you can manage it.

[notstubborn]

( your butt, over flow post, smart life choices )