[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

[hostage]

[At this point, Jesse's at the peak of his high and he already looks like he's been rolling in some dirt outside. It's a relief, actually, that Claire's so drunk he doesn't have to explain himself. He laughs when she comes barreling into him, catching her around the waist so she doesn't fall over.]

Oh my god, you are so wasted.

[breakablegirl]

[Cue too-loud giggle. She's too into the act to notice anything off with him yet.]

Nuh uh. I'm ahhhmazing at drinking.

[She hangs onto him.] Hey. Hey. We should go outside.

[hostage]

Yes! That sounds like a fantastic plan.

[Granted, pretty much everything sounds fantastic to him right now. He keeps his arm around Claire's waist, leading her out one of the glass doors toward the garden. Tweaking isn't like being drunk at all. He's very sure-footed and he feels stronger than usual. Whatever weight Claire's leaning onto him, it doesn't slow him down at all.]

[breakablegirl]

[Yep. She's just leaning. And leaning. But hey. She's tiny and she weighs like 100 pounds so. She's not much of a burden anyway. Claire's almost debating continuing to pretend to be drunk. She isn't sure why. Maybe because it's kind of fun.

But nah. She doesn't want him to think he has to take care of her or anything. So once they're a decent amount out the door and into the courtyard she straightens up, smirking.] I had to put on a show, sorry.

[hostage]

[He gives a little jump of surprise when she's suddenly sober. Then he bursts out laughing, looking back towards the building.]

What - oh. Oh, duh! The whole... yeah.

[Her metabolism. He knew that. From comics.]

[breakablegirl]

[She grins.] Yep. Can't get drunk. Just means I win every single drinking contest.

[SMUGFACE. Yeah she won a decent amount of money and goodies. And no, she doesn't suspect anything just yet. She's kind of ignorant about drugs.] Really glad I caught you though. You were running around all night.

[hostage]

[To be fair, Jesse's a very functional user. He mostly just seems excited. Maybe it's just been a really good day.]

Oh that is seriously brilliant, yo. Oh my god. Um. Yeah, this thing started off pretty slow but I'm having a good time now. I mean - especially now.

[He inches closer to her with a suggestive nod, but it's playful flirting accompanied by a boyish grin that could almost be bashful.]

[breakablegirl]

[Claire loves compliments. Praise is something that goes straight to her heart and swells up her ever confused ego. Yes. Praise and approval are very good things.] It's a mostly harmless con. [AS OPPOSED TO THE ONES WHERE SHE SCARS THEM FOR LIFE WITH PRETENDING TO DIE. Sorry bitchy cheerleader girl at her last high school.

But now he's.. Oh.

She grins, biting her bottom lip and glancing away a little shyly. Yeah okay that might also be a little bit of blush on her cheeks.] Good. That's, uh.. Really good.

I've been doing a lot of trying to get my uncle to break out of his shell a little. [A quick glance back at the door, then she's finally looking at him again.]

[hostage]

[Her uncle. That's something Jesse would normally be interested in learning more about, but he doesn't care right now. He doesn't look away when she does. In fact, he's staring a bit intensely.]

So what're you up to now that you're done with, um, all that?

[breakablegirl]

[Well hello intense stare. What is this Jesse.]

...Um. Nothing planned. [Slightly nervous smile.] Why?

[hostage]

[He doesn't ease up. At all.]

Wanna take a walk? It's real pretty.

[breakablegirl]

Uh. Sure.

[Now she's looking mildly concerned. And now she's looking at him a little closer. That gut feeling she gets when something's a little off is sort of poking at her.]

Hey, are you okay?

[hostage]

I'm perfect. This is the best - Oh my god, this is the best I've been in like a year.

[His gaze turns skyward as he says that, as if it's a miracle and he's thanking God for it. His arm moves to slip around Claire as he starts walking.]

[breakablegirl]

[Hrm. Okay.

Her suspicions don't fade but she relaxes a little. Claire allows him to put his arm around her. She just goes with it. It's harmless, right? Plus okay maybe she's indulging a little cause he's making her feel pretty good.]

Wow. What happened to make this the best night ever? I mean, okay, yes, we're at the Palace of Versailles at a huge party. But you're like.. Glowing.

[hostage]

Everything is so beautiful. All these patterns, like, on everything. And everybody all dressed up. And - like, even the food is pretty. It's just so much. It's so, so much. My whole life, I never saw anything like this. It's like Heaven, right? It's like Heaven.

[breakablegirl]

[...........Oh. Oh, she gets it now. Loud and clear. Her shoulders tense a little.]

Oh.

[She doesn't stop walking or stray away from what's happening but she's trying to wrap her mind around the fact that he's high out of his mind on.. Something. She never asked what he was addicted to. Claire doesn't really know enough about drugs in general to understand anyway.]

Yeah.

[hostage]

[His gaze snaps back to her, like he's just realized something.]

You're beautiful, too!

[Like he's worried he forgot to let her know.]

[breakablegirl]

[Claire meets his gaze, a little stunned, then she smiles distantly.] You are so high right now, aren't you.

[hostage]

Oh! No, no, no. Don't take it like that. I'm being honest, is what this is.

[breakablegirl]

[Snerk.] I believe you.

But, uh, what is it that you..? Do?

[hostage]

What? You mean -

Wait, you really wanna talk about this? 'cause I think a walk is nice. We could just walk. Am I bothering you..?

[breakablegirl]

No, no, it's- [That she's concerned. And doesn't want to support it.]

[Claire looks at him with a smile.] Just curious. We don't have to. Another time is completely fine.

[She shoves it down.]

You can talk more about me if you want. [She teases, trying her best to get the conversation back up to something light and silly.]

[hostage]

[Well, that's a relief. He'd half-expected her to storm off in disgust. Since she's inviting him to stay, instead, he cheers up immediately. And a chance to keep talking about her? Of course he'll take it.]

God, you're so beautiful. Wait, I already said that. Please don't think I'm just saying it 'cause I'm high. That's the honest-to-god truth. And I mean, like, you're always pretty, but in this dress it's like... wow.

[Words aren't quite cutting it, so his hand drifts from her waist up her back and around, over her shoulder, to trace her collarbone.]

[breakablegirl]

[WELL. Claire can't remember the last time she was uh, flattered and uh, hit on this much. Usually it's random forced kisses and you're special's and. Really weird things like being stalked. :|

This is better. Sure she's a little uncomfortable with all the attention and the way he touches her collar bone both makes her want to move away and move in at the same time. The fact that she knows he's high makes her feel more conflicted than usual. But it's not all bad. Just kind of new and strange.

She giggles under her breath.] Wow okay.

Um, thanks. You clean up pretty well yourself.

[Mostly she's just kind of grateful that her admitted freakyness and weird as hell serial killer situation hasn't made him avoid her. She decides to admit a little something. Claire avoids all the eye contact.]

Sorry, I'm not really.. Good at this stuff.

[hostage]

[He beams when she returns the compliment. It doesn't take poetry to win Jesse over. Especially since - well, she's not the kind of girl he's usually with. Her type take one look at him and figure out he's beneath them, usually really quick. He feels like he's winning here just getting a smile out of her.]

You're good. You're perfect.

[He brushes her hair back and then his hand returns to her waist, if only to draw her a little closer.]