eswareinmal | Action: Come one, come all!

Entry tags:

Action: Come one, come all!

Characters: ALL THE PEOPLE
Open? Yes.
Where: The Palace
When: The night of the 3RD
What: A masquerade ball and a very deep sleep.
Warnings: Part of a comm-wide plot!

The Prince Sif has felled an unknown beast, and presented its stuffed head to the King. This would be reason enough for a ball, but there are victories to celebrate. More heroes arrive every day. The kingdom was aptly defended when the forest wall fell. No one has tried to assassinate the king in several days.

All told, a good night for a party. The theme of the ball is a masquerade, and shops in town have been surprisingly (almost suspiciously) able to provide gowns and masks in ready supply.

The palace has been opened to heroes and townspeople alike, provided they can present themselves appropriately. The heroes have been strongly encouraged to attend, and those who do not come voluntarily may well be greeted with royal retainers at their doorstep, outfit and dance card in hand. Expect a very full dance card, heroes.

The banquet table is stacked full of food – roasts and cheeses, summer fruits and vegetables, rivers of wine and more ornate desserts than should be permitted in a time or war. This evening is about success – best to enjoy it.

In the center of the ball sits the beast’s head. A scaly, purple thing. Its eyes have been taken out and replaced with rubies, its mouth twisted in the same sort of anguished look on its face as when Sif killed it. There has never been a beast like this in Schwanheim before – if you like, come closer and take a look. The king is very generous with his gifts.

[ooc: The party is a LIE. Well. No, it isn’t! Enjoy the party. Your characters will be expected to wear full masquerade gear, or they will be shunted aside and dressed properly.

After the attendees go home, they will be plagued with dreams more tangible than they have ever felt. More information here]

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"If you can find a better word for it, I'd love to hear it."

What? You never let him get through the powers recitation, Ginia. Granted, there isn't much, and still more to puzzle out besides.

"Hang on."

Giles closes his eyes, and slowly a feeling will creep over Ginia. It's the feeling of someone standing on her shadow, falling into step behind her, even though she isn't actually moving. That someone is Giles, although he's still standing next to her instead.

"It's, um, it's really only a convenient way to ensure that I can keep up."

Ginia gives a tiny shudder, more from the uneasy feeling of a close following than anything else. She can see the benefit of it and it's something she could get used to, so she offers a smile.

/Very useful. Is there anything else you can do?/ It reminds her of a conversation about vampires and going through the list of fact and fiction. How much ghost lore was real and how much fanciful imagination? The urge to find out more is strong, but that's expected for her.

"Well...I don't need to sleep. I, um, I suppose that counts as an 'ability', in that it's superhuman."

For a second, Giles looks as though he's going to leave it at that, that he's going to lie and say that's all he's found out. But then, with a slight shake of his head, he sets the thought aside. Ginia could very well come across him borrowing another body at some point down the road. She needs to know.

"...with permission, um, I-I can...also possess someone."

Much like a vampire needs permission to enter a dwelling. It's a similarity that rankles somewhat, especially in light of that memory.

Possessing someone. That earns Giles another slight glance as she thinks over things. It's logical enough for a ghost to be able to do that and she knows Giles well enough that even if permission wasn't needed, he would never do it malevolently or against someone's will. However, she can't deny the idea makes her a little uneasy, most likely due to too many late night horror films.

/What can you do when you're possessing someone?/

"Share a bit in their senses." A nice little break for his nerves, getting even a bit of the taste of a cup of tea, although it was nothing on his few hours of corporeality. "See what they see. Communicate with them, um...well, I suppose 'telepathically' is the best way to describe it, although it, um, isn't quite the same thing."

After a moment's hesitation, Giles adds, "Move them, if they're, um, in no fit s-state to move themselves."

The case that had led to him discovering this had been a girl with a concussion, so, despite himself, Giles still isn't too ashamed of this.

"That's as much as I know so far."

Ginia doesn't judge as she listens. It's about what she would have expected for a ghost to be able to do and it's all very useful sounding. Though as she listens, her mind focuses on a few key points and a light, not entirely innocent smile crosses her face. Yes, Giles, your girlfriend is a pervert, but that's okay because it's all out of love.

/Share a bit in their senses?/

"Oh, yes." But, while her boyfriend is nowhere near as sexually inexperienced as appearances might lead some to believe, he's not quite that much of a pervert, and he's still deep into the academia. "See what they see, hear what they hear, taste what they taste...it's, um, all very egalitarian, thus far, and...what?"

Then Giles looks over at Ginia, and does notice the smile on her face, and is momentarily baffled.

Deep into the academia is why Ginia loves him so much, even if can result in some frustration at times. But even while her thoughts err toward salacious ideas, she can admit it's really all quite fascinating. On some level it unsettles her because she knows what it's like to not have control of her body and to lose time, and while she's come to terms with Alice, it's still very, very odd. However, this is more a sharing of a body as some level of consciousness remains.

Which only adds more fuel to her salacious ideas and his words aren't helping much.

/Nothing, I'm very fascinated by the idea. I presume touch is also included?/

"Of course. A, um, a bit muted, but I can feel things. Yes, um, all five senses seem to be included, to some degree or another, a-and the last time I saw you smiling quite like that, it ended up with me wearing a collar with a bell. Since that would be, um, quite impossible now, I can only assume you have other ideas."

Needless to say, Giles is looking suspicious, or as suspicious as he can when he knows that, whatever amusing plans Ginia is musing over, she'll be infuriatingly good at talking him into them. He did wind up wearing a collar with a bell, after all.

/Not so impossible, the bell collar I mean. Someone managed to put a mask on you after all./ Wouldn't that be useful, putting a bell on him to always know where he was. It would ruin any notions of stealth, but warning systems tend to do that. An intriguing idea, something to potentially consider again. Thank you, Giles, for the wonderful reminder.

But that was not what Ginia found so amusing. She keeps her lewd thoughts to herself, still smiling like a cat locked in a room of cream, tuna, and catnip.

/You have my permission to possess me if need be./ She considers something. /I imagine Helios has given permission too./

"Of course." Giles makes a face and sighs. "Helios gave me permission before either of us even knew that I needed it." And boy, did they have what passed for a reasonably stern talk about that.

"Still. Um, I appreciate the consideration, Ginia. Should, um, save a bit of time, should danger strike and you happen to get concussed. As for this," he adjusts his mask. "I provided myself, actually. Happened to, um, be in the right place at the right time for a bit of metaphysical insanity. S-Still don't entirely understand how I got this, myself."

It sounds just like Helios. She imagines he made some sort of offer right off the bat without giving much thought to himself. Ever selfless and caring. Though with her own recent thoughts in mind, she represses a small laugh and refrains from making a joke.

/Of course. And who knows, maybe there'll be a moment I'll need to take up a sword when a knife isn't good enough, and sadly, my swordfighting skills are a little rusty. And you've been in me before so I can't really protest. By the way, if you're ever in the right place at the right time for a bit of metaphysical insanity, could you provide yourself a bell collar? For old times sake, of course./

"I could. But, really, um, even I can't get up to very much trouble, like this." Besides getting stuck in a bottle, but...well, Ginia doesn't know about that, and doesn't have to.

Besides, even if they did happen to stumble across the ghost of a bell collar that would last...Giles isn't sure that he would be able to give up the ability to completely disappear so easily. On some level, it terrifies him, because if he ever lost the ability to reappear, it would officially be hell.

As it stands, though, it's one of the few useful things he can do.

"I, um, I might be able to provide some swordfighting lessons from the sidelines, a-at least."

Ginia laughs lightly and smiles fondly at him. Amusing as it had been in Luceti, she wouldn't ask him to put on a collar now. It'd be the same as putting a belled collar on her and utterly ruining any chance of being stealthy. He could keep his disappearing ways if he made sure to come back to a state where he could be seen.

/I should probably keep up with my swordfighting. Archery too. Both certainly useful skills to know in this environment and I suppose they fit my role enough./ She gives another shake of her head. /I wonder if I get any special abilities?/

"Oh, um, almost certainly. I, I think the only ones who didn't are the ones who, um, already did, or the princes and princesses, a-and I'm not even sure about then. Speaking as someone who, um, s-stumbled on their own special abilities largely by accident, I'm afraid I can't offer much advice besides...well, explore, and do whatever feels natural. It will come to you."

On a fundamental, sensible level, Giles dislikes the idea of just metaphorically throwing darts at a wall and seeing what stuck. But, well, it had been what had worked for him. Just waiting, staying on the alert, and seeing what the universe tossed at him.

"You're, um, certainly in the right place to practice."

Just look at all these fancy-dressed people...

If the old man was correct and she was truly a rogue-type figure, a fancy masquerade ball with everyone dressed in their finery would be the perfect chance to test out how quick her fingers were. Her dress was a slight hindrance when it came to easy moving - such was the price for fashion - but she knew many hunters had managed more while wearing outfits far more uncomfortable.

/Shame on you, Rupert, suggesting such things to an innocent lady./ Though she was anything but innocent and there was appeal behind the idea. She could always try pickpocketing something and return it later. There was no harm done if everything was returned in the end. She looked around the room at the gathered partygoes, looking for any potential marks.

/You've been here longer. Anyone you suggest I practice on?/

Giles raises a hand to his mouth, the better to stifle a laugh. Ginia is anything but innocent, or if she is, she's innocent in very specific ways and this isn't one of them. Besides, she is also honorable, in her own way. Giles knew when she suggested it that Ginia could always leave her prizes scattered around for her test subjects to find later. All in good fun. Good fun for him, too, because he gets to watch.

And, because Giles has been here a while...much too long, honestly...he can indeed point out a few likely candidates. First a particularly odious lord that had been making pointed comments about Giles' incorporeal state and what a killjoy it was to the party, next a lady he'd noticed harrassing a few of the partygoers into dancing, a couple that had been casting very loud and pointed aspersions on any of the heroes that weren't the sort to go out and kill a giant monster...yes, Ginia won't lack for potential marks tonight, not while she has Giles picking them out.

"Any of them appeal?" he asks, once he's done.

Hardly innocent, hardly dishonorable (or at least largely honorable with a side of dishonesty), always one for keeping things entertaining. Ginia listens to him point out the potential marks, considering each one in turn. The lord had potential simply because he dared to be rude to her boyfriend and Ginia still had a certain level of defensiveness when it came to any and all things relating to Rupert Giles.

The lady was an annoyance at best, but Ginia saw some attractive looking jewels on the woman, ones that would look quite nice on her own ensemble.

But the couple, ahh, the couple. It was risky targeting two at once, but their comments were rude and irritating. What did they know about the dangers of going out and slaying a monster? They spent their days in the comfort of their manors or well-guided hunts, letting other people do their work then boasting about their minimal involvement after. Those types of people were a particular sort of annoyance to her and very much like the ones she both worked for and against in her own world.

/All of them are appealing in their own way. Maybe I'll hit all of them by the end of the night. But I think I'll start with the lady first. I like her bracelet./ She continues to watch the woman, observing her as she moves about, hassling one group or another. It takes a few minutes before Ginia has enough of a read to make her move, walking casually back into the crowd and easily making her way through. Ginia waits until the woman is properly distracted before slipping by her, unhooking the bracelet from her wrist and palming it before melting back into the crowd of people.

When she returns to Giles, there's a new gold and diamond bracelet around her wrist and a triumphant smile on her face. Yep. Still got it.

And Giles waits patiently where she left him, even remaining visible throughout the entire affair. It's a show of faith. He knows by now that most of the hall probably knows that he's with Ginia by now, as something more than fellow heroes. If Ginia is under suspicion, he'll almost certainly come under it as well...and, vice versa. But, well, he can't do anything to them, and they can't do anything to him. Ginia is another matter. So he keeps watch, and waits for her to return.

When she does, a new bracelet glittering on her wrist and not going at all with the dress, Giles gives her a subdued round of applause, the better to keep this little triumph between them.

"An excellent start."

Ginai raises her arm to better look at the bracelet, turning her wrist to let the diamonds sparkle in the light.

/I've always hated diamonds. Nothing but worthless stones so painfully overpriced because of a few companies holding a monopoly and hammering the belief they are worth more than they really are. All it represents is greed and blood./ Her smile is lopsided as she unclips the bracelet and drops it into her little bag. She'll return the bracelet before the night is over, but for now, no sense showing it off. It clashes horribly with her dress.

/You are absolutely horrible for enabling me, my dear. You know I can't resist a challenge./

"I know." Why pretend otherwise? "I, um, I also know your propensity for getting easily bored and metaphorically attempting to gnaw your own leg off if you d-don't have enough to do with yourself. Besides..." And here he looks away, under the pretense of scouting out her other recommended marks for her, but really just taking in the crowd as a whole: "...it's a metaphysical w-weight off the mind, knowing what you are here. Fairy tales, um, are well known to exert a weight on the human consciousness. I, um, I thought you might have wanted to get a jump on that."

/Thank you for keeping me entertained and helping me find my role in life. I suppose there are worse things than a thief./ They lack the sort of reputation being a knight or some other defender of justice comes with, but there is freedom and its own brand of nobility that comes with being a career criminal. She's not sure she'd like the armor anyway, though a horse wouldn't be bad. Certainly a step up above being a princess. Nothing against the princesses of the world, but royalty suits her poorly. Ginia remembers her brief stint as a princess back in Luceti and laughs quietly.

She looks back at Giles and spends a few seconds considering something.

/Dance with me, Rupert./

Needless to say, Giles looks blank for a second, as though he knows Ginia must have said something but is sure that he must have misheard her.

Then he realizes that he didn't. And Giles looks about to protest, to make excuses for himself, right up until the point that he decides not to, and smiles softly instead.

"You'll have to remind me how," he says. With exquisite carefulness, he wraps his hands around hers'. They're still as insubstantial as mist and clammy besides, but they appear solid enough. If they're careful, they can pretend, just for a night.

/I'm sure you still remember,/ she signs. Her fingers lightly wrap around his, careful not to put any pressure. Her other hand moves to settle just on his shoulder. Some of the nosier partygoers whisper to each other as they notice the ghost and strange new woman taking up a dance stance together.

Ginia takes the first step to guide them in a gentle box step, moving lightly with the music. But it's not the music being played by the orchestra she hears. It's another song that runs through her mind, another time. For a moment, they aren't in a grand palace. They're outside a recreational center in a quiet village, dancing closely together out of affection and for warmth.

'Silver bells... silver bells...'

And, within the first few steps, Giles finds that he does remember. It's all down to muscle memory, which is helped when the memories in question are so very strong. But he's content to let her lead, and simply follow as carefully as he can to preserve the moment.

He doesn't speak. He knows he doesn't have to. He can tell just by the look in her eyes that she's remembering the exact same moment. The location is different. The world and all the people around them are different. But the moment is the same, that strange and glorious feeling where the world falls away and it really is only just the two of them, loving each other.

If only it were snowing outside...

'Soon it will be Christmas Day...'

Not for them. Never again. But as long as they're together, somewhere, somehow...

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Action: Come one, come all!

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