A Very Official Party

[arlathvhen]

WHO: Division leaders and everyone who signed up
WHAT: The leaders + the viscount are throwing a very fancy party to introduce Inquisition people to Hightown nobles and prove that they aren't demons
WHEN: 29th of Harvestmere (day before Satinalia)
WHERE: Some mansion in hightown
NOTES: OOC post!

The mansion of the hightown noble tasked with hosting the party is tastefully decorated for the event.
There's a few references to the approaching Satinalia here and there, but it is clearly not a costume
party, and none of the nobles are wearing masks. Tomorrow they may done their costumes, but for now,
it's important for the Inquisition for faces to be be seen.

There's plenty of food to be had, either on a table off to a side, or via one of the servants carrying
around trays, filled will little snacks and glasses of wine. Inquisition guests will be forewarned
that while they are not prohibited from drinking--It would, after all, look super sketchy if the
entire Inquisition abstained from drinks--they are under no circumstances to become intoxicated.

The other guests are the nobles, who look like an indecisive mixture of excited, gleeful, and
terrified. There's an air about them as they chatter amongst themselves that they are currently
engaged in something quite thrilling, if dangerous. Talking to the rifters! Possible demons, right
before their eyes! They clump into their own groups for the most part, but as the party starts in
earnest, braver souls will begin to peel off from the others to go inspect the guests and speak to
them. As the party winds on, the groups will slowly begin to disperse and mix with the Inquisition
freely.

Inquisition guests are, naturally, encouraged to approach these groups or individuals directly.

Closer to the end of the night, the division leaders will break off from the rest of the party, and
along with the Viscount, make their way off to a private room to converse on how the affair has gone.

Try to behave while they're gone (and in general) or you might find yourself facing a list of the
worst jobs Petra could concoct the next morning.

Comments

Re: cyril [open]

[judgemewhole]

From the corner, well where he can't be seen where he is hiding amongst the curtains, James gives Cyril a very polite theater clap. He is impressed. He did not think Cyril could get through an evening without propositioning someone for the fun of it. And yet Cyril is just flirting enough to bring on a blush and nothing else.

Damn impressive, all things considered. Beleth should give him a medal.

[samahl]

Cyril finds an excuse to let the group of women he's speaking to move on and then slides over to the curtains.

"If you wanted to blend in, you could have painted your face the color of the walls," he teases James very lightly.

[judgemewhole]

"Don't tempt me. I might try it for next time." Is the dry response, and James offers Cyril some of his plate as he takes a sip from his single glass of wine.

"I have no idea how you do it. I ran out of banal conversation an hour ago, and now I am simply going, 'Hmm.' and nodding a great deal."

[circleprodigy]

"That goal is well overdue, to be sure." Inessa finishes off the little cake with a sip -just a sip- of the champagne. She's relaxing a touch, but can't allow herself more than that, not here. "Not that it remains any one person's fault, but we're all feeling the strain of a prolonged struggle."

In the same tone and demeanor as though she's not speaking of anything important, Inessa continues. "My recent journey to the Blackmarsh bore fruit. We found something which might aid that goal; another orb. It's inert, but I think it might be able to assist us, once its secrets are uncovered."

[samahl]

Cyril happily takes some of the snacks and enjoys the taste as he eats carefully.

"It helps that you're very attractive while you nod and go 'hmm' though," Cyril replies, grinning.

He has to get his flirtation somewhere.

[judgemewhole]

James let out a laugh at that, green eyes twinkling. It might be one of the few laughs the nobles get to hear this evening, and yes, it's from another Dalish. He grinned back, taking another piece of frippery off his own plate.

"Yes, but clearly I am blessed to only be flirted with by extremely attractive people in turn." He added gallantly.

[judgemewhole]

"That we are indeed, my friend." He himself was aching to get to the battlefield - to face down this demon with a magister's ability with something that he understood. A sword, a shield, and military might. All this pussyfooting around just put his teeth on edge.

He was not sure how he managed to keep his expression from startling -- perhaps he was finally taking in some of those diplomacy lessons that Vivienne had put in so very sufficiently. The most that happened was that he took a sip - just a sip - of champagne himself.

"Now that ... that is the best news I have heard in a long time. Whatever help you need, please, let me know."

[circleprodigy]

Inessa nods, managing a small smile. She's undeniably proud of their discovery, though that's tempered with the knowledge that their work has only just begun. "Thank you. In all likelihood, it will be turned into the elven artifacts project, though I plan to offer the assistance of my own. Its properties have it rather suited to both our interests."

[judgemewhole]

"Between yourself and Pel Ashara, you two will have it figured out in no time. She is the finest scholar I know - and you are clearly no slouch when it comes to magic." He tipped his chin down to her slightly, his body vibrating with the thought of it.

"This ... this might be it, Inessa. What we need, to end the stalemate."

[circleprodigy]

"I certainly hope so." That's been on Inessa's mind as well; as cautious as she is, she can't dampen that sense of hope that came with their find. "Actually...there may be something you can do, in terms of action or at least advice. We will need a safe, isolated place to study the orb; if experimentation goes wrong in any way, I do not want to have Kirkwall suffer for it." The orb has great potential, but she can't forget what one orb did to the Temple of Sacred Ashes, and the effect that could have on a more populated area.

[judgemewhole]

James 'hmmed' for a moment, his hawkish expression narrowing as he went through the various places. One came to mind, and he made a faint face before he stated simply, "The Bone Pit. It is abandoned, empty of everything save corpses and spiders, and there is a series of mining tunnels that go deep so you do not have to worry about being above ground."

[circleprodigy]

There's a brief wrinkling of her nose at mention of the Bone Pit, but she has to nod and concede its value. "A fair point, and one definitely worth considering. If we had assistance in clearing it out for research, it might be sufficiently isolated to suit our needs." She has no illusions about taking out whatever else has infested the area, but it's a good start.

[judgemewhole]

"I should be glad to come and assist personally, and I can scare up some of the other Templars who would probably appreciate the exercise." He stated simply. Bored Templars and soldiers were the ones who needed the most to do, after all. Let them fight spiders until they were too exhausted to get up to mischief.

[circleprodigy]

To that, she nods with a small but genuine smile. "And I will appreciate their efforts in turn. Thank you, James. I'll accumulate an assorted stash of potions and tonics for them, just to be on the safe side." Even 'just' spiders can be a pain, but who knows what else is down there now?

[judgemewhole]

"That is quite generous of you, Inessa. Thank you. They will appreciate the assistance." After all, being poisoned by a giant spider was no joke. Although James wondered if it wasn't better than this party ...

Well, same amount of venom. Just carefully hidden.

[circleprodigy]

"You're quite welcome, of course." Inessa takes another, very small, sip from her glass. They probably shouldn't discuss it in greater detail while here, so she switches the subject with an amused glint in her eyes. "Scoutmaster Ashara seems rather appreciative of your company this evening. Or is there more to it than this evening alone?"

[ragweed]

She's got company out here on the balcony. Evidently, Kit had similar ideas, and is out here with a lit cigarette, his eyes turned across the city when Araceli arrives to take a break from the pomp and circumstance.

"A little crowded in there, eh?" He offers her an easy, lopsided smile, a friendly invitation to relaxed conversation if she wants it.

[misdirection_hex]

Vandelin is a guy who can appreciate what well-tailored clothing does for the wearer's figure, but these styles are all equally foreign to him, and as far as he's concerned, Kit's figure doesn't need help anyway. He looks good in the fancy duds, to be sure, but every stiff step makes Vandelin wince internally with sympathy.

He reaches over to tug the placket of Kit's shirt just a centimeter over into place, and smooths it all out, using it as an excuse to let his hands linger lightly on his lover's chest. "Now it is." He lets go, with a last tiny adjustment to a lapel.

"You look good enough to put any of these rich folks to shame. You could've left some handsome for the rest of us."

[ragweed]

"You could've left some handsome for the rest of us."

"Nah, you know me," Kit returns, already cracking a wry smile, "I'm a greedy man."

Vandelin's eye for detail, and his compliments, seem to have done the trick with easing some of the tension out of Kit's posture--some, but not all. Exhaling, he turns his attention on all the various party-goers; maybe it was a bad idea for him to accept this invitation. He's so clearly out of his element.

"Think anyone would notice if I just slipped out and went home?" He's mostly joking. ...Mostly.

[limier]

"There is little unpleasant of fine food and drink," She begins, settles in upon the bar beside (distance enough that any surprise observers will not mistake this for some tryst). Her voice lowers, pitches so as not to be overheard: "For a den of wolves it is positively refreshing."

And little surprise they'd not want a mabari among them. The ostentation grates, the frivolity; the disregard — even among the grimmest — for a purpose stretched beyond their own. But much the same can be said of the Inquisition, and these are but men, as any others. They eat, sleep, breathe the same.

Not only with distance do the great appear small.

She and Inessa observe from different grounds. All the Inquisition is an object of curiousity tonight, but that does nothing to shake loose the scrutiny of so many kohled eyes, a glance that falls down to find not guests but a menagerie: A rabbit, loosed the hutch.

"It is such a rare thing, no? To look from above." A finger extends in short, looping gesture to the far rooftops. "Rarer still to level one's gaze."

You spend half your life in a tower, and a balcony doesn't strike so impressive. They've all set feet on flat earth now, though.

[misdirection_hex]

"These paranoid fucks don't miss a thing," Vandelin murmurs under his breath, seemingly unaware of the blinding irony there.

"If I have to drink the champagne because they'll notice if there's an inch too much of it in the glass and think we're trying to poison them, they'll definitely complain if a project head goes missing. Just stick it out until one of the other important names leaves, and then we can justify getting out of here and hitting the Hanged Man."

[judgemewhole]

James also takes a small sip from the glass, and puts the plate down on a small table behind them, just in time to catch Inessa's teasing question. His ears suddenly flush, and he clears his throat.

"I. Well. No - well - yes - hrm." He clears his throat, tugging at his collar for a moment, "...it's complicated."

[circleprodigy]

His reaction is met with a chuckle, though her gaze grows sympathetic. "It usually is, isn't it? Interracial bonding always has its considerations and pitfalls." That's something she's learning for herself; Inessa and Kain may be Wardens, but a former alienage elf and an Orlesian of noble blood have vastly different perspectives. It's always something to consider.

[judgemewhole]

He looks over at her, before his smile turns wry and he sighs. "Yes, that is something of it ... there's also ... past considerations. Mostly though ... I am very tired of putting myself out there, only to be burned."

His gaze falls on Beleth from across the room, "Yet every single time my mind tells me to let it go ... my heart fights back. Is it like that for you?"

[circleprodigy]

Inessa follows the gesture to the rooftops and nods, her voice lowering as well though she's typically soft-spoken enough for it not to truly matter. "I'm interested to see if any here can manage that feat, though I know better than to retain any real hope in that. Their own concerns are the only ones that matter, of course." She glances back inside, though makes no move to step back into the noise and light of the gathering, not yet.

"If we receive a grudging concession that, no, rifters aren't actually demons, this night will have been worthwhile. I consider that more likely than any favorable mention of the Scoutmaster." There's no hint of anger in her voice, only quiet resignation; this is the way it has been for ages upon ages. Beleth, no matter how competent, is a Dalish elf, and some will always place them at the bottom tier no matter what. Rifters are otherworldly, mysterious, an allure if a potentially dangerous one. Thedosian elves are considered at the bottom rung, always, if they're considered at all.