open | your baddest behavior

[cozen]

WHO: Alexandrie, Bastien, Byerly, and their captive audience
WHAT: Mandatory etiquette and dance lessons
WHEN: Justinian 15, 9:45
WHERE: The Gallows
NOTES: See the OOC post and IC announcement for more information! If you didn't sign up, you can still participate in Parts A and D, and just handwave the other two, without needing to sign up or get an assignment. If you want to do B and C, you can find your own dance partner/seating group OOC, or you can sign up now and we'll dole out new assignments if we get enough latecomers to do so. If you signed up and are missing from the lists when you shouldn't be, I'm sorry and please tell me!

disclaimer: event less fancy than pictured

Seating Assignments
— Table One: Gwenaëlle, Iorveth, Matthias, Athessa
— Table Two: Flint, Ilias, Darras, Med Seller, Yngvi
— Table Three: Julius, Thranduil, Anders, Brienne
— Table Four: Benedict, Colin, Valentine, Six, Derrica
— Table Five: Teren, Salvio, Bartimaeus, Osana
— Table Six: Freddie, Petrana, Kain, Merrill, Silver
— Table Seven: Yseult, Cosima, Steve, Inessa
— Table Eight: Sidony, Fifi, Nell, Fingon
— Table Nine: Thor, Nathaniel H., Solas, Skadi

Dance Partners
— Cosima & Nathaniel H.
— Athessa & Anders
— Teren & Flint
— Freddie & Bartimaeus
— Yseult & Darras
— Nell & Julius
— Merrill & Colin
— Skadi & Benedict
— Gwenaëlle & Solas
— Petrana & Salvio
— Osana & the Medicine Seller
— Sidony & Matthias
— Six & Thranduil
— Brienne & Valentine
— Fifi & Steve
— Thor & Fingon
— Ilias & Iorveth

Comments

[rowancrowned]

Thranduil is an elf. Thranduil likes to dance. The first leads into the second, even if courtly elven dances, Sindar or Silvan, are entirely unlikely to be found in a Theodosian setting. But he has learned Orlesian dances, for both the novelty and the use.

Such as when he would like to dance with his wife. He lays his hand upon her arm, then slides his hand into hers. The music is slower than the spritely Nevarran number just finished, and the waltz is designed to allow those on the floor a moment to catch their breath.

“Did you and Iorveth enjoy yourselves?” he asks. The scent lingers, and her good humor is proof enough, but he asks anyway, just to smile down at her like they are sharing a secret. He witnessed none of it—dressed and left as Iorveth was arriving, needed down to help prepare the event, but imagination fills the gaps.

[elegiaque]

“As it happens,” airily arch, allowing Thranduil her hand and managing ably not to knee him anywhere when she sways into step with him and they float into a waltz that he is going to have to do much of the work in. She isn't entirely without her usual grace, but her reaction times are not what they usually are and he knows her to be easily diverted in this...mood. “Did you enjoy yourself at the first annual meeting of table big and blonde?”

Anders isn't that tall, but whatever.

“I like that woman,” ruminatively. “Brienne-of-Tarth.” She runs it all together, like one word. “She's so tall.” Thranduil has heard this song before, it was named Cassandra Pentaghast. “She's so tall.” She is three inches shorter than Thranduil.

[rowancrowned]

He does the work. She is light and the dance is slow. It would be a bit easier if she did him the favor of standing directly on his feet, but one of the chaperones might well take umbrage with that.

“I did. Chiefest on our agenda was discussion of the best shoemaker.” He spins her out very, very slowly, and about a quarter as much as the dance calls for before bringing her back close, to continue to meander. “I am tall,” Thranduil protests, but only gently. As far as competition goes, Brienne isn’t the unflattering sort.

He does still miss Cassandra Pentaghast.

“Did you and Iorveth terrorize your table, my love?”

[elegiaque]

When he draws her in again she does step up onto his feet, shameless about her inclination to be carried about the dancefloor and prepared to argue very seriously to Alexandrie that she has been so well behaved, actually, she deserves much praise and no scolding.

So she is close to hand and very pleased with herself when she says, at once, “No!” which is debatable. “We had an excellent table, I'm sure it was very...”

The pause draws out. Long enough Thranduil might begin to wonder if she's forgotten what she was talking about.

“Educational,” she finishes, beaming up at him. “I loaned Athessa one of my dresses, I think she's afraid of it.”

[rowancrowned]

Hmm. This is easier. With most of her weight on him and her skirts so voluminous, they could proceed in this manner for the rest of the song. He thinks they will.

“Educational? For who?” He locates Athessa by her dress—Gwenaelle has a good eye for these things. It flatters her, even if it is very—Orlesian. Gwenaelle. Puffy. It fits the mood of the night and may well be helping her confidence. Thranduil ought to introduce himself.

“Afraid of you, perhaps, or of damaging it. It was thoughtful of you to do that.”