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

[inkindled]

Oh, shit.

Matthias had survived the leg by not looking at it--and then by thinking that it probably wants looking at, doesn't it, that's why it's there--so then he'd looked at it once, down there sort of to the side of them, visible when her dress moves a certain way--and he'd given it a nod, like, yes, very good, that leg.

And Matthias had survived Sidony moving his hand by letting it happen--though she chose a placement he wouldn't have dared to try himself, not without her permission or maybe if they were both in their cups and he knew her better besides. He'd done a sort of quick lift and replacement, to the hand, like he had to reconfirm it. All right there, that hand.

Both of these should have maybe given him more power to deal with Sidony Verenas leaning in close to him, and speaking quite softly, and gently, in a way that makes Matthias' stomach do a full somersault. When he looks back up from his feet, she's there, close enough that their noses might nearly touch, except of course they're different heights and, well, speaking of hopelessly distracted...

"Get out," he says, with a self-conscious grin, "that's just you being nice, isn't it. Remarkable. Lady's speech for you've trodden on my foot only fourteen times good sir and I am grinning and bearing it. You don't have to play nice with me, I can take quite a lot."

[indissection]

Men are so easy, Sidony thinks, and boys are much the same - and surely he cannot be much more than a boy, given his nature and the way he looks? It seems cruel to make such an assumption (and she would hope that people would place her younger than she is) but she makes it all the same, wondering how many years he has had on the earth and what he has done in that time. He seems so terribly shy - which is, at least, somewhat endearing.

Her fingers are gentle and careful against him, stroking just so, enough to guide and nudge but also to distract, her lips curling into something on the edge of sly. This is going to be fun, she thinks to herself; more fun than the reality of wishing she was dancing with someone else. That's hardly the point, however; she is here and teaching and that is what she must focus on above all else.

At least he is sweet enough and while he glances at her leg - and, surely, some other things - he is not staring and making a scene of it. Better than some men, even if that is what she wants sometimes.

"If I was going to say that," she comments, voice low. "I might say 'despite all the obstacles you have learned to be something of a dancer'. The something would be code for 'altogether terrible and should be barred from all dance floors'." She grins, still leaning close, all soft and sweet and perfumed.

"I am being honest with you, darling."

[inkindled]

She's even more there--or, rather, here, because here is where Matthias is as well and they're suddenly occupying the same space very closely--and she smells really very good, and that's perfume, isn't it--he's smelled perfume before, but this one's different, expensive, probably, lacking a cheap oily under-scent--and his eyes go crossed momentarily, and he starts to forget what he's doing--

Dancing. Yeah. Rooted in the grip of his hands to this soft sweet dance partner, a girl he'd likely never have a chance with. Him, from nowhere and nothing, a rebel mage of no particular rank or status, dancing with a proper lady. Who is smiling at him. And perhaps she's still having him on, a little bit; Matthias is no stranger to teasing people, mild bullying out of boredom or mere opportunity, but--

"That'd be a first, if you are." Darling. He can feel how pink his ears have gone. Matthias wills the color to stay there, to remain in the ears, lest he totally blush and get himself found out. "Honesty, I mean. I'm more used to the code and the double talk and all from your sort. Uh, nobles, I mean," and he's hasty to clarify that, "that's the sort. Not anything worse or else. Anyway, I have danced before. So, thanks. Just not this formal at it, I s'ppose. Looser." He tries a grin in answer to hers, a little self-conscious. "I could teach you that sort, maybe. If you like."

[indissection]

Every movement she makes is deliberate now - to draw attention to herself, to distract him, to tease him, to make a game of this completely. It's been a long time since anyone was so clearly enchanted by her - most of the men she spends her time with these days are either committed or not interested or both - so this is a novelty indeed. To have such a sweet, innocent young man gazing at her legs and staring at her as if she owns the moon itself...

She turns, just so, and adjusts the touch of his palm against her waist. She is trying to teach him, after all, even if she isn't in charge of this event; she would do herself a disservice if she wasn't proving her worth as a suitable and charming dance partner. Even if she might cause him a few hours of embarrassment at the same time.

"I am, truly! I've no reason to lie to you." Which is still true; she doesn't know what advantage there is yet. "You're not making a complete fool of yourself, which is more than can be said for some of the people I have engaged with in the past. Now, put your hand here," she adjusts again, "and we can practice a dip."

[inkindled]

"A what," Matthias says, having just gotten over all the movement and placement to his hands. She is being very kind and up front with him, so far as he can tell. Which is merciful, considering his hands feel seriously sweaty. Are they sweaty? Is he getting sweat on her dress? He'll leave a handprint behind if he is. What is this dress made out of? What is she made out of? It's not like he's not touched girls before. He has. Loads of them. But they weren't so soft as Sidony.

Oh, Maker's balls, wait--

"No, hang on--I'll drop you," he says, quickly, as he puts together what she means by dip. "Or I might, I mean. Not definitely but it's a strong possibility, right, and-- and if your head breaks open, I'll be liable, won't I. Not Riftwatch or whatever. Dunno if they'll pull for me if some lord or lady comes calling for my head."

[indissection]

"I don't think you'll drop me at all. I have complete faith in you." Which she does, at least to a certain extent. He seems strong enough to hold her up - she's not exactly the heaviest person in the world. She barely hits her height as it is, and her little shoes don't make her feel as though she's being given much in the way of a step up. An inch, perhaps, and even that doesn't make her feel as though she matches half the people in the room.

Her smile is soft and kind, head tilted just so, enough that her eyes look remarkable.

"My head will be fine and so will you." She's fairly sure her mother still imagines her dead at the moment, but she is doing what she can not to dwell on that too much. "Come now, put your hand just here, and the other here, and just -" and she begins to move, urging him to dip her down.

[inkindled]

"No," Matthias says, with some desperation, "I really am shit," but she's gone and said what are basically the magic words, hasn't she. I have complete faith in you. What's he going to do, prove her faith wrong? There's a plucky little inner bit of him that zests at those words, gets all eager and excitable and ready to show off, or at least try.

And anyhow, she's looking at him like that, smiling at him like that, and so Matthias puts one hand just there, and the other there, and just--

--well, staggers, but she's smaller and shorter and slighter than he is, so he doesn't drop Sidony. The dip is hurky-jerky, sort of the way a clockwork figure with sand in its gears might dip--but she doesn't fall, and Matthias gives a slightly hysterical laugh.

"Oh, shit. Uh. Sorry."

[indissection]

Sidony is dipped and she holds onto his arm gently, leaning against him as she lifts herself up - this is perfect for her, she thinks. He's a good height and she can make sure she doesn't fall completely, smiling a little as she gazes up at him. Oh, he is darling, isn't he, soft and sweet and so charming - a gentle young man, surely. She'll have to keep an eye on him from this moment forward, and she makes a mental note to not forget to check in on him in the future.

It's not a perfect dip - and she never expected it to be - but she looks quite pleased as her hand lifts and rests on his shoulder.

"There now, wasn't that just lovely?" Sidony looks just a little coy as she preens at him. "It wasn't as terrible as you thought it was going to be, darling."