Truth or Dare: The Imperial Court

[madame_de_fer]

WHO: Select Orlesian and Fereldan Nobility and the Inquisition
WHAT: Josephine and Vivienne have orchestrated a good-will soiree in response to this dastardly rumor.
WHEN: Drakonis 15, Evening
WHERE: Skyhold Great Hall
NOTES:
- A list of nobles in attendance can be found here. The list was provided by the mods but there will be no npc support for them. Play away.
- A secondary outside party is being held in the valley in the tent town for anyone who couldn't/wouldn't attend and/or behave in the fancy pansty party.
- The goal of the evening is to clear up a spurious rumor about Cassandra and Leliana, with secondary goals of establishing the Inquisition as a respectable presence in Thedas (and fish for more money). Any major disruptions that would Game Over the court approval should probably be brought to the advisors and/or mods.



To say that Josphine has far outdone herself with this little soiree would be the understatement of the year. The Lady Ambassador has pulled out all the stops in providing a festive and yet elegant stage for this political intervention. Because sometimes gossip can be more deadly than a sword.

The Great Hall of Skyhold has been converted into a grand receiving hall, glittering with hundreds of lights around the room, in addition to the repairs accomplished to the original chandeliers. Of course, there has been artful placement arranged so there are a few shadowy corners for rendezvous of the more suggestive nature. Just in case. The majority of the floor has been cleared for dancing, and a fine troupe of musicians have been installed for the bulk of the evening's entertainments. Some members of the Inquisition have plans to entice attendees with their own artistic performances in addition to the group of mages performing illusory tricks to oohs and aahs.

For those who feel their energy flagging, there are chairs set against the walls, with a few tables interspersed between. Servers hired for the evening circulate the crowds with wine, fine Orlesian and Nevarran reds as well as crisp whites from Antiva. Refreshments are set out on buffet tables, tasteful and extravagant nibbles, including imported cheeses, spicy saucisson, dried fruits and nuts, and the highly sought after deep mushroom and anise petits fours that are all the rage in Orlais.

Comments

[foxsays]

Sometimes you suffer to be beautiful, and a corset is absolutely a lesson in that. Korrin's reaction is everything she dreamed it would be if she's honest, her smile more shark-like than is customary for her because when is it not fun, to cause someone like Korrin to collect herself.

"Then you'll want to be careful if you have to dip me," she informs her primly, not bothering to warn for the level of heaving that is going to be involved once she gets dancing and can't breathe quite so easily.

She leans up into the kiss carefully, glad of the extra inch or so of height the shoues grant her, allowing herself to be lead accordingly. It's about the time she remembers Taas' words to her, a slight widening of the eyes before she rises up on her toes again to say them. "Taarsidath-an halsaam," she says with a grin and absolutely no idea what it means. Everyone thanks you for his public service Taashath.

[gatheringstorm]

"If I have to dip you, I'll keep that in mind." It would be tempting not to be especially careful, just for the chance of such a display, but Korrin knows what this evening is to the fledgling bard. Her fantasy will remain just that, though it'll make her most eager for when she finally has Araceli to herself, alone.

...and if there's one thing she isn't at all prepared for Araceli to say, it's that particular phrase. Her eyes abruptly widen, the heat in those cheeks returning as she lets out a surprised laugh. If the beat were any more complicated, she might have stumbled, though as it is, adhering to it exactly is the farthest thing from her mind at the moment. Thanks, Araceli. "You...where did you learn that?" At least two people come to mind, though more are possible. Skyhold is a cosmopolitan place, more than she'd have thought.

[foxsays]

"You'll get me alone before you know it, I'll need help to get out of it without tying myself up." Though that is a thought for a later date, though maybe somewhere nicer where there are fewer folk about because she's not ashamed of anything but there are some things people don't need to know about her personal life. Besides, some time away from Skyhold as well as the more terrible parts of Thedas are definitely needed.

Taas did say Korrin would be surprised. He at least gave her that much but Araceli looks up in confusion as she tries to stop herself from losing the steps of the dance as she looks up. "Taashath, we met in the tavern - I thought it was only right I try to meet those on Zevran's rescue mission. He never told me what it meant but he said to walk up, kiss you, and say that. I never had the chance when I walked in, I apologise."

And she means that. Please explain to her why she will have to hunt down a giant hulking Tal-Vashoth warrior when she finds out what she just said.

[gatheringstorm]

Hearing that it's Taashath's fault, Korrin can't help but laugh anew. For some reason, it's even more amusing than if it was Kas just being a little shit. Taas, the calm, the mature, being a quiet troll. She loves it. And of course she'll have to punch him in the arm when they meet later.

"It means: 'I will bring myself sexual pleasure later, while thinking about this with great respect.' Because my people are like that, some of the shout it while dragonslaying. It's...not something I ever expected to hear on this dance floor, that's for damn sure." But her lips remained curved in a smile, and the spark in those eyes indicates that she got a kick out of hearing it from Araceli's lips. Taas knows her well.

[foxsays]

Following the steps is easy - how many times has she done this with Leandra, Arsenio, the queensguard, the nobility? It's a touch harder when she wants to pull back and set her jaw to stare up at Korrin defiantly, but she's better, moving as she should until she hears what the words mean, and then she thinks that she'd very much like for the floor to open up and swallow her.

(She'll punch Taas in the arm herself. She'll probably hurt her hand in the process.)

There are small mercies in the world; that her skin is dark enough that her blushes are less obvious, that it's understandable there's a certain flush to her face anyway when she's dancing in a gown such as hers, with a woman such as Korrin. People won't realise just how mortified she is as she stares at Korrin before she puts her smile back on. "I am going to find something large enough to throttle him with," she tells Korrin cheerfully, "I can't believe he said I should just walk up to you, kiss you and say that."

A beat passes as she spins under Korrin's arms, the cool air welcome on her flushed cheeks.

"That's something you say after. Or you should say to me when I take off everything but the corset and the pearls back in our room tonight."

[gatheringstorm]

Araceli's blushing may not be obvious to those casually observing them on the dance floor, but of course Korrin has the advantage of proximity. She takes it in with an appreciative gaze, because the rifter woman is always a sight to behold, whether angry or mortified or radiant with joy. And that statement about Taas provokes a chuckle as she spins Araceli outward, then back close once more. "Just don't break your hands doing so, kadan. They're far too lovely and important to waste on revenge." She lifts one up to brush her lips against the knuckles, not missing a beat.

Araceli, clad in nothing but corset and pearls...naturally, it's Korrin's turn for blushing at the image Araceli provides. Her own light brown skin doesn't conceal it nearly as well, not to her dance partner and lady love. "...you know that image isn't helping my patience at all, kadan. If you want me to pounce you the moment we're in private, I promise you that's on my mind." If it wasn't before, it very much is now.

[foxsays]

Next time someone tells her to say something to her lover she's going to have to take the time to either interrogate them or go look it up although really, her only sources would be Korrin, thus ruining the surprise, Taas, who wouldn't have told her, or Kas, and Kas is a teenage boy who would've probably gone red and started spluttering.

"I need my hands for the lute or I won't actually be much use to anyone or myself in the future, considering my entire line of work." Even learning the lute has made her fingers a touch faster now that become accustomed to the feel of the strings beneath her fingers, knowing that she needs to warm her hands up properly before she starts to play for any length of time especially since her habit is to go outdoors up on the rooftops for some peace. "Korrin Ataash," she admonishes at the gesture but that's to get her to continue, never to stop. "You'll scandalise all these people."

Laughing, she stretches up to take the chance to brush a kiss against Korrin's cheek even though the dance doesn't call for it, because unfortunately, she'll have to slip off before she can go back with Korrin. "This would be a bad time to tell you that I need to see the Nightingale first before I have my wicked way with you, wouldn't, it?"