(OPEN) Capulet Manor Costume Ball|(Fast paced)

[ricketts]

Costume;

wartime countryboy.
Find me on the front lawn.

On the outer steps, Henry was still sitting. His chin on his squeezed knuckles, admiring the evening light. Within the space of the past few minutes the aspect of the heavens had completely changed. The burning scarlet and violet hues had all melted into a transparent yet brilliant shade of pale mauve, as delicate as the inner tint of a lilac blossom. Across this stretched two wing-shaped gossamer clouds of watery green, fringed with soft primrose. Between these cloud-wings, as opaline in lustre as those of a dragon-fly, the face of the sun shone like a shield of polished gold, while the rays, piercing spear-like through the varied tints of emerald, brought an unearthly radiance over the landscape. So many colours he could swear he caught them moving, and a lustre that matched moonlight shone in his dreamy eyes.

Bringing his glance down from the skies, the young man turned it up to the face of the person that asked his attention, a bronze-haired beauty at his side. They wished to pass through the free steps and Henry, it seemed, was in their way. There was no call for alarm, and with abit of a mingled shrug he got to his feet and stood aside.

'Abit, yeah.' He faintly uttered, then rose his head. Getting his first true look at the man's face now that the level light revealed it better. Dimly he perceived a familiarity, and almost without thinking called upon its first intuition.

'Wait, you ... you're not that lad from the newspapers through some chance?' After that, Henry regretted speaking. Partly from whatever displeasure at the summary manner in what was to follow if he did turn out to be the young man that had gone bat-shine in the museum, seizing and twisting round like some young uprooted saplings, and partly from surprise from running into the personage. What Henry saw before him was a man somewhat above the middle height, who might have served an aspiring sculptor as a perfect model. Well-poised and shapely, his frame alone indicated power and will - and eyes, that were sharp like the edge of a diamond.

[ÉPONINE THÉNARDIER]

:Costume:
Dress | Mask
She remains masked.
Find me in the pool area.

Éponine wanted to smack herself for being so suspicious. What if it had been the hostess who had come up behind her and Éponine had pulled the knife on her? That would not have ended well. Still, she was still kind of pissed that this poor fellow had followed her. She was really looking to scout out an exit so she knew where to escape after she'd helped herself to the food. Romeo didn't seem to care a hair's width about her, since he'd abandoned her in some dazed and misguided pursuit. Éponine had only been his arm candy, after all, a thought which still bothered her somewhat. There was clearly some other lady that he had his eye on and he just hadn't wanted to be embarrassed by showing up without a date. If Éponine were experienced with these things, she would have sympathized. As it was, she was feeling a little bitter.

Due to her mood, Éponine didn't lower her knife, even though she could see that this poor sap didn't mean her any harm. She did relax her posture a little bit, though. Behind her mask, she rolled her eyes. Why had he needed to follow her? There was no point in doing so, since she hadn't spoken more than two sentences to him. Did he feel obligated to Romeo to keep her company? That was noble and all, but Éponine wasn't exactly being receptive. It was nothing personal against him. Personally, she sized him up and figured that in a fight, she could easily overpower him, especially in what seemed to be his drugged-up state. She really hoped it wouldn't come to that. She was way too cynical. Those sorts of things didn't happen in this world, only in hers. With this thought, she lowered her knife and, without bending over, tucked it back into the strap on her shoe. Once she put her foot back down on the ground she scanned the guy who had followed her. Mercutio was his name, wasn't it?

Though her mask remained as placid as usual, behind it she was gawking at his words. An angel? Was he really asking her that? The last time she had checked, she didn't have wings. She didn't have a halo or anything of that sort. It had to be the dress, even though it wasn't even the fanciest dress at this shindig. If Mercutio had stumbled upon her on any other day, he certainly would not be asking if she was or was not an angel. It was a novelty to her, so despite her common sense she found herself flattered by the complement. She knew that this was probably his aim and she tried to tell herself not to fall for it, but she couldn't seem to help it. No one had likened her to anything but a dirty rag since she was a little girl. It felt good. Why did it have to feel good?

"Ah ... no, not ze last time I checked," Éponine replied nervously, picking at the fabric of her dress slightly. She felt nervous, but not in the death-is-imminent way. It was a feeling she was unfamiliar with. Her stomach was jumpy, and not out of hunger for a change. She was not sure how to react to this boy or his strange attention toward her, and this frightened her. She nibbled on her bottom lip and she pondered what to do next. She decided on the defensive. "Why did ya follow me? Zere's a lotta people in zere's ta talk ta. I'm certainly not ze most interesting." Perhaps if she could distract him she could get away long enough to stop feeling uncomfortable and get her head together. Yet while this was what she thought she wanted to go, she also wanted to stay. Why? It didn't make any sense.

[/blockquote]

[queenmab]

Costume
Roman Attire Baby
Maskie
Find me in the pool area.
It is totally goin' down.

The peak of Mercutio’s high had disintegrated and replacing it was the plateau – that sort of middle ground that occurred after the euphoric rush, just before the fall. Reality was within arms reach now, finally, but he wasn’t quite ready to acknowledge it. Before him was this…unidentified female thing, still. Beautiful and soft like the whisper of a wind, but like the sound it made on a cold dark night as it rustled through the trees, ominous and spooky. Initially Mercutio thought that the mask that hid her face was actually her real face. But now as tiny bits of logic nagged at the background, he felt doubt and questioned this notion. Was she human, or a fallen angel? She was too small to be a wild beast of the jungle. Mayhaps she was some extraterrestrial enmity?

Alas, she spoke again, and answered his impending question! Well, sort of. At least he knew now that she was not an angel. But…what if she was in hiding? Maybe the other angels from heaven disliked her and booted her out of the kingdom. They must have kicked her right out the sparkly golden gates, and down she plunged back to earth, not knowing where else to go. The poor thing! She must feel so lonely.

“Are you so certain?” Mercutio questioned, raising his eyebrows in disbelief. “I could have sworn that for sure you were some kind of angel.”

He paused and attempted to listen to what she said next, but he could barely concentrate on the words to really make sense of them. They went in one ear and right back out the other.

“Is that your real face?” he suddenly asked, pointing to her mask. Mercutio longed to discover the truth. After all, didn’t he deserve to know? The opportunity was right here, literally staring him in the face. “You see, this is my real face. Pretty right?” he chuckled. Although Mercutio was all ready a rather impatient fellow as it was, the edge of the drug placed some sort of urgency on everything. He had to know, he just had to. Right now.

“If it’s not, could I seeee?”

Mercutio's finger lingered mid-air before her mask as he asked that last question, his burning desire appearing through the intensity of his blue eyes. He traced over the outline of the hat slowly before withdrawing his hand back to his side, awaiting an answer. He hoped he'd be in luck, no matter what her reply would be.

[sasha]

:Costume:
Dress|Hair (sans brooch)|Mask (Top Right)|Necklace|Clutch
Find me in the foyer.

"And I suppose you carry puppies out of burning buildings in your spare time," Dido jabbed dryly as a response to Faustus's clarification. However, she regretted that the instant it came out of her mouth. She'd never been a rude woman, but her sense of humour was a lot drier than most, which was often misunderstood. It'd been a long time since she'd actually attempted a joke (well, after the terrible one she'd made minutes before about pimpin'). If she wanted to be a normal person, she had to get back into the swing of normal banter and normal humour. Normal, normal, normal, she chanted in her head. "I'm sorry about that. It's admirable what you do, Doctor Faustus."

Well, at least he responded to the pimpin' joke...and quite intimately. Di felt his hot breath linger over that sensitive spot where her ear met her neck. A shiver coursed through her body, a sensation that she hadn't felt since she was happily married to Aeneas. Though, that came to an end, of course, and the spark within her shorted out the moment her heart broke. She wasn't even aware that she could feel such things anymore. It would be a good idea to drink some more, she decided.

"And why did I?" she asked, bringing the martini glass up to her ruby lips. When the drink slid down her throat, she blinked a few times. It tasted...different. Perhaps it was another level of flavour which she hadn't tasted until then. It wasn't bad; in fact, it was quite good. With that, she finished the martini and placed it on the tray which was on top of the nearest table. "Was it the costume?"

All of a sudden, she felt a little bit lightheaded. It seemed as though the alcohol was quickly taking effect. What did that bartender put in there?

"Or was it something...else?" she asked him, a flicker of a smile tracing her lips. Since when did she smile? Yes, it was the alcohol. Definitely the alcohol.

[hamlet]

------------------------
Costume: Pardon my never-edited-a-photo-like-this photoshopping skills
(You get the idea 1930s-esque suit with a fedora)
Mask: Simple-mask-that-Harry-chooses-not-to-wear-but-its-on-his-person
(he might put it on once and a while though)
Meet me on the front lawn.
(its goin' dooown. )
-------------------------

Harry smiled at Ophelia's bashfulness. "Don't worry, I'm not exactly a professional dancer myself. Trust me, you have nothing to worry about. Think of it as a learning experience for both of us." He imagined Ophelia and himself in the ballroom, with no one else around. Just the couple holding one another. Just them and the music. Peace...at least for a little while.

He opened his mouth to say something but then a voice interrupted him. "Wait," the voice said. Harry turned around and found that the young man who sat on the steps was speaking to him, about the stories in the papers, to add insult to injury. Harry looked at him, not masking his irritableness.

"So, you recognize me. Excellent." He said, sarcastic acknowledgment of Henry's observation. He definitely wasn't appreciative of Henry's almost incredulous tone, no doubt finding it unbelievable that Harry, the "crazy" man in the papers was standing before him. "I guess you should also know that the papers tend to sensationalize."

Harry wasnt out here to do PR damage control with this young man. "I'm sure you'll find more stories that are a bit more riveting inside, I assure you." He turned back to Ophelia, not inclined to continue the conversation with the young man and he hoped he got the hint..

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

:Costume:
www.flickr.com/photos/41533634@N02/4529597273/

Find me in the foyer.

It was all Edward's idea. Even at fifty eight Richard's older brother couldn't resist the allure and glitz of a party, not to mention the free flow of alcohol (despite the fact his adoration for such had been a major factor in causing his illness).

Richard had protested, insisting that if there was any place he especially didn't want to be right at that point, it was a party. He tried his utmost best to sway Edward to his side, but Edward now had the idea in his head that since he was going to die sometime soon he might as well go wild and crazy while he still could, before he was confined to his bed for the remainder of his days.

Richard hated to admit that Edward had a point.

It hadn't taken him long, despite his initial misgivings, to decide on an appropriate costume. Not only was the attire of a king well suited to his personality but the long, flowing robes helped to diguise his deforminites, at least a little. He found he'd actually enjoyed having the various garments tailored; he usually found the task of having his clothes made to fit wearisome and not worth his while.

Edward had found Richard's choice of costume very amusing indeed, as for himself he had decided to dress as a 1950s greaser, complete with a leather jacket, the back of which was emblazoned with the letter E in rhinestones. This is turn had amused Richard; the look of ecstacy on his brother's face upon putting the jacket on had been priceless.

The journey to the Capulet's manor in the limo had been rather uneventful; now that Edward had persuaded Richard to come wih him it seemed he had little else he needed to say.

Richard didn't really care one way or the other whether he talked to Edward or not; he was doing what Edward wanted, having donned the mask of the attentive and caring brother who went along with Edward's plans.

Who knew? Maybe this evening would be fun.

As the limo drew up outside the manor one of the household's many servants hurried forwards to open the door for them. Richard had insisted to Edward that they attend the ball in masks, but Edward had insisted right back at him that he didn't need a mask; he was there to be seen.

It was no surprise, therefore, that the man who had opened the door to the limosine gave a gasp of shock upon recognizing the Mayor and his Comptroller as they alighted from the car. He seemed unsure whether to scrape a hasty bow or simply let them pass. Edward noticed his stunned hesitation and laughed, clapping the man on the back as he did so.

"Don't look so shocked, my good man!" said Edward, in a very over the top fashion that was certain to get him noticed. "Is it so wrong of a man like me to attend a party?"

"N-no, n-not at a-all..." the other man stammered.

Richard watched the scene unfold before him with disdain; typical Edward, horsing about and acting like a complete idiot just because in a year or so or even a few months it wouldn't matter. Pathetic.

Edward laughed hearitly again and unwound his arm from the man's shoulders, motioning to Richard to follow him as he made his way to the front doors.

"There's no need to announce us," he told the doormen in all seriousness. "We'll announce ourselves. Won't we R-"

He turned to see that Richard had only just caught up with him, trying to regain his breath somewhat having hobbled up the front steps.

Edward shook his head with one of his especially boyish grins.

"Ricky, Ricky, Ricky," he said, ignoring Richard's involuntary twitch of displeasure at the nickname. "You really need to walk faster, little brother. There's a party in here with our names on it!"

And this was even before he'd drunk anything, Richard mused.

With that Edward made his way into the foyer and Richard, having at last steadied his breathing and adjusted his chain of office about his shoulders, did the same.

The first thing that hit Richard was the noise, the sound of many people chatting and laughing all at once. Then it was the sight, the vibrant colours and costumes of the Capulet's guests, not to mention the splendour of the house itself. Richard was willing to bet it rivalled some of the rooms at Middleham, and that place had been like a castle.

Almost as soon as the door had closed behind him Edward had darted off and dissapeared into the throng, in search of the open bar was Richard's guess. For his part he remained where he was; despite his status he still felt a little uneasy in the face of so many people, and many of them masked too. He was so used to reading people and knowing instantly what they were about, but the presence of physical masks disconcerted his usual demeanour.

He continued to scan the crowd however, despite some of them trying to hide. He liked to watch people, to study them, to figure out what made them tick. That way he could exploit whatever that was for his own gain. One of his favourite games to play.

ooc: I have Yols' permission to god-mod Edward, just so you are all aware. ^^

[THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO]

:Costume:
Suit/Mask
Find me in the ballroom.

Monte Cristo was doing a remarkably credible imitation of the wallpaper in the ballroom. His mask was pulled over his face, and as yet, no one had seemed to recognize him. Watching the various goings-on around him would have been a far more difficult task if he had actually had to socialize.

As always, he found the actions of others quite amusing. Romeo had left poor Nina's side, rejoined her, and then rushed off again, leaving the young woman to wander out to the pool. Monte Cristo had considered going to speak to her, since her discomfort with the situation was obvious. Fortunately, it seemed that Mercutio had decided on a similar course of action, relieving Monte Cristo of that particular responsibility.

There were a few other faces in the crowd that he recognized and had resolved to steer clear from. This narrowed his options down significantly. Instead he chose to watch the few guests who had taken to the ballroom floor. An attendant passed by with a tray of drinks, but Monte Cristo did not attempt to reach for one. Events like these, he found, were exponentially more interesting when he was one of the few sober guests left at the end of the evening.

[yolanda7g]

------------------------
Costume: Pimpin' all over the world
Cane:...instead of a mask
Find me in the foyer.
And heeere we go!
------------------------

James raised an eyebrow at Elissa's comment about puppies. Ooo, this girl's not only a downer but she's got sarcastic punch, I like that. Besides, Faustus can play that game too, which is why he responded with a grin, "Yeah I do some of that too. Runnin' into burning buildings is a pain but someone's gotta do it." She apologized for the comment though. Should count for something right?

Yeah. Okay. All he has to do is stick this out until she drinks. Drink the damn thing, woman!

So now she's asking questions. Why did she catch his attention? Faustus opened his mouth to give some generic answer that he pulled out his ass when...she downed the whole drink. A large smile appeared on his face. Now to see if his drug could work miracles.

"Oh, the costume fits you perfectly. You look... beautiful in it."

She smiled.

Oh my goooodness. Hallelujah. Praise God, Jesus, Jehova and the Dali Lama. Miracles happen! Faustus thought.

He continued on his flirting mode. "But...trust me. Somethin tells me that you would look good in anything you put on." Or nothing at all. Faustus grinned. Suddenly there was some activity that errupted in the foyer and Faustus turned around. The mayor and his comptroller just walked in the door.

This night was just getting better and better. He was rolling with the best of the best now. But he had to handle (and possibly get lucky with) Elissa before he could talk to the mayor. Not that he was complaining.

He turned to Elissa and smiled. "It's getting a little hectic and crowded up in here. This place will be swarming soon, you know, now that the mayor's here." He gave this observation to Elissa, hoping to get the response he was looking for out of her, hoping she got the hint.

[ÉPONINE THÉNARDIER]

:Costume:
Dress | Mask
She remains masked.
Find me in the pool area.

The poor sap! He was so obviously high that it was almost pathetic. Éponine had experience with stoners, so she wasn't uncomfortable with the boy's silliness. She was annoyed, perhaps, but Éponine was almost always annoyed. In fact, in a way she was grateful that Romeo's little friend was slightly addled because it was something she was used to. She had dealt with people on drugs before and she knew how to handle them. It was one of the first things she had been faced with tonight that she actually knew how to react to. She'd been flying by the seat of her pants when she'd been talking to the count, hoping not to offend him in some unknown way. She had nearly tripped over her dress several times, and though her mask was her shield she still felt awkward wearing it. Drugs? Drugs she could deal with. The trick was just to speak very slowly ...

Through the eye holes in her mask she watched the boy step closer, and though she kept her guard up she didn't pull out her knife again. She was certain by this point that she wouldn't need it. She was perplexed by the way he was looking at her. It passed the mark of druggie and was at some expression beyond that, but Éponine couldn't put her finger on it. He seemed like he was in awe, but why? She was sure that even though she was clean and dressed up, she was nothing special. Surely if he got close enough he would see her collarbone sticking out unnaturally and her peaky chin. She wasn't pretty, not that she was aware of. Most of the time Éponine counted on the fact that she wasn't pretty because it kept her safe. People didn't usually like to look at ugly people, so it helped in her need for invisibility now and then.

She certainly wasn't invisible now, though, that much was sure. If she weren't familiar with the staring tendencies of one who was high, she would feel a lot more insecure. As it was, she was only just beginning to become insecure. It was a creeping sensation on the back of her neck that matched her instinct to be wary. She still refused to let her guard down, even when Mercutio continued to insisted that he thought she was an angel. She couldn't help but snort a little with laughter when he asked if her mask was her real face. The poor kid (as Éponine viewed him, though he was most certainly older than she) was certainly flying high. Then he asked in a childish voice if he could see her real face. Éponine hesitated. She hadn't planned on taking off her mask at all this evening. This, obviously, had been an oversight, because in order to eat she would need to take it off. Still, she had to seriously consider whether she would take it off just for Romeo's friend.

She decided that she would for a couple of reasons. For one, the fellow asking to see her face would most likely not remember what she looked like in the morning, anyway. The drugs would surely see to that. For another, there was no one else around to see her. A third and final reason was that even if anyone did see her, they would not be able to recognize her once she was back on the streets. Her identity would be safe regardless of who saw her tonight. She was Nina Jondrette, Romeo Montague's little date. For all anyone knew, she could be the daughter of a prominent banker who had just moved to the area. She could simply be visiting the city. No one would know that she was a prisoner of the skyscrapers and the streets.

"No, zis is not my real face. Zat's silly." She couldn't help adding that little jab. Stoners annoyed her. "But if you insist on seeing ze beast beneath ze mask ..." Éponine reached up behind her head and fiddled with the clasp that secured the mask to her head, trying not to mess with the hairstyle too much. It had taken a lot of poking and prodding to get it into place, and she didn't want to ruin it. She removed her mask and raised her eyebrows at him. "Zere? Are you 'appy?" she asked. She felt freer when she was free from her mask. She had peripheral vision once more! That was a valuable tool. She doubted that Mercutio would take any satisfaction from her looks. She was ordinary at best. Her cheekbones stuck out too much and her skin was stretchy. At least, it usually was. Éponine hadn't had much of a chance to look at herself since she'd had pounds of makeup smeared on this afternoon. She wasn't usually pretty. She wasn't entirely convinced that makeup and a pretty dress would do anything to change that.

[/blockquote]

[sasha]

:Costume:
Dress|Hair (sans brooch)|Mask (Top Right)|Necklace|Clutch
Find me in the foyer.

As the seconds flew by, Elissa could feel herself more and more lightheaded. She felt tingly, like a weak electric current was flowing through her veins. Admittedly, she was seriously considering going back up to the annoying bartender and getting another drink. After all, there was nothing like some alcohol to dull the pain of a bruised spirit. Sure, the "crash" always sucked royally, but those few moments of inebriated happiness were well worth it; that unmistakable buzz was almost euphoric in its own way.

Upon hearing Faustus's remarks about her beauty, she felt an even warmer blush spread across the apples of her cheeks. Whether it was the alcohol or something else was yet to be determined. No matter. She felt herself grinning like a fool, a little giggle escaping her full lips. "You sure know how to woo a lady, don't you, Doctor? Have you had medical training in that, too, I wonder?" Her mind obviously wasn't all there. Had she not gotten a drink at all, she would never in a million years be brushing her hand over the fur of his coat. Earth to Dido, are you fucking insane? would have been her thought. Right now, her thoughts were somewhere along the lines of, Who cares? Shouldn't I have a little fun for once?

Dido turned her head with Faustus when the mayor and comptroller made their entrance. His name was Richard something-or-other, right? The more she thought about it, she realized that her father may have known him at some point. Though, she couldn't be certain. Belus Purcell was a quite high-ranking Senator for a number of decades, after all. He'd proposed quite a few policies which had made their way into the law. Any politician would know about him on some level. "You know, I think my father knew him," she said aloud to Faustus. "He was a Senator."

Well, she may have been drunk, but she certainly had some sense. She knew exactly what the doctor meant when he mentioned the crowd. He'd ask to go somewhere more secluded and fool around. The thought almost felt like an arrow through her chest. She'd promised (for real, this time) to never be intimate with a man again, and she was going to hold herself to her word. "Ah, how bold of you, Doctor," she said with a flirtatious smile. "But I should have you know that I don't just fool around. I'm still in grief." Her blue eyes looked into his deep brown gaze, and she turned away from him, heading towards the crowd. If he wanted to follow, he would.

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

:Costume:
www.flickr.com/photos/41533634@N02/4529597273/

Find me in the ballroom

Everyone grows tired of peoplewatching after ahwile, even those as profficient in that particular art as Richard. Becoming slightly bored with watching other people's conversations, he decided instead to head the same way Edward had; in the direction of the ballroom. He certainly wasn't planning to dance but at least there he might find somewhere to sit down, or perhaps even the bar his older brother had hankered after. At least if he had a drink in his hand it wouldn't look as though he was simply standing there with naught to do.

With these thoughts in mind Richard made his way towards the ballroom. He'd spent the afternoon cooped up in his office, face set, attempting with grim determination to walk without impediment. For some reason he'd felt that tonight would be the right time to try to walk normally again, while he was at least somewhat disguised. As it turned out he'd used his time in vain; despite his best efforts his leg simply would not walk in a normal fashion without a considerable degree of extra pain.

Not surprisingly, he gave it up, and continued to limp as he entered the ballroom. He almost gave a low whistle of admiration before he checked himself; since when did he do that? He spotted Edward almost immediatley, dancing in a somewhat tipsy manner, a half empty glass of some alcoholic beverage in his hand.

Richard chuckled nastily and walked further into the room, sticking to the walls to avoid people getting the impression he might be here to join Edward in his revelries.

Please.

[queenmab]

Costume
Roman Attire Baby
Maskie
Find me in the pool area.
It is totally goin' down.

After about an hour or so of pure euphoric joy and unbridled pleasure, this plateau came nice and easy. Mercutio's lips parted in a silent gasp as he pressed his hands to his face and drew them up to push his soft hair line back, as if he were splashing water on his face in slow motion. His skin felt so smooth and soft to the touch, such a curious texture...did it usually feel this way? Not that he could recollect. But he didn't mind. Everything the flesh of his palms and his rushing fingers came in contact with felt larger than life, wider than before, like an electric eel had shocked him. And the colors were just as static and bright as electricity as well.

While Mercutio was not as chaotic, nor did he dance or rather flail madly like he had earlier, his thoughts were far from coherent. They fizzed and popped and mixed with eachother like the compounds of a brew. While they were clearer to distinguish then previously, it'd take at least one more hour for the bawdy playboy to sort through the sock drawer properly.

It was a damn shame that Benvolio hadn't attended the ball. Mercutio had been nearly certain that he'd be joining him, Romeo and their other mutual rioting souls in the celebration but alas, he was busy. Doing what, one would wonder, that would be of such immense importance that the wildest party in the entire city would be missed? Only Benvolio. The poor dog was probably studying his journals or practising for some sort of examination. Perhaps he was dissecting a corpse's eye, or jacking off to an episode of House. No matter what it was, it certainly wasn't worth missing this grand and most rare occasion. If it weren't for Mercutio's effortless connections, neither Benvolio nor Romeo would have been eligible to even step foot within full radius of the mansion without being showered with death threats.

Boy, was this creature taking her sweet minutes to answer to his curiosity. It was frustrating to say the least!

"Mmmhmm..." he moaned, missing that slight edge of her comment completely.

Mercutio removed his hands from his soft hair and rotated his hips in uneven, jerky circles, his arms crossed tightly against his chest. His hands groped the sides of his arms, as if he were attempting to banish his imaginary chills.

"Jooolly!" he hopped on one foot excitedly and clapped his hands together, as if he were a child expecting a christmas present. Finally, she'd agreed to reveal her face! He watched in awe as she carefully removed her mask, his lip almost quivering once again...what if what was beneath was far more superior and frightening?

But, it was not. Thankfully.

Mercutio squinted his eyes at her and cocked his head to the side slightly, eyes rapidly looking her up and down. She was not monstrous, nor hagard nor an angel. But she was arguably, just as beautiful as one. What a relief.

"Tell me..." he mumbled, almost incoherently. The drugs, while he had built an immunity and tolerance to them, still slurred his speech from time to time. "Your name? Where you come from?"

One of Mercutio's hands released his forearm shakily before he brought it to stoke her shiny black hair, pulled elegantly into a style that likely had taken much strain and effort to create. He chuckled shamelessly.

[yolanda7g]

------------------------
Costume: Pimpin' all over the world
Cane:...instead of a mask
Find me in the foyer./Find me in the ballroom.
And heeere we go!
------------------------

(Monte I hope its ok, but im gonna assume that you're near Richard, hope thats okay, and doing a slight godmod of elissa here, she's given permission )

To Elissa's comment about medical training, Faustus grinned, nasty thoughts running all through his mind at the moment. "Oh yeah. I got medical training in a lot of things." When they were distracted by the mayor, Faustus heard her say a bit about her father knowing him. His eyes were seeing dollar signs now. If he could get good with her, then imagine the networking! More so, the money.

Then she said teasingly, "But I should have you know that I don't just fool around. I'm still in grief." And just like that...she walks away.

Faustus' grin grew wider. She's a hard fish to catch, but Dr. Faustus was prepared for such occasions. After all...he considered himself stubborn as well. He took his cane and quickly followed her lead, coming up behind her and gently slipping an arm around her waist and continued to walk with her into the ballroom. "Well lets not fool around then, Ms. Elissa. Besides, I'm a very serious individual." He winked at her.

If he couldn't get her alone yet, he'll just do a bit of mingling until she was ready to let Faustus handle her. Sometimes girls needed to prepare themselves...haha, even when drugged.

In the ballroom he saw the mayor and his comptroller. The mayor seemed...busy. Damn. He knew how to party. But Richard Plantagenet seemed disinterested. Time to show Elissa some lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous excitement. He paused at the entrance of the ball room to say to the woman he held, "Well if your father knew, Richard Plantagenet...maybe he should get to know you as well. Don't you think?"

He lead her further in the ballroom and came to a cluster of people somewhat near Richard. He saw one man with a smart suit and a black mask decline a tray of drinks. He let go of Elissa briefly to him a friendly pat on the back and, in passing, said, "Hey, no need to impress anyone. Tonight is the night to drink." He grinned and then a few paces later, tapped Richard on the shoulder.

"Hi, my name is Dr. Faustus, pleasure to meet you." He extended his hand. "My friend here, Elissa, thought you might have known a relative of hers." He looked over at Elissa and hoped that the drug didn't make her do anything...too embarrassing in front of this guy.

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

:Costume:
www.flickr.com/photos/41533634@N02/4529597273/

Find me in the ballroom

Richard, having seen enough of his brother's antics to last him a lifetime, had just been about to head over to the bar as per his original plan of action, when he felt somone tap him on the shoulder.

Needless to say he hadn't been expecting this and, as such, barely managed to keep from starting at the man's touch. He turned to face him with a scowl; if there was one thing he didn't like it was people sneaking up on him, it reminded him all too well of the ambush...

Well, it certainly seemed like this man had a battle formation in mind. He had a woman on his arm, or rather his arm around her waist, and now he had gone out of his way to speak to him, Richard, alais the most wealthy person in the room who wasn't otherwise engaged. Impressive.

"Hi, my name is Dr. Faustus, pleasure to meet you."

The man extended his hand for Richard to shake. Richard hesitated a moment before doing anything, seeming to size the man up before deciding to continue the conversation further. He took Faustus' hand and shook it; his grip surprisingly firm and strong for one who appeared so...weak.

"My friend here, Elissa, thought you might have known a relative of hers."

Richard turned his head slightly to observe Faustus' 'friend'. She was beautiful, even Richard had to admit it, but there was something about her that seemed a little...off. Surely she couldn't be drunk this early on in the evening?

Snapping himself out of his thoughts, Richard made to reply to Faustus, letting go of the man's hand as he did so.

"The same to you both," Richard said, although with little enthusiasm in his voice. He didn't have a good track record will medical personnel. "Might I inquire as to which relative of Elissa's I suppossedly knew? Or, better yet, Elissa's last name? Doubtless that knowledge will narrow my search."

Richard couldn't say he was pleased at being interrupted by a man who, at least in his opinion, was so blatantly attempting to network. But conversation with someone, even someone from a profession he despised with a passion who was attempting to get into his good graces, was better than no conversation at all.

[sasha]

:Costume:
Dress|Hair (sans brooch)|Mask (Top Right)|Necklace|Clutch
Find me in the foyer. / Find me in the ballroom.

Ah, so Faustus had decided to follow. Elissa really wasn't surprised; he was obviously interested in her. He'd be sad to know that there would be no hooking up tonight (or ever), but she could always lead him on, right? Now, had that martini not been so strong, she'd have never thought twice about squirming right out of his grasp. For that matter, she wouldn't even be bothering to talk to him on a level such as this. She would have politely left and gone to another corner of the room. But this was fun. Yeah, it was very fun being this buzzed. "So, you decided to join me, hmm?" she purred, looking up at the man whose arm was securely around her waist. "I'm that interesting?"

However, the next thing she knew, she was in the ballroom. The chandeliers were emitting a light that seemed almost blinding. The room almost seemed to be spinning, and she pinched the bridge of her nose through the mask. It was just one drink, she thought, slightly confused. The buzz felt almost too good, and that frightened her. She had a nagging feeling that she was going slightly cross eyed, but she figured that the mask would hide that from those around her.

The next thing Elissa knew, she was face to face with the comptroller of New York City, as per Faustus's insistence. She smiled at the older man, making to answer the question herself. "Ah, my father was Belus Purcell. He was a Senator from Maine, very highly ranked. He was in this city a lot, too. Died of pneumonia, like, fifteen years ago. And then my brother, Pygmalion, killed my husband and left me to find the body. Surely you saw that in the news?" she rambled. Okay, something was wrong. She wouldn't let that just slip out of her mouth.

Was this more than an "in vino veritas" situation?