For a story can only start so many ways, but it's hard to tell where it is going...

[foryourown]

When the sun finally rises again, each guest will find him or herself back in their original room, with the door locked and a costume hanging beside it. The door will open - but only after they put on the clothes. When they leave, guests will find themselves descending a winding staircase into a dizzying room built entirely in crystal; the floor,

Comments

[gammapulsed]

...Yeah, Bruce hates. Just about everything right now. Okay, maybe 'hate' is too strong a term to apply to everything ever, so perhaps 'strong dislike' works better. Semantics and whatever aside, though, he's just sitting on the bed, tiredly glaring at the outfit dangling next to the door.

Which of course is locked. Because oh, Bruce has tried to get past it. Without any luck at all. And really, he shouldn't be all that surprised - it's the same amount of luck as he's ever had.

Finally, he sighs and starts to change into what was left for him: a pastel green dress shirt, a waistcoat with green stones stitched in that shimmer in the light, and a slick green suit - literally. The interior of the clothes feels normal enough, but the exterior has a glossy sheen to it, like it's secreting something (Bruce doesn't even want to know what, lord), and when he pokes it experimentally, it's smooth to the touch, almost rubber-like. Not to mention there's a faint, sweet, marshy smell to the whole ensemble - of thick loam and growing things.

But the point of all that is... Green. And way more of it than any one person should ever wear. Ever. Definitely more than Bruce ever wanted to wear - he's got more than enough of it in his life already. He sighs and dons the matching green derby that came with it. Then yelps as the hat starts to enlarge and stretch all on its own until the back end has merged with his shirt collar, and the front has dipped down his face. Once everything stops shifting around, his hair's all tucked under green material identical to the suit, and only the lower third of his face is visible aside from goggled eye-slits. If he'd checked out a mirror, he would find the derby's swapped over to a shining gold color and he looks most froggy.

But he doesn't. Instead, Bruce shoves down the small tremble of claustrophobia at this thing on his face (though it's not at all uncomfortable if he thinks about it - not the point) as he tries the door again. ...Yes. Of course it works now. Of course. A sigh, and then he's forcing himself down the stairs to the ballroom as quickly as possible.

Get in, get out, and then out of this monstrosity of a costume.

God, he hates magic.

[eyesofafalcon]

Zhaneel wasn't at all accustomed to this whole 'walk on two legs' thing. That might be slightly obvious in that she's clinging to the railing of the stairs as she walks down them. She had, luckily, been able to forgo shoes entirely after donning her dress, the train trailing behind her. She had been thrilled at the form of the mask that had been left to partner the dress. She was, thankfully, not at all concerned about the amount of skin she was showing in the dress, completely used to wearing nothing more than her own feathers and fur on a normal day. The amount of free leg showing (namely, their entirety) allowed her to focus entirely on the walking side of things.

She reaches the bottom of the stairs, holding tightly to the railing as she finds solid ground and stands there for a minute. She is breathing a bit rapidly, both trying to get used to the tight corset like bodice of the dress and nerves.

She'd never been human before tonight, and she is both enamored and terrified. However, she is determined to make the best of it and enjoy herself as best as she can.

There are people all over the ballroom, dressed in a wide variety of costumes, but all of them are masked. As Zhaneel's golden gaze darts around from person to person, she can't possibly hope to find Tarma amongst them, if the warrior woman has even chosen to attend.

Her hand is shaking, but she makes herself let go of the railing and walks away from it. She's nearly a dozen steps away, feeling quite proud of and confident in herself when it all falls apart. She turns to look at an abstractly costumed figure that walks by, mouth falling open in awe and in the process of doing so, manages to get her legs wrapped up in the train of her dress.

She lets out a cry of dismay as her balance falls to the wayside and she topples into a man in green.

[gammapulsed]

It takes a few moments to figure out where exactly the most out of the way corner is so Bruce can hide in it until it's all over. In hindsight, maybe he shouldn't have stood in the middle of the room while figuring that out - it might have precluded all of this.

But he didn't so this is happening. And this? Is him flailing and almost falling himself when she does her topple. Somehow (don't ask him how, it's not like he has the first clue about it) he manages to catch himself before he's laid out on the floor, and this woman's arm while he's at it. Once he's sure neither of them are going much of anywhere in a down direction, he realizes that she is very very close to him, and his cheeks flush under his mask - especially after getting a look at her costume and wow that's a lot of leg and oh, wait is he still holding on to her? Stepping away, he rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, momentarily grateful for the mask for the hiding factor. Secret identities do come in handy at such times.

"Uh. ...Are you, er, all right there? Miss? I mean, you didn't, ah. Hurt yourself or anything like that, did you? Because I can go and..." He trails off, looking around and realizing that he has no idea where to go should she require help. "And. I don't know. B-but that's only if you're not okay, so. Are you?"

[eyesofafalcon]

Zhaneel had thought for certain that her misstep would end in the both of them, she and the victim of her clumsiness, sprawled in an ungainly heap on the ground. However, he saves the both of them and holds securely onto her arm while she regains her footing.

She doesn't think anything of her free hand pressed against his chest, simply considering it the best way to balance herself as the material of her dress finally falls free from her legs. The subtle nuances of human interaction are, unfortunately, completely lost on the slim figure of a girl.

She looks up to find him looking at her from a scant few inches away and offers him a soft smile. Then he releases her and she wavers for only a second before finding her center of gravity. Her head tilts slightly as she watches him rub the back of his neck, seeming uncomfortable. Though her sense of smell is by no means her strongest sense, and being a human does dampen it a bit, he seems a bit embarrassed. Odd, as she was the one that crashed into him. Someone isn't used to the fact that she's not tromping around like normal just now. She wouldn't even be able to tell you if this form were particularly pretty, having a rather skewed opinion of human beauty.

He stumbles through his sentence and Zhaneel feels her lips curling in a mixture of amusement and gratitude. "Yes, I'm .. Rather, no I'm not .." she stops, because she doesn't wish to confuse him and she's succeeding in confusing herself. She flushes in consternation, biting her lip and starts over. "I'm fine, thank you .. no harm done .." Her gold eyes then widen a bit beneath the bird mask. "Are you alright? I didn't harm you did I??"

[gammapulsed]

Bruce almost starts forward again when it looks like she might fall again, but luckily they're both spared that so he just rocks back onto his heels again. Then he makes sure to look her in the f- ...Mask instead of. Anywhere else. Not that he would look anyway as he's not that kind of person, but it's best not to make wrong impressions. ...Not that Zhaneel isn't nice to look at, of course he's not saying th-

And this is about when Bruce realizes he's doing this all in his head. And hasn't actually said anything that can be taken either way yet. So he's just been standing there like an idiot. Great. Ahaaaa.

"Ah, then," he answers with a small sigh before she starts getting uncertain. But then he's shaking his head in reply to her concern. "Wh- No, no, I'm. It was just a little bump, and nobody ended up falling, and even then it's not. It's nothing. So. Course I'm fine. I mean, aside from everything else going on, but. Yes. Fine. ...Thank you."

Bruce is the most adorn thing ever!!

[eyesofafalcon]

Zhaneel finds that the man is kind of staring at her, but not saying anything and shifts slightly. She is just beginning to get uncomfortable and concerned for his well being when he seems to realize that he hasn't said anything and finally speaks. And boy does he speak.

Golden eyes widen slightly as he rambles off, assuring her that he is fine somewhere in the process. She searches his face mask, but finds it incredibly hard to judge with his entire face covered. Though he seems frightfully nervous, she'll have to take his word that he is well.

"I am glad of that," she returns softly, relieved that he is not injured. "I would have felt terrible!!" There is a beat of silence on her end as she looks around the room at the revelers and people dancing. "It is all a bit much to take in, isn't it?" Her gesturing hand seems to include farmmore than simply the dance they are attending. "All of this .. This whole place.."

Aw, thank you! Every time I think he's hit the derp ceiling, he busts through it again. Sob.

[gammapulsed]

"Oh, no, it's okay, you. I mean, it wouldn't have been your fault, it was just. I mean, unless you purposefully wanted to fall on me, which I don't think so because, really, who'd do that? It's just." Shaking his head he stops himself. "Whatever. No harm, so no foul."

He chews the inside of his cheek as he shoves his hands in his pockets (and oh, oh, ew, even the inside has that weird slick thing going on which is more than disquieting but he can't take them back out, he just put them in, darn it all). "Yeah, it's all," he sighs, craning his neck to take in everything before looking back at her for a moment with a shrug. "Definitely something that. I'm sure there's a word for it beyond, you know, weird, but. I'm not really having much luck coming up with something."

He's wonderful!! So brilliantly awkward! It's playing out fab with Zhaneel's derpy non-human-ness

[eyesofafalcon]

Zhaneel can't help but flush brightly, the edge of it showing clearly beneath the edge of the mask. "Oh, no! No, of course not! I didn't want to crash into anyone! I'm just new .. Ahh.." She trails off and flushes more, certain she could light the entire room with how bright her face is. How did you tell someone you were new to walking on two legs without them thinking you are touched with foaming sickness?

"Just a bit overwhelming," she finishes lamely. Could he tell the she'd been about to say something else? Oh, it would have been hard to miss. She fidgets, twiddling her fingers into some of her dress material to keep the busy.

When he shoves his hands into his pockets there is a moment where his expression shifts just a touch. She is about to ask if something is wrong, but then he comments about how 'weird' doesn't cover it and her smile is wry as she nods. "No, weird does not even come close, does it? Just when you think you've seen it all it pulls out another play that leaves you reeling. Like a game of stones we're just not meant to win."

She trails off then, thoughtful as to what the Wood could have in store for them next. After a beat she looks at the green man again, head tilting to one side as she studies him; trying to put together a face beneath the mask. "Have you been long in the Wood?"

...He'll be even worse when he meets "normal" Zhaneel. Oh lord. XDDD;

[gammapulsed]

He flails slightly because oh, lord, why don't words just work for him? They seem to do it well enough for other people, but apparently they just hate him. "N-no, no no, that's not! I wasn't say that you did, I was ju- It's all right, really it is, I... I'm sorry." In fact, he's so busy choking on his own shin (the foot's already jammed too far down to be saved) he doesn't come close to noticing Zhaneel's almost-slip.

Then he's much too occupied with wishing the ground would just, you know. Swallow him. It'd save a whole lot of time and embarrassment for everyone involved.

"Ninety six days," he answers without missing a beat and with just a hint of quiet pride. Yes, he's been counting very carefully - over three months without incident, and he's hoping to keep it that way. "Um. How's about you?"

Oh lord!! Poor Bruce!! Poor Zhaneel!! Damn fairies!!

[eyesofafalcon]

Zhaneel takes a small amount of comfort in that the man seems just as flustered and out of sorts as she is. "Oh! I wasn't meaning to imply that you were making I did so on purpose. I would never presume to imply such! I have only just met you and I would not hardly think to know your intentions, sir!!"

She grimaces, flushing brightly once more as she looks down to study her own bare feet. She was botching this up horribly and felt like the absolute grandest fool in the process. The gryphon turned human darts her eyes back to his 'face' as his reply comes swiftly and without any hint of hesitation. she tilts her head slightly to one side, studying him. It was interesting that he knew not only an approximate length, but the entirety of his stay to a day. She pauses a moment to think before replying.

"Nothing half as long as that," she admits with a small frown. "I have only been here since the Gala began, well," she gestures lightly with her hands. "It had already begun .."It's been eight days since I arrived at the Wood." She shakes her head, worrying at her lip, "It hardly seems anything compared to how long you've been here."

[sonotahunter]

The marsh-smell makes Bela wrinkle her nose, even from behind her own mask. Unlike Bruce, she's in her element - long, copper-and-black gown, bracelets twining snakelike up to her elbows, a necklace like an ouroboros, and a mask of copper and black with the same snake motif. She would rather have something feline, but she'll take the snakes. The clothes they come with make it worth it, if nothing else.

She sips her wine, raising her eyebrows at the frog behind her mask. "It seems some of us were more fortunate in our assigned wardrobe."

[gammapulsed]

His eyes flicker over to the glass, and although the yellow goggles help hide that, they don't do a damn thing to conceal the quick twitch of a frown. But he bites his tongue, swallowing his distaste, and focuses on the woman instead.

"I tried to get out without this thing on," he says sheepishly, hunching his shoulders against how ridiculous he knows he must look - which incidentally, just makes him look that much sillier. "Even tried to get out without the hat, but. That wasn't happening, so. I know it's." He blows a frustrated-exasperated puff of air from between his lips. "...Yeah."