(Untitled)

[adelicateflame]

Characters: Anyone attending the New Year's Eve masquerade.
Date: December 31 - January 1
Summary: Sending out the old year and ringing in the new one. With fancy dresses and masks and dancing and music and party food.
Warnings: Let the mods know if something in your thread needs to be warned for.

Comments

[lost_moral_code]

Marceline, if only it were in her nature to work within the twin realms of reason and information! Had she asked for further details the situation wouldn't have gone awry before it could begin. All she had heard, and felt that she needed to know, was that there was a big party going on to signal the end of the year. She was too much of a spontaneous person for her own, or Bonnibel's, own good. Even though she found herself unable to ask in any other way but cavalier she had not only managed to ask Princess Bubblegum to meet her at the 'party' she had actually gotten a rather unexpected answer of "yes".

The triumphant feeling was short lived, however. Not only was it a masquerade ball, meaning being unable to see faces. But The Queen of Hearts had given the masks a little magical English, you couldn't take them off after putting them on! To make things worse she made the terrible decision of leaving ahead of Bonni, she wanted to surprise her for some stupid reason. Stupid why? Because she'd have no idea what Bonni was wearing and visa versa. Way to mess up your own plans, Marceline The Fail Queen!

While her plan had failed miserably, Marceline was at the ball none too long after it had started. Like the other women she made the rounds, a nibble or a sip here and there. Between her fits of grazing she began to lose track of time, awash in a couple glasses of the Queen's most awesome red wine. Sure, it wasn't her typical scene; however, she was enjoying herself some. She would be having more fun if she could find the woman she had asked to come with her, nagged a voice at the very back of her head.

Rather than falling into one of her particularly sour moods she opted to dance and mingle. Although the dress she wore should have been a kin to a heavy oven, it wasn't! She was as light as a feather! Even though it was unlike her and unlikely, she felt like she could dance and laugh all night! Well, as long as she had a stomach full of red!

Speaking of, the craving for another glass hit her like a tidal wave. Even though she had drained several glasses worth, the last not too long ago, she needed another glass. Excusing herself from the dance floor she wafted back toward the buffet table. It was there that soft shades of near red paired with pristine whites caught her eye: The Swan. What courage the wine had given Marceline was gone in a shot! She wanted to be dapper, she wanted to amaze and yet the only words that came out of her mouth were a quiet, "Nice night?"

[royal_tarts]

Bonnibel had been making good headway on her second glass of wine, and had nervously plowed through far too many of the h'ors doeuvres by the time she showed up. She had this long beautiful black hair, and an ornate black lace crow's mask that stood out perfectly against such a brilliantly red dress. It was probably just the wine, but Bonni was feeling a little warm right around then.

"Oh. Well really it could have been better so far. I think I've been stood up." She gave a sad little sigh. "I mean, it's not like I was asked here like that, but I guess it would have been nice if she showed up at all." The wine however was not responsible for her being thankful for a little company. And who wouldn't be thankful for the company of someone so... No okay now that was the wine. Bonni gave a smile of relief, knowing that at the very least she wouldn't have to be the complete social outcast for the evening! The dying race of the h'ors doeuvres would be spared for just a little longer now that Bonnibel the stress eater had someone to talk to.

"But how totally rude of me! What of your night, oh fair Crow?" The Swan curtsied and played up on all the little bits of Courtly Candy Etiquette that she usually didn't bother to deal with. She laughed a little too. Being that formal just sounded so silly! But this was a masquerade ball after all, and she may as well go along with it.

[lost_moral_code]

Numerous tensions and thoughts could be eased away by blaming it on the wine. While at it one could go as far as to saying that the lights fell in just the right way, the air was sweetly scented despite the many bodies within the space of the pavilion and the thrum of the music made hearts more liable to beat uncontrollably. All in all: Blame it on the night. At least the night was kind and attentive enough to be be cool when needed, brushing at any heat plagued faces. Black, white and red all over the Crow smiled softly beneath her mask.

"Stood up," She clicked her tongue loudly, "-that really sucks." The words were inelegant, but heavy with sympathy. Being stood up was horrible enough a thing to go through! Being stood up on a night like this? That kind of sting is worse than any slap! "This girl's a jerk and a joke for being a no show," there was a pause followed by another click of Crow's tongue, "Not asked here like what?" Yes, she was dangerously close to asking one question too many! However, when a woman dressed so beautifully isn't smiling or enjoying herself as she should be it would be heartless not to try and take her mind off of what all was going so wrong. Finding the Swan beautiful? Well, that was something the Crow wasn't going to give the wine credit for! Being able to talk without royally messing things up? Okay, thank you for that wine!

From feeling like she could dance all night to feeling as though she could stare at the stranger in her company all night, Crow was content to lean on the buffet and do her best to be good company. Usually these impulses were bottled up. Whenever she acted on them she always had to make them seem part of a joke or something done out of selfishness alone.

"Nah," Crow waved a gloved hand, "-not rude at all." She did ask after all. She had asked and wanted to know, it wasn't just an ice breaker. For the first time in the presence of the Swan the Crow gave a giggle. The sound was silken and dark for being such an alien sound for the dark bird to make, before tonight it was something she was too self conscious to do. Was she giggling at being called fair or at the curtsy? It was impossible to tell either way. "It's gettin' better," was that a twinkle in the two dark eyes behind the mask as she answered, bowing rather than curtsying. Even when behaving the crow just had to be different, didn't she? "Want some company?" She had gone straight to the chase previously that night and didn't feel it suited. She would take things slowly and enjoy every second of every minute. Something that she, in her long long life, wasn't prone to doing.

[royal_tarts]

Princess Bubblegum was used to being the one at the ball that everyone wanted to talk to, and just about as many people wanted to dance with. She was the Princess of an affluent kingdom, and an accomplished scientist, of course people wanted to! They wanted to get ahead in their careers by having her name on their research papers. Lemons, they wanted her to write their research papers! They wanted to garner her favor or, worse yet, bed her for their own political gain. They wanted money from her, they wanted to brag to their friends that they had danced with the Candy Kingdom's ruler. She had a long history of coming home from those Royal Balls feeling utterly drained and depressed.

But here she wasn't even Princess Bubblegum anymore. Here she was just Bonni, the girl in the corner feeling lonely, left out, and stood up. The girl drinking a little too much wine because it took her mind off of everything. But that was just until Crow came along. Now she was The Swan, a woman who somehow wasn't afraid to meet Crow's eyes, to look at her, and to talk to her. The Swan could at least have a good time tonight, where perhaps both Bonni and Princess Bubblegum couldn't.

"Yeah. She can be a pretty bad jerk sometimes, but... I guess I'd just thought that things were going better than usual up until now." There was definitely a hurt tone to her voice. Clearly it was still a tender topic for her, but this was the first time she had ever had a chance to open up to anyone about it. "Oh. I meant 'like that' as in like a date." The Swan paused, and pushed back some of the locks of pink hair that had fallen in front of her mask. This short hair thing always took a little getting used to. "I.. I don't think it was supposed to be one anyway. I can honestly never tell with her. But does it even count as being properly stood up, if it's not at least a real date?"

"Well, that's both of our evenings that are getting better then." The Swan smiled in a bit of a coquettish fashion when Crow had said that her evening was 'gettin' better', with that little glimmer of the eye. And she blushed more than a little when Crow bowed. That was so dapper, so debonair, it was just the kind of thing that she liked! And her laugh, her voice. The Crow had this beautiful velvety voice that the Swan could feel resonate in some distant part of her mind. The wine was definitely making her feel a little warm, especially when, like right now, she caught herself spending a little too much time looking at Crow. Well this was just another fine kettle of Swedish Fish wasn't it? Oh why couldn't it be that little butt Marceline out here, being so charming?

"I would entirely adore having some company, Crow! But only if you can assure me that I won't be taking your time away from someone that better deserves it. I'd find it hard to believe that someone such as yourself could be here alone, after all."

[lost_moral_code]

To say that Princess Bubblegum was a victim of her position would be putting it lightly and not taking it as far as it should be taken. The Princess was a victim of greed and ambition, none of which were even of her own design most times. Such was the burden placed on the shoulders of any leader, worse yet one as capable as she. To them she was neither a woman or even a person, she was a stepping stone to be used to their ends. Only the foolish would assume that to fall from such would be to fall from grace or that the fall would be welcomed.

Truth be told it was neither, nothing short of emotional hell. So suddenly the you, the you that you had so long assumed to be the real you, no longer existed. It would be as if any words spoken by you were being said by a ghost that had taken hold of your tongue, a ghost that walked with your legs. How terrifying it must be to have to reinvent a you that you had never had the chance before to know. If not for the magic of the night the thoughts would be heavy enough to crush even the strongest of wills and the frailest of hearts. The magic kept the wine sought after, the food delicious and the company mysterious. Thanks to that very same magic the Swan and the Crow, birds of totally different feathers, could flock together.

"Oh," there was something in the Swan's words that stung. The Crow couldn't put a finger on it, if it was the sadness that carried the words of the fact that this girl was not only a jerk but a pretty bad one. She wasn't sure at all what to say or why she felt the urge to apologize profusely to a total stranger for what someone else had done, "Date or not she should still show up, you know?" Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say? Ugh, she really was at a total loss for what to say or do. She didn't want to come across as just agreeing for the sake of agreeing or seeming as if she didn't care about what the Swan was going through. "A no show is a no show, but maybe she's out there looking for you too?" Yeah, Crow really wanted to ask more about just how rough things had been before; however, it was probably not only too delicate a subject but also none of her business.

"Yeah," She gave a small puff of a laugh, unable to dam it in after seeing the small smile that flooded Swan's face so suddenly. In that smile Crow, for some reason, saw a chance-- a chance to turn this evening around for someone other than herself. On tonight of all nights no one should feel alone, especially not current company! Marceline let her good intentions and the wine carry her, no more of her usual masks and games. The Crow could be affectionate, polite and gentle things that Marceline thought herself utterly incapable of. Why was it that Marceline had to be a no show and a jerk?

To be honest or to save said honesty for another day? Marceline was waiting on someone, yes. However, she felt that she would ruin the night for her friend. Why? Because that was what she was good at. As for Crow? Well, she was there for one particular person and had by chance found her! "Can't take somethin' that's willingly being given, right?" That was as far as Crow's answer went and still rather true. Offering her arm to Swan, she beamed a smile. "If you take my arm I won't be alone after all."

[royal_tarts]

"Oh Crow, you know, you're totally right. I have this awful habit of jumping to conclusions and assuming the worst, especially with her." She sighed "I can be a pretty bad jerk to her too sometimes." And then with a sad little smile she looked up into Crow's eyes, and added, "Thanks for finding my common sense for me." The Swan's voice was a cocktail; one part relief, one part guilt and a little simple syrup, all stirred together gently with that velvety voice of Crow's. Oh dear, there was the wine again, causing her to think too much about Crow's voice, and making even the metaphors something alcoholic. 'Come on Bonni!' she chided herself, 'That's enough about Marceline! You don't want to be that girl. You've already been several other of those girls tonight. You don't need to make that list any longer.' "But that's more than enough about me. I'd love to hear more about you, Crow! Oh and there's a friend of mine here too. I just met her when I arrived, as it were, but she's like a little sister to me already. Maybe if we run into her, I can introduce you?"

"If you take my arm I won't be alone after all."
The mask was of no help at all to conceal that blush; it went down to the top of her shoulders, and she thought that her little bubblegum heart may have had some palpitations too. Good glob Crow was too good at this. What was she, some professional charmer hired by some charity to find the jilted girl at any given event and show her a wonderful time? Bonni laughed a little at the thought. Was it that hard for her to imagine herself having the fortune of running into good company? Wordlessly, and with a warm but shy smile she looped her arm around the Crow's. Crow's skin felt soft and cool to the touch, but Bonni thought nothing of it. She was probably just a little too warm herself from the alcohol, and the powerful blushing. But then there was also that voice, that lovely voice, that voice that almost reminded her of...

Alcohol! Right! There needed to be more of that! Lots lots more of that! Suddenly she felt quite the need for another glass. And with that need the thoughts about Crow's voice, and whatever it was that it may have reminded her of were lost, lost, lost. "Would you care for some wine Crow? I can still conjugate in three languages, so I think I must be too close to sober." The Swan giggled, and arm in arm she led the crow to a table that had some various fruits, cheeses, bottles and decanters of different types of wine. Repent oh ye foods that pair well with wine, for your doom hath come in the form of Bonnibel the Swan!