Legends and libraries Masquerade

[Circe]

She nods as her host takes the compliment. "Well, it suits you," Circe continues to praise the entire but in pun form. Chicken? For a second she opens her mouth to make a joke about chicken suits, then Kray mentions mice. "Easier to fry than chinchilas too," she nods at the offer. "I'd ask who told you that, but I'm wise enough to not need to. I feel that will get old fast. But will shan't chicken out on clucking down some food." Circe was all for puns, but saying who constantly would be as annoying as a cartoon cute sidekick character that is just annoying instead of cute. She couldn't think of an example right now in her head.


Circe fake scoffs at the idea the lady didn't fall at his feet. "M'Lord John the snazzy dresser, you are dapper as fuck right now," she reminds him. She does mime a curtsey when he calls her M'Lady. Though she does frown at the lack of hat. It was so odd! This was the first time she'd seen John's full head. And he wasn't even balding or anything to justify always having a hat? He was just being snazzy with the hats. "Aww," she sags her shoulders and pouts before whining out, "Do we have to?"


Partially why she had a bullet budget and solo-patrolled the Hedge. If it wasn't dropping to 3 mags of assault rifle fire, there was going to be a big problem.


"Nay I say," she shakes her head, "I am not a Bat Brat. My foes do not face a revovling DOOR after I defeat them. Tis I different thing that revolves to send out that which will great them," she smiles as the woman is seemingly okay. And Kray was getting into character too? Alright, in character it was. "Tis a fine mask though, be assured. Quite the hoot, if I might say."


"Sadly, I do not answer to THE King," she points East, "For his realm is Vegas thank you very much," Circe could play the game with this dramatic mortal. "Tinker, tailor, soldier, fool I have so many sides that I give many props to many venues. I am a truly grounded individual, with some sights all the way to Holly Whood," she again makes with the owl noise. Well, she did need to practice for that Contract. "Tis a fair sight better than the most vile of blood sucking careers out there...Tax collector, mwa ha ha ha. And thine career is, maybe better than that vile one?"


She doesn't need to even consider on the books. "I prefer Black Hat over Artemis, so I suppose the heroine who ventured into Oz twice to twice free the people from their powerful tormentors is the better read," a story most Lost only can dream of imitating. To venture to Arcadia, win, and return multiple times? Such a Lost would be beyond the legend of those that first contracted with the Seasons. Probably why such attempts are an army venture.


Circe's left hand hides behind her back as it clenches into a fist at the mention of Fey. But Hollywood is near, so this foolish mortal is likely tempting Fate without even knowing it. At least she didn't bring up Tinkerbell, because screw that company for making children trusting of fairies! Oh, right, mortals present. Don't let loose the Mantle. The lady is focused upon Kray right now, Circe tilts her head in curiosity. Was she, perhaps, actually into him.


"Mayhaps, M'Lord John, you should pick the flirt action in response?" Well, it was her suggestion. An owl should be a capable wing-woman. Ha! She'd have to remember that.

And there is Sven. She had something to say to that, "Verily. As they say, ahem," Circe clears her throat and out comes a lyrical tone for: "Tutto in latino suona profondo. Ya know my friend? Bee Tee Dubs, nice metal face. Welcome my friend, do you herald a grand gathering perhaps?"

She didn't know if Sven had spotted anyone else. Though she wonders if she should bring up Kray's lack of a hat. Throw in the masks and The Mask, and in theory the whole Freehold may be here without knowing it.

[Kray]

The gentle classical music the background, the buzz of conversation and the degree of hamming it up of the people sharing the things they knew about, the worlds they got lost in so to speak. It was a rare marvel and that anyone or anything could be meandering around added the chill of the unknown an under current that he appreciated and perhaps only other lost could. "Ah. Well you'd get to enjoy it a grand deal longer if you stay conscious." That was enjoyable? "Uh." He waves the beautiful woman up and down with his fork, it still has a portion of chicken on it. "You sure your alright?" Because that was an odd thing to say.
Why do we talk about eating dogs so often? "Hm. Yeah a lot easier to fry is a good way to put it M'Lady Mary. Although I don't mind a good roasted variant either." Although mice made more of a crunch and on occasion could be eaten whole. "Oh. Snazzy an dapper is it." The compliments were coming tonight. The suit was nice enough but the Ogre knew well he was still several dozen blows to the head on the less desirable side of good looking. "Ah. Yeah we do. But." And he leans across to whisper in his deep baritone of a voice, meaning it is no whisper at all. "No one has said what proper is." With a smile, an actual smile that has full range of articulation not stretching across the usual Stoney monstrous teeth.

The piece of chicken is finally making its way into his jaw when a coincidental choice of sweet and innocent sounding words, ones he should have expected tonight, sends cold blood through his veins and sky rockets his heart rate, his grip on the utensil tightens to knuckle white. It makes looking him in the face impossible in anything but the side profile having turned to eat his food when he froze. A good thing to because the radiation of ill intent would have cowed near any mortal. She dare suggest I serve ... Thank fate for Circe, her words butting into his train of thought. "Uh." Causing cognitive whiplash. "Uh. Sorry Mary I didn't think we had that kind of friendship." Is this a character thing? "But. If you insist ... Uh. You look great in that leather outfit?" The summer queen had picked the wrong actor to help her with this bit. Mostly because said actor had entirely missed who he was meant to be failing to flirt with.

Sven he does not know, now he thinks on it he does not know most of the freehold by their masks only their miens. Hindsight is twenty twenty. "Ah. Welcome over metal masked friend of M' Lady Mary. Which side would you fall then assassin or king?" Regardless a welcome distraction to regain a few moments.

Finally turning back to the woman so enraptured by the night and its goings on. She in her own right quite spell binding he had to acknowledge. "Well. If your not my opponent then I can tell you of a world where dreams, become miracles and miracles become reality. Of stolen time, secret contests. Of Magic and wonder and a world carved into the image of those who shape it unseen." The book had a great deal to appeal to an Autumn Courtier. "But above all I can tell you of a circus that arrives in town quite unexpectedly." Well the book was called the night Circus.

[Alicia Silvers]

Giving the giant of a man a shrug.
"If a loss of consciousness is the price for my enjoyment, who am I to refuse to pay the piper?" Wouldn´t be the first time, ahh I miss it. "I merely do not dance to the tune of others when the night allows my wings to freely soar, why is that such an oddity?" The conversation of eating these strange things making her wonder what they actually tasted like, and if they could be made good. Ahh why hadn´t she tried it before the chance to truly take it in was snatched from her?

Lowering her face to the owl beauty, a wide grin appearing underneath her mask as she gazes upward at her.
"A bat brat no, then you would have been your own killer as the failed organizations head met it´s demise." Rolling her head and shooting it back into a proper position. "Have you not figured out the truth yet? Has it truly been hiding from you? The Bat is just as much a villain as the rest, hence neither side tends to kill one another." And keep the real estate under control.

Turning her face to the East and back to the owl lady.
"Unfortunately his demise came before my story began, his words never having reached me. Gone, gone, yet there, still not sought out, a shame of ages." Whiffing the air as the scent of lavender finally hits her, how had she missed it for this long? "Fly, fly on the wings of dreams and inspiration, to dream the new or fall back to what eyes of childhood saw to tell it in your own manner. Which side are you, one of wonder or one of the past?"

Feeling her face drop a bit at the mention of blood sucking, this mask was truly a grand investment to not force her to have to think of controlling her face much for the night.
"Fair owl, a dance still I seek, accepting would mean dancing with the finest assassin of Aderlan, trained in desert and slums alike. If not that, then I am merely an enjoyer of the night." Hmm how many truths of how many lives is that?

Nodding toward her.
"Then my next read shall revisit the emerald city. To see what happens after the tale was believably concluded."

Not the most emotionally attuned person walking, still that something was amiss from the two quite palpable, more so as if the woman knew something of the man though. Did he have a bad experience with some cosplayers or vile people? I do have heard the stories of people using folktales on their victims to truly scare them and make them sound ridiculous after, guess it just shows that anyone is vulnerable men and women, big and small alike.

Turning her eyes to the man, that once again rang a bell of familiarity just not one she could truly place for the moment.
"Welcome fellow masked stranger, quite a mask you got there. Do we need to free you from clutches of evil as well, or merely gaze upon it´s splendor in enjoyment?"

Having taken the time to fish up two purple pills, twirling them around her fingers as she listens to the man with captivated eyes.
"Now you have in truth captured my attention Not a Sir, do tell, and do share." Grabbing a chair, tipping it to stand on just one leg as she spins it around and sits down, arms over the backrest as she looks toward him just barely taking anything else in. "Please do marvel me with tales of miracles, and stolen time, to let me know what stolen time means, to dull this world of gray in magic and wonder for a brief moment in our lives."

Letting the pills fall down to her palm as she stretches her right hand out toward the owl lady.
"But first a gift, willingly given with nothing asked in return for the one who knows the wonder of lavender."

[Svelte Sven]

The exchange between the other masqueraders had an almost Middle English theater quality to it, which was making it a little difficult for Sven to parse what was being said. He gingerly raised the bottom portion of his masque so that he could take a sip of his drink, hoping the alcohol would take some of the nerves away as he tried to sift through what was going on. He wasn't surprised to see Kray, the Ogre had given him a ticket. He hadn't recognized Circe at a glance, but hearing her voice a little more clearly and seeing her movements all but confirmed it. The third person, though...

"Hardly, my dear." He had to stop himself from addressing her as 'my queen' out of habit, though part of him suspected that such an address wouldn't have drawn as many odd looks as usual. "Have you ever known birds of my color to ever fly in great flocks?" Admittedly there were more than a few instances of entire Winter Courts picking up and moving as a group, but the message here was different. Sven simply came and went on his own. "I would welcome more of our fellows tonight, but I can't account for them."

He gave a small bow to Kray before responding. "Probably the former, though I fear there's a chance the latter may apply at some point as well." A Court of two was almost worse than a Court of one; if you were your season's only courtier, at least you knew for sure who was in the running. "Though, thankfully, I haven't been called on to make an end of anyone's time on the stage yet. Let's all hope it remains that way, eh? Cheers." The Darkling raised his glass before taking another sip without waiting to see if anyone shared his cheer.

"You're quite the merrymaker, I see." He offered to the unknown third. She seemed rather free with suggesting that it was fine to lose yourself to the atmosphere of the party. Eerily familiar, isn't it? He shrugged at her question. "Oh, I've already freed myself from the claws of an evil captor. The real worry is if I picked up any of their nasty habits." His gaze briefly flickers between his fellow Lost. "I'd say I'm more... unpleasant than evil. But at least I'm polite about it, no?"

Something in her speech catches his attention as he realizes that, beneath the poetic phrasing, the group is essentially discussing their literary choices. Puckering his lips from behind the masque, he finally settles on a way to share his own choice. "And politeness matters quite a lot when treating with the dead. Most try to tear the truth from their battered bodies, but I've heard tell of one young boy who had a gift for treating with them as equals. And despite the common wisdom, dead men tell plenty of tales." Despite certain stereotypes, Sven did not share in his Seeming's talent for treating with the deceased. But he didn't need to advertise that fact.

He quietly eyed the unknown woman as she offered up the purple pills. He was curious to see how the others would respond. Memories of youthful experience played at the edge of his mind as he recalled many similarly colorful capsules at vibrant parties. Of course, taking pills from someone you don't know is a stupid idea no matter how you slice it. But let's not spoil the mood.

[Circe]

The music was calming that was for sure, though the mortal was causing some worries. At least they'd several Freeholders here to keep an eye on things to prevent escalation. As for the culinary considerations, "I found fried scorpion, glazed in a candying sauce, to be quite delightful." When Kray points out standards haven't been set, Circe smiles as she quickly claps her hands in front of her face. The laugh she gives is not her typical one, but something more mischievous.


"Hmmmm," she hums loudly at Sven's question. "No, I don't think so," she says with amusement at his query. Circe shrugs as she stands on her tip toes to look around the room again. "Tis a flaw of a well done masquerade I fear. You can't tell when your friends are near. Lest you have someone stand out the best, such as choosing to dress as a large, goofy crest." Then her expression and tone go completely flat, "And none of our club planned to do that."


It was a technique for deception. To draw the eye away from where it was not wanted had the benefit of, well, drawing the eye period. That and she was still a little pissed that Kray had ditched his hat, causing her to accost the wrong mortal once. Failure was bad. But success for him, so conflict of logic.


When Sven calls himself unpleasant instead of evil, well, Circe can't help but butt in again: "Affable. Affa~able is the word. Which you are friend."


"Ah, I see, I see mysterious purple lay-dee," she nods whilst over exaggerating a rub of her chin. "You are much more Frank in the idea of vigilantism. Strike out with the Castle, to see a Punishment meted out to killer clowns. From Earth or Outer Space," Circe could make things up. "Personally, I think the former had the best laugh. Absolutely Ham Hilled. Though I will admit, the system helps keep retail costs down much better than more disgusting methods I know of, oh ho ho ho!"


It was a hilarious concept, though the dialogue had given her a new idea. MPL. That was what she'd call the lady until she got a name.


Then Circe finds herself shaking her head, "No no no," and waving her hands, "It shows of my legs great yes. But not use flirt on me," points both fingers at her jaw at herself, "I'm your wing woman. I meant use flirt on the lady throwing herself at thine feet," twirls her finger pointing hands point at the purple clad mortal. "I mean, she is already approaching and prostrating to you. You have advantage."


And she eyeballs Kray as he brings up THAT? Really? Oh, he was making an analogy to emphasize the book. It was general enough that a mortal wouldn't notice. Though a Lost might. Was this drunken mortal a more fragile minded Lost? The woman was speaking of dreams a plenty, but that could also just be from a story. Not impossible, there was a lot of stories of fantasy with dreams as an element. "I am a woman of wonder, though sometimes I do wander about, as I wonderfully make things go woefully for a few, whilst avoiding the watchful who'd irk me to interfere in mine roving."


"Oh?" Circe tilts her head, looking quite like an owl right now with the mask. "Who would've thought any would wish to dance with my talons. Flitting from desert to alley, always beneath the night where I take flight. I would be glad to add a twirl of black and white, to your purple spin on this night," she bows dramatically towards MPL. "Tee El Dee See, I will waltz with you my dear M.P.L. Lest M'Lord John desires to cut in."


Circe could ship things if she wants to.

If the woman was acting, she will ask what the initials stand for. A test to ease her paranoia. Circe doubted any threat MPL presented could harm her, but there was now Kray and Sven to consider. Oh, and the crowd of witnesses. And then the lady offers her a purple pill. Circe pulls her neck back and up, much like a real owl would. Seems the new contract is affecting her actions. Well, that was unexpected offer. She isn't stupid enough to take a pill from an unknown stranger. Let alone someone that is acting like she is high as a kite.


Well, this does explain a lot of MPL's behavior. "Che cifre," causing Circe to look back and forth between the two Changelings, with a roll of her eyes before she gives a short nod.


"It is just lavender? I may sample it later. I find it unappetizing alone. I am not a speaking fowl. No need to wash my mouth out yet," she will try to accept the pill, palming it deftly away into hiding as any Larcenist could. Something to dispose of out of sight of the druggedup socialite.