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memesoftheton2023-05-27 11:00 am
thetonmods) wrote in memesoftheton2023-05-27 11:00 am
TDM II
Welcome to the The Ton's second Test Drive Meme!
Applications will OPEN on the 1st of June. Players with characters already in game are also welcome to top-level with them. However, we ask that all TDM-related prompts stay on the TDM post itself.
If you do write a top-level, please make sure to include your character's name and canon in the subject field - regardless of whether your character is already in game or not.
Please note that the Test Drive Meme does not require an invite in order to participate - submitting an application does.
NAVIGATION.
🌿 Arrival • Welcome Drinks • The Greenhouse Effect • Skinny Dipping • Give You Butterflies [NSFW] • That Belongs in A Museum • Jump to Comments 🌿
🌱 Applications • FAQ • Rules • Full Navigation 🌱
I. WELCOME
You don't remember when or where you fell asleep exactly...
Perhaps it's the tickling sensation of a low hanging tree branch brushing against your nose or the feel of the slightly damp grass underneath you that causes you to awaken but when you do you'll find yourself lying amongst a glade of wisteria trees. You're not alone - nymphs of the trees laugh and dance about you, clearly amused at the new arrival. Along with them, your new loyal servant is here on Pheme's bidding. How this servant looks is different to each arrival. Some are saddled with short, stout butlers, others are welcomed by towering, busty maids. Regardless of their appearance, they introduce themselves with a kindness and warmth that is simultaneously reassuring and strangely impossible to resist when they beckon you to follow them from the grove and out into the city of Andovale.
The closest structure within sight is the Palace and its grounds. It is here that the Lady Pheme resides and from here that she rules over the city, your servant explains to you. You have been selected and brought here personally by her. It is she who assigned the servant to guide you through the regency-inspired city that is your new home.
Eventually, they will bring you to your new residence within the outskirts of somewhere called the "Trade Quarter". You are now the resident of a room within one of the many imposing town houses which make up the Grand Crescent. Throughout your stay here the servant will be your own personal butler or maid. This is where all new arrivals will be living for the time being you are told. Your servant will also give you a crash course on life here and the concept of Thumos - the energy or life force that keeps Andovale and all life within it going - including you now that you are here. It's generated through acts of intimacy, whether that be physical or emotional.
Once you have been shown to your room, you are given two things: a network communication device and a letter. The letter reads as follows:
My dearest reader,
Welcome to Andovale.
The delights of our fair city are yours to explore.
I do hope that you make your stay here a most interesting one. I shall be frightfully disappointed if you do not - and we do not want that, do we?
You will hear from me again very soon.
Yours Truly,
Lady Pheme
You are free to wander about and explore the house and its surroundings as you please. It's certainly spacious enough. As well as your own quarters, each of the townhouses of the Grand Crescent have large communal areas, which includes the kitchens (although why you'd like to go there when your servant can fetch any delicacies you'd like for you!), a dining room, a parlour with its own small library, two drawing rooms (somewhere you can go to chill out basically - harp music anyone?) and a generously sized garden.
Strangely, unlike most accurate regency townhouses, there do not appear to be any servant's quarters - perhaps these servants don't need to rest? Or they go somewhere else entirely for that?
Why not introduce yourself to your new housemates? Or enjoy some tea and cakes that have been prepared for you personally by your retainer, which they seem to keep insisting on bringing to you?
II. AN INVITATION
Whether you're brand new to Andovale or a an establishedif a little unwillingresident by now, your assigned maid or butler will track you down. They are not empty-handed and they carry a silver tray, upon which is an envelope with a wax seal bearing the letter "P". Inside the envelope is an invitation. An invitation from your benevolent ruler, Lady Pheme herself.
Each character will receive an invitation identical in wording to the one below:
EVENT AT THE PLEASURE GARDENS
YOUR CHARACTER'S NAME HERE
Is requested to attend an exclusive event at the PLEASURE GARDENS, on 27th of May current.
Admission to the attraction begins at 6 o'clock p. m.
Wear something green for this special occasion.
Lady Pheme
Your servant can help you find something appropriate to wear - or not appropriate, the choice is entirely yours, after all. If you decide to go with their guidance, it is notable that they seem a little less decisive in the sort of outfit you should be wearing for this event - only, as Pheme said, that it should be something green. An evening gathering surely must require formal wear though and they will eventually press upon you the importance of wearing Regency Full Dress for the night ahead.
You may come to regret this.
Note: Even though it's a little different from the norm, this event will still count as a ball and all attendees will get 10 Reputation Points✨, just for showing up and looking respectable. Indulging with the theme and wearing an acceptable green outfit will also gain attendees a further 5 Points✨.
CW: alcohol
JUMP TO TOP • JUMP TO COMMENTS
So, you've received an exclusive invitation to the Pleasure Gardens' latest pop-up attraction from Lady Pheme herself? How exciting! Ordinarily, the Gardens are open to anyone willing to pay the small amount of Thumos required to enter, but tonight it seems that only those brought in from other worlds are permitted access. You're getting an exclusive preview of the attraction, one of the guards at the gates tells you.
One of their colleagues will escort you down the torch flame lit pathways, through the gardens to the centre - the open space where all events like this take place.
Tonight, that open space is not so open. Besides the vast outdoor ballroom floor, in front of you is a giant glass house - basically, a large fancy green house between you and I. These are often found at grand country houses to show off and cultivate exotic, never before seen plants from far off lands. You've been brought here for the unveiling of this attraction. How such a thing could possibly be temporary seems highly improbable, but that's Pheme for you.
Feel free to begin the evening with mingling and dancing as befitting of any ball, but before the night is over you will feel yourself propelled forward to join the queue to get into the "Palm House," almost as if an invisible hand is shoving you forwards. You're even handed an extremely green and theme appropriate alcoholic beverage to consume in the queue while you wait. It's all very civilised.
Oddly, this drink won't get you drunk in the usual way, despite the alcohol content. Instead you will find yourself imbued with a hefty sense of glee and eagerness for adventure. It's all to help ease you into this experience, after all.
You're admitted to the Palm House one at a time - it's fine, you'll see your friends inside! Just as you set foot through the doors, your head is filled with the sound of a woman's voice, soft and beguiling:
"Dearest gentle member of the ton - what happens in the Palm House, stays in the Palm House. You are free tonight."Note: For those that don't drink, there's also an alcohol free version. It looks completely identical to the boozy version.
Whether that drink has got you in the spirit or not, entering the Palm House is worth your while. All of those who enter will instantly receive 20 Reputation Points✨. And in case it wasn't already obvious, on this very special of occasions and the debut of her attraction, Pheme is turning a blind eye to what happens to you all in there. These things need a whole lot of Thumos to run properly and some of you will be doing her a huge favour... you just don't know it yet.
There will be no NPCs present in the Palm House, only your characters. Tonight is an exclusive preview for Pheme's Chosen, after all.
Entering the Palm House is a rather surreal experience to say the least. Sure, it looked pretty grand from the outside, but that's nothing compared to what greets you inside...
You might have been expecting a typical large tropical greenhouse as per any botanical garden visit, if such things exist to you back home. However, this particular green house appears to contain nothing less than a few dozen acres of rain forest. If the word "Tardis" resided in the vocabulary of the Ton's residents then it would surely be applied here. Pheme's out to show off again.
The moment you take a step or two through that door you feel strangely disoriented. Take a few steps more - perhaps you change your mind and decide to head back to the door you just came through. Only when you do, you'll find that the door is no longer there.
There is another door out of here but that involves crossing the length of the exhibit - and as you can now see quite clearly, that is not going to be such an easy task. There are paths to take and to (hopefully) stick to, but they seem to crisscross at every turn you take and go in all different directions. Thick rainforest surrounds you on all sides, its dense foliage extending towards what you can see of the glass ceiling and the night sky beyond that.
Pheme hasn't been quite cruel enough to leave you wandering through the rainforest by moonlight alone. Many of the plants here glow with an unnaturally bright bioluminescence - and there is more. Every now and again during your travels you will see the light of a of lantern darting amongst the trees, accompanied by alluring and lilting female voices, often laughing with delight. They might seem a little familiar to you.
It seems that the tree nymphs (or dryads) from the wisteria grove have sisters and they're making themselves quite at home in the Palm House. If you happen to catch a decent view of one of them, you'll find yourself face to face with quite possibly one of the most beautiful - not to mention scantily clad - women you have ever laid eyes on. They won't stick around long though. Make the mistake of trying to follow one of them and you'll find yourselves off the path and even more lost and disoriented than you were before.
You might be really regretting your choice of dress right about now - even if you are camouflaged with all of the greenery.Note: If your character does not manage to find the exit (or one of the magic wreaths mentioned below) then they will only remain trapped in the Palm House until dawn. After that time period they will themselves slipping into a deep slumber, only to awaken right back in their cosy bed within the Grand Crescent (or wherever they've now made their home) a few hours later. You can thank your servant for that.
JUMP TO TOP • JUMP TO COMMENTS
CW: large bodies of water, possible nudity
Unsurprisingly, it's hot in the forest, and the chances are that you didn't exactly come in here dressed for this.
While the dryads have made themselves at home on the land inside the Palm House, their naiad cousins (or water nymphs) have made themselves comfortable within the many rainforest pools. You can hear their delighted giggling as you traverse the forest and they will even call out to you in alluring tones, somehow knowing your name. It's impossible to resist following the sound and when you do you'll find yourself in front of one of the many pools that can be found within the Palm House.
Oddly, there is no sign of the naiads now that you're here. The water is beautifully crystal clear and dappled with the snatches of moonlight managing to shine through the forest canopy. That water is calling out to you, to drink and to bathe - you will feel an overwhelming compulsion to start removing your stuffy clothing, dive right in and cool down.
It's fine, after all, there's no one else around. Yet.
Just be care those pesky water nymphs don't hide your clothes.
JUMP TO TOP • JUMP TO COMMENTS
CW: sex, aphrodisiac, sex pollen, insects
It's not just nymphs and you lot making yourselves at home in the Palm House.
Often mistaken for moths, there's one species group of nocturnal butterflies, but their wings are dull, plain, and uninteresting. Clearly not a good fit for a glorious Palm House, designed by Pheme herself. That is precisely why Pheme has created her own, never before seen species of night butterfly, especially for this occasion.
Their wings are like gossamer, beautifully transparent like a ordinary glasswing butterfly but these ones glow in the dark. You probably encounter one or two as you make your way through the rainforest, but the longer you spend in here, the more the butterflies begin to swarm. Looking up and you'll see a "kaleidoscope" high above your heads, hundreds of them flocking together in a brightly glowing mass above the treeline. The display is only brief, but it leaves you with a strange yet probably not unfamiliar feeling.
You see, these butterflies have been carrying pollen on their bodies and legs, as butterflies often do, helping to spread the stuff. It seems whatever plant they have recently been feeding from has some very curious properties... and you can probably guess where this is going.
You feel hot - even more than you already did being stuck in a tropical forest. Not only that, you feel the strongest desire for physical intimacy. Effects vary depending on how much pollen you've been doused with, but you still have a deep, desperate need to do something about it. For those most strongly affected and desiring the ultimate, touching yourself may bring some relief. That may very well be your first thought to try, but some is the operative word here.
That person you've always had a flirtation with? Now is the time. You have to have them. You have to have each other. Or maybe you've just met this person, here, in the rainforest today? Maybe you're two people who ordinarily don't even like each other? Perhaps there's more than two of you?
It doesn't matter. You won't rest until you've gotten that release.Note: The butterflies swarm covers a wide enough area that you can be anywhere within the Palm House when their pollen hits. While this is obviously a sex pollen prompt, players can choose how strongly their characters have been affected. It may be that they only got the lightest dousing of pollen and kissing is enough to satisfy them. On the other hand, maybe they got so covered in the stuff that only doing the deed will do. The choice is yours.
JUMP TO TOP • JUMP TO COMMENTS
CW: chance for NSFW
So, you're not having much luck navigating your way out of this foliage filled nightmare? There is another way out. At some point on your travels, one of the naiads will take pity on you and try to help you out: "Find one of the wreaths!"
Deeper into the greenhouse, or this pseudo rainforest as it basically is, you'll find ancient Greek laurel wreaths made of pure gold. They might be just lying on the ground, or up a tree, or under the water in one of the forest pools... The choice is yours as to where you find it, We'll leave that entirely to your discretion.
It will take quite some doing given how far into the jungle these treasures are, but should you manage to find one, upon contact, it will teleport you, and whoever you might be holding onto, out of the greenhouse and right back to the entrance to the Pleasure Gardens again.
The wreaths won't be easy to find, and you'll face many obstacles along the way. Some set to distract you entirely from your goal, which is get the hell out of here. Unless you actually like it in here? You do you, boo. We're not judging.
The teleportation abilities of the wreaths themselves can only be activated by generating a small amount of Thumos between yourself and another first, another naiad will explain. That means no grabbing one for yourself and hightailing it out of here! Oh no, no, no. What about your chums? It would not be seemly to leave them in the lurch, after all.Note: Obviously more than one character can use one of these wreaths to teleport out of the Palm House, as long as each of you has a hand on the item and you have generated Thumos between all of you then it will work.
JUMP TO TOP • JUMP TO COMMENTS
Wildcard
To assist you with inspiration our full list of Andovale's locations can be found here.
Want to play something that isn't listed here? Go ahead!
Eliot Waugh | The Magicians
There had been the most delightful dream come again. This time Eliot wrapped himself in the warmth of his lover's body once more and knew that in the morning they weren't to be parted. Never again would the world creep into their life of harmony. Filory had finally, finally given this King a thing that he dared to compare to the richest grain ever harvested, the Queen's rarest of Gems.. and then.
Wait. Was that something scratching at his, nose? Hadn't he wandered off and...died? Yes, Eliot recalled it now, the sweet specter of death had knocked at his door and he thought he closed his eyes to rest. His bones had been so very weary, his back ached and skin burned from so very many years in the sun but now there was a tickle, and someone speaking his name. Lashes drew themselves open to spy but a kindly retainer.
Laughter bubbled all about, and Eliot knew that he had to be back in Filory. Yet it was different than the filory he had known. Something called to him. This retainer bid him follow and for some reason, one that seemed less strange than any other quest he'd followed before. It was a simple enough request as they went, even if the magician was still coming to terms with his youth and return to the world at large. The realm had certainly changed, if that truly was what this was.
No. No. This wasn't Filory at all Eliot discovered as they passed by Lady Pheme's Royal Palace. This was a new and different world. It didn't surprise the magician. He knew there were worlds all around his. It would be his luck to be stuck somewhere new once more. Puzzled, yes. Struck befuddled, not so much. He smiled slightly as he sighted their dormitories. It was far different from the cottage, but it would do.
In the end it all gave way to little cakes, didn't it always then? Little cakes, Eliot laughed out loud and shook his head. If only a certain someone were here to see this. He'd certainly get a kick from it. Eliot enjoyed the high tea, and kicked back happy to be served at last. He could really get used to this. All he needed now was a really great smoke to go with it. He glanced about for the nearest looking stranger, or flatmate was it-- someone that wasn't this lovely servant of his. "Do you think they have cigarettes here? You know, smokes? fags? I'm dying for one. That and a little bit of alcohol to add to this tea, anything to take the edge off, am I right?"
II. Finally a little bit of Alcohol - An Invitation & Welcome Drinks
a. Invitation & Dancing.
[At least this little home away from home offered a decadent enough place to lay his head, and someone always at his beck and call. It took a little getting used to, that. For all the prose that Eliot loved to spout, he was a carefully crafted man all in all. There was truly no room for someone to be round his head always taking his orders. Sure, Bambi might have gotten off on it-- a few times in fact, but that was only for a little while. At the end of the day, Eliot was strangely at a loss with what to do with himself currently. He'd been through far too much in the last year to feel like he deserved this life of decadence any more. That was then, right? Who was he even now.
Thankfully the call of the wild came in the form of a formal invitation from the Lady Pheme herself. Eliot was delighted for some inconceivable reason. This place certainly had a share of paradoxes and it gave him a desire to uncover them. His highs and lows, came and went as he discovered purpose again. The perfect outfit. Some things never do change.
The servant offered many appropriate selections, and luckily they all ran the gambit of Eliot's line of taste. He hemmed and hawed before finally deciding on this delightful number in full shades of green, all complementary of course. It came complete with top hat and cane as well. He needed to make sure he was in full dress for the evening. Nothing less would do.
Wandering down the long pathway, Eliot finds himself in wonder at the gardens. He even pauses here and there to enjoy the scenery. It may not have been his mastery in magic, but he dabbled in everything physical. Naturally, Eliot is the life of any party and fits in beautifully. He's the Truman Capote at his Black and White ball. There's nothing and no one who fits in better with the elegance of a ball. It's easy to find Eliot on the dance floor here, pick him up for a whirl a bit of revelry. ]
b. A Drink Finally
[It's the winding path a bit later that finds an even greater interest. After all, the most consuming thought in Eliot's cranium happens to be alcohol and how to get it, how to dull the ache of absence in his heart. There's a need to black out the death he came from and when someone hands him a drink, Eliot knocks it back with an eagerness that borders on desperation.]
Finally, someone knows the key to a great party!
[A stir, that's how it begins. A whirling in the chemicals that sling back and forth across synapses. A tickle and a thought, and suddenly there's an eagerness for the show. Eliot is excited to see beyond the great glass dome. ] Excuse me, can I get by. I must know what the fuck is in there. You have to feel it, right? It's going to be a show like no other I have a feeling.
[He's not above stepping on toes-- anyone's toes, even the person nearest. Excuse them!]
III. Gotta Get Out of Here - Skinny Dipping (cw: Nudity, possibly sex.)
Wandering. There had been a hell of a lot of wandering by this point. Eliot had lost the waistcoat a few hours ago, and he knew that he wasn't getting out of here as easily as he had found himself inside. Why in any gods name did he walk in here again. Fuck this was hell, and Eliot was dead once more.
Those little dryads had led him on an endless circle and now Eliot swore he was hearing voices. It might have bothered the magician if he hadn't done so very many drugs in his day. The voices were soothing little whispers that clung to him like the shadows of his nightmares, and yet he still followed. Down, down, down into a tiny little cove where azure blue waters lay surrounded by lush greenery, and rocky outcrops.
Bloody hell it was hot. Eliot stripped out of every shred of fabric he wore and before he knew it he was in the cooling waters floating on his back stark naked. He had no compunction about being nude. It was quite natural. He felt heavy, drowsy and relaxed for the first time since coming into this damn rain forest. That was until he heard a sound. Shit.
"I know you're there. So, stop staring and come out. You might as well join me. It's too hot to do anything else." Why be shy. He'd already lost everything else and had no hope of leaving this place currently.
IV. By thine wings of mine gossamer enemy. - Gives you Butterflies. (cw: NSFW, sex very possible, anything else will be noted in threads)
[The bioluminescence in the greenhouse was stunning, but after what felt like an eternity watching it pass by, it grew...stale. Eliot watched plant after plant, and made the endless mistake of following several dryads deeper into the the heart of darkness. If only he had read more while at Brakebills, he'd find the irony of it all-- even if there were no colonists to be found; he was certainly fighting through a forest.
A butterfly landed on his hand. It was an odd little thing, opaque wings of gossamer that glowed with the fabric of the land. It shook its wings and flew off. Eliot scratched his hand and thought nothing more of it. His body twitched strangely, warming in a way directly opposite of how he felt as he trudged through the neverending forest. Dust filtered down around him, and it had the Magician glancing upward.]
What the fucking magical butterflies... dear sweet filory. This is worse than opium in the air.
[The magician could feel it now, coursing through his system. His body was alight with need. It made his skin itch and he glanced around, praying that there was another human male within sight. It'd been a while, but maybe, if he was lucky? This was certainly the very last thing he thought would be happening out here. Screw his luck. Ah, a person...] Heyo. These butterflies. They are not your average little winged bit of ... screw it. They made me so damn hot. Please tell me you feel their wicked little bit of poison too.
V. Wildcard!
[OOC: Eliot is gay in canon, even if the shows are way too homophobic to say so. So that means m/m for anything smutty related (unless you're margo, she defies definition) Not feeling any of these prompts? Please feel free to hit us up with something else/anything else. Note, I'm great with short/long tags, prose/brackets, anything that suits your needs, is fabulous here. If you need to ask any questions or get in touch with me, feel free to PM me here, or hit me up at my plurk :
II - Dancing
Able to keep perfect balance it seemed. ]
Excuse me, may I please have the pleasure of this dance?
[ Caleb did not recognize Eliot and thus he thought that perhaps he was of the new batch that just arrived today. Perfect, this was just a good way to offer his assistance in any way that he was able to. He had actually made it his mission to reach out and to answer any questions that were tendered ]
no subject
It wasn't so much the fact that the male himself was odd. It was more the cat that was displayed around the man's shoulders. Eliot had never seen such a thing, but who was he to judge. A dance was a dance after all and the male was rather handsome. Holding out his hand, he secured it within that of Caleb's and allowed the other to lead him out unto the dance floor.]
Eliot Waugh, and you are? Tell me, how does your cat stay there like that. I have never known a pussy that tame.
no subject
At the very candid question, a wry smile touched the zemnian's face at the slightly bawdy language, and he was not one to shy away from it. When he spoke the accent was decidedly german in nature.]
Ah, Herr Frumpkin has exceptional balance-- also he is of the Fey and light as a feather.
[ A welcoming smile came to his lips and he rose perhaps two inches shorter, accurate because he dispensed with his normal slouch when outside of the dance floor. ] Caleb Widogast is my name, and I have not seen you around before-- did you by chance arrive this morning in the fair city of Andovale?
[ clearly, Caleb was not a fan of small talk. Direct into the meat and potatoes of the conversation as he started to lead them out into the throng of swirling dancers. ]
no subject
Moving to the swirling gait of a dance, Eliot lifted a brow when the gentleman gained height when hands addressed hands and waist. He might have gone for the shoulder, but it was obviously preoccupied. ]
So, the little kitty is a he and a fey. That's gotta be a blast. It's interesting you got to bring the little man with you. I barely got by with the clothes on my person it seems. [There's never a problem with meat and potatoes. Eliot is obviously not a vegetarian himself. His feet are swift as they move through the throng of dancers, he keeps the german close, and while there's always room for another to lead him-- Eliot doesn't mind taking the lead if that's how it goes.]
I did find myself naked and alone in your fair city recently. It's quite a gag. I'd give my right hand for a pack of smokes and a few bottles of liquor. Well, maybe not my hands, but a toe?
no subject
[ The wizard was more then happy to allow Eliot to lead, though he would take over easily enough if the need was there; though he did head tilt to the side, as they passed a few servants on the edge of the crowd. ]
There have been staff wandering around with trays of cigars, though I am uncertain if they would hit the same note, they would probably at least make do in a pinch however [ Very quickly Widogast realized exactly how he sounded. ]
When push comes to shove, you are here and you did not want to be here; I know I did not want any part of it. However I will say this, that Pheme likes to pull people in groups so I would keep a eye out, there may be a chance that you are not the only one from your world here.
[ Cold comfort, but he had been pulled along with Essek and Jester-- and thus he had not been alone, which was well, it was something. ]
no subject
[Eliot laughed as they danced, not caring if he made a lick of sense to the man he was dancing with. They all had their stories he was certain. Hell, this guy had a fey cat that he was willing to talk about. Why couldn't Eliot mention that he'd died an old man. Weird shit cometh in all forms.
Dipping the wizard in his arms with great form, Eliot brought him back up with a quick snap and had their bodies bound together tightly for a second before offering a bit more space again as they danced. There was forever a little flirt in him, be it on the dance floor in a strange fucking land or elsewhere.
He hummed over Caleb's words. ]
I could make do with a cigar. It's nicotine, and that's the sweet substance I crave. The finery will do me well. [Sucking over his lips, the magician gave a modicum of further thought over what else he was learning. ]
This Lady certainly seems rather mysterious in her ways. What does she get for this sort of generosity? I mean, don't get a man wrong. I would die to see my Bambi or Quentin here, but what's in it for her. In my experience gods are very fickle beings.
no subject
Thankfully it was his day to have it, he'd give it to Eadwulf, or not-- depending on how the evening went and if it went decidedly without a hitch. In Pheme's world, one could not rely on certainties or the laws of anything that remotely made sense.
The flirting however, ah indeed-- it made his redheaded self colour in a manner that was perhaps only a trifle familiar. Disarmed in such a way, but then there were similarities everywhere, weren't there? He had not quite expected to be dipped, not that he did not enjoy it however as there was much that he could adapt to. That really was too much for Frumpkin however who dissipated in a splash of amber dust that fell from Caleb's back like wings. ]
No need to worry, Frumpkin will be back.
[ Caleb could only adapt to the dance moves however, he was finding that he rather enjoyed the dance in and of itself; always the challenge and he found he could make a proper dance partner of anyone ] Pheme powers this place with intimate interactions between people-- right now we are generating a very small amount in this dance, the more intimate you are.. the more you feed Pheme.
[ wait til Eliot read the scandal sheets which Caleb was rather certain would come out the very next morning ]
no subject
Watching Caleb blush had Eliot smiling in a way he felt like he hadn't in forever. It might have only been a few days, or even a day (how did timey-wimey politics work here anyways), but he knew he hadn't been this young in quite a long time. Perhaps they were doing that much more formal dance over there, but Eliot was cruising along to his own tune here, and while mildly surprised, he enjoyed the way Caleb seemed to be enjoying it. ]
Ah, I apologize to the little fellow. He was ... cute... for a fey. At least he didn't try and bite me, or ask for tribute.
[There was always something about little creatures like that, at least where Eliot was from, unless it was a bunny, and then they only croaked about offering to be the bearers of strange messages.
Taking special note of this latest information about Pheme, Eliot nodded. He'd learned a mild amount of information earlier from someone else. Apparently he'd been far too engrossed in trying to lose himself to pay attention to his retainer earlier. Whoops.]
Say I lean in close and tell you that I think your hair is quite provocative, and that I want to kiss you right... here...
[Doing as he said, Eliot leaned in and whispered near Caleb's ear, wondering what the stranger might do if he were to actually follow through with his mild threat to do such a scandalous thing with someone he barely knew, and on the dance floor of all places.]
no subject
No worries, Frumpkin is hard to offend-- for a fey creature. Arguably, I know very little fey but the others I have had the fortune of knowing have been exceedingly capricious.
[ The next statement that came out of Eliot's mouth definitely made those freckles stand out even further at pink over bearded visage. Who said that a redhead could not pull off pink surely underestimated the gods given penchant to a complexion that made blushes far more evident.
Eliot was a handsome man though and Caleb was not proof against that charm. Much like Quentin, he was a walking disaster, just a little less nervous about it ]
Well the first thing I would say is Danke-- no one has ever called my hair provacative before, secondly Pheme is watching and our names may get in the scandal sheet, and thirdly I can imagine a great deal of.. men? [ if Caleb was reading the vibe right ] would be very lucky to recieve a tribute from you, ja--
[ Very diplomatic, all considering the closeness of their dancing bodies ]
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That didn't keep Eliot from having a wee bit of fun with his dance partner that reminded him quite a bit of where his head and heart continued to roam back to. Humming over the news of Frumpkin's ease of disappearance, Eliot allowed himself a lowered tension level in his shoulders over at least one thing.
There would be no dire consequences there. ] That's a relief. I would hate to lose my hands or worse, all because I decided to dip you during a dance.
[There was a hint of laughter that flashed through his eyes when he came up to tempt and tease. Light fingers dangle their tales over the other magic users back watching the red head alight with a flustered charm that relaxed Eliot a bit more. Maybe he would make it through this night without being drugged or drunk after all, maybe.]
I take it that the scandal sheets are not a good thing. Too bad. I might have delighted in kissing each and every one of your freckles, and perhaps even your very full lips.
[Learning of scandal sheets kept Eliot's voice low and near Caleb's ear. He made sure that no one heard his voice above the music, but began to keep time so that nothing would seem amiss as he relentlessly flirted with the other man.]
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Well I can assure you, there is no one to care save for Pheme.
[ It was nice of course to believe at least for a moment that he was a very attractive man, he did have a devil of a time believing things such as that; he would almost blame it on the green drink and would likely share his findings later with the more seasoned displacers of the Ton. ]
Also, if you kissed every freckle on my body, I can assure you that due to my ginger nature, you would be occupied for hours, if not days as I am rather covered in them. [ A husky chuckle, taken over by the charm of this man despite himself-- there was something about the curls and the sartorial elegance that reminded him of Essek, in a way. ]
I do have a feeling that you say that to all the boys, however. [ And that was not an admonishment in the slightest, more like a rather teasing observation ]
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Play the game, hold every card as close to his chest as he could until it was time to lay down the next card and always win the world with a smile and a dance, right? The timing of the steps changed slightly when the music switched into a new and different dance that Eliot had to compensate for as he continued to woo and flirt with the crimson haired male in his arms.
It was a delightful task, and if they'd had a bit of privacy, he might have done the things he was suggesting, just to see those cheeks flame brighter, and to taste the sweetness on the lips that pressed away compliments with such a bitter flare. ]
You know, even if I did say it to many boys. You'd be the first man here to receive my compliments, and I never do say these things to those I don't find attractive, nor would I lie about the reasons why. That, my dear, is not in my nature.
[Giving Caleb a small bit of grace, he slipped his lip along the other's earlobe with a bare whisper of a touch, but one to remind him that what he said was the truth-- thankfully, it was in time with the music and looked as if they'd finished the whisper and were moving back in time with the steps none the wiser. ]
I think days kissing freckles would hardly be spent in waste, either.
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He was, but most people did not have him in the confines for a dance like this where he could not objectively run away from the praise so it did cause him a bit of a glow like a firefly, or a brilliant little flame cast haphazardly across features. He had to learn to take such things with grace even when he himself did not believe it. ]
I fully believe that, I was merely being ah-- oh I think that you have found me out, ja-- [ Eliot conveniently caught him within a loop of self-depreciation which was alright and fine, it was easier to shake out of it when he was caught.
He smiled and it was indeed a rueful thing. ]
I forsee that you shall be a big hit here in Andovale, perhapse even become Pheme's darling.
[ Ah, he could not wait for the scandal sheets to come out, perhaps the man would enjoy the notoriety that was involved therein- he felt very much the 'I do not care of people talk because at least they are discussing me' type of individual ]
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Long graceful fingers slid up and down Caleb's arm, and then once more darted away into a barely there touch for the movement of the dance. He laughed softly. ]
I dare say I spied some hundred freckles alone between your hands and wrists. Daring indeed. It must be difficult to keep yourself from the sun.
[Scandal sheets, please. Eliot would enjoy whatever the lady had to say about him. He might complain, but he would also toss them about and smile in secret knowing that the world was seeing him for what he wanted them to see, and not the man he truly was. That was all the secrets he needed spilled.]
The Lady Pheme can see me however she will. I delight in the world my own way, and I imagine we will enjoy and be at odds in a round about way for as long as I am here, however long that will be. The shorter the better.