The Jack Frost Party

[rassafraggin]

Setting by Catriona at Thu Dec 1 17:33:19 2016:
The Docks of Amber have been turned into something they quite clearly are not. Instead of the crush of sailors and merchants, whores and thiefs, there are lords and ladies, servers and revellers, all welcomed to an incredible, icy replica in miniature of Amber Palace from the exterior. There, the towers and turrets, and there, the gardens and grounds, all of them frozen and bright sparkling.
Inside, it is simply Amber's ballroom, as if Jack Frost himself had created it. The ground is still the docks, of course, but the chill of the walls is unmistakable. The tables and chairs are done with dark green and gold livery, places to rest and sup. There is an alcove for the musicians who keep the music enchanting all night, next to the dance floor. Interspersed throughout the Hall are ice sculptures in incredible likeness of each of the Princes and Princesses of Amber, the children of Oberon, the ice itself tinted with life-like colour, though by necessity transparent. In perhaps a violation of theme, the statue of Oberon is missing from the Hall.
The ice does not seem to melt, somehow preserved for the period of twenty four hours, on the 2nd day of December, 2016 but will melt with the light of dawn the next day.

Celeste looks over her shoulder at and there's a soft huff and she steps back, shoulders still strait and aggressively posed as she gives ground, "You are owed an apology but that's not going to happen." She exhales again and looks contrite, "Forgive me, my heart." She reaches up and pats his hand, "let's get a drink."

Aurora watches Vincenzo and Giselle carefully, finding someplace to lounge and looking rather content if likely soon to be cold as whatever she's perched on, it's ice!

Giselle looks at as though she doesn't really understand what he's saying. Maybe she's already forgotten what she did. But then she grins and says "Want some fairies?" she offers, then starts to grow a dirt egg between her hands. "They're pretty and can be entertaining."

The crowd that was growing around the promise of a fight, starts to disperse.

Looking like he's just climbed out from the cold waters of the harbor to instantly regret walking into the cold ice ballroom, Merrisol is definitely not attending the masque disguised as a Rebman. Yeah, he's got the kelpwear and the finned diver's boots and pretty much has got the oldschool Aquaman look down. But he's not a Rebman. The bold squid-ink printing on the fronds of his kelp mantle clearly state that fact: NOT A REBMAN.

Either that is a brilliant idea, or the laziest last-minute costume idea to date.

"Cider.. I could go for a hot cider," he murmurs to Maggie presently, once the impending commotion has deflated. He studies the refreshments table, hard, but of course cannot detect even a trace of chaos corruption in the punchbowl.

A glance is cast towards his sister, and Vincenzo raises an eyebrow slightly. "When I'm not trying to keep the pair of us out of trouble, of course," he comments. Because right now, there's enough of it to go around. His gaze turns to , studying him for a long moment. "I apologize for the vandalism which occurred. She means no disrespect to your craftsmanship, it is the image which causes certain issues for her," he explains, glancing briefly to his sister before looking back to the crafsman. What those issues are, well... he can't explain since he hasn't lured the story from her himself. "I understand the need for certain things to be said in response to the vandalism, however physical violence is not necessary," he says, his attention then turning to Celeste. With her stepping back, he releases her wrist and lowers his right hand to his side, though his left remains upon the hilt of his Dragonblade. Just in case. And he inclines his head towards her.

Ferruccio moves over with Aurora to wherever she moves, though more cause he trusts her objective reality than his at this moment, for some reason he thinks she's more old hat when it comes to the drugs.. maybe it's that her relative made it. Still he goes to lean against the wall and says to her off handedly, "Interesting family."

The band strikes up again, another aristocratic, stately waltz, and the onlookers drift back to the dance floor, some of them evening knowing the courtly steps.

Aurora helps settle Ferruccio down and lounges on the ice without much worry, "OH? Do you come from a perfect family? Those two are the more lovely of my cousins and..." She spots Merrisol and MAggie and blinks, "Oh. My sister is here." She waves a hand and waves, "With her too-pretty husband." She peers into her drink, "I wonder if she did something different with this batch-I can't feel my ass. Can you?"

Catriona reaches out for another drink, and unfortunately none of them warm. There are warm cloaks being handed out by solicitous servers, located in baskets throughout the hall. But the tiny silver-haired woman does not wear one, instead uses the drink to numb her outsides and insides, both. "I really thought the Caine statue would be the first to go..." she mutters under her breath, glancing over at said ice-sculpture suspiciously.

And then there's music, and Giselle perks right up and bounces on the balls of her feet. Meanwhile, the egg in her hand hatches into a small fairy with irridescent purple hair, dress and wings. It immediately flutters into the air as Giselle starts making another egg. She seems to have become completely unaware of any tension or drama she might have caused. Or experienced.

Entering with Merrisol, Maggie wears a pale, sea green wetsuit, complete with flippered feet which sets off her riotously red-orange-auburn-flame riot of hair. This hangs down her back in long, twisting curls and waves. Over the wetsuit, she wears a pair of strategiclly planted sea shells that both imply and deny modesty. Lower, she has on a whispy, filmy, gauzy skirt just the color of emeralds. She has tacked a nametag to one of the sea shells that reads 'Rebmanity Forever'. Catching Merrisol's hand, she lifts her other hand to conjure up a small flame backed by a warm breeze to evaporate the chill water from Merrisol's costume. She works to keep the warmth localized so it does not melt the lovely setting. "Cider? That sounds wonderful." Still, she takes note of those in the area, spotting Aurora. Her sister is offered a quick smile before she turns to the table of goodies.

Celeste 's posture changes and she smiles warmly when face shows childlike wonder. His apparent delight at the diversions offered seems to smooth things over for her though she's only too happy to be swept close, "Some day you will have to tell me tales behind this man of the woods, my heart." She blinks and awws, "You remembered." She leans up and presses a kiss to his cheeks.

There's no mead, no cider. Only champagne, expensive wines, and top-shelf liquor, rum of the highest alcohol content.

Ruby isn't far behind the latest arrivals to the Fete. Part of the entourage or something, though of a different theme.

Ruby has been encased in a dress worthy of a Princess of the realm. In reality the appearnce torn from one of the painted portraits in the great hall: Above the waist is tighter than should be warranted, a bodice that's reinforced by whale bone or some other donor creature. A minimum of frills and lace, but mozaic patterns at the end of long cuffs and a collar that goes up to her jawline. Her hair has been restrained and pulled back severely from her face, bound in a very tight whip of dreds down her mostly bare back. A strange juxtapose from the front of her that has uber-modesty, apart from tightness. Waist down is an ankle-length dress where heeled boots are easily visible in a soft black leather.

Ruby eyes those gathered. "Whut...Wait. I thought this was bloody well...Come as your Aunt~. Bog's barnacled balls!"

Giselle spends some time making a number of the fairies, each with a different color. They will all flitter about in the air, entertaining people with antics and synchronized moves. Giselle will also flit here and there, drinking and dancing and causing no further damage.

Ferruccio blinks and looks back at Aurora. He chuckles and says, "Probably just because it's all ice here if I had to guess. I'm rather fine on that front." He watches the redhead seem to switch personalities now that the object of her ire was trashed, and Celeste and , and the hostess, and as he's not the party type he seems content with just parking there by Aurora and waiting for now while everyone else deals with all the pleasantries.

Aurora confides in Ferruccio as she slides off her perch slowly, seeming to forget gravity's a thing, "Uncle Bleys is kind of a prick, but I didn't know she had daddy issues. It explains a lot."

It's hard to miss the newest trio of arrivals, and Cat's keen observation extends beyond the drink now that the possibility of bloodshed has been denied her. Trying to keep to her 'costume' the tiny silver-haired woman moves to greet them. There's even a curtsey. "Welcome, Lords and Ladies. You've missed the destruction of Bleys, I'm afraid, but there are still several Princes and Princesses around if you've a special desire to destroy one made of ice." She waves a man forward, bearing a selection of drinks. "Ruby. You're looking especially like..." she pauses, lifts a brow, "... Flora?"

A glance is cast to Giselle as she starts to create fairies that hatch out of eggs, acting entirely oblivious of the situation. He looks to , then half bows to the man. "I vouch for my sister, aye," he says softly. Then he watches whisk Celeste off into a waltz. Lifting his right hand, Vincenzo lightly draws his fingers through his hair, a motion which causes the silver bells in his hair to chime rampantly. He steps aside, to snag a drink from a passing server's tray, lifting it totake a sip from it. He casts a glance towards Catriona at her comment, and he chuckles softly. "To each their own enemy," he comments, giving a slight nod in her direction. Then he takes a brief moment to look about before he spies where Aurora has ended up, and he starts to head in her direction.

Balmy blowdry to the rescue! Merrisol's hair and leaves go fluttery in short order, and all he needs is a signature themesong blaring in the background to get that modeling contract. "Whoosh. Thank you, Hotstuff," he turns back to his costumed Wannabe, grinning gratefully then bemusedly eyeing her still slickened self up and down. Not that she needs that chill-weather remedy for herself. He follows the direction of her gaze and smile in passing to spot Aurora for himself, pausing a touch before tipping an incline of his head if she happens to be looking in their general direction still. That she is dressed exactly as herself might be entirely lost on him, as he isn't familiar enough to know what /is/ her normal look. "I don't think there is anything even warm on hand to drink, but it hardly matters now that I'm toasty again," he says to Maggie, then turns to check out Ruby again. Her outburst finally gives a solid hint on the nature of her costume, which, stretched over that muscled physique, could not have been guessed at otherwise. He ahaaas quietly to himself, and smirks in a mostly supportive manner. Ruby is certainly Not A Lot of Things in that getup.
"What would you like to do, darling.." he asks Maggie, after nodding politely to Catriona and hearing her description of previous acts. "Drink, dance, or deface?"

Celeste gives a dopey smile as she dances with him, "You've been practicing!" Perhaps it's not so spirited as their usual varities of dance but Celeste seems to be enjoying herself as she lowers her voice to speak with her dancing partner.

Ferruccio watches as things seem to calm down, though he reaches out to catch Aurora if she stumbles at all coming down from her perch. And then there's a relative of hers approaching! Ferr straightens his posture and moves from off the wall to stand by Aurora, offering a slight bow to the one that approaches, though he says his voice low to Aurora, "I do believe you've been spotted."

Ruby rubs her gloved hands together, every breath requiring metering with the tightness about her waist. Must not fill lungs too much. She offers a Catriona a half-heehaw, aborting a slew of mushmouthed words in favour of giving Cat's current garments an extra approving appraisal. She rasps overloud, "I not admit tah nuthin." Shifty eyes. "If I say oot loud, I foind meself in tha dungeons with these 'orrible 'eels tha only things tah keep me company. Aye...Well, it ain't a proper party unless somethin gets broken, roight?"

Aurora looks up to Ferruccio where she's draped nearly upside down, "If I claim I'm not me, you'll back me up, right?" She looks up then, "Uh-oh."

Maggie tilts her head just a little as she watches her sister end up upside down yonder. She might offer help, but Ferruccio and Vincenzo are near enough to take care of that. Returning her attention to Catriona, she smiles a warm smile, "THank you. This is amazing." Lifting her attention to Ruby, she arches a brow, though lets a chuckle escape. Looking up at her superhero-esque husband, she extends her other hand, "I am not really one for destruction, I fear. Though the other two sound great. What about a dance first, then a drink?"

"You're welcome," Cat responds first to Maggie, smiling her practiced 'I'm a diplomat, really' smile. "Please, be welcome, and enjoy. Watch your shinies," she adds, as an afterthought. "There's a lot of mixing and mingling going on on the dance floor." It sounds almost apologetic, if there weren't clear amusement dancing in the Chaos-mad depths of Cat's eyes. Those eyes swivel to Ruby. "If I weren't a diplomat, I could torture it out of you. Fancy a drink?"

Vincenzo approaches the pair made up of Ferruccio and Aurora, offering a half bow to the pair once he's near. Then he lifts his left hand to gesture slightly towards Aurora, apparently having heard her comment. "You cannot claim to be someone other than you. At least, not to me," he comments, a smile touching at the corners of his lips. Then he lifts his glass to take a drink of the contents without even giving them a second thought. Then he looks to Ferruccio. "Vincenzo Ricci," he offers, giving a condensed introduction for himself and shifting his drink to his left hand so he can offer his right hand.

Ruby grunts at that. At odds with whatever she's trying to pull off here. "Aye...could use somethin tha'll make me eyes cross. She steps carefully, because of ice and whatnot. "Course, if I 'ave tah wear these shoes for very long, I'll say anythin." Whalesong from her corset.. but in actuality it's her stomach complaining about how empty it is.

Ferruccio offers his hand in turn as Vincenzo offers his. "Ferruccio, of house Mandrake. Pleasure." He looks at Aurora and then back to the man. "I take it someone decided to slip out when no one was looking?" He gets a slightly bemused smile at that but otherwise doesn't comment further unless asked, instead allowing the two to speak if they need to.

Aurora blinks and peers at Ferruccio, "Another Mandrake? My other custos is a Mandrake. How many of you ARE there?" she looks to Ferruccio, "I havr him sleep drought but I..." she siiighs, "...forgot he was KArm." She looks to Vincenzo and adopts her most adoptably stoned look, "Here I am, safe and sound?"

"Good to know," Cat chortles, glancing to a waiter and signalling. "Champagne?" She plucks a flute from the tray and offers it to Ruby. "Must play the part. I'm fairly certain 'real' Ladies don't eat." Or maybe she's just trying to torture subtly. But her attention is caught when she hears the K-word. Her eyes float to Vincenzo, interest renewed. Her eyes are on him, but she continues to talk to Ruby. "What have you been up to, darling not-Cyndre?"

Merrisol pretends a pout but smiles in understanding; he never would expect Maggie to raise a hand against her aunts and uncles and father, even in effigy. He takes up her suggestion of first-then activities with agreeable promptness, his hand sliding down her pale green arm to catch the curve of her slim waist while taking her extended hand upon his upturned fingers. An opening in the swirling dance action only now skims by, and he steps backwards into it just so, with mate in tow and gossamer skirt already afloat, fated to stay so for the duration of that dance, and the next as well. The claw-toed footwear serves them well on ice, though he does incorporate many lifts to admire his beloved partner's graceful extensions, the flickering flame of her hair a symbol of heat amidst the austere icy backdrop.

For a while, then, nothing is said of the real reason they're investigaaaa-ttending this fete. For now, it's dancing, drinking, and a lot more dancing.

Celeste is swept to a stop and smiles, bracing her hands on his shoulder to pu-...wait. He's shrinking. She blinks and her eyebrows knit in confusion as she searches his expression. Her eyes widen when he takes the torc off and her mouth opens in protest that she isn't sure how to phrase and looks at him.

"As many as any other family, perhaps," Vincenzo comments to Aurora, a flicker of amusement in his voice. Then he chuckles softly before inclining his head towards her. "Yes, and I willingly drank it when you gave it to me. Then it was simply a matter of playing along and pretending that I was asleep to see what you would do," he muses, his hazel eyes showing a sparkle to them. Yes, he's amused. "You seem to oft forget that detail," he adds, winking at her. Then he gives a light grunt. "Indeed. Safe and sound. At least it was not you that needed saving, although it did still need to be done," he points out. Because if it's not Aurora in trouble, it's Giselle. Predictably.

Aurora looks indictant, "Well it wasn't my fault! I behaved! IT should be noted." She pokes Ferruccio, "Tell him what A delight I've been!"

Ferruccio hmms and nods in response to Aurora's prodding. "Yes she wasn't passing weird concoctions around like the clown that was out earlier, or destroying property, Perfectly fine." He doesn't answer the how many because he doesn't know, and because Vin answered it perfectly for him. Looking over at the redhead briefly he mentions, "I trust things will be alright now that the...erm... Object of her wrath is no more?"

Ruby plucks up the slim glass between calloused fingers. Pinching the stem to peer at the bubbly. "Mmmm. Is tha 'ow they wear this stuff? I wouldn't know 'o course, Truth." Ruby considers the question from Cat. "Well, apart from tha recent stoof with tha floatin zoo... Managed tah snag a few more Cap'ns for stuff. Y'know, busy-ness. Oh well...live an lie. You pleased with today?"