they've got all the right friends in all the right places

[sageprincess]

Characters: "Pandora" and the Tower populace.
Setting: Floor 82 - The Masquerade Ballroom.
Format: Party style - pick your poison.
Summary: As the lights begin to flicker and the month rapidly draws to its close, the mysterious "Pandora" has invited the residents of the Tower to a masquerade ball.
Warnings None as of yet.

"Between the noise you hear, and the sound you like..."

Well, now, that invitation certainly was mysterious, huh? Who is Pandora, and what's the occasion for this party she's holding? And what was that message on the back all about? Remember this: There will come a time when everything around you seems to be not what you thought it was, and you won't know what to believe about anything at all. At that time, look for something that is still true. In the wake of the chaos caused by those rumors written on the walls, perhaps it seems like a too-late warning. In any case, the ballroom on the eighty-second floor shimmers and shines exquisitely, awaiting the guests' arrival. The dance floor is open and spacious, and, as promised, refreshments line a buffet table on one of the far walls. While much of it has obviously been nicked from the cafeteria, there is also a variety of meats and seafood not otherwise available in this month's menu. Yes, this also means there is alcohol. Take care not to lose the mask that is placed upon your face the instant you step off the staircase, however. You don't want to be the single recognizable person in a crowd of anonymous dancers, do you? Who knows what you might hear from a masked stranger...

"... are we just sinking in an ocean of faces?"

[Description of Floor 82 from the setting page: "A masquerade party is taking place in this intricately decorated, expensive-looking ballroom, and you're going to have to participate. As soon as you step onto this floor a mask is placed on your face. Anyone wearing a mask is completely anonymous even to those with supernatural abilities. You can take off a mask, but anyone with their mask off is compelled to truthfully answer any question they're asked."]

Comments

[seekinganswers]

Really? I'm glad...

[Hearing that is a relief. The first time he'd caught her reading his mind, she'd been worried that was going to be it - that he'd be so annoyed at the way she'd brazenly stomped all over his privacy that he would just drop her right there. She wouldn't have blamed him.

But for some reason, he'd given her a second chance. She's not sure how to put how grateful she is for that into words, but if the mask were off, it would be plain to see on her face. As it is, it's obvious enough in the curve of her lips that her smile is genuine.]

I guess so! Since it's the fonon of sound and all... [Her voice trails off thoughtfully.] If you could pick any instrument to learn to play, which one would you want it to be?

[bloodyashes]

[He's glad, too. Even if he's not one for admitting it beyond a moment's chuckle. If he hadn't given her that chance...

He doesn't know where he'd be. He doesn't have much in the way of lifelines, and Guy is gone. The practical part of him says that at least there's still someone to watch his back, but it's a little more than that, too.

He spins them briefly across the floor before returning to the more sedate part of the dance.]

I don't really know.

[Never had much of a chance to think about it. Behind the mask, his brow wrinkles in thought for a moment.]

I'd sing, maybe.

[Sound from himself - it feels right, somehow, better than using something else.]

[seekinganswers]

Oh!

[This time the spin does catch her by surprise, if only because she'd been momentarily distracted by some stray thought or another. But she manages not to fall - though there is some slight stumbling, which she quickly moves to compensate for - and she's a bit giggly and breathless as they slow back down.]

You have a nice voice. It's really pleasant to listen to - I bet you'd make an amazing singer!

[And then a cheeky grin -]

Will I get to hear you sing someday, maybe?

[bloodyashes]

[Whoops. One point to Asch. He smirks a little at her stumble, but lets her get back on her feet easily enough.

As for the question - whoops, his turn to be awkward, but at least he doesn't trip.]

I don't even know where I'd be able to learn.

[Besides, there's more important things right now. Like surviving.]

Maybe someday.

[seekinganswers]

There's always a way to learn. It's just a matter of finding the right place to look or the right person to ask.

[It's true that survival is most important, but she doesn't see why they can't do things for themselves too. What good is surviving if you sacrifice all the little things that make life worth living in order to do it?]

I'll look forward to it, then. That "someday." It'll come.

[bloodyashes]

[She's as optimistic as ever - it's her unspoken words that ring the most true, though. It's the first time in a long time that he's living, out on this dance floor.]

I'll keep an eye out, I suppose. Or an ear.

[The latter is probably more accurate, given the subject.]

[seekinganswers]

Hee hee! With a Seventh Fonist listening, if there's anything out there, I'm sure you'll find it in no time!

[She's giggling to begin with, but after a moment her smile becomes a touch more mysterious, and that'll be all the warning Asch gets before Sheba attempts to pull off the same move he had before, to spin him out for the waltz.]

[bloodyashes]

I have always had exceptional hearing.

[The spin doesn't startle him as badly, and besides, he's taller than her and more used to motion of the front lines of battle. No surprised tripping here, Sheba.]

Speaking of listening, I wonder where everyone interesting is.

[Whoever's in charge of this gathering should be easy to pick out by thought, right?]

[seekinganswers]

That's a good question... Let me know if you hear anything that stands out to you.

[Sheba closes her eyes; a moment later, Asch will notice that the voices in their heads are a bit louder, though they're hearing fewer of them at once. She lingers on a small group of people for a moment, but dismisses them and moves onto the next group, the new voices seamlessly taking the place of the old ones.

For her, already used to the sensation of shifting from mind to mind, it's nothing out of the ordinary - for Asch, whose mindsnooping is generally confined to just Luke, she's not so sure. But she trusts him to speak up if it's disorienting.

She notes that she can't tell who's who based on their thoughts - the identities are escaping her. It's sort of odd. But she feels certain that even if she can't tell who the person who organized all this is, they should still be able to figure out whose thoughts are most relevant to the matter at hand and work from there, even if they were talking to someone whose real face was unknown.]

not hyperresonance but most appropriate expression -

[bloodyashes]

[Having two Lukes around to snoop on now has prepared him a bit, but it's still a kind of strange sensation. Sheba is good at what she does, though, so he just settles back a bit and starts combing through the new sense of information. The fact that they're anonymous doesn't bother Asch the way it does Sheba - he just peels through their thoughts without any particular attachment.]

There. Someone's worried.

[This with an inclined head in the direction of the woman doing the worrying.]

Worth checking closer, at least.