(open) hell is deep lord, but we're heading deeper

[thelittlemerman]

[With new lords come new excuses to party.]

[Some time on the 19th, the fae stage a takeover of the club fabric in Smithfield. Invitations are sent out to all the fae in London, touting the glorious coming out of the Lords of Rivers and Illusions, Seelie and Unseelie respectively. It's one of those times where fae of both courts just want an excuse to throw a party, and the invitation is all the notice said new lords get that they are going to be guests of honour.]

[It's a typical fae affair; the magic is heavy in all three rooms, one of which is decorated like a ballroom in Other Realm fashion. The food and drink served at the bar remains untouched by fae charms, but the fae presence itself seems to be intoxicating. Some of the activities happening in dark corners seem to be a little beyond what's regularly allowed at any reputable nightclub, but don't pay attention to that just enjoy the party.]

[If you manage to cause any trouble, a team of large fae is here to escort you out. You may have seen them faithfully guarding the door, sniffing out those who may want to cause harm to the high concentration of fae inside. Vampires can be let through if they have a fae companion with them, and otherwise all types of humans and supernatural alike are allowed in.]

[The party goes on for precisely 72 hours, and on the 22nd the party winds down and mysteriously disappears. The club is left a little cleaner than when it started, the staff left completely befuddled about what just occurred.] (x)

Comments

[whatmatters]

"It's amazing," Ringer admits, seemingly in spite of herself. The glitter's a little much and there's way too much magic and too many people who are way too pissed from having access to an open bar, but it's definitely a magical setting in the figurative as well as the literal. The most important part is that Annie's having a good time and Finnick seems to be benefiting from it well enough.

"What is the ballroom? Is it the other realm or some kind of magic?"

[anniesgonemad]

Annie bounces a little on the balls of her feet, giggling with glee. "It's magic!" She points out to her.

"Finnick and I spent some time in there. It's more... classic. For older fae and stuff. That like the courtly romantic stuff. I kinda like it. It's... quieter. And Finnick's a great dancer." She blushes. FInnick was great at everything. That's just how it goes. And Annie does love to talk about him.

"You've seen it, right? I can take you!"

[whatmatters]

"Only in passing," Ringer admits, almost immediately regretting the words at the sight of Annie's enthusiasm. The girl doesn't mean to be a kill joy, she's just awkward and doesn't really know how to deal with situations such as this. Especially when things like dancing are involved. Put a gun in her hand and give her a target and she's perfectly at ease. Put her in a room full of drunk people and she freezes.

She tries to think of something to say about Finnick that she hasn't said and fails. Ringer worries Annie's life revolves too much around the fae, a concern she has no intention of expressing more than she's indirectly touched on. It makes her hesitate to indulge in the topic of the man entirely though.

[anniesgonemad]

Finnick was a huge force in her life. But that's what happened when you were in love: you became each other's worlds. Annie was no exception. They had their politics, Finnick more so now. And his politics were hers.

Maybe she needed more hobbies. Another knitting project.

"d'you want to check it out?" She asked again. Ringer hadn't sounded too enthusiastic, and Annie didn't want to drag her anywhere without permission.

[whatmatters]

Ringer nodded. "Yeah. Let's check it out."

It might enable her a better view into the fae's culture or something. Mostly she didn't like feeling the anchor to Annie's mood. Her new friend was energetic and chipper to her near constant neutrality. The least she could do was make an effort now and again. Besides, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Magic enchanted Ringer in a way.

[anniesgonemad]

Annie reaches for Ringer's hand, but doesn't take it. she remembers almost too late that not everyone is okay with touching. she usually is, but had her moments herself and she was sure Ringer felt the same way. so instead, she changes the motion into a gesture to follow her.

"let's hope we don't get lost! it's so easy around here!"

[whatmatters]

Ringer notices the hand and is grateful when it doesn't reach her own, though she makes no sign of it. She follows along with Annie easily, not necessarily opposed to touch, but not comfortable with casual gestures of affection. She still has trouble just admitting to herself that they're actually friends.

As the crowds become more dense and rowdy and the pair begin finding it harder to navigate, Ringer finally reaches out and sets her hand on Annie's shoulder to avoid being separated. She makes an effort to move herself closer to the girl, half-yelling to be heard over the noise around them. "I didn't realize it was so busy. Finnick must be popular."

[anniesgonemad]

She likes the hand on her shoulder, and Annie glances past Ringer's hand to her face. She keeps pace, doing her best to navigate the crowds.

"It's not just for him," she tells Ringer. "There's another man they're celebrating. His name's Eames, he's really great." She liked Eames, oddly. He was charming and kind to her. "That and Fae really really like parties." She says it with a giggle, as she's nearly run into by a couple dancing.

Annie reacts quickly, though, and ducks to the side, out of their range of dancing.

[whatmatters]

Ringer falters with Eames's name, dropping her hand away and managing to bump into the couple. They glare at her for a split second before moving on as she apologizes and hurries to return to her friend. Ringer stops Annie though, turning the girl to face her to ensure she's hearing properly. "Did you say Eames? Why are they celebrating him?"

[anniesgonemad]

Annie stops when bid, frowning slightly. Ringer looked worried. "He's a lord, now, too. It's a party for both of them." She'd met Eames through Finnick, though she had no idea about the two's friendship or lack-thereof, she just assumed they were chummy with how close they'd worked over Croydon.

They'd really only spoken twice, though. "Should- should I- you look worried," she finally settled on.

[whatmatters]

Ringer lifts her hands to momentarily cover her face and the embarrassment it shows, mumbling through her fingers, "I'm fine."

She sighs and drops her hands away, the faintest hint of blush disappearing from her cheeks as she looks at Annie again. It's not as if she and Eames have a past or anything, but their conversations have been frustrating circles and Ringer had no idea that he's being honored tonight. "I.. didn't realize he's a lord."

[anniesgonemad]

Ringer doesn't look fine, but Annie can't see the blush in the light, anyway.

"He is- he and Finnick were so important in Croydon." And Eames had been impressed with her efforts. Her efforts, her thoughts, and it was outstanding. "And then they have Unseelie and Seelie being honored. So it can be a bigger party. At least, I think that's the logic?"

[whatmatters]

"They do seem to love their parties," she agrees, based both on what Annie's said and her observations. Ringer is still having trouble accepting the knowledge that Eames is an important lord instead of a shady yes man. "What did he do in Croydon?"

She nods towards the ballroom, the direction they were traveling in before she was distracted by the shock, encouraging Annie to begin making their way there again.

[anniesgonemad]

"Flashy and fun. That, ah, really seems to describe them." What did Eames do in Croydon, that was a good question. Annie starts to lead them back towards the ballroom.

"He really organized the whole thing. Offered it to Midnight, tried to take it back. He's really smart." Annie was an Eames fan. This was probably not a good thing.

[whatmatters]

Ringer follows, keeping close as before. With her hand on Annie's shoulder, she feels more freedom to look around a bit, trying to memorize faces in case they should become relevant later. Not that she'll have too much luck in the noise and bustle of hundreds of people.

"I don't know much about what happened with Croydon. Will you tell me?" She's heard bits and pieces, but not enough to fully understand what Eames did.

[anniesgonemad]

"Of course," she says, the hand on her shoulder reminding her that she needed to be here in this moment. It was grounding.

"Croydon was Unseelie territory. But, uhm, they offered it to Midnight. Just for free. Midnight was going to take it but Daybreak heard. So they stopped the take-over. But the fae still really wanted it back. So they went up against Daybreak, for themselves and Midnight. Midnight are a bunch of cowards- they wouldn't come out to help in the first place- and somehow, I don't know how, but Daybreak held Croydon after a month of disputes." It had been awful.

And, here they were at the ballroom! "Okay, this is it. It's amazing." She moves them both inside.

[whatmatters]

"Why would the Unseelie give Midnight a territory for free?" The idea gives Ringer's paranoia a nudge. Not that she has anything for or against Midnight, but the Unseelie are definitely one of the villains of her personal narrative. The idea of some selfless gesture is clearly a manipulation and it bothers her not to understand why.

She follows Annie into the ballroom as she asks, looking around in wonderment. It's far more grand that she'd imagined, the gold filigree and crystal decor enchanting her. Ringer can't help but stand in awe, hand falling from Annie's shoulder to spin around and take in the whole room.

[anniesgonemad]

This gives her pause. "I'm not- not really sure. I think it's for good-will? Make a treaty with a new power- that part I know. So they can come and go from the Other Realm." That's how it had been explained to her, at least. "A tactical decision." And she can respect that.

Annie looks over at Ringer as she spins, both hands over her lips as she giggles. "Isn't it beautiful? It's something Disney made!"

[whatmatters]

Ringer's so distracted by the grandeur of the room that she doesn't recognize Annie's words until she stops to focus on them. Then she nods, accepting the theory and fact as good information. Maybe she can ask Finnick or Eames about the details later. Oddly, she finds herself more interested in speaking to the latter than the former.

"It's ridiculous." Her lips twitch with the hint of a smile. The remark is clearly a compliment. Ringer slides her hand down to grab Annie's, moving them farther into the room, weaving between the dancing center and the crowds at the outskirts to try to get a better view of things.

[anniesgonemad]

Annie would rather take in the ballroom again, too. Screw politics, tonight is a night for fun, Ringer.

She follows her happily, picking up her skirts gently to better move. "I know!" She gushes, "they're amazing." The fae really, really know how to party.

[whatmatters]

She stops at the opposite end of the room, letting go of Annie's hand and sliding around a random gawker to take in the best view of the grand room. It's almost enough to make her want to dance. Almost. Instead, she glances over to Annie, wearing a light expression, picturing the girl gliding with Finnick across the floor and liking the idea of it somehow. Something besides war and disputes and politics.

"Is this what their Realm is like?"

[anniesgonemad]

Annie hesitates.

"I- I don't know. I haven't been yet." He's kept their relationship a secret for so long, so taking her to visit would have been a disaster. One day, she hoped to go. But he had such strong walls up, and felt the need to protect her so much.

"But if it's anything like this, I'd really like to." But only if Finnick was going to take her. "Though, here you can eat the food!" Annie had not been doing much eating of the food that had been brought around.

[whatmatters]

Ringer turns to look at Annie with surprise. With the way the woman talks about Finnick, Ringer got the impression that they were attached at the hip at all hours of every day, that they might as well be married with everything shared between them. To hear that she hasn't visited Finnick's homeland is more than a little unexpected.

"Why haven't you been?" It doesn't occur to her that it might be rude to ask, or that she might be touching on a sensitive subject.

[anniesgonemad]

Annie shifts awkwardly.

"Yeah. He, uhm- until recently, wanted to keep me as secret." She'd hated it, feeling like she wasn't good enough. That he was ashamed of her. She was so proud of him that she always wanted to brag. But Finnick was worried. He wanted to protect her, to keep her safe.

[whatmatters]

"Oh." She tries to keep the judgment from her tone, wondering if there are redeemable qualities to Finnick that she's only seen shreds of or if the fae is secretly an abusive and manipulative monster who Annie has come to find endearing through labyrinthine psychological maneuvers. Ringer worries for her friend, making a mental note of it, as always, knowing that now is neither the time or place. "This can help you imagine. Until you can go."