Charles - Halloween Party 2014

From Masq
Date: Setting:

IC:  10/31/2012
RL: 01/24/2014

Halloween Party! Open for RP

 Off the lobby of <insert well known ABQ hotel name here>, the ballroom has been transformed for a darkly festive party. Long cloths hide the usual color and print of the walls, draping it in orange and black that shifts and shimmers in passing breezes and gives the walls the appearance of moving, and a discreet smattering of metallic purple stuff hangs here and there adding a dark spark of light and flash. The bulbs in the chandeliers and the fixtures along the walls have been changed for a touch of medieval chic and faux flames. There are tastefully and nearly realistically spread faux cobwebbing to help give the place a little bit of that old-castle vibe, and the lighting is dim and lit in reds, oranges and yellows from Halloween themed lights. Scattered along the walls are buffet tables laden with delicious catered foods in a Halloween theme or large cauldron style punch bowls that bubbles and smoke with dry ice. A generous number of tables draped in orange and black are spread about, surrounded by comfortable dinner chairs and topped with metallic purple fluff around a flickering faux candle. The tables leave a large area of the ballroom free and clear for mingling and dancing in a swirl of different colored lights, loud music and lighting manned by a DJ booth off to the side.
 A small bar is manned by two enthusiastic bartenders and there are various staff members wandering about collecting plates and glasses or traveling with platters of ghoulish treats to offer. The staff are all dressed in like outfits so that they can be easily spotted and hailed, wearing angel or devil costumes with horns or halos that light up and point them out in a crowd. There is a little bit of security here for safety's sake, but they are not dressed up at all and simply wear teeshirts reading 'security', and an ID tag so that they won't be mistaken as guests. Neon wrist bands are given out to people of proper age to visit the bar for a moderately priced drink, and there's a couple people at the entrance to take a small fee before letting people in. In several spots around the ballroom there are large and noticeable signs stating that the proceeds collected from the evening go to a police precinct located in the Warzone with web and phone information to verify and yes, the Lovecraft party favorite; a donation box by a security dude.
Cast:
Log:
Fix just goes up and down the table looking at everything, but there's so many snacks and food choices, Fix doesn't know what to do with himself. He appears to be sniffing at a lot of it too. Surely people appreciate it that. Finally he just decides to grab some punch, only a little bit, probably to taste, as he says to Damian, "Ordered more what? I been to a New year's party 'fore. Sorta. They had 'em in Los Angeles on tha street...was purty neat." He takes the punch, it seems acceptable, so he fills it up, and takes a bigger drink, almost drinking the whole thing in one gulp. Ah!

Cinna, Katniss, and Fix are near the buffet tables and punch bowls enjoying drinks! Katniss' fiery self is AFK briefly but she'll be back in a moment! Cinna says, "Of this glowing fabric," and brandishes his glowing cuffs, "I'm hoping that one will be successful too, working out its donation destination right now, though."

Charles enters through the doors, like any more person would, and takes a moment to adjust his costume with both hands even though one of his hands is a might occupied. He then looks up, brushes hair out of his line of sight, and then looks around at the sweeping display. Spying a bar, he begins to head in that direction for the source of all liquid courage lays there.

The magic words. Fix's eyes go wide as Damian pulls out the cuffs and tells him of the party that will be covered in this amazing stuff. He fingers the hand cuffs, inspecting them, if Damian let's him, and then grins up at the man, "I hope I can make it ta that!" Anyone watching the homeless man carefully enough, will definitely notice him eating nothing, but instead putting food in his pockets for later. It's subtle, he's not piling it in, but every so often something is taken off the table and finds it's way to a pocket.,saying to Damian after one such instance, "I'll havta save up fer that one."

Cinna, Katniss, and Fix are near the buffet tables and punch bowls enjoying drinks! Katniss' fiery self is AFK briefly but she'll be back in a moment! Charles has just arrived and is heading towards the bar to get this party started right. ANd to clarify they aren't handcuffs that are glowing, it's the luminous fabric on his costume that is at his cuffs. "I'll make sure you can get in." He seems to be entirely oblivious to the snack pilfering and ignores it completely as if it wasn't happening at all.

Katniss comes back toward Cinna. "Goddamnit, it's so hard to go to the bathroom in this outfit," she says in a low voice. "It doesn't have a dropseat." No, it doesn't... it is pretty much skintight. She picks up the compound bow from where she stashed it over by the punchbowl, then belatedly takes the drink that Cinna procured for her previously, taking a sip. "Fix, do you want some fabric like this?" she asks, "I may have some extra."

At the bar, Charles puts his purse down on the surface and orders something plain. He flicks his right hand over his shoulder, sweeping more of the hair back into place. He opens the bag and pays for the soda just in time to collect it and turns his back to the bar, drink in one hand and purse in the other. As he brings the drink to his lips, it conceals his slight smile until after his sip is over.

One can totally picture the Bee Gee's Stayin' Alive playing as Petra and Jai come striding into the room arm in arm, having just paid to enter. One can picture it because Petra's singing it, and off-key at that. Where the Bee Gee's are high pitched already, she's singing so high it's almost as if she'd just inhaled a balloon. "I'm a WOMAN's man, no TIME to talk," she 'sings,' though she mercifully breaks off as she spots Damian and the others. "Ooooooh!" she cries, and starts trying to lead Jai in that direction.

"I will totally help you next time." Cinna says to Katniss with such a serious look while handing her back her drink, possibly trying to subtly make this happen. Drink, Tara, drink more! And then there's that terrible I mean delightful caterwauling that signifies the approach of doom I mean Petra, and looks that way with a grin. "Hellooo!" he says with a sort of reserved excitement and greets Petra with a kiss to the cheek when she gets there and a bro hug for Jai.

Fix nods very gratefully to Damian with a smile, "Oh well thank ya." He still probably intends to scrape money together to get in. But hey. He actually tries something off the table, making a face not disgust, just maybe unsure, but eats it all the same. Who knew the homeless man even had a palette to speak of? He looks back up from the food table when Tara returns and grins when she speaks about having trouble in the bathroom, though he probably doesn't understand the issue, just the funny comment. He has to consider her a question, "Well, I ain't know if I can really use it fer anythin'..." He gives the fabric of her cape another gander, and then decides, "Well maybe I can think o' somethin', maybe...but it'll haveta be a trade... I'll figure somethin' ta give ya, iffin' ya do have some..." Oh boy oh boy, he's happy about this, but he seems to go in thought, maybe about WHAT to trade. Eyes spying Princess Peach at the bar, he blinks a moment, as if trying to figure out what is so familiar about the lady...recognition starts to flow, and then... He is distracted by Petra singing. More singing, and his gaze flows over the woman curiously. if he finds any issue with the tone, there's no show, he just finds it fantastic it seems. he's going to have to come to fancy parties more.

Jai does not merely walk along with Petra. Nope. He struts! Because c'mon, you gotta, right? As usual he doesn't seem to mind her version of singing, just grinning as they walk, and even more so as they see the others. "Hey!" he greets them happily, and Da--Cinna gets a big ol' hug in return for his. Forget this brothing! "Nicely set up!" he tells him as he lets go, and looks him and Katniss over, "...and your costumes are awesome." Fix gets a grin and a 'hey' as well, and then the light glinting off Charles's jewels catches his eye. "Oh, dude, THIS is the castle you were in all this time?" he calls over to the guy.

Princess Peach walks towards the only one dressed like a bum, and has the smell to back it up still wearing his smile. While walking though, a man, swaying slightly, grabs the Princess by the elbow, and opens his mouth to say something when Charles looks in the man's direction. Recoiling with horror, the now shocked sober man lets go and makes a swift and sudden retreat, blushing a deep crimson. The Princess shakes his head slightly, his smile returning after the swift exchange and his attention returning to what's swiftly becoming THE group to be in.

Petra gives Damian a kiss to the cheek as well, and then tries to engage him in a warm hug. "What he said -- fantastic set up, awesome costumes... this is great!" She doesn't seem to recognize Fix, and so she extends a hand toward him, friendly enough. "Yo!" she greets, "I have no idea who you are, but hi!" She smirks at Jai's comment to Princess Peach, shaking her head, and doesn't make a comment about the interaction between the Princess and the Drunk. Which should so be a daytime soap. 'And now we return to, The Princess and the Drunk.' Or maybe it should be a folk tale. ANYWAY.

"Thank you!" Cinna says with a pleased smile, "I'm glad you like everything, make sure you get around and have a lot of fun. And Petra, the punch is non alcoholic so you *should* be able to trust it."

"Wow," Katniss takes in the spectacle that is the Bee Gees, or Saturday Night Fever, or whatever it is that Petra and Jai are. But then she sees "Princess Peach," and, "WOW," she repeats. "This party is exactly what I expect from a Capitol soiree." She takes another sip of her own punch, and then whirls around, making her cape glitter with sparkling luminescene. "Soulless decadence."

Fix gives Jai a nod and a grin back, there's faint recognition there, "Hey." He might say more but when princess Peach starts moving their way, he has his attention back, especially because Jai puts a spotlight on him. Now recognition blooms and Fix starts to giggle. "Charles!" He exclaims, waving to the man and forming a huge grin, almost as big as Tara's costume got, if for a different reason, "What'cha wearin'?" He tilts his head, and then giggles again, yes like a school girl, or child, "Ya look purty. Mr. pebbles thinks so too." And then, of all great things, not only is someone greeting Fix but they are actually offering to shake his hand. This night just can't get any better. He tries to wipe his hand off on his dirty pants, but it doesn't help, as usual. He then takes Petra's hand, and shakes it, very friendly and gently, "Hi. Ya can call Fix. Ya got a great singin' voice." If he's telling Petra that, what does that say about his complimenting Tara? "I ain't have no idea who you is either, but we jus' solved one problem. Nice ta meet'cha!" Fix loves meeting people. And his grin could not get any bigger, truly. He might be a bum, but he seems to love people. An oddity maybe.

"How disgusted by us you must be." Cinna says to Katniss in all sympathetically understanding seriousness, and sips his punch. "I'm really glad you guys came!" he says, suddenly out of his seriousness and all smiles again, "And damn, Jai, you look fly!"

If Petra minds Fix's dirty hand, she does a good job of hiding it, and gives him a broad smile as they shake. "Name's Petra. Nicetameetcha, Fix!" His compliments for her voice have her grinning up a storm, and she opens her mouth as though to 'favor' the group with another round, but gets distracted at mention of non-alcoholic punch. Her eyes light up. "Thank fucking god. I'm so thirsty I could eat a horse! Thanks, D." She laughs at Katniss's 'disgust,' and then agrees with Cinna, "Doesn't he?! I'm so glad you threw this shindig... it looks great!"

To Jai, Princess Peach waves with his left hand holding his purse, lifting his hand over his head and nearly knocking the blonde wig off his head. It takes both hands to steady the wig and return it back to its precarious perch on Princess Peaches peak. A-rah-tah-tah tah, a-rah-tah-tah-tah! Drunk dude returns to a clutch of his buddies and makes exclamations about how that was a DUDE, YO. The clutch launches into laughter as though Drunk-man(TM) had been set up all along, but a drink shoved in his face makes the inebriated guy forget his pain. Princess Peach stops just short of the group to cast further dispersions of his mixed gender with a quick grab at his groin and shifts his package under his dress. Had to make sure he was still a guy. The Princess gestures at herself and then down the length of 'her' dress? "What, this little old thing?" he says in a very bad, very unconvincing high pitched voice. "Why it's nothing special. Do you like it?" He asks and then does a little twirl showing, perhaps for the first time, that he's wearing rather worn Doc Martin's or similar hiking boots.

"I'll taste it for you to be safe," Jai offers to Petra, as seriously as he can manage. He looks generally cheerful about everything right now, and looks around to try to take everything (and -one) in, but he can't help looking back to Petra quite a lot. Cinna's compliment gets a broad, pleased grin. "Thanks! You're looking pretty damn good yourself! I think we need clothing that glows like that for non-hallowe'en purposes."

Stepping into the little soiree, Kevin takes a look around... and takes a moment. If you didn't know better you might think he was just hit in the face by something for how dazed he looks. Maybe he is just in character, but Lucious Malfoy typically looked annoyed and superior rather than momentarily dazed as if overwhelmed. Still, he recovers rather quickly and, with cane in hand, makes his way further in. He moves with confidence, if not quite the arrogance of a Slitharin.

"You should go Disco Inferno more often." Cinna tells Jai with a sagely nod of his head, "Those pants look fantastic on you." And he leans a bit to get a look at the goods, and nods his approval with a sip of punch, "Brilliant design all around for both of you, you really do your district proud."

"The ways of the Capitol are unfamiliar to me..." Katniss looks around, and her face is suddenly hard and implacable. "That there should be so much decadence, while my family starves for want of a loaf of bread..." She shakes her head, causing the fiber optic hair extensions to create a nimbus of light around her face. Taking a deep breath, she smiles. "Everyone looks so good though. Cinna, you do such great work at making us all look good, huh? Too bad that unicorn wandered off somewhere." She downs the rest of her punch, and glances around, as though looking for this magical unicorn. "Petra, you look amaze," she adds after a moment. "It's like ... you just need to do the shuffle. Or is it the electric slide?"

Petra glances over as she spots Kevin, tilting her head at him and not greeting him just yet. Maybe she's letting him get his bearings, but it seems more like she's studying him, at least before she turns her attention away to fixate on Jai again. "You WOULD," she smirks, and then waggles her fingers at Princess Peach. "Hey, you! How's it goin'?" To Damian, she offers him a little high five, and says, "You too, man. You look fantabulous." She doesn't reply to Tara-- just starts doing the Macarena, right then and there. Minus the jump part cuz... platform shoes!

Fix gives both Cinna and then Katniss a strange look. He doesn't know the story, so the Capitol talk is well, confusing. Especially when they zoom in and out of character. Fix is mostly just listening now, nothing more to add at the moment, as eyes slide over to many of the new entrants, including Kevin. He gives him a study, along with others, and well since there's a good distraction, he pilfers more food. His pockets are really going to be bulging. And either playing his role or really the crazy man, he starts talking very quietly with seemingly no one beside him.

Jai strikes the obligatory and obvious pose for Dam-- Cinna when his pants get checked out, and Katniss's compliment to Petra (and the ensuing macarena) get another grin. "Doesn't she?" he agrees, watching her dance, the coloured lights glinting off all those little mirrors as she moves. It's like she's the real thing! "...I really like hallowe'en."

Princess Peach waves, full palm and hyperactively back at Petra, "It's great," replies Charles, still with that silly soprano, "I'm just looking for Bowser, King of the Koopa. Seen him? He's about this tall," Charles puts a hand over his head to indicate the height with his purse, causing his wig to teeter, "bipedal turtle with spikes all over his shell." Charles makes a show of looking around, "I'm never going to marry him if he can't show up for social functions." He takes a drink from his cup and then offers it to Fix with raised brows, the unspoken question clear.

Fairly soon, Kevin makes his way towards those whom he is familiar with. His cape flares, his wizard's robes swirl about his feet, and his stride is even. He smiles brilliantly, not really in keeping with the character, as he realizes just whom Cinna and Katniss are. Jai and Petra are given warm smiles as well as he does bow in a rather cortesean manner from the waist, "Hello, hello... good to se you all. Everyone's costumes look absolutely amazing!" He blinks a little at Princess Peach, managing to keep his laughter to nothing more than a quirk of a smile.

"You're as good a dancer as you are a singer!" Katniss tells Petra, watching the macarena... which is really great to dance to to house music, by the way, as is the chicken dance. Don't ask how I know. "Who's that pretty pretty princess over there?" she wonders, "Obviously someone from the Capitol. One of Effie Trinket's friends? Cinna..." She steps forward toward Damian and sets her hand briefly on his forearm. "How do I... wait. I mean. Huh." She steps back, whirling around, to create that illusion of 'fire.' "I wonder if they have those little miniature pizzas here. Though, honestly, one trip to the bathroom in this outfit was bad enough. Don't let me eat or drink anything else!" She pats her midriff.

"I know, right??" Petra asks, bowing deeply and extending one arm at Tara's praise. Modest, she's apparently not. To Charles, she comments, "Charles, meet Bowser. Bowser, meet Charles." And at that, she indicates Tara again, apparently setting her up to be Charles' date. Apropos of nothing, she leans over to kiss Jai's cheek, and nods her head. "Halloween is the BEST. Really, anything that gives you an excuse to dress up as someone or something else is the best. Halloween is just the best OF the best." She glances briefly at Fix, but leaves him to his quiet conversation without comment or raised brows.

Princess Peach shifts her weight mostly to one foot to project his hip out. He lightly pats his blonde wig and looks at Kevin through his and or her long glued on lashes, "Oh my. I might have found my NEW Mario." The faux-Princess then makes over exaggerated cooing noises and fans herself with her purse first at Kevin and then at the Girl on FYYRREEEE as the flattery rolls in. But the show isn't for long when she's 'introduced' to 'Bowser'. Pretty flower that is the Princess holds his arms apart one towards Kevin, holding his purse and the other towards Katniss, "Boys, boys!" forgetting to use 'her' voice so it's more bassful than before, "Don't fight over me! There's PLENTY to go around." Cocky grin. Eyebrow waggle.

"Better," Jai says to Katniss, nodding, and watches Fix curiously for a few moments. It's hard not to have his gaze drawn back to Petra's costume, though. Or Katniss's fire, for that matter. "Wait, NEW Mario? Tch, fickle. Heya, Mr. Malfoy, nice to see you again." Again the glance to Petra, although this time he asks, "D'you need anything, Imp? Snacks, some of that punch, a chair?"

Fix is fairly quiet in the background, alot of people he doesn't really know. A lot of conversation he can't totally follow being out of the pop culture loop. He stops talking to himself after a bit, and most of his attention goes to Charles. The man's actions bringing a smile to his face. He may right out of his comfort zone, but it is amusing the heck out of the hobo. His gaze going from Charles, to Tara, and To Kevin and everyone, an especially interested look at Petra on occasion, or more specifically her baby bulge. He seems perfectly fine just to occasionally be eating a snack, stuffing one in a pocket, and listening. So much entertainment going on.

"New... Mario... indeed," says Kevin as he grounds his cane and raises an eyebrow as he tosses his long platinum hair over one shoulder. He cannot keep the smile off his face however. Looking to Jai he inclines his head, saying "A pleasure to see you again as well. How have you been?"

"Yes, yes, yes, no," Petra answers Jai: yes, she needs something, yes to snacks and punch, no to a chair, apparently. She smirks over at Princess Peach, though she doesn't comment on it directly, and then acts as though she's only just now noticing Kevin. "Hey, K-Pax. How's it goin'?" She glances at Fix once his 'conversation' is finished, and gives him a bright smile. "So Fix... you from Albuquerque, or elsewhere? If it ain't too personal, you know."

As Cinna seems to be distracted, Katniss gets distracted also. And hell, who wouldn't be - all the bright colors and lights and drinks and awesome costume. Katniss takes the compound bow, hoisting it in a practiced, smooth motion to to have it rest over one shoulder. "I think ... there's gotta be, like, an Effie Trinket here somewhere, or a Haymitch, or hell... Peeta," she says in a contemplative sort of tone. "I mean... and all the other Tributes from the other districts. Somewhere at this party, the night before the Hunger Games. May the odds be ever in your favor." Then she whirls around again, laughing as the cape spreads out in an arc of luminescent sparkles. "I'm going to find someone." She wanders off into the crowd for a bit.

Charles rolls his pretty eyes at Jai and exhales dismissively with a pfft, "A girl's gotta keep her options open. I mean, have you ever smelt the old Mario? Always in the sewers, with who-knows-what all over his boots and his pants? Ugh!" Princess Peach jerks a satin gloved thumb at Kevin, "This one looks like he's got some class. And he doesn't answer introduce himself, 'It'sa me, Mario!'. I know who you are, dude!" When Tara wanders off, Princess Peach collects both of his/her hands under her/his chin and with fluttering affectionate gaze pronounces, "You've won me, my HEEERROOOOoooo"!!!11oneonetwo.

"Not bad!" Jai answers Kevin, "Good seeing you, too." He nods to Petra's reply, resting a hand on the front of her disco-ballishness as he gives her a kiss on the temple and then stepping away. "I'll see what I can find you, then. Anyone else want anything while I'm stalking the snack and drink tables?"

Fix looks up at Petra's face when she talks to him, he almost looks startled for a second, "Oh, I ain't from here no and it ain't personal, I ain't think anyway." He puases at that, looking aside a second, and then looking back at Petra, "Well, I 'spose I'm from here now, but I ain't think that's what'cha meant. I came here from Los Angeles. Ain't from there originally neither, but um, ain't really from anywhere I know of 'fore." He shrugs, and gives Petra a warm smile, he honestly looks quite friendly, "How 'bout you, ya from here or from somewhere else?" Though he gets a little distracted from his conversation with petra at what Tara says. Once more he's lost and confused, which makes him even more confused when she walks off. His brow furrows, and he watches her walk off into the crowd for a bit, before realizing he was talking to petra and turning back to her, smiling instantly once more, and saying, "Grats on yer baby. I always wanted to feel a baby kick..is yers kickin' yet?!"

"California? That's awesome... I ain't been there before. I'm from New York, but this is my home now-- same's you, I guess." Petra smiles brightly at the question about her baby, nodding her head. "Yeah... she kicks all the damn time. I don't mind it too much... means she's healthy, you know? She's not kicking TOO hard right now, but... if you wanted to feel..." She pauses, seeming a bit hesitant to offer, but doesn't retract it. The rest of what's going on seems to swirl around her, barely noticed for the moment.

Princess Peach says, "I'm good. mm, no I'm grrRRRrreat!" Princess Peach Tony the Tiger poses, "But I do need to speak with you for a minute when you get the chance. Actually, I'll follow you. Someone as pretty as me on your arm will make you look good." Princess Peach holds out her free hand for what to slip his hand around the crook of Jai's arm.

"Well, how can I resist an offer like that?" Jai asks, and offers the Princess his arm as gallantly as he can. Which is reasonably gallantly! Or it would be if he didn't suddenly pull it back to pull his phone from his pocket and look at it, sending a quick text. "Hold on," he murmurs as he does so, and then proffers the arm again. Snack time!

For his own part, all Kevin can really do is just shake his head in bemusement. You can bet Malfoy never had to deal with this. Of course, he probably would have used the Cruciatus curse if he had. Kevin, on the other hand, is chuckling softly. "Wow, Jai, a gorgeous... umm... girl, on each arm. I guess you are liberal minded, Petra?"

Well, Petra is an instant favorite in Fix's books judging by the grin at her response to him. Someone who talks a bit more like him, how can one not appreciate that? "I ain't never been to new York, least I ain't think so..." One might wonder how he doesn't know. His gaze goes down to her belly again as she talks about the baby, quite fascinated about what she is describing. He nods vehemently, agreeing with her thoughts on the baby or in response to saying he can touch it. Oh she has definitely made the homeless man happy. Hopefully he's not a psycho nut. He does actually step closer, but then hesitates in the actual act of touching her belly. Maybe he can sense her reluctance? He looks back up at her, as if reading her emotions, "Ya sure?" his gaze goes back down to the tummy though, as if expecting to 'see' a kick, and afraid of missing it.

"I'm as liberal minded as liberal-minded GETS," Petra leers at Kevin, and then turns her attention back to Fix. Even Jai is semi-ignored for the moment, and he's off to get her snacks! Some people are so ungrateful. "I'm sure," she smiles softly to Fix, and steps just slightly closer to let him touch her stomach if he'd like. Hopefully he's not a psycho nut, indeed!

Princess Peach wanders off with Jai, hand in the crook of the other man's arm. They murmur sweet nothings at each other which doubtlessly the Princess tries to lure Petra's prize to her place. When they get to the bar, Peach waits, but offers hands to carry anything.

Fix is purely focused on his conversation with Petra now. He smells not so good this close. Lucky Petra. Fix is still a bit hesitant as he places a hand on her stomach, but he finally does so, and he's very gentle. His hands are hardened from years on the street, but his touch is oddly gentle and his eyes widen a bit with anticipation. So exciting! He smiles to her warmly back, seeming ever grateful for this opportunity. Not many people would trust the man to do so. "This yer first baby?"

It's purely punch for Petra, and Jai really =does= taste it for her, too. Apparently it's good, 'cause he gets a second cup as well. Then two plates of food get gathered from the tables, and he does in fact take advantage of the offer of Princess-hands for additional carrying power. Wouldn't want to spill anything. It'd take forever to get things out of this suit! Goodies achieved, he heads back across the room toward his wife.

Smiling to Petra, Kevin remains nearby as she allows Fix to touch her pregnant belly. It's not a protector vibe or anything, after all Petra's got the feel about her of a woman who knows how to handle herself, he's just hanging nearby for the time being. He does take an interest in Fix, but it is like he is mulling something over.

Chandler enters the Halloween Ball, and hangs out around the periphery, smiling and saying hello to people here and there whom she knows not. Her eyes glance among the many gathered for a sign of someone she knows. Also, keeping an eye out for pirates. And Spanish Inquisitors. No one ever expects them.

Nodding, Petra confirms, "Yep... first one." He can likely feel a light flutter, and after a moment Petra gently attempts to move his hand a tad to the right-- apparently the baby's moving. "Her name's Tyche." She smiles broadly to Fix, and poor Jai is totally ignored by this point-- then again, so's everyone else, AND he's gone grabbing her snacks anyway, so perhaps it'll be forgiven. "'m due in early February."

Jai presents one of the cups and the fuller of the plates to Petra, and gives her another of those kisses on the temple. There's all kind of things on the plate, too, from veggie sticks through little canapes through candy and tiny cake. "Forgive me if I step outside a few?" he asks her, patting a pocket and looking apologetic. And as long as she doesn't say she needs him there, he does so!

Katniss wanders back to the group from wherever she went to in the other part of the ballroom. "So many great costumes!" she says, loudly enough to be heard over the DJ. "So many people here in the Capitol." She shakes her head, the fiber optic extensions woven into her black hair creating a glow. GIRL ON FIRE! "Damian outdid himself," she adds, "This is one hell of a party. Oh hey, Red Riding Hood!"

Fix is just overjoyed at this experience. The flutter makes him grin and he seems to have no issue with Petra moving his hand, "Oh!" That as he feels the baby move. After a little he takes his hand back, you know as not to seem uncomfortable and he grins at her, "I ain't know no one named Tyche. I like it." Because Fix's approval is necessary. "Thanks so much. That was amazin'." Everything's amazing to Fix tonight. He gives Jai a wide smile as the man returns, he's probably figured that connection out by now. And then something occurs to him and he looks back at Petra, very curiously, "How ya know it's a girl?" He starts feeling one hand with the other as if he can still feeling the baby moving. He, like Petra, is basically consumed by this conversation.

While Jai asks for permission to leave, the Princess stands there looking a little lost while she/he is holding another set of goodies. He balances the plate on the cup he brought back, tucking his purse under his satin laden arm and snacks on the food Jai got for himself. I'm sure Jai won't mind. He's standing right there. With a carrot dangling from her lips, Princess Peach nibbles on it, "Nomnomnom, nom."

Petra does finally look away from Fix, if only long enough to nod to Jai and accept her snacks and punch-- the punch is balanced precariously on the plate, because that way she still has a hand free for the eating! "I'll eventually forgive you," she teases Jai, and kisses his temple before returning her full attention to the homeless man just as he pulls away. "You heard o' ultrasounds? Basically, they like... put this thing on my stomach with some gel, and there's pictures o' the baby, an' like... if it ain't got a willy, ya know it's a girl." Those who know Petra may be surprised at her using the term 'willy' instead of something more... graphic, but there you have it. "I'm glad you like the name," she says, and there no hint in her voice if she's being patronizing. That said, she munches on a carrot stick.

"Nom," Jai agrees, snagging the drink and a cookie from the plate, and seems perfectly willing to sacrifice the rest to the Princess, instead heading to the doors and out.

Little Red Riding Hood (Chandler) looks up when Tara speaks up, and is relieved to finally find people she knows. "Oh, hey! Almost didn't recognize anybody." She looks at all the costumes, blinking in amazement. "Girl on Fire, you look amazing, Katniss. So awesome." To Petra she asks, "Was that Jai? in the disco outfit?" She points in the direction he just wondered off in. "And you look fab, Petra. Disco Ball Baby! Love it!" She doesn't know Charles very well - and dressed like (s)he is, Chandler doesn't quite recognize him. "Hey there Princess Peach!" She reads the name tag and laughs. A smile is sent Kevin's way, and she asks, "Mister Malfoy, is it? You look wickedly awesome." And finally Fix is given a warm smile. She recognizes him, of course, and offers a, "Hey, it's ben a while. How've you been?" It has been so long, though, she does wonder if he recognizes her.

"Cinna is my stylist and he has made sure that Peeta and I fully represent the coal-mining background of our District," Katniss smiles at Chandler. "I've mostly just been wandering around checking out other costumes. Haven't seen a Peeeta, which is good, because he's whiny. The bread boy. Having to pretend to be in love with him..." Katniss shakes her head, making those glossy black braids and their luminous hair extensions twirl a bit around her head. "Anyway, you should try the food. It's delicious! And if you eat too much, you can always purge and rally."

Smiling brightly, Kevin says to Chandler, "One does hope that you are as adept at avoiding wolves as you are fetching in that red riding hood costume." He grins then, and continues "It's good to see you, Chan. You must be terribly busy lately, I hope things are at least going well." He blinks at Tara's suggestion of purge and rally, and blinks again, but does not comment on it. He may not be sure if it is a reference to the book or not.

Once again Petra finds a way to completely fascinate Fix. There is a tinge of doubt on his face too, when she tells the story of this magical device called an ultrasound. He also chuckles a little at the willy comment. "I ain't never heard of an ultrasound. They actually got somethin' like that?" He squints a little, returning his gaze to Petra's stomach as if he's trying to envision seeing the baby in there himself. He can't obviously and he gives up fairly quickly, looking back to Petra, "How come ya namin' her Tyche?" Only Chandler addressing him could tear him away, and he actually gets a big smile on his face for her. Absence they say, makes the heart grow fonder. He holds up a hand in a sort of still wave, "Chandler! Hi!" He's not really getting the playing of roles here, especially since he probably doesn't recognize any of them, "I'm good. Ya should feel her stomach. It's amazin'! She's havin' a baby." Like she might not know. Then he gets a bit more serious and says, "How're you?" It quickly fades back into a smile though. And he falls silent, just watching the conversation momentarily before turning back to Petra.

Something, in all that Tara says, seems not to sit well with Petra-- perhaps she too is discomfited by the 'purge and rally' comment, but it's hard to tell. Still, she doesn't comment on it, either, and just keeps munching at her carrot sticks, before having a bite of tinycake. At Fix's doubts, Petra doublenods her head. "Yeah, they actually do. I have pics of Tyche, though she don't look too baby-like, just yet. Hang on a sec." Petra carefully maneuvers her plate of food with the punch on it so she can withdraw her wallet from a pocket of the tote. Her tongue ends up sticking out of the edge of her mouth with the effort to slip the wallet open so she can flip through the pictures within. After several moments, she turns the wallet to face him-- on one side is one of those grainy black and white ultrasound photos, and on the other, one of the newer style amber ones that let you get a better look. "That's Tyche," she says softly, though she's right-- the first picture especially barely looks like a baby. The second though, does have the baby face and some tiny fingers in the frame. His question about the baby has her tilting her head. "Tyche's the name of a goddess of Fortune, an' stuff." As Fix greets Chandler, Petra gives the woman a chin-up of greeting, saying, "Yo, Chan-chan, how it be?"

Chandler nods to Tara and says, "I'll totally check out the food... ran home after work, grabbed this costume and came here, so no time to eat. I'm so hungry. But I'll not waste Capital resources - i'll eat only what I need. And maybe sneak a little extra out of here for others." She winks at Tara, playing along. Then her attention is on Kevin and she nods. "I've been very busy. Working a lot at the hospital. And stressed, too - Just finished my medical SAT's. ANd now I wait for the results. It will be a while." To Petra and Fix she smiles back and forth between them, offering to hold some of Petra's stuff while she rifles through pictures and whatnots. In response to Fix, she says, "I know. And she's not just pregnant. But pregnant with a girl?" Her focus shifts to Petra, "Did I hear that right? I knew it!" And she makes a move to feel Petra's belly, but does wait for some queue from the preggers to make sure it is a welcome touch. "You just said the due date, but I didn't quite hear. When in February?"

"Chan... with as talented as you are, no... not just that. With your dedication, hard work, and perseverence I doubt you have much to worry about on your test scores," says Kevin gently. "Granted, I know the feeling. It's not like I have not been agonizing over my thesis. And it is on a subject I am going to be attempting to apply commercially; Resonance and its effects on nanomaterials. Of course I am likely years away from anything practical rather than purely academic... " He smiles when Chandler is distracted by the pregnancy belly, not coming between that in the least. Truth be told, he has an interest too, he has simply never approached Petra about touching her belly. He... rarely touches anyone. Even handshakes are done with an air of caution despite his warm smiles.

Fix is instantly distracted by the promise of being shown proof that such a machine exists. He too , though, offers to hold anything she needs to make it easier while he waits. When the pictures come out, he gets real close, as if trying to pick out small details. He even touches them in a couple places with a pointer finger. or traces a part of the baby, trying to discern what he can. This easily allows the two ladies to talk without him distracting them. In fact, he spends a lot of time staring at the pictures, only saying, "Ain't never heard of her." That, of course, to the Tyche comment.

"How long's 'awhile,' do ya know?" Petra asks of Chandler, finally paying attention to the rest of what's going on. She does take Chandler up on having her hold the plate while she rifles through her pictures, and for her efforts, Petra rewards her with getting a glimpse at those baby pictures. Surely that's what everyone wants-- baby pictures, right?? Right. "I knew it, too! And Jai! We were ALL sure it'd be a girl, and there ya go. Girl!" Just as she hesitated at the last moment with Fix, she also hesitates when Chandler wants to touch her belly, but in the end she nods her head. "Go for it," she even verbally gives assent. She doesn't seem to mind him touching on her wallet pictures, and fishes them out so he can get a closer look. Once she's got her wallet put away (the pictures still in Fix's hands), she gets her food back from Chandler and smiles wanly before having another bite of cake. "Oh, just resonance and nanomaterials? That's baby stuff, man," she teases Kevin. "I do that shit in my SLEEP." Pause. "But when I wake up, I forget it all." Suuuuure.

Chandler bites her lip with excitement as she cops a feel off Petra's baby-full belly. She enjoys the moment, but just for a moment, and then lets the poor woman be - it must get exhausting, after all. "They say anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months. But who knows, really." Then she gives Kevin a grateful smile and says, "Thank you, Kev. That means a lot because honestly? I'm a wreck sometimes, and this waiting for the results just... sucks." She waves all that off and says, "But right now? I need some food." She hands the plate of food back to Petra (assuming she has a free hand) and asks, "Anyone want anything whileI there?"

Armed with Jai's ever dwindling supply of food he had given when Petra's plate had been, Princess Peach has been watching and stuffing her poorly made up face the whole time. He offers 'pistol finger' when Little Red Riding Hood identifies him and cranes his neck to look at the baby pictures, such as they are. "Uh, what do they say? That's one cute baby, right?"

Fix takes the pictures gently when Petra hands them to him. he seems to be being particularly careful not to damage them. Once he's done with his thorough examination, he gives them back to her with a big smile and just a touch of skepticism in his eyes. Like it's some trick. "I sure hope I get ta see her when she's born." Once the pictures have been taken back, he pats a pocket, probably one of the main ones food is stored in and then looks back to Petra, "It was real nice meetin' ya. Sure hope ta see ya again, but Mr. Pebbles an' I gotta go." He gives Kevin a nod, since he's around, and gives a wave to Chandler as she starts to walk away, genuine enthusiam in his voice, "See ya 'round I hope Chandler!" To Princess Peach he gives a wave and a smile too, "See ya Charles." Lastly, he turns back to Petra once more, giving her another big, warm smile, "I hope yer baby's real healthy. You take care okay?" He gives her a wink, it's like the wink of a man aged past his physical years, and then he starts towards the door, once more talking to himself.

Princess Peach takes a small handful of Jai's food and a step forward and crams the hand into one of Fix's pockets. Home invasion. Extracting an empty hand, Charles gives Fix 'pistol finger' as well. He doesn't say much, just a mumble as crumbs escape from The Maw That Ate Jai's Food, in theaters now. The Princess collects the cup of punch Jai got too and takes a sip of it and tries again, "I'll see ya later, Fix."

"I'm sure you'll see her," Petra says with a nod, and takes the pictures back, very very carefully placing them back in her wallet-- she probably has to have Fix hold her food for her while she does so. "I'm good," she declines Chandler's offer, and sticks her tongue out at Charles before returning her attention to Fix. "Sometime you'll have to properly introduce me to Mr. Pebbles. I hope you have a great night. And I'll take care."

Fix pauses before walking away, giving Charles an exasperated shake of his head. The man never learns. Though the real reason he pauses is to say to Petra, "Oh Mr. Pebbles chooses who he introduces himself too. But we'll see." He gives her a big grin, it might be mischievous if he knew how to pull one of those off, instead it's just kind of odd, but happy. And with that he's off.

Act II

Shiori laughs, turning to keep an eye on Cinna/Damian. "Yup. I'm a vain, vain halloween chicken!" she says. She brushes some of her hair over her shoulder, revealing another tattoo, stars falling toward her heart in various colors that match the sunflower and humming bird on her shoulder.

Bill, dressed something like a plains Indian, is over near Fallen Angel Shiori, Smashing Damian, and Zombie Snow White Nadia. Damian is currently doing a ridiculous dance around Shiori that may or may not include bawking chicken sounds. Bill is having a good laugh at the sigh as he watches, standing next to Nadia. "Well, it could've been worse," he decides with a point of his chin in the dancer's direction.

Steping out of the men's bathroom, Princess Peach finishes pushing down her dress and untucks her purse from under her arm and wanders to the bar to get another drink paid with by funds from the aforementioned garment bag. With boring drink in hand, Peach, definitely not Charles, smiles at the dancing and meanders over there. Princess Peach tugs on Bill's vest and with a very masculine soprano asks, "Buy a pretty lady a drink?"

Cinna makes a pffft! sound and turns his nose up at Shiori, "You're such a wuss!" he decides with a theatrical amount of huffing, and begins to Carlton-sashay his way towards Bill and Nadia again, just a few steps away. "C'mon. You two. Who's with me? Hot Dancing Games action, just need a few more tributes."

Nadia pulls out her camera as she places her apple on the table, holding it to her eye to capture a picture of Damian stalking Shiori with his dance moves. Laughing at Bill, she nods. "This is very true." And then she snaps her camera again at Bill....catching Princess Peach just as she...he....it...SHIM....grabs Bill's vest. Lowering her camera, she starts laughing so hard her eyes start to water. She tucks her camera back onto her person, looks to Cinna, and grins, moving closer. "I'm game."

Shiori, laughing, shakes her head and follows Cinna back to the other two, in time to see the new arrival. Her eyebrows loft and she watches the exchange between Bill and the Princess.

Bill momentarilly doesn't recognize the drag-queen coming up to him. "Uh, heh," he decides. After all, how do you respond to that! But then, "Oh! Charles! Wow. Didn't recognize you there under all that, uh, pink. And blonde. And where's the pretty lady? I'll see what I can do," he quips, once he's gotten his bearings back. "But Damian is making us dance," he adds. It has been spoken and so it shall be.

Princess Peach poses for the camera with lifted cup and his lips puckered and aimed at Bill like a forced perspective might look like he's about to kiss Bill on the cheek. Just wait for that to spread around the University, you're welcome, Bill. As his beauty is questioned, Princess Peach gives a mock gasp while shimming his tookus, "Sir, I will have you know I am a pretty, pretty flower." He couldn't be smiling any wider.

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Cinna declares enthusiastically and reaches out to snag Nadia by the hand if he can and dork-groove them out a few feet towards the dance floor where they aren't going to trip over any chairs or people. Maybe it's teaching serious dance all the time or just being in a good mood, or maybe he's kind of drunk, but whatever the reason is he seems determined not to be reasonable about this and totally spazzes out like a crazy person. Granted, a spaz with really good coordination and style, but a spaz none the less! He makes sure not to hog anyone either and engages and disengages pretty much anyone that gets near him, half of which flee in abject terror of his sweet moves, the other half of which respondin kind with moves that would make Dr. Who proud.

Nadia will most definitely be posting them in the University's Around Town section as well as giving Cinna - Damian a copy. Laughing as her hand is grabbed, she moves to the dance floor with Damian, keeping up best she can. But as soon as he snags another partner, she giggles and returns back to the table, shaking her head. "Good dancer....utterly nuts, though. I love it." And she returns just in time to hear Ms. Peach's comment. Ummm...pretty flower...mmmmhmmm. "OF course you are..." She looks to Bill and raises a brow, having not met his friend before.

"So why did you decide to go as a princess?" Bill wonders towards Charles. Not a Nintendo Child, there is no way he's identify her as Peach. But he's still obviously a princess! "Just thought you'd see how the other half felt?" he wonders with a grin. He watches as Nadia and Damian dance about. When Nadia comes back he flashes smile to her. "Nadia, this is Charles. He's a princess," he explains as he does the introductions. "Charles, this is Nadia. She lives next door to me in the dorms. And she's a zombie, I think." With the introductions done, he slips out to the dance floor to practice his own moves! Don't worry, he'll be back on his pose!

Bill also drags Shiori out to dance because this fits perfectly with her AFK! She can be out dancing until she comes back. Ha-ha!

Preening slightly, Princess Peach tucks his purse under his arm again and cants his head at Nadia, "Yeah! Thank you! You look great!" Charles points with his free hand at Nadia. "Zombie Princess?" As Bill wonders off, Charles at his name tag, "I'm Princess Peach, man! Mario? Bowser, King of the Koopa? No, nothing? Man! But your costume I know, you're Tonto!" Charles gives a thumbs up at the dancers and then takes a sip from his drink and a hyperactive wave at Nadia after the introductions have been made.

Nadia watches as Bill disappears onto the dance floor with Shiori and then looks back to Charles, grinning. "Pleasure to meet you, your Highness. And thanks. Yeah..This is what I think may have happened if the Evil Queen got her way and used Snow." Getting some water, she quickly returns and just has to ask. "Ummm.....why a Princess? Well...Princess Peach? And not Mario or something?"

Bill doesn't seem to have many moves to speak of, but he's coordinated and athletic enough. He doesn't have quite the same love of embarassment that Damian does, so he likely looks rather more subdued in comparison. After he's had a few turns dancing with each, he makes his way back towards Charles and Nadia. "I realized I shouldn't have left you in his terrible clutches," he decides with a grin towards the young woman. "And you right, Charles! Tonto! But my Lone Ranger has gone missing. As usual. Whiteboys get lost so easily."

Lifting his hand up, fist clenched in unity, not that he rises to high for fear of dropping his purse, Princess Peach replies, "Full Clothing Rights!" with faux seriousness his smile dropping to show I. R. SRS. But it doesn't last long, he grins again and shakes his head at Nadia, "Naw, I figured it would be funny. And it was! I got hit on when I got here." Charles goes wide eyed, eyelashes and everything, and nods to prove his seriousness. "I like yours though, but I don't have the legs for a dress slit." Charles grins again when Bill comes back.

Nadia looks at Bill and laughs, shaking her head. "No...he is nice. And of course white boys get lost easily. They can't read a compass or a map and refuse to ask for directions." Grinning at Charles, she nods. "I love it. It is hilarious. And definitely unexpected. But..I....you got hit on? Wow. How drunk was the guy..or girl...no offense..." She laughs again and fluffs her dress, and her dead dwarves. "Care for a bite of apple, either of you?" She holds up the apple, grinning evilly.

Shiori gives in and goes to dance for a bit. She even gets silly and does the Snoopy Dance!!! At least for a little while, then settles down to more subdued dancing as well. Though she has moves. Real moves. She gives up on the dancing though, soon enough and wanders back toward the ones she knows. Her halo bounces, and is a little more off kilter, but that's ok. After all, she is a /fallen/ angel, right?

"That apple doesn't look too healthy," Bill decides with a grin at the offered morsel. "And I bet lots of people would hit on Charles. Particularly girls. See a good looking guy like that, confident enough to dress up like a princess. That's a recipe for success! Shiori!" he greets the woman as she returns. His eyes drift up towards the crooked halo and he reaches his hands up that direction. "You're a little off-kilter," he informs her as he moves to make a minor adjustment. Of course, he'll be easy enough to avoid should she not want his help.

Charles gasps, "I AM nice! Thank you!" He turns to face Bill, "Man, I hope her niceness seeps through the hallway and infects you." Princess Peach laughs and then starts looking around, and then shakes his head causing his wig to wobble to and fro, "They were over there," gestures, "a couple University guys. I think the sober-er ones dared the drunkest one. He asked if I wanted to dance, I said what, then he looked like he'd woken up in a horror movie and ran off back to his table. Hi-lar-i-ous!" The Pretty Pretty Princess looks at the apple with open suspicion, "It won't turn me into a boy, will it?" Leans forward towards Bill, his humor departing, "Jai was here earlier. I think he's outside having a cigarette. Did you talk to him already?"

Nadia smiles as Shiori returns, giving a quiet, "Welcome back..." before looking to Bill, raising a brow. "It is very healthy! An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Especially if you are dead..." she actually cackles at that, putting the apple on the table as she runs her fingers over her hanging dwarves. At Charles' words to Bill, she blushes a little under her makeup, looking away and into the crowd of dancers, allowing herself to get a little distracted for a moment. Looking back to Charles, she grins sweetly, picking the apple back up. "I guess you will have to take a bite and find out, won't you..."

Anne's a late arrival, dressed as a lifeguard in a hot red that reads 'Brazillian Life+Guard' typo'd across the front of that swimsuit. A long blond wig and stretchy bodysuit in tan color adds 'fringe benefits' to this 'glam' outfit as shepushes in the door. With balloon sized boobies trying to squash at her chin she's letting her gaze flit too and fro about the room. Its all finished off with hobbit feet with as much hair on them as there is showing in various pitted or groved regions.

Shiori laughs a little bit, lifting her own hand instinctively, but she lets Bill straighten her halo for her. "Thanks." she says quietly to the man. She then looks curiously at Princess Peach, perhaps trying to decide if she's ever met that person or not!

A perfect opportunity for Bill to conduct introductions. "Shiori, have you met Princess Charles?" he asks as he gestures between the pair. "Charles, this is Shiori." Cinna/Damian is dancing like a goodball on the dance floor. Bill, Charles, Nadia, and Shiori are a bit near by chatting together. All should be relatively easy to identify as none of them are wearing masks, though Charles has a blonde wig and a pink dress on which might do well to hide his appearance. Or make him stick out like a sore thumb. Anne should get in on this introduction action so Bill doesn't have to do it again. And on that note he lets his gaze drift about until he double-takes at Anne's 'exotic' costume and lets out a laugh. "I think I know her..." he decides as he tries to see who's hidden under that costume. Then, as if he forgot, he says to Charles, "Oh right. Yeah. I talked to Jai outside already."

Princess Peach offers a pose instead of a wave to great Shiori. Shifting his weight to one leg and sticking his hip out he pats the bottom of her blonde wig and flutters his lashes, "Charmed, I'm sure," he says with that really bad high pitched voice again, trying to sound like he's a lady. Looking at Nadia with equal suspicion, Princess Peach, the sore thumb, purses his lips but can't control his smirk. He thinks aboutit for a moment and then opens his mouth and slow leans forward for a bite while gesturing with his free satin white gloved hand to dare Nadia to go ahead and put it in him.

Nadia looks over towards the door at the..ahem...life guard, and just blinks once...twice. Then she is grinning to stifle her laugh as she looks back to Charles....err...Peach. She bites her lip and gives her best evil smile, holding the apple up and bringing it towards his mouth. At the last minute, though, she turns it so the rotten, worm infested side is aimed towards his mouth!!

Cinna finishes doing the Humpty Dance out on the dance floor with some random people, (first I limp to the side like my leg was broken, twitchin' and shakin' just like I was smokin') and returns to the general area of where he was before, suddenly reminded that Bill was the last one to have his punch.

Right. Introductions. Anne's there. Front and center. "If you're in need of help, put up an arm and yell 'Help me Agnus.' and you'll get to see me in action." the promise comes with a winsom smile that stertches the lips into revealing the gloss of whitened enamal that could have thier own halogen fixed because of how bright they are. The bent over posture of the Princess gives her pause in her humor and the mouth reshapes to an O. The white glove where? Speculation causes the eyebrows to frolic on their own as she encourages Nadia with a nodnodNod! Ohh! Watching the apple appear causes her to nip at the lower lip to keep from commenting further.

Shiori laughs a little bit at the pose, "Ah. Hi." She says to Princess Charles. She then steps back a little bit, settling to watch people for the moment. She gives Cinna a smile when he comes back toward the group that is gathering.

"That is a CRAZY costume," Bill decides as 'Agnus' heads over to them, giving it a once-over and a laugh. "I thought Brazilians ... You know. Down there," he says with a little wave of his hand in the direction of her hairy crotch. "Where'd you find it? Or did you just make it yourself?" he wonders towards the woman. His 'costume' doesn't look very much like a costume except for the plastic six-shooter on his hip.

Leaning down a little more, Princess Peach closes his mouth early and stands erect, fake munching on the apple he didn't bite. "Oh, nom nom, that's deli*ACK!" He wraps one of his gloved hands around his neck, eyes going wide. "Oh," his cheeks inflate. "Gargle!" he turns around slowly, carefully so he doesn't spoil his drink and then shivers violently, snapping his eyes closed. Just as suddenly Charles snaps them open and gasps and then looks down at herself and starts patting his body, first his chest, one breast and then the other, and then his lap. "Ah, phew! Nope, I'm still GOR-GEOUSSsss!" Charles attention is turned when Bill speaks and he loudly tsks, "Oh honey! Let me give you the number of my guy, he'll sort that right up, baby," gesturing to his own lap.

Nadia watches Peach, and actually looks a little disappointed when a real bite wasn't taken. The look quickly fades from her face as he acts out his death and then wakes up, Nadia laughing and shaking her head. "Definitely gorgeous." She goes quiet for a few moments, putting her apple down as she takes out her camera once more and begins taking pictures again of the group....new comers and old comers.

Anne's sans the arm cast tonight, the sling gone allowing the outfit to look all the more authentic. A quick smile flashes brilliance in Bills direction threatening to lightup his profile. "It was a left over from a beach party at The Murder of Crows. I figured I'd find use for it sometime, somewhere. You've got this Doctor Who vibe going on, like you're the cowboy or something. Am I close?" It soon becomes an evasion game with nadia. Subtle at first but determined to avoid the camera and its intent. Bill finds her first on one side, then the other as he inadvertantly becomes a meatshield to having her soul robbed and pixilated! "And yes luvy, you look just Gor-Geous. " she reassures the Princess at the party before looking towards the poisoner thoughtfully.

Cinna looks around on nearby tabletops and makes a wordless 'gimme?' gesture at Bill with his hand, but should his drink not be really forthcoming he just gets a new cup. There's plenty of them, after all!

Shiori pulls out a chair at the nearest table and the small woman sits down. She watches everyone quietly for the moment.

Bill can't gimme at the moment as he's being used as a meat-shield from Nadia's camera by Anne. He looks a little confuse AND amused by the situation. Conmused? The 'gang' is all pretty much in a cluster together by a table near the dance floor, though Damian maybe heading to the next table over to get himself some punch. "Oh yeah, I'm totally a cowboy," he assures Anne, though he's clearly an Indian. "A cowboy from Dr. Who," he parrots the words. Once the threat of cameras is gone, Bill extracts himself from his role as shield and says, "Hey guys, I need to get going. But it was great seeing everyone!" And with that, hugs are distributed! Shiori, though seated, will get a careful hug from behind, lest her wings or halo get disturbed. Charles gets a playful punch on the arm (that's his hug), Cinna gets a man-hug, Anne, well... He doesn't know her well enough for hugs so she gets a smile and a wave. And Nadia gets a hug at the last. Watch out, Katniss.

Princess Peach hams it up for the camera, pinkie out while he takes another drink from his cup. When the cameras is off of him, he tugs at his dress that's definitely a costume and not something from his closet, smoothing the loose fabric at the chest since the dress was made for someone that actually had something there. The pretty pretty flower that she is preens under the verbal affection, taking his purse in hand so she can fan himself with it while fluttering his lashes and making a few cooing Ohs. Charles grins at the punch, and nods his head in acknowledgement in return.

Nadia tries once...then twice to get a picture of Anne...and eventually gives up. For now. But she has this look on her face, as if she was saying, "I will get you my pretty...and your...floatation devies too!" One could almost hear the cackle that should be slipping past her lips. Looking at Bill, she pouts a little and then smiles as he returns the hug, saying, "See you later!" And then she goes back to taking her pictures, focusing on the posing Princess for a few moments.

Katniss has been wandering around the party, on a quest to find other "Tributes" as well as "Peeta," that is to say, people who are also wearing Hunger Games costumes. She returns to Cinna, telling him, "I found another Katniss, but the odds were not in her favor... if you know what I mean." Smiling, she glances around to see who is still hanging out. "Dang, Princess Peach," she says after a pause, "I thought I might have just imagined that earlier. That really is just amaze."

Cinna gives Bill a secret handshake and a thug hug on his way out if he can manage it before he flees, and gets away with more punch! Smoothing his fine coat with its glowing edges and panels and turns back to the group at large, which is when he runs into Katniss. He lays a hand on her shoulder and says with quiet confidence and seriousness, "It's alright, if I was allowed to bet, I'd bet on you. You'll do what you have to when the time comes." KILL THE OTHER KATNISS! He puts an arm around Tara but the contact is light anda lot of the time he's only touching the air, and leads her on over to meet some prospective sponsors. "Everyone knows everyone, right?" he asks to make sure, since he was busy getting his funk on during the last round of introductions.

Damn it. One meatshield down! A wave is given back to Bill as he makes his exit by Anne. "Yeah tottally and just as tottally the outfit has a brazillian." she says with a grin back to him then its turning back to see where that varmant got with her camera. Game on. Princess Peach becomes first port of call, who could resist not taking the photo of her, rather than the heroic lifesaver? Nodding agreement with Katniss she supports the assessment.

Charles cranes his head this way to show off his profile and puts on serious face. Click. Princess Peach sucks in her cheeks and looks towards Nadia through her lashes. Click. Charles smiles for the camera and does that patting the bottom of his blonde wig move again because that's his go too move with this amount of hair. Click. Princess Peach waves at Katniss with a smile of recognition, "Amazing, or amaze BALLS?! But you didn't imagine me, I'm real, real and Booty-ful!" She poses once more for the camera, shyly while biting gently on a forefinger. She takes a few more and then spins around, trying to catch and pose with the Baywatch babe. A dip and romantic novel cover pose would be great.

Shiori gives Bill's arm a squeeze when he hugs her from behind. She watches him leave, and then slowly she stands up and walks over to the group again. Those she's been introduced to and offers, "It was nice meeting you all," Then to Nadia, "And to see you again." Finally she finds Cinna and lightly walks to him. There she offers to him, "I have dinner plans I need to get to, but the party is wonderful." She offers him a quick hug, if he's willing.

Nadia laughs with every pose struck, not trying to catch Anne. But if she does, all the better. She smiles to Shiori and gives her a nod as well, saying, "Hope to see you again soon! Then she blinks a moment and says, "Excuse me...nature." She grins and takes up her apple, quickly disappearing into the crowd of dancers on her way to the bathroom.

Oh, Katniss is totally going to reap any other Katniss... her eyes indicate that she will take no prisoners, even as she hefts that big compound bow with an easy, practiced motion that suggests this is not her first Hunger Games. She snags a cup of the non-alcoholic punch as Cinna leads her around, taking a tiny sip. "Don't let me drink anything else after this. If I have to unzip out of this again to pee, I'm going to..." Katniss trails off, as her gaze sharpens on the fallen angel. She shakes her head, suddenly, like she's trying to clear it, and she quickly looks over to the pretty pretty Princess. "Peach... amaze BALLS. I hope you will be a sponsor."

In strolls a wookie. Well, let's get real. /The/ wookie (although, some might note that this wookie is about 6' tall, as opposed to Peter Mayhew's 7' height). Pausing, Chewy looks about the party scene, no doubt looking for Han.

Cinna hugs Shiori back and says, "Okay hon, you have a good night and dinner and stuff, I'll talk to you later after the starting ceremonies and all." he says with a smile, and nods to Katniss, "I'll do my best to remember. But I am still available to help peel you in and out of that thing. Just sayin'. Juuuuuust sayin'."

Suffocation is briefly a concern as Princess Peach does her swan dive in front of Anne and she's worried those inflatables are about to smother the other. Am arm extends reflexively before she can even think, then the other seeks the hand and she twirls the other about. The movement more an effort to get her balance but it results in a firm arm supporting the back of the Princess as biceps flex and muscles immediately respond to the need for action. The flex of athletism shows in the definition of her back and the shoulders outlined state as she leaves her back for Nadia and looks down at the beauty she just caught, twisting so far that the blonde curls might tumble into the frame and her face be seen.

It is more a cursive glance back behind her that informs her the actual photogapher has gone and Anne is left to consider what to do with her damsel so close to distress.

"Ma'am, if you're awaiting a kiss down there. " strength and firmness along with an an unflustered nature keeps The Princess secure as humor lends a glean into her pale blue eyed gaze. "I should mention I don't kiss on first dates." Slowly she seeks to bring the other back to rise.

Shiori nods her head, "Ok. See you later." She gives Katniss a smile, 'It's good to see you." She then turns and the fallen angel, all in black, wanders toward the main exit, slipping through the crowd easily.

"Happy Hunger Games! May the odds be ever in your favor," Katniss says absently to Shiori, watching the fallen angel wander out of the party. She turns to Cinna, attempting to get his attention. "The boy with bread. Have you seen him? I mean, Peeta. I mean, have you seen anyone dressed as Peeta? The other Katniss had a Gale."

Walking through the ballroom, Chewy stops by the donation box and extracts a piece of paper from beneath his shiny bandolier. It's tough going, with those big paws, but eventually he gets it out and manages to shove the paper into the box. Presumably it's a check, but it also might be a secret contract for smuggling goods across a galaxy far far away. Then, he lets out his best yell/moan to the security guard and wanders toward the food.

Held in the pose the Princesses giggles in that way baritones do when they try to sound like a girl, "Tee hee, oh my, so strong! My HERO!" But as he's brought up to his feet her wig falls off and to the floor with a plop displaying his long black hair coiled and pinned underneath. Once at his feet, the Princess is forced to collect her things, wig and purse, and tucks the purse under his arm and th wig back on his head. Without a mirror it looks like the Princess woke up in Boozer's bed and hadn't had time to brush her hair. Or put her hair back on straight. Princess Peaches eyes widen while sorting out his wig, "I'd love to be a sponsor! Where," he asks, waving his hand around to indicate Tara's body, "do I get to put my logo?" The Princess smiles as her word play.

Anne's firm grip releases without fuss as Princess is left ruffled and dishevelled after having been in her care. The fact causes a grin to settle roguishly in place as the other is drawn into Katniss' cunning plans. That leaves her without a dance partner and the wallflower that finds two drinks and hunts for someone to share the second with.

"I'm not a racecar, Princess!" Katniss says, shaking her head at Peach, "I mean, a go-kart. Whatever is it that you race around in and throw bombs and... uh... Rainbow Road. That's not the kind of sponsor." She brings the cup of punch to her lips and takes another sip, glancing around to spot other interesting costumes. "Oh man, I totally saw someone dressed as one eyed, one horned, flying purple people eater. I hope he doesn't end up actually eating any people. Hey, it's a Chewbacca! Hey, I saw a Darth Vader earlier, and a stormtrooper!" She gulps more of the punch. "Cinna, can you get me something to eat that won't make me pop the seams on this?" As Cinna helpfully heads toward the food, Katniss suddenly says, in a harsh voice, "What it must be like, for you people here in the Capitol, to simply press a button and food appears. What do you do with your days, aside from primping and polishing yourselves, waiting for the next shipment of tributes to die for your amusement?"

Chewbacca turns his head when he hears his name, and his head tilts sideways as he studies Katniss. It's tough to say with that particular costume, but his brown eyes (hey, wait, doesn't Chewy have blue eyes?) appear to disapprove of something. The look he gives Katniss is something like this: http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/star-wars-episode-7-peter-mayhew-chewbacca.jpg

Charles opens his mouth to say something after the denial of race car status, but closes it to keep listening, wearing a smug look that says he swallowed something good. It's been awhile, but Princess Peach finally takes another drink from her cup, ahs, and wipes his mouth with the back of his glove. He took looks over at the Chewy, and says only, "Raawrr."

Two glasses settle back onto a tray for cleaning when no one is open to the offers. Anne straightens here hair in all the places its seen and then she's just heading for the door. A wave of fingers fluttering towards the group briefly.

You drank the kook-aid! Over the course of the night you will begin to feel more like the character you are portraying in costume and act more like them. It is a slow and very subtle build to allow your character to sink into the role of your costume. The effects will wear off at dawn, at which point you will pass out for a while and come to having had 'the weirdest dreams!' and possibly a really great night. Note: This is for RP fun, there is no culprit behind this created by the STs, it's merely a chance to get a little crazy and fun! If you feel like your character should not succumb or OOCly don't want to participate in it, that's fine, just play on as normal! Contact Damian or Tara if you think your character may get up to mischief on the streets and need a scene!

Cinna returns after a few moments and presents a tiny plate to Katniss that is laden with tiny treats, and says, "May I present: Food-Not-On-Fire." he says with a flourish, his player just returning from dinner and kind of catching up.

Glancing at Chewbacca, Katniss automatically reaches for the bow she has slung over her shoulder, though she stops short of drawing it. "Some sort of mutation, a wolf mutt," she mutters, narrowing her own gray eyes. Then she shakes her head, and peers at Princess Peach. "Like that... Bowzer creature."

Chewbacca looks right, then left, when Katniss draws her bow. Turning to Charles/Peach, he does his best roar back. Then, he lifts a furry paw, shakes a finger at Katniss, like he disapproves, and goes to the dance floor to shake his hairy butt.

Taking the tiny treats, Katniss eats them slowly, one by one. "Delicious, just like puffy bread," she tells Cinna, "Thank you." She takes another small sip of the non-alcoholic punch, distracted from Chewbacca and his disapproving glare.

"And no," Cinna tells Katniss, "I haven't seen Peeta, but he's probably with Portia, or maybe with Haymitch. He smiles at Chewy but missed what was happening and doesn't ask, it's just simpler that way for the moment! While Katniss has at her treats, he fusses over her cape and what not, making sure she looks Capitol Fabulous. While Peach is AFK fixing her wig or whatever and Chewy is shaking his groove thang, he offers an arm out to the girl on fire and asks, "Dance?" since the other available RP is out there being crazy and furry.

The craziest and furriest! As the beat plays, Chewy puts his hands on his knees and backs his ass up, then pauses in dancing to hold his lower back, like maybe his body can't handle that kind of move while outfitted in such a way.

Chewy is what, hundreds of years old? That's got to be hell on the knees. Katniss nods, and says, "I will dance." Though she casts a disapproving look of her own on all the various dancers, she follows Cinna to the dance floor. "Although such frivolous activity is just typical for the Capitol, I suppose."

"This is how things are when we force our need and strife off to others," Cinna sympathizes with Katniss, but quietly so that no one will hear him badmouthing The Capitol, "You only have to play a part, and if you get nervous, just pretend you're talking to me instead." When you get in character, you gotta get all the way in! But he does seamlessly slip out of character when they get onto the dance floor and near the poor aged Chewy and his bad back, to whom he offers a helpful arm for support while also kind of working it into a dance move in case he's totally wrong and help isn't needed. He takes a second to look the walking carpet over and then says to Katniss, "I don't know if this is a girl or a boy. It's probably best if we both take a side and just tweak 'em into submission, find out later."

Chewbacca gives Cinna a furry thumbs up, and probably doesn't hear that he's about to be tweaked into submission, because he continues to get down with his bad self. One hand is behind his head, and the other is miming spanking a booty in front of him, and he hops forward.

"This thing is such a mutated freak," Katniss says, eyeing Chewbacca, "I don't even know. It's probably both female and male. How did get into the Arena?" She stands there, one hand on the bow. "I'm not sure it's safe for the... um. Twerking." God, that makes so much more sense. So does freaking. But Katniss doesn't freak, nor twerk, against the giant walking carpet.

Twerk Twerk Twerk! I hate you so much, auto correct, I never see it till it's too late! "I have no idea," Cinna says with a shake of his head for Katniss, "There's no limit to what can be done under the dome. Just remember, it's all about entertainment for the sponsors." Thankfully Chewy is safe - FOR NOW - from getting all twerked up, but it could still happen. IT COULD.

Entering the ballroom is...well...an interesting sight. It seems to be a cross between The Lone Ranger and Mary Poppins. It's definitely a guy, dressed as The Lone Ranger, but he's carrying a handful of umbrellas with him. Stepping into the room he seems to have some trouble with a security guy, who doesn't want him bringing the umbrellas inside for some reason. The Lone Ranger talks to him quietly though, and after some deliberation the security guy finally gives up and lets him pass. The Lone Ranger walks through the crowd slowly, looking up at the ceiling, studying the layout of the room. He keeps looking for familiar faces too but doesn't seem to be able to identify anyone yet.

Chewy boogies like there's no tomorrow. Furry paws behind his head, he proceeds to shake that wookie butt for all its worth, dancing for dollars or even tens of dollars. Whoever this is is clearly getting a kick out of being unrecognizable, even hamming it up for the occasional party goer who might snap his picture.

Katniss seems a bit too humorless, on the whole, to truly get down and boogie. She kind of shuffles around on the dance floor, occasionally scowling at anyone who gets too close. Anyone who is dressed up in a particularly opulent costume - say, any other pretty princess - gets a dark glance. "To think they should live like this while we scrabble and starve for want of a loaf of bread."

Cinna does his duty as Katniss' stylist to mask her disgust and make her appear likable, so he dances with her for the most part and attempts to be distracting. He slips out of character and grins at the Girl On Fire, "I really love that fabric, I can't wait till the rest gets here. We're going to need ass tons of batteries. We should buy them all from adult stores, just like, go in and buy their entire stock of batteries. And like, one breath freshener or something." These guys are out on the ol' dance floor, not all together but all right *next* to each other any how, so the grooves can be shared around!

The Lone Ranger continues to make his way through the crowd slowly, carrying his handful of umbrellas. He passes up the bar, not seeming interested in a drink just yet and keeps perusing the room. Eventually, on the dance floor, he spots Cinna, who seems somewhat familiar, maybe, and heads his way. When he finally gets close enough to the group he waves at them. "Hey! Damian!" Whether or not his voice can be heard over the loud music is debatable.

Chewbacca glances at the Lone Ranger when he approaches, head tilting, as if the big furry oaf is trying to place the costume. Then, he shrugs to himself, and apparently needs a break from the dance floor. Moving slowly through the crowd, he disappears into the men's room. So, either Chewy is male or a female incredibly committed to staying in character.

The villain in black is back. Representing House Slitharin with a capital 'S', Kevin makes his way back in to the party after a hiatus, serpent's head cane in hand. He raises a single blond brow when he sees Jack, and gives a rather un-Malfoy grin of warmth, granted he does stop to admire the dancing going on as he aproaches his masked friend. "Jack," he says, though how he recognized the man in that Lone Ranger costume is anyone's guess. That little black mask is so mysterious! "Good to see you... I just got your message." He looks round, spotting Chewbacca and tilts his head to one side for a moment, watching the large person or at least costume.

Princess Peach comes back into the room from the men's bathroom passing a guy going into the same place who gives the pretty lady an extra ordinarily shocked look. He pauses to shake his head slightly and lifts a white glove to move blonde bangs from out of his eyes. "Whew!" The "lady" walks over to The Lone Ranger and gives him an elbow while looking around, "Don't go into the bathroom. Apparently there's a weirdo in there, dressed like a freak."

Katniss' outfit leaves very little to the imagination, but it does take some imagination to figure out where she might be stashing her iPhone. Because she abruptly stops shock-still on the dance floor, like she's not quite sure what to do with herself, blinking and looking around. She then reaches into the unzipped front of her jumpsuit, whereupon she extracts said iPhone from her light-up bra, and stares for a long moment at the little display, like she's trying to read it, but it's not making much sense.

Cinna doesn't answer to his proper name at first, maybe just not hearing it or maybe just answering to Cinna tonight, but after a few tries he does hear and looks up and past Katniss towards Jack and Kevin, smiling and giving them a wave. "What in the world is he doing?" he wonders out loud at the guy with the umbrellas, and turns the funny look to Katniss. "I'm going to go see what's going on, join me?" He'll even be a bro and lead her with an arm so she can text and walk without getting lost or running into anything.

The Lone Ranger continues to watch the people on the dance floor, carrying his handful of umbrellas, and starts to say something else to Cinna when Kevin gets his attention. He turns and looks quite happy to see the man. "Good to see you too, Kevin. Nice costume." He gestures around the room. "This is quite a crowd. Yeah, I left that message a few hours ago. Glad you got it." Once he's elbowed by Princess Peach, he simply nods to her/him before seeing Cinna approach him with Katniss. "Hey everybody! Anyone see Tonto?"

"Sure, Cinna." Katniss doesn't send a response text, just puts her iPhone back where it came from. Her jumpsuit has no pockets, guys, come on. Like you haven't stashed a phone in a bra before... well, if you're guys, you probably haven't. NEVER MIND! Zipping that jumpsuit up again a bit higher - but not so high as to conceal that awesome fiber optic red glow - she follows Cinna.

Gesturing with a finger when he spies the Harry Potter fan, "Oh good you're still here, Mario," Princess Peaches looks around, rubber necking around nervously. "Is Luigi anywhere around? If he is, we better get him. He's a nice guy and all, good in a pinch, but if we don't get out of here soon, Bowser'll show up and take me again." Princess Peach adjusts her wig again, with a little irritation. "Tonto was here, yeah. Yeah, but he le*" Charles stops talking as he spies someone dressed as a Gorn and whispers, "Oh shit." And even he hasn't stashed a phone in his bra.

So, Kevin can be forgiven if he is watching the Katness show, right? Bright lights, an outfit that doesn't leave much to the imagination, and a device suddenly pulled form clevage like somehting out of a spy movie I mean, come on, he has been super good for someone that a couple of those present know has been single for over half a year's time... even if that has been because he has been mourning the loss of that person. He's still a guy. Huah. He blinks a couple of times, and then grins to Jack again, "Hey thanks. I like yours too. Oh, did you actually pair up with someone as Tanto?" Kevin looks to Peach and smirks, "Bowser on your tail again?"

Cinna stashes his phone in his bra ALL the time, he can totally sympathize with Katniss on this issue. "Hi, guys." he says with a smile at the lot, "What in the world have you got there?" he asks, gesturing at the Lone Ranger's lot of umbrellas, "He was, but he's elsewhere now. Not sure where." he adds, confirming what Peach mostly said about Tonto's whereabouts.

The Lone Ranger shakes Cinna's hand, smiling at him. "Just some party favors. It might rain later so I brought some extra for anyone that might need one." He sets the umbrellas down on a nearby table and looks at Kevin. "Yeah, my buddy, Bill. He was supposed to meet me here but I guess he left already. I'm sure he'll be back." Looking around again, especially towards the ceiling he exclaims. "This place looks incredible."

Princess Peach stalks over to Kevin and gets cuddablely close to Kevin, looking over the other man's shoulder. Personal space, what's that? The guy looks over one of his shoulders and then the other, eyes wide open. She points with a swift jerk of her head behind Kevin, "He's right over there," Peach says in a whisper. When Cinna and Katniss approach, Princess Peach turns around and holds a finger to her lips, "Shh, he'll hear you!"

Chewbacca departs from the bathroom with his fur clean and dry and bandolier back in place. He walks up to one of the food tables and puts a piece of brownie on his plate. Although he tries to eat it, the prosthetics in his mouth to make his teeth look wookie-tastic mean that most of the brownie ends up caught in his fur instead.

Katniss glances around, looking carefully at the Lone Ranger, then back to Lucius Malfoy. And, oh, look, Chewbacca is back from the toilets - does he have any dingleberries? Yes, I went there. "Rain later?" she says in a stony voice to the Lone Ranger, "The weather changes so quickly in the Arena, I've heard."

"At least it's not a frozen tundra this time." Cinna says to Katniss, "At least, I hope not. Watching people freeze to death quietly isn't very entertaining." He gives Jack's hand a shake and then swaps his punch to his other hand, having a moment's look at the glass. "Anyone want any punch?" he asks with a big smile, "Non spiked! Or there's the bar there, if you prefer some spirits." he says, nodding first at Jack and the others encouragingly. He for one doesn't question the forecast or the need for umbrellas, cause you never know. You never know.

That is something that doesn't go so well; once it is clear that Peach intends to invade his personal space, Kevin takes a few steps back about the time that personal space can be breeched. His eyes widen, then narrow, and he actually lowers his body's center of gravity like he might be... ready to fight. "Ah... no, please, let's not. No offense, I know it's all in fun, it's not you, but the number of people I can handle getting that close to me is pretty small." His voice is strained politeness, but there is a mixture of sheer horror and something a little more distant in his eyes. It is like trying to approach a wickring horse... or perhaps an alley-cat that has been backed into a corner.

Princess Peach smiles, playing off Kevin's fight or fight reaction and shakes her head slightly, "Silly. I know, you have a 'thing' about public displays of affection." She points, this time with her actually hand, "Look, It's Bowser. You know, King of the Koopa?" Peach turns to explain to everybody else, because how else would they know? "He used to be somewhat manageable, but when Mario," Peach turns her head and flutters her eyes at Kevin before turning her attention back, "and Luigi hit him with a ray gun and turned him into that monster. Princess Daisy told me all about it."

As he apparently can't eat and his costume is too heavy to effectively get down, the man behind Chewbacca has apparently seen the error in his ways. Turning, he roars in the general direction of Katniss/Cinna, and he seems to acknowledge and recognize Jack and Kevin as well, then salutes them and goes to duck out the door. The Rebel Alliance must need him.

The Lone Ranger looks like he could use a drink! A /REAL/ drink for a -real- MAN! None of that sarsaparilla crap for him! Where's the whiskey, dammit? Glancing over at Kevin and Peach, he considers a moment then heads over their way, taking a hold of Peach's arm and pulling the shemale out of Kevin's personal space. "How 'bout I buy you a drink, Ma'am?" He grins.

Katniss gives Chewbacca a long, hard look with those gray eyes, watching as the Wookiee heads for the door. Otherwise, she seems a bit distracted, looking around the space of the party like she's judging all those who have gathered here for such an incredibly frivolous purpose. "Cinna," she says, "I'm going to try and find Haymitch and Peeta." With these words, she breaks off and strides toward the women's room.

With Peach having backed off and pointed, Kevin does in fact look towards Chewy. He tilts his head to one side, murmuring "I don't know if I am happy or sad that I didn't go with my idea of coming as Darth Maul." He quirks his lps as the wookie roars and salutes, giving him a long hard look with his tempest grey eyes. "Yeah. May the force be with you, big guy."

Chewbacca flashes Kevin the 'live long and prosper' hand sign - hey - wait a second - and then heads out the door.

Cinna looks 'round at the roar and waves a come-hither wave at Chewy, trying to distract him from the rough and tumble life of a smuggler sidekick-slash-rebel combatant, but his lure fails! "Okay, I'll stay here, you just come and find me if you need me. And hey, remember. You can do this." he tells her with a total YOU WILL WIN! vibe.

Blushing slightly, Princess Peach flutters her lashes at the Lone Ranger, "Oh, thank you, kind sir." Her frivolity includes fanning herself with her purse. "Finally!", she says, louder while looking directly at Mario, "SOMEBODY to protect me." Princess Peach fixes Kevin with a glare that says he'll be sleeping on the sofa tonight 'cuz he ain't getting' none of this tonight, all while getting pulled away with Jack and then murmurs while getting dragged, "Hey, you're hurting me."

The Lone Ranger also checks out the departing Chewy with a grin as he keeps pulling Peach with him to the bar. "Oh, come on...you love it," he responds to her with a chuckle. "What do you want to drink? A purty gal like you shouldn't be empty handed." Once he gets her to the bar he /slams/ his hand on the counter to get the bartender's attention. "Hey! We need to get his little lady a drink!"

Cinna pose jumps while Kevin is getting his mojo back and decides to move towards the bar with the Lone Ranger and Princess Peach. "I'm glad you came out tonight, hopefully Tonto will be back soon." he says to Jack, and grins at the princess in hiding.

For his own part, Kevin seems to be taking a moment. He has his hands folded atop the serpent headed staff, and is looking slightly upwards. He may simply be doing a few breathing excercises, but his eyes are also following the sprinklers here and there with a faint frown tugging at his lips. He looks to the umbrellas brough tby The Lone Ranger, and nods once as though noting their position. He then makes his way towards the bar at a leisurely pace, and it migth be noted he has a... way of moving through crowds. It is almost like he knows where people will be before they are there, he slips between them, around them, coming close at times but never really touching as though he knows how people flow together as a whole, as a herd.

Princess Peach jumps slightly at the bar pounding and holds her cheeks in her hands, "Well I AM a pretty girl. Well. . ." she looks towards the group that they'd just left and gets a devilish grin before straightening her posture, "yes. I'll have a juice." She adds, "That returns three percent of your health, you know." The More You Know, bing bing, BING! She reaches forward and strokes the Lone Ranger's arm flirtatiously, "You're so nice," and steals two quick glances when attention is momentarily off of her, one to Bowser to make sure he's still away from her and the other to Mario to see if he's jealous yet.

The Lone Ranger nods to Cinna as he approaches. "Hopefully, yeah. I look pretty stupid without Tonto. Of course, he's got to look pretty stupid without The Lone Ranger." Another grin as he looks back at Peach. "You're the prettiest girl at the ball," he assures her before telling the bartender. "Juice for the lady! And only your finest juice! And no fake juice. It has to be fresh and match her dress!" The bartender just stares at The Lone Ranger for a while before frowning and eventually placing a champagne flute of orange juice before Peach. "Thanks, Pardner."

"Not at all, you look very dashing and amazing." And Cinna would know, he's a professional stylist, after all! He smiles when he sees he approaching Slytherin and steps out of the way, which is only proper when approached by a Malfoy, you know.

Of course, Kevi nhas one of the glowy bracelets that lets him drink the real deal at the bar. He smiles to Cinna, then looks to the bartender and asks "I shall have shot of Jack Daniels, thank you." Who knew the Malfoys drank JD? Ah well, whatever calms the nerves. Looking to Jack and his continued cosplay with Peach, he chuckles and shakes his head.

Forgetting Mario, Peach giggles girlishly, blossoming under the shower of flowery praises. "I really AM the prettiest girl at the ball," she says breathlessly with a quick look around the room. Someone dressed as Freddy Krueger reaches his hand up and plunges his knifed glove into a cheerleader's chest. Only to blink in bewilderment as the knives bend like cheap plastic. Only the bartender's finest juices? Ugh. "You're so very kind. And strong," she adds, collecting the glass delicately.

The Lone Ranger looks at Cinna for a moment before saying, "Really? Thanks." He then glances over at Kevin, studying him for a moment before responding to Peach. "Sip it slow, darlin'. Gals drinkin' slow are -sexy-." He winks at Peach, also glancing over at Freddy Krueger. "I wasn't sure how many people would be here but...it's quite a turn out."

Cinna leans towards the Lone Ranger and says in something of a stage whisper, "You're doing great! You're *totally* going to get lucky." Finishing off his punch again he says "Yeah it's worked out really well, I think mainly it's just having a party to go to on Halloween, but I like to think maybe people also just wanna donate their money to a good cause at the door and the bar."

Though he does not seem intent on drinking much, like many military men befoe him, Kevin can down a shot without flinching. He has a sense to him of someone who probably has done a lot of drinking, too often and maybe for the misguided purposes of self-medication, but who at least now has thing sunder control. The whiskey is downed, his eyes are closed for a moment, and Kevin looks as though he might as well have had water. "I'm certainly grateful that you put this together. And I like th ecause as well."

Taking the advice to heart, Princess Peach lifts the long stemmed glass to her lips, moving her gaze from the glass to the Ranger and then slowly, ever so slowly licks her lipstick-less lips, before glancing back up at the Ranger's chest, lips and then eyes and slowly tilts the glass and her head back, pinkie up. She takes only a small sample of the jus d'bartender before she lowers her head slightly and walks her fingers up the Long Ranger's chest, looking at the man through her eyelashes, "How about we go back to your place and see what you look like in a raccoon suit?"

The Lone Ranger leans over to Cinna, listening to him whisper. "I'm already lucky! I'm here...with some great friends...a -gorgeous-...ummm...gal on my arm...and the night is still young. How could it get any luckier than -this-?" He doesn't seem intent on drinking anything himself really. Not that he wouldn't like one. Hell, he'd /love/ one. The Lone Ranger has to keep on his toes though and keep a clear head. No demon rum for him, no siree! He grins at Princess Peach, perfect white teeth glistening in the low light. "I look better out of one." He winks. "Besides, I'm not really into raccoons. I prefer beaver."

After that drink, something changes subtly about the set of Kevin's jaw. He is no longer smiling as he draws himself up into a dignified posture and crosses his legs with a certain regal bearing. He is better than all of you and he knows it, after all if those here aren't Muggles they are bloody Mudblood trash. Still, he does then smile, if with a little more of a knife's edge to it, saying with a rather upper class British accentaton to his words, "Oh how very droll. Just what have I gotten myself into here?"

There's always the non alcoholic punch in the cauldrons around the room, Jack! "Well, supporting the Peace keepers is always a good cause," Cinna says to Kevin, and then leans towards him just a bit to add in a lower tone, "And even if it wasn't, it's not an opinion one wants to bandy about in the hearing of others." He taps the side of his nose at Kevin and nods slightly.

The Princess laughs uproariously, and at once touches the masked ranger on the arm while twirling some of her golden locks with her other hand, having placed her purse down on the bar surface along with the drink. When Kevin says something, her manish laughter since and she glares at him. When she speaks again it's with malice, "He hasn't touched me since 1985. I've had more thrill from Bowser then I have ever had with you," Peach accuses of the Slitharin come Italian plumber, "At least he touches me once and awhile!" Her hands clench and while she means to slam her not-at-all girlish fist against the bar top, she ends up yanking her wig off. And immediately begins to scream, wide eyed at the blonde wig on the floor, long black hair tied up underneath. Terrorized, she grabs her purse and runs for the exit believing she's just scalped herself.