[M] Green Checkered Peacock Mask

Walking slowly, admiring the revel in all of its colors and flash, it took a moment to realize the smooth voice was talking to her. She turned to face the Green Checkered Peacock Mask and looked him up and down for a moment in silence before she took the offered arm, her fingers warm and light on the silky fabric of his shirt. Her voice held quiet amusement as they headed towards the bar. "Thank you. You are quite stunning, too."

A small smile played at the corners of her mouth, delighted but never quite fully peeking out as she looked the selections at the bar over. "What do you call that one?" She pointed to a drink being served to another party attendant. Different layers of brightly colored alcohol made for a colorful presentation. "I would like to try it."

Shadowed eyes within her fiery costume turned back to her companion, admiring his mask. "Is there a reason you chose that one?"

Her fingers are warm as she takes his arm, melding with the residual heat that radiates from him and the silken shirt he wears. Her returned compliment is granted a playful smile as he guides her toward the bar, his gaze drifting toward where she points to if only to try and figure out which drink it was she’s looking at. “Looks like a Torchline Sunrise.” He hums, but the bartender is on top of it already, already in the process of making it alongside his own drink.

As for his mask? He snorts, letting a chuckle out as he shrugs a shoulder casually, turning to face the firebird a bit more fully. “Well, I figured it would be a mask that wouldn’t give me away too much.” He flashes a wink toward her, amusement lining the corners of his eyes before they’re hidden away by the mask completely. “How’d you pick yours?”

You know how when someone says, don't look now! and then you do? Well, no need to worry about that! As if by some unseen force, you just can't take your eyes off of your partner. I mean it, even if you wanted to.

---

For the next three posts each, your eyes will be locked on someone else in the thread

"How lovely." Her murmur was appreciative of the artistry of her drink and she nodded her thanks to the bartender. She accepted the cocktail and looked back to the Peacock to listen to his reason, her small smile flickering briefly across her painted lips again at his explanation.

The question she was asked in return made her want to glance down, but for some reason she found herself unable to look away from the charismatic man in green. "Mm. I have an... interest in fire," she admitted. "So this mask seemed perfect." And the dress was nice, too.

She hadn't forgotten his own answer and pursued it curiously. "Are you normally very shy?" It was hard to tell if she was asking seriously or teasing from her tone, but amber eyes glinted with mischief behind the fiery feathers of her mask.

His gaze finds the small smile that dances across her face, before lifting to the hidden eyes behind the fiery mask when he hears the firebird speak. It brings a small smile to his own face as well, head tilting slightly as he realizes he can’t look away from her. He’s captivated by the way the hues of her mask dance along her face in echoed reflections, the way it perfectly matches the rest of her dress and how it fits her curves and figure.

“It is perfect.” He agrees softly, taking a sip of his drink while his eyes still remain glued to her, and at her question he hums a brighter laugh. “Oh no, not in the slightest. Are you?” A dark brow raises, obscured only partially from the edge of the peacock mask, the green feather curved in a way that seems to follow its trajectory.

The quirk of her lips was hidden behind the rim of her glass when he agreed. The alcohol was a pleasant tingle along her lips and tongue though the distraction wasn't enough to draw her gaze away from her companion. The red layer tasted a little like strawberries and a little like cinnamon, but the odd combination wasn't unpleasant. It was a good match for their conversation and the charm of the man beside her.

She hummed wordlessly at the returned question and thought about how to answer it while she studied the details of the peacock mask. The plume matched the one on hers but with a much more natural color to it, and it drew attention to his bright, intelligent eyes. "I do not think I am." She spoke slowly as she confronted the idea for the first time. "But I think the mask helps, too." She took another sip of her drink, finishing the red layer before she finished explaining. "Not having to worry about anyone's reputations makes it easier to relax."

He still can’t keep his eyes off of her, especially with the idea she offers of not thinking that she is. He wonders what it’s like to be unsure of whether or not one’s shy, but the man in the peacock mask says nothing about it. Especially as she delves in further, stating that the mask helps and everyone’s reputations makes it easier to relax and get to know one another without that particular hardship.

He, on the other hand, has a bit of a reputation, but he doesn’t want to spoil it for the firebird as he continues to be captivated by her. “Are there some that you’d rather avoid?” He asks out of curiosity, his head tilting as his smile makes for a playful smirk, pristine in its delivery. “Of course, not that anyone would really know it given the masks, but out of pure curiosity could you indulge me?”

She had a bit of a reputation as well but she only lifted her glass after he asked his question, unable to take her eyes off him even while she took another sip of her drink. The orange liquid was smooth and warm with a fruity tang and she let it roll across her tongue before swallowing. His playful smirk gave her a slight pause but she used it to think through what he'd asked.

"No... no one who would come to a party like this." A masquerade? A Frey party? A party in Wrenzoak's Refuge? She sipped her drink again without elaborating further, looking up at the Peacock from beneath vibrant red-gold lashes. "Is there anyone who you would avoid, if you knew who they were beneath their mask?"