entrancelogs | [ ACTION ] OTA: You'll Never Know How Many Dreams I Dreamed About You

Who: Everyone is welcome, children and adults alike.
Where: First floor, ballroom.
When: Friday the 13th, from 9:00 in the evening on.
Rating: E (for Everyone)
Summary: Semi-formal themed fête.

[Guided by brassy music down an expansive hall residents will enter the first floor ballroom: it has undergone many transformations in its time, and suffered the myriad slings and arrows of Wonderland's event-related torment, but tonight its purpose has shaped it into something glittering and streamlined, the décor as advertised not long before. While socialising does appear to be the primary function, the arrangement of amenities would suggest differently.

The gilded walls border on overly opulent and a dancefloor - ringed with refreshment tables, an open bar, and scattered seating - is pointedly centred, and the brass band for which a Vendor Ticket was exchanged explodes with forceful tunes from a handful of different eras, some of which might be recognisable to those of the twenty-first century.

The only uncertainty is how one might spend the evening.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The burn of the drink is stronger than Jowan expected, which should possibly be a clue that they should be careful with it, but it's so sweet that Jowan doesn't imagine it could actually be that strong. So he drinks most of his down in a few swallows, laughing as he finishes the last of it.

"That wasn't so bad?" he offers, hoping Elizabeth feels the same. "Should we try some others?"

She watches as he drinks, figuring she ought to keep up and quickly draining the rest of her glass, shuddering a little as the burn of the alcohol hits her again but looking rather positive overall as she replaces the empty glass on the bar. "There's a blue one there, that could be interesting."

"Alright," Jowan agrees, feeling more confident now they'd already gone this far. The drink had been sweet and while there had been the burn, he doesn't feel too badly at all. Surely one or two more wouldn't be that bad.

Motioning the bartender back, he gestures to the blue drink Elizabeth had picked out. "Two please!"

A few drinks later and Elizabeth barely notices the bitter after taste of the alcohol. She feels rather light-headed, swaying a little when she stands on her own rather than leaning against the bar, though if anything she's even more happy and excited than before, feeling the warm buzz of tipsiness.

She takes the little umbrella out of her now empty cocktail glass and reaches over, tucking it into Jowan's hair like a flower behind his ear, then breaks down into a fit of giggles when she looks at her handiwork.

Jowan bursts out laughing as well, the umbrella tucked behind his ear suddenly a hilarious idea, just like it's funny how his head feels, like it's full of water and sloshing around as he moves, and he wonders why he'd never tried this sooner.

"I like you," he says after the too-loud laughter stops and he can give her a wide, drunken grin. "I think you're my only real friend here and I like that. Having a friend. I've never had many and you're nice and you don't think I'm an idiot or a loser or anything."

Impulsively he reaches out to take her hand, a sudden concern on his mind. "We are friends, aren't we?"

"Of course we're friends!" Elizabeth sounds a little hurt that he even has to ask, then she softens a little, feeling bad for him and empathising more than a little. She squeezes his hand. "I know what it's like to be alone, too. But here--" she gestures somewhat vaguely around in a wide, sweeping gesture "--we'll have lots of friends."

"I don't think I will," Jowan says, shaking his head, though he stops quickly when it makes it feel like his brain is going to come out of his ears. "I only really have you now. No one here from my world is a friend of mine; they're all afraid of me or hate me."

His shoulders slump further. "Maybe they're right and you should be too. I hurt my friend before, and... and Lily. I don't want to hurt you like that as well. You're too nice and pretty and kind for that."

Elizabeth frowns uncertainly, slowly extracting her hand from his, the pleasant buzz of the alcohol turning into something a little sharper. "Why would you hurt me?"

I wouldn't want to! [Jowan says immediately, the idea upsetting him suddenly and he suddenly wants to reassure Elizabeth just as much as he wants to warn her away just in case. That he might one day see Lily's look of betrayal in her eyes is too much to bear.]

I hurt my closest friends without meaning to. I'm just not very good to be around and I didn't think about what I was doing and I acted without thinking and... I don't want to do that to you. I like you, I don't want to hurt you. You'd deserve better than that.

[Elizabeth shifts uncomfortably, pushing her glass away from her.]

You're just saying this because you've had too much to drink. Maybe we should stop.

I'm not! [Jowan insists, reaching out to take her hand as though contact will help her see better.]

I just- I don't want to hurt you like I did Lily and Alim. They trusted me and I ruined their lives. You're so kind and gentle, I'd never want to see you hurt the same way. Please tell me that you'll at least remember this warning?

You... ruined their lives?

[She gently pulls her hand away, thinking perhaps it would be best if she found someone else to keep her company if he's going to go on like this.]

I'll remember, I promise. At least, so long as I haven't drunk too much to forget this evening, I will.

[Jowan relents, feeling awkward now she's pulling away and wishing he hadn't said anything. He shouldn't have said anything, no wonder people didn't want to spend much time with him in the Circle either. He bites down on the instinct to lament that as well, instead directing his gaze down at his hands and awkwardly fumbling with his robe.]

Sorry...

[Elizabeth sighs, raising one hand to massage her temples, both from the buzz of the alcohol and the way Jowan's brought down the mood. On the one hand she's glad he's warned her, if he really is dangerous, but on the other she wish he hadn't chosen right now to do so.]

I'm not sure what you want me to say. Do you want me to stay away from you?

[ ACTION ] OTA: You'll Never Know How Many Dreams I Dreamed About You

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idk if you want to jump it a bit like "several drinks later..." style?

yep, that works!

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