#i went with the idea of percy not knowing who haleir was & being drawn in by their otherworldly air in their costume

[xfindingtrouble]

a kiss shared at a masquerade ball. + Percy (he l l o; feel free to disregard! I just. Ahem.)

percy had anticipated that this would be a long night. excruciating, even. it was true, he could enjoy a good party from time to time, but not when he was supposed to be hosting it. now that vox machina had so little to do as a team, they had broken off to deal with their own individual loose ends. percy had responsibilities to fulfill, allies to make, hands to shake. it was all very exhausting. it gave him a new understanding for what his sister had accomplished on her own, when he was off adventuring & laying out new legends. it left people curious & if whitestone were to thrive, people would have to see it. experience what made it special.

perhaps this is why he had suggested a masquerade ball, of all things. it was a careful process, of planning the party. they could not keep whitestone's halls closed away forever & yet they could not forget the past. there were ghosts in these halls, after all. so with a carefully picked security detail, percival had melted into a role of anonymity for the evening. cassandra had addressed their guests at the beginning of the night, they had discussed it beforehand after much negotiation. percy would be doing extra paperwork for the next several weeks & one night of social anonymity was worth it.

the evening was spent flitting in & out of conversations, never lingering too long to be recognized. it was easy to remain a shadow, dressed in a lightweight black overcoat. It was simple, understated, designed for elegance & subtlety. it alluded to his normal style, but a bit finer, aesthetic prioritized over functionality. he wore a mask was not unlike the one he wore in his workshop, fashioned after the raven skull he wore at his neck. there were a handful of people who caught onto his identity, those of which percy avoided blatantly.

he was more interested in wine than most of the guests. most, being the keyword. There was a man, ethereal in every sense of the word. Despite his height, his presence demanded percy's attention. percy couldn't help but think he floated, the light fabric of his costume gliding behind him with every step. Intricately styled silver hair was impressive, lovely. Percy wonders briefly if he would be able to see the stranger against the snow if they went outside. Of course, Percy had to talk to him. he'd never forgive himself if he didn't.

so with sweaty palms & an already drying throat, percy asked him to dance. at first percy had tried to play at being coy, though it was easy to see through him. when percy dropped the act, he found his companion made a fine dance partner & made even finer conversation. even when they escaped the dance floor, percy found himself huddling in the shadows, people-watching with the stranger. it seemed they both delighted in poking fun at the people who took these things too seriously.

by the middle of the night, percy's ribs ached from laughing at puffy pants & poorly made wigs. lingering in the corner of the room, percy continued to drink & make merry with his new cohort. the last thing he had expected was to have fun tonight & for that he was relentlessly thankful. he had to hunch down to whisper quips in the other's ear & lend his own for any passing observation. it was easy to get washed away in this unexpected delight, in the undeniable draw he felt towards his companion. the semi-anonymous chemistry exchanged between two unknowns was addictive. there was so much to learn, to observe... it was better than the wine, that's for sure.

The stranger tells a particularly hilarious joke & percy laughs, leaning into the joke & pressing into his personal space. There is so little room between them, they had spent the evening on one another's arms. so percy takes him by the chin, gently... it's a chance to pull back, an opportunity for rejection. Percy had felt drawn to the other all evening, like the right look from him may make percy melt. it was thrilling. he thinks this is right, he wants this to be right so after a few moments, he steals a kiss. it's gentle, gentler than he is by nature... & perhaps a bit clumsy. he was not always smooth in these sorts of situations, but he was nothing if not bold

" I'm half-convinced you're a ghost, sent to haunt me all evening. You hardly seem real, " He admits with an honest to gods grin. There is a nervous energy to his next words, " good dance partners are so hard to come by, after all. "