smartass_captain | A Very Nexus Reception

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A Very Nexus Reception

To all the friends of the happy grooms, PINpoint messages have already been sent weeks ago inviting them to expect quite the street party arranged in the commons of the Nexus. Guests have been invited to bring an appetite--both for food and for a social adventure. Nirnish weddings are public affairs, after all. While the ceremony has had to be somewhat sequestered for the sake of keeping the existence of Other Worlds a secret, neither Felix nor Jim would want to leave out their interdimensional friends entirely. Having a reception party arranged in the Nexus became the natural plan of action.

Overnight large sections of the Commons are transformed via diligent craftsmanship and quite a lot of magic from those who’ve volunteered. Lanterns representing the Divines are hung along every lamp post, bringing at least the idea of warmth even if the flames are too small to heat their surroundings alone. Bardic tunes carry in the air as readily as the scent of food and drink. Past banners of red and black, blue and white the people gather.

For both grooms this is nearly a continuation of the day before. They’ve had the chance to sleep off the nerves of their ceremony. Today is entirely for celebration--uninhibited celebration at that. No more minding what is said and isn’t. No more pretending to be anything other than who they are. Jim’s traded out his Nirnish finery for a suit and tie, garments he’s much more familiar with. Felix is staying with his native clothing; though he may have dressed down a little from his wedding clothes, the conjurer’s dressed in fitted breeches and his best fur-trimmed coat and boots, the soft hide dyed blue to match his tunic. By their side sits the conjurer’s spectral wolf familiar, ears pricked at the gathering.

As the guests find their ways over it will be easy to spot their friends amidst all the decor along with many other avenues with which to enjoy themselves….

Greetings
Food and Drink
Music and Dancing
Bonfire Entertainment
Party Games

((Links to all relevent wedding Prose can be found Here!))

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She can see Felix grin as the dance ends and they step aside. Easy as it was, the piece did plenty to warm him up; the conjurer takes off his fur-trimmed coat and straightens the lighter blue tunic beneath. His coat gets draped over a nearby chair- which might seem rather trusting, unless you notice the shimmer of transparent fur beneath the table.

"I've already reserved the best table for us," he tells Amelia, then shakes his head. "I say, Amelia, you should know by now that nobody causes trouble the way I do."

Friendly jibing aside, though, he gives her a sly smile. "Of course, if you're going to be matching wits with pesky pilferers, I might have something of use for you. Fancy a proper jig next?"

Felix is certainly dressed to impress all of his guests tonight. Amelia grins at the man while he distracts himself with removing his cloak, returning to a more neutral smile when her friend turns back to her. She trusts he has reason to leave his coat unattended, though she isn't certain if she's seeing thing when she sees that hint of fur under the table. There's plenty of magic running around here, and it's just as possible that it's an illusion as it is something else without further investigation.

"We all need our own brand of trouble," she informs him with a knowing air. "For some it's teaching others to break into locked rooms or chests, and for others it's taking what may or may not be rightfully theirs from someone else." She shrugs coyly as she follows his example and leaves her cloak behind on the table.

She offers a hand to Felix again when he suggests a jig. "Why, good sir, I thought you might never ask for a jig." Her lips split into a grin again as she raises a hand and snaps her fingers at the bards. Within a minute they're at attention again, a lively tune for a jig starting up as soon as the pair are ready to begin. They may have to suffer a few others joining them from time to time for part of this one, but from the way Amelia cuts any would-be usurpers off during the dance? Felix can be assured the rogue isn't about to let anyone steal her partner for long.

"How serendipitous that you should choose those examples," Felix remarks airily, before he bows and takes her hand. He doesn't elaborate immediately, yet. Not until he's comfortable with the steps of the jig they've begun. The lively dance attracts more takers than before - many of whom don't know how to jig and aren't very good, but they are enthusiastic in their whirling around the floor.

Felix, however, isn't letting standards slip. Amelia would never let him get away with inferior footwork. He smirks at the way she cuts out would-be partners from stepping in, but it's convenient. All the better for him to casually remark when they rejoin, "Why don't we make this more interesting? Can you have them play faster?"

As if she didn't choose those examples on purpose. Felix should know better by now. Even her teenage self was this subtly forward when she was unexpectedly changed for a day.

The question makes her grin. "All right. Show me your moves, married man." Letting go of Felix's hand briefly, Amelia claps to get the attention of the bards and points upwards several times. The head bard seems concerned, but quickly works to get the band of musicians up to a new tempo. It takes several gestures from Amelia to get the tempo fast enough for the rogue's taste, but eventually she turns to Felix with a grin that all but stretches from ear to ear as all of the other party goers groan, laugh, and pant with exertion from this change in tempo.

"Fast enough for you?" she asks, her voice on just this side of breathless. It's a quick enough pace that Amelia definitely has to work to keep her footwork as on point as it has been up until the change of tempo. Aside from the slight hitch to her breath and beginnings of sweat on her brow, though, it's hardly noticeable that she's trying very hard. "I can take us higher if you really want."

Uh-oh, now Felix is going to have to work for a change. He can't answer Amelia's question immediately, trying to make sure he has his footing before he flashes her a grin. He's definitely a little out of breath when they pull apart, turn about, and come back to dance opposite each other.

"Not... not just yet, perhaps." A deeper breath. You dealt yourself this hand, conjurer, now play it. His free hand brushes the cloth tucked into his belt as they circle each other, feet flying back and forth in time with the tempo. "I have a gift for you- but only if you can take it. Without being caught."

Another grin, and he takes the chance as the dancers change places to catch another woman's hand and whirl aside with his new partner. Amelia's going to have to catch up with him before she can beat his game.

Oh? What's this? A real challenge? Amelia grins as she watches Felix step decidedly out of range and is caught by another partner. If the man wants to play games, then he's certainly going to get it from her.

She bides her time, letting Felix squirm as she flits from partner to partner across the entirety of the dance floor. If he's clever enough, he'll notice she's slowly circling him as the moves around between the dancers. After a couple of phrases of the dance (which seems to be extending longer and longer without any sign of stopping...), she finally approaches Felix from behind. It's difficult to stay in his blind spot, and she fails a few times when he turns unexpectedly, but once he's turned away from her for at least ten seconds, Amelia will grab at whatever her friend has tucked into his belt. It shouldn't be difficult to steal if she turns with him, right?

It can never be quite so easy, can it? Amelia's hand closes on the silk-soft cloth, only for Felix to hesitate in his turn as he misjudges his partner's step. He almost catches the motion behind him- but when he glances around, there's no sign of the rogue. She's managed to evade his gaze and leave him none the wiser.

The cloth, annoyingly, is still dangling from his belt- but only just. Amelia need only slip close enough to snag it once again and the prize will slip right into her hands- a pair of gloves, the same dark grey as a cuckoo's wing. If she can get them away to examine by firelight, she might detect the very faintest glinting from within the cloth, though the gloves are quite empty.

Damn. She was so close. But that will only be truth for another phrase of the song. Determined, the rogue definitely gets a little too close as she physically brushes past Felix during a turn, using the distraction of one shoulder dragging across the mage's back to keep him from noticing her hands grabbing hold of the fabric at his waist. It defeats the purpose of not being noticed at all as she uses her thieving skills, but a rogue will do what she has to do when she's running out of steam for dancing and thieving at the same time.

Amelia passes the bards a few extra coins to get them to play one more phrase of music to give her time to slip away from the crowded dance floor. They're beautiful gloves, far nicer than anything she's been willing to purchase for herself for some time, and have a hint of something... more to them. She moves closer to a nearby torch to examine them more closely, her head tilting curiously as she turns them over in her hands and then peers inside.

She's too warm to need gloves right now, but her curiosity pushes her to slip the gloves on anyway. Still tilting her head back and forth, she holds a hand out in front of her as she continues to examine them. The glint is so faint, just on the edge of her perception, and intriguing beyond most things that have caught her attention in the past few years. They make for an excellent distraction that will allow Felix to truly sneak up on the rogue as she stares at her hands, turning them over time and again in fascination.

Felix isn't quite triumphant when the dance ends. He is composing a few teasing words for Amelia, right up until he looks down and finds the gloves gone from his belt. The head shake he gives then is all at his own presumption.

Now he just has to find his sly-fingered friend. Fortunately she's more interested in her new gloves than in toying with him further. Felix uses the sound of a passing waiter to sneak close behind her. The effect of them might not be obvious at first, but Amelia may find her motions feel a touch more dextrous now, that she's precisely aware of the position of her fingers when she looks away.

"Those are rather fetching," Felix observes over her shoulder - then steps back, to avoid swatting.

Amelia's too absorbed in the sensation of her fingers feeling like they extend further and react better to do more than jump when Felix's voice sounds so close to her ear. She exhales a surprised breath and grips at the fabric of her dress over her chest, her fingers lingering a bit longer than necessary as she notices how different this feels than it has in the past.

"Someone rather fetching got them for me," she jokes. A smirk tugs at her lips as she turns and holds out her hands in front of her. "There's something... different about these gloves. I don't know what it is though." A beat as she turns her hands over a few times and then looks back up at Felix. "Magic of some sort?" It's not the same kind of magic her tailor uses to make clothes, but there is something more to them than what she can see with her eyes.

"Something a little... sly-fingered, perhaps?" Felix is looking about as smug as the imp who got the sweetroll. It's a rare occasion when he manages to catch Amelia by surprise. It's all the more satisfying to see how entranced she is by the gift, even before she knows quite what it is.

"I asked my cousin to enchant them with a spell to enhance one's skill as a pickpocket," he adds, covering his mouth as he leans closer to her ear. The conjurer winks as he straightens back. "She had a few words for me about what sort of business I thought she was running. But I talked her around."

A curious rogue is one who can be easily distracted by shiny things. Or things that are very out of the ordinary and therefore quite valuable.

Amelia's grin is irrepressibly devious as Felix talks her through the specifics. "These are going to be my most valuable piece of clothing when I'm working," she murmurs. Something like this will be invaluable on any number of jobs she picks up in the future. She laughs brightly as she looks the gloves over again.

"You know, if you weren't a married man, this would be a moment where someone might say you've earned a kiss." She winks in her friend's direction. "Alas, you'll simply have to take my undying gratitude as payment."

"No kisses for me? If only Jim knew the sacrifices I make for love," he sighs. His grin is impish then. "Then again, I'm sure the undying gratitude of a master rogue might come in very useful one day. Just as I'm sure those gloves will be put to very profitable use indeed."

He holds out a hand to her. "But in the meantime- maybe you'd grant me one more dance before I see what my husband is up to?"

"I might have one for your cheek - if this last dance is good enough. The gratitude will stay whether you earn your kiss or not." It's Felix's wedding party, after all. The coffee was a present more for his husband than for the mage, and it's unfair to leave Felix without anything to call his own. Amelia owes him that much at least.

With a nod, she places her hand in her friend's and snaps the bards to attention with the other. They'll require a few extra snaps to get to a tune that Amelia likes, but soon enough they can start their last dance; A dance that, while proper to start, most definitely devolves a bit after a while. Whether due to the bards deciding they want to change the music halfway through or the increasing drunkenness of the crowd doesn't really matter, because the rogue is going to enjoy this last dance with Felix no matter how it goes.

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A Very Nexus Reception

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