(no subject)

[average-adam.livejournal.com]

Date: October 31st, 1999
Setting: Tadfield Ballroom
Status: Public
Summary: Hallowe'en party, continued from here



Luna's cheering charm had appeared to work on Carrie, but perhaps a little too well. Now, instead of being curled up in a traumatized ball, she was laughing too hard to be able to speak and was flailing all around. Adam sighed.

"Wensley? Luna? Why don't you two go dance? I'll stay here with Carrie until it's worn off a bit. I can see some other people doin' it, so you don't hafta be embarrassed."

As they left, he looked around to see what was going on with the other party guests. Several couples had apparently snuck off together including Belial and Gabriel, Famine and Pollution, and Michael and Raphael. And over near the refresment table John had just sprouted huge demon wings and was knocking into people trying to control them. Adam had to laugh when he saw Crowley smirking in that general direction.

He turned his attention to the food and drinks on the table and was disappointed to find that the horsepeople had obviously tampered with some of it. Gently, he put it back so that no humans would be accidentally harmed. He'd try to be more careful with that in the future if he could manage it without hurt feelings.

In fact, overall it appeared that things were going fairly smoothly, which made Adam a little nervous. He extended his range further to cover those who had left and kept his guard up as the hour grew later.

Comments

[ineffable-angel.livejournal.com]

The angel smiled, a heartfelt, giddy smile that made his cheeks glow as Crowley danced with him. He wasn't certain of all the steps, really, but it was quite nice, if a little bebop.

There was music playing - he didn't know where from, but it didn't particularly matter, with Adam around, and in any case, it really, really didn't matter when Crowley's hand dropped a little bit lower and Crowley gave him that look...

Well.

Perhaps it was a good thing they had stopped snogging. Aziraphale would have missed this.

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

Feeling a bit adventurous, Crowley adjusted his grip on Aziraphale's lower back and tried a spin. The angel stumbled slightly but made it all the way around. He grinned.

Dancing with the angel was decidedly odd but far from unpleasant. He was still reeling from the discovery that not only were the feelings that he'd barely acknowledged to himself not repugnant to Aziraphale but they were actually returned. He didn't want to think about how much time they might have wasted.

Before he could consider it, the music changed, becoming softer and slower. Moving instinctively, he pulled Aziraphale closer, wrapping both arms around his waist and bringing the angel's arms to his neck. Crowley stared into blue eyes.

"Does this... seem a little strange to you, angel?"

[ineffable-angel.livejournal.com]

The angel stared back into blue eyes, and then wished he hadn't.

"Don't know what you mean, my dear," Aziraphale said. "After all, this was very close to... well, fighting, for one. Remember that? And getting drunk that one time... But yes, it's a little strange, I suppose." He looked nervously at Crowley. "Why?"

He enjoyed this dance - he wasn't very good at it, but it was simple enough, and it did put him very close to Crowley. Really, they could even snog like this - in public and outside of a gavotte! All he had to do was tilt their heads closer, just a little, and kiss Crowley. Scandalous.

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

Crowley snorted.

"This isn't anything like fighting. Or drinking. Although I feel a little like I'm drunk. I guess I just... I don't know... It seems odd after all this time. I mean, why now? Why did we just do that so suddenly?" He eyed Adam suspiciously. "And what are we supposed to do now? We've both," he shook his head, still disbelieving that part, "been hiding this a long time, and for good reason. What made us throw a thousand years of caution to the winds at that precise moment?"

He paled as he said that, hoping that Aziraphale wouldn't pick up on the deeper meaning of that last question.

"Not that I'm complaining," Crowley continued quickly, smiling at the angel in his arms, "It's just so abrupt that it may take me a while to get used to it."

[ineffable-angel.livejournal.com]

"What other time?" the angel began, feeling annoyance flicker. "Would you rather one of us be mortally injured, about to be permanently discorporated, before we declared undying love?" He patted Crowley's arm affectionately (no mean feat while dancing) when the demon smiled and tried to comfort him. "And we won't stop being cautious, my dear, I don't think we can, just quite. Don't worry, though, we'll still, ah, do that again."

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

Crowley raised an eyebrow, which was a lot more effective when it wasn't half obscured by glasses.

"Well, I don't exactly remember the part where we declared our undying love, though I probably would have been homicidal had you not survived the fire and slightly less so if you succumbed to that fever and I hadn't said anything. But why I acted now and not then, I just don't know. Not that I'm complaining, angel..."

He winked and spun Aziraphale around.

"And I'm not worried. I know we'll do that again," he said in a low, sultry voice.

Crowley wanted to do it again now, as a matter of fact, but comforted by Aziraphale's assertion that they would remain cautious, he settled for another spin to bring the angel back to their original position.

[ineffable-angel.livejournal.com]

The angel managed this spin decently, maybe better than most, but it was apparent how quickly he was tiring. The day's events were complicated, and messy, but he'd feel a good deal more confident and excited about said events if he'd just had a bit of a rest.

"That would be wonderful," Aziraphale murmured, and yawned, bringing the slowing dance to a complete halt. "Do you mind terribly if we, er..." He yawned again, breaking his train of thought.

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

"You idiot, you're exhausted. You should have said something sooner."

Crowley took Aziraphale's arm and led him to the edge of the dance floor. He gave a slightly manic smile in Adam's direction, then looked around for John. Not seeing him, he shrugged and headed for the door. They could trade their clothes back in the morning.

"Come on, angel. I'll take you back to your room."

[dearwensleydale.livejournal.com]

Taking the hint, Wensley walked towards the dance floor, Luna following a few steps behind.

"How do you girls manage to wear dresses all the time?" he asked exasperatedly, tugging at the hem. "I mean, it feels so odd..." This was mostly the reason for his discomfort. Of course, the fact that he hadn't any idea how to dance wasn't helping anything...

[radishesncorks.livejournal.com]

"Oh, you get used to it when you've been wearing them from birth. Some wizards actually prefer to wear dress-like clothing, you know. Especially those from the older generation. They say that it allows for proper circulation." Luna managed to stifle a giggle.

"Hmm. What dances do you know how to do? I've only ever learnt how to dance the waltz. And I sort of know how to cha-cha. Um." said Luna a trifle uncertainly. The waltz was in the repertoire of all Hogwarts students since the Yule Ball of 1993, and she had learnt the cha-cha from her dad, although truth be told, she was now rather rusty with regards to both dances.

[dearwensleydale.livejournal.com]

"Really, now?" Wensley tried to be tactful, but his tone reeked of disbelief at how any male-shaped being could prefer skirts to trousers. He decided it would be best to move on.

"Actually...I don't know the first thing about dancing," he replied, feeling his cheeks burn dully. This wasn't strictly true; he dimly remembered learning how to waltz one physical education class in the past, but didn't think that counted much.

[radishesncorks.livejournal.com]

Luna glanced at the two, well, odd couples dancing next to them and smiled. "Maybe we could learn from them, then?" she said, gesturing to them. "What I remember is that the male person is supposed to hold the female person's right hand in his left, and put his right hand on her hip. And she's supposed to put her left hand on his shoulder." Luna paused, and moved forward, armour clanking.

"But I've forgotten what comes after that, though."

[dearwensleydale.livejournal.com]

"I've no idea what comes after that, either," he said, nevertheless moving into the position that she had dictated.

"This is all sort of silly, though, isn't it?"

[-moonylupin-.livejournal.com]

Remus had begun a sort of boxstep, something more restrained than his usual dances. Although those, lately, had been done for money, and required a lot less heavy clothing.

His black-gloved hands had the gloved paws of Puss in Boots in them, and they were both dancing carefully - Remus hadn't quite got the hang of his clunky uniform, and the cloak was awkward. Swirly, but awkward.

"Having fun?" he asked nervously, through his mask. It more came out like "HoooooooooHAAAAAAAAhoooooooHAAAhoooooHAAAHAVINGFUN?hooooooHAAAhoooo..." because of the mouthpiece, but his point still stood.

[mssr-black.livejournal.com]

The Vader Mask gave away every little gasp, and Sirius grinned despite himself.

The other man's costume was bulky and awkward. Skilled though he was, Sirius was forced to tone it down to allow for the swirl of the long black cape.

"Having fun?" asked the other man, panting in perfect mockery of an out of breath Darth Vader.

Sirius laughed, genuinely, "But of course." He finished with his very best purr and pulled him close for a moment.

"Are you?"

Before his companion could answer, he stepped back and turned him with dramatic flourish, swirling him out and reeling him back in.

Back together, he smiled warmly beneath the fuzzy mask and waited for reply.

[-moonylupin-.livejournal.com]

"The time of my life," he wheezed, and switched their grips so that he was leading. It didn't do for a pussy cat to be leading Vader about, really.

"You are very good at that," Remus said, nodding at the whole purring thing. "Do that often?" he teased, and then led them both into a fast dance, happy that he could let go a little. In his costume and boots, he looked nothing like himself. He slowed to hear the response, though.

Despite everything, he still wondered if anyone knew there was a werewolf amidst them.

[mssr-black.livejournal.com]

The switch in lead was sudden and seamless, and Sirius found himself being swept about merrily.

"Eh," he managed with a shrug,"Only when I'm feeling particularly good."
They danced on.

There was something strange about the way the man playing Darth Vader moved. It seemed almost... familiar?

He stole what glances he could, and when they slid close again, he leaned in, "May I ask your name, good sir?"

[-moonylupin-.livejournal.com]

"Certainly not," Remus twinkled, a bit of fear in his voice. He found the man before him too familiar - familiar like scones and tea - and he felt sudden fright. He didn't want to be found. There was no one left who, upon finding him, would be entirely happy about it.

"That's part of the game, isn't it?" Remus said, adjusting his hot costume carefully.

[dangeroushabits.livejournal.com]

John managed to get his face clear of feathers, and was somewhat mollified to see that the entire room wasn't jeering at his difficulties. In fact, everybody seemed pretty much oblivious. War and Destruction were preoccupied with business of their own, and it occurred to him (as the sound of one primal personification of violence being soundly bitch-slapped by another rang across the room) that this might not be the healthiest place to be standing at the moment.

He edged carefully around them, snagging the damn wings on a few things along the way, but managing not to cause any wholesale disasters. He wanted a cigarette badly, but Crowley was out on the dance floor playing Patrick Swayze to Aziraphale's Jennifer Grey, and Belial was nowhere to be seen.

Catching sight of the open door near the back of the room, he decided some fresh air and a little open space would be an improvement, and made his way cautiously out the door and into the garden behind the Manor.

Outside, the air was crisp and quite chilly, and he shivered, missing the warmth of his heavy leather trench. Though, he thought with a quiet chuckle, he couldn't begrudge Crowley the loan; apparently it was a look that worked for him, at least as far as the angel was concerned.

He took a few steps further from the door, the muted conversation and music from the party within falling away behind him until he stood in relative quiet. Standing in a patch of unobstructed moonlight, he turned his full attention to the uncooperative wings Crowley had seen fit to saddle him with.

After a few false starts, he managed to bring one around so he could get a good look at it. It involved a complicated choreography of various muscles in his back, shoulders and chest, some of which he was pretty sure hadn't been there before.

He'd never seen Crowley's wings, he realized, examining the long flight feathers with grudging fascination. Assuming these were more or less an exact duplicate, as with the eyes, they looked just like every angel's he'd ever seen, except for the color of course. Certainly nothing like a bat's, though John had seen some demon's wings that were. Where had that distinction come from? Maybe some demons changed theirs as an affectation. Or maybe Crowley alone had kept his relatively unchanged, for whatever personal reasons.

He ran his hand experimentally down the feathers, and was startled at his own sensory reaction. The tips of the pinions were as sensitive as fingers, though he experienced it as a separate and distinct sensation. Weird...

Frowning with concentration, John stretched them out to their full span. He still couldn't stand up quite straight with all this weight on his back. Must be some subtle difference in the musculature. He didn't suppose Crowley would have studied the difference between human and angelic/demonic anatomy that closely; this was certainly just some mischievous whim of his. Part of the costume.

It was ridiculous and embarrassing and annoying and utterly typical of Crowley to pull something like this. It was also a rare gift, something John doubted many humans had ever had a chance to experience, even briefly. He filed it away quietly with the growing collection of reasons why getting mixed up in this absurd situation would probably turn out to have been a good thing to do in the end.

Then, on impulse, he brought the wings sweeping down suddenly, actually lifted a millimeter or two off the ground, and startled himself so badly he lost his precarious balance and wound up landing hard on his arse on the very cold ground.

"Ow. Well, there you have it, John m'boy," he said wryly aloud, wincing and again wishing futilely for a smoke, "can't really call yourself a demon until you've had a fall, now can you?" He sighed, clumsily drawing the pinions in around him and looking up at the cold, waning moon.

No, he didn't envy Crowley his wings. He did envy him a number of other things, not the least of them being eternal youth, new love, and the ability to summon a goddamn fag out of thin air if he bloody well wanted one.

Though not particularly wise, though, John understood it was no good wishing for things no mortal could ever have. Just then, he would have settled for someone to dance with.

Comment stating your presence (aware or unaware) if you wanna get pied.

[entropyoptimism.livejournal.com]

The pie is the traditional weapon of the Spotty Hat brigade. Destruction wasn't too picky about what he hit people with, but since he'd been ignominously placed in a clown suit, this was deliciously appropriate. As well as delicious. Mmm, custard.

Barefoot (his beerstained shoes over by the drinks table) and with War following at an inconspicuous distance, Destruction looked around for someone whose face was just asking for a pie-ing...

Re: Comment stating your presence (aware or unaware) if you wanna get pied.

[stds-r-4-lovers.livejournal.com]

Pestilence wandered around the party alone. He was in a mood- his conversation with DEATH had been interupted by a plane crash in the Andes, which required his fellow horseman's urgent attention. Pesti pulled down the hem of his dress enough to cover the suspender straps and got himself a glass of (spiked) punch.

It was then that he saw the clown. Oh, Pestilence *loved* clowns. Traveling circuses had always been a valuable tool in the spread of disease. So much destruction left it their wake.

Pestilence face broke into a smile.

Re:PIIIIIE

[entropyoptimism.livejournal.com]

Aha - here was a likely candidate. And the custard would make that white vaguely-nurse-like dress slightly see-through too. Destrcution grinned and approached Pestilence.

"Hey there." He said with a mischiveous smile. And promptly pied the other entity in the face.

Re: PIIIIIE

[stds-r-4-lovers.livejournal.com]

*I should have seen that coming* Pestilence thought to himself as he wiped the thick custard out of his eyes. *Not half bad thought* he thought as he took a lick.

Without responding in any way to the young man(all men were young in to the horseman) Pestilence spied the potato salad he had brought righ near his elbow. In the time it took for a cancer cell to divide he slung a big glump of potato salad at the clown.

Re: PIIIIIE

[entropyoptimism.livejournal.com]

Destruction spluttered, potato salad dripping down the front of his clown suit. No fair! He was supposed to be doing the pie-ing, not being pied! He could sense War smothering laughter behind him, and, briefly wondering if she had anything to do with this, avenged his honour by squirting Pestilence with the flower on his lapel.

Re: PIIIIIE

[stds-r-4-lovers.livejournal.com]

Ah, the old squirting flower. He glanced behind the young man to see War laughing. The old girl had lightened up a tad since he'd seen her last, it would seem. Smiling, Pestilence put a finger into the horseradish dip and smeared it over Destruction's eyebrows. He felt like Picasso.

Re: PIIIIIE

[entropyoptimism.livejournal.com]

Destruction stood still for a second, mostly out of shock. Then the corner of his mouth twitched as the full humour of the situation dawned on him. "Oh-ho, so we're plaing it that way?" He guffawed.

Whereupon he immediately emptied a bowl of punch over Oestilences head.