Jumping Fish x Kuno

Jumping Fish

On summer nights the stars fall a little slower
Original poster
LURKER MEMBER
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Looking for partners
Posting Speed
  1. Speed of Light
  2. Multiple posts per day
  3. 1-3 posts per day
  4. One post per day
Online Availability
GST+8, 8am-12am
Writing Levels
  1. Beginner
  2. Elementary
  3. Intermediate
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Female
  3. No Preferences
When Yvonne had first opened up the letter, her first instinct was to throw it away. An all expenses paid secret santa trip? Sounded like another holiday scam. But looking at all the media coverage on the event, it seemed too widespread to be a scheme. After all, using a name like Louis Bancroft's to draw clout? He'd probably have known about the articles before they were even published. As she scrolled through online threads and articles, the enticing reminder that this was a free trip kept ringing in the back of her mind. By the end of the day, she had already taken out two suitcases. After all, opportunity never rang twice, and a nice trip was just what she needed.

Soon, the day had come, and as Yvonne stepped out of the car, she took in the view. The house was ridiculously large, and just thinking about the upkeep made her shudder. Entering her allocated room, she spotted a cream envelope on the bed, as well as a navy blue mask with a thin gold lining. Scanning the letter, she took in all of the rules, pausing briefly at the "mask on at all times" rule. Tentatively putting on the mask, she found she could see just fine through the eyeholes, and the material was rather smooth, and fit over her face surprisingly well. Thank goodness the mask is comfortable. At least I can go out and explore properly.

Running her fingers over the crisp 100 dollar bill, Yvonne briefly contemplated over gift options, before ultimately deciding to just go window shopping. It's not like the mansion was located in the middle of nowhere. Her partner hadn't given any preferences, so she had to pick a rather neutral gift. She spent a few days looking through the stores in the city, and finally found a suitable present.

Finally, the day had arrived. Smoothing out her dress, Yvonne looked at her reflection in the floor length mirror. She had picked out an off-the-shoulder dress, with a navy gradient to match her mask. It had been sitting in her closet for ages, a long forgotten online purchase. Doing a small lap around the room, she was surprised to find it fit better than she thought it would after months of unuse. Pinning half her hair up with a wooden hair stick, she readjusted the mask on her face. The rest of her dark brown hair lay up to below her shoulder blades, and two locks of hair rested at the sides of her mask, hiding the thin string. Clipping the given artic fox pin on her dress, she took her gift and left for the ballroom.

The ballroom had a towering ceiling decorated with ornate chandeliers, and as Yvonne picked up a glass of apple juice, she scanned the room for her secret santa partner. All the other participants were wearing masks, and she spotted a few pins gleaming off chest pockets and ties, but none mirrored the white fox on her dress. Fiddling with the ribbon on her gift box, she decided to stay near the pillars. She wasn't all that good at socialising, and the night was still young. She could wait it out.

@Kuno

Name:
Yvonne Ng (黄鹤丹 Huáng Hè Dān)
Gender:
Female
Age:
24
Sexuality:
Bisexual
Personality:
Raised by her sharp tongued grandmother, Yvonne may come off as a little blunt to those who first meet her. Not the best at first impressions, she always found it hard to make new friends. But for those who stay, Yvonne would give her heart to them. And despite her less than sociable attitude, she still enjoys hanging around people, the ambience of social interaction comforting to her .​
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This was the only the latest of many dances that Tom had been to in his life, yet his hands trembled as he fixed his tie in the mirror. He supposed the occasion itself unsettled him–it was, quite frankly, nothing like he’d ever been invited to before.

Who really was Louis Bancroft? A quick Google search had left him with more questions than answers. Tom was willing to give others the benefit of a doubt, but even he had been a bit miffed by the serendipitous nature of the black tie event. The timing itself couldn’t have been better; the party came on the heels of his last deployment, and to be quite frank…he needed the break. He needed the excursion. Distraction of the mind led to happiness, so they said.

“Stiff upper lip, Tommy boy,” He muttered to himself. The mirror he faced cast his features in a favorable light: stern, stoic features were softened in the amber hues of light. He adjusted his tie so that it was center, pausing to align the silver fox so that it was right side up. Supposedly his partner would have the same pin. Tom eyed the mask sitting on the bed.

There was the fun of it: they’d all be masked. Was it cause for complaint? Perhaps. His own was unassuming enough: an ochre red mask with gold lining to match his equally red tie and cufflinks. He’d had to borrow the cufflinks from Chummy, and the man only knew when his old associate would ever let that down.

But he’d dawdled enough. Satisfied with his appearance, Tom left and went to the main hall.

In true fashion, the ballroom was the peak of opulence. There was the gentle murmur of conversation from the gathered assembly; not quite so loud as a club, no, but pleasing enough as a background noise. Tom snagged a champagne flute from a passing waiter and waded through the crowd, searching listlessly for a matching silver fox pin.

@Jumping Fish
 
Taking a sip of juice, Yvonne silently appreciated the decor. The marbled walls and spiraling pillars lined the room, with vases of flowers sprinkled between them. Slowly walking around the room, she kept an eye out for another fox pin. With all the sparkling jewelry and outfits, it was hard to spot the pin.

As Yvonne was about to complete a lap of the ballroom, a flash of crimson caught her eye. Following her line of sight, she spotted the individual. A man stood in the midst of the crowd, donning a red mask, with a matching tie and pair of cufflinks. How festive. The red reminded her of her mother's favorite garnet bead bracelet, and next to his tie was a...fox pin?

So this is my partner? After walking around for so long, finally finding her partner was a little more...anticlimactic than Yvonne had thought. Running her thumb over the gift wrapping, she hoped her gift was alright. It was a simple woolen scarf, bought from a little store she found in the town. There was also something else, but she didn't have enough time to wrap it, so she left it in her room.

Thinking it over, Yvonne decided she would surprise her partner a little. Walking around so the man's back faced her, she silently glided over. Lightly tapping his shoulder, she put on a little smile.

"Good evening, partner."

@Kuno
 
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