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Post by [*DOC] on Sept 22, 2012 19:19:38 GMT
The sun was beginning to dip low in the sky, sending reams of burnt orange, pink and red across the sky, mingling with the bleeding clouds to create a strange wash of colour that could be compared to a garish murder scene. Peridot and Phineas had spent the day as only the two of them could; amused by doing little more than wandering around, while of course making sure to stay well out of the way of anyone that looked vaguely like they might be a hunter - more for Finny's sake, as he seemed to be terrified of the prospect of facing a fully grown one, after having so much trouble with simply fighting off a pint-sized Hunter - and practising Peridot's expert thievery skills in grabbing their lunch.
The two of them had ended up veering in the direction of the end of town, where the infamous Vertigo Heights lay, overall being the wealthier end of town, where those who had enough money to get by in these times lived in their well-kept houses. Floods of people seemed to be moving through the gates of the skyscraper turned estate, all dressed to the nines. "Huh... seems like their having a party..." Peri mused, eyes suddenly glinting, rubbing her hands together.
Images of her and Finny waltzing across a marble ballroom floor suddenly flitted across her mind, just as they had done mere days ago in the midst of the sky. Peri held the memory dear to her heart now, even thought she'd never let on... It was one of the most romantic moments she'd ever experienced. "Sayyy... Finny." She turned to him, a broad grin on her face, with an expression that could only be described as completely devilish, tapping her fingers together.
"How'd you fancy crashing a party tonight~?"
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Post by kiddie on Sept 22, 2012 19:44:23 GMT
Like a child who finds a sea of presents on Christmas morning, Phineas' face lit up at the sight of the party. Classical music floated from through the open doors and the smell of fresh, imported foods wafted from the building and made Finny's stomach growl. He wasn't hungry for the decent lunches Peri could pilfer, but for the warm food prepared by the expert hands of a chef. There was no telling what foods and drinks were inside, whether they were chicken pies, vintage wines, fresh fruit, or even his favorite kind of lemon cake.
“I've always wondered what it'd be like ta be rich,” admitted Finny, “Ya see all these people throwin' lavish parties an'...Well, I always kinda wondered what they were really like.”
If he could, he'd take Peri to that party right then and there. But it was unrealistic to think two carriers wouldn't be caught crashing a human party at Vertigo Heights. THE Vertigo Heights.
“Unless we make friends with the mice an' find ourselves a fairy godmother, I don't think we can get in there. I mean, look at what they're wearin', an' then look at us! It's obvious we don't got a penny in our pockets an' I don't see any glass slippers lyin' around. I really wish we could though...It'd be grand, I'll bet!”
Chiffon gowns graced the estate and cufflinks glinted in the sunlight, and hairstyles were parted and coiled like for the models in magazines. Clad in a tattered cotton shirt and old dress pants with a dozen frays and holes, Finny knew he certainly wouldn't find out what it was like to go to a fancy party...
The light on his face faded slightly and he made way as if to keep walking, muttering, “I'd love ta take ya if I could, but we'd stick out like a sore thumb...I'm sure we can find somethin' else ta do on our Friday...”
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Post by [*DOC] on Sept 22, 2012 19:53:36 GMT
Frowning a little as Phineas' face fell, noting how unrealistic her plan seemed, shaking her head at his pessimism. She skipped out in front of him, doing a silly little spin before using her fire capabilities to light up the tip of her index finger from within, before tapping him on the forehead with it as if it were a wand.
"There we go, your fairy godmother has arrived. What wish may I grant you, my princess?" She giggled, before gesturing to a large, four story department store a few buildings down from the entrance to Vertigo Heights, with beautiful, well-made clothing displayed in the windows; suits and tuxedos, as well as the finest ballgowns Peridot had ever laid eyes on.
And it was shut. A little devil on Peridot's shoulder was telling her to push her thief skills to the test, and really make this particular Friday night spectacular. Linking her arm through Phineas', she took a slow wander towards it, before ducking down the alleyway next to it, a wonderful grin spreading across her features at the sight that the back door was merely locked. Oh joyous day.
Placing her finger at the lock, she sent a stream of flames into the device, the metal beginning to melt and drip from the door, before it swung open with a glorious creak. "That was much easier than expected..." She mused, before gesturing for Phineas to enter first.
"Your wonderland awaits." She giggled, eyes shining with excitement at the thought of what lay in store for them this evening. A wonderful dinner, swarms of beautiful, wealthy people, and for once, they would be among them. It would be like a dream come true...
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Post by kiddie on Sept 22, 2012 21:17:10 GMT
“I'd appreciate goin' from princess to a prince if ya don't mind, Miss Fairy Godmother,” laughed Finny. Shaking his head in disbelief, he hesitated to follow Peri into the department store. The clothes in those stores had price tags that made Finny nervous to touch anything, as if they'd later be fingerprinted and handed over to the police. How Peri could waltz into the building with such confidence was mind boggling!
“We're givin' them back tonight, right? I mean, it's kinda like a rental what we're doin',” said Phineas, “An' we'll return them good as new once we're done at that party, right?”
Phineas was reasoning with himself more than Peri, but he gave her a look that said: “Where do we start?!”
Feeling so elated, Finny hadn't noticed he was literally floating four inches off the ground.
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Post by [*DOC] on Sept 22, 2012 21:30:14 GMT
"Sure. Let's go with that." Peri made a feeble attempt at making Phineas' conscious feel a little better, before grabbing his hand and running through the back storage room of the store, before suddenly finding herself in the department store, surrounded by suits and dresses, glittering accessories, makeup stands, shoes, ties... All as far as the eye could see.
The sight almost made Peridot feel faint. It was so beautiful... Letting out a surprisingly girlish squeal of joy, she ran full throttle into the area filled with ball gowns, leaving Phineas stood in the middle of the store, their reflections almost clear in the immaculate, buffed floor.
Grabbing dresses left and right, Peri let her inner little girl get the better of her, spinning around to make the skirts and petticoats fly, before finding a changing room, her own ratty clothes being thrown haphazardly over the top of the stall. Over the course of the next ten minutes, all kinds of lace, silk, satin and velvet had brushed the girl's skin, until she settled upon one that she had truly fallen in love with.
Not wanting Phineas to see her until her plan was complete, she snuck over to the makeup stands as quietly as she could, before seating herself in one of the comfortable chairs, a large mirror before her, and a wondrous rainbow palette of products to her left. For once in her life, Peridot could be a princess, like every little girl's dream. She never believed that it would ever come true...
Once she was satisfied with her appearance, she ventured over to the area filled with menswear, spotting him amongst the fine garments, approaching him quietly before tapping him on the shoulder, smiling almost bashfully. She was dressed in a deep crimson ball gown, with a fitted corset to the waist, decorated with subtle, glimmering crystals and a silk rose corsage, puffing out into a full skirt, with layers of petticoats underneath, with another bunch of roses at her hip, gentle tendrils of satin trailing down in delicate patterns over the skirt. Her hair had been gently curled and fluffed out, fixed with a ruby and diamond ornament at the side.
Having teamed this with matching high heels and subtle, yet striking makeup - with smoky eyes accented with maroon - and her clothes shoved into a slightly larger than normal handbag, Peridot looked awfully different to how she had when she had first stepped into the store, a world away from the penniless tramp she had been a mere hour ago.
"So... what do you think?"
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Post by kiddie on Sept 23, 2012 1:42:14 GMT
Surveying the store Finny tried to search for security cameras or guards armed with guns rather than the silk suits in the menswear section. But to spoil Peri's fun would be cruel and as pointless as trying to hold back the wind. Instead, he blushed in the darkness and watched Peri squeal over the isles of elegant clothes.
Watching her put a smile on his face.
Working quickly, he scoured through the isles of the menswear for a proper “disguise”. The ratty clothes he'd been clad in moments ago were folded neatly on the floor, despite how they were nothing more than patches and strips of fabric by that point. In their place was a dark navy silk suit and red tie to match, fitted over a brand new white button down tucked into black slacks. Two dark suspenders hooked over his white shirt and two pairs of black dress shoes fit snugly around his feet—even making squeaking noises as they shuffled along the tiles. And what rich person didn't have a fancy watch? To further boost his “disguise” he'd snapped a silver watch to his wrist with a grin and hid his goggles in his pocket. But that's all it was of course. Just part of the disguise. It wasn't like Finny could enjoy feeling like a billionaire for once...
He'd been ducking near a metal rack with a comb in hand, trying to slick back his hair like he'd seen the men at the party do, when Peri found him. A few hairs in the front refused to be combed back with the rest and fell over his forehead slightly. Brushing back his hair had highlighted his face's structure, the curve of his jaw, the way his eyes sparkled with laughter—it was perfect.
“You...You look absolutely beautiful, Peri!” exhaled Finny. He dropped the comb in surprise. It clattered on the tiles, but Finny didn't seem to notice.
Oh, how he wanted to say she looked like freaking royalty , that she was gorgeous, but his mouth pulled itself into a gawking smile instead. What else could he do?
The gown was beautiful, the hair was beautiful...Peri was beautiful.
“Now we just have ta get ta the ball before midnight, Cinderella! said Finny, blushing slightly,
One hand behind his back, leaning over slightly, he offered his other to Peri. “Ready?”
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Post by [*DOC] on Sept 23, 2012 12:50:28 GMT
Sucking in her breath, almost in surprise, she surveyed Phineas for a moment, eyes shining at the sight. Damn... Eyes travelling down the new, surprisingly suave looking figure that was her companion, she placed her hands on her hips, now grinning broadly.
"Don't you scrub up nicely... Although, it's missing just one thing." Reaching to her hip, she detached one of the small crimson roses, before attaching it delicately to his lapel like a corsage, pleasantly surprised by how well it matched against his tie. They almost seemed like a coordinated couple... She supposed that would help immensely with the illusion of wealth.
Grinning broadly at his compliment, her cheeks tinged by a slight blush, she quickly grabbed his old clothes and put them into her bag, alongside her own, before taking his hand with her own silken glove clad fingers, heart skipping a beat at this whole, wonderfully formal situation.
Despite the situation calling for Phineas to take the lead, Peri couldn't deny her own dominant personality, and gently led him back out through the back rooms of the store, making sure to shut the door behind them, doing a little quick work with an empty metal can that she found lying around to somewhat 'fix' the lock, or at least, make the door stay shut.
Everything was as it had been before they'd entered, except for a few items missing and a slightly iffy back door, she was sure that even if they did notice, they would never find them. Once they had reached the street, she eyed the huge, towering building before them, spotlights reaching high into the sky from the grounds, the crowd having thinned out a little by now, but fashionably late arrivals were still filtering through the gates.
"Showtime~"
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Post by kiddie on Sept 23, 2012 17:08:56 GMT
“An' what would that be?” asked Finny.
As the rose was tucked into his lapel, he laughed, the sound echoing through the empty departments. Rather than him leading Peri, she'd dragged him through the door before he could protest. He gave the lock a flick with his fingers and surprisingly, the metal didn't budge.
“Perfect!” [/b] he whispered, “They won't know we were ever here.”
Finny linked his arm with Peri, placing one hand above her's and taking the lead into the building. There didn't seem to be any invitations or lists being shown at the door—but would there need to be? Anybody on the streets wouldn't be able to gussy themselves up like the invited party goers...unless you were thieves.
“Once we're in the party, does this mean I have ta call ya 'daaaahling'?” Finny whispered into Peri's ear, leaning in close so nobody could overhear them.
[/size]
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Post by [*DOC] on Sept 23, 2012 17:25:10 GMT
As they walked into the midst of the ball, arms linked, Peridot was met by an incredible sight; after the initial lobby, the 'main hall', with walls that towered the entire height of the building, with balconies running around the walls at each floor, connected by stairwells and elevators, had been renovated into a beautiful ball room. The floors were a gleaming white marble, the walls a delicate cream, decorated with tumbling tapestries of gold and emerald, long polished oak tables holding an exquisite buffet of gourmet foods, with chefs on standby to serve you, the room filled with the uplifting music of an orchestra playing, couples dancing together on the dance floor in beautiful synchrony.
Genuinely unsure with what to do with herself now, she looked to Finny with an uncertain expression, not even sounding all that confident when she giggled at his question, leaning close so that her lips faintly brushed his ear as she spoke. "I think that's generally the way they do things here, honey." She grinned, finding the odd pet-name almost sweet as it left her lips, liking the sound of it. She could get used to this...
A waiter appeared to her left, offering the couple a silver tray filled with champagne flutes. Peri flashed him a dazzling smile and took two from the tray, preferring one to Finny as she took a sip from her own. The bubbly golden liquid slipped down her throat, leaving a wonderful tingle in its wake. "I like this. Whatever it is." She grinned broadly now, taking another sip, planning to carry on doing so for as long as the waiters would serve her.
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Post by kiddie on Sept 23, 2012 18:19:27 GMT
The building was as glorious inside as it was outside and Finny took a moment to gawk at the ceiling, admiring the balconies and elegant tapestries. Did people live here? Work here? To the wealthy people who were used to such conditions, was this extravagant place ordinary through their eyes? He shook his head and looked back to Peri, equally lost as to what he should do next.
“I forgot ta ask ya...What exactly do we do at these types o' parties?” Finny whispered, accepting the champagne, “Well, besides drink.” The waiter left them in the wake of his heavy cologne and Finny lead Peri away from the area by the arm, wrinkling his nose slightly. “Whoo, some of these fellas stink!” he whispered.
Taking a sip from his champagne flute took the same time for Peri to guzzle her drink down.
“Careful there, Peri,” he said, “Ya don't want ta get drunk on alchey before we get ta dance, right? Come on! I think I hear a lovely song startin' just fer us...Or we could go press all the buttons on the elevators an' see where they take us.” Finny was getting excited now and it wasn't just from the champagne!
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Post by [*DOC] on Sept 23, 2012 18:34:09 GMT
Turning her attention to the dance floor as he spoke, Peri noted that a very smart looking, tuxedo clad man had now taken to the stage, standing in front of the microphone with the orchestra behind him, seeming to be preparing to sing. "Alright, alright... let's go dance, then. I got a good feeling about this next one, anyway~"
Walking out onto the beautiful marble floor, Peri found herself and Finny a place amongst the other dancing couples, and looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to work the same magic that he had before. Especially given that their little waltz in the sky had been the first time that Peri had ever done any form of formal dance...
The orchestra began to play, the sound of drums, symbols and trumpets filling the room, followed by the low strum of a double bass, the man beginning to sing, causing an eruption of applause from the bystanders.
'Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away, if you can use some exotic booze, there's a bar in far Bombay~'
Peridot smiled fondly, remembering the song faintly from somewhere in her childhood, before looking up at Phineas with the same warm fondness, eyes sparkling in the bright lights and from the atmosphere and champagne buzzing in her mind.
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Post by kiddie on Sept 23, 2012 19:16:58 GMT
“Nice choice in song,” laughed Phineas.
Phineas followed Peri with bashful excitement, a shy smile playing on his lips despite his eagerness to dance. Gently, his right hand pressed against the warmth of Peri's shoulder blades and his left laced its fingers with her's. Other than the firm hold they had on Peri, his fingers rarely exerted pressure. The formal stance, with his straightened back and pushed back shoulders, made him seem taller than usual...and Finny was a tall boy.
As the music began he lead Peri into the box step. Stepping forward with his left—the new shoes squeaking against the waxed ballroom floor—he brought his right foot to meet the other, shifted his weight to the right, and closed his feet.
“That wasn't so hard, was it? Yer goin' ta learn quickly—I can tell,” Finny said warmly, “I actually learned ta waltz with this song. Taught my sisters ta dance to it too.”
Repeating the previous steps, it seemed as though he were gliding across the room. The lights played tricks on him, illuminating his hair into the golds of a sunset and giving his tan skin a warm glow.
Finny noticed how the lighting seemed to emphasize every little feature of Peri's as well...or was that all natural? Did her hair really shine like that? Did her eyes always carry mischievous secrets? When they'd danced in the air, Finny had been concentrating on alleviating Peri's fears to really pay attention to such small details...But now, now he found himself counting every speckle of color in her irises.
"You look...really nice," he said.
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Post by [*DOC] on Sept 23, 2012 19:37:35 GMT
Following suit, just as she'd done before, Peri found herself slipping into the pattern of the dance fairly easily this time, eventually finding the confidence to stop watching Phineas' feet for guidance, meeting his gaze, her eyes immediately widening and a blush flushing across her cheeks as he complimented her. He really had to stop catching her off guard like that... Swallowing nervously, a small smile played on her lips, watching the glimmers of light glance through his hair, giving him a strange, yet entrancing golden glow, highlighting his features and brightening the blue of his eyes.
"Heh heh... is that a compliment for our couple disguise, or do you really mean it?" She murmured, more teasing than genuinely curious, tipping her head up so that she could look at him properly, the straight posture required for such a dance making him positively tower over her. It was strange, but it almost made her feel safe, being at least a head shorter than him, being enveloped in such an embrace.
Faintly aware of her petticoats swishing out and flying around her legs with each turn and step, she grinned, wanting to immerse herself in this wonderful atmosphere, the music, the food, the drink... She never wanted this night to end.
"But either way... I'm glad you think so, my dear... It's good to know my plan to impress you is working." She winked at him, sure that such a comment would send the boy's mind into a spin. However much she joked and teased, there was a part of her that genuinely wished to impress him, to make him like her, to... make him think she really was beautiful.
'Once I get you up there, where the air is rarefied, we'll just glide, starry eyed... once I get you up there, I'll be holding you so near, that you will hear the angels cheer, because we're together...'
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Post by kiddie on Sept 23, 2012 20:19:43 GMT
“I hardly say anythin' I don't genuinely mean,” said Finny, “Ya really do look nice, Peri. Say...why ya blushin'?”
Unlike the blundering steps of the other party goers, Finny was light on his feet. If it weren't for the squeak the dress shoes made, his steps would've been as silent as an assassins' as he glided across the floor. As Peri grasped the basic steps, Finny could afford to put more energy into his moves, twirling Peri so her gown could unfurl around her like a flower. As formal as a waltz was, Finny's light steps gave it a bright type of charisma.
Raising an eyebrow jokingly, Finny asked, “Any other evil plans I should be aware of?”
Truthfully, Peri didn't have to try to impress Phineas. By being herself, she already did.
“This place feels like it was ripped out o' a fairy tale,” he whispered, “It's like magic.”
Carefully, he guided the two of them away from the other dancers—some who were already drunk and stumbling. What good was it to have a beautiful night, shared with your special someone, if you couldn't remember any of it by morning?
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Post by [*DOC] on Sept 23, 2012 20:51:04 GMT
"Heh... no reason. Maybe the champagne's gone to my head." She dodged around the question as easily as she could, finding herself stepping into Phineas' little alterations to the routine easily, spinning out as he span her, her skirts and petticoats flying out like a rose blooming, even earning stares and hushed compliments from bystanders, wondering who on earth this bright young couple were.
"Not just yet, honey, but you know my mind, I'm an unstoppable evil genius after all~" She chuckled, following his steps, moving a little closer to him, but not close enough to interfere with their footwork, tilting her head to one side, eyes glinting.
"Are you worried about what I might do?" She smirked devilishly, watching his features for any reaction, taking a moment to read into his body language and expressions, wanting to know just what was going on in his mind.
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