maskormenacelogs | Winter Gala

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Winter Gala

WHO: Everyone
WHERE: Jeopardy
WHEN: Saturday, December 21 from 5:00 p.m. onward into the early morning hours of Sunday, December 22.
WHAT: The Winter Gala Fundraiser for Jeopardy Relief Efforts
WARNINGS: Please include any necessary warnings in your TLs.
NOTES: This post will serve as a catch-all for logs for the entire event (though you’re also welcome to post things elsewhere, of course).

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Well, mostly. In the wake of a near-apocalyptic event, the city of Jeopardy is in need. What started out as an idea to advertise Rikki Chadwick's burgeoning business, after a little more planning and nabbing some ideas from Kenzi's post, she and Rupert have reconfigured and rebranded their idea to focus less on her and more on the relief effort.

Characters will enter the venue after giving a small donation at the door and they will be greeted by a large room lit in blues, soft pinks, and purples. From the ceilings hang snowflakes made of glass. The centerpieces are also made of glass. Come to think of it, nearly all the decorations are made of glass. Except, that is, the mistletoe hanging from several of the rafters and archways. A buffet-style dinner will be served from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at which point, the buffet tables and seating tables will be cleared away to make room for the makeshift stage for the DJ and a gigantic dance floor.

Drinks will be flowing, music will be playing, and people will be bidding on silent auctions to win everything from one of the centerpieces to a date with their favorite imPort and everything in between. So, eat, drink, and be merry until you can't stay awake any longer. Why not? It's all for a good cause, after all.

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[ That choked moan was like a sledgehammer to the chest, and Poe groaned into the kiss as he deepened it. He felt like he was giving in to an addiction he’d avoided for almost two years—

He didn’t come up for air until his lungs forced him too, and finally pulled back, his face flushed and his lips reddened, breathing a little hard. ]

... Onay, now we can do cake, [ He suggested, though he didn’t actually move in that direction or let go of Finn’s arm. ]

[ When Poe broke away, Finn practically gasped for breath, having never been kissed like that before and not fully prepared for it. Then he remembered where they were and what they were doing- ]

Cake. [ Honestly, he was just repeating the last word he heard, eyes down at Poe's lips and hand moving through Poe's soft, previously-well-styled hair. ] You sure he's okay with this?

[ Because Finn had decided that if he was going to be a little stupid, then he might as well go full stupid and stop pretending he didn't want to do this. ]

[ Dammit he loved when people played with his hair, but he tried not to show it. ]

Yeah. [ He turned his head, eyes scanning the room. ]

Though he may be here somewhere taking notes on technique, so, hope you don’t mind being a figure in a diagram at some point.

[ It was a joke. Just. Also probably a true one. He wet his lips and looked back at him. ]

I double checked. Told him some people would feel really bad seeing their partner kiss someone else, but uh- he just said to go ahead. You can talk to him yourself if you want.

[ Finn probably should go and talk to 622, double-check with him personally. These kinds of feelings were complicated, but, then again, 622 wasn't the complicated kind of guy.

If Finn didn't trust Poe so much then maybe he would have dropped everything here and done just that. He was going to have to do it later, anyway. ]

I will.

[ But right now, he just leaned in a little slower and gently kissed Poe's lips, a little bit of a continuation from before. Also, this is the first kiss he actually initiated so hopefully it's good.

Wow, he was going to feel terrible tomorrow. ]

I mean, you could also kiss him if you—

[ He hadn’t been expecting the kiss, and so Finn’s lips silenced him mid sentence, Poe’s heart thumping in his chest.

It was so slow and sweet that it was nearly heartbreaking, and Poe’s eyes fluttered shut before he could quite gather himself to respond, leaning in a little just to tease that kiss a fraction deeper.

He hadn’t been lying when he said he could do this all night, even if he was starting to realize that this was just some new and exquisite version of self torture. ]

[ Finn had never considered kissing 622 before, not that he considered the idea with many people at all. To be honest, he wasn't really considering right now, either. Poe bringing it up was a thought for another time.

Even so, he didn't stay long, well aware that they had been putting on a show. They weren't even well hidden in this archway. While maybe he hadn't considered that with all the other things they had gotten up to, this one somehow felt a lot more private.

Which meant it was probably crossing a line. There had to be a line somewhere, right? For him, this was never just kissing but it was getting less and less obvious now, so-

So Finn gently pulled away and tried to breathe. ]

... Maybe cake's a good idea now.

[ This- He had to put a stop to this somewhere. ]

[ He wet his lips, glancing over Finn’s face and considering his protest. If this was all he got—-

Ugh, he was being selfish as hell. ]

Yeah, [ He agreed after a moment, the reluctance heavy in his low voice. ]

Cake is probably good.

[ Yeah, Finn heard it... But it wasn't just about reluctance.

Finn bit his lip lightly, his fingers curling inward from behind Poe's neck. When he spoke, it was soft and quiet, just for them. Though, he couldn't exactly look him in the eye. ]

I do love you. [ He said it before, almost word for word, but it seemed more difficult this time. ] That's why we probably... shouldn't... It's not you or this, it's just-... It just is.

[ This time it hurt, a wealth of guilt flooding through him, about a hundred different things. Guilty for his feelings. Guilty for his relationship. Guilty for his ex relationship. Guilty for not being a good enough man to separate them both, to keep himself from hurting anyone—. ]

... Yeah.

[ The word had to grind itself out of his throat, past his misery.

He wanted to say it back. Wanted to say I love you too, so desperately. But he couldn’t decide if it was crueler to say it or crueler to not. So instead: ]

... I’m sorry.

[ O-Oh... Finn's empathy power seemed to be working fine, so much so that he had to swallow and get it under control before he had to fight back tears. He hadn't meant to do this. This was the opposite that he meant to do.

But really, what did he expect for saying something like that? ]

No, I- I shouldn't have said anything. [ His arm moved away from around Poe's shoulders, hand sliding down his arm and not actually letting go. ] I didn't have to kiss you, you know. I wanted to. I just know that-... [ Maybe don't finish that thought. ]

I just wanted you to know. [ To hopefully soften the blow of all this stupidity, he leaned forward and pressed another kiss to Poe's temple and pulled away with a soft smile. Because a part of him was happy that they still had this. ] Maybe meet me under the mistletoe again next year?

[ Next year. He couldn't help the feeling that Finn wouldn't be here, next year. After all, hadn't he been here about as long now the second time as he had the first time? ]

It's okay, Finn. [ He murmured lowly, offering a small smile. ] I know.

[ He squeezed Finn's arm, leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek, and stepped back - trying not to look like he felt he just set one of his closest friendships on fire. ]

Sure. Sounds good.

[ If either of them made it that long. ]

... Good.

[ Poe still didn't seem okay, but maybe only time could really help with that. Finn didn't want things to change between them and had no intention of seeing that happen.

Though he should probably go find 622, he also wasn't keen on leaving Poe yet. ]

Can I get you a drink? Maybe that cake you've been talking about?

[ Pretending that everything's normal and fine. He can do that. ]

Yeah, sure. Cake sounds good. [ He squeezed Finn's arm one last time and then released him, stepping away from under the mistletoe and towards the party. ]

No drink, though, unless they've got some decent virgin cocktails somewhere.

I can't imagine they wouldn't.

[ Just have to fight through the misery and awkwardness, and hope that they get back to something that's their normal. But as far as alcohol goes, Finn could probably use another and save his thoughts for the next morning.

So he followed Poe out to the party, trying to act as if nothing had just shifted drastically between them. ]

[ Great. Good job, Poe. Just had to make everything super awkward, didn't you. Just had to take a fucking highlighter to everything that had been happily staying deep under the surface for a year. Great. Fantastic. Wonderful. Super smart. ]

Have you ever gone skating?

[ Is the dumb thing that managed to come out of his mouth just before they reach the bar. ]

[ Finn turned to him with a blank, confused look before deciding that he should be happy about Poe leaping on to another subject so fast. So he gave a tiny smile, continuing his mission to sidle up to the bar. ]

No, I haven't. You?

Grew up in a jungle, [ Poe reminded him, inordinately thankful that Finn let him change the subject. ] So no. Never skated.

But I've, uh, been meaning to try it here anyway. Will probably see me land on my ass, but if you don't mind that--

I definitely don't mind. [ It's sure to distract them. Maybe, hopefully, probably not. ]

Might mess up that nice suit. [ Wait, are compliments okay? DEFLECT. ] I'll try it, too. Sounds fun.

Don't think there's a rink here, but, they've got a bunch of those outdoor ones, so...

[ He trails off a little awkwardly, rubbing his head. ]

You know, whenever, I just thought it might be fun.

[ Cool, Poe, you're handling this whole thing super well. ]

[ If they hadn't already made plans for a concert, Finn would suggest they do that on their date... Then again, he'd remember the whole date thing and not say it at all. ]

No, it really does sound fun. I'd like to try it. I want to try everything.

[ ... Did they just make out and plan for two dates in as many hours? ]

When were you, uh-... I mean, if you wanted company, at all. That's fine, too.

Yeah, of course I do, I wouldn't have mentioned it otherwise.

[ Was this a desperate bid to prove that everything was fine and that they'd still be hanging out after tonight? Yes. Yes, yes it was. ]

Oh, here we go. Cake. You want a corner piece, or--

The corner's fine.

[ At least, Finn had no doubts that they'd still hang out after what had just happened. As awkward as it was, they couldn't put everything on hold after that, especially since it didn't happen the last time some of these things came to light. He'd learned his lesson then. ]

Thanks, Poe.

[ He hadn't been handed a piece yet or anything. He was just grateful. Again. Perpetually. ]

Just means you get some extra icing.

[ He wasn't sure what Finn was thanking him for, this time - especially since he felt like he should be apologizing to Finn rather than the other man being grateful - but he wasn't going to question it out loud.

He cut the piece - a little haphazardly at first but managing in the end - and then held it out for Finn. ]

There you go. Looks good.

Thanks. [ Again, but said this time with a tiny smile.

Though, he was really hoping that awkward, fumbling atmosphere was going to drop soon. He just didn't know how to help it. Being blunt hadn't been the right call, ignoring hasn't worked so far...

He ate the cake in silence but at least kept up his sincere smile to Poe. ]

[ He cut himself a piece, and yeah, this was awkward. This was very awkward. But Finn's little smile managed to melt something inside of him, and he offered a smile back, quiet and fond. He let the silence settle between them as they ate cake, and then once he was done he set the plate down. ]

I'm gonna mingle a bit, [ He said, but before Finn could assume he was running away (which he was a little), he stepped closer and pressed a quick kiss to Finn's temple. ]

Come find me if you need a ride home, alright?

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hatejakku - 2019-12-27 23:30 (UTC) - Expand

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