Masquerade Lovers
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Masquerade
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For Clover, the week passed by in a blur. There was so much to do, so little time – and Clover could not ever remember feeling this happy, this ecstatic, this blissful. Her parents were emailed, and while her father had been shocked (at one point she overheard him yelling, "Who is the Blaine boy? How come I have never heard of him before?"), her mother, who knew more about Clover's spying career (although she never approved of it, even though she'd been recruited, along with Aunt Gabby and Aunt Carmen), was happy for her daughter.
"Imagine, in less than half a year, you'll be married! Oh, Clover darling!"
Blaine, whose parents were archaeologists and were in Africa, sent an email that, although riddled with many references to Pharaohs, Nefertiti, Isis, Anubis, Cleopatra, King Tut and the like, showed that they were truly happy that their twenty five-year old son had finally found a girl worth waiting for.
The only thing that slightly threw Clover off her happy boat was the idea of her party being done as a masquerade. Jerry had been all that was cooperative – or maybe not? Jerry was prone to reminiscing, and when he first saw her, he began, "Clover, I remember a time, when you were only sixteen years old and had just joined WOOHP. You were a spoilt, conceited, vain girl – and you still are, don't worry! (Here Clover's palms rolled into fists to prevent herself from attacking Jerry) – and now, you're a grown up woman of twenty three, in love and about to get married – excuse me," Jerry suddenly disappeared.
(Alex later told Clover that she heard from GLADIS that Jerry was bawling his eyes out in the men's bathroom, wailing and screaming almost incoherently, although GLADIS had been able to discern through Jerry's cries, a wail of, "They were so young – and now, they are so grown up! GLADIS, I feel old!")
Anyway, Jerry had the audacity to propose a masquerade! But Blaine and Alex and Sam had agreed enthusiastically to such a party, much to Clover's chagrin, so she was overruled. Anyway, it could be fun –
Scratch that. It was going to be fun. Blaine had called Clover and suggested costumes, and Clover was finally going to dress up like one of those fairytale princesses, while Blaine assumed the role of a prince. Things couldn't get better.
Besides, other people were allowed in. WOOHP had a policy of throwing several events in the year to throw people off (especially villains) from tracking the WOOHP headquarters. Posing as an elite hotel. Which was fitting actually, seeing as Mrs. Lewis thought Jerry was actually a hotel manager. And an engagement party well publicized by Clover's father was just the thing that would thicken the cover.
Clover had picked up her costume earlier that morning, along with Sam and Alex's. The girls had giggled, promising not to tell each other what their costumes were, until they came out of their respective costumes when Blaine and Alex's anonymous date picked them up in the WOOHP limos. Sam decided to go dateless.
"Who knows, Sammie?" Clover winked, causing Sam to blush red to the roots of her fiery hair. "Maybe you'll get lucky tonight. It's a full moon tonight and you know what that means."
Clover and Alex let out a wolf-howl.
Two hours later, they met at their appointed time at the living room. Clover was a vision, of course, in a sleeveless gown of ocean-blue silk shot with gold threads, and flowers were embroidered in gold at the shoulders and waist. She wore periwinkle-blue wrist-length lacy gloves and periwinkle-blue stilettos, and her mask and coronet were both gold, with blue stones that Clover suspected where sapphires highlighting the brows. The faintest scent of Ralph Lauren hung to her. Her hand, barely shoulder-length, was pinned up in a very Grace Kelly fashion, smooth and sleek and very 1950s Hollywood.
Alex's costume, however, was inspired by I Dream Of Genie, with her sleeveless, midriff-baring scarlet cotton top, also embroidered with various assorted patterns in a shade of magenta, showing of her lithe, athletic figure, that was sure to knock the pants of her date (and other men as well, for that matter), her chiffon harem pants were of the same shade of pink, and were floaty and translucent, sensual without appearing skanky. She had a mantle of sparkling red, and she was veiled, so it was difficult to see her face. She wore matching red sandals and was decked with faux rubies, making her look more like an Arabian princess from long ago than a lady of the night from a brothel.
Sam's was the plainest costume of the girls. She wore an all-white silk sleeveless gown, much like Clover's, but there was no embroidery. She had a long train, though and a deep flounce, but there was nothing ornamental on her except for a plain diamond locket in the shape of a heart she wore that she had for ages and matching bracelet and earrings (it being a gift from her paternal grandmother on her sweet sixteenth, or – as her late grandmother would say – The Day She Became A Woman) but had never had the opportunity to wear. Her mask was silver in color and so were the kitten heels she wore. Her hair was pinned up, making it look shorter than usual, and people who saw her would assume her hair was slightly below shoulder length, than up to her waist as it actually was.
They began giggling in excitement (some things you never outgrew) and amidst phrases such as, "You look so totally amazing!", "I don't believe it!", "Are you sure you don't want a less plain dress? I have extras!" and "Careful, you'll tear the costume!" the doorbell rang, and Blaine and Alex's date were in awe of the vision they made. Conversation ran rampant among the two pairs of lovers (although no one except for Alex seemed to know the true identity of her date – but that didn't matter, because he was pretty interesting and seemed like a great catch for Alex), where Blaine was dressed as a prince, with the white shirt and dark blue pantaloons, and a gold coronet and mask with blue stones (faux sapphire like Clover's, perhaps, Sam thought), and Alex's date, who she did not recognize and didn't believe she knew him (although his voice did sound familiar), dressed as an Indian rajah of white and purple, with a matching mask.
It did not end at the party, where the two couples went off on their own respective ways; Blaine and Clover in the spotlight, and Alex and her Anonymous Date at the sidelines. Sam briefly wished that she had not forsaken a social life in order to study so much, but the thought briefly passed. Somehow, she knew, if she were to find The One anytime soon, it would be tonight.
She headed to the top of the roof, where there was a beautiful garden decorated with plants and several large wooden benches (instead of the helicopter pad that Sam had always seen there, remembering that for today WOOHP headquarters was an elite hotel). She could see the moon, large and opaque, from the top of the WOOHP building. Already looking at it gave her a courage and recklessness she had never felt before, and suddenly, more than ever, the moon seemed to give the night an aura of mystery. It could be that somewhere, there was someone, feeling as lost as she did, but as reckless and willing as well, something that she'd never felt before.
"A night like this could encourage moon madness," she mused, more to herself than anyone.
"It is a dangerous night for lovers," a voice agreed. Sam spun around, she had not been aware that anyone had been near her, but already the moon was invading her senses, numbing them, making her blissfully unaware and dreamy.
She'd never felt like this before.
The speaker of the voice was male. And tall, definitely tall. His features were not discernible in the moonlight, however bright it was, but it was obvious that he was handsome, from his brown hair and fascinating eyes; suddenly, it didn't really matter to Sam. He was dressed in black, as a domino, which would have looked ridiculous but on him lent him an air of mystery and was so intoxicating to a moon-drunk Sam.
"Is it now?" Sam began to tremble violently. She tended to do that when nervous sometimes when she was younger. She'd thought she'd grown out of it, but apparently she had not.
"Who are you?"
"Does it matter?" He looked away from her. Her trembling, however, made him look up. "You're cold."
"No, it's only –"
He laughed gently. Again, Sam had a distinct feeling that she knew him, but shook off the feeling. "I suppose you are as much affected by the moon as I am. Tell me, what's a beautiful girl like you doing outside on a cold, lonely night like this?"
Sam's porcelain skin betrayed her, by blushing profusely. "Oh, I don't know about beautiful –"
"Divine, perhaps? Before I lifted your chin up I assumed you were corporeal."
Sam laughed nervously. "I'm very much real, I assure you."
"But you are not Beatrice, leading me to the inferno?"
"I am no Beatrice."
"No, you must be Psyche, for I am no Dante."
"Do you assume to be Eros? Like Cupid, reigning as the God of Love?"
"With all his power he fell in love with Psyche, one of the most beautiful among mortals. Like Eros, I foresee you shall be my downfall."
"Or shall you be mine? Aphrodite had separated those two lovers," Sam replied. What on Earth possessed her to answer back in such a coy manner? It must be the moon, she mused.
"But they were reunited at Mount Olympus, to live happily ever after," the man said, as he drew nearer to Sam and caressed her cheek. His touch sent shivers up her spine. She drew away.
"Do you draw away because you are afraid of this?" He smiled, as his fingers lightly grazed her arm. Sam withdrew it from his grasp. He smiled in understanding. He took her arms in a firm grip and drew her closer, whispering in her ear:
"Do not be afraid of the rapidity with which this has happened. Le coeur a ses raisons, que la raison ne connaît point."
Stunned at his close proximity, Sam said nothing, although her lips were slightly parted. She understood what he had said; it was, after all, a famous quote. She'd studied Pascal before: The heart has its own logic which no logician will ever comprehend.
"Sit down," he said, motioning to the bench. Her body, as though acting with a will of its own, moved near to the man. He smiled faintly at her compliance.
He began to talk about the most ordinary of things, and she replied in the same manner, gradually relaxing in this more casual conversation, instead of the smoky parallels of before. She saw he was educated, he saw she was intelligent. They ceased to look away from each other, at the moon, and at each other. They spoke for a very long time. Sam somehow felt at ease with him. She instinctively trusted him, although she could not fathom why.
It was when they stopped speaking and looked at each other that Sam realized he was holding her hands. There was a silence, and then he lowered down and kissed her, in a mind-shattering kiss that shook Sam to the core.
"I have never done this before," she managed to say, gasping when he parted. She was dizzy, and somehow excited. She did not know why, but she felt a connection with this man, a strong attachment, that if she were less cautious, she would have called it love, had it not been so sudden and so soon.
His lips formed a faint smile. "Whoever you are," he said, lowering down for another kiss, "If you knew who I was, I doubt you would do anything of this sort with me."
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Author's Note
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Longer than usual chapter, but oh-so-sexy! My favorite, so far. You can probably guess who the domino is. May be a little OOC, but hey, Sam doesn't know who he is.
Ooh, I just love it myself.
Enjoy, read and review,
lianneharmony
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References
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This whole chapter was inspired by a scene in August Rush. Watch it. Enough said. Except Sam and the mystery guy weren't wearing masks, of course. Clover's line is almost a direct quote from the movie. This line was also adapted for the story:
"It's a full moon tonight and you know what that means."
"Do not be afraid of the rapidity with which this has happened…"
The above quote by mystery guy was borrowed from The Fortescue Diamond. I've forgotten the writer. It is a Regency romance, and also takes place in a masquerade.
"Le coeur a ses raisons, que la raison ne connaît point."
This was a quote by Blaise Pascal. It translates to: The heart has its own logic which no logician will ever comprehend.
Grace Kelly is real. An American actress-turned-Princess of Monaco. She makes us believe in fairytales.
Dante and Beatrice. Dante had created a famous work of art/literature involving a girl named Beatrice who he fell in love with. I can't remember the exact name though, sorry. Wikipedia it, though. It's pretty interesting. Darn my short-term memory!
Eros and Psyche. Eros is the Greek God of Love, better known by his Roman name, Cupid. He was the son of Aphrodite (Venus), and grazed himself with his own arrows when he fell in love with Psyche, who Aphrodite hated, because her parents had claimed Psyche's beauty surpassed that of Aphrodite. Wikipedia it to find out what happened. It's an important theme of the story. :)
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Shoutouts
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Thanks go to Poison's Ivy, Cresenta's Lark, BloodyRen, Redheaded Devil and Beth for reviewing! You guys = awesome! Hope you guys liked this chapter!