[center][img]http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/o620/Vicier/Vicier%20-%20OUAT%20RP%20-%20Characters/Viciers%20Character%20Gifs/Colab-Post%20Gifs/Pinnochio%20-%20Gif_zpsry5fcwbw.gif[/img][img]http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/o620/Vicier/Vicier%20-%20OUAT%20RP%20-%20Characters/Viciers%20Character%20Gifs/Colab-Post%20Gifs/Dominic%20Greyjoy%20-%20Gif_zpsdtk3fedr.gif[/img][img]http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/o620/Vicier/Vicier%20-%20OUAT%20RP%20-%20Characters/Viciers%20Character%20Gifs/Colab-Post%20Gifs/Elsaacute%20Driacutefta%20Bryndiacutes%20-%20Gif_zpsgn3snuiu.gif[/img]
[h1][color=BurlyWood]Alan Woodard[/color], [color=OliveDrab]Dominic Greyjoy[/color] and [color=MediumTurquoise]Eliza Brie[/color][/h1]
[h3]Present Day ~ Earth ~ Lake Tahoe[/h3][/center]

[i][b][h3]Previously...[/h3][/b][/i]

[i][b]Nodding her head in thanks to the DJ as he passed her the microphone Eliza slowly glanced at the people that stood surrounding her, the nervous knot that had seemed to form in her stomach tightening with every moment that passed her by, her feet slowly carrying her away from the DJ as she moved into her position in the very center of the room, a small and obviously hesitant smile replacing the one that she had moments earlier.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen... As you all know, my name is Eliza Brie, and on behalf of my father I would like to give a very warm welcome to all of you here tonight, as we celebrate what looks to be another successful Snowfest!" Pausing for a few moments she closed her eyes, giving herself time to take a deep breath before she opened them once more so that she could continue, the young woman's smile becoming less forced as she relaxed herself, "Tonight is sure to be... an exceptional evening - and I am so glad that so many special people have been able to join us here this evening; you all look so great. As always, to our absent friends - we will dearly miss you here. However, tonight is all about celebrating! Tonight is supposed to be one of those wondrous nights! So let's capture some magical moments, let's create many happy memories... and more importantly, let's surround ourselves with laughter and friendship as we celebrate this special occasion together. So please, have fun, mingle and enjoy your evening..! Remember, tonight is just the beginning of something bigger."[/b][/i]

[center]-------[/center]

Blushing lightly as the crowd around the room began to applaud her lightly, Eliza once more gathered up the bottom of her dress, lifting it up and only just off the ground as she made her way back over to the DJ's table, the young woman sure to hand the microphone back to him before she did anything else. One of two major things down; she had managed to get up and speak in front of everyone without her nerves getting the better of her, now if her luck only continued and no one asked too many questions, then there would be no need for her to do the second thing that had been helping to cause the nervous knot that was both unwanted and occupying her stomach...

Keeping her head down slightly as she walked, Eliza quickly made her way back over to where she had left Alan standing on his own, a small and warm smile returning to her lips as she lifted her gaze back up to meet with his, her free hand dropping the hold she had on her skirt and instead reaching out so that she could take hold of his hand, her face scrunching up and her shoulders hunching slightly as she finally came to a stop in front of him, her eyes searching his for some sort of answer before she had even gotten the question out, "So... Let me hear it... how bad was I really..?"

Not particularly paying attention to anything with purpose, Alan's attention was pulled from the twins who had taken off shortly after Eliza had left to go do her speech. From what he could gather, the darker-haired one of the two (Sebastian, if he recalled correctly from Dominic's files) was wandering around in search of something to do while the other one followed to make sure he wasn't getting into anything that might cause trouble. So long as they weren't over here trying to mosey in on his girl again.

Wait... [i]his[/i] girl? He was only in this for one thing... and now that he knew what he knew... was that even a possibility anymore? His stomach twisted into more uncomfortable knots as he looked back to Eliza, listening to her ask if she was okay with her speech or not. In truth, he sort of tuned the whole thing out; his mind being... elsewhere.

Regardless, he straightened up his posture and faced Eliza entirely, squaring his shoulders and gave her a series of small nods, trying to comfort her in whatever way he could.

"You did fine, Eliza. Really."

Unable to help herself as she let a bright smile cross over her lips, her features lighting up at his words and relief washing over her, helping to ease the nervous knot that was still in her stomach even if just a little. Squeezing his hands lightly in her own, she took a step closer to him, closing the gap just a little so that their bodies were pressing lightly against each other, her head tilting ever so slightly as she leant in pressing her lips against his, allowing them to linger there for what felt like a lifetime before she finally pulled away, leaving only inches between their faces, "Thanks, it means a lot coming from you. I was so nervous... I thought I was going to screw it all up... I'm so glad that I managed to do okay though."

Twisting her hands slightly in his, Eliza's expression softened as she entwined their fingers with one another, her thumbs gently brushing back and forth over the pads of his own thumbs, her eyes soft as she closed the gap once more, her lips once again pressing softly against his in a gentle kiss.

Standing on the sidelines of the audience during Eliza's small speech, Dominic joined in with the rest of the applause with a wide, hearty grin on his face, clearly pleased with her words. 

By the time his hawk-like gaze had caught onto her getting rather [i]personal[/i] with Pinocchio, however, Dominic felt a somewhat protective urge well inside him as he strode towards the duo, unable or unwilling to hide the almost soldierly gait he moved in. 

Stopping just mere feet away from the both of them, Dominic rather not-so-subtly cleared his throat, trying to alert them to his presence. 

Alan had kissed her back, though his heart wasn't entirely into it; his mind elsewhere thinking about a whole slew of things he wouldn't have ever thought of before... all because now he knew who she was. Hearing a not-so-subtle throat-clearing, Alan pulled himself away from Eliza slightly, his blue eyes happening on Dominic and gave him a half-hearted grin coupled with a light shrug, though subtle enough that Eliza wouldn't have caught on that he and Dominic already knew one another. That wouldn't exactly be easy to explain right now...

Turning around as she heard someone clearing their throat behind her, Eliza lifted her fingers up to her lips, checking to make sure her lipstick was okay before her gaze came to a stop on Dominic standing not too far away from them, his gaze causing her cheeks to turn a light shade of red as she shifted uncomfortably on the spot, always having hated it when he looked at her like she had done, or was about to do something he didn't like, "So, uh... Uncle Dom... what did you think of the speech..?"

Raising a somewhat bushy eyebrow at both their reactions, letting a single hand rest inside his coat pocket. 

"Hm? Oh, yes, marvelous speech." He said firstly, letting a small smile cross his scruffy features, though he kept a rather pointed gaze at Alan, a definite stiffness to his posture saying that something -- or someone -- was bothering him. 

"You know, that friend, Jaidyn of yours. Incredibly polite young man....he should come up more often." Dominic then declared, his words sounding conversational and non-hostile, though that hardened gaze never left his eyes.

"Huh..? Oh, Jaidyn? Yeah, he's a great friend, we see each other quite a bit actually, especially during our competition seasons. Our sponsors like to encourage us meeting up with others who are like us and are around our age, so they arrange all these parties and events for us." Doing her best to ignore the look that her uncle was giving the both of them, Eliza leant herself back into Alan's arms, her gaze flicking over to where she could see Jaidyn and Sebastian standing and conversing with one another, though what about she couldn't even begin to know.

"We're both quite busy during the year, him especially, so he doesn't get the luxury of coming up here too often. And when he does, the three of us try and have as much fun on the slopes as possible before he has to leave again." Smiling sweetly as she watched them for just a few more moments, she turned her attention back to Dominic in front of her, her head tilting slightly as she brought he hands together in front of her, "Uncle Dom, I'd like you to meet someone. This is my boyfriend; Alan Woodard, the guy I was telling you about earlier. Alan, this is my uncle; Dominic."

Raising both eyebrows and pressing his lips together in what was supposed to be a half-assed, forced smile, Alan inclined his head towards Dominic in a gestured nod of hello. As if things couldn't get any more awkward around here. He hadn't missed the way Dominic had been looking at him, nor the conversation Dominic seemed intent on discussing - he was trying to get Eliza to notice someone else... [i]anyone[/i] else except for him. It made sense really, should Alan had been in Dominic's shoes, he couldn't say that he wouldn't do the same thing. Dominic knew who he was... who he [i]really[/i] was. A relationship with a piece of talking wood was no good for a Princess, and they both knew it. So the raise in eyebrows and the quirky, pressed smile was more than just an awkward way to say 'how do you do?' It was a look of understanding that went far beyond 'I know' in response to what Alan was sure  Dominic was thinking. But, to keep up appearances...

"A pleasure to meet you Uncle Dominic. I have learned [i]so much[/i] about you! [i]Quite[/i] recently, in fact." Alan said, sticking out a hand for Dominic to shake.

"Yes, of course..." Dominic replied in a tone that was less-than-certain as he took Alan's hand in his own, giving a firm shake though half of his mind was intent on strangling him instead. 

"Eliza's kept your identity much of a surprise, I must say." The grizzled man added on in a forced tone, managing a smile. 

"How long have you been seeing my niece, then?" He asked in a tone that almost fit an interrogator as his solid gaze never left Alan, receding both hands into his coat pockets. 

"Not long actually..." Alan stated nonchalantly, drawing back his own hand to stuff inside the pocket of his (very uncomfortable) dress slacks. "You see, I'm not [i]from here[/i], was doing a bit of vacationing and bumped into her by accident but uh, we'll figure out the details later..."

"Well...I've certainly hope you have good intentions, Mr. Woodard....I find that the best traits in a man are: selflessness, bravery, and truthfulness. My niece is smart...I'm certain she's chosen you for such traits." Dominic replied in a tone that was perhaps more forced than necessary, echoing the three traits that kept reappearing all throughout the tale of Pinocchio, a sort of bitter irony in how he spoke the words. 

Alan's jaw tightened immensely, those three words sending his mind into a spiral of self-loathing, bringing him back to the initial point of where all this started. With a bottle of Vodka in the park, thinking back on home.

Shifting slightly, Eliza let her gaze flick back and forth between the two of them as they spoke, the tension was clear... settling around them... thick enough that she could probably cut straight through it with a knife. There was no way she could let it go on, if she did, who knew how much more uncomfortable things were going to get between the three of them. Lifting her hand up, she cleared her throat quietly, her gaze dropping down for only a moment before she lifted her eyes up to meet with that of her uncle.

"Uncle Dom... you flatter me. I'm not as smart as you give me credit for, but I thank you for the compliment under the circumstances." Lifting her hand up, Eliza let her finger lightly brush at her lips for a moment, making sure that her lipstick was still okay, though it was more because she was getting nervous with how things were going, "I'm with him because he makes me smile... he makes me laugh, and feel special... he makes me feel wanted, and loved. And for that I can't thank him enough, though I can only hope that I make him feel the same way, as he makes me feel."

"Hmm?" Alan shifted, coming out of his dark fog of thoughts and giving Eliza his attention again. She had asked him something, or, at least said something to him. Of what, he wasn't sure, so he simply nodded his head a few times and replied with a practiced fake smile, "Yes, of course."

Dominic nodded slowly at Eliza's resolve, though he still seemed slightly unconvinced. "Well, don't leave it to me to ruin a good relationship." He said with a small forced half-smile (he was never one for acting or subterfuge). 

"So, Mr. Woodard...when did you first come to Lake Tahoe. I've heard you're performing magic up in the ski lodge, correct?" He asked next, apparently testing (or taunting) the young man on his cover story for the time being. 

"I've been here for about a week." Alan replied, giving Dominic a nod to accentuate his words which, for the most part, he was relieved to be able to start speaking straight truths again. "I'm a street performer, thought that a place like this could benefit a little bit from what I do. Though, I didn't come here to show off magic tricks - that was just a bonus. I needed some time away from New York, so like anyone else who visits Lake Tahoe, I'm here for the vacation."

"I'm sure such a vocation keeps you on your feet often. Very interesting...." Dominic replied with a slow nodding of his head before turning his solid gaze onto Eliza. "I'm sorry to separate you two, but I'd like to steal Eliza away for a few minutes, if you please." He said next, casting a brief glance in Alan's direction. 

“Of course…” Turning her body slightly so that she was facing Alan, Eliza lifted up on the balls of her feet, her lips pressing softly against his for only a moment before she pulled away again. She was in trouble, or at least, she could tell straight out that her uncle didn’t approve of her choice in boyfriend…

“I… shouldn’t be too long. Wait here for me..?” Sighing softly, Eliza turned around and began to walk, gesturing for Dom to lead the way so that she could follow along behind him, the young woman shooting a small and apologetic smile back over her shoulder at Alan before giving her uncle her full attention, “Okay… so what have I done wrong now..?”

Taking a moment, Dominic brought his hand up to his mouth, clearing his throat briefly before looking down at his niece. 

"Listen....I know I'm not around much....you only see me a couple times a year if I manage to even get longer than an overnight trip. But of all the nice boys to find around here who would [i]certainly[/i] love a girl like you -- why him?" Dominic asked with slightly furrowed eyebrows, planting both hands in his trouser pockets. 

Pursing her lips slightly, Eliza dropped her gaze down to her hands as she brought them up in front of her body, watching her fingers playing with themselves as she ran through his question in her mind. She knew it was going to be something like this… she didn’t even know why it was that she thought it could have been about any other subject. Of course he was going to question her about [i]why[/i] she liked Alan… at least until he was happy with the answer.

“I already told you... He makes me laugh; I’m always smiling whenever we’re together… He’s sweet, and charming, and gentle- he doesn’t push me into doing things I’m not comfortable doing.” Unable to help the small smile that crossed her lips, her cheeks turned a light shade of pink at her words, adding to the color that was already there, “He makes me feel special, almost like I’m a Princess… like I’m [i]his[/i] Princess... Uncle, I’ve never felt like this towards anyone before; don’t get me wrong, I know it’s stupid- I mean we only just met, but... Forget it, I’m being a moron, things like love at first sight don’t exist…”

"Eliza I've been around a while. Wandered by myself, seen a lot of things....boys like that...more likely than not only want you for sex. It's a harsh reality we live in these days, but that's the way it is. I know how he makes you feel: like you're the one, like you're the most important girl in the world to him....but they don't know commitment. They're like fire...warm and inviting, a comfort, but get too close and you'll burn yourself." Dominic explained in a clearly pained voice, appearing to age before her as he let the blunt words hit her. It was at moments like these where he truly began to look older than he was: his face marked with various stress-wrinkles and subtle scarring, flecks of gray in his shaggy mane of brown hair, and eyes that simply looked....[i]tired[/i]. Constantly weary, as though they had seen enough to close now and not open again. 

“No…” She didn’t want to hear this… He was wrong about Alan, it was as simple as that… he didn’t know what was going on between the two of them, he was never around long enough to even talk to her about guys, and now all of a sudden he wasn’t approving of the guy that she had chosen… Shaking her head, Eliza unconsciously lifted her hand up to her neck, holding softly onto the wooden pendant of the necklace that Alan had given her earlier when the two of them had been getting ready. That there was proof that her uncle was wrong…

“No, you’re wrong about him. You don’t even know him, so what right do you have to judge him in the way that you are… He may have hinted that he's interested in that sort of thing, and I understand that... he's a guy, but he has never pushed me, he’s respected my boundaries, and he’s shown me nothing but love and kindness…” Raising her eyebrows slightly, she leant her weight over her right hip, her head tilting only slightly as she looked at him questioningly, wondering why he thought he had the right to say what it was he was saying, to judge her choices the way that he was, “I’m sorry, that doesn’t sound like a sleaze to me uncle Dom…”

"No....no I don't know him. But I know his type, Eliza. You're a smart girl....don't let that smile trick you, you'll only end up hurt that way. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not the day after or even a week from now. But if you're not careful, he will." Dominic added in a somewhat stern but not hostile tone, adopting a posture similar to that of a soldier. 

“Heh… I seriously can’t believe that you’re doing this to me… God, I was stupid…” Closing her eyes as she dropped her head slightly, Eliza let go of the pendant, her head shaking lightly from side to side as she thought about how much of an idiot she really was, “Why can’t you just be happy for me..! I have a boyfriend- my [i]first[/i] boyfriend… I thought that out of everyone, you would be supportive of me, that you would respect my choices… But now I can see that I was a moron to think that…”

Letting out a heavy breath, Dominic's rather stoic exterior didn't fade at her words, though a slight twitch of his lips was all she needed to see to tell her words had affected him. 

"All I want....all I've [i]ever[/i] wanted is what's best for you." He said on a final note, clasping her shoulder once more before turning and walking off towards the larger swell of the crowd. 

“And how would you know what’s best for me… you’re never here…” Not bothering to wait for a response from him, Eliza turned on her heel, wandering back through the crowd until she was once more standing by Alan’s side, a small and forced smile crossing over her lips as she reached out hugging his arm lightly. This was where she wanted to be, she had made that choice a couple of nights ago when she had first gone out with him, and now people were just going to have to respect her decisions, if they didn’t… well, that was their own fault…

Closing her eyes slowly, Eliza tilted her head so that it was resting lightly against Alan’s shoulder, her grip tightening around his arm ever so slightly. She was tired, already… the party had barely even begun, she had barely even socialized with the other guests in the room, and honestly, she was in doubt that she ever would. The night was just beginning, and she was already wishing that it was over…