[center][@Mae][/center]
  Music and golden light swirled about them in a gauzy haze as the orchestra spun an intricate waltz into being, the richness and elegance of tones pairing beautifully with the subtle sound of silks whispering against the marbled floor. 
  Conversation amongst the mingling crowd hushed, inexplicably reluctant to interrupt the beauty of the music and the dance, content to put aside meaningless words and observe the enchanting scene as it was painted before them, couples spinning and weaving in pursuit of invisible guides. 

  As a strong guiding arm curved around her waist Skylar's eyes drifted closed and she breathed the music in, feeling it seep through every part of her being and allowing her subconscious to respond, quieting the inner voice that demanded to be in charge and instead allowing herself to yield to her partner's every move.  
  It was one of the hardest lessons a person had to learn, and though she might have trouble trusting other people to lead in day to day situations, this was one area Skylar excelled at it. After many failures she had finally understood that to truly complement and give life to the pure, untainted nature of any dance, to tell a story and to move as one being instead of two, she had to yield to the wishes and guidance of her partner. Poignant drama was very different from the jarring conflict that was brought on by an unspoken fight for control. One brought breathless exhilaration, the other only managed to create ugliness and twisted interpretation.

  A soft breath escaped her lips as silvery-green eyes fluttered open once more, their steps matching with such accurate, fluid precision it was as though they had followed this melody many times before. 
He moved unlike any other she'd seen, so graceful and powerful, an air of assured authority and not even a hint of a misstep. 
  She had a brief, fleeting urge to glance down just to make certain his feet were in fact touching the floor and not skimming above it, but she couldn't, having instead become captivated by the eyes that still hid faintly behind the slanting shadow of his mask. 

  Light and shadow played together in a dance of their own, effectively concealing the expression within the depths of his gaze. All tricks of light and the intended purpose of a night of such mystery.
Even so she felt there was more to him than a businessman or investor dressing up for an evening of intrigue and lavish displays. There was a subtle intensity she could feel resonating from somewhere deep inside him. In the way he held himself. The way he moved. Even the way his gloved fingers curled lightly around her hand. 

[center]It was probably just the mask.[/center]
A person felt wondrously daring when their mundane existence was hidden with whim and fancy, tucked away behind glittering masks and false personas. 
Still, she had to admit even the falseness of his assumed guise seemed to compliment him in a strange way. He fit this atmosphere, as though he was far more suited to this setting than he would be in the ordinary day to day happenings of life. 

[center]But then that was the point.[/center]  

  In the normal world, if they had passed each other in the street there was a good probability that they would not have given each other a second glance. But here, swathed in the glamour of the evening they could be whoever they wanted, enjoying the company of complete strangers with an intimacy that held no strings and no consequences, for at the end of the night they would all part ways and most likely never see each other again. 

They had drifted into another waltz before either of them spoke, lost in their own thoughts or simply enjoying the dance and what the evening might bring. 

  "You dance divinely," It was not a compliment Skylar had ever expressed, but then she had never danced with one so accomplished before, and felt the need to give due recognition. No doubt he had spent long hard hours perfecting his technique. Either that or he was one of the rare few who were born with such a gift. 
  "In this day and age so many things are becoming a lost art form, it is refreshing to see some of them have not died off entirely yet." 
She felt horribly formal and out of character, but it wasn't the easiest thing to start up a conversation with a complete stranger, even if you were supposed to be pretending to be someone else yourself. Plus, a little voice in the back of her mind kept whispering she must be careful or she would give herself away as the fraud she was and be thrown out in due course.
What fun would that be when the evening had only just begun? 

  A few seconds later their personal space, and any following conversation, was invaded as another couple misjudged their distance and crashed into Skylar and the tall gentleman before either could correct their path. 
The rest of the revelers spun around them, undisturbed by the ordeal and simply widening their steps to avoid any chance of becoming entangled in the mess. 

  "Bloody rotten form! You aren't the only two rotters in the whole bloody room, watch where you're going!"
  A string of irritated words, punctured with a painfully fake British accent, began to stream from the bearded man as he scraped himself off the floor, neck flushing red with an instant, unreasonable wave of anger toward a situation that had been his own fault.  
  His words were crisp enough, and he did not yet give off the stench of over indulgence, but it was clear by the vaguely glassy expression in his eyes that the man had already had one too many of the complimentary beverages offered in the refreshment area. His partner was left to pick herself up, and once she'd brushed a few wrinkles from her gown she slipped off to find someone more genteel to spend the evening with, shooting a look of disgust at his back before disappearing into the crowd without a word to any of them. 

  He seemed content to blast the pair with unreasonable accusations, but when no apology was forthcoming and he began advancing on them with unpredictable intentions, Skylar subconsciously drifted closer to her partner. Not so close they were touching, but close enough that her body was partially shielded by his left shoulder.  He owed her no protection, but it was an instantaneous reaction any woman would have employed under the circumstances.