[ SAMPLE ] - Anyone who has attended the ball in the past couple of years is familiar with the fake mint candies that seem to make their way around the facilities as a popular prank. Hope your senses are well-trained enough to tell them apart without your sight!
He had found them right before the lights had dimmed - fake candies that would not grant the coveted minty freshness that real ones could. He had considered them a funny enough prank for a certain few who'd find a laugh in the whole thing, but after darkness had blanketed the area, Hugh didn't have a clue whether the ones he held were the real deal or the 'fake' deal.
As he stumbles through the darkness, he accidently bumps into someone. Fortunately, the mints remain in his hands, but if he had any clue which were which? He definitely doesn't know now.
But hey, it could be fun to have an element of surprise, right?
"Whoops! Sorry about that." He offers a smile, though he's not sure whether or not the person before him can see it. "Want one? I picked up too many earlier, so I don't mind sharing."
"Hey, no worries—I know I tend to dazzle. People have been bumping into me all night," Fogado casually dismisses. It's a slight exaggeration—honestly, considering the circumstances, he's been pushed around a lot less than he would have expected.
In apology, the man offers him something from the palm of his hand. He's seen people passing these around, sometimes well-intentioned, sometimes as a thinly veiled insult—you know, as people did. And Fogado's not above a little candy from time to time; if asked, he'd even agree he liked it. Probably no one is trying to poison him here, in broad daylight public, and if they are, the church is probably prepared to deal with that.
So, after a subtle moment of thought while he unwraps it, he decides odds are good enough that he can pop this gift from a relative stranger in his mouth.
The prince visibly recoils—he's usually pretty good at neutering a reaction, but he was completely unprepared for this to taste like... well, that. He covers his mouth, coughing. Spitting it out is pretty tempting right now, but then he would be the guy who spat on the floor at a party, and that's not really the look he's looking to give off.
He's left with the distant second place option of swallowing it, which he does, with some regret.
"Alright, you got me. That'll teach me to accept candy from a stranger at a party. What am I, a baby?" Fogado wipes his mouth, as though that has any chance of getting rid of the taste. He almost wishes it had been poisoned, at least then he could probably be treated. On the contrary, he's not sure he's heard of any staves that make someone's breath stop smelling like garlic and onions. What a one of a kind taste for a candy to be.
...a one of a kind taste...
"Actually, do you have another of those?" He asks. "Got an orchid with your name on it if you do."