aterat | A Winter's Ball

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A Winter's Ball

Who; Everyone!
What; The Ball promised by Halcyn!
Where; A newly (and quite abruptly) renovated ballroom in the Noble District
When; December 15th, evening
Warnings; None as of yet, though there is some mischief afoot for those looking for it

The morning of the 15th, the day of the Ball, opens with a letter under every door, reminding the residents that today is the day, that the Ball to celebrate and be merry is upon you. It also includes a small golden ticket that all attendees are asked to present at the doors to be allowed into the hall in the Noble District. It bids the attendees to enjoy themselves, forget their worries for a time, and is each personally signed by Halcyn.

Arrival | Under the Mistletoe;

The chill in the air at the change of seasons makes for a cold journey to the Noble district, though the streets are well-lit (an improvement in the otherwise dilapidated quarter in the first place) and at the end of the street indicated in the invitation letter, stands a beautifully restored building wreathed in white lights and adorned with wreaths and holly. All roads and citizen paths have lead to the ballroom today, and it is a beacon of civilization in the otherwise unused quarter. A guardsman is checking tickets at the door, and allowing admittance to the foyer of the ballroom.

The foyer is also decorated in trees adorned with shining lights. There are people flitting about with trays of champagne and people are greeting each other, gathering in groups and generally enjoying one another's company. Six archways lead further into the ballroom, and into what seems to be a seating area with round tables atop which glittering floral arrangements sit and to which servers bring meals for those who have a seat. At the top of each of the six arches hang six bundles of mistletoe.

Some are able to pass beneath the bundles with no issue, but others may find their way blocked by an unseen wall, unable to escape the arch until someone joins them, and a kiss is exchanged. It could be innocuous, even a cheek would suffice, but who's to know that without experimentation?

Try the Grey Stuff, It's Delicious

In the dining hall, meals are limited, but there are options for various palettes and even a vegetarian option. There is wine and champagne, and also non-alcoholic options of you're less inclined to partake. The music from the main ballroom, accessible through a set of ornate double doors, is muted here, providing a sense of ambiance but not overpowering the conversations that may occur at the tables scattered about the room.

The desert is the same for all who try it, though, and fluffy (is oddly colored) meringue that is simply to die for, but it seems to have some strange side effects. As the night progresses for those who've eaten the strange confectionary, they will begin to feel more and more happy and carefree, but also much more open. Those who are reserved about their feelings or their thoughts, even their histories, will feel less inclined to be so withdrawn. That couldn't possibly make anything awkward, could it?

Shall We Dance the Night Away?

The main even by far is the grand ballroom. A 15 piece orchestra sits atop a small stage to the north of the dance floor, their music varying between melancholic, haunting, warm, and uplifting, and the citizens are quite enjoying the time to let loose and dance the night away with their partners.

Spiral staircases lead to the balconies on the second floor overlooking the dance floor below, affording tired dancers chairs and refreshments with which to rest in order to return to the floor below. The music here, due to acoustics, is muted which affords a more intimate place to converse.

Even more intimate are the outdoor balconies accessed from either side of the second floor. Here, small sconces have been lit to afford a romantic glow to the area, but the light is dim enough to enjoy the glittering starlight above. The flames also give the area some warmth, warding away the chill in the night air and allow guests to enjoy the solitude of the area without freezing. The music out here is a pleasant background hum, making the setting even more romantic and ethereal.

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He nodded. Cooking wasn't something he did, Aqua did it. But admittedly he was going to have to learn. And he had no idea where to turn to do that. But Shalimar's attitude strengthened his determination because he had to learn sometime.

And with her laugh, Terra wondered if he'd said something funny though he'd honestly asked a sincere question. Alcohol wasn't something he knew about but she was helping him learn a lot. "You lose control?" That sounded almost horrifying but that was because the only times he knew of something like that were when he got angry and darkness had taken over. Then there was the ten year gap of time where he'd been..well he didn't want to think about that. "What's the morning after like?"

"Yeah, different for each person. Some people just get more fun and loud, some get more flirty, some get angry and violent, some get honest and blunt. Just a glass or two doesn't cause much of anything except becoming more relaxed," she explained with a small shrug.

"If you drink enough to really start losing your inhibitions the morning after is usually spent with you by a toilet."

"So there's no telling what it's going to do to you until you get there." Terra declared with a shake of the head. His arms crossed his chest and thought a minute or two. Drinking that stuff really didn't sound like any fun at all if the outcome was a gamble.

But the last part had him almost alarmed. "So you get real sick?" This just wasn't registering in his mind where the fun was in that.

"Pretty much. You usually know what you're like when tipsy after the first few times," she said with a tilt of her head and shrug of one shoulder.

"Yeah, you can get sick. Takes more than a drink or two though." More for someone like her with an enhanced metabolism but that wasn't something she was going to offer up. "Most places have an age requirement for drinking too." And she had no idea how old this kid was.

Terra couldn't help but frown because tipsy didn't sound good either. And he tried to think back to see if he could remember Master Eraqus being anything like that, either sick or tipsy. But nothing came to mind because he was a pretty strict disciplinarian when it came to things like self control.

His head shook. "Still doesn't seem like it's worth it. You drink and then in the morning you pay for that." Sure he didn't believe in getting something for nothing, but that something seemed like a pretty steep price.

But that last part. "There's an age requirement?"

"If you only have one or two you won't get sick. Unless you really can't handle your alcohol," she said with a chuckle. "If you've never had any before, I wouldn't get started on it." She could at least pretend to be a responsible adult for a few minutes.

"Most places have one. Usually around 18 to 21."

Terra wasn't sure that alcohol sounded entertaining even if she was laughing about it. "I don't think it sounds like any fun at all." Getting sick wasn't fun because he would have Aqua fussing at him and then Ven would get worried which compounded the problem.

Blue eyes blinked at the age comment and shook his head. "I don't know that I saw anyone asking anyone's age though." Maybe it was just somehow trusted that people were the age they claimed that they were.

"Funs subjective. But I'd agree with you that too much isn't much fun. Not really sure why some people do it over and over again. I've never been a fan of losing control." For somewhat personal reasons that she would never go into with anyone. Her kind always lived on the edge of losing control, no need to add anything else to the mix.

"Guess they don't care here. Or they don't have age limits."

"Well you said it was a holiday or something right? So maybe they're just not worrying about that tonight." And a loud giggle from the people over in the corner seemed to punctuate Terra's words.

"So have you danced tonight like everyone else then?" He thought he'd seen the people dancing though with what he'd seen out on the dance floor and at Cinderella's Ball it didn't seemed to compare. Maybe it was whatever they were drinking.

"Might be. Or this place just follows different rules. Would make sense all things considered." She shrugged and smiled as she looked over at the groups of happy people. "Least they're all having fun."

She shook her head. "Nah. Didn't find a suitable partner. What about you?"

Terra shook his head, thinking on the few lessons he received from Master Eraqus. "Doesn't seem like I know the type of dancing." Between that and what he'd witnessed at Cinderella's Ball, he didn't recognize any of it.

"Me neither. Never went to high school so I never even learned how to pretend I could," she said with a laugh. "You'd probably be better than me."

There she went speaking words he didn't understand again but he could at least get it that she didn't know how to dance. Well he didn't feel so alone in that.

But his curiosity got the better of him. "What's high school?"

"Really? Never heard of high school? Lucky you," she said with a chuckle. "It's a place people send teenagers to keep them out of their hair for 6 hours a day. Though they'll tell you that it's to teach you the basics like math and reading."

"School.." Terra's voice trailed off. He didn't go to a school but learned lessons from Master Eraqus along with Aqua. He could read and do some math though his blue haired friend far superseded him. "Guess I'm too old for something like that."

This was admitted a little sheepishly but it was true.

"Count yourself lucky. It's a pretty shit place," she said with a shrug. "Pretty weird that the world you came from didn't have schools. Where do they send kids to learn their abcs and 123s?"

He shook his head. "We learned things like that from our Master. But is is kind of strange now that I think about it. Riku had once mentioned something about having school."

That really got him thinking. "I guess it just depends on what world you come from."

"Guess so." Still, seemed a bit weird to her. Not that she could question it too much considering who she ended up actually learning from. "I didn't learn from a school either. Mostly just from the guy who helped make my kind." Which was a long story that she moved on quickly from mentioning. "What was your Master like?"

"Make your kind?" That threw Terra for a loop. This lady seemed pretty normal to him but then again Master Eraqus always said not to judge a book by its cover and to give everyone a fair chance before passing judgement so he remained quiet.

But he brightened at the topic change. "Master Eraqus was very kind and fair. He was a great teacher and pretty patient." Considering Terra had gone for the Mark of Mastery exam at a later age than most.

However, he wasn't going to explain his unwitting assistance with Master Xehanort in striking the man down.

"Long story," she said with a chuckle and an attempt to brush off her slip of the tongue. There was no denying she was happy that he seemed excited to talk about his own master.

"Sounds like the best kind of teacher. How long have you been with him?"

Terra tried to think. "As long as I can remember. I really don't remember too much before then." Actually that was absolute zero that he recalled but he didn't say that because he felt bad for not remembering anything.

"But he taught me a lot." And for the life of him Terra tried not to think of how disappointed his master would be in him for helping to strike him down though he'd done his part in an attempt to save Ven from being killed.

"So he's like a dad to you too then?" At least that was what she was getting from what he was saying. Though, the situation reminded her a bit of her own with Adam. "Must wish he was here to give some advice on this place, huh?"

He nodded. "Ya." Master Eraqus had been called father by Terra but not to the man's face. In fact it hadn't been until after the man died that the reference had been made. But as for that last part, Terra knew he was with Master Xehanort now.

Dead people didn't come here, did they?

"He's..probably too busy."

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A Winter's Ball

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