aterat | 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He blinked both at the embrace and her admission. She liked him? With no attachments, no expectations? Could it really be that simple?

"Who did you think I reminded you of?"

"Connor. He's...awkward like you. Quiet. Kinda our leader!" The smile on her face was warm as she spoke about Connor. "When I od'd he was the only one that checked up on me. He let me come stay with him and he didn't treat me different. Everyone else treated me different. Like they were afraid or felt responsible. Not Connor though, he still treated me the same. Well," she chuckled. "with a little annoyance over what I'd done."

He frowned but didn't comment on being called awkward. He was, after all. There was no point in denying it. He also couldn't deny there seemed to be at least some similarity between the two of them, himself and this Connor. He wondered what he might really be like.

"He...sounds like a good person." Except that. Vincent didn't see himself as a good person.

"He's the best of us." By far. There was no shortness of fondness in her voice with that statement. Connor had always been the best of them. He was the one who got into the least amount of trouble and the one who somehow always managed to keep his cool. Everyone else had their arguments and their addictions, but not Connor. He managed to keep them all together somehow and she missed him more than she realized. More than she let herself realize.

"He wasn't like me. He was never angry about what they did to us and he never did the things I did. I wasn't a very good kid. Or teenager," she laughed. "Or adult. Maybe I'm the worst at that. But he still cared about me. Even if he didn't realize how much he did. He was a silly boy."

So not as much alike as she seemed to think. If Connor truly was the one who kept them focused, kept them together...no. He and Vincent didn't have as much in common as he'd thought.

He frowned at her words, though, looking over to her. "Caring about her doesn't make him silly."

She laughed and shook her head. "Oh, it definitely does. It's a bit silly to care about someone and not even know how you care about them," she tilted her head. "Isn't it?"

Was that silly? He had a feeling it was and he wasn't sure how he felt about the correlation. He didn't know how he felt for Arkady, after all, but he did know he cared for her. Was he running similarities between the situations because of something he didn't want to admit? Was that her point all along?

Did Connor have feelings for her he didn't recognize or didn't wish to convey? Did he? He didn't have an answer and so he offered none to her question, but she would know.

She always knew.

"You think too much, sweets," she said with a smile and squeezed his hand. She really wanted to lean in for a kiss but she remembered what happened last time. "You have to figure all that out on your own. I can't tell you everything." Well, she could, but it just didn't seem right. Sometimes people had to figure things out on their own.

"Do you at least know how I feel about you?" Probably not now that she thought about it.

She wasn't wrong about that. He certainly overthought everything before he spoke and their situation more so than most. Before he'd met her, he hadn't even realized he'd been capable of feeling anything other than guilt and shame. Now, he wondered if he deserved to.

Her question pulled him from that reverie and he blinked, brow lowering in confusion. "...what?"

She laughed and shook her head. "I'll take that as a no. How disappointing! Silly, silly boy."

But she'd never said, and it would never have occurred to him to assume she felt anything at all about him, really. Blinking, he looked at her as though seeing her for the first time, though he still had no idea what she could be hinting at.

"...what do you mean?"

This would be the part where she would just kiss him and then he'd understand. Except he wouldn't. He still wouldn't understand and he'd be all rawr monster-y. Neither were good things.

"I like you," she said moving a little bit closer. "More than just the you're special to me kind of like. Like the kind where I'd shag you and wouldn't leave in the morning kinda like."

He blinked at her explanation, stunned further into silence than he'd already been. He'd never had a woman be so forward with him, and he never would have dreamed of doing it, either.

He swallowed, uncertain how to respond. He looked down to his shoes again, breathing in even, steady breathes. He wanted her, too, more than he'd wanted anyone in a very long time. Thirty years.

He didn't deserve it. Didn't deserve her.

But she wants you. How was that even possible?

"Silly boy. You forget about the part where I destroyed my world," she said with a sad little smile. It seemed ridiculous for him to think he didn't deserve her. They had both made mistakes in their lives, very big and very costly mistakes. A lot of her life had been a series of mistakes, both big and small. Some more costly to herself and some more costly to the world around her.

"And where I overdosed because I liked to party too much. The others never forgot about that. Finding me like that. Or the part where I killed myself in the other place to see what would happen without telling anyone. Neither of us are innocent."

He frowned when she brought that up. He'd been so angry with her for not telling him her plan. He wasn't sure if he'd live forever. He hadn't aged a day since Hojo's experiments, but that didn't mean it wouldn't change. Something, though, about the fact that she was also immortal, possibly, was a comfort. That didn't mean he wanted to watch her die, though.

"No. We're not." He raised his head, then, meeting her eyes. "But I don't want you to hurt yourself anymore."

A Winter's Ball

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