A Winter's Ball

[ateratmods]

Who; Everyone!
What; Christmas Festivities for all!
Where; The Grand Ballroom, Noble District
When; The Week of Midwinter (December 14th-20th)
Warnings; Positive emotional influence; if anything comes up in threads, please warn where appropriate

A Needed Respite

It's been some time since Halcyn has shown herself, let alone put together festivities for those gathered here from other worlds, but this winter, she's pulled out all the stops. While she's also looking forward to the Festival a kind new resident has requested her aid for, she couldn't very well let this festive season pass by without a Ball.

She's assured all those who may wish to attend have the finest clothing available to enjoy the evenings or provides them with a means to obtain finery from Aterat's premiere seamstress. The invitation arrives at their doorsteps, providing directions to the seamstress and a friendly reminder not to forget a complimenting mask. This is a masquerade ball, after all.

On the evenings of the ball, in the square outside the residential buildings, residents there will find a two-meter pylon, its central crystal pulsing like a beacon. Touching one of the hand targets at its top will immediately teleport you to the pylon's twin in the square outside the ballroom. While still present during the day, the crystal sits dull and inoperable during the day. There also exists a similar pylon outside the orphanage.

For those who live away from the community dwellings, each night, the cabs can be found looking for fares seeking to be taken to the noble district.

A Welcoming Gift

The entrance to the Grand Ballroom is covered is tiny bells, glittering lights, and wreathed in holly and evergreen branches. The foyer is equally decorated, its vaulted ceiling carrying easily the lilting music from the ballroom, and at the center of the foyer is a towering and opulently decorated yule tree, with presents gathered beneath it. Halcyn waits beside the tree to greet all attendees to the ball, to thank them, to welcome them, and to wish them a Merry Yuletide.

Everyone who attends will receive a gift, and she'll assure them while the item within the package they are given is not its true image, it is as close an approximation as she could manage to build from their memories. The packages are small, no larger than a foot square, and within is an item they would recognize from home that has a sentimental value to them. If it's a magical item, it will not possess the magic therein, and it is an item that is tied to a fond and caring memory of theirs. Holding it or wearing it (if applicable) or simply having it with them will fill them with a warm sense of whatever emotion is tied to the item. For example, if it is a ring that belonged to a loving parent, having or wearing the ring will make them feel loved and nurtured. The effect will last throughout the ball in an intense state, and after the ball in a more subdued state, but it will always possess that feeling in some regard.

A Serious Spread; feasting and dancing the nights away

The Ballroom beyond the foyer is dazzling in lights, more holly, and evergreen boughs, and enchanting music from the string quartet playing at the far end of the dance floor. Along one wall, near the stairs leading to the upper atriums and the balconies, is set a cornucopia of foods both familiar and alien. If it is a traditional Yuletide or Winter food from somewhere in the known or unknown worlds, it's available here, and nothing seems to run out.

For those old enough to drink, there is a fully stocked bar with refreshments (and non-alcoholic options for those who abstain), and there are also drink options on the food table as well if you want something lighter or less influential with your meal. Those who wish to dine in a semblance of privacy can ascend the stairs with their plates and have a seat at one of the white and gold decorated tables on the balcony overlooking the dance floor. The music here is muted but still present, affording better means of conversation.

From the vaulted ceiling over the dancefloor falls a light snowfall, reflecting all the glittering lights in the decorations, but never touching the floor, disappearing as though it never existed in the first place. Those who try to catch the falling snowflakes, or simply have them fall upon them, will feel a warmth spread through them and will find themselves immediately more relaxed and open to conversation, no matter the sort.

Those who join the dancing on the floor will find they know whatever dance they may begin participating in, as long as they let their feet do the moving and don't think about it too much. They'll also find they don't tire as easily as they normally would and could dance all night long. This impulse can be resisted, though, and someone might want to pull you away before things get out of hand.

Sky Painting; Outdoor Balconies

Those who truly want for solitude need look no further than the balconies off the upper floor. While they do open onto the outside, open-air fire pits along the balcony keep the area warm enough to be inviting. There are refreshments here as well, warm ciders, hot chocolates, and the like, and the sky above is a display all its own.

Every night until midnight, the sky over the Ballroom will be alight with Auroras, though they seem to only be viewable from the upper outdoor balcony of the Ballroom. Those approaching from outside will see only a night sky lit by stars.

Those who seek the refuge of the outdoor balcony will find themselves blanketed in an inner peace they may find foreign. So much so, in fact, that they may even notice its artificial, and if they step far enough away from the glowing fire pits, it fades at the same rate the warmth of the fire does from their limbs, also as though that inner peace were coming from within the flames.

Halcyn certainly wanted everyone to enjoy the evenings without care or concern, didn't she?

Comments

Aerith | Around the Ball | OTA

[cetrary]

The only hesitation Aerith had about the ball was the potential to get thrown into some horrible dress. Luckily for her it seemed the seamstress were kind to her! The pink dress she was fitted in had plenty of freedom in it's movement. That didn't mean she didn't feel at least slightly awkward with how much skin was shown considering how different it was from how she usually dressed. At least the mask helped a bit to hide that. Or so she hoped. Now came the real struggle: walking in the shoes and not looking like a fool. This would require her absolute best attention to every step for as long as she could manage.

Throughout the night Aerith can be found mostly around the Ballroom. When she sees the intense spread of food her eyes go wide and she shakes her head. "You know, I'm pretty sure I don't even know what half of this is!" There's something both exciting and terrifying about that. A part of her wants to try it all, but a part of her also misses the more simple gatherings where everyone brought something from their world or home to try out. Rather than gathering up a plate she eventually decides on just grabbing a crystal glass filled with some sort of sparkling drink while she takes in the sights of the ballroom itself. The falling snowflakes catch her interest the most and her eyes light up as she tries to grab one in the air as it falls down. She stumbles in the heels finally and tries to steady herself so she doesn't fall into anyone or spill her drink on them. But maybe she's a bit too late for that?

"Aww, I didn't get it," she says with a tone of pure disappointment. "Oh no! Did I spill anything on you?"

As the night winds down she can be found at the Outdoor Balcony looking up at the sky in wonder. "It's beautiful..."

Balcony

[legacy_blade]

"Second most beautiful view from here," Zack said as he came up behind her. "That dress suits you. Mask too."

He moves to her side and smiles from under his mask. He didn't think he looked nearly so good in his suit as she did in her dress.

"That is you, Aerith, right?"

[cetrary]

"Nope, definitely not Aerith," she said hesitating dramatically before spinning around with a wide grin on her face.

"Mmm, what's the first most beautiful view?" As if she didn't have a guess. But, hey, everyone likes compliments. "You know...maybe you should consider wearing a suit more often." Because he really pulled it off.

[legacy_blade]

He chuckles at her comment, because it's cute that she's denying it. As for the suit comment, he smiles.

"I didn't get to go to a lot of Shinra parties, so I didn't know how to get this on. Had to get help."

[cetrary]

"I feel like you probably weren't missing out on tooo much there. Shinra can't be known for their amazing parties." At least not in her opinion. But she didn't really have the best opinion about Shinra that one could have. "I feel like I missed out not getting to help."

[legacy_blade]

“Oh, they were legendary I’m told. But it was Reno telling me, so you know I old be really wrong about that,” he says with a chuckle. Re not could be weird like that.

“Aren’t you pleased with the surprise though? That I can clean up well?”

[cetrary]

"Hmm, Reno does like to stretch things from what I've noticed," she said with a flash of a grin.

"The surprise is pretty nice. Not that I didn't think you were plenty handsome before."

[legacy_blade]

Oh so many things probably. But Zack doesn't know a lot of things the Turks are up to, but he was still amused that she noticed it too.

For now, though, he preens probably as much as Genesis did, with that attention. He looked good.

"Well I'm glad to hear I was handsome then and now. So maybe I can convince you to dance?"

[cetrary]

"You were very handsome then. I mean something had to catch my eye about you, right? It definitely wasn't you crushing my flowers." Though evidently that was part of the recipe for catching Aerith's attention.

"Hmm, you'll have to ask really nicely and then maybe I'll give it due consideration."

[legacy_blade]

Oh man, what a reminder. Zack winced, as much from the memory of the pain of the fall as from the betrayal before it, and both of those as much as remembering how he hurt the flowers.

"Please?"

[cetrary]

"Hmm," she held a hand with a smile. "I guess that will do. Lets go dance! I expect to be impressed."

[legacy_blade]

"I'm afraid I might disappoint you," he says as he walks her toward the dance floor. It'll be nice, to dance with her, like this.

[cetrary]

"Nah, you could never disappoint me. Even if you step on my toes, I still won't be disappointed." Maybe in a tiny bit of pain, but hey she'd been in pain before. "Won't even be as bad as walking in these high heels." See? Nothing as bad as high heels. She put her arms around him as they got to the dance floor and smiled enthusiastically.

[legacy_blade]

“Take them off,” he suggests, smiling at her. “We’ll both do it, so I can’t step on you in these shiny shoes.”

But he’d be glad to dance with her at all. Though he does regret not having taken Cisneros up on teaching him to dance before he’d met Aerith.

[cetrary]

That got a burst of laughter from her and then she nodded. "Okay, lets do it then!" And without any hesitation she takes the high heels off.

"Yo really didn't have to twist my arm to take these off. They're awful!"

[legacy_blade]

It takes a bit more effort for Zack to get his own shoes off, because his were laced after all. But once those were off and set aside he grinned and offered his arm to her.

"Alright, let's try this. Time to show you my grace."

[cetrary]

She laughed as she put one hand on his shoulder and another around his waist. "I'll wow you with my own amazing grace too, just you wait."

[legacy_blade]

"I mean, you've always been amazingly graceful," Zack said as he put his own arms around her and started to sway to the music. This was how dancing worked, right?

[cetrary]

"I'm glad you never saw me crossing over rooftops." Because that...was less graceful than she'd want anyone, especially him, to see. She tried to move to a slight rhythm, at least as much as there could be with the music playing. It was close enough to how things should go for her to at least smile.

[legacy_blade]

Crossing over rooftops? Why would she ever need to do something like that?

"Did you fall through any of the roofs?"

[cetrary]

"Almost once or twice. I almost fell off a huge ladder too! It broke while we were going up it and I barely grabbed it in time." It also happened at the exact wrong moment to make her look the absolute worst that she could....

"Was kinda embarrassing."

[legacy_blade]

Oh man, he comes to a stop in the swaying because this was absolutely upsetting to him.

"You were okay though, right?"

[cetrary]

She stops with him and then quirks her lips in a tiny sheepish smile. "Oh yeah, I was fine. Cloud was able to pull me up. We had to use the roofs to get away from Reno when he came to my church to get me."

[legacy_blade]

Damn, he was so glad he'd gotten Cloud more or less to Midgar, to help her.

"Oh geez, Reno was bothering you? Why didn't you just call Rude and tell him to haul his partner back to some bar or something?"

[cetrary]

"Oh, well, because they both were. Them and Tseng too. They wanted me to go with them, back to Shinra headquarters." Which...she really didn't want to do. But eventually it came to be, whether it was what she wanted or not.