aterat | A Winter's Ball

Entry tags:

A Winter's Ball

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?

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"Ah, Yusuke."

Nida had stepped out on the balcony for a brief breath of air, and he was quite pleased right now he was content not to do it all alone.

"What are you drawing? I had considered a study of the masks, but I failed your instruction by forgetting to bring a sketch pad."

Yusuke glanced up at the sound of his name, pencil stilling over paper as his eyes flit to see who was addressing him from behind his mask. Nida, of course, and he smiled lightly. “Hello, Nida.” He offered in greeting with a smile, before his eyes turned back to his paper.

The question gets a small, thoughtful tilt of his head. “At the moment? I’m filling out a scene of the ball dance floor, the way fabric folds and moves as couples sweep about is quite interesting.” He commented, before smiling a little as the man continued. The study of masks. Something he knew well in all for specific reasons, of course. “That is a shame. Tonight has been an excellent opportunity that doesn’t seem to come along often. Masks are always an interesting subject. They are so varied and have interesting details. From simple to complex, bold to more delicate…”

That said, he grinned lightly as his pencil began to move again. “Though I cannot say I blame you for forgetting one, it is a rather exciting and busy sort of gathering. There’s much to do and experience, from what I’ve observed.” That said, the teen shifted slightly and set the pencil behind his ear for a moment. “Luckily, I happen to have a spare.” He offered, pulling a second sketchpad from his bag, kept aside in case he filled the one he was working his way through.

Oh! Nida smiles and takes it. He produces a pencil and immediately puts it to paper. And soon he's sketching the ballroom from below.

"People live in masks. The more overt ones compel me less for that fact."

Once Nida was started, Yusuke went back to his own sketch. Eyes flitting to the people as he continued to fill the space on the page in. Though he’s quite focused, it’s not so much at the moment that he doesn’t notice the other’s comment. “That is true. I’ve noticed most are rarely who they show themselves to be outwardly. Some might even wear more than one.” He mused thoughtfully, both for better and worse. It was a subject he thought about more often these days.

Nida wore far more than one, so he got that comment.

“People are complex, and being yourself can be difficult,” he says as he finishes his sketch and, just for comfort, begins diagraming the layout with all windows and doors marked. Old habits die hard.

“And you can sometimes fear that showing your real self can lead to people disliking you.”

“Truly, I have come to realize just how much they can be… I often find myself a bit confused by them, and my lack of understanding has become evident in recent times.” He mused thoughtfully, admiring the ease with Nida’s lines and attention to the detail of the layout of the space. Turning his attention back to his art, worked on the finer points of one guests ensemble. The way the mask coordinated with their outfit in small ways, standing out.

“And people are so ready to voice their dislike of someone for being as they are at times. Even if that true self is something unique and beautiful.” He frowned lightly, but that seemed a shame. To hide behind masks for one’s entire like, to keep the true self hidden. “Though sometimes the person underneath the mask is terribly horrid.”

"People suck," Nida offered as a brief summary, and he seemed plenty content with his own comment there. Then he pauses to look at the young man. "I'm sorry you had to learn all of that. But sooner or later people tend to."

He doesn't like that it just works like that. That hte world seems to be the worst all the time.

Edited 2023-01-04 20:48 (UTC)

It was short, to the point, and accurate. “Some of them do, yes. Not all of them, of course… But enough.” He responded with a small, thoughtful glance away from his paper again.

The apology gets a slow shake of his head, though. He knows he isn’t the only person to learn the lesson, after all… And it was better to know than to not. “I suppose I could say that it was a valuable lesson, as eye opening and frustrating as it has been. Better to learn than remain blind to the truth of those around you.”

"Yeah," Nida said with a sigh, lowering the borrowed sketchpad. This was a whole mess.

"Listen, it's okay, you know? You can meet people who are more honest than that."

Yusuke’s pencil stills again at the comment. It’s a kindness, really, that Nida should express such a thought. He’s working towards okay, really, but there are lingering doubts and worries that he’s still learning to deal with. Still, he does smile softly at the words that followed the suggestion. “I know I can, I have, even… I’m quite fortunate to have met some of the people I have. Without them, I might not have come to see certain truths in the first place.”

Come to see certain truths? Well that's a kind of comment that intrigues the old spy senses in Nida. He wants to know. He wants to pry.

Instead he puts his pencil back to the paper and continues with his building floor plan.

"I'm glad you have friends to support you. Hopefully you make some here too."

Yusuke began on another couple that he’d done a rough outline of spinning around the dance floor once silence had fallen for a moment, as Nida was deciding if he wanted to pry or not. The teen trying to decide if the two dancers were, in fact, a couple or if he was reading it the wrong way again.

Eyes fixed on the page as he tried to decide, his thoughts were interrupted by the comment. An odd and surprising one, in a way. “Thank you? Though I feel I should say that I believe I have.” He returned his eyes to the page again. “It has been quite some time since I had one who also enjoyed spending time in my company to work on art in some form, after all.” So Nida counted as a friend, or at least Yusuke thought of him as such.

Nida finished his sketch of the downstairs and flipped the thing closed. There you go, he’s got that out of his system.

“It’s been a long time since someone other than my romantic partners encouraged my getting into this work. I mean, my husband even bought me more supplies for our anniversary. And it’s nice to be this, rather than a weapon.”

“I’m glad that I could provide such encouragement, then. Creative pursuits are a wonderful thing, and the world would be a sorry place without it… Though I know how some find themselves discouraged or uncertain of following that desire. Another friend of mine here seems to need the proper nudge and encouragement now and then.” Yusuke was happy to multitask for now, keen to keep working on the sketch in front of him.

It was nice to hear that Nida had been working on things on his own as well and received the encouragement from his husband. “That was very thoughtful of him. Keeping ahead on supplies is important.” It got a bit difficult if he ran low on something in this world, though it was easier since Ren started organizing ways for them to secure funds.

"It really is. And some of it was even small enough to go into pockets, so it doesn't impede my climbing."

Nothing like scaling the library that he really shouldn't be scaling, and then drawing whatever he could see. It was a wonder to do.

"Thank you, for helping me chase this again."

“Is that so? That sounds quite convenient, indeed.” Inspiration should always be followed, and the more challenging subjects or views were the most thrilling if he considered his forays into mementos with supplies. “That was incredibly thoughtful of him to consider your specific needs as well. How wonderful.”

Yusuke smiled though at the thanks. “You’re very welcome, Nida. Thank you for joining me and giving me company in the pursuit of art. It has been nice.” And it was, he’d… missed that about his current situation. After everyone else had left the shack, it had just been him. Circumstances as poor as they were or not, it had had been less lonely and there was something nice about having a fellow artist around.

"He always thinks of my needs well. It's a delight to be with someone who loves me like that."

And he knows he wants to be loved like that. With someone's whole being.

"It has. Here, you can have the sketchbook back. I should go find my husband again."

Taking the sketchpad back, he supposed he could keep it set aside should Nida wish to sketch again and had forgotten his supplies. “Of course, I wouldn’t want to keep you. Thank you for joining me though, and do enjoy the rest of the ball.” He responded, offering a nod in parting.

"I'll do it," Nida says with a smile as he moves away. "I'm going to make my love look like a true marvel. It's so much fun."

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A Winter's Ball

Lmk if you aren't cool with this handwave

This is a handwave that makes sense to me, thank you for asking though <3

Re: This is a handwave that makes sense to me, thank you for asking though <3

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