A Festival! No a Ball!

[Noku Noru]

" Hold that tight! Don't let it fall! " A servant called to another while holding desperately onto a thick hemp rope that was attached to a 60 foot fir tree. Thank the gods they managed to get the tree within the castle with out damaging most of it's branches. Once the servants hoisted the tree up and mounted it, they began to decorate. It wouldn't be long before the tree would hardly have a bare spot on it. With the large colorful glass orientates filing up the gaps of the Fir.

Meanwhile…

The castle was slowly coming together for such a strange occasion. The ball room lined with tables an chairs were beautifully decorated with red and gold. All in which seemed to splash against the marble green floors and white polished pillars that were lined perfectly around the outer edge of the room. Towards the center of the ball room the tree was proudly displayed, with servants finishing up the last touches. while the rest prepared the massive ball room with festive gold, lush greens and vibrant red tapestries. There were even large cast iron fire pits placed on small stalky stone pillars almost every where. With all of them lit; they producing enough heat the entire room and keep it warm against the outside winter air.

" Where is the food?! " A woman servant asked franticly, clearly panicked at the fact the food hadn't been placed out yet in its designated location. " It's on it's way ma'am don't worry." another servant answered while rushing by with a broom in hand. The Winter Ball, a festival The king had decreed to be a new 'holiday' was well under way. Even the servants were finding some joy in doing this task, far better than taking care of their usual chores. Chores much like the wine maiden not bringing the king a refill of his favorite red winter-berry wine.

All was good and cheerful as musicians began to show, Even local performers were signing up to participate and show their talents in front of both commoners and royals. A rare treat, much like the Festival of Gods. So all was seemingly going rather well. Until the doors opened up from the east and his majesty the King stepped out. His movements rather… staggered as he slumped against the door. His attire was gorgeous with dark rich purples and reds that were pacifically tailored for him. Robes with lush designs and gold trimming clothed over his pale, flawless, skin. A gold and emerald green sash tied around his waist. He even wore matching brown boots with gold trim and buckler. His trade mark long silver hair falling where ever it pleased. Which made him look un-kept at this moment, plastered with his body hunched slightly over. His weight keeping the door from closing.

" Where…"

A word that was barely audible to nearly everyone in the ball room. Almost every servant's eyes were bugging out of their skulls. What was the king trying to say?!

" Where !.."

Noku shouted, pushing himself off the door and slamming it behind him. Another stagger forwards, his right hand covering over his nose and mouth. Though it failed to cover over his lightly flushed cheeks. The servant girl who had worried about the feast was the first to respond. Jumping at his sudden out burst and replying back. " I'm sorry your highness the food hasn't arrived yet! I'm sorry! " She plead only to fall to her knees.

" Where…" Noku repeated, slowly making his way to the servant girl. His golden eyes baring down at the girl as he finally stood before her. His shadow almost swallowing her whole as he glared down at her. " Where is my wine…." He spoke softly, his right hand becoming visible as he held out a small gold gem-plated gauntlet.

" Fill it up…" He tone rather a warning than a request. Placing the cup within her hands before turning to the sound of doors opening. He watched as the rest of the help brought out the food and began to quickly place it out. All eyes still locked on the king as he stared back at them.

" Well then…. Shall we begin this? " Noku smiled so warm and pleasantly, removing the hand that had been covering his mouth the entire time. His movements still staggered, however he made it rather fine to his royal chair. One leg crossed over the other as he rested his head on top of his hand which was rested on the arm chair.

A wave of his wrist and the main doors began to open allowing ALL into his home. An when he stopped waving, the servant girl very quickly placed his now filled glass in his hands.

" Cheers !"

[Claire]

Claire’s dreams had been uneasy things in the past few days. While her goddess had been silent for so long, as of late her dreams had been filled with visions of people she had met recently, who were the same yet… different. Faces she didn’t recognize blended with a small selection of new faces, all acting so familiar to her. They appeared in flashes mixed with strange cold nightmares that made her toss and turn as she slept only to awaken in a cold sweat with the image of cold eyes seared into her brain, one blue and the other gold.

Others had these sorts of dreams before, she had heard of men and women waking in the night from vivid dreams of faces they didn’t know. The priestesses always told them they were visions of their past lives, and we should be lucky to receive them. But Claire did not feel so lucky as the dreams started to include men and women swirling in intricate dresses in a snow-dusted castle, as this was clearly a sign. Her Goddess was steering her in the direction of this blasted ball the city was in a hullabaloo about.

Her father had insisted upon her taking one piece of finery with her- You might meet a fine man on your travels- he had told her, smiling in his usual wry way. He was a trader and had access to some of the finest silk of the surrounding cities. While this dress certainly wasn’t the fashion in this country, perhaps standing out wouldn’t be too bad. She would anyway. So when Claire entered the ball and into the throng of swirling nobility all dressed in their finery, she could already feel the uneasy stares on her.

The airy and creamy white and gold flecked silk felt strange against her skin- she hadn’t worn something like this since she was home. This dress was for a much warmer climate- it plunged at the front as well as in the back, the way the silk fell creating a cape that flowed behind her as she walked. The silk was belted around her waist by a wide and intricate and equally light gold belt, and her shoulders were protected by a similar material- some small bits of toughness in this exceedingly feminine dress. A small bit of her scarring could be seen in the way the back of her dress dipped, but not the whole thing. Claire’s hair- brushed and plaited to be out of her face- took care of hiding the rest. Her talisman was the only piece of jewelry she owned so she wore it here, the crystal cold like the rest of her against her skin.

So this was it. This ball. Claire took a look around, curious at this throng of people- the girls with their white faces and men with black around their eyes. She didn’t belong here, truly, and that made her smile a little. Perhaps they thought she was some sort of foreign dignitary, and that thought truly made her smile.

Claire turned her eyes up to the front, catching a glimpse of the proclaimed King of this land. She stopped when she saw him, her eyes widening. There was something heart-catchingly familiar about this man- his long white hair in particular- and it made her pause. Had she seen this man before?

[Deleted]

Lia had spent most of the day fretting over what to wear to this thing. She made arrangements to sing with some other musicians she knew that were just as eager to work the 1st district as herself. Her professional concerns were out of the way, leaving only this one. She had a relatively large assortment of dresses and stuff over the year, but damn if so much of it didn’t seem so common. There were people to impress now. However, she did have one thing. She never wore it. She never had an occasion to wear it, but now was as good a time as ever! It was a long deep red dress with a baroque print. The neckline dipped into a wide v shape, and went a bit off the shoulder. The sleeves bellowed out at the elbows and were long enough to reach mid-calf when her hands were at her sides. Gold fabric lined the dress and could be seen in the lining of the sleeves. Accenting it all was an an underbust waist cincher made of bronze. She wears her pastel pink, wavy hair down, reaching all the way down to mid-thigh level.

Eventually, she stands along a group of entertainers. It was wonderful to show up early to castle and see everything being set up. She watches in amazement at just how beautiful everything is and how fast everyone manages to get everything up.

Lia doesn’t think she has ever seen the king this close before, but she watches as he enters the castle, and a servant falls to his feet. His presence is almost menacing, and she feels almost as tense as the servants despite not being involved. However, as soon as the king is given more wine, everything returns almost to as it was. The king takes the throne and the doors swing open. For a second, she is awestruck by the sheer number of people coming through the door. She has never gotten a chance to perform for so many people. No reason to waste time now!

“So where should we set up?” Lia asks a servant girl, gesturing to her group of musicians. The servant girl looks them over and says, “Follow me.” Following the servant girl, she takes them to a spot in the middle of the ballroom. “Over here.” Well, it wasn’t next to the king, but it wasn’t terrible! Maybe with some luck, they’ll move closer up. Her band sets up quickly, and start to play. More excited than nervous, she starts to sing. She starts with a few ballads everyone knows, but keeps it light, happy, and celebratory. Her voice is soothing despite being loud enough to fill her section of the room. Her honeyed voice draws them on its own weight and a little help from the magic she has. It’s not long before her audience seems excited and is making requests. With a nod to the band, they decide to take them.

[Deleted]

A ball…..really? She saw the notice posted up. Last time she had an opportunity to go was back when she was sixteen. Back then she had thought it sounded like fun, getting dressed up all pretty and acting like a normal female of her age. Plus sixteen was marrying age, she was supposed to have found a suitor for herself by then to be any sort of respectable lady. A dance would have helped her prospects back then…however she had chosen to spend her evening helping banished a certain red eyed menace from the city limits. Today…well she was twenty four, her face was scared beyond belief, and she had god blood in her…Finding a suitable match had been long pushed from her mind; and dances just didn’t hold their appeal to her anymore. All romantic notions and expectations had gone away with age, now it just seemed tedious.

With her mind made up not to bother an ever present voice made itself known in the back of her mind. ’You’re going’ Her face screwed up…’I will not…me going to a dance in the palace is a horrible idea!’ Once more ’You’re going.’ Aria found the nearest bench and sat down, closing her eyes and appearing as herself in her mental world. She was staring at the king’s long dead twin, a stubborn look on his face which was similar to the one she wore now. Her mental self-stuck her tongue out at him. ’No’ He placed his hands on his hips staring her down with his blue eyes. ’GO TO THIS BALL!!! Aria crossed her hands over her chest a pout playing on her lips ’if I go I have to play nice….I don’t want to have to play nice….why do I have to play nice?’ Her tone had a whininess to it that was always present when Core tried to make her do something she disliked. The same tone which always sent that one vein in his temple popping, just as it was doing now. ’BECAUSE, I’ve been playing nice for YEARS!! It’s your turn’ Aria threw her hands up in the air in frustration ’What does that have to do with it! WE BOTH KNOW I’M A DANGER TO MYSELF! I’ll get myself sent to the gallows for sure!’ He closed the mental space between them, looking down at her short form with a threatening scowl ’Woman I will give you the worst migraine you have ever had in your entire life….’ Aria was undaunted as she returned his scowl. ’and I’ll dress you up in that mental pink tutu again if you dare….’ Core looked thoughtful before responding ’That’s fine…The better to give you nightmares with. Besides Loue and I use to wear dresses to pull off jobs…wouldn’t be the first time’ That last part sounded like he was more trying to convince himself then anything. Aria rubbed the bridge of her nose as he threatened to give her nightmares. ’I have seen Grandpa Lee Lee nude in the springs, NOTHING can be worse than that..’ Cores eyebrows shot up, a dangerous grin playing across his face ’ Is that a challenge?’ Aria glared up at him, her chin jutting out stubbornly ’BRING IT!’ Core smiled ’ Threee….two…one…’ Aria held her hands up to stop him, a large pout on her face ‘I want a REASON…why the hell do you want to go to this event so badly?’ Core got that mischievous grin…the one when he told her only a piece of an information and no matter what she did he wouldn’t spill the rest. ’Because I know two people that have never avoided parties….’ Aria sighed and shook her head, ‘This is a baaad idea Core….’ As she slipped back into the normal world she could hear his response ’What could go wrong.’ Plenty could go wrong Aria thought, but it would seem she needed to find herself a dress….

About a day later from when Aria had seen the notice she stood at the stairs that led to the castle. Her feet clad in soft fur lined ivory white slippers embroidered with gold lace. They had a small heel to them, but nothing that she couldn’t walk in comfortably. She took a deep breath and picked up her skirts and took the dreaded walk into the castle. Pushing her nerves to the side; Core had to have a good reason for forcing her to go to this thing anyways.

As she entered the room she was a sight to behold; her poster was straight and she glided with well-trained grace. Her father had drilled her endlessly, if she was to learn how to fight like a man she would learn how to act like a lady as well. With eight years on the glade under her belt she had plenty of time to learn her lessons. Aria petite form was draped in ivory satin, the dress cascaded down to the floor and forming a train behind her. Her well sculpted shoulders were laid bare, a noticeable but modest amount of cleavage showed from a wide sweat heart neck line. Showing much of the perfect milky white of her skin. Her sleeves started just below her shoulder, the material stiff at the top, and slowly flowing down in a softer thinner material. The large bell like sleeves would brush down close to the floor, with large slits up them all the way to the stiffer material allowing free movement of her arms. There was a second later of material that formed sleeves that lay close to her skin, also ivory until the hem which was a deep blue green flecked with a bit of gold lace. The sleeves came down over her wrist and tapered off into a triangle like point at her middle knuckles. The top of her dress was form fitted, showing off her desirable womanly figure; deep blue green thread embroidered the front and came up in a celtic knot like fashion. The material loosened into long flowing skirts; a long rich blue green sash hung off her hips, the color doing wonders at making her bright eyes pop. The dress as extravagant as it was, was outdone by Arias own natural features. Her masses of dark red hair shone with a healthy shine, a red like the hue of a freshly polished garnet. Her soft waves fell in masses around her, stopping just below her waist. Only a part of these soft curls was pulled up and out of her face in a soft bun; she would have liked to have found a gold clip to adorn it but sadly she did not have the coin in order to do so…so the bun was left with something lacking. Her blue green eyes were framed by thick dark eyelashes, for once she applied coal to her eyes only making them pop more. Her lips were painted in a soft rosy pink that suited her face well but was not overly light or dark. All and all she was the picture of the deity that she truly was…well besides for the ugly scar that blazed up the side of her face. It broke the picture of perfection but made it more captivating at the same time.

Aria wiped her hands on her skirt nervously; standing at the entrance completely at a loss of what to do. ’Core, this was a bad idea….I have no clue what I’m doing’ For once…Aria was scared shitless….balls, royals, nobles…..this was not her element. She stuck out like a sore thumb! She desperately looked around for any friendly face she knew.

[Deleted]

Séanait had never been to a ball. The closest she'd been had been the victory feast following the total conquest of the Silver Isle, but that had been less refined than what the talk on the streets suggested. More booze and drunken soldiers trying to dance the local women, less elegant gowns and ladies and gentlemen dancing. She suspected that most of the people on the streets were only repeating hearsay and that balls really weren't at all like that, but it did sound oddly interesting. What was more interesting, in Séanait's eyes, was that everyone was invited to this particular ball, whether they be a tanner or a high lord. That meant she had a chance to meet people who might either know of more work, or who might be able to offer some. There had to be some merchants or nobles who needed a guard.

Preparing for the ball hadn't taken long. As she was saving up for a particularly nice coat of mail, Séanait hadn't bothered to buy a new dress. Instead, she'd had her good dress laundered and wore it now. The dress was of a simple design. Dark blue, almost black, the floor length dress had a deep, V shaped neckline that plunged down between her breasts, revealing a scar that went from her left clavicle down to below her right breast. The cuffs, collar and neckline were embroidered in simple designs of bright yellow, making the design striking, but not overly expensive or elaborate. To be perfectly honest, the dress made Séanait look like a cheap whore, and she knew it, but it was that or men's clothing, and Séanait had become tired of wearing men's clothing day in and day out for the last three months. Sometimes she just needed to fell like a woman. Still, she wore her hobnailed soldier's boots under the dress and had a cheap dagger strapped to her calf. Just because she liked to feel like a woman didn't mean that she had to make herself helpless.

As the doors opened and the crowd surged through, Séanait stayed slightly behind the front and quickly slipped off to one side as soon as she was through the doors, eyes scanning the room quickly to assess potential threats and the general security. It was, she decided, as good as could be expected under these circumstances. Whoever was in charge of the guards must be tearing his hair out right about now.

Looking over at her neighbor, Séanait saw that she was a short, very beautiful woman dressed in a very expensive, very stunning dress. She was everything that Séanait looked for in a woman, except the a large scar that covered most of the left of her face. That intrigued Séanait. It was a little off putting, true, but it suggested an interesting story. It would be rude to ask for the story, of course, but people with interesting stories were often interesting themselves.

Grinning at the red head, Séanait extended a hand, a little unsure if this was how woman greeted each other in this country but not letting it show, and introduced herself in her lilting accent.

"I'm Séanait, but most people just call me Shy. You look a little nervous. First time here?"

[Deleted]

Ilta was divided on going to the ball. On one hand, it would probably be incredibly dull, and she disliked places with tons of strangers. On the other hand, there was the off chance that something interesting would happen, and the best wine, ale, and food would probably be served. It was really the latter thing that had her going. Eventually, she finds something to wear. However, this was not before a few people in the merchant’s district tried to convince her to buy some large ballgowns, and she spent a good time wondering how anyone could even move in one of those things. She settles on a blue doublet with gold fasteners. It goes down to her knees and has a high collar. This is worn over top of a long-sleeved lighter blue shirt. She wears black pants and black boots. A brown belt hangs around her waist.

Like every other commoner, she spends some time waiting outside as the doors open. Almost ready to make a bee line for the food and refreshments before spotting a familiar face. It’s somewhat strange to see Claire in attire so flimsy… and cold. Perhaps it was to show off the amazing scarring. “Your back… it’s an impressive display of endurance. I imagine you’re a bit cold though?” she asks, coming up to Claire’s side.

[Sima Oratio]

Sima lived in almost secrecy. Living alone in a city, working day in and day, with the only real goal to survive. He had made this promise, and he kept his promises. Their was no way out of it for him now. Sima loathed that he had made that promise, stuck in a world full of new people, places, and cultures that he didn't understand. Sima saved every penny, the only thing he purchased was rent and food. Every day was just the typical same, at least until the notice of the ball. Sima had told himself only spend money on important things, but he absolutely loved dancing, and being happy was important right? So with the large sums he had saved he decided to purchase the most expensive garment he could find. In his courts the best dressed were usually the life of the party! So he purchased a light blue garment probably meant for high nobles. Sima was lost in this world, an alien, with no one to turn to, well except dancing. This was one thing that no matter where he was it was the same. You have the company of a partner, a song to move a long to, and the smell of lush sweet perfumes. Of course their were always the thick perfumes too. 

When the ball opened up Sima carefully slipped through the crowd trying his best to be unseen. Oddly the point was to be seen, but Sima must have been getting cold feet. He decided to grab a chair in one of the empty tables, albeit not too many of them. He sat down, preparing to understand the culture before he jumped in, at least this time anyways. He already noticed a key difference. The males were wearing black eye paint of sorts, and Sima was not. He could smell the paint from his chair, mostly all faded, but the scent was still there. Sima wasn't sure if he could handle it near his eyes, probably too close to his nose. He wasn't sure if the paint was big no-no or not, but then, as he played with his fingers, he felt like he was missing something important. He looked down at his hands staring down at his old wedding ring. In the courts from his world it was bad to be seen without your spouse, and many people looked at the hands to get a bearing on the person. He didn't know if it was the same here, but it worried him. "Perhaps I should remove it," He thought aloud while twisting the ring on his finger. He gently applied pressure to release it from his hand. "It's not like.." He thought to himself before releasing the pressure on the ring. Sima was not ready to remove it from his hand yet, they would just have to think whatever they wanted. 

This was to have fun, and try to fulfill the promises he had made. The people of this world had no idea who he was, so in theory he could make up whatever story he wanted. The thought was enticing, and sounded like a lot fun. Although Sima was sure it was not the best of ideas, perhaps he should keep it simple. He looked around the room, realizing that this may not be good posture for a man. It had been a while since he had been in a area like this. Sima's posture was usually naturally good, but with a few tweaks he made his posture stand out. He stood from the chair, and moved of into a more noticeable section. This was the way that woman wanted to see a man in the courts he was from, so it was possibly the same here. Sima knew he couldn't refuse a dance, nor could he have the heart to go and ask for one, at least at this moment. He took a deep breath, the air from the area filtering through his nose as his brain processed the information. He could smell almost every little detail, although every scent it's own unique, none were too noticeable, at least among the scent of thick of perfumes. The only thing he could sift out was the scent of jasmine. "Maybe this was a bad idea" He thought aloud nervously.  

[Roland]

"Zepon's horn." Cursed a gruff voice as he walked out into the halls filled with people. As always Noku was unreasonable, how the hell were the guards supposed to keep the palace safe if he allowed so many people in without even checking them. B*rning politics, why can't we just have this outside the palace and keep the king here?

The man who had walked out into the hall was wearing a long black cloak over top of an ornate black linen vest trimmed with silver brocade and concealing the front of the purple linen dress shirt beneath. His black pants were made of stout wool , with purple trim and he wore a black wide brimmed hat that obscured his almost luminous amethyst eyes.Ai's tits, this place is crowded. If a fight starts out a lot of people are going to get hurt. He grumbles inwardly.

As he patrols through the hall keeping an eye on both the performers and guests he suddenly feels a tingle of magic and looks around. His eyes eventually fall on petite girl who was performing as a dancer. He watches her for a brief moment as he works out what she was doing. Seems like charm magic, nothing to worry about at the moment. He decides as he moves away and then thinks about it again once he is free of the effects.

Roland continues on his patrol until he reaches the main ballroom and then stops and leans against a nearby wall searching for any potential signs of trouble. While he could not say his job was fun, Roland took pride in keeping the peace in the city and on behalf of the crown and by Caster he was going to do his job well.

Roland fishes several feather replicas of birds and exhales on them. Each of the replicas stirs, then shakes and finally takes off into the sky to see if they can identify any fighting. If so they would come get him and lead him there.

[Claire]

Claire blinked, her gaze broken when she heard someone speak to her. She turned her head, looking to Ilta and her attire. She smiled, tilting her head at the woman’s choice in garb. How eccentric. “Freezing.” she laughed, “But it is the only dress I own.”

“Glad you appreciate it. It did take endurance.” She shrugged a little and leaned over, plucking drinks from a tray that was passing by. She handed one to Ilta, lifting the other. “To your good health, as they say?”

She took a drink of the mulled wine, letting out a contented sigh. The warmth and spices did feel good in the cold. She opened her eyes a little, surveying the crowd and smiling. “That singer is very good. Very pretty.” she nodded in Lia’s direction, then looked back down to her goblet. “ <My gods-> -this is very good. Of course they would keep the best here.”

Her gaze snapped back in the direction of the king again briefly before she looked back to Ilta, taking in another look at her attire. “I take it you do not attend many parties.”

[Rivers]

Rivers watches the king take the wine and begin the celebration. So that's Noku huh? He certainly does have presence, I am not surprised he is such a significant figure with an aura like that one. I would like to have a conversation with him someday. Rivers thinks to himself as he watches people begin setting up for the festivities.

"I suppose I should be getting ready as well." He mumbles under his breath. Rivers had originally planned on coming in his normal outfit, but after a back and forth with Aria he finally decided that he would actually dress for the occasion. He starts with obtaining a fine green coat trimmed with just a little white lace, a little lace makes a man refined after all. Beneath is a fine white silk shirt with a bronze trim at the collar his pants are a fine white linen that have bronze stripes running up the leg and on his feat are a pair of fine soft leather shoes. Rivers' hair is combed back and a fine green silk scarf is tied around his neck.

As he takes a violin from an instrument case he raises the bow into the air and give a deep bow. "Ladies and gentlemen allow me to begin with a simple ballad." He begins with several of the more common and popular Ballads, the unique arrangement of his ballads with the violin end up attracting several eyes partially due to his technically skillful performance and partially due to the unique arrangements.

After he finishes a few of the ballads he notices Lia performing and a smile crosses his face. She had certainly attracted a larger crowd than him, well no accounting for taste, but he had to admit she was good. He walks into the crowd that was listening to her and slowly weaves his way to the front until he was at a place where she would be able to see him.

He rests the violin on his shoulder and waits for a break so he can talk to her.

[Deleted]

Jeon stood just outside the main door to the ballroom. This was the moment he was fearing. As a young child he had told himself to never come back here, but the circumstances in the past few years led him to this spot again. 'I thought this part of my life was past. Now here it is in all its extravagance.' His mind fluttered around such thoughts. He had made sure to dress accordingly to the environment. His ensemble was black with deep purple decor. His vest was fasted with golden buckles along with his belt. His cloak, indicating his status as a mage, was fastened by a decorative golden wing that indicated the motive of his outfit. The wing could also be found on his cloak. Covering his gloves and arms partially was a wrap made of silk that was dyed a pure white. The wraps occurred covering his boots and his legs.

Jeon's ball appearance

After the doors had been opened for the public Jeon stood still in his place. He could hear the music beginning. The soothing soprano voice rang in his ears. With eyes closed he sensed his surroundings. The air was chilling against his nose. A warm breeze wafted from the room to his left. Heavy scents and trailing dresses moved all around him. All the voices, though quiet individually, were a choir mixed in their chaotic jumble. He brought his hands up to his face covering his eyes. His gloved hands were cold on the outer surface, but warm within. The contrasting sensation brought him back to the now. He straightened himself up and walked toward the room: posture upright and proud. He took a deep breath through his nose.

He walked briskly into the room. His smiling face greeting the attendees whose eyes he made contact with. His goal was to blend in as much as possible and try to delay the inevitable. 'Hahahahahhahaha...' his thoughts were laughing in distress. This was unlike him to fret in a group of people. This is where he flourished. After grabbing some food at the table he placed himself by a pillar so that the throne was completely out of view. He ate and continued smiling. In his attempts to look as comfortable as possible he looked insane interacting with no one while eating. He grew aware of this, but decided to stay. Glancing through the audience he didn't notice any familiar faces. Just as he was expecting. This was his first week back.

[Deleted]

Ilta grabs a drink and meets Claire in her toast, “To good health.” She takes a sip of the wine. Pretty good, but she preferred something maybe a bit less sweet. But more than that, she wanted whatever the king was drinking. He seemed to be in the proper state for enduring a party.

After she finishes her glass, Ilta glances over to the singer, taking requests from the crowd. “Yeah, she does have a beautiful voice,” she says, “But really I came for the food and drinks. Better than I could probably buy anywhere.” She wasn’t even sure if any taverns would be open right now with this massive ball going on.

She shakes her head when Claire asks her if she went to very many parties. “No. I lived pretty far up north for a long time in the mountains. No castles. No ballrooms. Lots of sheep though. And trees. So there were a few gatherings during holidays, but nothing anywhere close to as large as this.” At saying that Ilta realizes just how much out of her element she is in. Why was she in this crowded mess again? Then she sees another person carrying drinks. Right, that. She grabs another in exchange for her empty glass from a serving girl.

“How about you? Anything similar to this when you are from?” she asks.

[Deleted]

Lia smiles as she spots Rivers in the crowd. When it comes to for them to break, Lia gives a bow to the audience. She sits around long enough to listen to some applause, and walks over to him. “Now, this is probably the nicest place that I’ve ever performed, I think. I can imagine doing this for the rest of my life, I think,” she says. She grabs something to drink from one of the waiters.  Taking a sip, this was far above anything they served at the Mary.  She isn't sure she can go back to that now. 

Taking a glance at the king, she adds, “But I think the place to be is up closer to him. I imagine most of the performers near the king are regulars to the royal court. I wonder, do you think the two of us could get up further to him?  Now, he does seem a bit tipsy, so I'm unsure how much he'll recall.  However, that matters less than others seeing us entertain him.” The two of them were a good team, so they had a nice chance by working together. “This is the kind of place that can advance or ruin someone’s career, and I want to see how far I can get.  What do you think?”  

[Sima Oratio]

Sima scanned the room curiously, looking for someone to ask to dance. He wasn't really keen on any type of partner, in fact if he could make the person feel better in the process he'd be more happier. He didn't care what they looked like as long as they were unique and different. Too many people, he couldn't see much with his eyes. Like Sima does very often he used his nose to find what he was looking for. He couldn't quite lay his finger on an odd scent mixed in with the crowd. It was like rain on dry earth, certainly not what you would expect from a ball. Sima walked over, following the wind current in way to get a view on the individual. At first glance he thought "WHAT IS THAT!" At second glance he thought. "That is one interesting person" Sima's curious mind got the better of him. Was the scent he found leading to that female? He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Was she a demon like him? And wildly accepted into the society here? Sima didn't understand, if any demon appeared so formally they would be executed. Sima had to figure out who this person was, even if he seemed a big rude doing so. Sima didn't get much entertainment lately, so finding a way to say things without creating rude comments was actually quite fun, if not difficult. For example, if he ran up to the individual and said. "Excuse me, what race are you?" That could be seen as a quite rude gesture. Sima sighed in desperation. "How am I supposed to ask that?" He thought curiously. Sima also couldn't help but get a childish thought. Her horns, they looked so interesting. Sima muttered. "I wonder what the horns feel like..." He scratched his head nervously. 

Sima just shrugged his worries away. "Aint no time like the presence right?" He thought to himself. He casually walked over to the two females with correct posture. "Excuse me ladies, pardon my interruption, but I wouldn't be able to steal a dance from one of you would I?" He reached his hand towards the female with horns. It may be a little early, but Sima wasn't one to wait around. Sima couldn't understand her scent. At first he thought she was a demon, but now that he was so close her scent was nothing like it. He was confused to say the least, and interested even further. Sima had more then one question to ask her during this dance, even if it was rude, he was just that curious kid unafraid to figure out the world, and he wasn't quite sure what her friend thought of this interruption for a dance, but he assumed she would be okay with the gesture because it wasn't as if he put off a dangerous vibe, at least he thought so anyways. 

[Claire]

Claire laughed uproariously, reaching over for another mug. “Ask me again in a few drinks if this is anything like the parties I have seen at home.” She took another sip- another mulled wine. She leaned a little close to Ilta, looking out over the crowd. “They look so funny, do they not? So much-” she gestured to her face, snorting with laughter. “Strange what they consider beautiful.”

She looked over when she heard the presence of another person, halfway through another drink. She blinked at Sima, then turned her gaze to Ilta, her eyebrows sharply raised. Well. This would be fun. She lowered the mug from her lips and grinned, clearly fighting back laughter. “I will leave you to it.” she slipped back, trusting the woman to be able to handle herself with a suitor.

She walked back a little, between the throng of dancers, towards the food. She wasn’t hungry at the moment particularly, but there was quite the spread here. She had eaten heartily while she was here, but never anything particularly fancy or sweet. Her gaze was quickly caught however by a terrified looking Aria. A grin came over her face and she strode over, placing her hand on her head and tilting her head back to look at her.

“Something slip in your dress, girl?” Claire grinned down at the young woman, placing her drink aside. “Or are you just shy? I never took you as it.” she looked up over Aria’s head to Séanait, nodding.

“Good to see you again.”