tushanshu_logs | Event | Masquerade Ball

Event | Masquerade Ball

Characters: All
Date: The Evening of October 30th
Location: The Courtyard of Public Opinion
Situation: Valdis and 'Rue' have put together an All Hallows Eve Masquerade Ball.
Warnings/Rating: None

The day has finally arrived and the morning and afternoon are spent putting together what will be the scene of the Masquerade Ball at the Courtyard of Public Opinion. Kedan can be seen coming and going, carrying in decorations and lights and later on, various foods and desserts. Valdis, and Rue can occasionally be glimpsed directing people and moving things around, but anyone not a part of the setup will be ushered on and discouraged from lingering.

As night falls, the Courtyard will be brightly lit and ready for guests...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

An unusually fancily-dressed Midii soon approached him with a warm, if hesitant smile. She seemed uncomfortable, occasionally fiddling with the loose fabric flowing around her legs. Other than that, though, she seemed happy enough. Even slightly amused as she got a closer look at his wings.

"They're big." Stating the obvious. "Did you make them yourself?"

"Why Mademoiselle." Enjolras turned, rather carefully, and tried to bow, settling for a dip of his head instead of the entirely more awkward process. "You sparkle!" he grinned, and suddenly had the urge to keep an eye out in case any boys near her age happened to suddenly notice the same thing.

"I did indeed. It took...quite a while and quite a lot of feathers. Luckily, I had a source."

Her cheeks pinkened. A reaction that might have been considerably different had she been privy to his internal thoughts; Midii had never known what it was like to have that kind of attention. Either from a boy her age, or a brotherly/paternal figure seeking to nip the former in the bud.

Even now, if there were any looking her way, she remained oblivious.

"Not an actual bird, I hope. I'm sure they need those feathers for flying."

"I didn't ask, actually, but I doubt it." Enjolras imagined the poor bird in that case, and he shuddered a little. "If I believe my contact, they're fairly easy to catch if you're in the right places on the rooftops." He was fairly sure he did, too, for the most part. "If they're already out..." he shrugged. "Who am I to contend with nature?"

As for Midii, he could understand that feeling a little. Enjolras had never exactly liked being on display at most parties at home, and even here, they'd taken a while to get used to. Now, though, with so many friends among the others here, or at least people he liked well enough, it was easier to dress up and go out like this, even knowing attention might follow.

"Would you like some punch?" He offered, then, trying to remember how occasions like this went. "Or... Sorry I haven't been to a proper ball in...quite some time."

The spotlight was one thing. The (even momentary) undivided attention of a good friend was another. Particularly one who seemed just as uneasy about the aristocratic scenery around them and public manner of dress. It was comforting to know she wasn't the only awkward one.

"Punch would be lovely." She smiled up at him, surprised to find she resisted the urge to curtsy in response. "And don't worry. It's been a while for me, too."

There was a part of Enjolras that had certainly enjoyed the costume, and making it, more than he thought he'd enjoy the party tonight. It had been fun, really, giving in to the more creative side of himself, and coming up with something to wear. The event in question, though?

Awkward was the best way to phrase it really. But at least company who understood certainly did help.

"Oh good." He turned, offering an arm to walk her to the table. "I don't stick out TOO badly, then."

She looped her arm through his, placing her free hand lightly on his bicep. It was only through several hours' worth of practice in the privacy in her room that she was able to move with as much grace as she did right then, falling into step beside him on the way to the table.

"If you didn't want to stand out, you should have gone with a smaller costume."

"Probably." Enjolras had to laugh. "It's not the standing out I mind so much as that I managed to forget I'm awful at the socializing part of this.But, well, at least I'm among friends?" That was something he was glad for, definitely.

"You couldn't be any worse than I used to be."

Not just flattering words; MIdii could recall the days when her idea of socializing was partially showing her face from behind a veil of blonde hair. Sticking as close to the far wall as possible in hopes that nobody would actually notice her. Someone always did, of course, and while she could at least claim she never ran away, initial attempts to get her to join the festivities from a closer view point had been...severely limited.

At least, now, she was willing to walk up to people. Smile. Engage in friendly conversation without the need to learn something new about said person.

"I could be so bad as I used to be, true." Enjolras has to admit that he had his moments where socializing mostly meant hiding in a corner, trying not to make conversation, and doing it as little as possible. He'd spent a few occasions,when he had to, being a wallflower of sorts himself, or dancing really badly, when he had to, not on purpose exactly, though it had helped to get him ignored faster.

"I'll admit I used to hide from things along these lines." He confided, smiling. He got the same sense of Midii, really, that she understood, rather well. "At least neither of us is holding up a corner tonight, are we? We've both come far, then."

Dancing.

One of the few social customs she hadn't really participated in a long time. Not since...Damian, almost.

"Well, I have been here since I was a kid." A little growth and maturity on her part were to be expected. There was a major difference between eleven and almost-fifteen, after all.

And one that Enjolras had not considered since Combeferre had left. Since before then, really, but that marked the most convenient divide for him. And THAT was true, wasn't it? Midii had been here longer than he had, certainly.

"That is true, isn't it? You've grown up on this island. I cannot imagine how odd that must actually be. Then again, the lack of superficial vapid young people like the kind I went to school with seems like a nice enough change."

(Ironically, Midii would have been far more likely to meet one of those in Keelai, versus the world she came from. Which wasn't to say they did not exist. They did. But those children had been hidden behind safe walls and sheltered by the most upper class of Earth aristocracy.)

"I never knew many of those. The other children I grew up with were either just as poor, or...soldiers."

Or fellow spies, like her, but each time she mentioned child soldiers, one still came to mind. A face and lack of name she would never forget, it seemed, no matter how many years had passed since she watched him turn and walk away from her.

They were different worlds, hers and those of those other sorts of children, weren't they? Enjolras hadn't met his first poor person, his first ACTUAL poor person as opposed to a servant, who was poor but not near death either, until he'd come to Paris, and they'd been mostly a concept to him for a long time. He needed as she spoke.

"And I did not know many others. It wasn't until later. Poor or soldiers, though..." he looked grim, biting his lip a moment, hating that it had been a necessity. "That cannot have been...I wish it might be avoided."

And he did, too. It had simply become even more personal now.

She nodded silently in agreement, but said little more on the matter. To do so would drag them even further down that line of thinking once more.

Not today, though. Today was supposed to be a celebration.

"...these parties always have the most amazing food." Her smile brightened ever so slightly, even if it was initially forced. "They must bring out all their best recipes."

A good subject change, before they steered themselves too far away into uncomfortable territory. He smiled at the comment there.

"They MUST. I feel special, suddenly." He mused, thoughtful now. "That we're able to do this much."

I feel special.

Midii nodded, though there was a more sober tone to her as she commented: "We've been able to for so long...sometimes...I almost forget that, back home, this would have been almost impossible to see."

"You make a good point"

At home, Enjolras realized, trying to clear the thought from his head, I would be dead for certain. Even the version of himself who had written the mystery letter had been on his way to the scaffold.

"Rather impossible, yes. I suppose I've taken some of the wonder here for granted. That may not have been the best policy."

She nodded absently as her eyes scanned the refreshments table. A smile appearing at one particular dish.

"I was at the bakery earlier today, trying to buy some of these, and the shop said they were sold out." She motioned to one of the baskets of flavored bread. Not quite her favorite, but definitely up there on the list. "I guess now I know why."

"That would explain it." Enjolras laughed. "I don't think I've ever managed to try those particular breads. I'm a bit too loyal to the croissants. Someone, somewhere, taught the kedan how to make some astounding ones. Near better than Paris, when it comes to some of the local fruit ones."

Never having had the luxury of staying loyal to a particular type of food, she picked up one of the breads and took a healthy bite. Then motioned for him to do the same.

"You should try it. It's so good! Sweet, but not too sweet."

Enjolras does welcome the fact that it's more of an equal chance to do it here. "I'll do that." He agrees, going for a slice of his own that looks interesting and smells citrusy. He does like lemon things, after all.

He's taking an experimental bite now, then swallowing, nodding. "That IS rather good."

"I told you."

See, look at all the things you've been missing out on.

"The only thing I don't like is the fact that they mix all the flavors together," she added after another bite. "They want each piece to be a surprise. But I'm not big on surprises."

Sometimes stepping down from the soapbox is a remarkably healthy and enjoyable thing that way, isn't it?

"I appreciate the novelty, I suppose." He muses. "Or the thought of it, but. I agree. I would rather things be determined ahead of time, that one would be able to know. They DO do an excellent job, though."

"But what if there was a flavor you really hated, and you didn't know it was too late?"

Then you would be stuck with that awful, awful taste in your mouth. All for the sake of novelty.

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