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

"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.

"Right." Enjolras agrees. "I can't think...licorice comes to mind as a taste I'd not exactly want to be left with. " He doubts it would mix in with the other flavors well anyway, but still. "Some sort of way to tell what you're biting into, maybe a flag or something would be nice. I don't like being unawares of much. And nor, I think, do you."

Her nose scrunched up at the thought.

"Is that the candy that tastes like medicine?"

"It is, yes." He makes his own disgusted, nose wrinkled, puckered lips sort of face. "It started as a medicine I think. Tea for coughing or...something. And I guess people liked it. I don't see where, myself."

"Why would anybody ever like the taste of medicine? It was always so...bitter."

One of the few arguments she and Michel ever got into was when he was sick with fever, and she had to give him a spoonful of the most disgusting liquid known to mankind. He hated it so much. Gagged every time he took it. If it didn't work wonders on most common childhood illnesses--not to mention, cost far too much to let go to waste--she would have happily let him pour it down the drain.

"I ponder that myself." Enjolras shakes his head. "Two of my close friends were doctors in training and had courses in making the stuff too. I swear that everything they came up with was purposefully vile. Some sort of attempt to keep you from becoming sick and dealing with it, maybe? As a sweet..." His nose wrinkles in disgust.

"It would only bring back the memories, I think."

"Try telling that to a stubborn two year old," she let out an almost-laugh at the thought. Maybe if medicine had been sweet, Michel wouldn't have tried to throw the spoon in her face that one time....

"That WOULD be much harder." Enjolras laughed too, counting himself lucky that the people he'd spent the most time with had been able to be reasoned with. On that matter at least. On others, well. Marius was Marius, wasn't he? "You would think someone could come up with something a bit easier by now."

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