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Post by Narye Matsuya on Jul 22, 2012 18:11:45 GMT -5
Narye could not believe that was an honest-to-god Masquerade Ball being held, and that is one that he could attend no less. Usually those kinds of social events were reserved for people higher-up on the social ladder, and far higher on the income ladder. It was sure generous of that Sir Ping Song guy to hold such an event for everyone. Before he announced that he would holding Ball and Festival, Narye had not heard of him at all. But certainly now no one would forget who he was after this big event. Narye personally hoped that this would become an annual thing, and that it would grow over the years. Even if that wasn't to happen, he was definitely going to be at this one.
More than just getting the chance be at a normally rich people-only event, Narye thought it would be a great opportunity to get back into the Game. Y'know, the Game. The one where he puts himself out into the dating pool and opens himself up to getting into a new relationship. After meeting Ira at the Gym, Narye felt more confident about trying to start something new. Ira was certainly nice, and she would definitely be an opportunity on her own, but he felt like playing the field a bit. It had been a few years, he felt like he deserved to try and start a new intimate relationship.
Besides, it was one of those masked balls, hence the name, so even if things went a little sideways he could still hide his face. Since it was a warm evening, Narye went with a lighter formal get-up: Formal pants, shoes, a good collared-shirt, and his nicest silk vest. But no overcoat. He had to go out and get his own mask since he had none. Who had a spare masquerade mask laying around the house anyway?
Since the announcement of the Festival, some shops were peddling their masks like crazy and Narye grabbed a nice blue one that covered the top half of his face, like all fancy masks. The saleslady said it complimented his eyes nicely, so that's why he got that one.
Later, he found himself at the entrance to the outdoor Ball, adorned with paper lanterns and a live band or orchestra or whatever you'd call it and fancy tables and chairs and everything he really imagined about a masquerade ball. It was beautiful and everyone had a mask on. With a sigh, he stepped forward and tried to decide what to do first.[rand=31206457549706169456109008751810214489481877535583835652454290539]
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Post by Saaga Sun on Jul 24, 2012 18:58:04 GMT -5
Saaga looked around the venue and bit her lower lip in mild annoyance. She had been coaxed into going to the masquerade ball by one of her dear roommates Aya, but the moment they had arrived she had been swept away by her latest conquest. Now the two were engaging in an obscenely open display of affection near the entrée table and Saaga wanted no part in their dalliance.
She had heard some of her colleagues from the Glass Emporium might show up at the party, but of course she could not tell if that was true or not, what with all the guests wearing masks. Aya had bought her a mask to wear as well; a black half-mask shaped like an owl’s face and lined with feathers. It was itchy, looked ridiculous and didn’t match with the rest of her outfit. She was wearing a bright yellow sleeveless yukata with orange embroidery. A wide jade green belt was cinched around her waist and the whole ensemble clashed magnificently with the mask.
Having circled the hall for a while in the hopes of finding an interesting conversation to join in and not finding much success, Saaga finally stood near the entrance and grabbed a glass of wine from the tray of a passing waiter. She sipped on her drink and hummed to the tune the band was playing, laughing in amusement when the tsungi hornist went on to perform a striking solo. He was so passionate about his playing it almost made Saaga forget she had been ditched so that her friend could enjoy the company of her dashing naval officer.
“Got to admire the man. He has an amazing set of pipes,” she mused quietly and took another sip of the wine, swaying in tune with the music but not quite daring to dance.
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Post by Narye Matsuya on Jul 24, 2012 19:23:48 GMT -5
The moment Narye spotted chocolate-covered strawberries on one of the food tables, he knew what he was going to do first: Grab a plateful of those little slices of heaven. He may have looked a tad unlike the rich folk that would normally come to a gathering like that as he helped himself to a couple of the treats before actually putting some on a plate for later. Then again, the people around him weren't of high society either and it showed in their own little ways. Case in point: not too far away from him was a young couple going at it. One of them looked to be a sailor or something.
It wasn't often that Narye felt like the older man that he was gradually becoming, but seeing those two makeout like that in full view of everyone made him want to grab the nearest bucket of ice and put it on them. Believe it or not, it wasn't for the fact that they were doing it in the first place, though that was a minor factor. It was more because he wanted to intervene and tell them, or the young man at least, how it was done. Instead he opted to just walk past them with his plate of strawberries.
"Amateur..."
That little bit of snark aside, Narye found a spot facing the band and listened-in. This was something he really liked about these kinds of events. Live music always sounded so good, and better than on the radio. It was nice feeling the sound in his ears and his chest, and a treat to see the musicians lose themselves in their craft, such was the case with the tsungi hornist. Next to him, a woman in a feathery mask commented on his talents.
"That's an artist at work, right there."
Turning to face her, Narye was suddenly faced with a question that should've seemed obvious, but he never thought of it. Do you reveal your identity at a masquerade ball? Everyone was wearing masks, mostly for decoration, but they still hid your face. In the spirit of the ball, he decided to forego introductions for now.
"Excuse me, where did you get the wine? I didn't see any at the table where I got these."
He held out his little plate of strawberries dipped in chocolate, silently offering the woman some. In a turn that surprised Narye, he got a little thrill of not knowing whom the woman was, nor she knowing who he was.
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Post by Saaga Sun on Jul 24, 2012 21:27:05 GMT -5
"That's an artist at work, right there."
With a sharp jolt Saaga stopped her swaying and turned to look at the man who was standing next to her. He seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, though then again she had not been paying much attention to anything besides the jazzy tunes of the band.
The man was almost a full foot taller than her, even with her wearing sandals with quite a bit of heel. She had to crane her neck to look at his face and what was there was a blue half-mask. Of course it would have been more surprising to see a man not wearing a mask, considering the event.
Saaga smiled at him politely and gestured towards the band: “You think so? I have to admit I don’t know much about music, but I love how they’re so into it. Seeing people give their all like that and really enjoy themselves makes me happy.”
She focused her attention to the band, right as the tsungi hornist stepped aside to make room for the erhu player who had the most beautiful hands she had ever seen on a man. And the way he played his instrument wasn’t bad either, though after the tsungi horn a string instrument didn’t sound nearly as majestic.
The man in the blue mask was apparently not about to settle for a random remark and then be on his merry way, as he offered her a plate of strawberries and made an inquiry about her drink. She supposed he was not a waiter if he was going to engage in drinking and socializing. Not being one to refuse a treat when it was offered, Saaga took a strawberry and ate it happily glancing towards the entrée table to see if Aya and her ‘friend’ were still around. One look at them made her decide she was going to pretend not to know them should anyone ask.
“Oh, there are waiters going around the hall with wine trays. Aah, and here comes one now,” she answered and waved her hand briskly to catch the attention of a solemn looking server, who after a moment of careful consideration decided not to ignore her plea for service and came toward them with a tray full of wine glasses. Factory made, Saaga noted glumly.
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Post by Narye Matsuya on Jul 24, 2012 21:47:49 GMT -5
With the inclusion of the mask, Narye was kind of forced to take notice of other details that he might not have noticed otherwise, or until later. Her eyes, for one, caught his attention and he took note of how they were differently colored, one a green color while the other was a bluer color. It was the first time he had ever seen a person with differently colored eyes, and he found it interesting and exotic. Combine that with feathered mask and this woman was turning out to be very intriguing to look at.
Though looking at her for too long might put a kink in his neck considering how she was almost a full head shorter than he was.
Narye had a strawberry in his mouth when the waiter came on over to the two of them. He didn't want to keep the man waiting so he hurried with it and freed his hand to grab a glass. The waiter promptly left them before he could say thanks. He took a swig of it, not a sip, because Narye wasn't quite as versed in formal ettiquette than the girl was.
"Hm. Not bad. I wonder how much of this stuff they had to break out considering that this is a public event."
He noticed that her eyes had shot over to the couple at the food table, the two that he had passed before.
"You know those two?"
After a quick sip, he added with a smile.
"Or you just jealous?"
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Post by Saaga Sun on Jul 24, 2012 22:33:10 GMT -5
”My guess is, a lot. Though I suppose it’s possible that some companies have offered to sponsor the event, maybe even the city hall. Events like these are good for the community spirit,” Saaga replied and raised her glass as if to toast. She did not know much of anything about their generous host but for his sake she hoped the man was either ridiculously wealthy or had a lot of sponsors backing him up. The city could eat and drink him out of his money in a day and still whine about having been left unsatisfied.
She felt the wine glass in her hand, weighing it with a professional eye. She did not like the feel of it; somehow it felt too clinical, like the human element of the making process had been stripped away. She said nothing about though, just drank her wine away until a question from her strawberry laden companion nearly made her choke. Of course he had to have noticed the look.
“No, of course not. I uh…just think it’s a little early for that. Maybe?” she replied with the first words that came to mind. Not the best words by a long shot.
Trying not to look over at the table again, Saaga wiped the droplets of wine from her chin and pondered whether she would need to have a talk with Aya later. Then again she was a grown woman, allowed to make her own mistakes. If only she would make them somewhere she didn’t have to witness them.
“I should probably be relieved. With the kind of upbringing we had, one would think she’d be even more promiscuous,” she thought and adjusted her mask so that the feathers would not tickle her cheeks and nose so much.
“Do you dance?” she asked trying to steer the conversation to a better direction. She had noticed several people dancing and others had actually made room in front of the stage in case more couples wanted to join in the fun. Even if he didn’t enjoy dancing, Saaga hoped he would not press the matter of her knowing the idiot couple any further.
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Post by Narye Matsuya on Jul 24, 2012 23:05:26 GMT -5
"I hear that."
Narye raised his own glass to toast the woman's own glass with a gentle clink before downing the rest of the wine in it. He was surprised at how little of the stuff was actually in it. His more practical logic said that if there was less drink in the glass, it should be stronger, but this was not the case. Maybe he just wasn't as used to the standards of the high life. Whatever. He wasn't planning on getting drunk anyway and a single glass of wine was hardly enough to get him drunk, maybe a little buzzed, but not drunk.
As he carefully placed the glass on the tray of a passing waiter, Narye took notice of how she was inspecting her own glass. He thought that she might have been some kind of conessieur or expert on the matter. He could think of no other reason she would be looking at her glass like that. That is, until she almost did a spit take on him. Maybe she was just a little tipsy.
"I dunno about it being too early, per se. But they definitely could have found some place more private. I mean, they're right in front of the food."
He stared at the couple for a moment before completely pushing them out of his mind and turning his full attention back to the Lady with Blue Mask. She certainly dressed well, or at least better than he did in his own mind.
"With you? Of course I dance."
And like a gentlemen, he bowed over slightly and held out his hand for her to take.
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Post by Saaga Sun on Jul 25, 2012 11:48:59 GMT -5
Yes, they were in front of the food weren’t they? And judging by the way the other guests acted around the two, Saaga wasn’t the only one not feeling her appetite growing by the display. A quick sideways glance told her all she needed to know; that the two were apparently making a move to leave for some place more private. The navy man was guiding her giggling disheveled roommate towards the exit and though Saaga felt somewhat hurt by Aya’s lack of courtesy towards her, she was at least grateful for their early departure. This way she was saved from the imminent threat of her friend deciding to find her in a fit of drunken stupor and introduce her to the night’s catch.
“A perfectly good party wasted on raging hormones,” she thought and placed her glass on a passing waiter’s tray, taking cues from the strawberry man.
“That’s good. Hope I don’t wear you out,” she said laughing and took his hand, proceeding to drag him to the improvised dance floor.
Saaga loved to dance, but due to her workaholic nature and general lack of freely disposable income she rarely visited any of the numerous ballrooms of Republic City. An aspiring entrepreneur had more important uses for her money, namely saving up. Opportunities for free entertainment and partying were rare at the best of times, and so she wanted to make the best of them. Never let it be said she was incapable of having fun.
The band was just switching up for a quick paced number when they came to the floor and several men were asking women for a spin or two. She even spied a group of girlfriends merrily dancing together without the aid of male company. The only partners they had were their wine glasses, but that did not seem to stop them from enjoying themselves. Saaga smiled in approval and then leaned closer to her partner, letting him lead as was customary.
“So, what do you usually do when you’re not handing out strawberries to strange women?” she asked him, looking up at his face and making note of his eyes. They were a rather pretty color, a rich shade of green that reminded her of lush forests. The eyes were the mirror of one’s soul, her mother had often said and she wondered what secrets he hid behind his.
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Post by Narye Matsuya on Jul 25, 2012 12:20:54 GMT -5
"I'll try to keep up--Woah!"
Narye wasn't quite expecting to be whisked off to the dance floor so quickly and stumbled for a step behind the Blue Lady. He took it in stride and a smile grew on his face because of it. There was a certain energy or excitement to the move, an infectious one that spoke to the carefree nature of the party. This was the kind of thing Narye was looking forward to when he first came to the Ball.
Unbeknownst to either of them, there was a certain commonality between the two of them. Narye, as well, did not often find too many opportunities to cut loose and have some fun. Being a teacher was nice in most respects, working with children and helping them grow and learn. However, a lot of people tend to forget that being teacher also means that your work often follows you home as you grade papers and assignments and tests, and come-up with lesson plans or projects. It was like an adult's version of homework.
But tonight it was just him and the mysterious Blue Lady. His hands took up familiar positions on her as his muscles remembered how to dance, somewhat, from his earlier years. Meanwhile, his brain was catching up and dusting off the memories of how to dance, at least not like an idiot. The pace of the music helped cover up his rustiness, and he was keeping off her feet, so that was a good thing.
"I'm a teacher at a local school. History specifically. Though I've recently been asked to tutor at the Air Temple."
Narye felt the music and, on a whim and a note, he dipped the Blue Lady back. She was small enough compared to him that holding her and bringing her back up to her feet was no problem for him. He had a big grin on his face when she was back up.
"Bet you weren't expecting a lowly teacher to do that, huh?"
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Post by Saaga Sun on Jul 25, 2012 15:32:22 GMT -5
The man was a surprisingly good dancer and Saaga appreciated him for not stepping on her feet like others had done in the past. Besides work and playing paisho with the old folks, she did not really spend time in male company and usually felt a little uncomfortable if they touched her. It was not like she hated physical contact but she wasn’t used to it, as she had been raised to believe that physical contact with men was reserved for family members or more specifically one’s husband.
But now she felt like she was in charge of the situation. She did not have to be bound by the expectations of her culture. Once in a while she could just as well have a little fun with a man; it didn’t mean she had to end up like Aya. And she found herself quite enjoying the exercise.
“A teacher? That must be hard work, polishing the minds of the next generation, grooming them to be respectable citizens. Do you teach a specific age group?” she was intrigued by this information, as the man didn’t quite strike her as the scholarly type.
He looked to be in very good shape, something she did not expect from a person who most likely worked primarily indoors. Or maybe she was just categorizing him based on stereotypes. She had a bad habit of doing that, as many people liked to point out. For all she knew he could have been a fitness buff.
She was about to inquire further about his work, but the sudden dip took her off guard. She gasped in surprise and felt her feet rise an inch or so from the floor when he pulled her back up. Suddenly her small stature made her feel like a ragdoll, though she did not make a comment about it.
“I’m not sure I would call you ‘lowly’ but you’re right, I wasn’t quite expecting that,” she laughed, unconsciously tightening her grip around him.
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