oh, we dance in misery

[headandhand]

WHO: Open to all Dualizens!
WHAT: the Plague Memorial Masked Ball
WHERE: the Mayor's Mansion (central Dualis)
WHEN: the evening of November 16
WARNINGS: Visuals/discussion of disease and death in the setting. Anything else, please use appropriate warnings!

At 8 p.m. sharp, the lights inside and around the Mayor's Mansion turn up, and the doors are opened to the crowds that begin to trickle inside. All entrances are manned by Iterations, and all party-goers are scanned for both proper attire (formal and masked, mandatory) and weapons (absolutely forbidden) before being allowed entry.

Once inside, attendees are greeted to a spectacle of warmth and light and lavish decorations, all themed in white accented with gold and violet. Venture into the ballroom, and you'll see intricately carved ice sculptures in various representations of death, all laden with garlands of marigolds and violet chrysanthemums. At one end of the room, a rotating cast of musicians plays soft music in differing arrangements of strings and piano. Long tables at the other end of the ballroom are piled high with punch fountains and platters of delicious party foods, and a few bar stations serve beverages of the more adult variety to those of age.

Outside the main ballroom are seven smaller rooms, for more intimate conversations and quiet recovery from the main gala (or just skulking like a brooding weirdo, if that's your thing). Six of the rooms are decorated in monochrome blue, purple, green, orange, white, or violet, and the seventh room is pitch black with red accents.

Throughout the night, the mayor herself winds in and out of the crowds, shadowed by a pair of bodyguards. She is all smiles, greeting people with a friendly handshake and effusive words of thanks for attending the ball, but she never stays in one place long enough for a true conversation. This is a celebration of life and a remembrance of the dead, after all - not the time or place for talks of business or politics.

Enjoy yourselves tonight, everyone! And remember - death eventually comes for everyone.

Comments

[hellofishies]

"No. You just walked swiftly to an exit." Maybe she shouldn't be teasing him so much, but she can't really help it. His staring doesn't go unnoticed and she stifles a giggle as he looks down.

"I liked the sleeves," she moves her arms in a circle to show how they swoosh around with her movements. "It's like we're playing dress up like kids." That's all this was. A play. A show. Something meant to hide what's going on behind the curtains. But it's their play, and you can't question the motives at the plays own venue. "Did you take the first thing you found?" Clearly he must have. It's not surprising really. It's not a bad suit and mask, just boring. Something that doesn't make him stand out, which she's sure he probably likes quite a lot.

[chaosvessel]

"It suits you." It was the first thing that game to mind when he looked upon her in that dress, and so out it had come, and he cleared his throat, finding his shoes suddenly much more interesting.

Or at the very least, much safer.

While her tone wasn't judgemental in regards to his suit, he still winced slightly at the question. He certainly looked plain next to her, but he'd never made it his first, or last, priority to stand out.

"Yes. I...fit requirements."

[hellofishies]

"It does? I think the color matches. My hair was a darker version when it was there. I like your shoes." She's noticed him drilling a hole into his shoes with his own eyes. It was hard to miss actually and she really can't help but tease him at least a little bit about it. It's far too easy. "The parties I used to go to were nothing like this." A tiny bit about her life. About herself. It seemed like she rarely actually let those slip when talking to people. Maybe there was a part of her that didn't fully want people to know about the really bad choices she'd made as a kid. Or maybe it was that she just really didn't want to bother people with those aspects of her past. Of herself. Or maybe it was a different reason altogether. Or a bunch. Motivations are usually complex. More complex than people realize.

"Wait here!" She flitted away. One instance she was there and the next she wasn't. When she comes back she's got both her hands behind her back and she's grinning ear to ear. "Here." With a large degree of spectacle she pulls out a glowing lily and tucks it into the pocket of his suit. "It's red. You wear a lot of red! So now you have a personal touch." Even though the rest of his outfit was still abysmally boring. "And it matches the mask a bit. Oh it's not quite straight." She reaches out again and puts her hands on his chest to straighten the flower some. "There!"

[chaosvessel]

"Really?" He pauses for a moment, trying to imagine her with hair and realizing he really likes the mental image before his train of thought is derailed by her quick comment. He swallows self-consciously and clears his throat before looking up. He was about to ask what sort of parties she frequented when she was suddenly gone.

He blinks, looking around and trying to catch sight of her, but before he can panic too much she's returned, and then she's touching him, and adjusting his clothing and the flower she's returned with and he swallows. It's a few moments before he can speak again. "...thanks."

Smooth, Vincent.

[hellofishies]

"Yes. We were all born with violet eyes and violet hair. Mine used to be very long." There's a tiny bit of regret buried somewhere in her voice. When she thinks back she can't quite remember why she decided to shave it off. Had it been after the accident? Was it really even something someone could consider an accident? She's not quite sure and the memory seems foggy at best. It mostly came down to self-hatred though. At least that's what she thought now. After all they'd done, all she'd done, there was a lot to hate.

She smiles though at his awkward little thank you. It reminds her so much of how Connor would probably react and, despite the slight bittersweet tinge, it's nice to be reminded of home. "You're welcome. I didn't startle you did I? You seem all jumbled up." Awkward. Is it her that's making him that way? Something she's doing? Or is it just him naturally?

[chaosvessel]

"All of you?" It seemed something like providence, hearing a story like hers. All SOLDIERs had Mako eyes, it was true, but it was due to their exposure to the substance, not something inherited at birth. He also found himself wondering, suddenly, who 'we' were. She never spoke of herself. To be fair, neither did he. He regret in her voice wasn't lost on him, either, and his curiosity and concern only deepened. Whatever it was, it was no doubt why she chose not to disclose much about herself.

"I...no. I've never been comfortable in big groups is all."

[hellofishies]

"Yup. All twelve of us. We were born in the same town, on the same day, with the same eyes, the same hair, and the same powers. Weird huh? Nobodies ever figured out why. But they sure were quick to buy us." She laughs lightly at that but there's sadness in her eyes at it. Somehow, even after all these years, it still stings a bit that all their parents had sold them off like that. In a way she can understand the fears they probably had, especially looking back on what they did to England. Doesn't really make it any less shit that it happened at all.

"Connor's like that. He's never really liked the big groups. He hated the parties I used to go to." Probably for more reasons than just the large crowds. Unlike a lot of them Connor had never really been heavy into the drug and drinking seen. Good kid. Different than the lot of them that's for sure. "Would you like to go then?"

[chaosvessel]

"Buy you..." His mind flashed to Sephiroth, created to be superior, and how unabashed Shinra was in his manipulation, to the doom of the world. "I'm sorry."

He marked this as the first time she'd mentioned anyone else from home by name but shook his head. "No. There...maybe something to learn here. I'll manage." It was easier to manage with her by his side, though he refused, at the moment, to entertain thinking about why that may be.

[hellofishies]

"What are you sorry for?" The question is asked honestly and comes from a genuine place of confusion. She's not sure what he could be saying sorry for. He's done nothing to her and she doesn't like the idea of making someone feel bad. Or of making him specifically feel bad. There's something about him that makes her want to try to make him smile. Or at least frown a tiny bit less.

"We managed. There's nothing to feel sorry for. Well, we sort of managed. Mistakes were made." Big mistakes, ones she's not really in a rush to elaborate on. "What do you think we can learn here?"

[chaosvessel]

"...I wouldn't have had that happen to you." He immediately regretted his wording but lacked a better form. Instead, he grimaced slightly and looked down. He could understand her sentiment, he'd made plenty of mistakes himself, not the least of which had led to the creation of the man who would nearly destroy their world. Still, he didn't know how to console her. He'd barely begun to try to seek forgiveness for himself.

And thus he welcomed the change of topic, giving a glance around. "Well, we are in the mayor's manor."

[hellofishies]

"What would you have happen then?" There's a slightly teasing quality to her voice with the question. Even if she wasn't psychic it still wouldn't be hard to tell that he felt weird about his wording. He might have enjoyed the chance at a change of topic but she wasn't about to just let it go like that. It was a bit too amusing for her. Besides, it meant staying away from serious conversation longer and she appreciated any chance to go with that.

"I don't think we'll learn anything here. Except what we should all already know about the Mayor." But saying anything more than that here seems dangerous and silly.

[chaosvessel]

"Nothing...like that." There was something about her, something he had yet to be able to articulate and likely wouldn't for some time. She was right about one thing, though: they were unlikely to learn anything worthwhile here. He could simply leave, but something made him stay.

Something about her in that dress, but he didn't know what, and he didn't know how to invite her to join him for anything, so he instead just nodded awkwardly. She was right, after all.

[hellofishies]

"What happened was understandable given what we were. That people were afraid. We didn't even fully know. Still don't." She chuckles at the admission. It's probably a bit strange to laugh at something like not knowing what she really is, but it's better to laugh than to linger on the confusion of it.

"Lets dance." It's time for a topic change and a very quick one. Can't linger too long anything that has to do with her. She takes his hand and teleports them into the main room where others were dancing.

[chaosvessel]

He shakes his head briefly but doesn't comment further. That sort of uncertainty didn't afford parents selling off their children. Nothing did, but she didn't seem to want to discuss the topic further and he didn't possess the social skills necessary to push the subject.

He was instead taken by surprise at her suggestion and even more so by suddenly appearing on the dance floor. Startled, he looks around for a moment before looking back to her. "...how did...?"