[F11] [Event Thread] Masquerade Ball

[Sorra 0]

Sorra felt a bit of relief when the other man started talking back to him that he had not made a fool of himself by coming over here on his own, let alone the shock he got from the one eyed pumpkin helping himself to the treats. His eyes mainly focused on all that was going on in front of him, though his chin would turn slightly, as well as his eyes, to look at the other man as he would talk. It did not surprise Sorra that members of the raid team were present at the party, thought it brought a bit of cheer to him to know he was in the presence of such strong players. His brows lowered behind his mask when the man made mention of this being only one time of year something like this happens. " I know Valentine's Day is only once a year.. but haven't there been events for other holidays as well? I.. haven't done much socializing myself, but I know I've definitely seen flyers hanging around during those times.. But I guess this would be the only event to celebrate love in this way, huh." 

The man shone a half smile as Jiro introduced himself, stuttering a bit on his own name, "Pleasure to meet you Hi-Jiro." he joked with the stranger, hoping he was not crossing any line by doing so. When asked what brought him to this event, the man let out a sigh, "Just needed to get off my ass really.. been spending too long moping on my own. Needed to make some friends, see the people or Aincrad rather than just the sights. How about you, Jiro? From what it sounds like.. you've seen a bit more than I have."

@Hikoru

[Froppy 0]

Tsu was delighted that that Eatos accepted her request to join the guild, sending her the invite. Tsu accepted the invite and sighed with relief. "Well, thanks for that Eatos. I won't disappoint the guild, ribbit." Tsu thanked, before walking off. It was probably not the best time to join a guild, but at least she was in one now.

@Eatos

Tsu looked around the hall, trying to spot any guy by himself. Of course, everyone was already taken, with three girls seemingly fighting over one boy. Tsy sighed, knowing she had no chance at any of them. Might as well get some snacks before I go. Tsu decided to head over to the snack table, not having eaten anything at the party yet. There were two other guys already at the snack table having a conversation, so Tsu decided to hop in. All she heard was from the blue haired guy that he was trying to see more people, rather than just the sights. "The same thing hoes for me, ribbit. I have been trying to meet more people too, like right now, ribbit. Nice to meet you both. Just call me Tsu, rrrrrrrribbit." Tsu introduced herself as she grabbed a cookie and looked up at the two guys.

@Hikoru @Sorra

[Macradon 0]

Macradon smiled and nodded in agreement “I’m not too fond of the cold either, even though where I’m from it’s practically cold year round” he said with a smile. It was true that the winter wonderland of the 4th floor could get unbearable with its cold nature and snow. Not only was the 4th floor not the most comfortable floor Macradon had in mind, it also harbored the memories of one specific person that could really be a nuisance for him, it hadn’t been for a while, but it could appear at any moment, and Macradon knew it, it was that unstable at time, even tried to kill him once. Macradon would shake off the thought of the 4th floor and try to think of something to talk about, but his mind drew a blank as he had nothing. Thinking and surging through his mind, Macradon would try to find a topic to talk about that still remained within the subject of themselves. “Are there any activities you like doing in your free time?” he would ask Kairi, as it was the only thing his mind could come up with.

@Kairi

[Avilon 0]

The light azure and snow white dress twirled ever so slightly as she rocked back and forth. Her hips swayed to the rhythm of the light background music that now played. The girl's eyes closed shut, gently resting her head now upon Zandra's shoulder as she blushed so faintly and smiled out over the others among the couple's ball. "I must admit, it's difficult to believe that I'd be able to catch back up with you in any respect. As for floor, I don't mind what the scenery looks like so long as we can spend a few nights together. Any place is good enough for, I just want you in it holding me." The digits of her hand gently walking across shoulder as she would slowly kick them off into a slow dance that would fit it. "How exactly do we sign up for this couple competition thingy?" Avi asked, her brow quirked awkwardly as she continued to lead the pace of their dance. As she slid in their chests would meet, gently pressing in the dress tops as she cooed with delight from the simple sensation of pressing their digital hearts together, "Do you think we could hear one another's hearts beating? You think they would synchronize to show just how much we love one another?" The shielding tank had worn less armor in this moment then her entire stay in Aincrad. Balls came by almost every month, she simply didn't expect to find someone in time for Valentines day.

[Enter couple competition with @Zandra.]

 

[Lee 0]

Lee would chuckle as Shield spoke of simply shutting himself off on higher floors which seemed to be much more productive than playing ring around the rosy by yourself. "Hey, work and being a holic works fairly well." He would chuckle as Piera would give him a kiss to which he would happily oblige too. "I am the highest form of personification of the holiday." Then they were approached by another player or more so, Shield was. Lee couldn't help but chuckle as Shield's slip of words but it seemed all in fun. Lee would then turn his attention over to Piera once more as she asked if there was anyone else at the event he would like to see to which he would shrug "I've been cooped up for so long, I'm not entirely sure who is still around or even if they came."

Spoiler

OOC: sorry for the short post, not feeling a 100%

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru listened as the young man took his fake name, then said a few words about trying to get out and meet new people. He gave a small smile. He missed those days where he could look up to people in awe. As of now, a lot of people would look up to him in either awe or fear. It's why he didn't want others to know who he actually was, so they would be more open to approach him. It was nice to get out and get to know some lower-levelled players, and they all seemed nice enough to him. He couldn't trust them with his actual name, but he would enjoy their company nontheless.

Hikoru's mind was brought back as the man asked what he had been up to. He took a moment to remember his cover name, then shook his head. "Right right, sorry was uh..." He looked around. "Looking at all the cute girls..." He lied. He cleared his throat and sighed. "I'm usually on the more higher levels.. Like, 13? 14? Usually around there. I plan to buy a house on the 21st floor though, one day..." He said with a small smile. "Maybe get a lucky lady... Who knows?" He nudged the guy next to him, trying to act his character. Soon a young lady appeared, who gave her name as Tsu, and he nodded with a small and polite bow. "Nice to meet you Tsu, i'm Jiro. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." He said with a warm smile.

@Sorra @Froppy

[Benjamin Bookworm 0]

Ben smiled as he watched the other players start to move onto the dance floor.  This was really starting to be a party.  He turned when he heard Ell talking to someone else.  Oh, hey there Yinangi.  Nice to meet you.  That's... wait what? he stumbled as it was clear Ell was trying to push him and Dazia toward the dance floor.  He did remember her from their previous meeting, though they hadn't talked much, and she looked very uncomfortable right now.  Well, um, I'm not here with anyone if that's what you're asking... he gulped before turning his full attention to Dazia.  I-if you're looking for someone to escort you on the dance floor, I would be honored to be your partner out there.  I just might not be the most graceful or anything... he asked her, trying to look more graceful than he felt right now.  He hadn't actually ever danced like this before, and truth be told Dazia scared him a bit, but he wasn't about to let someone else who felt out of place here flounder alone. 

@H3LL0 @Dazia

[Calypso 0]

Callie hadn't been so perceptive to notice anything amiss with the brunette tank until his jumbled greeting reached her ears. She blinked once, and her mind nearly registered some kind of subtle insult. Or at the very least, an observation given in very poor taste that would have her questioning her own appearance with more embarrassment than she had expected.

It wasn't until Shield had hastily excused himself that the word--or rather, the name--'Beat' sounded familiar from Shield's company. She'd heard mention of the man as Shield's companion, partner, or whatever it was on one or two occasions, and now it seemed she had a face to put to the name. Still, she had to stop herself from raising a curious eyebrow as she couldn't help but notice the two were linked at the arm up until a moment ago.

Callie took on another small smile, mentally shrugging off Shield's initial odd greeting as he offered a bit of an explanation and began anew. She gave a nod of her head, "Ah, right. Calypso, nice to meet you." She repeated her username right before the pair of players' attentions were drawn to a wandering NPC.

'Couple competition?' She translated the gentleman's thick accent while Shield and Beat signed their names in turn. The latter would then turn his attention back on her, a wide smile on the noirette's face as he drew closer to his partner. She was almost glad Shield answered before her, as she was focused on keeping her expression neutral throughout the exchange. Perhaps she was just surprised as the gears in her mind clicked and settled into place. She had to admit that as focused as Shield seemed to be about the mechanical aspects of the 'game', and with the more impersonal or business-like persona she'd seen from him, she didn't anticipate him to have any romantic connections, at least within Aincrad. But the man at his arm spoke a very different story, and for some inexplicible reason it formed a small knot in the core of her stomach.

"Mm, yes." The reply was one on auto-pilot before her brain caught up with itself to force the conversation along, though she hardly made any progress. "Shield's been kind enough to help me out with some quests here and there."

@Shield @Beat

[Illiure 0]

Illiure  took notice that even more people were coming to the party. What fun.. she thought, realizing that a lot for more people were alone this time. The ballroom was still glistening and was as bright as a sun on a hot summers day, which only left her feeling a tad but more lonely. She huffed and bit into her cookie. Who's cares.. I only came here for the food anyway. The lone player's gaze swept across the ballroom, in hope of finding an exit, but most of them were either blocked or too hard to see from the crowds of people.

She gave an unsatisfied 'tch' of her tongue and went back to crossing her arms, her pink pastry in one hand. Sad that I don't know anybody here, but then again, I only came for the food.. her lips tugged into an unhappy quirk of a facial expression. At least the people who came here without a date seem to know each other, she thought with a crestfallen puff, her mask slightly falling as she did so.

Spoiler

Bootiful :o

[ OOC: Someone please notice the poor child .-. ]

 

 

Edited February 14, 2018 by Illiure

[Dazia 0]

Dazia really didn't want to get involved, but here she was, getting pushed outside her comfort zone, as always. It was beginning to occur to Dazia that Yinangi really seemed to like doing that. Ell took off the mask to show Yinangi who he was, and when he realized what Yinangi was doing, he took himself out of the equation entirely and pushed Benjamin in. Yinangi rolled her eyes and sighed. "Coward." Benjamin didn't seem too thrilled at first, but then again, Dazia was also being pushed out of her comfort zone. She looked at Yinangi, the look in her eyes stating "I don't want to do this." "Come on, Dazia, this is just part of it all! In fact, the better you do, the more likely I'll return the col you lost from the bet, you might even possibly get double the amount! You do know all the things you need col for, and you said that your only goal was to survive, by any means necessary, right? So come on! At least this once!" Dazia looked to Benjamin, then back to Yinangi after having thought it through. "*sigh*, You're going to pay for this, Yinangi..." She walked over to Benjamin, and the two would be off to the dance floor. Yinangi smirked, knowing her little plan seemed to work. Barely, but it worked. The next thing that caught the twelve year old was the sweets, which she began walking towards.

@H3LL0 @Benjamin Bookworm

[Benjamin Bookworm 0]

Ben's smile softened as he saw Dazia's friend talking her into going forward with the fun.  He mouthed a quick thank you to Ell for the help as he walked out to the dance floor with Dazia, offering her his hand as he listened for what kind of music was playing.  It seemed like a traditional song for this kind of party, not one he knew much about.  He turned to his new dance partner as they got to a relatively clear and partially secluded spot of the dance floor.  It sounds like they're playing some slower songs tonight.  If you want to just hold hands and see how this goes, we can stay on this side of the dance floor.  There's plenty of other players out there, and I think our friends have all gone off to raid the buffet tables, so it's just us out here.  We won't have anyone spying on how well we move. he assured Dazia, trying to lighten the mood a bit. 

[Piera 0]

Judging by Shield's quick glances between the blue haired girl and Beat, Piera guessed there might just be a love triangle. Hm, how scandalous. If it were true at least. She suspected it wasn't so cut and dry, but wasn't about to pester the man for details when he looked so distressed. Best give them their space. Lee's awkward repetitive speech was a clue that they didn't really have much else to say given the current conversational climate. Smiling at his comment, the brunette countered, "I dunno, I think you could wear more pink. Maybe dress in a toga~" Her hand would slide from his own arm to squeeze his waist before giving a polite bow of her head accompanied with a smile towards Shield, Beat and Calypso who had just introduced herself. "We'll leave you three to talk. It was good to see you here Shield and to meet you Beat. See you later. And may the best couple win~" A chuckle accompanied the last statement before herself and the red suited man on her arm strolled off at a leisurely pace.

Glancing sidelong up at the merchant upon feeling his shrug, Piera gave a sigh. "Those are excellent points. To be honest I think I've met everyone I know that's still alive or socially active enough to come to one of these events. Mm...except one person but we'll see." Thinking of Teion before her thoughts turned back to closer people. "Let's get some punch. Maybe they spiked it after all." It'd be a blessing. Ladling herself a cup, the alchemist took a long sip and a cursory glance at their surroundings. Still no one she recognized that she hadn't already talked to. And judging from Lee's expression, or rather lack of one, he didn't see anyone either.

...But at least he looked pretty cute while just standing there staring at nothing in particular. A fond smile crept up on Piera's expression before she reached out and smoothed her hand on the lapels of his suit jacket, "I love you." The truth of that statement shone clearly in her deep green eyes as they met his before her smile grew wider and a bit lopsided. "Doesn't hurt that you look so dashing and handsome right now, either."

Spoiler

@Lee, @Shield, @Beat, @Calypso

Edited February 14, 2018 by Piera

[Shield 0]

Shield's mind replayed the different faces that Calypso had made. There had been a great deal of confusion with momentary hints of indignation. That much he wasn't surprised by. However, what did surprise him was the look that followed.

It was like she just... unplugged for a second there. I could have understood someone yelling at the accidental insult or even laughing at how much I botched all of that, but... something shut off for a moment.

He didn't like it. It was impossible to suss out the meaning behind it though, and given how firmly he had planted his foot in his mouth once already, he decided it was best not to pry or to drive the conversation forward before taking a few more moments to collect himself. As soon as he thought this, though, he realized that meant giving Beat the freedom to steer the conversation however he felt. It was very difficult to decide which of those things was more dangerous. He alternated taking a slight breath as if to say something and then deciding against it and closing his mouth again. After the third time, he decided it was best to honor an old adage-

It is better to leave your mouth closed and allow others to think you a fool than to open your mouth and prove them right.

He decided instead to take a drink from his own cup, only remembering once it was at his lips that it had been empty for some time now. He slowly lowered it back down to stomach level.

Apparently I didn't need to say anything at all to prove 'them' right this time. Maybe nobody saw...

He was jarred back to reality as Piera and Lee properly excused themselves from the conversation, but having been lost in his thoughts, the best he managed in response to her sentiment of the best couple winning was, "Y-you too!" which he called after Piera's retreating back, only to immediately realize that 'you too' didn't properly work with any of her parting thoughts.

I wanna go home.

@Beat @Calypso @Piera @Lee

Edited February 14, 2018 by Shield

[Reinka 0]

@Illiure

She gasped seeing the vibrant red mask of a woman who reminded her of classic jazz. She waved over at her and jumped slightly to get her attention. She bit her thumbnail. There was no way the woman would acknowledge her if she didn't call out her name. How on earth would she get this woman to look over at her? She could whistle loudly but decided against it. Instead, she jumped again to grab her attention.

"Bah, there's no way she can tell I'm calling for her at this rate, and I look stupid." She sighed annoyed.

She excused herself momentarily from her group and walked over to her. She tapped her on the shoulder and held her hands together happily smiling.

"My dear you must tell me who made that mask, it's gorgeous!" She tried kibitzing with her. "You have good taste, I sadly forgot to get a mask even though that's the whole point of this thing." She stuck herself on the head as if to call herself an idiot.

(I HAVE NOTICED YOU!)

[Illiure 0]

The seemly bored player bit her lip as she felt a tap on her shoulder. Another one.. She listened through the females question thoroughly before putting a finger on her chin to ponder. Her arms seemed to raise up into a shrug. "I simply don't know, I found it at a random tailors shop, sorry to disappoint you," her voice vacant and dry. Worth a shot.. she sighed a puff of emptiness at her pathetic excuse.

This player certainly seemed cheery compared to most of the people she met today. Illiure as hyperactive and cheery.. Funny. Though it must be nice, she thought with a deadpan. She cleared her throat. "Thanks for telling me that though," she tried to make her voice as cheery as possible but gave a slight shook of her head, knowing that it'd be a small percentage. Me seemly trying to do the impossible.. Impossible..

@Reinka

 

Edited February 14, 2018 by Illiure

[Kairi 0]

Kairi had giggled when Macradon had said out that he wasn't too fond of the cold either, she had said to him "Where I am from its cold during some seasons, however we are blessed enough to have some warm weather." she had let out a giggle "But its not like I don't like the cold weather, its just we as a society could live without it." she had laughed out making a joke. After a moment a blank was drawn and Macradon had left her in her thoughts for just a moment, in which Kairi had only thought about small things trying to avoid the thoughts that had been annoying her. However after a moment Macradon had said out asking if there was any activities she had done to fill in the free time, Kairi had looked over for a bit then she had looked back to Macradon with a nervous look asking him "Does being lazy and lay around in bed count as activities?" she had let out a small but nervous giggle after making a statement like that, in some it would be funny, however it was basically the truth.

@Macradon

[Macradon 0]

Macradon smiled, chortling lightly as Kairi stated that you could live without the cold as a society. “The only thing I like about the cold is probably the animals that have adapted to the climate, they’re pretty interesting to look at” he said with a smile. Listening to Kairi’s answer to his question, Macradon would giggle lightly and reply back “Aye, I can accept that as an answer. I usually just sit in my rocking chair and daze off in my shop when no customers are coming in, it’s nice doing absolutely nothing with nothing to stop you from relaxing, it’s a great feeling I’ll admit”. Macradon would be quite the lazy person when no responsibility was on his shoulders, if he had the opportunity he would daze off for weeks with no end, but he did have his reputation as the Master Blacksmith of Aincrad to maintain, as well as the responsibility as the Vanguard Commander of the KoB, even though there weren’t many people to command.

@Kairi

[Telrenya 0]

As the couple made their way out onto the dance floor alongside the handful of other players that swayed and twirled over the smooth marble floor, Telrenya's smile brightened when Jomei turned to face her. He pulled them closer together, and the blonde's free hand traveled upwards until her open palm found his shoulder, her left arm held comfortably atop his. A tiny giggle escaped her at his comment, and she shot back with a crooked smile, "Perfect, me too. We can embarrass ourselves together." Despite the playful tone in her voice, and the fact that the girl was quite certain their dance would be far from perfect, she still bubbled with a nervous excitement.

The masked lovers moved slowly at first, Telrenya's first steps hesitant as she resisted the urge to drop her gaze to her feet. They were too busy, fixated on the olive gaze that was locked with hers and caused her expression to soften with a warmth that spread from her core. The moments of tranquility were only interrupted by the occasional misstep that they seemed to take turns encountering. Their waltz had improved slightly from their first shared dance in their Taft home a short time ago, but Telrenya still found her cheeks flushing with tiny spurts of soft laughter whenever they would trip over each other.

One thing remained true from the first and last dance they had shared before this: Telrenya had just as much fun sharing each moment of it with Jomei.

@Jomei

[Sorra 0]

Sorra turned to Jori, waiting for him to respond to his comment. The man seemed distracted for a moment before he noticed Sorra looking at him, snapping him back to reality, giving the excuse that he was looking at the cute girls. Sorra nodded with a small laugh, turning his own attention out towards the rest of the ball as he listened to him talk. "Wow.. I don't think I've been that high yet.. This is the highest I've come so far. But I wouldn't dare step foot outside of the town. And buying a house sounds really nice as well.. I don't even want to think how long its taking you to save up that much Col." he laughed, placing a hand on the nape of his neck. "I definitely don't see myself finding a place to live anytime soon, so I guess its just inns for the time being." 

Sorra turned his attention to over his shoulder when he heard the voice of a younger girl speaking with them, catching part of their conversation about meeting new people. Unlike most of the rest of the party, she wore more traditional Japanese formal attire, and sported a matching green mask. A curious brow rose with her habit of making a frog-like sound after each few words. Guess she really likes frogs.. he thought to himself before smiling and bowing his head respectfully, "And I'm Sorra, It's very nice to meet you Tsu." he greeted her with a warm, friendly smile. 

@Hikoru@Froppy

[Reinka 0]

@Illiure

"Aw, that sucks. Oh well, I'll just talk to random tailors until I hear one say they made your elusive red mask." She smiled brightly. 

She felt that the woman might be having a bad day. So was she dumped or maybe she didn't have a date. Though she thought that second option seemed to truer than not. She could tell this woman wasn't shy, but not totally upset either. Maybe annoyed. She could relate to a degree. She wanted to have fun and everyone seemed so reserved and shy it was a little sad, to say the least, at least in her mind. She felt vulnerable without her equipment on but to be fair she would be alone, and felt most people at this event would become battle ready at some point should something happen. At least she hoped. 

"Hey, do you dance maybe? When something fast comes on why don't we try to make all the taken men jealous of all the single guys who get to check out all the ladies." 

She then pointed using her thumb over to her group.

"My group is this way come on darling!"

She tried to grab her hand to pull her to the group hoping she could convince everyone to have a group dance and not stand by a wall. She felt it was time for the wallflowers to open up and strut their stuff! Will Illiure manage to escape?!