Day + 4: 56184 Words.
The Promethean Ball was one of the social events of the year - Lords, Ladies, dignitaries of every stripe showed up for a night of dancing and revelry in their finest clothes. It was a night where deals were made, friendships renewed, and loves lost and found. This year was no exception, even if the festivities were to be a little toned down due to the losses that they had suffered during the Mechanoid battle. This year, considering that the celebration was to be held on Mokusei, Makoto had been busy getting the Royal Rose Garden ready and set up for the Ball, which generally hosted only small intimate functions. At last count on the number of people that had responded to the invitations, this 'small intimate function' and its guest list had grown to nearly 400.
“My Lady...” Kyara limped quickly up to Makoto. Kyara had gone with Jade and Forrest's detatchment of the Royal Jovian Guard, and her legs had been badly injured. She, along with Jade, had been rehabilitating themselves well enough so that they could walk, although Kyara's limp was far more pronounced than Jade's. In spite of this, her service to Makoto was no less than it was before. “...I'm just about finished with the last of the invitations and the gardeners are working on the last of the floral arrangements and we've flown the orchestra in from Amalthea - they've taken up residence in the Southeastern Wing of the Castle, and they'll be practicing in the Solarium until the Ball. You will be needed in the kitchen sometime this afternoon to go over the final menu items for the before dinner apertif, the appetizers, the dinner entrees, dessert and after dinner refreshments. Lady Jade would like to speak to you sometime during the day regarding security arrangements, and...” Kyara looked once more at her clipboard, “...our first guest should be arriving in the morning. I already have people finishing up their accomodations. We are t-minus 36 hours from the Ball, my Lady. Are there any other preparations that you can think of?”
Makoto paused. “Um...only one, really.”
“And that is?” Kyara couldn't think of one thing that Makoto might have overlooked in her frenetic planning for the Promethean Ball.
“I don't have a date.”
The look of shock could not be more evident on Kyara's face as she did her best to close her mouth and stop from stuttering aloud. “You mean to tell me that you've been planning this thing all along and you've not found yourself a date?”
“Well I have someone in mind, but...”
“Yooooou've not asked him yet!” Almost as if out of nowhere, Minako sprung out from behind a rosebush, surprising both Makoto and Kyara. “You just let me, the Mistress of all things Lovely and Beautiful to deftly handle all of your dating issues!”
“Uh oh...” Kyara and Makoto looked at one another as if they were stunned and not all at once to discover that they had said the same thing at the same time.
“What, you both sound as if all of my matchmaking efforts have met with nothing less than success!”
“Minako, do you want me to remind you about the date you set me up on with that General from Ganymede that could do nothing but pick his nose all evening?” Makoto folded her arms and raised a mischievous eyebrow at Minako.
“Okay, so he [did] pick his nose! He wasn't a [dull] date, I tell you! I could have set you up with the insufferable Martian General Romulus and he'd have bored you to tears talking about war all night! It was a matter of the lesser of two evils!” Minako folded her arms and pouted slightly as Kyara and Makoto chuckled at her. “Minako-chan, it's allright. I think I have a pretty decent idea of whom I'd like to take to the dance anyway.”
“Ooooh, you do? Who? Anyone we know? Is he handsome? Is he cute?”
Makoto nodded, but the person in her head didn't fit the words that Minako put in front of her. At least, not the word 'cute'. “I think I'll keep him to myself for right now, thanks.”
“Okay, but I'm here if you need me.” Minako gave her the thumbs up sign before one of the florists called Minako away to go over some more floral arrangement details. Makoto and Kyara looked at one another and shrugged as Jade approached them.
“Makoto, a moment to discuss security arrangements, if I may?” Kyara nodded and waved as she took off to finish some more last minute details.
“As you are aware, the Royal Jovian Guard was damn near wiped out by the Mechanoid threat and that we're scratching and scraping to get ourselves a fairly decent security force on the perimeter for the evening. We got a fair number of troops from some of the other planets to assist us tonight. We don't anticipate any other threats, foreign or domestic. Our forces will be as unobtrusive as possible. Best case scenario is that everyone, including security, have a good time.” Makoto nodded as she took it all in, even though the fact that she herself still didn't have a date weighed heavily on her mind.
“That sounds good enough, Jade. I don't anticipate on anything squirrelly happening either, but it's good to know we've got people on this just i case.” Makoto smiled. “Just out of curiosity, are you going to the Ball socially or on business?”
Jade actually blushed. “I...I have a date. I asked Akuma this morning if he would like to accompany me - I didn't want to be rude and not invite the man that helped us defend our planet, ne?” Makoto only stood there, trying to hide her growing sense of horror at this fact. “That, and if 'something squirrelly', as you say, happens, he's going to be right there to fight it now that he's actually well enough to do so. And you know as well as I do that he'd want to.” Makoto was still trying to swallow down the knot that had formed in her throat when Jade bowed politely. “If you will please excuse me, I have to go finish the fitting on my dress. If I don't see you later on, I will speak with you tomorrow night.” Makoto weakly gave a nod as permission to leave, and exhaled once Jade was well out of her sight. There went her original plan for a date to the Ball...at this point, she had no choice but to pull the Minako card. Fortunately, she had managed to get a hold of Minako right after she had finished dinner.
“Minako-chan...I know what I said earlier about you and your history of playing Cupid, but...I actually need a date for the Ball - Jade kinda beat me to the punch and asked Akuma.” Makoto's heart still felt sunk in her chest, but Minako put a reassuring arm around her friend and smiled.
“Well, Mako-chan, I could only hope that you learn that with matters of the heart, it will do you no good to hesitate. If you see something, and your heart feels that it's right, the only thing you can do is go for it, because if you do anything else, you will only come to regret it. Come on. Let's get you a date for tomorrow night, and finish the fitting on your dress. By the way, about that dress, would you mind if I borrow it for the Erotian Ball?” Makoto chuckled, her spirits slightly lifted as they continued walking along together.
“My Lady...” Kyara limped quickly up to Makoto. Kyara had gone with Jade and Forrest's detatchment of the Royal Jovian Guard, and her legs had been badly injured. She, along with Jade, had been rehabilitating themselves well enough so that they could walk, although Kyara's limp was far more pronounced than Jade's. In spite of this, her service to Makoto was no less than it was before. “...I'm just about finished with the last of the invitations and the gardeners are working on the last of the floral arrangements and we've flown the orchestra in from Amalthea - they've taken up residence in the Southeastern Wing of the Castle, and they'll be practicing in the Solarium until the Ball. You will be needed in the kitchen sometime this afternoon to go over the final menu items for the before dinner apertif, the appetizers, the dinner entrees, dessert and after dinner refreshments. Lady Jade would like to speak to you sometime during the day regarding security arrangements, and...” Kyara looked once more at her clipboard, “...our first guest should be arriving in the morning. I already have people finishing up their accomodations. We are t-minus 36 hours from the Ball, my Lady. Are there any other preparations that you can think of?”
Makoto paused. “Um...only one, really.”
“And that is?” Kyara couldn't think of one thing that Makoto might have overlooked in her frenetic planning for the Promethean Ball.
“I don't have a date.”
The look of shock could not be more evident on Kyara's face as she did her best to close her mouth and stop from stuttering aloud. “You mean to tell me that you've been planning this thing all along and you've not found yourself a date?”
“Well I have someone in mind, but...”
“Yooooou've not asked him yet!” Almost as if out of nowhere, Minako sprung out from behind a rosebush, surprising both Makoto and Kyara. “You just let me, the Mistress of all things Lovely and Beautiful to deftly handle all of your dating issues!”
“Uh oh...” Kyara and Makoto looked at one another as if they were stunned and not all at once to discover that they had said the same thing at the same time.
“What, you both sound as if all of my matchmaking efforts have met with nothing less than success!”
“Minako, do you want me to remind you about the date you set me up on with that General from Ganymede that could do nothing but pick his nose all evening?” Makoto folded her arms and raised a mischievous eyebrow at Minako.
“Okay, so he [did] pick his nose! He wasn't a [dull] date, I tell you! I could have set you up with the insufferable Martian General Romulus and he'd have bored you to tears talking about war all night! It was a matter of the lesser of two evils!” Minako folded her arms and pouted slightly as Kyara and Makoto chuckled at her. “Minako-chan, it's allright. I think I have a pretty decent idea of whom I'd like to take to the dance anyway.”
“Ooooh, you do? Who? Anyone we know? Is he handsome? Is he cute?”
Makoto nodded, but the person in her head didn't fit the words that Minako put in front of her. At least, not the word 'cute'. “I think I'll keep him to myself for right now, thanks.”
“Okay, but I'm here if you need me.” Minako gave her the thumbs up sign before one of the florists called Minako away to go over some more floral arrangement details. Makoto and Kyara looked at one another and shrugged as Jade approached them.
“Makoto, a moment to discuss security arrangements, if I may?” Kyara nodded and waved as she took off to finish some more last minute details.
“As you are aware, the Royal Jovian Guard was damn near wiped out by the Mechanoid threat and that we're scratching and scraping to get ourselves a fairly decent security force on the perimeter for the evening. We got a fair number of troops from some of the other planets to assist us tonight. We don't anticipate any other threats, foreign or domestic. Our forces will be as unobtrusive as possible. Best case scenario is that everyone, including security, have a good time.” Makoto nodded as she took it all in, even though the fact that she herself still didn't have a date weighed heavily on her mind.
“That sounds good enough, Jade. I don't anticipate on anything squirrelly happening either, but it's good to know we've got people on this just i case.” Makoto smiled. “Just out of curiosity, are you going to the Ball socially or on business?”
Jade actually blushed. “I...I have a date. I asked Akuma this morning if he would like to accompany me - I didn't want to be rude and not invite the man that helped us defend our planet, ne?” Makoto only stood there, trying to hide her growing sense of horror at this fact. “That, and if 'something squirrelly', as you say, happens, he's going to be right there to fight it now that he's actually well enough to do so. And you know as well as I do that he'd want to.” Makoto was still trying to swallow down the knot that had formed in her throat when Jade bowed politely. “If you will please excuse me, I have to go finish the fitting on my dress. If I don't see you later on, I will speak with you tomorrow night.” Makoto weakly gave a nod as permission to leave, and exhaled once Jade was well out of her sight. There went her original plan for a date to the Ball...at this point, she had no choice but to pull the Minako card. Fortunately, she had managed to get a hold of Minako right after she had finished dinner.
“Minako-chan...I know what I said earlier about you and your history of playing Cupid, but...I actually need a date for the Ball - Jade kinda beat me to the punch and asked Akuma.” Makoto's heart still felt sunk in her chest, but Minako put a reassuring arm around her friend and smiled.
“Well, Mako-chan, I could only hope that you learn that with matters of the heart, it will do you no good to hesitate. If you see something, and your heart feels that it's right, the only thing you can do is go for it, because if you do anything else, you will only come to regret it. Come on. Let's get you a date for tomorrow night, and finish the fitting on your dress. By the way, about that dress, would you mind if I borrow it for the Erotian Ball?” Makoto chuckled, her spirits slightly lifted as they continued walking along together.