Event: Eiko's Birthday Ball

[tidesnpcs]

Characters: OPEN to all party guests
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: A big party for a small girl. Yep, it's Eiko's birthday and she's having a ball.
Location: Lindblum Grand Castle
Date: March 21st, 1804
Warnings: N/A so far

Nobody could say that Regent Cid wasn't generous when it came to his adopted daughter, Eiko. In fact, some said that he was too

Comments

[herownhero]

Night had fallen, and a steady stream of guests were beginning to filter through the castle gates as the celebration began. Quistis, however, separated herself from the rest of the Garden group as soon as they headed inside. Instead, she stood near the entrance, her hands clasped before her as she tried to appear as poised and composed as possible despite the slight fluttering in her stomach, a sensation she was trying her best to mentally suppress.

The blond hadn't informed any of her friends that she actually had an escort to the ball as she had a suspicion that a certain pair of girls would blow the whole thing out of proportion. Gabranth had offered to accompany her simply as a friend, and nothing more-- but she knew that Selphie and Rinoa would probably get the wrong idea, and so she kept the whole thing to herself. Quistis knew they would most likely pester her about the whole thing after (or even during) the ball, but at least she had cut off any possible suffering pre-celebration.

She had even taken the precaution to shop for her dress along during a quick excusion into the city, and successfully found a pretty silk chiffon dress in a delicate shade of cherry blossom pink. After a brief couple of hours of preparation, her usual pin-straight blond bangs were done in two simple plaits along the crown of her head, the rest of her mane twisted into a simple chignon curling along the nape of her neck. She hadn't done much with her makeup -- her face was relatively untouched shaved for a thin lining of black kohl around her steely blue eyes, a couple sweeps of mascara to further accentuate her plush lashes, a light dusting of soft pink rouge along her cheekbones, and a slight sheen of gloss on her lips. She didn't want to appear to be too done up for the occasion, though admittedly she put in a bit more effort compared to the last ball.

Quistis shifted her weight between her legs as she stood, the slight motion causing for her weapon to press further into her skin. After the incident during the Queen's birthday celebration, Quistis didn't hesitate to take the same measure to ensure that Save the Queen would be accessible if anything were to happen. So after a careful taping to protect her skin from the barbs and blade of her whip, she had wrapped the weapon around her right thigh once again, knotted securely in place. Hopefully there would be no reason for her to draw her weapon to night-- it was a child's birthday party, after all, and the little girl deserved a celebration free of any sort of danger. Gaia had its tricks, though, and Quistis knew better than to let her guard down.

So Quistis stood outside, her eyes briefly glancing this way and that as she tried her best not to appear too eager to spot a certain tall gentleman-- she was already feeling a bit silly for arriving earlier than their scheduled meeting time. Her hands nervously smoothed over the front of her dress, ironing out the nonexistent wrinkles of the light fabric-- mid-sweep of her hands, she stopped, mentally chastising herself for being so jittery.

Hyne, she was acting like a teenage school girl.

At the thought, Quistis clasped her hands down once again, her chin lifting slightly as she straightened her posture, switching on her professional mode. She was an adult, there was no need for her to be so nervous about attending a ball with someone... or so she tried to convince herself, repeating the mantra in her head.

[empires_lapdog]

After accompanying Larsa to the building, and allowing him his freedom from being guarded all night (though he'd definitely keep an eye on him), Gabranth had found his way through the crowds with less ease than he would've done if he'd wore his armour. Of course, this ball called for formal attire and though the armour was decorative he highly doubted it was proper to wear a suit of full plate armour while escorting a woman to a grand ball. Instead, he had opted for a much simpler yet more appropriate choice of attire in the form of a black tuxedo with bejeweled cuff links.

He felt highly out of his comfort zone in this get up, especially since he didn't have the luxury of his helm to hide his face, but this was no doubt going to be awkward for Quistis as well. She didn't seem the excessively girly type and would likely feel nervous like he did.

Managing to get through the hustle and bustle, blue eyes fell upon a vision in pink and Noah felt his stomach tighten and his pulse quicken just a little.

Damnit, he was acting like an adolescent!

Taking a slow breath to calm himself as he approached, Gabranth bowed slightly, the corner of his mouth twitching into a ghost of a smile. "You look astonishing, Quistis," he murmured, drawing out a flower he had concealed from Larsa and offering it to her. It was, thankfully, yellow which was the colour of friendship.

[herownhero]

Quistis was still not accustomed to seeing Gabranth out of armor, so seeing him in a tux was a surprising change. His tall frame made it easy enough for her to spot him from the steady throngs of people, though, and her expression immediately softened as he greeted her.

"Thank you, Gabranth." She smiled warmly at him, her already colored cheeks reddening a touch deeper from his compliment. Her pleased expression lit up even further when he presented the rose to her-- a gesture she hadn't expected at all, but appreciated nonetheless.

"You're looking pretty handsome yourself." Quistis commented as she took the flower from his hands, twirling the stem delicately between her fingers.

[empires_lapdog]

Noah smiled slightly more at the look on her face and offered his arm openly this time. He'd had to do it to help her last time, but now they were actually at a function that called for the action and Gabranth was kind of glad being a Judge Magister meant he'd attended functions like this more often than one would expect.

"Thank you. Am I correct in guessing you've yet to tell your young friend Selphie of this?" He knew that people would probably take their friendship the wrong way after tonight, but words would always be just words.

Escorting her inside, he was at least glad that only Larsa was here from House Solidor. He'd never live it down if Drace saw him on a date, platonic or not, with a girl half his age. Even if he looked a lot younger.

[herownhero]

Quistis took Gabranth's offered arm with no hesitation this time around, looping her smaller one around the crook of his elbow. At his question, she laughed lightly before answering-- apparently Gabranth could tell what kind of person Selphie was.

"No, I haven't told her yet. I'm pretty sure she'd get a bit... enthusiastic about it if she were to know beforehand. And in advance, I apologize for any of her actions during the ball if, and when she spots us."

As he lead her inside, Quistis took the opportunity to scan the lavish ballroom, obviously impressed by the decor and the sea of people. It wasn't as extravagant as the Queen's celebration, but it wasn't far off. The royals of Gaia sure did love parties, she thought to herself.

"Such a grand celebration for a child's birthday." Quistis murmured offhandedly, her arm tightening a bit around Gabranth's as they wove through the guests.

[empires_lapdog]

"'Tis indeed grand; Lord Larsa's birthday celebrations were much the same, when he was a child." And there were only Archadians allowed at those parties. It was a very racist country, and while he had no issues with the other races (save for Bangaa) he played the part well.

The ball was definitely in full swing and as he walked with her Gabranth searched the crowd, spotting Larsa and relaxing once he was certain he was fine. Always working, it seemed.

Taking her towards the dancefloor, Noah smiled lightly. "Would you care to dance?" At least his training in ballroom dancing was finally going to come in handy.

[herownhero]

"I think it's fantastic that children can celebrate their birthdays with such importance. It's a big day for them, after all." Quistis noted with a smile. A small part of her was a bit sad that she couldn't fully remember her birthdays from back in the orphanage-- there were brief flashes of sparklers and the smell of vanilla frosting that lingered in her mind, but nothing more. Birthdays became increasingly insignificant the older she became, to the point where they crept up on her and sometimes even passed by before she realized it. It was just another day in her calendar.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Gabranth's question. Ballroom dancing lessons were required for all cadets as they would come in handy for undercover missions and whatnot. Like with most of her subjects, Quistis had been a fast learner, though she rarely had the chance to display her mediocre ballroom capabilities-- she rarely danced even at the SeeD Inauguration balls. Smiling at the blond male, she gave him a small nod as she uncoiled her arm from his elbow, taking her position before him.

"Yes, please."

[empires_lapdog]

Gabranth was glad she'd agreed to it and once she took up position, he made sure to settle his hand in a respectable place on her back, his other hand grasping hers. It was at this point he realised this was probably the second most intimate moment they'd ever had, the first being when he'd pulled her from falling and held her just a little longer than necessary out of shock. Leading her gracefully, Gabranth's eyes wandered the room rarely. It was, after all, rude to look away from your dance partner.

"'Twould seem you have some knowledge in ballroom dancing," he murmured, a slight smile curving his lips. He really did adore this young girl. She was a dear friend and her strength reminded him of Drace, though this woman was certainly more beautiful with a lot more sense about her, rather than being blinded by righteousness.

[herownhero]

After Gabranth gently took one of her hands, she placed the other on his shoulder, stepping in slightly so there was now a comfortable distance between them. Quistis allowed him to lead her, her feet following his steps gracefully and with little difficulty as they began their dance. The corners of her lips curled into a small smile at his comment, and she tried her best to look modest.

"We were required to take ballroom lessons in preparation for SeeD missions. Nothing too fancy, but we learned enough so that we can keep a rather dignified appearance on the dance floor. It seems as though you're rather skilled yourself-- you've attended many balls before, I assume?"

[empires_lapdog]

"Aye, 'tis duty for a Judge Magister to attend the balls of Empire. I was taught by my mother, however," he replied, twirling them around the floor, never once needing to look around for where the other couples were. It was just instinct to know and avoid collision. Of course, he was certainly glad that they were able to ease into this so comfortably. The fact they both knew what they were doing made it easier to move without them being distracted by anyone else or watching their own feet.

It was a simple dance, and Noah smiled lightly. "'Tis such an intriguing occupation you have; ballroom dancing as training is rather unique."

[herownhero]

It took a moment or two for Quistis to ease into the dancing-- she had long been out of practice, not having properly completed a full dance since her own SeeD Inauguration ball. There had been an odd couple of dances here and there the years after, but nothing that amounted to the rather traditional waltz they were now engaged in. With Gabranth leading, though, it didn't take long for Quistis to grow quite comfortable with their dance.

"Your mother was a good teacher, then... perhaps you have a natural affinity for dancing." Quistis commented with a smile as she gazed up at Gabranth. "And yes, I'm sure it does sound odd that ballroom dancing is a skill SeeDs' are required to possess. You might not expect it, but it comes in handy when it comes to undercover work."

[empires_lapdog]

"I was certainly better at it than Basch," he muttered, unable to hide the slightly childish way he said it. Even at this age, he and his twin would find ways to outdo each other. It wasn't that they hated each other anymore, but it was a twin thing to want to be better than the other and prove yourself different from your carbon copy. He just couldn't help it. It was natural instinct and he and Basch could never escape the fact that underneath it all, they were identical.

Tilting his head, Gabranth quirked a brow. "I never expected espionage, Quistis. Perhaps I was right that I should keep a close watch on you."

[herownhero]

Quistis couldn't help but give a small laugh at Gabranth's rather childish remark, which she found to be rather endearing. It was obvious that there was a bit of sibling rivalry between the two with the way he said it, and somehow it seemed to humanize him-- another slip to show that this was the more relaxed Gabranth she was currently in the company of, not the slightly intimidating Judge Magister he became when he donned his armor.

"Mm... I don't know if you'd be very successful with that, Gabranth." She replied, a slight smirk tugging at her lips. "I'm very skilled at what I do-- espionage is all about working without getting caught, after all."

[empires_lapdog]

"Do I not have you caught already, Quistis?" His hand tightened slightly on her back and he pulled her just a fraction closer to make his point. "You've little room to escape or perform actions of espionage when I have you here," he murmured, a smirk quirking his lips. After all, he was a soldier. He had the stamina to keep going and going all night, and if it meant he had to just keep dancing, he would.

Laughing slightly, he loosened his hold once again. He had something he wanted to say, and his gaze fell for perhaps the first time. "Quistis; you would consider us friends, correct?"

[herownhero]

As his grip on her tightened slightly, a breath caught in Quistis' throat, her eyes widening a bit at his words. Though it was obvious by Gabranth's tone that he was joking, the teasing question tugged lightly at a thought she had tucked away subconsciously into the far reaches of her mind, one she didn't dare broach with their current proximity. Instead, she gave him a small smile, hoping it erased any traces of her surprise.

"I think you underestimate my strength-- I'm not as delicate as I appear." Quistis replied with a light tone. It was quite obvious that Gabranth outmatched her in both height and weight, and could easily overpower her. She kept up their banter though, hoping their lighthearted exchange would keep the mood between them light.

At his next question, Quistis tilted her head to the side, a curious and slightly confused expression gracing her features. "Of course, Gabranth. Why do you ask?"

[empires_lapdog]

Gabranth searched around them for his words, though he couldn't think of how to say what he wanted to say. It was a show of trust to do what he wanted to do. Did he trust her that far? His brow creased as he thought on that for a moment.

Yes.

He trusted her. He honestly, truly, firmly trusted her. Probably more than he trusted almost anyone else which was a little unsettling, but he wanted to just... make a point of it.

"Quistis, I..." Leaning very close, almost as if he was about to kiss her, he moved to her ear. "I wish to tell you something I do not tell other people."