Let The Spectacle Astound You

[tidesnpcs.livejournal.com]

Characters: OPEN
Progress: Continuous
Summary: The party you've all been waiting for: the Grand Ball of Alexandria!
Location: Palace Alexandria
Date: June 21st, 1803
Warnings: TBA. Eventually, Violence.

For weeks, the palace had been abuzz with activity; even more so than usual. On top of the usual hustle and bustle of daily life, there were the extensive preparations to be done for the festival, and this, the grand finale. The palace's largest ballroom had been decorated from floor to ceiling, wall to wall. Long elaborate draperies of silk and chiffon in white and cream, the stairs lined in a rich, crimson carpeting. Gold and silver everywhere, framing the large windows and the door opening out to the courtyard. A warm summer evening, with the roses in full bloom. Flowers adorned every table, column, and doorway. It wasn't just the ballroom that had been decorated, however; the entire palace was decked in regalia, the staff having obviously anticipated the crowd to be much larger than usual.

All around the palace, inside and out, the guard was on high alert. Every guest was greeted, checked, and in the case of the higher-ranked, announced to the company at large. The sun had not quite set, and already the ballroom was half full; nobles and low-born alike, natives and foreigners, all dressed in their best. The guest of honor had yet to make her appearance, but no one seemed to be fussed by the fact.

But the night was young, and there was bound to plenty of seeing and being seen before the night was over.

[[ooc: Here we go, everyone! Party style still applies. Tag in, tag each other, mingle, HAVE FUN!... while you can. Thread jumping and ninja tagging is encouraged. ^.^]]

Update: A fist fight broke out on page two. Feel free to ninja in to spectate, generally comment or gasp, or just read it and have a laugh. Appropriate authority figures... Squall, Steiner, etc may need to step in.

Comments

[dewdrop-pebbles.livejournal.com]

Though Mjrn was usually far from awkward, at least in movement, her long pale dress proved to be some hindrance. How did Alexandrian women manage to wear such attire? Though she had spent some effort in learning to move so that she would not embarrass herself by tripping, the young Viera nonetheless had a feeling she should have dedicated a little more time. She was hardly prepared for an event such as this.

Peering around for her date, Mjrn tried to wade back through the crowd toward the entrance. If she wandered too far away from it, they might never find each other. So focused on her path was Mjrn that she didn't notice the oblivious pair of nobles until it was almost too late. Quickly, she took a step back to let them pass, nearly colliding with Quistis in the process.

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

A sudden push from behind threw Quistis off balance, but her quick reflexes allowed her to steady her feet to prevent her from toppling over. The room was so crowded with guests she really wasn't so surprised that people were beginning to bump into each other.

The blond turned, eyes widening as she was greeted with a female who had... rabbit ears? And donned in such a lavish gown! The heaviness of the brocade seemed like a sure invitation for mobile difficulties. Quistis smiled warmly at the stranger, blue eyes questioning as she asked, "Are you alright?"

[dewdrop-pebbles.livejournal.com]

Mjrn's eyes widened also, upon realizing what she had almost done. Immediately, she bowed and nodded, even more self-conscious for the embarrassment. "Y-yes. I apologize for the disruption. It was not my intent, and I ought have been more observant."

The blond woman before her seemed almost regal in that blue gown, with the style and composure that made her seem as though she was born for these sort of events. Mjrn envied the composure at least, even if it had been temporarily disrupted by that familiar look of surprise upon spotting a woman with such ears. That was highly excusable, enough so that Mjrn made no comment.

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

"Oh! Don't worry, it's alright." Quistis waved off Mjrn's apologies, knowing that she didn't mean for the incident to take place.

A brief pause came between the two, as Quistis realized the lingering of her eyes upon Mjrn's ear. She averted her gaze slightly, mentally chastising herself for her rudeness before Quistis finally broke the silence. "That's a beautiful gown." Her hand motioned at the intricate dress that Mjrn wore. Though a common approach to creating small talk, her words were sincere- she had never seen such gorgeous gowns in her life before the night, and Mjrn's was no exception.

[dewdrop-pebbles.livejournal.com]

Glancing down at her dress briefly, Mjrn looked up and managed a self-conscious though genuine smile. "Thank you. Alexandrian attire is strange to me, but I wanted to...what is the phrase? 'Look the part.' Yours is quite lovely as well." And she meant it; that shade of blue was rather eye-catching, and she couldn't help but think it was far more comfortable than her own. "I am Mjrn, one of the Sky People of Ivalice. Are you of Alexandria's court?"

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

The question definitely threw Quistis off guard, and if she didn't know that Mjrn was serious, she might have laughed- instead, she replied with an amused voice, "Me? Oh Hyne, not at all. I'm Quistis Trepe, a... person of the Sky, as well." The newly gained knowledge that Mjrn was also not of this world made Quistis feel slightly more at ease. She held a hand out for a handshake towards the Viera, hoping that the people of her world were familiar with the gesture. "It's nice to meet you, Mjrn."

[dewdrop-pebbles.livejournal.com]

Mjrn was indeed familiar with the gesture, at least with watching humes from her world and this one. She responded appropriately, one of the few things she didn't fret about this evening. The knowledge that Quistis was not only not nobility but not of this world made her feel a little sheepish--but also relieved. She could relax a touch and not worry about protocol so much. "Hyne...I have heard this word before. You are one of the Garden people?"

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

Quistis found that she was not at all surprised by Mjrn's question- judging by how Selphie seemed to know practically half the people in the ballroom, she didn't doubt that maybe she had been in contact with Mjrn as well. "Yes, I'm a SeeD cadet in Garden. Do you, by chance, know Selphie?"

[dewdrop-pebbles.livejournal.com]

"Yes, I do! She was the one who found my dress when we were searching for suitable attire." Mjrn smiled instantly, grateful for the outgoing girl's aid. It had lowered her anxiety considerably--at least until she arrived at the ball itself. "I have been aboard the Garden, went it journeyed to Treno. I enjoyed my time within...but I became lost many times."

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

Quistis laughed lightly, a hand raised to politely cover her mouth. "I wouldn't expect anything less from her- she always likes to go off with a bang for these kinds of events, and is more than eager to help others as well."

There was a flicker of surprise in her eyes when Mjrn mentioned having been on Garden herself. "Oh, yes... Galbadia Garden is large, much larger than Balamb. It's hard not to get lost in there."

[dewdrop-pebbles.livejournal.com]

Mjrn nodded. "I thought my disorientation unique, but I see this is far from true. Nonetheless, I am glad to have seen it for myself. If there are such structures in Ivalice, I am not aware of them."

She paused, wondering whether to ask but curiosity overrode hesitation. "Are you attending simply as a guest...or as a SeeD also? I have heard of threats made to the queen, over the device." Then again, who hasn't. The fact that Kefka was targeting Alexandria was hardly a secret.