Event: Eiko's Birthday Ball

[tidesnpcs.livejournal.com]

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 indulgent. But on this, the evening of Eiko's tenth birthday, the citizens of Lindblum were ready and eager to celebrate. A free ball! Free drinks, free food, and a free pass into Lindblum Grand Castle. Many had failed to acquire tickets in time and were disappointed, but the lucky few piled eagerly into the castle.

Security was tight, and every single guest was checked by the guards before being allowed to enter. Once inside, they would find a wide and sumptuously decorated ballroom. A small group of musicians played slow and ambient music, while the party guests swayed across the floor dressed in all their finery. What could only be described as a flock of moogles flew or scurried around the room, offering glasses of champagne and various sweet treats. Regent Cid himself sat on a grand throne at the head of the room, nodding graciously at the guests who came to pay their respects. 

The ball was already in full swing, and the party would go on for a long while yet.

[ooc: Don't worry if you didn't comment to Regent Cid's earlier post requesting tickets. Handwaving is just fine if you want to hop in. It's party style - go tag and mingle! Thread jumping and ninja tagging is encouraged.]

[ooc: Eiko has made a very loud announcement about a celebrity couple's engagement. Feel free to overhear, react or congratulate.]

Comments

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

Zidane tensed up when those hands covered his eyes, but relaxed once he heard her voice, and his tail flicked out to curl around her waist. And then he grinned.

"Hmmm...Ruby?"

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

The hands quickly withdrew from his eyes, just so that they could give him a good smack to the shoulder. "You are impossible!" she declared. When she felt the tail snaking around her waist, she reached down to push it away.

"Really now, Zidane, the place is full of people. A wandering tail is no different than wandering hands," she scolded lightly... even if her fingers did linger, trailing over the fuzzy appendageas she removed it from her waist.

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

He snickered, half-turning to look at her as she tugged on his tail. "Have you looked in a mirror, Dagger? Nobody is looking at your waist." He couldn't help but shiver when her fingers trailed over his tail, and he finally tugged it away, letting it swing behind him as he turned to face her completely.

"You having fun tonight?"

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

She fixed him with a look -- one of mild disapproval, that seemed to say she didn't care what he thought they were looking at. For a moment, she was ready to continue her scolding, but his change in subject knocked the wind from her sails.

"Yes, but it does get tiring." The shoes, the corsets, and mingling... it was part of why she'd made a point of finding him again; she needed a break. "What about you?"

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, of course. You bring me to a party of all the pretty girls in the land..." A quick side glance, "Of which, of course, you're the prettiest...and I'm having a ball." He seemingly didn't notice the awful pun he made there.

A passing waitress had a tray of drinks, and Zidane reached out to snag two, holding one out to her.

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Dagger rolled her eyes, suppressing that all too familiar surge of emotion. She's long ago learned that that feeling that rose up in her when he demonstrated his love of Pretty Girls, was jealousy. She had also learned to accept than his Appreciation of Beautiful Women was a constant, and that it did not mean that she meant any less. Though, she had wondered about it for quite some time.

When he offered her the drink, she took it delicately in her gloved fingers, and sipped. "Really now, are you making lots of friends?" Okay, maybe she was... a little jealous. He was not helping the butterflies in her stomach.

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

Zidane did catch that bit of a twist in her voice, and knew he probably shouldn't have said that...but he couldn't help it. He liked teasing her, and knowing that she was jealous actually made him smile. She really did love him.

"Nah, not really. Just a bit of chitchat," he shifted over to stand right next to her, taking a little sip of his drink. "I saw Rinoa but I haven't had a chance to say hello yet." His voice dropped a bit more quietly.

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Rinoa? She'd heard that name once or twice before. She'd been about to ask who 'Rinoa' was, again, but she stopped short at his change in tone. The butterflies in her stomach surged back to life.

"Nervous?" she asked, quietly.

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

A nod of his head, "yeah, nervous. Aren't you? I mean...once you talk to Cid and then..." He sort of waved his hand and glass vaguely at the crowd. "...Everybody else."

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Dagger released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "Of course I'm nervous. I mean, not to talk to Uncle Cid, but..."

She glanced around the assembled crowd, and bit down on her lower lip. She'd never been more sure about a decision in her life, but the idea of addressing the entire collected assembly to tell them she was getting married?

Silently, she fidgeted with the ring hidden beneath her gloves.

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

He nodded, and reached out to place his hand on her arm, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "It'll be alright, though. It's the right thing to do." And there was that grin of his. Sure, he was nervous, but that didn't mean he didn't want to have this happen.

Although the part where he imagined he'd have to wave at the crowd or something was a bit disconcerting.

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately for Zidane, Garnet had a little more in mind than a simple wave to the crowd. Doing her best to look composed, Garnet laid her hand over his, and smiled weakly.

"You'll... stand there with me, right?"

/ninja child summoner!!

[lastsummoner.livejournal.com]

Eiko caught Zidane and Dagger having what looked like a serious talk, and her curiosity won out over her. So she snuck up behind them, then asked loudly, "What's going on?"

Oh no, a ninja! *ded*

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

"S-stand there with..." He blinked at her, and had a lovely moment of panic. "I, uh, of course I'll...." And then he was saved by the tiny bouncing princess, and for once didn't mind her intrusive, inquisitive nature.

"Hey Eiko," he said, half-turning to look down at her. "It's, uh..." He trialed off, glancing at Dagger.

Go Ninja, go ninja, go!

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Dagger nearly jumped out of her skin. She'd been so focused on the topic at hand, that Eiko had managed to catch her completely off guard. Her hand still clung to Zidane's, even though her attention switched to Eiko.

"We were just talking about..." a glance at Zidane.

Heeeeeeeeeeee!

[lastsummoner.livejournal.com]

"Well, what is it?" she demanded, plunking her hands on her hips, in her bossy fashion. "And don't try to cop out and tell me I'm too young."

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

Zidane considered Eiko quite intently for a moment, then turned to Dagger. "You know, that actually is a pretty good cop out. We could just tell her she's too young."

He says this in a perfectly normal voice, and is obviously just trying to tease Eiko.

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Garnet swatted him in the arm, a mix of playful and irritated. "No, it's not!"

Although, she had to admit, they were now in a very peculiar situation; Try to avoid letting the young summoner find out what they'd been discussing... or, tell her before everyone else.

And they couldn't even talk about which was the better idea, with Eiko standing right there.

[lastsummoner.livejournal.com]

Glare! Eiko took the bait of the teasing. "That's not fair! It's my birthday, tell me!"

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

Zidane sighed, looking from Eiko to Dagger and back. "It is her birthday," he shook his head, frowning faintly, and then settled his gaze on Eiko.

"But we were hoping to keep something secret a little bit longer, Eiko."

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Garnet pursed her lips together. It was true, they were all gathered today, because it was Eiko's birthday -- it was her day, the celebration for the regent's daughter.

"Well... Maybe... we could tell her now?" she suggested. And then, she tried on a smile.

[lastsummoner.livejournal.com]

Time to try the cute factor. Eiko's hands clasped in front of her chin and she started bouncing up and down, chanting, "Tell me, tell me, tell me!" followed shortly after with the pleading, "I won't tell anyone, not a soul! Not even an eidolon or a moogle."

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

Zidane couldn't help but smile at Eiko's little performance. Yes, he knew she was doing this intentionally, and that she knew all the little tricks to get what she wanted, but that didn't make them any less effective.

"Well, see..." He paused, and gave Dagger's hand a squeeze. "You can tell her."

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

"Well..." Dagger began, gaze shifting to Zidane for the briefest of moments. Her hand folded tightly in his, she returned his grip. This would be.. good practice. And besides, Eiko would be excited; she knew it without a doubt. She had been pushing and pushing for exactly this for far too long.

What seemed like hours later, she finally looked at Eiko and, with a nervous smile, began.

"Zidane and I... are getting married."

****BIG LOUD LOUD ANNOUNCEMENT IN HERE****

[lastsummoner.livejournal.com]

For about half a second, Eiko eyed Zidane to make sure they weren't pulling her leg and then remembered that they were thick like bricks and if they were owning up to it, they were serious! "YAY!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, attracting the attention of the nearby crowd.

And if that shriek of delight hadn't been enough to draw the crowd's eyes, the birthday girl jumping from foot to foot singing with glee was certainly enough to accomplish the job. "They're getting maaaaaaaaaaaaaried!! They're getting maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaried!!"