timeandtides_backup | Event: Eiko's Birthday Ball

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Event: Eiko's Birthday Ball

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.]

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Rinoa entered the ballroom dressed in a cream gown similar to the one she had worn at the SeeD graduation ball, but longer and with a lacy patterned bodice. She was familiar with Gaian fashion now, and she had grown to like the style. It made her feel like she was in a fairy-tale.

And she was just as impressed by the ballroom of Lindblum Grand Castle as she had been at the one in Alexandria. Rinoa had dragged a reluctant Squall along with her - after all, they'd gotten tickets for everyone before he'd vanished and reappeared from the past. That was strange. She'd felt so overjoyed to see Squall again, and then she'd discovered that he was still at a stage where it seemed like he could barely stand her.

Rinoa was dismayed, but not for long. She knew that Squall could love her. It had happened before; it could happen again. And she'd grown up enough to know that she shouldn't try to force things too quickly.

Besides, she had a lot of friends to meet and mingle with tonight. So Rinoa took a glass of champagne and smiled as she looked around for familiar faces.

One of the few times he had to depend on someone else for an outfit (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/gatekeeping/suits/?action=view&current=00450m.jpg), Genesis was told the color was all black. He was grateful as if he ever wore any color it would be of his choosing and in his style. From what he could feel, this outfit was a simple suit but it allowed him to push up the sleeves.

Needless to stay, Genesis was still not happy. He wanted to glare at Ondore. Look at the man's eyes and just GLARE but he could not. And curse Vossler for taking his staff! So what if he tried to beat the man with it when he was all but pulled from Sephiroth's room. Granted, he was assured nothing would happen to Sephiroth (and really, the bodyguard just didn't trust Genesis' presence in the house. He snorted at the thought, what was he going to do? Break things that he couldn't see?) and he would get his staff back once they were in the Castle and so there would be witnesses to his swinging were it to go near Ondore or Vossler (again). Genesis wanted to continue smacking the man with it. It was the only thing he could do at the time when he was all but dragged away.

Technically, Genesis could defeat Vossler and Ondore combined but he was loathe to actually hit the Marquis and Vossler could eventually get out of his way, leaving Genesis flailing for some kind of rooting as to where the two men were. So, it was safer to stop trying and let them drag him here.

'Where are you, Angeal? Should you not be here by now?', he thought idly.

"Come near me again with that hat, Ondore and I will not hesitate to hit you this time," Genesis frowned, ready to actually swing in the general direction of the Marquis. He still didn't understand why they insisted to bring him here. He didn't know the child and he would be damned if he let Vossler really let his line of reasoning be respected (again, what was a blind man going to do?). And they were in the Castle now, so that meant Vossler owed him his staff.

Edited 2010-03-20 00:14 (UTC)

Trying not to see the humor in Genesis' childish antics, the Marquis of Bhujerba kept his composure even when the blind man threatened to smite him. He ignored Genesis' complaint as he slapped that black hat upon the young man's head for a second try. Honestly, Genesis had no idea how dashing he looks with that sleek black hat. "Come now, you're embarrassing me." Ondore said with a faint chuckle as he stalked ahead of the duo.

Knowing it was a tad cruel of him to drag a blind man to a party, Ondore had little say in this idea. Vossler was adamant about dragging Genesis along not because he was fond of the blind mercenary, but because he didn't trust Genesis to be left alone in his estate. With no one but the servants to watch the two mercenaries, Vossler feared for the worst.

"May the gods strike me dead for deciding to venture here with the two of you...” Halim murmured with a slight sigh. Unlike his sour faced companions, the Marquis knew how to ‘smile’ and that smile looked rather good with his modest black attire (http://i39.tinypic.com/29qo5r9.jpg). While the crimson vest offered him a hint of color, Ondore made sure to stay away from too many colors in fear of looking like a mummer.

“Vossler, you wear your scowl still?”

Orders were orders. That's how Squall rationalized it. It wasn't his intention to be emotional, to cause emotional strain-- he just didn't want to be emotional. Simple as that.

Somewhere along the way, though...

Regardless, Squall was there. Wrangled into... something-- something for a ball, and in the end wasn't sure what to make of it all. Parties weren't his thing. Especially when he was in no mood to deal with anyone. Let alone find himself in a room full of people.

Needless to say, he was fairly adept at distracting himself; Mission Mode. Alert, aware, ready for... well... almost anything. At least in what felt like a completely unfamiliar place.

No amount of complaints, or swinging a cane toward his head would have deterred Vossler from dragging Genesis along with them. Luckily, Ondore agreed to the deal. Blind or no, Genesis was a liability. It didn't matter that Ondore felt as though he could be trusted--the fact remained that he was unknown to them, and that he had allied himself with Vayne Solidor.

"I did not expect to be partaking in the festivities," Vossler stated plainly. When he agreed to escort Ondore to the ball, he had assumed it would be in full-armor, as the man's protector. He did not expect that Ondore would enforce a dress code upon him.

Not forgetting his word, Genesis' cane was shoved toward the man's chest--not in a manner that would have toppled him, but it was definitely a measure of Vossler's distaste with this whole situation. Who would have pinned the Marquis as a man who entertained himself by humiliating others? Were it not for the fact that he was allowed to keep his sword upon his person, Vossler might not have been as amiable as he was--which wasn't very.

Genesis kept a hold of the staff that was thrust into his chest. He scowled the general direction of Vossler's voice before he pulled the hat right off his head and threw it toward Ondore's voice. At least, that's what he hoped.

"Embarrassing you? You have a bodyguard who insists I am a liability despite my being unable to see and you pulled a blind man to a party," Genesis muttered darkly. But, he was glad he could feel, more or less, the ground and felt a bit safer walking around.

Edited 2010-03-20 01:21 (UTC)

While royal balls weren't exactly her style, Penelo could hardly turn down the opportunity when it was open to the public and everyone around was eagerly looking forward to it. It helped that it gave her an excuse to pick up a lovely dress (http://andrejpalinsky.com/images/Arabic_Belly_Dancer_01.jpg). While the majority of the clothes she'd seen were nothing to her style, eventually she'd found something that more than suited, 'fit for a dancer.' The bronze color set off her tanned skin and sunny hair, which she had left free-flowing around her shoulders like sheets of free falling gold adorned with beaded barrettes.

An inordinate amount of time had gone into getting ready for the ball, and the majority of that involved coaching, nagging, and reminding Vaan that they were guests and he was absolutely forbidden from stealing one blessed thing. Lectures that stood little weight, as almost immediately upon entering, she was separated from her pirating partner by the incoming crowds.

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 (http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/gatekeeping/quistis/00360m-1.jpg) 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 (http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/gatekeeping/quistis/updo-s-for-curly-hair-05.jpg) 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.

Rydia entered alongside Edge, a whirlwind of green. Her jade-colored gown (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/evilhippygoddess/article-1149505-0392F224000005DC-95.jpg) was more formal than her Cleyran garb, but still far removed from what she saw as typical Gaian formal wear. High collars, corsets and the like were far too restricting for her, so she went in the opposite direction, fashion-wise. The neckline was low, the skirt was long and loose, billowing out at every step. Her emerald-green hair was long and loose as well, though, she had woven gold ribbons into it and glittering clips kept it from falling into her eyes. What jewelry there was -jade earrings and a thin chain around her neck- did not overshadow her ensemble.

Fortunately, she had purchased tickets for herself and all her Troian friends far in advance. There was no reason for any of them not to enjoy the festivities, not even Kain. She hoped he would be true to his word and arrive at some point, but for now, her attention was elsewhere. There was a growing smile forming on her lips as she watched other guests move in time to the music, resplendent in their formal attire. She turned to Edge, about to say something when a high voice disrupted her chance.

"Here, kupo! Enjoy!" A moogle waiter approached them, offering glasses of champagne. Rydia shrugged and took one, taking a moment to scan the area for more familiar faces. If they were here already, they would be soon....

Waiting to get to her own party stunk, Eiko had concluded as she heard music starting up from her bedroom. Hilda spent most of the day impressing how important it was that she make a grand entrance since she was the guest of honor, but it was her party and she wanted to be in the thick of it. Instead, her mother had slipped off, leaving her with some of the moogles and a servant to scratch at her petticoat. Her dress was pretty, but it was also really itchy underneath and stiff everywhere else. She gave her leg a scratch, only to be chastised, "You're not supposed to do that, kupo." Man.

She couldn't deny she looked like a princess in her white and gold dress (http://www.formalkids.com/cgi-bin/shop/pid_2208.htm), and little tiara and dainty silk gloves. The skirt belled out around her, and swished out delightfully when she spun around on her satin slippers.

Unable to resist a moment longer, she burst out her door and marched right down to the ballroom. She elbowed her way to the front of the line and issued a sharp tug on the announcer's coat sleeve. After he blinked in surprise at her early arrival, he capitulated to the child, and made the announcement:

"Lady Eiko Carol Fabool!"

At the announcement, Rydia turned and paused to stare at the little princess that was Eiko. She was so precious! The green-haired summoner couldn't help peer at all the detail, though she snapped out of it and headed over. Her smile was wide as she caught up to Eiko at last.

"There's the birthday girl! You look wonderful, Eiko."

While Vossler was mentally comparing the Marquis to a tyrant equal of Vayne’s proportions, the even surlier Genesis went as far as tossing his hat right at Ondore’s head. Grumbling once the hat stuck him; the Marquis cast a glare over his shoulders as he eyed the two with such frustration. “I am amazed how quickly young able-bodied men can regress into such childlike dispositions.” He said as he knelt down to pick up the hat. Dusting it off for just a moment, the Marquis decided to keep the top hat this time since Genesis seemed so fond of using it as a mock frisbee.

“Spare me your rage and irritation, Sir Rhapsodos. I did not mean for you to tag-a-long, but Sir Azelas wasn’t quite fond of leaving you to your lonesome within the manor.” He explained slowly as if he was talking to a child and not a potentially deadly mercenary. “But enough of this chatter, shall we enjoy ourselves now?” Ondore asked with a faint smirk as he glanced towards the crowd in search of familiar faces.

"Ah! There is a table nearby. Mayhap you would like to sit, Genesis. They decorated the table with all sorts of lavish treats."

It had taken Refia forever to find a dress she was happy with - why were all the Gaian dresses made of enough fabric to make up half her body weight? Their skirts were all too wide and unmaneuverable, though she had to admit that they would probably be pretty in some situations. However, a crowded room wasn't one of them.

Her dress (http://www.blogcdn.com/www.aisledash.com/media/2007/12/cg1a.jpg) wasn't nearly as revealing as some, with a rich blue bodice and gold skirt, but she didn't mind that at all. She might have been fairly scandalous for her world by wearing trousers, but she was still fairly modest. At the moment, she was peering around, looking for anyone she knew and trying not to get crushed in the press.

There she was! Refia waited for the throng to clear, taking the moment she spotted an opening to approach the little summoner and darting in as quick as she could in an elaborate dress and long sleeves.

"Happy birthday, Eiko! Here, this is for you." She placed a small box into the girl's hand, about three inches by three inches by a couple of inches deep.

Much to her dismay, Marlene was told to wait until the crowd around Eiko cleared. This made the little girl quite upset. She wanted to go see her friend right then!

Anyways, when the crowd died down, Marlene made her way over to her good friend, dressed in a dress (http://www.formalkids.com/cgi-bin/shop/pid_1277.htm) that nearly made her feel like a princess. It was nothing like Eiko's, however, which Marlene thought was amazing.

"Eiko! Happy birthday!"

Delita made his appearance at the ball. Waltzing in, he bowed his head as ritual dictated to the Regent before stepping off to the side. He observed the ball from afar determined to ascertain whom he should grace with his presence.

He stood casually, comfortable in formal affairs such as these, even if his distrust of nobility kept him from frequenting the nobility's engagement.

As anxious as Mjrn had been during her previous ball, she had come to realize that aside from the disastrous ending, it had been rather enjoyable. The sights, the people, the dancing--the combination was an event that she was willing to experience again...hopefully with a better ending to the night. She also hoped that Penelo's attendance would trigger some memories for her friend. It was a long shot, but she held a small hope that it might happen.

The last ballgown had been lovely, but Mjrn decided that something less restricting was in order for this time. With Penelo's aid, she choose a flowing dress of light blue (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/evilhippygoddess/00240m.jpg) with a slit up the skirt. It contrasted nicely with her dark skin and gave the impression of her being surrounded by a waterfall. Her short hair was free of any alteration or adornment, though she gave in to the desire for a little jewelry--thin silver bracelets adorned her wrists.

She moved to the side after the guards had given her permission, taking a moment to savor the view before her. The elegant ballroom wasn't quite the shock to her senses that had been her first experience, but it was still hardly something she saw every day. Thus, the the result was still a feast for the eyes, and the Viera was still for a long moment, absorbing it all. Only when a moogle approached her to offer champagne did she snap out of it and shake her head. Perhaps later, but at the moment, she realized the crowds had separated her from her friends and partner. The young Viera moved away from the moogle, peering around for them...and perhaps other familiar faces as well.

The atmosphere within the Grand Castle tonight was one of pure excitement since Regent Cid Fabool was always known to throw such elaborate parties. It was rather beautiful here in Lindblum, beautiful enough to warrant the bard’s favor. Still silently giving his thanks to Rydia, Edward allowed his eyes to wander as he watched the guests wander into the main hall.

Like his companions, Edward chose to dress right for the occasion in the form of velvet crimson suit (http://www.gq.com/slideshows/mens/fashionshows/F2010MEN/GUCCIMEN/RUNWAY/00350m.jpg) that was tailored made for his slim stature. He combed his blond locks neatly over his ear but the long wispy bangs did drape over the right side of his face. Looking rather regal for once now that he was out of his bard-like attire, Edward helped himself to a glass of champagne once a moogle strolled by.

“What a jovial event!” He exclaimed with a small smile. “I may not know the young princess, but I am certainly glad I’ve came.” Taking a small sip, Edward set his sights upon Rydia’s gown. While he honestly wasn’t a fan of the summoner’s love for plunging necklines (she is like a little sister to him), the Damcyan Prince was certainly thrilled to see Rydia in such a breathtaking dress. She looked like an exotic princess in that endless sea of green. The hues of her gown were quite soothing unlike some of the brighter dresses the Gaian women seemed to favor.

"...Refia?" Rydia emerged from the crowd, having caught sight of familiar bright hair while searing for friends. She was wearing a very un-Gaian jade green dress, plenty of fabric but all of it light. It seemed to practically float along with her.

A smile formed at her lips as she realized that her guess was right. Oh, good. It had been a while, too. "Hello again! That is a lovely dress. It suits you so well."

Edge stepped into the ballroom alongside Rydia, his sash flowing green alongside. While his comfort with such formal clothing was lacking, his experience and appreciation of such events more than counteracted his discomfort.

It seemed that the Regent had pulled out all the stops in celebrating the birthday of his daughter. He knew it was imperative that he make a good impression with the local leadership.

Taking his own glass of champagne, he was impressed by the quality Cid had offered. Nodding towards Rydia, "Almost as good as Eblan's"

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 (http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/gatekeeping/gabranthtux.jpg) 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.

"Rydia!" Eiko squealed as her summoner friend approached. Forgetting everything Mother had coached her on regarding propriety and acting more mature, she flung her arms around Rydia. In her excitement for a greeting hug, her little tiara got bumped and scooted at an odd angle on her head, and her dress got rumpled upwards as well.

"You look amazing! I love your dress! I want one just like it now!" She full well meant to get one and even grabbed a moogle to go tell her Father exactly that. The poor creature looked horribly alarmed at the idea of the child wearing such a mature dress and only took off like a shot when Eiko stamped her foot at him.

While Edge intended to stay close to Rydia the whole of the evening, chivalry won out as he quietly excused himself from her to obtain some sweet delicacies for them to share.

While at the dessert tray, he couldn't help but notice the other guests.

"I hope this tastes good," he said as he picked up one of the assorted offerings.

Catching only a glimpse of ivory from the corner of his eyes, Ondore’s eyes lit up once he recognized the girl’s face. “Refia.” He said with a faint hint of surprise in his voice. While he had yet to visit her shop here within Lindblum, the Marquis was quite thrilled to meet this courageous young mage once more.

“It has been quite some time since we’ve last spoke.” Ondore stated once he finally made his way over towards her. It was a tad noisy here already given that there were plenty of partygoers rummaging about through the dance hall.

Eiko eagerly met each person who wanted to say hi, and sadly having to hand off most of her gifts to her 'handlers' as she crabbily put it, instead of getting to open them. But before they could snatch away the box, Eiko was ripping into it. "Thank you, Refia! I'm so glad you came! Are you having fun?"

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Event: Eiko's Birthday Ball

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