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

Bwahahahaha! He can't escape so quick!

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

For all the crowds and her intense searching for people she knew and recognized, many that Penelo sought outright eluded her. Yet somehow, it was impossible to miss the familiar shape of dragoon's armor making a circuit of the room and yet managing to avoid stopping once to socialize. She supposed perhaps it was shyness which drove him, but that made her all the more determined to at least say hello.

So the soft sound of little bells tinkling announced Penelo's stealthy approach on Kain, before she quite reached him, courtesy of the anklets hidden beneath her skirts. In a teasing voice, she asked Kain, "So did your invitation say this was a party or a marathon?"

YAAAAAAAY! XD

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

Kain nearly Jumped anyway, since he'd assumed the sound of a person approaching was someone who would end up walking past him. He covered his surprise well, however, and turned to glance at Penelo.

"I wanted to be prepared." The last time he'd been to one of these events, it had been a good idea to be ready when those attacks happened. Although he knew the chances of a repeat incident were low. Probably. "...and I only plan to be here a short while."

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

"You're not staying?" Penelo asked, her head tilting to the side with both surprise and curiosity. She wasn't entirely sure what the point of attending was if he intended to leave so soon.

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

Kain wasn't entirely sure how to explain the scenario of 'Rydia made me.' But Penelo's surprise made him feel somewhat guilty about being so eager to leave. "I'm only here out of an obligation. I doubt I'll have reason to stay very long aside from that..."

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

That made a little more sense. Fulfilling an unavoidable obligation was usually a miserable experience, even for the most optimistic of souls. "Well, if you have to be here, why not enjoy yourself to make the time pass faster?" With the smallest cant of her head and a smile that twinkled in her eyes, she extended her hand and a gentle invitation, "Dance with me?"

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

There was also a lot of guilt involved in the obligation of his, but Kain again didn't want to get too far into discussing it. He looked at her uncertainly at her suggestion. Not once had it occurred to him to try and make this a pleasant experience. Perhaps because he didn't think he was entitled to that.

Still... Dancing. That idea definitely hadn't been on Kain's mind at all when he'd come here. He glanced at her warily. He didn't think it would be appropriate to refuse her, as much as he was uncertain about this. "...If... you're sure..."

Talk about double meaning there, Penelo...

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

"Very sure. I'm a professional, you know." Penelo kept her hand extended, waiting for him to agree to taking it, rather than pushing him further. Rather, she nudged in a gentler way. "If you don't know the steps, I can teach you."

AHAHAHAHA XD

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

She wasn't quite as pushy as Rydia, then, but close enough. There didn't seem to be any reasonable way to back out of this. Unfortunately for him. He'd have to endure it as best he could. At least Penelo herself was pleasant company, despite this setting that he'd rather not be in.

"...I'm not sure," he admitted after a moment. "I was forced to learn dances from my world, but it may be... different, here."

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

Something about how he said that made Penelo startle with surprise. "Forced?" Her tone implied she found the concept horrifying. Her eyes scanned the dancers, quickly memorizing the steps, and they were easy enough, though different in style from Dalmascan forms. "Why would you be forced? Dancing is a way to forget your troubles, not make more of them." She glanced up, now concerned about him.

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

Kain sighed, recalling times in the not-too-distant past, when he would be at some royal event and noticing Cecil and Rosa dancing together, enjoying themselves... "It was expected that I learn the basics, growing up. Not that I've ever enjoyed it." Kain realized that Penelo likely wouldn't share that sentiment, and actually did feel bad about his remarks. "...I apologize. I recall seeing you dance before, the first time you were in Gaia. It seems natural for you."

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

"It's part of who I am, even before I started dancing in the bazaars," Penelo replied, voice soft and her face betraying a look of wistfulness. "It's how I forget about the things that make me unhappy. For a little while, I have something I can lose myself in."

All the while, she had been slowly inching towards the rest of the dancers, although now she's convinced he more needs to unlearn what he was taught, rather than new steps. "I learned from my brothers. They used to stand me on their feet when I was little and we'd go all around the room until I couldn't hold on anymore. When I dance now, it's keeping a part of them alive, at least for me."

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

When she put it that way, Kain actually understood why it was so important to her. Amazingly, he had managed to find some common ground in an indirect way. "...I see. I think I even understand. Fighting is the same for me, as far as losing myself in something. It's also my way of feeling close to my father."

Kain knew there was no chance for escape by now, so he would just allow Penelo to take the lead and try keeping up with her. He was somewhat awkward to begin with, obviously feeling completely out of his element.

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

"I'd just as soon never fight," Penelo remarked, looking away momentarily. When she looked back to Kain, there was no hesitation or regret. "But sometimes you have to. Or sometimes, you need to." Just from what he'd told her, she could see it was a need for him, just as dancing was for her. What she wasn't mentioning was that she'd learned how defend herself from her brothers too. Truthfully, there was a great deal in common between the two, requiring skill and practice and agility.

Rather than point that out, Penelo focused her attention on her dance partner, easily taking the lead, but noticing just from the tension he carried that he wasn't comfortable. "Do me a favor, and close your eyes. Don't think about all the steps you were taught or try to watch these. Just listen, and then move."

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

If Kain could think of the similarities between darting around the battlefield and dancing, perhaps he'd be more confident in this situation. He nodded emphatically when Penelo said that about the need to fight. "There are many reasons why it's needed..." To defend one's home, or... reclaim one's honor... To challenge one's self and prove one's worth as a man. Kain had been raised with such views and they were deeply ingrained in his mind.

He looked at Penelo doubtfully at her suggestion, but at this rate he was willing to try it. It couldn't make things worse... possibly. So he closed his eyes, half opening one of them after a couple of seconds, as if afraid he might knock into someone while unable to see where he was going.

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

Immediately, Penelo took on her stern mother hen expression she used on the kids in Lowtown. "No cheating. Keep them closed. Listen to the music, and then move. I'll follow your lead." And keep an eye out for any stray dancers who might be in the way. For good measure, she added one more instruction, "And relax. You can't do this wrong."

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

Kain knew that look well. He used to get that look from Rosa a lot, especially back in the old days when they were kids and he'd pick on Cecil. He pouted a little, but felt that Penelo must know what she was doing. One must trust in experts like himself in battle, so why shouldn't he trust her in an arena she knew well?

"...Very well... But if I trample anyone, the fault is yours." He wasn't entirely serious, but the tone was serious enough. He sighed and then finally, after another moment, closed his eyes all the way. He even made slightly more of an effort than he'd been doing, to try and go along with what she was telling him. Listen to the music. Right.

He started out slowly at first, but gradually began to pick up the pace to better follow the tempo of the music.

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

"Don't worry, I won't let that happen." Penelo's sunny head nodded as he followed her instructions, and finally he started to adjust to just dancing. She could feel it just in the way he moved. She did wonder just how he had been instructed if he had such a pessimistic outlook on something that should be recreational and enjoyable.

With ease, Penelo fell into step with Kain's lead, which grew more and more assured. "Alright, you can open your eyes now." Some things took time, and it was to his credit he had managed to not tread on her toes, nor 'trample anyone.'

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

Dancing had always involved Not Rosa, or watching Cecil and Rosa prancing about a ballroom together... so indeed, Kain had not had much of a great time with it in the past. He'd always just dismissed it after those experiences.

Kain opened his eyes when she said to, a bit surprised that he hadn't knocked into anyone. He looked at her with that shock in his expression, as he seemed to have caught on well enough. There was less hesitation than before. He was pretty light on his feet, given his abilities as a dragoon... Overall he wasn't too bad at this, despite the lack of practice.

S-so laaaaaaaate :(

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

Penelo gave an approving nod and a warm smile in response to his shocked expression, rather than tease the poor man about it. He was exceptionally light on his feet and far better than he'd given himself credit for. Getting him to enjoy it was another matter entirely. Still, rather than expound on the particular steps or in any way exacerbate Kain's hesitancy, especially after hearing it was forced, she chose to simply enjoy the remainder of the time. In a matter of moments, she very much indeed was quite lost to the world, far too engrossed in the joy of moving to notice much of anything.

No worries! <3

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

It was easier the more they went along, and Kain lost more of his initial doubts. Perhaps he wasn't the best dancer out there, but he was decent enough to keep up with the pace of the song. Nor did he make a fool of himself. Actually, the less he thought about it, the better he did seem to do.

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

Her plan precisely! Although Penelo was quite unaware on a conscious level that her dance partner improved the less he thought, but on an instinctual level she could tell. It was, after all, what she was trying to show him.

Once the music faded, she stayed put, simply tilting her head curiously and letting that be her question. There were times to pry and others to give someone the silence to decide for themselves. If only Vaan had learned that sooner...

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

The silence was welcome to Kain, and something he was more comfortable with than a lot of questions at once. At least he'd made it through without some sort of disaster.

"That wasn't so bad."

It was a miraculous thing that he could even admit that much.

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

"You're better than you give yourself credit for." Without knowing what or why, she had the impression he was terribly hard on himself, probably far beyond anything he deserved. Still, Kain had been generous to indulge her hobby, even though he disliked it, and that was in itself admirable. Penelo smiled up at him warmly and added a quiet, "Thank you."

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

She had no idea the harsh extent to which he judged himself. Apparently it didn't stop at a ball like this. Kain shrugged to her first statement.

"You're welcome," he replied seriously.