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

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

Quistis gave her a slightly bewildered look.

"No... he offered to take me to the ball." She answered cautiously. "As a friend."

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

"A friend?" Rinoa raised her eyebrows. "I didn't think Gabranth did friends. Isn't he like twice your age? Are you sure he's not perving over you? Because that would be pretty creepy."

And they had looked rather close during that dance. Rinoa knew that Quistis could handle herself, but she wasn't going to hesitate over expressing her own reservations.

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

Perving? The comment offended her more than she expected, and Quistis narrowed her eyes just a tad before replying. "No, he isn't perving. He's been a gentleman all night. And besides, what does age have to do with being friends?"

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

"Nothing at all," Rinoa replied. "But he didn't seem like he only wanted to be friends to me." She paused, then with her usual bluntness, said, "I don't like him. I know you're sensible, Quistis, so I'm not saying this to put you off. I just thought you should know."

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

"Why don't you like him?" Her question was filled with genuine curiosity. Quistis wasn't aware that the two were acquainted before, and Gabranth had always seemed to be a relatively polite guy, other than their initial meeting. Rinoa's sudden dislike towards him piqued Quistis' interests, and she looks at her questioningly. "Is there something about him I should know?"

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

Rinoa shuffled her feet, trying to think back to when she and Gabranth had last talked. It had been some time ago. Rinoa didn't have much patience for someone who insisted on being a brick wall. If she'd found something interesting or intriguing about Gabranth, she would have tried to break through that wall. As it was, Rinoa found Gabranth neither cute nor interesting.

"He was just rude," she said. "When he first arrived, I tried to be friendly to him and he gave me the cold shoulder. He's a bit like Squall, only..." She paused. Not cute? Lacking that inner warmth that she loved about Squall? Whatever Rinoa had been about to say, it was driven from her mind by a sudden realisation. "Oh my God. That's why you like him, isn't it? You do know that he killed Vayne, right? I mean back in his own world. Vayne ordered him to protect Larsa, but then Vayne turned on Larsa so Gabranth turned on him. Still following orders, even though it meant attacking his own commander... That's exactly what a SeeD would do, isn't it? You guys must have so much in common."

Rinoa wasn't trying to be accusing, but it was hard for that last part not to sound that way. Sometimes when she really thought about SeeD, there was a lot she didn't like about it.

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

Her brows furrowed as she listened to Rinoa. Shocked by her first question, Quistis was just about to snap at the quip about Gabranth's likeliness to Squall and the possibility that her feelings stemmed from the similarities, but she was silenced by the rest of Rinoa's words. What was she talking about?

"First of all, I do not like Gabranth because of his supposed 'similarities' to Squall. It sounds as though you're accusing me of still having feelings for him, and that's far from the truth. Second, no, Vayne killed him. And if Vayne ordered Gabranth to protect Larsa and he himself became a threat, I don't see how Gabranth was at fault for killing Vayne." Her eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke her next words, her patience obviously wearing a bit thin now. She didn't like the way Rinoa was speaking about SeeD, and she had to set her straight. "Their situation is something I doubt SeeD will ever face. If Squall were to ever turn on us, then yes, I'm afraid that SeeD would have to respond. The world isn't black and white, Rinoa. We have to do what's right, even if we don't want to."

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

Rinoa took a step back, slightly alarmed by Quistis' tone. Maybe she'd overstepped the mark this time.

"I'm sorry!" she said quickly. "I must have remembered it wrong. I've heard so many conflicting things about Ivalice, I can't keep it all straight in my head. And I didn't mean you still like Squall, I just meant that's the kind of guy you like. Isn't it? Have I got it all wrong?"

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

Quistis immediately felt bad for snapping at her friend-- she wasn't sure what exactly caused her patience to dwindle. Sighing softly, Quistis took a deep breath before looking back over to Rinoa with an apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you, Rinoa. I'm sure neither of us are really getting the full story on either end... it sounds like the politics of Ivalice are a tricky matter. And there's nothing between the two of us. We're friends, that's all."

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

Rinoa nodded. "They are so, so complicated. And that's okay. If you say you're just friends, I'll believe you." A mischievous gleam appeared in her eyes. "That means I can still set you up with a cute guy to dance with, right?"

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

"Ahh... I don't know about that, Rinoa." Quistis began in a wary tone. She didn't like that look that suddenly seemed to glaze over the other girls' brown eyes, but she was beginning to wonder if her words would do much to stop Rinoa. "I should probably go and mingle with the guests a little, to try and spread the word of seeD."

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

Rinoa pouted. "Oh, why not? This is a party, Quistis. Not just SeeD business."

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

"We still have to appear professional." Really, Quistis just didn't like the idea of Rinoa trying to play matchmaker for her. She couldn't imagine it ending well, and she didn't particularly want Gabranth to see her dancing with someone else-- she was his date, after all.

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

"Okay," said Rinoa, disappointed but sensing that Quistis didn't want her to push it. She might have carried on anyway except that she was feeling a bit guilty over what she'd said about Gabranth. "I'm sorry," she said again. "I probably misjudged Gabranth, I don't know. You'll have to introduce me properly so I can find out."

Maybe Gabranth wouldn't want to have anything to do with her, in which case Rinoa would consider her previous opinion vindicated. But if Quistis was really close to him, Rinoa was willing to try and get on with him.

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

"Oh... I think he's busy talking to some people he knows." Her eyes darted out the corner of her eye for the briefest of moments, hoping that Gabranth was currently engaged in conversation; she really didn't want him to suffer Rinoa's wrath at the moment. She glanced back at her friend, and gave her a thoughtful look before adding on, "I think you two would get along, though. He was pretty nice to Selphie when we were in Narshe."

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

"Well, I guess I'll find out," Rinoa replied. She winked at Quistis before moving off. No time like the present after all. Where was Gabranth?