The Honorary Ball

[Hadrian D'arcell]

"If I go, it's only to pay respect to Zacke's sister and the two Opps that got shot in the head, not because of anything either of you said." Blaze's tone was indignant.

Atleast now, that wasn't painful to his ears. Hadrian nodded knowingly. "Exactly what I wanna hear." He mussed her head--probably for the third time today. "Good girl, good girl." He grinned.

Next to Zacke and his words of conscience--like changing to jeans too and whatever--Hadrian felt like a bad guy. It was funny to him. The dude reminded him of the model SeeDs back at Trabia. Atleast he was being true to his mind. He was overly sure Zacke also liked the red dress deep inside. He didn't have to hide it.

"All right, now that that's settled," Hadrian placed his camera back in his suit. "Come on." He hooked his arm with Blaze's and dragged her back inside her room. "Let's get that red dress!" Barging inside her room, he swung his gaze around to look for it.


-----------------
I'm sorry, Blaze -_- Truly sorry. *ashamed*

[stardust]

"It looks like Diwata took care of your hands." said Reese. "Come dance with me."

Her smile didn't falter. "Dance?" She brought her gaze back to her palms. There was no pain anymore--only scars which would probably disappear in a little while. "You want to go back there again?" She would admit, she really wouldn't mind if he offered her a dance earlier. However, now, she didn't feel like dancing anymore. In fact, she didn't feel like going back until she heard that cue for the candle-lighting ceremony. Afterall, that was the only reason she was here.

"After what I did? I don't think that's a good idea," she said, her smile weakening until it died. "That'll be awkward, not for you of course, but for me."

She became silent for a little while. Somehow, it felt like Reese was a little too passive lately.

/What do you expect? Do you want Garden to break his neck if he doesn't comply?/ Diwata scolded her.

Stardust ignored her. She probably was just adjusting. A few days ago when they snuck at Esthar, she remembered he was a bit notorious with the group, always doing what he wanted, and it made her look up to him and follow his lead. She liked him that way. Maybe it was just her, but she didn't want to make him feel like she was making him abide to whatever she said. Who knows? Maybe inside, he wanted to wring her neck with all these childish behavior she was displaying.

"Hey, tell me." She leaned her head on the wall. "Once you clear your name and Garden releases you, where do you plan to go from here?"

[jaimelewis]

Jaime looked at Jax blankly as he stammered. Then her expression slowly turned into a wide grin.

"JAX I KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU FEEL!" She said grabbing his arm and looking at him earnestly. People started to look towards them at her outburst but she ignored them. "I always say the wrong things at the wrong time, sometimes I just wish I can have a zipper to zip it up at will." She made a zipping motion at her lips. She saw him drinking from an empty glass. "Ohhhh I didn't know they have invisible looking drinks. Order another one, I wanna see it!" She looked at him, genuinely curious.

[junkuroki]

Her blush deepened at Lawric's compliment.

"I think you delivered it quite well..." She smiled, looking at him shyly. "And I may not look like it but on the battlefield, I'm not nearly so...well-behaved I guess, if I may flatter myself a little here." She sighed, looking down at her feet and getting hypnotised by their slow movements. She was enjoying herself with Lawric too much, she felt like she could tell him anything but that obviously wasn't that great of an idea. But he had such a friendly face, and he seemed genuinely intrigued by what she had to say. "I'm as violent as both of them actually, when there needs to be." She looked up at him, recovering her smile. "And as for Tien Nu...it looks like it suits me only becaue I've been with it for as long as I remember. It is in fact the only link I have to my past."

She was revealing too much...he didn't need to hear this. He didn't need his good mood to be dragged down by a stupid amnesia story. She had to stop.

She grinned awkwardly.

"I still haven't thanked you for rescuing my sword and getting me out of those scrapes..." Her grin widened. "You probably think I'm someone always in need of help...I try not to be so damsel-in-distressy all the time though..."

[Reese]

Moron. He thought to himself. Of course she wouldn't want to dance, after all of that... He didn't even know why he suggested it in the first place. Just a weird moment...

He made a mental note to contain those.

"Hey, tell me." He looked over at her when she spoke. "Once you clear your name and Garden releases you, where do you plan to go from here?"

The question caught him unawares. He averted his gaze, leaning against the wall next to her and staring at the opposite side of the hall. When Garden releases me? She talked as if it were really going to happen. It wasn't, of course. His cooperation was buying him the time up until his trial, but once that day came, he knew it'd all be over for him. Giving them information wasn't going to erase his crimes and set him free.

"What do you mean, 'when Garden releases me?'" his smirk was small and sad, his gaze drifting downward. "Do you believe they're going to? Terror conspiracy, murderous intent... " He trailed off, avoiding her eyes. He shook his head a bit. "I'm going to prison, Stardust." he mumbled.

Zacke liked to talk like that too--like he had a chance. It just pissed him off. He wasn't about to kid himself with unrealistic expectations, and then be disappointed when they weren't met. It was just a stupid way to look at things. If no one could be brutally honest with him, the least he could do is be honest with himself. Leonhart wasn't going to grant him freedom; looking at Reese's record, he'd be stupid to do it. And as much of an ass as the man was, he was anything but stupid.

So sadly enough, Reese had almost made peace with his fate. Of course it upset him; sure, he had slipped into a many a self-pitying mood during the past several days. It was actually an effort to get out of bed and put on clothing. He had to remind himself every day that his days were numbered, and he couldn't keep wasting time torturing himself over what might have been or what could be. He just had to bite the bullet--just accept.

And really, was he better off dead? When it came down to it, no. He wasn't. He had been prepared to die, but now he was starting to realize just how much of a wreck he had let himself become, to be thinking that way at all. He would have died, and she never would have understood why. He wouldn't ever have gotten a chance to be with her again. And now, here he was, standing here in this hall with her. Moments like these were worth the lifetime of bars he had ahead of him. To know that she still cared, after all of the lies--wasn't it worth it? Maybe he would regret his decisions later, but as of right now, he felt like he had finally righted his life and made the best of things that he could.

So what if he only had a few more weeks of freedom? It was more than he had ever hoped for; and when you're a beggar, you can't be a chooser, too.

[Lawric]

Tien Nu... so that's the pronunciation. He had figured out the meaning of the Centran characters on the sword using the public library back in Balamb, but he had no idea what the words actually sounded like in their own language. Pretty.

"You probably think I'm someone always in need of help...I try not to be so damsel-in-distressy all the time though..."

Lawric laughed a bit. "Of course not... you wouldn't have been up on that stage at all if you were a damsel-in-distress type of girl." He smirked. "And anyway, I'm not one to judge. If you knew what I've been through, you'd know I make a pretty good damsel-in-distress myself... " he trailed off, his smirk faltering a bit as he realized that maybe she did know. After all, his friends had given him the basic summary of events, and the SeeDs were supposedly there at the time it happened. He did vaguely remember other people, but he didn't remember Jun... It was such a short time. Would she even recognize him?

He decided not to elaborate any further, not wanting the conversation to linger there right now. Just as she had her 'boring' stories, he had his own as well.

He couldn't tell whether it was the topic that affected his mood, or just the atmosphere--but it was something. The movement and people, the voices; it was all starting to become quite stifling and uncomfortable. And the song was dying down anyway, sounding like it was coming to it's end. He glanced around briefly, scanning the crowd for Jaime. After a few seconds he spotted her, sitting at a table chatting up Jax. Deo and Vanesse were probably together somewhere. Okay. So it should be alright for him to slip out for a minute or two...

He looked down at Jun, an apologetic smile breaching.

"I don't feel quite alright. I think I'm going to go out to the balcony for a few minutes." He hesitated for a moment, his hands still resting at her waist. "I don't promise I'll make worthwhile company, but you're welcome to join me... "

[Jun]

Jun could sense that Lawric had undergone a change of mood of some sorts, his body language suggesting that he felt uncomfortable. It didn't take a genius to figure out that talking about what he'd been through would cause such uneasiness. If she'd been shot and revived from the dead...she would probably have to spend some time on a psychiatrist's couch.

Now she chatised herself for bringing up the dreary topic, although she hadn't done it directly or intentionally. Way to go, Jun. No wonder you're still unattached after all these years. Nobody wants to talk to a gloomy hag.


She peered up at his face in concern. He really looked like he needed to take a break, so when he suggested going out to the balcony, she nodded quickly.

"Of course, and I wouldn't let you go by yourself." She smiled, slipping a hand from his neck to pat his back. "And it is getting too crowded in here." She glanced around, frowning a bit. Even she was getting a little stuffy.

She took one of his hands and led him to one of the vacant balconies.

[Lawric]

Lawric conceded to her lead, following her through the throngs of people. He gripped her fingers lightly. They were very slender and small compared to his own. Eventually they escaped the thickness of the crowd, and it was only a short walk to the first vacant balcony.

Stepping out into the cool air felt very good. The sky was cloudless, the stars shining brilliantly against the dark canopy of night. A gentle breeze moved his hair slightly. He could still hear the music inside, but it was a distant sound now. Thankfully there was nobody else out here--no one but the two of them. She lead him toward the railing, and he stepped forth and rested his arms on it when she released his hand, leaning forward slightly.

After a few moments of silence, he turned his head a bit, looking at her and smiling ruefully. "Sorry, I'm not usually like this about social events. I mean, I didn't used to be... " he trailed off, looking away again.

A lot of the discomfort he felt moments ago had left him now. It had been such an odd feeling--as if all his senses were raw. The lights had been somewhat bothersome all night, he'd just been ignoring them the best he could. Motion and sound had only just begun to make him feel 'off'; possibly an effect of trying to dance? No telling. It was very foreign, though--the feeling. It wasn't like being sick or on drugs. It was much more mild than that; but then it wasn't just a physical thing, either. It was a kind of anxiety too, all mixed in. It was something he couldn't put his finger on, which made him a little bit nervous.

He exhaled silently. It was actually probably just all in his head. In any case, the quiet out here was nice.

He stared out at the horizon, barely discernible between the darkness of the ocean and the darkness of the sky. The waves crashed below them, a pleasant sound. "It's peaceful, isn't it?" He commented quietly.