onepassingnight | 002nd Promotion ♛ Shall we dance?

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002nd Promotion ♛ Shall we dance?

[In the Great Hall of a palace made of crystal, gold and white marble, there's a party, a big one with many guests who mingle with each other, dance, talk, laugh and eat, enjoying themselves. Everyone is in their best suits and dresses, even you, unexpected guest, will find yourself perfectly dressed for the occasion, the only difference between you and them is that them all wear masks covering their faces completely or partially. Even the musicians, at a corner of the gigantic room, cover their faces as they play music without rest or pause. The music is delicious and keeps tempting you to dance. The delicate food spread all over the tables at each side of the room also invite you to take a bite or take a drink, it doesn't matter how much you eat or drink, the food never runs out neither do the drinks.

The ceiling raises high over your head, higher and higher than your eyesight can reach, point at which it melts into a nocturne sky full of sparkling stars that shimmer and dance on their own private dance floor. No matter where you look the large windows, that show to a garden full of bright crimson and silver flowers, are all closed. Yet there must be a door or a window open as to explain the natural present of those golden butterflies and brightly red cicadas that circle around in the air, flying everywhere but not bothering anyone. Then again, they aren't exactly normal insects, are they? There are no butterflies or cicadas made of golden or red light that burst into small harmless sparkles the moment you poke at them. But it doesn't matter, why should it?

Come and relax uninvited guest. No one care where you're from or why you're here so don't worry yourself with those things either. Just relax and enjoy yourself in this dreamlike party. Who knows how long will it last?]

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[ It doesn't take long for Ange to realise it's another dream. Even though she's been at parties before in her life, dragged along by her aunt because of their status yet not permitted to even have fun, this is definitely different. Especially since she's sure she didn't put a dress like this on, it was already rare enough for her to wear a dress in general either way. Even her hair is done up, and no matter where she glances she can only see people dressed in a similar formal way, except.. they all have masks and she doesn't, almost making her feel strangely vulnerable in her lack of mask.

Maybe that's what makes her keep mostly to herself rather than join in with the partying masses, moving through the people but trying her best to not interact with them much, to not be seen much until she can figure what's going on here in this dream.

When she reaches one of the windows though, standing near the side of the room, she suddenly finds the butterflies when she glances up. The witches-- wait, so this was just some normal dream she was having rather than something from another person like she had been dreaming about lately? A moment later she spots the cicadas too though, and-- ... ah. Those seem familiar too, and it's those that make her quickly turn around in surprise, glancing towards the crowd again, unsure whether she's looking to see if he's there or whether he's not there. ]

[What are witches? What are wizards? Those beings that exist in a world that gathers inside of it an infinite number of worlds and universes. Those whose existence inside of those worlds can be compared to that of a dream or an illusion. It's hard to know when they are dreaming themselves, if they dream, or if they just exist and at times they attract those who dream to their world.

At the very least, Primo knows he didn't fall asleep, this isn't a dream, this is the place he calls home for the moment. His personal "golden land" if one would like to give it a title. And because it's his home and this is his party, he mingles with the guests without any effort or reservation. He himself wears a mask as well, though his clothes, even if more formal than usually, are still clearly recognizable.

He's not aware of the unexpected guest's presence as he dances with one of the masked guests. The first time his eyes meet Ange's for the briefest second, he still wears a mask, however that's still enough for him to realize that she's there, her mask-less condition making her stand out in the crowd even if no one but him pays attention to her. He stops dancing and moves closer to get a better look, lifting his mask for a moment so it doesn't obscure his view, but he doesn't bother to approach her or announce his presence. Letting her search for him if that's what she's doing, the moment she spots him he will put on the mask again though and move into the crowd slowly once more.]

[ She does spot him standing there, but their eyes only meet for a brief moment before she can already see him turning back again, almost directly blending into the crowd again with that mask on. It puts her in a difficult mental position though, since it means that she has to be the one to approach him this time. It's such a simple thing to do, and yet she can't help but make herself hesitate for the briefest moment, moving a step before stopping again. Their last encounter was.. well, putting it as 'awkward' would be a major understatement, and thinking about that something deters her from the idea of moving to approach him. But another part does want to see him and talk to him instead of standing here alone.

So for a few moments she just stands there, but then her body makes the decision before her mind does. Ange quickly patters forward into the crowd while trying to make sure to not trip over her dress or something like that, her head quickly glancing around to spot him again. It's more difficult when suddenly all masks and dresses and suits seem to look alike, but after a few moments of.. worry, almost, she does manage to spot him, making her way through the crowd towards him.

Ange wants to speak up, but her throat almost feels tight, so.. instead she taps him on the shoulder, considering she spotted him from the back. ]

[In all honesty, he can't say if he expected her to follow and search for him or not, he wanted her to, but he knew it could just be an useless wish. Their last encounter settled that in his mind quite well. He understands, for her he's just a wizard, a monster with a familiar face and memories but a monster nonetheless. Someone she can't trust or love, definitively not her Keiichi. No matter how much he was her Keiichi once. So he decided to not be upset if she didn't follow him, if she didn't search for him. It would have made things easier as well, most probably.

But she searches for him and he knows it's her as she taps his shoulder, even if he hasn't seen her approach him. There's no one else here who would call his attention like that. He turns around, mask still on, obscuring part of his face but leaving his mouth and eyes in clear sight. He could be anyone else, with just what the masks shows he may not even look like himself anymore and that's why he decides to not take the mask off. Not unless she asks for it, not when he knows that she can't stand his face, or so he thinks.

He looks at her in stern silence for a moment before he moves, hands searching for hands, holding them and pulling her closer as an arm sneaks around her waist, trying to guide her recently freed hand to his shoulder. And if she allows all that, if she lets him guide her... He pulls her into a dance, following the music filling the place, without bothering with words.]

[ There's a definite moment of surprise at the movement, not only in her expression but in her own movement as well, almost as if she lightly jerks away from him just from the surprise, but.. when that brief second passes, she relaxes a little even if there's still something slightly tense. But she doesn't protest, doesn't resist, doesn't push his grasp and hold away or reject him. Instead she does move her hand up to his shoulder and let him guide her in the dance.

It's easier without words at first either way, easier to just take it one step at a time even if it looks slightly awkward if they are just quietly dancing there with still some slight hint of tension in the air. At first Ange looks up at his mask, but the eyes are so clearly visible that instead she moves her gaze down to avoid his'. After all, taking this one step at a time is already difficult enough, and just them touching like this is already quite a step.

It's probably better if they don't talk at first either way, she figures, instead just trying to match his steps in the dance as he guides her. If she says the wrong thing, it might just ruin everything in this moment, just like last time. That moment she had hesitated because of her feelings too and said things near-carelessly, being trapped against the glass with his hand on her neck as if to choke her.. Somehow she can still feel that touch when she thinks about it and it seems scarier than anything else she has ever experienced. But right now his touch is different, more gentle, the way she imagined it would have been with Keiichi in Luceti if she had gotten the chance.

But with all those thoughts she still doesn't say anything, instead silently following the dance. ]

[There's a flash of pain in his eyes when she looks up only to look away immediately. Should he have covered his eyes as well? Probably, as they are the detail that detaches his face the most from Keiichi's face, but hiding them would be as hiding what he is. He knows she won't accept it, that she will keep rejecting him or just being tense as she's now as he guides her steps easily in a comfortable dance, but he won't hide what he is. He won't back down, he can't.

He guides her calmly and easily, knowing how to move so she can move with him in the easiest way possible for her. It reminds him of that time they "danced" on ice, though this time is a proper dance. He says nothing, though, voices no thoughts. There's no point on it now and he's enjoying the party so much, he will be content with just dancing with her until it's over.

So, unless she stops, this dance will be followed by another. And then another. And another. In complete silence unless she says something first.]

[ She actually doesn't say anything for a long while, just following him to keep dancing with her in silence for some time. She isn't a great dancer, but he's the one leading either way, so matching his steps is something even she can do.

But eventually, after what nearly seems like an eternity, she stops instead, taking her hands off him, away from him. No, going on like this isn't fair, it isn't right - 'you go once more to that middle point that serves for nothing but hurt everyone', that's what he had said the last time around right before things got worse, right? That space where she doesn't say anything because she doesn't know what to say, doesn't know what she wants, because she feels scared and lonely even with him by her side since she pushes him away.

She manages to force her gaze up, to meet his eyes, that golden stare. But seeing just those, just a sign of the wizard, that isn't right either, so.. slowly she reaches out, her hands moving to his face to take off his mask, revealing his face. She lets the mask drop to the floor unceremoniously, but keeps her hand near his face before just downright putting them on the sides of his face to touch it, that face just like Keiichi's.

'So, now, what do you live on for?'

That's what Ami had asked her, right? There wasn't anything worth living for, so why didn't she just die? It would be so easy, just like that night, right? But no, there's still something she's clinging on to. Something she still wants rather than death, but the one stopping her from that is.. herself, isn't it..? ]

... Sorry. [ It's almost said a bit awkwardly, especially considering she had been quiet even during these actions just now. Part of her feels like it's inappropriate to keep her hands there on the sides of his face, but it would be too awkward to slowly remove them now either way, even though she does try a little. ] I'm.. probably just an unexpected guest here, right?

[When she stops he does as well, eyes looking at her questioningly even if she's not looking at them at first. When she finally looks there's a high temptation of avoiding her eyes and looking away, of hiding the golden gaze from her. It's not shame, it's not regret, it's just laziness, unwillingness to deal with more rejection even now. He's also tempted to stop her hands from removing his mask, he even manages to bring a hand up as well, but instead of taking hold of the mask to secure its position, it just rests lightly over her own hand.

He can't help himself, when her hands touch the sides of his face he tilts his head, leaning into the touch. The touch he wished for so much and so long, the touch he could never have. He shouldn't give in, he knows it will hurt but he doesn't care. He's a wizard anyway, a monster already, what does it matter if he hurts, he will bear with it, like with everything else.

He looks at her seriously and silently as she apologizes. What is she apologizing for anyway? He doubts it really matters or that it's about something he wants to hear so he doesn't question her. He objects, though, to her last words.]

An unexpected but welcomed guest would be the most accurate definition. I don't make an habit out of dancing with undesired guests that sneak their way in my home.

Even if they're unexpected guests who won't listen to you? [ It was on that note that their last conversation ended, after all, and with how much she's been thinking about it of course she would remember. The kind of tone that accompanies it clearly suggests though that it's not said in mockery of him, but rather in mockery of herself, because part of her can at least understand her own faults. Even if she can recognize his' too, that near-choking hold that was nothing like what Keiichi would have done, she thinks, a sign of how he, too, changed.

But she still doesn't remove her hands, maybe especially not since she can feel him leaning against them, not even as she speaks on. ]

But what I really wanted to say was.. I couldn't stop thinking about it. About you, about last time. [ Although the latter is accompanied by a whole slew of feelings she can't quite place in proportion to each other - guilt, fear, pain. ] When I was awake, when there was another chase between Amakusa and I and the Sumaderas, even then it kept haunting through my head, up to a point where even Amakusa kept noticing my absentmindedness.

That's how I realised.. you were right about one thing. [ She swallows, and it's getting harder to keep facing those golden eyes while admitting it. ] It's because of my indeciviseness that everyone gets hurt. Because I don't make the choice. [ Because, no matter what he thinks, she hasn't fully rejected him. Even if the fear has been there, the love is there too and the two keep mixing and confusing her - even if she's at a point where she thinks one of the two wins, the next moment the other comes forward strongly. ]

Edited 2012-02-10 23:58 (UTC)

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wow, self. what is formatting? /sob

something we don't need to understand each other /hugs

/hugs

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