#micablaine

Paper Faces On Parade

Come One Come All To The Masquerade Ball!

December 25th, 1946

Once again it is that time of the year. Time for the annual New Year's Eve fundraising ball at The Grand Rooster Theater And Opera House. The theme of this year’s ball is ‘Masquerade’. Come dressed to the nines, ballgowns and tuxes and masks, for a night of mystery and intrigue. Tickets are $20.00 each, all funds go to the theater. Can you find your friends amongst the faces of paper and lace?

Mica read the announcement in the paper on Christmas morning. She went to the ball every year, having been a lover of the theater since she was a little girl, her father an actor himself. The Grand Rooster Theater And Opera House had been where she had seen her first play, and she was a proud supporter of the establishment.

The theme of the year sounded exciting, romantic even. The mystery and excitement of meeting people, having no idea who they were, fleeting romances and such. She was excited to say the least.

Blaine read the same paper on Christmas evening, sighing at the announcement. His family were friends with the family that owned the theater, so he went to the annual ball every year. That fact alone was a cause of dread for Blaine.

Normally he wouldn’t mind a party, a chance to get out, dress up, and have a good time. But a Ball was a different story, primarily for the reason that he had never learned how to dance. Which meant he was resigned to standing to the side like a wallflower the whole night. He was not looking forward to it to say the least.

Over the next several days before New Year's, Mica busied herself with finding a gown for the occasion. She was able to find a lovely dress, a pale blue color with small darker blue butterflies stitched into the elegant flowing fabric. Her mask was a similar color with butterfly wings coming off of one side. She looked fantastic if she did say so herself.

Blaine managed to find something for the Ball just in time, after procrastinating for far too long. He wore a simple black shirt and pair of pants, with a dark red and black paisley vest, and a black cape. His mast was black on one side, with a red swirling pattern, and the other side was red with a black swirling pattern. Blaine thought he didn’t look half bad for his last minute choice in clothing.

The night of the Ball came and as soon as the sun fell people of all sorts with costumes of all kinds started flocking to the theater. Inside there was a band playing on one of the ballroom’s balconies, with one of the well known opera singers occasionally gracing them with a song.. There was a large spread of food and drinks to be had, and of course dancing in spades.

Mica entered the building looking around in wonder at the grand hall and the elaborate decorations that covered every wall and pillar in the room. All around her there were people dancing and laughing and having a grand time. The energy of the room was infectious and the costumes were gorgeous.

She wandered the hall, looking to see if she recognised anyone, speaking to anyone who’s costume or mask caught her attention. She danced with strange men and women, spinning around the room to the lively music, a smile permanently plastered onto her face.

Blaine arrived to the party and was instantly impressed when he walked inside. The decorations gave the room a sort of life it was usually void of. It seemed as though people were coming out of the woodwork, figuratively swinging from the rafters. He wondered if there would be literal swinging from the rafters by the end of the night.

He made his way through the crowd, stopping to chat with a few people here and there. The music was lively and upbeat, the kind that made you feel tingly all over. It made him wish he could dance, the floor looked so alive with the moving bodies in a variety of bright colors and materials. He was sure he had never seen this many feathers in his life.

But still he ended up in his usual spot, against the wall with a drink in his hand. He sipped it quietly as he people-watched. Most didn’t pay him much mind, too engrossed in the party around them to notice the single person who wasn’t in the crowd.

There was one person though who kept locking eyes with him, thought only for a moment each time. His eyes followed her as she flitted around the dance floor. The pale blue of her dress a stark contrast to her dark skin. She looked like some sort of fairy with all the butterflies on her dress and Blaine found her breathtaking.

There was one man, Mica noticed, standing off to the side nursing a drink. Her eyes kept going back to him. He seemed happy, but she wondered why he wasn’t joining in with the festivities. Her fixation on him could also be in part to the fact that he was quite handsome. His dark clothes made his blond hair and hazel eyes stand out. Mica was certainly captivated.

She was going to talk to him, she decided, because why not? It was a masquerade, a time for mystery and daring. She weaved her way through the crowd, grabbing a drink on her way to him.

Blaine was surprised when the fairy woman made her way over to him through the crowd. He stood a bit straighter as she reached him, smoothing out his waistcoat and trying his best to look presentable.

“What’s keeping you over here all by yourself blondie?” She asked teasingly, leaning back against the wall next to him. “Mind if I keep you company?”

Blaine’s brain froze up for a moment before he was able to re-engage his mouth. “You’re more then welcome to, though I wouldn’t dare try and keep you from the fun Ms. Fairy,” he told her with a smile, trying to be smooth, but probably just succeeding in sounding awkward.

Much to his relief though she started quietly laughing. She nodded her head saying, “You’re definitely not keeping me from the fun. Would you maybe like to dance?” She asked him with a bright smile and tilt of her head.

The strange man in the corner, who Mica had dubbed ‘Blondie’ seemed to stiffen a bit when she asked him to dance. Maybe he thought it was improper for a woman to ask a man to dance and if so she could just walk away, nothing lost.

“Well….I would,” Blondie started slowly. “But...Well I never learned how to dance.”

It took all of Mica’s strength not to start laughing there and then. Not because she thought it was funny that he didn’t know how to dance, but the way he acted about it was cute. He grew a blush on his face as she held back her laughter.

‘This is so embarrassing,’ Blaine thought to himself as the beautiful woman next to him tried desperately not to laugh at him. Surely she thought he was pathetic and was about to walk away without another word.

“I could teach you how to dance,” she said after getting her laughter under control. Blaine was surprised she was even still speaking to him, let alone offering to teach him to dance. He was hesitant, he had nearly broken the foot of the last person who tried to teach him how to dance and he definitely did not wish to repeat the experience, especially with a woman as beautiful and delicate as she was.

Mica smiled at him before taking his hand and starting to pull him onto the dance floor. “Don’t worry about it so much,” she told him over her shoulder when they reached a large enough break in the crowd for them to stand.

She pulled him close, taking his right hand with her left and placing his left hand on her shoulder. She rested her right hand on him. It was a little awkward considering how short she was, but the two of them made do.

“Stand on my feet,” she told him seriously, and Blaine almost broke away from her completely in astonishment.

“I don’t want to hurt you Ms. Fairy,” he told her. “I’m so much bigger than you, I’ll break your feet.”

“Not your whole foot Blondie,” Mica corrected herself. “Just the front of your feet covering the front of mine, you’ll rest your weight on your heels.”

He was still uncertain but slowly complied. It felt even more awkward, and Blaine felt as thought he was forced to bend his knees.

“Eyes up and look at me,” Mica instructed the other, before beginning to move, “And 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3.” She moved gracefully around the room as he followed her steps. The two of them danced together, smiling, laughing and making small talk well into the evening. The whole ordeal was far more fun then Blaine had ever thought it would be.

Then the announcement came from the balcony that it was nearly midnight. It was time for the countdown. The two stopped dancing, looking up to the balcony as everyone prepared for the count down to the New Year.

The two smiled at each other, softly. The countdown began.

10.

9.

8.

7.

6.

5.

4.

Mica reached up and pulled on Blaine’s collar bringing him down to her eye level.

3.

Blaine reached a hand up to rest on Mica’s cheek.

2.

1.

“HAPPY NEW YEAR!” Came the shout from around the room as Mica and Blaine's lips met in a gentle kiss. As the two parted and the festivities continued around them they knew it wasn’t just going to be one night of dancing.

“Think I could persuade you to give me another dance lesson, Ms. Fairy?” Blaine asked the other with a small laugh.