#scripted: shea

seeing mask after mask without identifiers of whether the person beneath was one he knew or not was throwing shea off. yes, he certainly would have been ecstatic about such an event, but he was also used to knowing everyone and everything. here, he had none of that – blessing and a curse. he was getting antsy, jaw tight as the paranoia was starting to set in. “can you come with me?” he asked, turning to the one next to them. “i think i need to have a little conversation with the stars before i lose it, and having someone with me may help in that process. i think the stars would love to talk to you as well – you’re bright and quiet. that makes a perfect companion for such far away friends. my arm? or, you can hold onto my coattails,” he offered.

there was that unmistakable hair and the pairing of the blue dress – shea could not help but see alice’s face over the mask. despite being told countless times that he would never see her again, he knew she was following him. “alice,” he mistakenly addressed. “i see you like to follow and torment me even here. are you finding it to your liking? eating all the little treats you can get your hands on?” they asked, heading tilting to the side slightly. “or, are you doing as you do best – falling into everyone’s business and looking for a way out after you’ve made a mess?” he may have sounded bitter, or amused. it was up in the air which emotion they really felt. perhaps it was both, or maybe it was neither.

“if you are here to tell me to stop or to ask what i am doing, save your breath, tiny one,” shea said as they saw someone approach from the corner of his eye. he didn’t turn around to look at them though – far too engrossed with his current task of balancing the filled champagne glasses in a precarious tower. “feel free to take one at your own peril once i’ve finished. if you manage to spill and or break them while doing so, that’s on you,” he continued before stepping back to admire the pyramid of delicate glass and alcohol. “voila. what do you think? absolutely absurd.”