believe in your dreams.

even though clem had some initial apprehension when he had caught sight of the flyers for the masquerade ball, he had felt surprisingly at ease from the moment he stepped into the elaborately decorated town hall. maybe it had something to do with the fact that he felt comfortable hiding behind a mask. in fact, it was something he wished he could permanently do. he had slipped away for a while and was standing on the sides of the makeshift dance floor, completely entranced by the sight of everyone twirling about with their dance partners. he briefly snapped out of his daze when he took notice of someone standing beside him, a gentle smile spreading across his lips as he took in the sight of the woman. “you look absolutely stupefiante, i’m surprised you’re not out there yourself.” he wet his lips as his gaze flickered back toward the dancefloor. “if i’m honest… i wish i dared to push myself to get out there, but i’m rather awful at dancing.” he admitted, a nervous chuckle falling from his lips following the comment.

although dancing had always been a passion of astoria’s, crowds were not. still the idea of ball that she could attend without having to worry about her parent’s or her father’s guards constantly following her around was refreshing to say the least. after picking out a dress and an elegant mask to match, astoria had found herself standing off to the side and watching while the rest of the ball’s attendants enjoyed themselves and simply enjoying her newfound freedom for a moment. it wasn’t until the voice of someone beside her spoke up that she even realized that she had been adressed. smoothing down the ruffles on the skirt of her dress, a gentle smile fell on to the princess’s lips as she curtsied graciously . “ why thank you and you are looking quiet handsome yourself “ she replied. as her gaze scanned the crowd her brown eyes fell back to the stranger once again. “ i don’t believe that for a second, anyone can dance if they’re willing to try to, “ she assured him. after a hesitant to pause she asked, “ would you perhaps like me to show you? “ she questioned. 

while dane loved balls of all kinds, this one was rather dry. he was used to the use of magic to spice things up, so he was starting to grow a little bored. he was itching to show off a bit, taking one of the flutes of champagne and causing tiny fireworks to sprout from it. he handed it to a nearby woman, grin wide and proud. “for you. not to worry – they won’t harm you. they are merely there to reflect your own beauty back to you,” he said with a small wink. he’d been trained on how to flirt and schmooze, and it worked for him for the most part.

despite the discreet fidget toy that wesley had brought with him to the dance, it was still difficult for him not to feel overwhelmed. they had never been good in crowds & the volume of both conversations around him & music was becoming a bit too much for them. usually, he would often rely on his siblings in situations like these, but he was painfully alone. the thought only made him all the more on edge, especially knowing that his father was amongst the masked attendees of the ball & had no clue who he even was. they decided to get some air even though they were unsure if that would do him any good at this point. he was fairly sure he was past the point of no return in his anxiety attack. but still, he stepped outside into the cold winter air, the door gently closing behind them. that’s when they noticed that someone else seemed to have the same idea, his cheeks flushing slightly. “ oh… i didn’t think anyone else would be out here. would you like some company? if not, i can totally leave you alone. ”

the thought of attending her first real dance caused a mixture of excitement and nervousness to all wind up inside farrah. sure, she had attended a few when riley  went to the occasional school dances or a party her friends held but usually the other emotions had a habit of taking over during those times. ( unless it was one of the times when riley was too nervous to ask someone to dance of course ) still, farrah couldn’t help but feel excited if not a little anxious at the idea. with the comfort of anonymity at their side, farrah was able to blend in fairly well and simply enjoy the elegance the party provided. however even after a while, the former emotion found themselves feeling slightly anxious and eventually slipped out to an outdoor balcony to get some air. taking a seat on one of the benches that was set up outside, farrah found her gaze wandering towards the stars that glittered far above them so engrossed by their fascination that they barely took notice of the stranger who had entered the area. the emotion winced on instinct before quickly relaxing. “ oh no it’s okay i guess i’m just not used to so much excitement you know? “ she asked, before shooting him a shy smile. “ would you like to take a seat? the night is beautiful, “ moving the skirt of her dress, she made room for them to sit down beside her if they wished.

butterflies filled indy’s stomach as she slipped into the dress that phoebe had helped her pick out for the dress. she was so not used to wearing anything this fancy. her wardrobe consisted solely of denim jeans & a nasa shirt, casual & practical was her overall aesthetic. so she hesitated in opening the bedroom door to show off how she looked to the other, her head only peeking out. “ i feel like i look ridiculous right now. ” a nervous smile formed as she finally gathered the courage to push the door open & step out. “ i feel like i’m probably going to either break an ankle or crush someone’s foot in these too. ” she lifted her dress slightly to show off the silver heels that had been picked out for her. “ do i look good or…? ” her words trailed off. “ i feel like i need something extra. ” what that was, she wasn’t entirely sure. phoebe was the expert here, not her.

phoebe waited on pin and needles for indy to reveal herself in her new outfit. once her friend finally stepped out she could barely contain her excitement. Truthfully she had never seen her in a dress before, so naturally seeing indy all dressed up brought her nothing but delight. “ oh indy, look at you! “ she practically squealed with excitement as she took her hands into her own, giving them a gentle squeeze. “ you are absolutely beautiful! not that you weren’t of course, “ she assured her gently. ever since being taken in by her parents phoebe had nearly lived in heels so walking in them came as second nature to her. “ oh don’t worry sweetie you’ll be fine, it just takes a little practice. before you know it you’ll be walking in them like sneakers. “ she promised her. taking her by the hand, she led her forward to make sure she didn’t fall over where she stood. when asked what was missing the blonde let out a hum of thought. “ oh i know, we still need to find you a mask! “ she exclaimed. they couldn’t exactly attend a masquerade ball without one.

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.

emily was mesmerized the moment she stepped into the ball room where the party was being held. So much so that she didn’t realize anyone was talking to her until the familiar voice addressed her by her mother’s name. blinking the big blue eyes that hid behind the mask up at them an air of confusion filled her. “  i... i’m not sure i understand what you mean? “ she replied, genuinely confused. emily found herself moving slightly back the more they carried on, a slightly uneasy feeling filling her. “ i… am awfully sorry but i think you’re mistaken you see i’m not alice, “ she began to to protest lightly. back in wonderland emily was often mistaken for her mother but usually the distinction easily remedied the situation. 

this was the most comfortable junhui had felt in a long time. despite their slight aversion to crowds, with a mask they could pretend to be anyone they wanted for a night. still, they hadn’t found the chance to properly insert themself into the festivities. instead, they casually walked around the brightly decorated space & admired each detail that went into planning the masquerade. though their attention was eventually stolen away by the sight of someone standing by themself, their lips pursed as they admired just how beautiful she looked. they had been looking for an excuse to dance & maybe this was the sign they had been subtly searching for. they slowly approached the other, greeting the woman with a slight bow. “ i hope you don’t mind me approaching you but… i was wondering if you would honor me with a dance? ” their voice was soft as they stared down at the other. “ you look far too beautiful to be wasting your night as a wallflower. ”

although sticking by her friend’s side had  managed to bring the former cricket some comfort, for the most part she had decided to stick on the sidelines, watching while everyone else danced. while there was a certain sense of anonymity that came with a masquerade ball, it had always been in zhiruo’s nature to shy away from large gatherings. still, since she was now human was hoping to make an effort to try new things and be more adventurous and a ball certainly seemed like a step in the right direction. as her gaze scanned over the ball room she found herself lost in the beauty that swirled all around her, so much so that she nearly missing the person who approached her. zhiruo’s cheeks immediately darkened at the other’s compliment as her eyes fell down to her hands bashfully. “ you wish to dance with me? “ she asked filled with surprise. “ it would be an honor really, i’m afraid the only problem is that i don’t really know how... “ she confessed.  

luca had been feeling anxious all night, the prince in a state of constantly questioning himself. he had tried his best to distract himself from thoughts of his ex-boyfriend but he felt as if his efforts were useless at this point. every little thing seemed to remind him of blade & yet there was no one he could confide in about the way he was feeling. that was until a possibly foolish idea popped into his head. toby. his brother had always been someone he had been comfortable with when it came to venting to, so why should this be any different? he was so tired of keeping a part of himself secret from his family. he tried his best to gather up his courage when he spotted the other amongst the crowd of masked faces. “ are you having a good time? ” a nervous smile spread across his lips as he stared up at his older brother. “ decide to sweep anyone off their feet yet? ” he teased as he playfully bumped his shoulder against the others.

despite toby having throughly enjoyed himself ( perhaps a little too much some might even say ) the eldest prince had decided to take a much needed break from the party, attempting to keep his balance by leaning with back against a wall. once the familiar voice of his brother chimed out beside him, a smile was quick to fall on to his lips. a chuckle was quick to leave his lips before he responded. “ me, oh im having a great time. the whole sweeping someone off their feet hasn’t been as successful though, “ he confessed with a laugh. with the way he had been drinking it was probably more likely that someone was going to have to pick him up off the ground instead. “ more importantly how have you been doing? you look great by the way, i’m surprised you’re not out there stealing all sorts of hearts “ he added playfully before affectionally ruffling his little brother’s hair, careful not to mess it up too much for him. 

bitterness seeped through eliza to the point it threatened to consume her entirely. she had yet to gather the courage to approach anyone for a dance tonight & yet her ex-girlfriend was probably out on the dancefloor having the time of her life. while all feelings for cassidy were gone at this point in her life, she still couldn’t feel jealous that the woman who ruined her life was most likely enjoying herself & she was not. she let out a small sigh as she decided to grab a drink to distract herself. it was there she noticed a beautiful woman already standing there, her heartbeat quickening & her palms beginning to sweat. while she liked to think she was an extremely confident person, that confidence always seemed to vanish whenever she needed it. especially when she wanted to approach & chat up beautiful women. “ are you here by yourself? ” she questioned as she leaned against the bar’s surface. “ i’d ask you to dance, but i don’t feel like getting my ass kicked by the date you probably have. but then again… it might be worth the risk. ” she teased with a gentle laugh.

back home in new york, stella had never gotten the chance to dress up before. as a canine there was never a need for outfits or to be fancy and even in town as a human the young woman always preferred jeans and dressing down. still, when the chance to dress up arose, stella couldn’t help but take the opportunity. with her finest attire on, stella took the opportunity to dance with a few people who asked her but mostly kept to the sidelines, watching while other people and couples took the floor. however her luck appeared to change the moment the gorgeous blonde approached her. when asked if she was alone a smirk crossed over her ruby colored lips. “ well aren’t you quiet the charmer? “ she replied while a chuckle escaped her lips. when she heard the others words, she found herself flattered by them. “ unfortunately though im on my own tonight but i certainly wouldn’t mind if you choose to change that, “ she replied with a wink. “ although i have to warn ya im not the best dancer, “ it took a lot of getting used to going from four legs to two after all.

living in paris and coming from a literal castle, it was easy for amaury to point out people made of money. of course in a town like this, such a thing didn’t matter. yet, he still felt drawn to them. they meant luxury and comfortability. and, with how much he had to struggle in paris, he did not hesitate to take for himself. he spotted one such woman who fit this description, taking her hand and bowing slightly as he kissed it. “ma cher, how brightly you shine here. surely, you wish to sparkle amongst all these pale gems? i could offer you a dance if you would grace me with your time.”