Oh S n a p !

Which leaves dancing. His skills are sub-par, but surely someone would be willing to─

His attention is grabbed by, firstly, a flower shoved in his face. The following orders thrown at him are a tad overwhelming, but he at least manages to catch what they’re asking: to dance.

"I am?" is the first intelligent thing he blurts out. A rhetorical question, for all its worth. But regaining his composure, he scratches his cheek. “I mean, uh… okay.” He would have gone seeking a partner anyways, so he sees no harm in complying with the lovely lady before him. Grasping the blossom offered, he holds out his other hand while taking a step towards other dancing attendants.

She wouldn’t have taken rejection well, as everyone who knew her would have known. That temper of hers was truly a force to be reckoned with, even if she couldn’t back it up with much. You could say the guy in front of her really dodged a particularly large bullet with his choice to accept the proposal…which was less of a proposal and more of a demand. }

I don’t like having to repeat myself, you know!

{ The flower is plucked from her fingers and there’s a hand being outstretched, but before she grasps it she takes a moment to examine her new partner. Even with some face obscured by the masks everyone was sporting, it was easy to come to a conclusion.

He was cute. 

After a few moments pass, she quickly pulls herself out of the appreciative daze and looks away with a pink-cheeked huff, grasping the other’s hand and making a move towards the dance floor. }

Right— just don’t waste my time!

Leading her towards the other twirling couples, he pauses at a suitable space to dance. Blinking at her warnings, he breaks out into a sheepish smile as he faces her and places his other hand on her waist.

"I'll try, I'll try. But if I do happen to step on you, I'll uh... buy you some new ones, okay? So don't hold it against me if it happens; it's... been awhile since I've danced properly." Sure he'd been waltzing with Namine earlier, but that didn't mean he wasn't bound to mess up now. Ballroom etiquette isn't exactly his forte after all. He'd still hope for the best though. Despite his assurance, Nice isn't actually certain his wallet could handle "expensive shoes". Or expensive anything, for that matter...

minimumholding started following you

{There’s no way she wouldn’t come, all things considering— not only would it be good publicity (or so she was told), but being surrounded by gorgeous dresses and cute guys in masks at every turn was hardly something she’d want to pass up, even if it was a bit too stuffy for her tastes.

Having been handed an appropriate dress and mask, all she had had to do was show up at the allotted time wearing said designated outfit. And naturally, the first place she headed after taking a few starstruck moments to examine the gorgeous interior was one of the many servers standing around with plates at the ready. She hadn’t eaten before coming, so obviously taking advantage of the ‘free food’ rule was the choice decision.

Tapping a messy fork on the tiny plate now completely devoid of the dessert that had once occupied the porcelain surface, Riruka let her eyes slide back and forth over the crowds of people either milling or dancing about. Man…now that she was here, this was sort of boring. Was this all there was to do? Stand around and mingle with people who’s faces you couldn’t even see?

Tapping the metal implement on her lips, a few ideas ran through her head before she settled on one that seemed to be the general consensus when left with no other option. Shoving her leftovers at the nearest server without a care, she promptly picked up one of those silly flowers that everyone was carrying around and zeroed in on a victim, making her way over before abruptly holding it out with a face that clearly read ‘no exceptions’ behind the mask perched on her nose.}

Alright, you! You’re going to dance with me, no ifs, ands, or buts!

Which leaves dancing. His skills are sub-par, but surely someone would be willing to─

His attention is grabbed by, firstly, a flower shoved in his face. The following orders thrown at him are a tad overwhelming, but he at least manages to catch what they're asking: to dance.

"I am?" is the first intelligent thing he blurts out. A rhetorical question, for all its worth. But regaining his composure, he scratches his cheek. "I mean, uh... okay." He would have gone seeking a partner anyways, so he sees no harm in complying with the lovely lady before him. Grasping the blossom offered, he holds out his other hand while taking a step towards other dancing attendants.

He wasn’t going to come. He hadn’t planned on coming. If he could’ve helped it, Nice wouldn’t have come. Upscale parties where rich people flaunted that they were rich just isn’t his idea of fun. He had been completely content with lounging around listening to some smooth beats or taking a walk in the streets while other enjoyed the festivities.

Except then he began to think. And he’d considered all the people there. And finally, that Namine was going to be there; by herself, even. He could only imagine the types of creeps that would worm their way into this kind of thing, and suddenly no longer could he think of enjoying any of the aforementioned activities. Besides, there would surely be decent people mixed in with others, he’d find something to do if he wasn’t in “big brother” mode

Which, he’s finding, is a lot more often than not. Spotting a petite blonde amongst the sea of adults all masked is like a needle in a haystack. It’s far more a hassle than necessary to wade through the dense mass of people, so the male had settled for hanging around the refreshments. At some point, every party goer stops by to grab a drink, and when the right person comes by, he’ll be able to potentially rest easy.

"I thought you wouldn’t come."

Turning his head towards the voice, Nice’s face immediately brightens. Pale blonde hair, blue eyes, even with the mask on he can tell it’s her.

"Namine!" His hunch had been correct, it seemed his strategy proved effective after all. "Heh, well I couldn’t leave you at the mercy of drunken dancers all night long, so I figured I’d drop by." He taps the edge of his purple mask lightly. "Turns out these are pretty cheap, so I got by easy this time." Thankfully, his wallet had been able to handle the purchase.

     Holding grudges are even less likely - and she wouldn’t have held it against Nice if he’d decided that the ball wasn’t worth his time. Even less would she guilt or blame him for leaving her alone (isn’t that what always comes from bonds like these?). Oddly enough, that isn’t the case. Instead, he continues to make her swell with surprise and lack the comfort that comes with being far away. Distance has always been comfortable. What’s changed?

     For the most part, she just wants to make sense of why she’s worth his company at all. He’s kind, understanding, and interesting to no faults - and when she does see the other facets of his character which might be somewhat less worth mentioning, no doubt she’ll merely find him even more so. Even when flaws are prominent, she appreciates them boundlessly… ceaselessly, even, and can admit that with a smile.

                                                            Much like the smile he earns upon speaking up. 

     Guilty and increasingly unsure of just how to respond. "Leave me at the mercy of— Oh, no!" Immediately, her pupils dilate in worry and mild panic. 

So rather, it's not much trouble at all.

"Hm, you're a smart girl, you could hold your own," he admits. "But still, maybe deep down I wanted to come here after all, so it works out." He chuckles, and adjusts said mask for relevance's sake. "Really? Yours is pretty sweet too, you look nice in that outfit." He tosses the compliment somewhat offhandedly, but he doesn't mean to be any less genuine.

He falters at her inquiry. Strange, well, of course he means... eeh... Nice scratches his chin. The only explanation he can think of is something along the lines of "You know, strange," but even he knows that's not the most helpful answer. Surely Namine would know strange if she'd seen it, much less encountered it, so he's willing to ride on the assumption that luckily, she hasn't.

"I mean─  well you'd known if you'd seen it, so don't fret." He throws his hands behind his head, and looks to the ceiling as he lends an ear to the music. Not a bad selection. "Waltzing though, huh? I think I learned that at some point. It's a three beat dance..." He muses to himself for a moment, before turning to the table beside him. Something... perfect! Napkins! Without much in the way of explanation, he deftly sets about folding the flimsy material. There's some kind of flower you're supposed to give, the exact type something he hadn't bothered remembering, but any flower should do.

     Three or four steps later, she finds nothing but blank expressions and filtered conversations between people that won’t remember one another’s names in a few hours. If they do, it’s a mutual exchange with small talk that hardly applies. She knows these things (well, she’d like to think she knows as the daughter of a psychologist), and hopes that pessimism isn’t a factor strewn across her delicate features.

     Heading towards the drinks in a desperate attempt to get ahold of herself, she takes a sip of the virgin margarita and purses her lips. It’s not much of a good taste, but at least it’s something. She knows better than to be ungrateful when there are already so many under-appreciative comments being spread underneath harsh breaths. Behind her mask, she’s less than composed, but alterations are made as soon as she recognizes the male before her. 

     Before he can make any apprehensive comments, she taps the tip of her nose. "I thought you wouldn’t come." 

He wasn't going to come. He hadn't planned on coming. If he could've helped it, Nice wouldn't have come. Upscale parties where rich people flaunted that they were rich just isn't his idea of fun. He had been completely content with lounging around listening to some smooth beats or taking a walk in the streets while other enjoyed the festivities.

Except then he began to think. And he'd considered all the people there. And finally, that Namine was going to be there; by herself, even. He could only imagine the types of creeps that would worm their way into this kind of thing, and suddenly no longer could he think of enjoying any of the aforementioned activities. Besides, there would surely be decent people mixed in with others, he'd find something to do if he wasn't in "big brother" mode

Which, he's finding, is a lot more often than not. Spotting a petite blonde amongst the sea of adults all masked is like a needle in a haystack. It's far more a hassle than necessary to wade through the dense mass of people, so the male had settled for hanging around the refreshments. At some point, every party goer stops by to grab a drink, and when the right person comes by, he'll be able to potentially rest easy.

"I thought you wouldn't come."

Turning his head towards the voice, Nice's face immediately brightens. Pale blonde hair, blue eyes, even with the mask on he can tell it's her.

"Namine!" His hunch had been correct, it seemed his strategy proved effective after all. "Heh, well I couldn't leave you at the mercy of drunken dancers all night long, so I I figured I'd drop by." He taps the edge of his purple mask lightly. "Turns out these are pretty cheap, so I got by easy this time." Thankfully, his wallet had been able to handle the purchase.

Leave one of these titles in my ask box, and I will write about the topic stated with them.

The Crystal Chamber - my character discovers an ancient historical site with yours.

A Whole New World - my character goes on a romantic journey/honeymoon with yours.

Beware the Groove - my character gets angry with/wants to kill your character

(I won’t say) I’m in Love - my character falls in love with yours, but is too afraid to admit it.

Aloha Oe - my character has to say goodbye to your character.

Be Prepared - my character plots an evil scheme against your character

Fathoms Below - AU universe where our characters are mermaids

I’ll Make a Man out of You - my character decides to try and shape up yours.

This is Gonna Be Good - my character learns your character is in fact alive after believing they were long dead.

He Lives In You  - my character starts hearing your character’s voice in their head.

Strangers Like Me - my character teaches yours about something new

Married Life - a quick romantic drabble about your character and mine, from the moment they meet, till the day one of them dies.

The Stroke of Midnight - our characters fall in love, but mine is forced to leave suddenly on the day of their meeting.

On My Way - our characters go on a look walk together, trying to reach [destination of your choosing] for [reason of your choosing] 

Magic Mirror - my character gets extremely jealous of yours

One Jump Ahead - our characters are escaping the law together

The Circle of Life  - my character experiences your character’s death

A Star is Born - your character becomes extremely famous, and my character watches their rise to fame from the sidelines.

These Twists and Turns of Fate - your character fulfills a long awaited wish of my character [can be chosen by you, or left for me to decide]