⊱—⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅—⋅༻✧༺⋅—⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅—⊰
How delightful to hear compliments on the performances just when Atlas was sitting aside. They’d truly caught the crowd’s attention through their grand opening, setting the mood for the rest of the celebration. And there was Atlas, standing and cheering among the viewers like some outsider. But he was nothing but proud of his group, they deserved all the praise. They did so well, even with his absence, as if nothing was lacking. Maybe once he returns, he’d even find he no longer belongs—
It was just a performance. A simple performance. Atlas’ lips curved into a weak smile, but his eyes subtly betrayed his thoughts. “I’m glad to hear that. Our friends at Enigma Stag have practiced extensively to bring you a show you’ll never forget,” he replied in a more playful tone, masking his discomfort. “I’ll have to let them know of your compliments.”
As the woman twirled around, Atlas’ eyes wandered to her dress, captivated by the light dancing across the sequins. They almost resembled stars. She matched his playful approach, and Atlas couldn’t help but chuckle. “Come on, now, you can be honest with me. I know I can be quite charming,” he teased, looking into her eyes. “Blue happens to be my favorite color too,” that was a lie. “What a coincidence, it seems we think alike.”
The strange feeling of familiarity lingered, even though Atlas was trying to push it to the back of his mind. There was a nagging question of just who was hiding behind that mask, and why was she so familiar? Atlas put his drink down on a nearby surface, not even half empty. “I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable, so feel free to refuse, but would you like to dance with me?” He extended his hand with a smile. “I’d love to get to know you better, though secrecy is understandable. After all, it is a masked party.”