[color= #e07c4f]needle in a haystack[/color]
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Did he just wink under that mask? Celestine wondered as she stared into his mask, a mask plain enough to reflect some hinges of emotion that Dante was supposed to convey to her. The compliments slide over her head, washing over the thoughts of nothing but pure, unadulterated uninterest in the conversation. Compliments that she had heard many times throughout her whole life spiraled down the drain as she muted them out once they became old. What did ring in her ear was the slight reference to retirement, giving some relief that he caught on to some of her references. The once stiff posture she maintained during the conversation would soon mellow down as she was able to slightly pinpoint who he was. It was still a hunch, but Celestine just needed something that could break that shadow of anonymity.
Still in the middle of picking up the pieces in the puzzle she had conjured up in her brain, those boring compliments would soon shock her as he revealed a pair of sunglasses in his pocket, giving a slight form of amusement to her dollish features. She anticipated a bit, hoping he would put glasses in the mask and leave it askew, but failed to do so, making her let out a chuckle uncharacteristically out of her system: [color= #e07c4f]“And I thought you were brave enough to try it on, especially with a mask that… needs a bit of color in every sense of the word. Surely, it will make your world much brighter.” [/color] Celestine soothed herself as she continued to say what she wanted to say, reverting back to her graceful self as she patted Dante’s jacket. [color= #e07c4f]“The chandelier makes the gowns and tuxedos glitter in such a way; shouldn’t you be wearing this throughout the whole event? I can’t be the only one that shines brighter than a crown.”[/color] Coquettishly fanning herself, she let out a slight sigh as she hoped to never slip into something she would never see at an actual serious formal tie event.
[color= #e07c4f]“You flatter me. At least you can add something to your account after meeting someone so wildly interesting as to make a comment on their stylistically intricate hairdo. But so much for that, I did expect you to enjoy such an event. It is a masked ball, and you could practically meet with everyone, making any form of consequence obsolete. That is, if you keep your cards high enough, never let someone slip the ribbon on your flat mask.”[/color] Celestine thought of her conversation as being void of the energy to match with Dante, but she was fond enough of rebuilding a boundary, especially with his fondness for making so many ‘golden girl’ references. She thought to confuse him once more, giving a slight smirk as she looked with cheeky vengeance, [color= #e07c4f]“As for this… golden girl, unfortunately… I’m no Blanche, certainly not with style and attitude. I’m more of a Dorothy, enjoying a fancy night looking for my friends, as I see one particularly being friendly. But… thank you for being a great friend and companion and for amusing me with such a pleasant conversation.”[/color]
She had thought to leave him then and there, particularly unamused by his whims and playful compliments that could lead nothing to more hollow conversations, but he had slipped in an invitation that could strike words that had never been in her vein before. A simple walk in the gardens, sure. Strolling under the moonlight, interesting. Finding secrets to uncover—I don’t like where this is going. But the last anecdote struck a nerve in her—something she found so repulsive as to diminish herself as this clean slate girl. So this is why he keeps bringing up the golden girl, as she deduced. Memories seeped in moments where she danced along the crowds, barely even reaching their shoulders, alongside her mother’s request to be her personal camera at parties inappropriate for any children to be in. Something so simple, yet it made her realize a common form of insult to her character: so proper she can’t be moved. That hunch she made proved to be true, and she did not want to take the bait. She took the bait nonetheless.
Her stance jolted, stiffened with a look dark enough to dim a room. She smiled fiercely to his face, [color= #e07c4f] “Exploring the gardens, eh? Secrets buried beneath the magnolias and asters—how amusing this definition of adventure is to you. And I thought you were notorious for fuming the heads of professors with dubious schemes.”[/color] Her hollow laugh soon followed, [color= #e07c4f]“Maybe it’s the liquor talking, but what do you make of me? Is it because I style myself too bodacious for practical events, or maybe I walk with my heels in a way that looks like I’m balancing books with a firecracker on my mouth lest I make any form of uncouthness unbenign by a lady of my stature?”[/color]
Celestine tried to calm herself, sensing a quiver in her voice, but she continued on as the room felt like a void with only Dante to hear the panting of her breath, [color= #e07c4f]"Forgive my impertinence, but this is a masquerade event, a codeword for a party. Etiquette may be in the way you walk, socialize, and even dance! But to play your cards in such a traditional way won’t ever be amusing to your guests; the thrill comes from learning the schemes and forming them. I know for a fact that there are not enough people in this ballroom, especially with a school esteemed like this. Where do you think they went, hm? ”[/color] Before he even answered, she picked up her pace as she scanned the room to direct her thoughts, [color= #e07c4f]“I know where they went. Setting their businesses… elsewhere. Bad blood, assassinations, and even the conception of children—or lack thereof— Who knows, there might be someone already in the headmaster’s bathroom making whoopee, or even some gowns being ruined at the school gardens with the excuse of admiring the roses. I will again say my apologies for lightly making a great impression on such a simple statement, but a party is supposed to be fun! And to make your night satisfactory, I will accept your offer… out of spite.”[/color]
Letting out a sigh, she walked against Dante, slightly budging him as the sound of her heels clacked. Immediately, she stopped as she pivoted to him, giving a stern question, [color= #e07c4f]“You’re the gentleman with an invitation; lead me the way.”[/color]
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@Jass - Dante