Event || The New Year

[melodiesmods]

Characters: Anyone!
Where: The Enterprise.
When: The Night from December 31st to January 1st.
Summary: A Ball aboard the Enterprise, for well-dressed (mostly) Heroes of Light and their friends who want to dance and (especially) eat for free.
Warning: Nothing.

While the passing from a year to another isn't as big of an event as the Starlight Celebration, it is no reason to pass up an ocasion to celebrate and have fun. There are fireworks in all major cities and various activities to enjoy. Noticeably, there are gatherings of people in Aqures Ixen and Trano Golsaucia in particular, if only to conclude what is one of the most celebrated week in the year, and wish to each other the best possible year to come-- Though most people are worried about what's to come soon. After all, the end might be nigh with the Calamity about to take over the planet...

To celebrate this, the Heroes of Light have all been invited to stay aboard the Enterprise for a particularly prestigious and animated Ball. Indeed, the Enterprise will from Aqures Ixen and go all the way to Mysidia at midnight-- This way, New Year is going to last even longer than normal thanks to the magic of timezones.

There are tables with foods for everyone to eat and of course, music for people to dance together if they so wish. There is also a consequent number of chairs lined up, for all those who refuse to dance or are too awkward to do so.

Comments

Terra || OPEN

[greenmagick]

ON DECK

It wasn’t that she was avoiding anyone but the cool air felt nice against her skin even as it prickled in greeting to the night air. Inside it was warm and brought with it a dizzying whirl of color and music. It was more than she’s used too and while she’s acquainted with parties she enjoys the distant sounds of music gently filling the air in a manner that isn’t as stifling. Outside there was the massive darkness of the sky, dotted and stripped with glittering stars as if the ocean out stretched above and below. The ships deck was big enough that she could steal a few moments alone even with others wandering away from the party.

Fireworks burst in the distance alighting the sky with a dazzling display of light. “Happy New Year.” Her words are whispered quietly and quickly swallowed by the air rushing past them. Her eyes don’t leave the fireworks but her mind drifts along the rushing wind and through the clouds.

It’s been a year, come the 5th of January, that she’s been here and she scarcely knows what might happen. Would she return home to her nightmares or would they simply end here? There wasn’t a way to know, only that they had to fight. A soft sigh left Terra’s lips and her mind began to drift again. These thoughts were darker and she felt her heart twist in her chest.

She wasn’t really in the mood for a party.

DANCING?

Unlike her usual collection of red dresses her New Year’s dress was white. The corset grabbed at her thin waist and pushed out her chest. Terra was already curvy but this dress pulled the eyes along her frame as if to show it off. White trims of silver and gold decorated her front while waves of silky white spun around her waist and then fell to the floor. Her skin looked less pale against the white accenting cream and pink hues.

Her hair was down with a few strands pulled back by flower clips she had gotten for Christmas. Around her neck is a simple silver chain where a rose rested across her clavicle.

Terra was sitting along the wall, her ankles folded beneath her and her back straight as she watched those she knew as well as strangers be pulled across the dance floor. She couldn’t pull her eyes away and after a moment she didn’t try to. She slipped into her thoughts letting the loud music surround and dominate her attention. She couldn’t pin down a particular thought, lost in the sounds and colors of the dance, but she felt an uneasy knot twist in her stomach.

Dancing? Who knows maybe?

[shinrasfinest]

It had been a strange few days, those between the Starlight party and tonight. Sephiroth had still been off work and so had been at home in Aqures for a lot of the time, considering that it was much too cold now to go outside unless one spent several minutes putting on layers. He'd done so on a couple of occasions, to go out and touch base with Mograma, to spend an afternoon at the observatory or the libraries while they were quiet and the students were off.

Following what couldn't quite be called a conversation, about the events from the other party, he'd apologized to Terra and hoped that they could get back to simply enjoying each others' company. Still, there was a palpable tension which hadn't get dispersed and still kept him awake on some of the occasions as he tried to sleep across the room from her.

That said, Terra seemed to be happy enough around him still so Sephiroth had resolved that it had to be all in his head and that it would settle down again soon.

"Are you having a good time?" Came a familiar voice from nearby as he silently slipped next to where she were sitting. Sephiroth didn't sit yet, but by the way he was angling his head down towards her he might well have to in a moment, for good manners sake if not for a potential ache in his neck.

Where Terra looked, clearly just stunning in her white corseted gown tonight, Sephiroth wore pretty much the same suit as he had for the Starlight celebration, with the addition of a fresh bandage taped around his hand which remained out of sight; hidden by the sleeves of his jacket.

Dancing? Who knows maybe?

[greenmagick]

The sound of Sephiroth’s voice brought a smile to Terra’s lips. As awkward as things seemed, he always had that effect on her. Seeing him was a joy that wasn’t tarnished by bad moods or worrying thoughts. Her dark thoughts would always return but for a few seconds she felt only happiness as if her heart aimed to dance in her chest.

“Yes.” It wasn’t the complete truth and Sephiroth could probably tell but her problem wasn’t the sort of thing that could be easily spoken. “I haven’t danced yet.” She admitted the truth softly hoping that it wouldn’t turn into their last conversation about dancing.

After a few seconds of looking up at Sephiroth she had to look away. It wasn’t because of his gaze or the topic of conversation but it was exceedingly difficult for her to keep her head looking upwards, more so with a corset on which already restricted her breathing some.

Dancing? Who knows maybe?

[shinrasfinest]

Terra was one of the only people in this World, perhaps in his entire life -point of fact- that could make him feel the need to smile just by smiling so brightly in his direction. So much so that just for a split second all the circumstances and consequences of the Starlight Party seemed to have never happened, a fleeting pass of a moment in which nothing else mattered. It was short lived, but it still happened.

In that moment he wasn't Sephiroth, the soldier -with his strict sense of self-discipline- but something else he couldn't rightly comprehend. Outside of the fact that there was no longer any sense in denying the fact that they were friends, close friends even. It still felt a little odd, given his limited experience in letting anyone closer than just acquaintance-level, and sometimes bitter when he thought of his only other friends.

As soon as Terra looked away it was as if it silently commanded Sephiroth to sit on the chair beside her. Turned politely towards her so that he could continue to talk to her. Sephiroth was careful to keep a soft expression across his face where he suspected that there was something else going on that she might be thinking too hard on.

"Oh." Dancing, and the thoughts of were quick to turn his stomach. He knew well enough that Terra had a keen interest in it, had been practicing with other Heroes, and had danced most of the night away at Starlight. Still, his attempt at maintaining a positive tone seemed to hold up for the most part.

"Well, it's still early yet. You wouldn't want to exhaust yourself too early? It's going to be a long night."

Dancing? Who knows maybe?

[greenmagick]

Terra was grateful when he sat down next to her. She turned to face him as well blocking all others from joining in their private conversation. The soft smile stayed on her lips as she spoke and her eyes flicked between his gaze and the movement of his mouth. She hadn't forgotten their kiss, she couldn't even though they both dismissed it.

She remembered the warmth from his lips, the flutter of her heart and then the stinging cold as he walked from the hall that to get fresh air. She snapped her thoughts back to their current conversation but not after showing Sephiroth a worried expression. She couldn't hide her thought from Sephiroth for long but her smile was back and there was a light spark to her bright blue eyes.

"You're right." She looked out over the dancers and smiled to herself. "It is beautiful though. In a little bit I wanted to go see if we can spot the fireworks from the ships deck."

Dancing? Who knows maybe?

[shinrasfinest]

It always seemed to push its way forwards into his more conscious thoughts, also. No matter how inappropriately forward of him it had been. How selfish and impulsive it was. Even though their talk about it that evening had been intended to lay it all to rest, a particularly loud part of Sephiroth's consciousness still attempted to assure him, and often, that it had been the right thing to do.

He held those thoughts, of such recent memory, firmly behind a mental wall made of the thickest steel. Those small signals Terra sparked in his direction chinked harmlessly off of it, yet they were at the same time too bright for him to ignore entirely.

So as not to seem to be staring, Sephiroth followed her gaze casually out and over those that were already casually bopping on the dance floor. The music had not yet reached it's most lively as it might later in the evening and the area itself seemed rather empty for the lack of bodies populating it currently. He stumbled over a thought; if he were to consider to dance, with her, would that also be too much now? Never mind his own insecurities about what it might look like, out there for everyone to see.

"When I heard that there was to be a New Years tour -of sorts- aboard the Enterprise, I did wonder how the space might be able to be used in such a way." Sephiroth huffed a dry chuckle out before turning to look back at Terra's face, making a note to take her eye contact before his gaze might be drawn elsewhere not-so-much further south.

"I hope that you brought a coat. It will be cold out there."

Dancing? Who knows maybe?

[greenmagick]

Terra wished she could so easily expel the thoughts of Sephiroth from her mind. They had been weighing against her shoulders even before the incident with the mistletoe. She hadn't wanted to say anything but his actions cracked the wall where she had stowed her feelings on the matter. Bit by bit she felt her resolve to keep things to herself break apart.

His words were the only thing keeping her grounded. The deep rasp of his voice compared to the response of her soft whisper. Her fingers lightly played with the white silky material around her waist as she listened. "I have a shaw." It was a thin piece of white material which was currently draped across the back of her chair. "Though I'm not to worried about the cold. I think it will feel nice." At least compared to the heat of the dance hall.

There was soft lapse as one song ended and another began. This one was a song that Terra knew and for a moment she just smiled, looking at nothing in particular while listening to the beautiful song.

"Sephiroth?" She looked over at him, the music stirring courage that she might not otherwise have. That courage quickly slipped away though and she paused trying to think of something else to ask. "Have you toured the whole ship?" It was bigger than most airships though she wasn't sure if the whole thing was set up as a party. She knew there were rooms on board that they could use to sleep in but little else.

Dancing? Who knows maybe?

[shinrasfinest]

He knew well enough that, as far as his own thoughts went, they only gained weight the more he put conscious thought into them. As such, keeping himself otherwise occupied as he was so gifted at doing was a suitable way to attempt to ignore that which pushed out from inside of him in terms of feelings he didn't know what to do with when it came to Terra.

As she mentioned it, Sephiroth's eyes left her momentarily to verify the presence of the scrap of white material she called a shawl. It didn't seem much more than a light wrap of a fabric but he was polite enough not to mention how he instantly thought that wouldn't be near enough to keep her warm outside. They were bound to be above the clouds already, and it was cold.

The music changed and once more drew Sephiroth to look out over towards the area that had been cleared for dancing. It was almost as if he somehow sensed Terra smile, perhaps glimpsed it out of the corner of his peripheral vision and then looked back towards her again as she formed his name into a question. Eyebrows raised a little in expectation-

"Oh." He hadn't expected such a question, and after a moments consideration it seemed a little out of place. Clearly, he was expecting too much again and silently scolded himself for being so opportunist; it was rude and such pressure on their already tense situation socially wasn't welcomed.

"Yes. Well-" He had to correct himself, as an afterthought. "-those parts that I'm authorized to go, anyway."

Even though he was now Colonel, his authority still didn't allow him to go down into the engineering levels.

"I've got my own cabin on board, as assigned by the military-" He blinked, sat up a little straighter and again flicked a gaze over Terra's shoulder towards the shawl draped across the back of the chair. "-I bet I could find a warmer layer for you to take outside, actually."

"I-if you like?"

Dancing? Who knows maybe?

[greenmagick]

Terra noticed the slight disappointment in his tone which pulled her gaze to his. She watched him though as always her stare wasn’t overly pressing. This time it was curious, as if drinking in the sight of him for the first time. She hears his explanation and realizes that her question came from nowhere and probably through Sephiroth off.

“I would like that but… um…” Terra begins to debate if she should say more. It’s obvious that something else is eating at her thoughts.

She shook her head slowly, soft green curls bouncing from the effort. She might need something warmer to step out on deck but that thought quickly drifted away.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice was soft, her fingers moving to rest in her lap. “That isn’t what I actually meant to ask.” There was a soft tremble to her voice, a sound so subtle that anyone else might have missed it. Terra was nervous. “I wanted to ask for a dance.” Even though he said that dancing wasn’t the sort of activity he enjoyed. It was a very selfish wish of hers but she thought, just maybe, he’d make this one exception.

Dancing? Who knows maybe?

[shinrasfinest]

It was probably just as well that he'd made the effort to halt himself from getting to his feet off the back of her question in readiness to lead her back to his allocated cabin. That he'd paused and asked essentially for her to re-verify before moving; Sephiroth would have felt even more foolish considering Terra were now having second thoughts.

He shifted a little on his seat, knees turned more towards her and with a raised eyebrow Sephiroth leaned in a little closer. He wanted to comfort Terra, somehow, to give her the confidence to say what was really on her mind even if to a great extent he didn't feel like he was entitled to hear them anymore. It was obvious she was nervous; perhaps this would be it- he'd have to get ready to respect her decision and had already mostly convinced himself that it would be for him to back off.

He couldn't blame her, at all.

As such, once the real question surfaced Sephiroth's eyebrows quickly met in the middle and he looked over Terra's face again carefully. Not only was he a little confused, but he wondered if he'd maybe not heard her correctly. A moment of silence and thick beating pulse in his throat allowed the words to sink in, and he seemed to chew on the corner of his bottom lip a little while he pulled his attention over the dance floor again.

There were hardly any others up there yet, there would be no way for him to be able to in anyway cover up the fact should he concede to Terra's request. At the same time, it might help to make it up to her for his stupid behavior at the other gathering. It wasn't an up-tempo song, either, so there wouldn't be any chance of him fumbling over steps he didn't know.

"Sure-" That word pretty much fell from Sephiroth before he could swallow it back. Already, he wasn't too sure if he'd later regret it but now he'd given his word there wasn't any rescinding it either. In a swish of glittering suit and soft silver locks, Sephiroth stood, took a step away from Terra and then turned to offer his hand.

"-I mean, if you don't mind putting up with an amateur."

Dancing? Who knows maybe?

[greenmagick]

For a brief second she stared up at him as if he had been some apparition created from her own passing daydreams. That second, however, was fleeting and with a warm smile she took his hand and was lifted to her feet. Terra was surprised by his response and yet her heart leaped in her chest as if it was doing a dance of its own.

This was what it meant to be happy.

“I’m sure you’re better than you think.”

She glided gracefully up and took the position besides Sephiroth. Her thin fingers fit comfortably in his hand while her right hand lightly rested against his shoulder. It felt warm beneath her fingertips causing heat to swell to her cheeks. “You step first.” She spoke softly, her throat a little dry as the music continued its slow steady tune. She’d be able to follow any of his steps having learned to dance from many teachers.

Thousands of thoughts cluttered Terra’s mind but the moment Sephiroth stepped they all vanished. It was only the two of them much like when he kissed her only this time the moment lasted for minutes instead of seconds.

Dancing? Yes yes yes! :D

[shinrasfinest]

Terra's beautiful white dress seemed like a shining beacon within the dimmer lighting of the room. If she didn't already turn all of the heads present, then certainly as they walked out onto the edge of the dance floor and he stopped to turn back to face her there could be no disguising anymore. Their kiss, before, had been fleeting and this would last a lot longer than that.

Sephiroth made a point to only sweep the room with his gaze once, not to focus on any of the head-shapes he could make out, before naturally resting one hand lightly against the stiff material of her corseted dress and giving her a once over -albeit looking a little unsure.

He wasn't comfortable and certainly not anywhere near confident with the choice he'd made.

"Right. Here goes."

Sephiroth stepped, planting his foot forwards and to their side a little and let go into the momentum as she stepped afterwards; he squeezed her hand a little as if it might help his nerve. The slow, swaying motions came easily enough thereafter; it wasn't incredibly complex, barely what might be considered your average slow-dance, but it was something.

Terra was right, he wasn't that bad but it was probably expected to a certain extent; fighting, dancing: it's all about control over movements of your body.

"I never thought I'd be doing this." He breathed between them on the latest pass when their forms became closer again. Finally raising his eyes from watching where his feet were going --he didn't want to stand on her dress, or worse, trip her-- and meeting Terra's.

Dancing? Yes yes yes! :D

[greenmagick]

Terra nodded and noticing his uncertainty quickly gathered a few layers of her white skirt into her hand before resting it in his once more. This lifted the fabric from the floor reveling glimmering white high heels that clicked along the ground as she stepped.

Her eyes stayed on him as they danced, their bodies moving together in a graceful sort of movement that wasn't completely unlike fighting. It was obvious that Terra was now a skilled dancer. She moved with the ease and grace she showed when walking but this was more fluid and timed.

He was close and the warmth of his breath tickled against her cheek as he spoke. Her smiled widened slightly, her eyes shining from the lights of the party. "You aren't bad at it." Her voice was softer as if she was sharing a personal secret that would only stay between them.

Terra let the song surround them, focusing on the invisible tune and the strength of Sephiroth's arms as he guided her across the polished floor. Her heart leaped in her chest though it wasn't an uncomfortable feeling.

Dancing? Yes yes yes! :D

[shinrasfinest]

It was both so personal, and yet not so much at the same time, this dancing. On the steps that brought them closer Sephiroth often wondered if he were stepping too closely, but it were followed each time with movements that drew them a little further apart. As Terra were confident within what they were doing though, the insecurity as well soon dropped away. If he wasn't sure, he could follow her last step and before long they became impressively synchronized.

"I'm glad-" He stepped, holding his comment for that moment. "-that you think so."

As the song continued and their steps flowed more into each others, Terra might be able to actually feel Sephiroth relax a little more; a tension, present just beneath where her hand rested on his shoulder, crept itself away. Keeping her gaze more often than daring to look away or even behind her, a warm feeling settled somewhere in his chest as he came to realize that Terra's request -that he had denied her before- wasn't actually all that impossible.

Dancing? Yes yes yes! :D

[greenmagick]

Music fluttered and drifted keeping their movements going as the song lingered in the air. Terra could feel them moving close together and as they're movement's began to perfectly meld they came closer and closer until they stepped together as if one entity. Her smile was fixed in place as she looked up at him trying to find the right word to describe the thoughts thundering through her head.

Her heart pounded heavily in her chest but with each step she felt like she was flying. There wasn't a single word that could describe the feeling.

Terra's lips parted but before she could sleep the song came to it's end. Their steps slowed following the music until they stopped looking into each others eyes. Terra felt the warmth on her cheeks but she didn't care anymore. "Do you want to keep dancing?" They didn't have too, they could see the ship and step outside away from the eyes that are no doubt staring at the pair.

Dancing? Yes yes yes! :D

[shinrasfinest]

He hadn't quite counted on the way that, when dancing, the melody itself could dictate so much with regard to ones movement. The way that he, and she, stepped; when and for how long before the next step was something he'd taken to as if it were more of a natural instinct to do so - and not something he'd actually had to put a lot of thought into to begin with.

All songs come to an end though; where in reality it had only been a couple of minutes, it seemed a lot longer than that. Sephiroth blinked and then looked around behind Terra as they came to a stop; frozen in place for a time. He urged a steady breath in, and then out as he tilted his head back down towards her. It could probably be his imagination, but there were mutiple pairs of eyes just behind the haze of the colored lights still flashing in their sequence even in the pause between that song and the next.

"We-" The tempo of the next song was much livelier - one of those merry ones hung over from the Starlight period and the tempo would call for a more jolly dance. "-we can try again a little later?"

Dancing?

[wings_of_steel]

"May I have this dance, my fair maiden?"

The sound of a familiar voice would interrupt Terra's thoughts and the individual facing her was the same blond haired blue eyed woman that had always greeted her from time to time. Selen was wandering the party with uninterested eyes, seeing these things were't really her thing. That also explained why she wasn't dressed for the occasion either.

She looked rather casual in her usual attire without its armor. While parties were always a thing back home and she found some social use to them, they were't really her thing.

They were political and Selen enjoyed them because they were always good for winning favors. The place was beautifully decorated and full of many people she recognized and those she did not recognize. The sight of people enjoying themselves always put a pleasant smile on her face. That's why it she approached Terra.

She seemed lonely again sitting there, or maybe she chose to sit there because she wanted to be alone. Either way, Selen wasn't having it since Terra was one of the few people she held high regard for. She was always better with a smile.

Dancing?

[greenmagick]

Just seeing the older woman pulled Terra’s lips into a smile. It was hard for her to guard how she felt since she had never had to do it before now. She nodded her head feeling a wave of relief wash over her. “I’d like that.” She didn’t like feeling alone.

Terra rose from her seat and then lifted the material of her skirt so she wouldn’t trip over it. She stepped up next to Selen before hesitating slightly.

“Would you lead?” She didn’t know how having only practiced with men before now.

[wings_of_steel]

"Allow me to grace you with this dance then."

She chimed cheerfully as Terra was slowly getting herself up from her spot. Selen was always there to cheer up the people she cared about. She certainly hope that Terra will get a good dance out of it, even if it's from Selen.

"Certainly. I know a thing or two about ballroom dancing due to my previous job."

She replied wit a nod of her head when Terra hesitated for that thought.

[greenmagick]

Terra smiles softly before taking her place next to Selen's side. She let the other lead, her feet moving swiftly over the floor.

"Are you enjoying the party?"

It's all she can think to ask though it sounds rather forced when she says it. Small talk isn't something that Terra got used too and living with Sephiroth meant she used it even less. Tempest was a fan though Terra found ways around that too since they usually talked about the flower shop.

[wings_of_steel]

Selen would lead them along until they started to move with the music. She took her steps casually as he hoped it would help Terra adjust to the sound of the music and moving her feet. She nodded her head as they waltzed along the dance floor.

"I am rather fond of the party, so I suppose I am," she chimed with a small chuckle emitting from her lips as Terra questioned her about the party. As forced as it sounded, Selen didn't mind and she knew Terra was trying her best. She wouldn't discourage the girl from asking her questions. Instead, she would rather want the girl to actually.

[greenmagick]

Terra was now a talented dancer thanks to her teachers. She moved easily across the dance floor, her steps matching Selen’s perfectly. Dancing was something that she really loved and sharing that with her friends made her happy and for the moment, she forgot the uncertainty she had been feeling.

“You’re a good dancer.”

The comment wasn’t forced or meant as a mindless compliment. The thought merely escaped Terra’s lips as they moved gracefully across the polished floor.

[wings_of_steel]

As Selen does notice. The girl seemed to be effortlessly dancing alongside the former general. She was glad that Terra can at least enjoy her time on the dance floor. Her steps were fluid and they matched well with Selen's. She was having a lot of fun just watching her friend fluidly go along with the music. Eventually, they would probably follow the beat of the instruments that were being played.

"I had to have a lot of practice due to all the parties the royal family had," she replied with a chuckle, "You aren't half as bad yourself. You're very graceful."

She chimed with a chuckle.

[greenmagick]

Terra blushed a light rosy pink. "Tempest and a few others taught me to dance." The fact that she was graceful was just something that defined Terra. She wasn't clumsy or awkward but graceful and fluid with all of her motions.

Her lips curl into a smile.

"Thank you for the compliment." It felt as if her praise was worth more considering Selen's skill and knowledge of dancing. Slowly the song came to an end and Terra found their steps slowing to a stop.

[wings_of_steel]

"Ah, Tempest is quite talented," she chimed with a big smile of the moogle's name. Selen had a lot of respect for her moogle and the moogle worked hard for Terra. She was grateful for the moogles in some way or form. It's not everyday that they would get companions like that who constantly looked after them.

"I'm glad you are able to enjoy yourself dancing with what you've leaned," she replied with a nod of her head as she spun the other around until the dance ended.

"You're very welcome."