melodiesoflife | Event || The New Year

Event || The New Year

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.

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"Television and video games," she responded with no small degree of pride. She filled a cup of punch before turning to face her friend properly with a wide smile. She was a little short of breath, but once she'd had a chance to cool down for a bit, she'd head back out to the dancefloor. The activity was enjoyable, and an excellent means of obtaining a workout. It also improved her footwork, a necessary component of swordplay. That made dancing entertaining and practical.

"Chiaki constructed a dancing game at her shop. If you'd like to try it, I believe she said she would transfer it to our basement. You're welcome to visit whenever you find the time."

Sip.

"What about you?" Rukia's gaze shifted back to the few couples who weren't too embarrassed to seek a partner for the song and nodded at the floor. "Are you planning on doing any dancing tonight?" Surely not all of the heroes were so self-conscious and reserved that they wouldn't even try.

"A dancing game? Yeah sure, I'd give that a try." He would, too. Hopefully while no one's watching, to start.

Upon being asked about his dancing skills, though, Sparks awkwardly clears his throat as he thinks of how to spin this.

"Oh, I, uh. Ain't easy to dance while in a suit 'n such. So uh, not sure." Sparks wasn't reserved, but he was also not fond of anything that might bruise his giant ego. And it's not like he could fake being a good dancer, but he could try to dance around the subject, at least.

"It's not?" Rukia blinked, and furrowed her brow. Just how tight was his suit? Unless he was expected to do the splits, she was sure he'd be just fine. "You could take off the jacket, I suppose. It would get rather hot otherwise."

She threw back the small cup of punch and refilled it. Refreshing as it was, Rukia was still thirsty.

"I could teach you what basics I learned, if you wish. Slow songs in particular are very simple. I believe all you have to do is shift your weight and slowly move in a circle while remaining close to your partner."

"Oh, slow dancing?" He scoffs. "I can do that. Anyone can do that." That was the truth. Even middle schoolers could slow dance. That didn't mean they were good at it, though.

"So long as ya don't step on the other person's toes, yer doin' it right. Simple as that."

"Yes, that seems about all that is required," Rukia agreed with a nod. She might not have done it herself before, but she'd observed a few couples, none of them particularly skilled. "You've done it before?" That surprised her. "When?"

"Uh, well... Back in school?" It's been awhile. And it's not like he had much opportunity for dancing back on Mars, even if he wanted to.

"I mean, with work, dancin' is sorta the farthest thing from my mind. So."

"So," she echoed, looking back at the dancefloor. The sparse number of partners was laughably pitiful. Dancing together didn't necessarily dictate a romance, or even attraction. Perhaps they ought to set the proper example.

She turned to Sparks and offered her hand. "Shall we see what you remember, then?" Honestly, she would have liked to be indulged with a harmless dance between two friends. It would be one more experience she could finally claim to have enjoyed as a mortal.

Uh oh. The jig is up. Well, slow dancing he knows he could handle. Hopefully this was a long song.

After a moment, he nods and takes her hands. "Can't turn a lady down. Alright, let's do this." It's nothing exciting by any means, but he can at least handle the basics. Even if it's been a long time since he's danced, never been anything great at it, it was like riding a bike, right? You got rusty but the steps were still somewhere buried in muscle memory.

"Is that a fact," she chuckled. Rukia was definitely glad that he was taking the lead, as she was relying on him to direct the way she should stand and move. She cast another glance at the other couples to see how they were faring, and hesitated. Some danced in the classic position, with the lady's hand on the gentleman's shoulder, but others danced with both arms looped around the other. That seemed a little too intimate for the occasion. Unless Sparks had other aims, she would opt for the classical style, head tipped back so she could look up at her taller dance partner.

"Do the people of Mars often engage in dances like these?" she asked out of curiosity. She knew it was a planet, but as their version of Mars was completely barren of souls, shinigami rarely paid much attention to the cosmos.

That style was fine by him. He wasn't the sort of guy to make any untoward moves. Besides, he knows Rukia could kick his butt if he even tried.

"Uh, well, not super often, but sometimes the saloon would have 'em. Valentine's Day 'n stuff like that." Knowing Barkeep's tendency of trying to set people up, it's a surprise there wasn't one every other week.

"What about, y'know, Reapers. Doesn't sound like the kinda job that lends to a lotta social dances. Or social anything, really."

"I can't speak for the other divisions, but those held in the 13th were more socially oriented. Food and games, maybe a contest. We didn't really dance," she replied. From what Rukia knew of the noble families who were not soul reapers, a formal dance was held now and again, but neither she nor Byakuya had ever attended any events like that. Their duties kept them too busy.

She suspected Byakuya didn't really care much for the other nobles, as well, so that might have played a significant factor.

"So what's Valentine's Day about?" she beamed, curious to know about this cultural holiday that would prompt everyone to get together and dance.

Well there was a question he clearly wasn't expecting. He blinks for a moment.

"Um, it's a holiday. Kinda. More just like, a day for, like, celebratin' love, I guess. Ya buy yer sweetheart gifts or do somethin' special, or whatever. Or some people surprise someone they've been waitin' to tell. Stuff like that. Gosh, that's comin' up again already, ain't it..."

He didn't seem as excited or interested in it as she is. Sparks seems put out by the idea that it's already looming on the horizon, and hopes to himself that he'll be too busy to notice.

"Is it?" This was the first she'd ever heard of the holiday. Celebrating love? Interesting... There were worse things to celebrate, she supposed. It actually seemed admirable in a sense. Yes, she approved of this holiday, even if it sounded like something she wouldn't be able to participate in personally.

"What about people who aren't really suitable for romance? Do they celebrate this holiday as well?" People like her, essentially. It would be nice to know in advance if anyone held any expectations for her, rather than neglect tradition out of ignorance.

"Um, maybe? I mean, no one's gonna force people into it, I guess. Well, moogles might. Y'know how they are." He shakes his head, knowing that Red will probably do some meddling on his behalf.

Not wanting to start sounding like a downer, Sparks clears his throat and changes his tone a bit. "Reckon there's nothin' wrong with a holiday for celebratin' romance in the middle 'a winter. Somethin' to brighten up those long nights ain't a terrible idea."

Rukia chuckled, then nodded. Yes, she knew exactly how Moogles could be. Chappopo would absolutely love this holiday if she hadn't heard about it already. Maybe Rukia could take the initiative this time and nudge her into doing something for Acrisius, so she could spend the day at her leisure.

In any case, she was likely going to enjoy having extra chocolate around. Who wouldn't?

"True," she agreed. "I know winter isn't everyone's favorite season." She enjoyed it, of course, but she knew someone who didn't favor the cold very well. "Perhaps I shall. What sorts of activities would it involve?"

"Chocolates 'n gifts, mostly. Letters 'n cards. Last year... Last year sent out a buncha letters to everyone, actin' like they were sent from one of us. Like someone forged our names, tellin' them to meet us somewhere. So we all got set up as couples when we really had nothin' to do with it. It was really weird."

He had gotten set up with Red, who thought he was there for someone else. And he played along with it, stupidly. She would never have agreed to a date with him anyway.

"No doubt it was all the moogles' doing. And they may try it again this year, or somethin' else entirely. But now ya got the head's up."

Rukia's expression flattened. Then she exhaled. "That does sound like something Chappopo would do. Thank you for the warning." She was still undecided about her feelings regarding a couple of people. For now, she thought it best to ignore such things and focus on the more important tasks at hand.

But it might be fun to indulge for just one day, she supposed. Surely there couldn't be much harm in it, and who didn't like chocolate? (That would be Raven, who hated sweets, but she wasn't clued in on that fact about him just yet.)

"Was it any fun at least?"

"Um..."

Sparks tried to suppress a sad frown by shrugging it off. He had been fine, even happy to be set up with Red. She assumed he was there for someone else and wasn't interested.

"Not much came of it. Y'know. Being that we were all set up. I don't think any couples came out of it. Contrary to what the Barkeep thinks, not everyone appreciates blind dates."

"Your date was blind?" Rukia stared at him. Well. She could see how that might have been a little inconvenient. It's hard to do the usual romantic things, like gaze at the stars, if only one of them could see.

"Well, perhaps this year will be different," she attempted to reassure him. "I don't know of anyone among us with any vision impairments. Perhaps you'll like the person you're paired with this time."

So don't lose hope!

"Um, no, it's, uh. Hoo boy." Part of Sparks almost wanted to go along with the idea, and he almost does for a moment, in order to let the subject drop. But then again, it made it sound like he was prejudiced against blind people or something.

"It's an expression. Well, a term for something. When someone sets ya up on a date 'n ya never met the other person. So, y'know. Blind?"

"Oh." That made more sense, then. She was a little chagrined, but not enough to get stiff and defensive, nor contrite and quiet. She'd learned something new about the dating culture of the living, so that was a bonus.

"It seems like it might be fun," she stated, somewhat curious about the tradition. And yet, Sparks didn't look like he'd enjoyed his experience much at all. "Getting to meet someone new and learning about one another over a meal and an activity is always interesting."

"Well, I mean, if someone says they're gonna set ya up on a date, versus someone who just does it without tellin' ya... There's a difference, I guess. It's not that I'm totally against the idea, it's just--"

It's just that particular instance didn't go well, when he really wanted it to.

"It's just that for those dates, we all were led to believe the person we were on a date with was responsible for it, by sendin' letters to us. But they didn't. Moogles just made it look that way. So."

So he was mislead and disappointed. "We oughta shut mognet down on Valentine's Day."

It took Rukia a few moments to deduce what had happened. So...each person was asked on a date, but not really. Rukia could understand how that might be disappointing to someone, if they'd actually been hoping to be genuinely asked out on a date. Given the look on Sparks's face, she could guess that might be the case for him.

"...I see. I apologize, then. That doesn't sound nearly as pleasant as I initially believed." To have one's hopes of being loved raised like that, then dashed, could cause a lot of heartache.

She gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Would that she had any advice or encouragement to cheer him up, she'd give it, but she wasn't sure she had anything to say that wouldn't immediately sound empty or unrealistic.

"Then, would you object if I gave you a gift of chocolate?" From one single person to another, it could be a bond of camaraderie.

In normal Sparks fashion, it was time to avoid any talk about feelings or emotions or any of that kind of stuff. He was lonely without his friends here, and it was only made worse with Red sitting in the crystal ward of the hospital for months now. He'd never admit to this, though. So when Rukia mentions a gift, he perks up a bit.

"I'm not one to turn down free chocolate. Reckon I'll have to return the favor, though."

"These are acceptable terms," she chuckled. This way neither of them would be prone to feeling left out or forgotten. Then again, she doubted there would be very many couples celebrating, given the sparse turnout of dancers currently on the floor. Besides, if anyone was going to give her chocolate, she would prefer it to come from a friend she trusted not to confuse her with these strange romantic notions. It was a comfortable feeling.

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Event || The New Year

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