Welcome to Gaia! ::

The center of the city was filled with lights and colors. The trees were wound in spirals of blinking, colored lights, and the paths seemed to draw you in until you were standing outside the old city theater across from town hall. Music was coming from the open doors, and once you stepped inside, you were bombarded with the lyrics of every tired old Christmas carol, and non-denominational holiday song you'd ever heard, and were introduced to 3 new ones that were just as eye-roll-worthy as the other half billion. But the decorations were pretty, and a lot of time and effort had gone into this. You might as well enjoy yourself.

There were a few open doors behind the main room. One would take you to a room to have your picture taken with Santa, even though the city maintained this was, in fact, not a Christmas party, despite having Santa, a Christmas tree, and the carols playing.

Another door lead down the hall to the restrooms, where a chaperone was standing to direct you to the appropriate facilities.

The last door opened up to a large dining area where an all you can eat buffet was set up with every kind of holiday treat you could ever want from sweets and candies to Christmas goose dinners with stuffing and sweet potatoes.

But be careful! Around the rooms are sprigs of mistletoe. Should you fall under one of these with another party goer... well... you know the rules on mistletoe. ;D

"Hey kid." One of the chaperones spoke to Taiga before pulling him aside. "You need a date to come inside." Taiga would find himself drawn back, just outside the dance hall. "If they're running late, you can hang with us a while till they get here." Taiga would be standing beside one of the rather large men posted at the front doors. There was no way he would be able to sneak back inside. He could stand under the mistletoe and hope that another poor single kid would come along and save him.

Apparently, when they say "You must have a date" they really mean it.

(Guys, the point isn't to RP with yourself, or as a loner. The point is to force your kids into an awkward social situation where they have to interact with each other (And to get you all to meet other RPers). If you don't have a date, you're being stopped at the door. No exceptions.)

As they did every year the Nobuyuki family volunteered to help set up for the big holiday bash that happened near the end of the year. Takuma knew quite well it was because his parents were a couple of busybodies that seemed to enjoy keeping kids from having any real fun. Oh how they enjoyed shaming those who would dare break the rules or looked exceptionally gaudy. After helping set up the various decorations scattered everywhere Takuma was finally free with a small amount of time before the shindig would begin.

Takuma was not certain how long he had been there but he did know one thing quite clearly. The horrible jingles and overly sentimental holiday songs would now be stuck in his head for weeks after the season had ended. Oh the torment! At least they had finished early enough that he had a proper chance to get changed into his formal party attire and make sure there was no rogue tinsel in his hair. It would have been no good if he looked shabby before the party even began. He had decided to wear a fairly nice traditional suit paired with a pinstriped red vest and black tie. Simple elegance was preferred over some tacky thing with a cheesy pattern. His shoulder length red hair was casually left down.

Once outside Takuma looked around hoping the cute boy he had run into the other day and found dateless wasn't going to stand him up. There didn't seem to be any resistance when he had asked him out so Takuma was fairly confident it was a pointless concern. The guy seemed nice enough and he was somewhat excited he had been able to find a date at all. His dad would not have let him live down failing to find a date for such an important event. Luckily for Takuma his dad didn't skip a beat when he had found out Takuma's date was not a girl. Since he could not see Siemon anywhere he waited uncomfortably neat the huge bouncers guarding the doors. Why did they have to be so tall?

Marlon was astonished that he had even been able to get out of the house at all for the party. His mother had been so giddy with excitement at his going to a social gathering of such a magnitude that she had fussed over him incessantly, making sure the crisp white bow tie for his teal suit was straight, his hair was straight and free of 'that dreadful old sock hat', and then the awkwardness of posing for picture after picture as his mother continued to gush about how wonderful a chance this was to make friends, and how much of a shame it was that he was meeting his date there instead of at their house so Marlon could introduce 'her.' If only she knew......
Herick of course was standing off to the side the entire time, muttering things that were just loud enough for anyone in the living room to hear. "Probably gonna sneak off at the middle of it......hook up with some hoodlum friends.......spray paint and eggs.....waste of good money with that getup....." He had rolled his eyes and taken it until he was getting into a car with his mother, promising to tell her all about it once it was over, Herick's ugly nose poking out behind the door frame. "It'll be your hide if I smell booze on your breath, boy!"
He couldn't get out of the car fast enough, waving farewell to his mother and looking around before reaching into the huge pockets of his suit's coat to pull out his beacon, his wonderful conch shell, carefully wrapped in his black sock hat. He always felt more comfortable with his hat, and to Hell with how it looked. With a smile, he pulled it over his head and looked around for his 'date', finally spotting him and walking over. "Hope I'm not too late; my mother insisted on capturing the moment, about ten times."

Not caring how many people stared as the stately car pulled up at the ball's entrance, Siemon stepped out and casually brushed the sitting wrinkles from his festive red and gold ensemble. He rather liked it; it made him look princely in spite of his glasses and his hair that still adamantly refused to calm down. He only half-heard a whisper from his mother, a reminder to eat and keep his sugar level steady. Siemon cleared his throat and walked quickly away from the car; to his knowledge, nobody except his school nurse knew there was anything amiss with him, and the last thing he wanted was some nosy person listening in and finding out anything different. There weren't many who knew an awful lot about him, and he preferred it that way.
He allowed himself a small smile as he neared the entrance. He had told his folks that he was there to mingle; they didn't need to know that he was going with another boy. Luckily they never seemed interested in his activities unless they lowered his grades.
Spotting his date looking a little fidgety around the bouncers, he walked casually up to Takuma and offered a slight bow. "Shall we go in?"

Jayke grumbled under his breath as he waited at the entrance, scowling at anyone who stared too much at the outfit he wore. He knew he looked way out of place in his outfit; he looked more like someone on his way to a moonlit ritual than a holiday ball, but he didn't care. It had been Crysta's idea to wear such non-traditional clothing; it was a lot better than the cheesy suits the other guys wore. And Crysta was sure to be much prettier than the girls parading around in their shameless street wear that they thought made them look pretty. He wanted so badly to comment on some of them; "You cal always fit in them one more time, huh?", but he owed it to Crysta to not start the evening with a meaningless fight.
His parents hadn't given him half the fuss as others were sure to; Deston had applauded his choice in dance wear, and Lillian had even made a lovely hair clip festooned with holly leaves and berries to give to his date. "And don't forget," she had said with a wink, "If things get too boring, steep the elaves in some hot water; makes for some stimulating tea!" He held it in his hands now, fiddling with the pointy leaves and looking around for Crysta, hoping feverishly that she hadn't chosen to make her entrance in her butterfly form.

Kaminari had done her best to explain to Nathan why she asked his brother Nicohlas to the dance rather then him. (Or waiting for him to ask her) Nathan had a throng of girls who would gladly go to the dance with him, and Nico? Well, he wasn't likely to ask anyone. He was like a little turtle and would just shy away. Which makes it hard for anyone to ask him out too. So! Because Nathan could have his pick of the girls who fawned over him at school, she would be Nico's date, and they could all enjoy the party. And she promised to make it up to Nathan later.

Of course, she had intended to have at least one dance with Nathan. Then again, Nari would likely dance with a couple people, including Nico, if he felt up to trying to 'dance' with her. And of course she'd have to tackle Takuma and make him dance at least once. So in her mind, everything about this night was perfect.

Other then the fact she was now late. Half way to the dance, Nari realized she didn't have her phone, so her mom had to turn around for her to grab it off the charger. But now she had everything she needed! Phone, emergency money, makeup, and breath mints sat in her purse along with her camera. She didn't want to miss getting pictures of all her friends in their holiday best.

When she hopped out of the car, she bid her mom goodbye, and promised to call when it was winding down. She stood there a moment, pulling out a compact to check her hair. She had done her hair up in buns for tonight, but rather then using chopsticks to hold them in place, she had bought some long peppermint sticks, and used those instead. It was festive and cute! Plus it matched the red and white of her dress. The top was fairly simple, white with clear straps going behind her neck to hold it up, and a red poinsettia outline brocade in the center of the top, and little red details going out from there. The red skirt had a wrap that sat nicely on her hips, also with poinsettia brocade into it, only they were in white. The skirt itself was just plain red, and in the front, cut off at the knees, while it ruffled down to her ankles in the back. And this way it showed off her cute red tights and shoes!

When she knew she was set, she snapped the mirror closed and hid it away in her purse again before stepping up to the party. People were starting to arrive, so it wasn't too crowded just yet, so Nico shouldn't be too hard to find. And she was sure he would be waiting with Nathan, and probably Nathan's date.

She spotted Nathan first, and sure enough at his side was Nico looking absolutely adorable in his pink and white suite. "Ni-coh-las~" She said cheerfully as she approached them. "Waiting long?" she asked before giggling a little. She could hear the music and it just already sounded like fun! Thank goodness the boys were here to enjoy it too. They could share fond memories of this later. "Nathan, You look-" He wasn't really dressed up. "Ready to party." She laughed. "Nico, do you mind if I take lots of pictures tonight? Of us, and everyone?" She might even print a memory book of the night with all the pictures she hoped to take. Maybe she could get one printed out tomorrow if the print shop was open, and then Nico could have a really unique gift! She giggled to herself before looking up at Nathan seriously.

"I promise we'll behave." It was more like 'I know how much you worry about your brother and don't trust a room full of strange people to be considerate of him, but I'm here, don't worry because I'll look out for him.' But that might have made Nico unhappy somehow, knowing she would be 'guarding' him. Nari leaned down to give Nico's cheek a kiss. As she did, the light caught the red studs in the cartilage of her right ear, and the little ornaments she wore in her lobes jingled, indicating that they were, in fact, bells.

"Hey Nico, we should make sure to get a picture with Santa before the line is too long, ok?"

He said yes! Hesaidyes! Hesaidyes! Hesaidyes!

To say Indigo was excited was an understatement. Naois was a great guy. No no, he was a FANTASTIC guy! Charming, he knew how to cook, was happy to learn to play the tabletop games she liked. They had a fair bit in common too! So when Naois had agreed to go, she took him shopping. Another plus! He didn't complain (Much) and actually seemed to enjoy it. He didn't like her paying for his stuff, but work had been really good. With the holidays, people tipped like mad, so she could afford to splurge a little on the guy she liked. She just had to try and convince him it was a Christmas gift. Her gift to him, so he could be his gift to her. Oh. Oh dear. She began giggling. Some of the people who had been waiting, either for their dates, or for other stag goers to pair off with looked at her strangely. But she didn't care. Naois. Said. Yes. That meant everything was roses to her.

She fidgeted with the the hem of the green satin skirt she wore. It was perfect. Naois was going to be decked in red and black, and she was in green and white. Her dress had a peasant-cut top that hung off her thin little shoulders. There was a high satin emerald green cinch just under her bust and then the skirt, also of an emerald satin, billowed out from there down to her knees. She also had a pair of sheer white stockings and quarter-inch heel saddles to complete the outfit.

No matter what she had tried to do with her hair, it refused to tame, so instead she put a few silver ribbons in it and called it good. Now all she had to do was wait for-

There he was!

"Naois!" Indy waved her hand above her to try and get his attention before skipping over to him and giving him a hug. She grinned up at him, ever happy as she stepped back. "Ready to go in?" she beamed at him, glad to slip away from the stag-goers before any of them tried asking her in.

The attitude shift that Miles had towards her after learning that she was from a family of money was both expected and entertaining, and a little irritating. Chisato hadn't outright told him about her family and all the little goodies that came with being a Saionji because frankly she was sick of people pretending around her. Pretending to adore her, pretending to be her friend. No. There were so far only three people she could trust to be honest about their relationship. A girl at school, Indigo, who was so happy and cheerful that Chisato was sure she hadn't comprehended exactly who she was. Nathan, who was from a family not unlike her own, and they both knew their relationship was a game. They played each other for personal gain and entertainment.

And Miles. At least she had thought Miles was someone she could get along with. He was a fascinating character up to the point when he didn't call her or return her calls. But when he started texting her, he asked her to this dance. After giving him a bit of a run around as she 'thought' about her answer, she give him a chance, even though she wasn't fond of the idea of being stuck in a dance with hundreds of people that she didn't know all crammed together and trying to move around. She really didn't care for large crowds like that. But she had said yes.

Chisato arrived fashionably on time in a black and silver number. It had a high collar but no sleeves. The silver lame trim at her bust folded neatly into the jeweled belts that crisscrossed her waist and hips before fastening at her thigh with a silver star. There was a slit in the dress from the star down, showing off a lot more leg then she cared to, but tonight was a party. Her dark silver heels clicked as she approached the front, and she could feel the tinsel ribbons in her hair move as she walked.

Poor Miles. She saw him standing at the door with a good handful of losers. He must have been early.

"Miles." She greeted him, smiling faintly. There was something nice about making a guy wait for you. She didn't quite know what it was. But seeing them there when you walk up was pretty special.

This wasn't awkward. Nope. Not at all. Jinju was walking up to the performance theater dressed in his best black dress shoes and slacks, a clean white, rather breezy shirt, and a red and black pin-striped vest. It was festive enough. Red was a Christmas color, and he supposed white was too. Yep. There. See? Totally festive. His hair was pulled back, as it usually was, but rather then the high, tight tail he wore when dancing or at school, it was slung low, at the nape of his neck. More hair then usual whisped about his face. He could see people being stopped from going into the dance. Apparently, when they say have a date, they mean it! Now all he had to do was hope that Evan wasn't going to stand him up.

Melina raised her brow at the girl who came over and spoke to her. She didn't recall seeing this girl over at Ember Ridge but after a while, all other girls looked the same to her. Shrugging, Melina said, "Thank you. And not particularly, but another girl in one of my classes asked me to go so I said yes."

Miah smiled when Marlon walked through the door. He was excited to be hanging out with the other male, making friends. He wondered if that bromance might happen and hoped that it would. Jeremiah shook his head.

"Nah, you're not late at all. I just tend to be a little bit of an early bird. Here, catch." He said, tossing the boutonniere at Marlon. "I got you a present." He hoped that Marlon wouldn't take it the wrong way. He was about to say something else when he saw Nerissa and waved at her. "Nerissa! Hey, how are you?"

Jeremiah was about to say something else when he saw Indigo and his heart almost stopped. She looked so pretty in her green dress and he felt his heart jump into his throat. Miah thought about saying something to her, but he saw Indy's date and he didn't think he should intrude. But oh! How pretty she way. Sighing, he stared off moodily for a moment.

Miles turned when he heard his name called and felt his jaw all but drop. Chisato was beautiful in her lovely dress! Miles again felt the giant chasm that was the difference between their social classes. But hell! She'd said yes to going with him to the dance and he was going to take that as a good sign.

"Chisato, you look beautiful. I'm glad that I decided to go with a white flower for your corsage. Anyways, can you believe these losers?" He said, sneering at the other people around him. Some of whom clearly didn't have dates. "I pity them, standing around begging for dates into the dance."

Eliza had decided to make an entrance and what better way of doing so than coming in a little bit late? As she swept through the doors, her eyes passed over the people around her. She saw a few people from Applereach, but she wasn't interested until she saw Destiny. She felt an odd kinship with the other girl and hurried over to speak with her. "Hey! I know you, don't we have that one class together? Anyways - do you have a date? If you don't, want to go in and cause trouble together?"

It was almost expected of her to be fashionably late, but Nan had a hard time keeping her from running out the door right after the boys. Helena was so excited and jittery. This was so thrilling for her! Not only was she going to be spending time with her fiancee, she was making her first public appearance with Nathan. Her first public appearance in the city at all actually.

Helena stepped into the hall, resplendent in a pale blue gown that matched her eyes that swept about her legs silkily. Showing off the peeking toes of her high heeled shoes. They were a bit uncomfortable but she'd manage she was sure. Her hair for once was tamed for she had it done professionally in an up swept do that curled about her delicate features. Pearls were strung through her hair and about her neck charmingly. Her pulse ticking off quickly in her throat as she looked about the room, choosing instead to wear contact lenses instead of her geeky glasses at the extravaganza, her hands clasping before her nervously before she spotted the brothers through the milling crowd. A smile bowing her pale pink stained lips as she started to make her way to the pair. Nico looking just as excited as she felt and Nathan... well he was a hard man to read but she was still thrilled to see him.