Welcome to Gaia! ::

He knew that his brother was somewhere on the grounds of the establishment, probably roaming around to his heart's content; but Tolliver St. James did not particularly want to socialize, but he figured he would make an attempt.

Dressed in a simple black suit with narrow lapels and a dark green tie, as well as his gray mask, he limped through the ballroom with the mask tied onto his face and tried to figure out why he was so tired. Perhaps because it was the most activity he had done late at night in ages, but perhaps it was just because physical therapy in general was exhausting and he hadn't even wanted to come in the first place.

"Just for a few hours," Fritz had pleaded. "It'll be fun, I promise"

"Fun, my arse," Tolliver muttered irritably, and wondered if there was any alcohol he could have. He stepped forward, and promptly slipped, knocking into someone standing nearby.

"Bloody hell - sorry," he muttered, attempting to right both himself and his cane.

He had not wanted to attend the party; but it had become something of a necessity for him, which meant that Magiore Carpenter - aka Lieutenant Aurostibite - had at least attempted at looking nice. Instead of his normal black clothing, he was dressed in a dove gray suit with a black tie around his neck, a black mask across his face. A slender cane was held in one gloved hand, and his hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck.

A somewhat disdainful look was cast around the room, but Magiore had already determined to keep mostly to himself for the time being.

Perhaps somewhere in the crowd, there was a certain origami senshi, but seeing as how Magiore was currently unaware of Mintaka's civilian identity, there was little he could do even if she was here. It was somewhat frustrating, but a part of him couldn't help but be the tiniest bit relieved; he wasn't quite sure how to handle it yet.

The rest of him was merely frustrated that he could not see her. Magiore thought it was high time for a stiff drink, and made a beeline for the table.

Was it time to go yet?

What time was it anyway?

Jonah surreptitiously looked around for a clock. Upon finding none he dug around in his pocket until his hand found his phone. A quick inspection of the screen showed it to be 9:05. Still three hours until midnight, which likely meant he had at least three hours until he could finally convince either his grandfather or his little sister (or both; hopefully both) that it was time to go home.

Really, they could have left ten minutes after arriving and he would have been happy. He didn't even know why his grandfather and sister had made him come with them. His grandfather was doing a good job of ignoring him. Probably disappointed in him. Again. And Haven was off somewhere doing whatever it was fourteen year old girls did these days. He was pretty sure he'd seen her by the food table earlier with the obnoxious kid from across the street.

Heaving a sigh, Jonah leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and his face sandwiched between his palms. If only he'd thought to bring a book with him, he'd've had something to keep himself entertained. Sure, he could continue to observe people, but that got tiring after a while.

No, seriously, he was tired. Which was weird, because he was used to staying up until all hours of the night working on papers and midterms and the like.

It must be the fact that he was surrounded by so many people he didn't know. Things like that tended to exhaust him, even without talking to anyone.

All this food was making Lucasta very sleepy.

She'd had her fill of shrimp, sausages, and cake frosting, and now let food fall upon the floor without bothering to snatch it up as quickly. Every once in a while someone would come over and sweep it up, so the mess was tolerable, though she wished these humans had a better sense of cleanliness. Some of them were so slovenly it was almost embarrassing.

The buffet table had proven itself an adequate hide-out. No one seemed to have noticed her as of yet, which was fine with her. The longer she went without being discovered, the more time she could spend perusing the crowds. When she wasn't eating or licking herself clean, Lucasta peaked out from beneath the white tablecloth (she could only imagine how stained it must be by this point) and scanned the room to take in as many faces as she was able to in the short amount of time she had before ducking back further beneath the table to avoid any wandering eyes.

There were certainly some interesting people about, but none pique her interest. None called to that part of her deep inside that longed for the girl with the golden hair. Though Lucasta had so far only seen the girl in her dreams and in a poster affixed to a window, she knew that she would know the girl when she finally saw her.

She was close. She had to be. It wouldn't be long now.

Although... after the meal she'd had, a nap sounded rather good.

Stroud always measured. It took having a baseline, measures of respiration, blush response, heart rate flashing in the thing skin at throat, and minute movements of the eye at the precipice of colour to void of pupil, to be able to note every change. It took patience and time, both of which she had and had enjoyed especially with Lazarus. Her own private Voigt-Kampff practice. Nervous, pet? Don't worry. None of these bite so hard as I do.

"Oh yes, friends. We're looking for Suri, a ravishing, tawny little bird all cream and amber candy. And there-" Stroud pointed succinctly with her cane, grinning wide. "That strawberry has no cherries, with the chocolate and fudge is Ariel. What a fine specimen on her arm."

Crossing to meet the two immediately spotted was work of a moment, and Stroud let Lazarus go to give greeting cheek kisses to Ariel and her date, "Mishnah, I don't believe I've seen you so stacked and wrapped as gift under the tree before. Who is this beauty on your escort? My swain, Lazarus."

A poised, gloved hand motioned him forward to their respective, waiting jaws.






Nega - Black Mask

Aiden Hale

The motions of ballroom dancing were not lost upon one such as Aiden. Haven spent several years of his life participating in competitions with his sister the two of them moved in tandem with one another without missing a step; gliding across the polished floor like figure skaters upon their icy stage.

All too soon the music came to an end and those standing nearby who were watching began to approach the two offering words of amazement. With his sisters hand held in one of his own, he placed his other palm on the small of her back to usher her out of the crowd while simultaneously bowing his head in thanks to all the compliments. "Perhaps after this next dance I will teach you some simple steps." He offered one of the girls who had been bold enough to timidly request a moment of his time, a beginners lesson to those not trained in the more dignified dances.

Once off the floor and away from the crowd Jenna excused herself saying she was going to the ladies room then to get something to drink. They had been at this for several hours; but when compared to when they first started taking lessons, this was nothing.

Alone for the time being, Aiden walked over to one of the near empty tables; "Is this seat taken?" He asked the ashen blond who had been watching as he approached.


First floor - dance floor
4. Yellow - Aiden
---------------------------------------------
Mei Xing

Too nervous to actually approach anyone, fearful that she may step on someone's feet by mistake should they ask her to dance, Mei found a place to sit in the main ballroom on the first floor. Tucked away off to the side she fidgeted with her dress while watching the couples glide across the open stage effortlessly.

Off to one side a duo dance in unison as if they were an extension of one another or two porcelain figurines dancing across a music box stage, so hypnotizing. Mei smiled to herself as the song came to an end finding more joy in watching than participating.

Her gaze shifted then to rest upon a couple leaving the dance floor; one with a quite obvious limp that made her cringe in empathy. Poor guy. The pains of dancing with someone wearing heels, it hurts if you get stepped on.


First floor - Empty Table
Pink - Mei
-----------------------------
Hannah Carrington

More than just a few hours late Hannah stood inside the entryway to the first floor ballroom with her arms crossed over her chest and an annoyed look on her painted face, makeup wasn't really her thing but sometimes she made an exception. Her mood however not very characteristic wasn't entirely unfounded. I can't believe they actually took my mask... After all the work she and Delilah had put into the outfits just to have one of the key elements confiscated and instead replaced with one of the ones provided by the hotel, which totally didn't go with what she was wearing at the moment by the way, was down right infuriating.

Drawing in a deep breath she let the air out slowly through barely parted lips mentally telling herself to let it go and focus on finding Delilah. They were suppose to meet at the main lobby but, unfortunately, Hannah was late; though it wasn't by any fault of her own. Had her parents not been invited last minute to a New Years Eve bash at one of her fathers co-workers house then she would have likely been able to arrive on time. However, as it was she was left to the mercy of her parents schedule and because of that it made her late.


First Floor - Entry
Yellow - Hannah
---------------------------
Fiona Matasan

With a cold water bottle in hand, Fiona crossed the open floor and made her way down the mostly vacant hallway towards the hotel elevators in the lobby. The further she got from the third floor ballroom the more muffled sounds became and those near her, other guests perhaps, sounded as if they were trying to speak to her while she was swimming under water.

Her heart beat in her chest quite aggressively, almost as if it were trying to pound its way out of her rib-cage.

Any thoughts she may have been having were soon silenced as the room around her began to blur. All but one... Fi...on.....ian

The last thing she saw before the world she knew was consumed by darkness was the stainless steel doors opening before her and a woman stepping out with a look of surprise spread across her face.


Third floor - Elevator
Orange - Fiona

Alistair just laughed. "Consider this a trial run for our wedding? You'll have to dress up for that, too," he pointed out. "Unless you were expecting something small-scale, in which case I am sorry to disappoint you but if you deprive my mother of planning a wedding I am not sure she will survive."

He sighed, and leaned against his fiance. "Besides, we may not stay long, I'm feeling a bit tired," he admitted. It wasn't that surprising; Alistair was not at all a night owl, though he had intended to stay up all the way to midnight. "One dance before we leave, though? Just one, and I promise I won't ask for another."



They were perhaps halfway to the ballroom when Jeanne found herself feeling unsteady on her feet. She was far more tired than she ought to be, and she knew it - but that didn't make the feeling go away. "Can...can we find somewhere t'sit?" She asked, pressing a hand to her forehead. "I think...I think somethin's wrong."

God, she hoped she wasn't getting sick, or anything like that. What a terrible time for that to happen!



Ava laughed. "Alright, maybe see if you can get some shots of the rooms? I dunno, I'll point out specific things..." It felt strange to be without her camera, but Ari was right, that was what smartphones were for.

"Outdoors would be really nice," Ava agreed, "if we're not looking for a place like this." She hadn't really thought about it too much, but being in a big fancy place had put the idea in her head.

The longer it went, the more tired she got, but she sort of kept it to herself - she didn't want to upset Arilee or ruin her night or anything. If it got too bad, maybe she would, but not for now!



Alistair - 9 - Black
Jeanne - 4 - Yellow
Avacyn - 1 - Red