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[Marceline Dumont]

Marceline tried to pay attention to Ferrah. She really did. However, she quickly became distracted by yet another attractive man in a long coat. She didn't know why Felix was so eye-catching to her. Perhaps it was how he just looked so natural in that wonderful coat, or just because he was abnormally attractive, but she found it very difficult to look away from him. Her eyes absent-mindedly followed him as he moved through the ball. She only barely noticed when Ferrah sent Marceline's steward for wine.

Ferrah's question brought her back to reality and she flushed. Yes, she did see someone she would have loved to dance with, for some reason, but she knew that it would only hurt her position within the clique to say so.

Before Marceline answered, she checked her copper levels and unconsciously flared it for a moment. The events of tea a few days ago had made her wary, even scared, of ever letting her coppercloud drop ever again, especially around Lady Colette and Ferrah. She forced herself to look at the crowd and shrugged. "Not exactly, but I am afraid that I have not been looking all that hard. I am not all that excited for the dancing tonight." She lied, hoping that Ferrah would not notice.

Edited by MozytheHealer, 17 October 2014 - 04:26 PM.

[Aveline Sureau]

"Is this seat taken?" a familiar voice asked.

Aveline looked up in surprise to see that yes, it was in fact Daerra who had addressed her. How long had it been since they had really spoken to one another? Had the last time actually been before Ora died? That would have been two years ago by now. It hardly seemed like a month, and at the same time, it felt like an eternity.

"My dear Daerra," she said with a friendly smile, "you are always welcome to join me. Please sit down; it's been far too long."

As the members of their circle had always done, Aveline subtly studied Daerra's choice of gown and jewelry as they spoke. The black was an appropriate choice given her family's situation, though the addition of embroidery and diamonds was startling so soon after a death. Well, to be fair, Mikhail had been a cousin of Daerra's, rather than a sibling. And Lord Ruler only knew her own kinsmen had chosen worse things to wear within a week of a death in the family.

She wasn't sure, however, whether to be irked or amused that they had both worn amethysts on the night that Daerra chose to break their two-year silence. She wondered vaguely if she and Daerra should make a bet on whether or not Camille would wear them as well, but quickly dismissed the thought.

"I'm terribly sorry for your loss," she continued in a somber tone. "Mikhail was a credit to your family; he will be dearly missed."

[Daerra Elariel]

"He was, and he will," Daerra agreed, noting Aveline's subtle study of her outfit. Inwardly, she rejoiced to use speak of Mikhail in the past tense. While he used to be a problem, an obstacle, or a nuisance, now he was merely something that had been, a notable member of an era that had come to an end. It was exhilarating to be reminded of how she had changed the destiny of her house forever. Daerra took care to let not trace of her inward feelings mare her sombre but polite smile as she studied Aveline in return and took a seat.

Avenline's greeting had been perfect, of course. The Sureau heir rarely missed a step, and when she did it was usually so subtle most people didn't notice. "Thank-you for your sympathy," Daerra paused to arrange her skirts so they would lie just so before continuing. "But let us speak of other things. My cousin's ghost seems to haunt the entire keep, and when people are not preparing for our ball, it seems they can talk of nothing else. While he certainly deserves to be missed, I don't think he would want us to prolong our pain by dwelling on him so."

Daerra paused again, as if to let the memory of Mikhail pass, and took another moment to study the hall and the assembled aristocracy. "What do you think of the Perraults are playing at tonight? A conservative show of wealth seems most likely, but I wonder if they will try to capitalize on being the first larger event since the Casuana debacle."

[Ferrah Brehaut]

Ferrah caught the flush in Marceline's cheeks, and raised an eyebrow when she said she was not all that excited about dancing. From the direction Marceline had been looking, Ferrah guessed the target of her gaze had been Caden. At least she is learning to keep her mouth shut about her embarrassing little crush. Ferrah supposed that would have to suffice for the moment, or at least until Marceline was able to forget about what the bastard looked like without a shirt on.

"The Perrault heir is handsome enough, I suppose," Ferrah suggested. Lord Sebastien cut an impressive figure from where he stood at the front of the room with his family. His house was lowly ranked for Ferrah's taste, but house standings didn't matter overly much if all she was interested in was a dance. At the very least, he would make a suitable partner for Marceline. "Perhaps when your steward returns with the wine, we will have to go and say 'Hello' to our hosts."

[Aveline Sureau]

"I should think that the lack of an Inquisitor or a fire will be more than enough," Aveline said thoughtfully, noting how quick Daerra was to change the subject. Was speaking of Mikhail truly too painful for her, or was there something else at play here? "True, the Perraults are conservative, but after the Casuana disaster, even a boring evening will seem a smashing success in society's eyes." That was true enough and more; Aveline almost felt bad for Casuana, even if they were her enemy. It was one thing to wish for your rivals to fall, but some falls were more painful to watch than others.

"Besides, they wouldn't dare step out of place with their Deveaux allies breathing down their necks. Theirs is, of course, the ball that will attempt to show us all how it's done, and they won't stand any attempts at being outdone by their own friends. I wonder if they'll succeed, though?"

[Delissia]

Delissa hastened into the hall, dazzling the guards with a smile as she flashed her invitation. After everything that had happened to her this week, it felt good to be at a real live Luthadel ball again. Hopefully this one would not end in smoke and flames. In her rather dire financial situation, Delissia didn't have much money to by new dresses, and she had already ruined two in fire related incidents. It would not do to lose a third. Part of her wanted to ask Klyde for funds, even if they were the result of theft. At the very least, it would be better she spend his money on gowns and jewels, rather than him spending it on drinks or on some new scheme of his. Besides, he was in the hospital, it wasn't like he would be spending it anways...

No! she told herself, angry to even be considering asking Klyde for money. While it would be wonderful to have a new gown or seven, she did not want to be beholden to the man any more than she already was, and using his money would only worsen the situation.

The gown she had chosen for tonight was one of her favorites, a sparkling number in blue and and white, with wide full skirts, and long white gloves to match. In an uncharacteristic move, tonight she had chosen to pin up her unruly red curls in a simple but stylish bun.

She picked out Lord Sebastien at the front of the room soon after entering the hall. He was looking particularly dashing tonight, with his dark suit and fine vest. Wanting to be a polite guest, Delissia hastened over to her hosts to say hello.

"Hello, Lord Sebastien," she said, greeting him with a polite smile and a curtsey. "It is, of course, an absolute pleasure to see you again, and so soon after our encounter in the square earlier today. I must say I have been ever so excited for tonight, and I am positively delighted to be here. You have not seen the Ventures, or Lord Aaron or Lord Aldwin, have you? I do hope they make it here soon. I must admit to be rather anxious about Lord Aaron, you see, and it would do my heart good too see him here and fully recovered from his little mishap in the square."

[Felix Fathvell]

"We will and I'm sure my uncle has everything planned already, of course. He wants to give everyone a taste of home, and I'm sure he'll do just that," Felix replied. He was actually looking forward to their ball. Hopefully, everyone would get a little bit of the Southern Isles spirit.

"I, however, have been barred from the preparations. Apparently I'm too much of a troublemaker to help Aunt Cora select the wines for the evening."

He looked to his cousin, knowing that he had yet to greet her. He grinned at Eliza. "I suppose I can't blame her... At least we won't be crawling under the tables playing hide and seek like we did when we were children... Although that would be much more fun than some of the dinner parties I have attended in recent memory..."

[Daerra Elariel]

Daerra couldn't help but be slightly amused by Aveline's comment, accurate though it was. Daerra was fairly certain that Aveline was the only Sureau who could accuse any other house of trying the show the others up without a hint of hypocrisy. After all, no matter how perfect the Deveaux's pretended to be, the Sureaus' tenure as a great house still outstripped theirs by a few hundred years, and they made certain everyone remembered the fact. The last Sureau ball Daerra attended had been particularly opulent, which was saying something for a house that supposedly had a Keep coated in gold.

"It's hard to say," Daerra mused after a moment of thought, falling naturally into the game they had always played as a group. As a neutral Elariel, it had always been her job to play both sides of Deveaux-Sureau competition. Granted, diplomacy between the houses had worsened the past few years, but that only made the game more fun.

"On one hand, they'll need to be cautious. After all, Mia Casuana went for an all out spectacle, and her plans literally went up in smoke. While one can hardly blame her for not anticipating a rebel attack, the Deveauxs will want to try a subtler approach to distinguish themselves from their lesser allies. They'll have to strike a balance. If they play things too safe, they'll be seen as weak, but if they go too far, people will compare them to Casuana's and their efforts will seem like overcompensation for a weakness, as the Casuana's little show of strength evidently was." Casuana's status as a weapons house had only made their failure to repel the rebel attack all the more embarrassing, especially after poor Mia had gone to such lengths to display Casuana's power and wealth. Daerra wondered if Mia had managed to get the atium down from her chandelier yet, or if it was still hanging there, guarded by Casuana hazekillers.

Having outlined a potential hurdle for the Deveauxs, Daerra supposed it was time to balance out her analysis with an affirmation of their strength. After all, even alone with Aveline, it would not do for her to seem biased. "Then again, the Deveauxs are famous for their precision, so I suppose if it is possible to strike that balance, they will inevitably manage it, while still finding a way to surprise us all."

[Eliza Fathvell]

Eliza couldn't help but smirk at Felix bringing up those old dinner parties. She didn't think she'd enjoyed one of those since they stopped fitting under the table, actually. Or most balls - except for this one, of course. And the last one.

"For the thousandth time," she said, slipping away from Caden just long enough to greet her cousin with a proper hug, "I'm sorry you got stuck at the other party. Shall I make it up to you by punching someone else tonight? I'm not supposed to, but it's better than lighting another ball on fire."

Still smirking, she let go of Felix and slipped her arm back through Caden's. "Felix and I have been very close since we were children," she explained, "but it's been years since we lived in the same place. One of my favorite things about moving here has been getting to spend time with him again."

[Alistair Casuana]

Alistair got out of his carriage wearing his full military dress uniform. Everett had forced him to wear a suit to their house's ball. It had irked him to no end at the time, but now Alistair was happy about it. People would no doubt be more interested in his clothing than his face. He could remain inconspicuous in his conspicuous clothing.

He flared his bronze as he stepped out. There were plenty of Smokers in attendance and their meddling kept him from hearing all the Allomancy he would have liked, but he still heard quite a few notes, no doubt by those Allomancers already known, like himself. Two melodies cut out a scant few seconds after he started flaring. He cocked his head, eyes flicking towards the two spots they had come from. Seeker's like himself, then. They must be new to not have sensed each other. He smirked. Not everyone in Luthadel was perfect and untouchable, best to remember that.

He pulled his hat lower over his face, wishing he could keep it on once he entered the ballroom. Anything to make it harder for people to recognize him. He wouldn't even be here right now if he did not have a purpose, showing his face after the debacle that had been his challenge to Caden would just invite attention and ridicule. Usually he would have no problem with either, but with the precarious position Casuana was in after the fire he did not want to cause any more problems than he already had.

His eyes scanned the crowd with efficiency born of practice, and while he did not see the slim figure he was searching for, he did spot something else and genuinely wished he had not. He strode forward, slipping through the throng, his glare enough to get the unwilling to make way for him. It took no time at all to draw ahead of the... spectacle, and he was not the only one who chose then to stop and stare at Caden and the Southern Islander on his arm.

What. Was. His. Brother. Wearing.

It was Islander garb of the highest quality and Alistair wanted to stab his eyes out rather than continue looking at them, but it was like he was caught in some sort of spell. It was just that terrible. He had so many questions as he stared at them. Most of them were why, and how, and why again. He finally recognized the woman on Caden's arm. He hadn't really gotten a good look at her at the Casuana ball since Riordan had tackled him to the bloody floor, but that was definitely Eliza Fathvell. She looked different from the brief glimpse of her he had gotten before. The way she held herself was new and it made her seem far more-

He stopped the thought mid-sentence, his lip curling int a sneer as he dragged his gaze away from them and continued walking. He didn't even realize that he slowed his pace enough to keep from drawing too far ahead. Nor did he really register the fact that he kept glancing back at them. They looked quite taken with each other. Was this a new development? Or had they been together a while? And why were they dressed like that? They'd been wearing perfectly acceptable Luthadel clothing at the previous ball. Why the change? What statement were they making by dressing like they consorted with pirates? And who was that man who had just gone up to speak with them? He too was obviously a Southern Islander, no doubt some relative of the Fathvell girl. His clothing was just as garish and out of place as their's and Alistair was filled with even more questions when suddenly all the Allomancy he had been listening to was silenced.

It was much like having a bucket of water emptied over his head and he started, coming to an abrupt stop. Words slipped from he mouth of their own accord. They were too soft for anyone else to hear, but they dripped with venom, "Bloody copperclouds."

As if in reply to his comment the sounds of Allomancy came back as abruptly as they had been silenced and he looked all around him in an effort to find the Smoker who had bothered him in the first place. His gaze met a pair of large, light blue eyes that seemed far too innocent for the face they were on, and they crinkled in a grin before the man turned and disappeared into the crowd. Good riddance.

As he continued walking his eyes were drawn one final time to his brother and his date before he forced himself to look away. Bloody Southern Islanders. Why couldn't they just stay in the south where the belonged. Why had Fathvell had to come and pollute the capital with their influence? Why couldn't he come to this stupid, loud, ash-stained pit of a city and have one thing go his way? His breath hissed out through his teeth as he went to the edge of the ballroom. No matter. He did not have to think of that now, better to just look for someone to speak to and accomplish the goal of the night. After all, the sooner it was done the sooner he could leave.

[Marceline Dumont]

Marceline glanced once more at the attractive men in long coats before shifting her gaze to Lord Sebastien. He was attractive enough, and she was fairly certain that Ferrah intended this to get Marceline to stop thinking about Lord Caden. Well, Marceline did not totally object to that. But she did not see herself being able to totally stop thinking about Lord Felix. She was too irritated at herself for not having the courage to ask if she could be introduced to him. Perhaps someday.... She supposed that she could probably ask Lady Eliza. After apologizing to her, of course...that was looking like less and less of a possibility tonight.

"Lord Sebastien is decent-looking, I guess. It would certainly be polite to say 'hello' to him." Marceline said, trying desperately to hide how scared she was of saying the wrong thing now. She only kind of failed at it. Her face was too expressive and she hated it. "But I am sure that he will have plenty of other women to dance with. I doubt he will need another." She continued to scan the crowd, carefully avoiding looking at the two Fathvell's and Lord Caden. They looked so happy, and she was jealous. Not to mention she did not want it to distract her too much. She was fairly certain that she still needed to be perfectly in line, or else she would be punished again and she really did not want that.

[Aldric Venture]

As he had predicted, Adala had ended up having a breakdown before the ball. She'd been excited to the point of annoyance about the ball, about the dancing and music and glamor that would probably be on par with what they were used to in Urteau, since it was not hosted by a Great House. He hadn't begrudged her the excitement, of course, at least not out loud. But the end had finally come when she could not decide what dress to wear and had been sure that her fashion choice for the night was going to set the course of the rest of her life.

He'd known, as he had comforted her and dried her hysterical tears that he had made the right choice in coming to Luthadel. No one could have helped Adala through her fit. She would have disregarded everything Zayeed said out of habit and talked herself into staying home from the ball. Now, however she was simply bursting with excitement once again, although it was a little tempered by her nerves. Still the broad smile on her face told him everything he needed to know as their carriage approached its destination.

"I'm happy you're over your nerves." He told her honestly.

"But of course!" She said, turning her smile on him, "I am going to a lovely ball, in a lovely city, and most lovely of all..." Her smile faltered for a moment as she said the next words, "None of the people there should know my reputation." As soon as the words were out of her mouth her smile returned full force and was, as far as he could tell, just as genuine as it had been before. "And of course I ended up choosing the perfect dress, so everything is as it should be to make this night fantastic."

"Of course." Aldric agreed amicably. Adala's sapphire blue dress was a nice choice to him as well. It was one of her favorites in fact, because of the way it made her eyes seem blue instead of gray, and made her already pale skin seem paler. No doubt the embroidery and accents that adorned it did something as well but he wasn't the sort to notice that kind of thing. "You look stunning as always."

She glared at him, "You know that compliment loses some of it's meaning when you say it every ball, dear brother."

"I only speak the truth." He said with a smile, and Adala rolled her eyes, but her expression softened as she gazed out the window. Aldric left her to her thoughts as the carriage traveled the last short distance to their destination, and then came to a stop.

He got out and helped Adala down, walking arm and arm with her up to the ballroom. They got quite a few curious glances. Their height alone made them stand out, and the fact that they were unfamiliar doubly so. It was easy enough to mark their house as well, or at least give a good guess, and so while some enemies of Venture were no doubt giving them hostile glances most of them were not. Adala wilted slightly nonetheless under the weight of their gazes, edging closer towards him for comfort. He cast her a sympathetic look and continued on.

Soon they entered the ballroom, and both of them paused for a few moments to take in the splendor. It was not a shock, but it was impressive and it made Aldric anticipate the Great House balls just a little bit. While he was looking around he caught sight of the first two familiar faces of the night. Or at least, he caught sight of Lord Sebastien, but Lady Delissia's striking red hair made her recognizable even from the side.

"I don't see anyone familiar..." Adala drew even closer to him, and he arched an eyebrow at her before realizing she was looking around so frantically that she wasn't really looking.

"Adala, straight ahead of us." He said calmly and her eyes snapped forward and eventually came to rest on where Lord Sebastien stood.

Her voice, contrary to his expectations, was very soft when she spoke, "...Oh."

The way she said the word made him uneasy, and he glanced at her to see a tinge of pink on her cheeks that he had the sinking sensation had nothing to do with embarrassment as she looked at Lord Sebastien.

"He is very handsome tonight, don't you think?" Her voice was still unusually soft, and she seemed hesitant to continue forward, as if she was nervous.

Aldric rolled his eyes, "Are you really asking my opinion?"

That snapped her out of whatever trance she'd been in and she glanced over at him sharply before rolling her eyes. "Naturally not." She said, her voice back to normal, "Oh! Lady Delissia is there as well! What are we standing around for? Let's go say hello!" She started forward so suddenly Aldric almost didn't have time to follow before he would have drug her to a stop.

As soon as they were close enough Adala called out to the two of them, and her voice simply bubbled over with excitement when she spoke, the weight of the eyes on them seemingly forgotten with the sight of friendly and familiar faces. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I had to say hello! It is so nice to see you two again! I didn't recognize a soul until I saw you both. But really it is so lovely tonight." She turned more towards Lord Sebastien for a moment, "The ballroom is wonderful, simply gorgeous!"

She actually bothered to take a breath and Aldric took the chance to get a word in edgewise, inclining his head deeply to Sebastien in recognition of his place as one of the hosts, and to make up for Adala's abrupt interjection of the pair of them into their conversation. "A pleasure."

"How are you both?" Adala continued, as if he had not spoken, "No doubt you are old hats to Luthadel balls but surely this must still be exciting?"

[Sebastien Perrault]

Shortly after the doors opened, Sebastien's little group dissolved as his cousins dispersed into the crowd to greet his friends, leaving him alone on the dais once more. He glanced out at the flood of people spilling into the ballroom, trying very hard to look Important and Lordly and not at all like he had nothing better to do than stand around with his hands behind his back while looking around like an idiot. Thankfully, he was spared that fate by a familiar friendly face.

"Hello, Lord Sebastien. It is, of course, an absolute pleasure to see you again, and so soon after our encounter in the square earlier today. I must say I have been ever so excited for tonight, and I am positively delighted to be here. You have not seen the Ventures, or Lord Aaron or Lord Aldwin, have you? I do hope they make it here soon. I must admit to be rather anxious about Lord Aaron, you see, and it would do my heart good too see him here and fully recovered from his little mishap in the square."

"It would do us all good, I'm sure," he said with a smile, acknowledging Lady Delissia's curtsy with a polite nod and the slightest of bows. "I'm afraid I haven't caught sight of anyone else yet, but I'm sure we'll find them. The doors only just opened, after all; they might not even be inside yet." He was just about to ask how she found the ballroom, when yet another pair of familiar faces appeared on the dais and joined the conversation. When they were close enough, Sebastien greeted them with a polite bow that was rather deeper than the one he had given Lady Delissia. These were Ventures, after all.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," said Lady Adala, "but I had to say hello! It is so nice to see you two again! I didn't recognize a soul until I saw you both. But really it is so lovely tonight. The ballroom is wonderful, simply gorgeous!"

"A pleasure," was all Lord Aldric could get out before Lady Adala spoke again.

"How are you both? No doubt you are old hats to Luthadel balls but surely this must still be exciting?"

"I must admit, my Lady," Sebastien said with a friendly smile, "though I'm always enchanted by the balls hosted by Great Houses, I have always been a slight bit biased toward my own family's affairs. There is something quite thrilling about being a host, and it makes my heart smile to know you are already so pleased with our hospitality."

[Delissia]

Adala and Aldric's arrival only increased Delissia's excitement for the night ahead. While she had yet to see Sanna, Aldwin, Efram, Lucille, or the four from Urteau, these newer acquaintances would do just fine in her opinion. After all, having only been in Luthadel a little over a week, though it might feel like she knew the nobles she had met at the Casuana ball for a lifetime already, she really didn't know them that much better than the three nobles in front of her.

"You certainly deserve to be biased, Lord Sebastien, if I must say so myself," Delissia said with a smile after she finished giving Aldric and Adala a curtsey befitting their rank, "The hall looks fantastic! It's like walking through some sort of dream land, truly! Why, I can hardly wait to begin the dancing, as you can see, I am entirely too excited." Delissia fluttered her fan, which had appeared in her hand as if out of nowhere, in a fashionable manner. "You all must forgive me my enthusiasm. Like you, Lady Adala and Lord Aldric, I am newcomer to Luthadel. Besides the Casuana ball, this is my first large event since arriving here."

[Aaron Elariel]

Aaron entered the hall, his three shadows in step behind him. As they entered the room, Winston nodded politely, and broke off, both to converse with some of his contacts, and to get a good vantage point to keep an eye on Aaron. Viridian broke off in the other direction, likely intending to scout out the room for hidden hazards. Though initially she had wanted to be at Aaron's side at all times, Alistair and Odairn had come to Aaron's defense, reasoning that Viridian's presence alone would be enough of a deterrence, and that if she remained too close to Aaron it would interfere with his all important ability to socialize at his first ball since becoming heir.

The crowd parted for the Mistborn, beginning to whisper long before Viridian was out of earshot, especially with tin. Suddenly, Aaron felt himself growing slightly defensive of his new bodyguard. Who were these spoiled nobles to judge a woman who made life and death choices regularly? What did it matter to them if she dressed in an eccentric manner or failed to respond to "normal" social cues? While Viridian was difficult to work with, and could be abrasive at times, she certainly wasn't boring. And yet, instead of taking any interest in her or her life, these people who, regardless of class, parted before her as if she were a lesser Inquisitor, preferred to gossip about her within earshot, like she was some sort of curiosity at a zoo.

Perhaps that's why she dresses and behaves like she does, Aaron realized. It would surely be easier to deal with being excluded because of style of dress or intentional behavior than to be ignored because of who or what you were. In a way, Viridian almost reminded Aaron of Phyra, though the two women could not be more different in character or motivation. However, despite these differences, hadn't Phyra also reacted to being shunned by society by marginalizing herself with her conduct before people could shun her for some other reason?

"Shall we find you a table, Lord Aaron?" Odairn, of course, had remained by Aaron's side. After all, it wouldn't do to leave him unattended by at least one of his minders. At least the public setting would keep the Steward from lecturing him too much. Sighing, Aaron nodded, and gestured for Odairn to lead him to an open table. Along the way, several nobles of varying rank approached to offer their condolences on Mikhail's death, both to him personally, and to the Elariel family as a whole. As the highest ranking member of the family present, he accepted both graciously but efficiently, pausing only when stopped by Lord Perrault himself to compliment the host on the decor.

Finally, the reached table that was suitable to Aaron's rank that remained unclaimed. Odairn took a moment to discretely review the names and Houses of the nobility who had greeted Aaron upon his arrival, and then took his leave to inform the servers of the Elariel's heir arrival, and of the table he had chosen.

Finally alone, if he could consider being watched by a tineye and a Mistborn alone, Aaron gazed over the assembled crowd, searching for familiar faces. He caught sight of Daerra almost immediately. She was sitting in the same area as him, chatting with Aveline Sureau. Interesting. Daerra and Aveline had been fairly good friends up until two years ago, but hadn't socialized much since. Daerra had never fully explained to Aaron what had happened, and he hadn't pressed her. Now, he wondered why she had chosen to renew the acquaintance. No doubt Aveline was now a part of one of his sister's many schemes to gain power and influence, schemes that Aaron now had no reason to be a part of.

He forced himself to look away before he got angry again or Daerra turned to meet his gaze. Who, among this crowd of vaguely familiar faces, did he want to socialize with tonight? Aaron found himself searching the crowd for Marisha's well styled hair and intelligent blue eyes, or Nerid's curly mop of hair and lanky figure. It was wishful thinking, he knew, but after their encounter on the wall, he didn't know what to think. What he had said to her there had surprised him, almost as much as her responses had. He no longer questioned why he was acting so strangely; for whatever reason, Marisha had become someone special to him . There was just something different about her that made him want to be better, to be worthy of the regard of such an intelligent and incredible woman. He hadn't deserved her forgiveness by any means, and yet she had given it to him anyways. What did a person like Marisha see that made an absolute fool like him worth forgiving?

His mood brightened significantly upon catching sight of Adala, Delissia, and Sebastien. Though he wanted nothing more than to join them, he knew it would be impolite to approach them before first greeting some nobles who were closer to his station.

After a bit more searching, he picked out Caden's blond hair and muscular frame. Upon seeing him, Aaron was surprised he hadn't seen the potential heir to House Hasting sooner, both because of his exotic costume, and because of the woman on his arm. Eliza Fathvell was looking fantastic in a Southern Isles gown that matched Caden's ensemble, and comfortable next to a man rumour said she had only met days ago. The couple (for Aaron could think of nothing else to call them) were currently chatting with Eliza's cousin, Felix. Taking a moment to compose himself and to straighten his hair before realizing it did not need any arranging, Aaron crossed the room and offered a polite greeting to the rest of the group when he arrived, nodding to each in order of rank.

"Lord Caden, Lady Eliza, Lord Felix, it is good to see you all this evening," Aaron paused to pick at his jacket, "I fear I may not comply with the dress code, but if you would forgive me, and if I'm not intruding, might I join your conversation?"

"Of course, Lord Aaron," Caden intoned, stiffening slightly, if such a thing was possible. So, Lady Eliza has gotten the great Caden Hasting to relax! Now that's a feat if I ever saw one. That combined with her growing renown as the puncher of Riodan Casuana made Aaron wonder just who he was dealing with.

"Lady Eliza," Caden continued, "And Lord Felix were just telling me of their childhood together."

[Ferrah Brehaut]

Decent looking. Ferrah mentally crossed Lord Sebastien off her list of eligible young men to dance with. After all, she couldn't let herself be seen dancing with someone Marceline thought was only "decent looking." After all, Marceline thought the Bastard, of all people, was attractive. Despite her resolve, Ferrah still felt a twinge of jealousy when the "decent looking" host was greeted by two young women about her age. Inwardly, she scolded herself for being jealous; it wasn't as if either of the homely girls could compare to her. Even at a distance, she could see flaws in the appearance and bearing. True, the few imperfections she could sport did not near the total flaws she had pinpointed about herself, but that was only because she knew herself so well. She was certain if she ever lowered herself to enter the company of the two women, she would find more.

Perhaps I could share a dance with Lord Sebastien, if only to prevent him from displaying his bad taste in dancing partners at his own ball. I'll just wait until Marceline isn't looking... Realizing she had been studying the growing group around the Perrault heir for too long already, Ferrah turned her attention to the rest of room. She soon caught sight of Lord Aaron Elariel as her gaze flicked in Caden and Eliza's direction to check on them.

"It is a shame Lord Aaron is showing such poor choice in company," she said, nodding in the heir's direction, "He would make a splendid dance partner. Perhaps when he tires of the Bastard's stupid jokes, we can engage him in conversation." Ferrah felt her pulse quicken slightly. With his increase in status, Aaron would be a valuable ally. She knew Colette would want Ferrah to do whatever it took to ensure Caden did not recruit the heir to his side. In her imagination, she saw herself gliding around the ballroom in Aaron's arms, winning both his loyalty for Colette, as well as his heart for herself. Then she would be Lady Elariel one day, just as Colette would be Lady Hasting. They would be equals, and together the could be two of the most powerful women in Luthadel.

Knowing she was getting ahead of herself, Ferrah sought to turn her attention to another matter, as finding a way to get Aaron's attention would have to wait. "Well, Marceline, are you going to help find us both dance partners, or just sit there looking glum? You really do need to cheer up, we're at a ball, after all. What would Colette say if she saw such a frown on your face, hm?"

[Marceline Dumont]

Marceline stiffened and then shrugged, her eyes following Ferrah's and getting momentarily distracted again before speaking. "I apologize. I'm in a rather distractable mood tonight." She searched for an excuse for why as she checked once more to make sure that her Coppercloud was definitely up. "I suppose I am rather jealous," she lied, a little slowly, "Of Lady Eliza. It seems unfair to me that she should have a date to tonight's ball, but neither of us do. I believe it should not last too much longer, though, especially once the dancing starts." It was a decent lie, even though Marceline's face betrayed most of her feelings in that moment. "I shall try to be more enthusiastic."

Marceline took a deep breath and turned her eyes back to Aaron. "Lord Aaron seems as if he would be a good dance partner, once he is not talking to them. He is definitely attractive, though he is not quite my type. I prefer longer hair." Marceline found her eyes straying to Felix and so she deliberately made herself not. This was not the first time she had noticed him, but she usually hid it better.

"But he would definitely be a good dance partner for you. He is not quite the most attractive man in the room, but his status makes up for it. Unfortunately, I believe he is too far above me for it to be at all suitable for me to dance with him, but as I said, he would be a good dance partner for you."

[Ferrah Brehaut]

Ferrah frowned when Marcelline mentioned Eliza again, and her expression darkened even more when she drew attention to the fact that neither of them had dates. "Now Marceline," she said, trying to shake off her negative feelings, "Let's not be generous. After all, however pretty he thinks he is in his new clothes, you can hardly call the Bastard a date."

Ferrah perked up more with Marceline's praise of Aaron. The thought of Marcline dancing with him brought a smug smirk to Ferrah's lips. I didn't pick him out for you, silly. Ferrah could tell Marceline was sucking up to her when saying that Aaron would be a good dance partner for Ferrah, but she didn't point out the fact. After all, why should she care about Marceline's motivations if what she was saying was correct? Her comment about Aaron's hair, however...

"I don't know," Ferrah replied, studying the Elariel heir from behind her fan, "I quite like Lord Aaron's new hair style. His hair was nice long, but now he looks... more professional, better suited to being an heir to a Great House." Ferrah followed Marcline's gaze at her mention of longer hair. Was she staring at Felix? Ferrah had to admit, that side from his southern dress, and unfortunate association with Eliza and Caden, he was rather handsome, in a rugged sort of way. She wondered if Marceline might have an infatuation with the man, and decided it might be sporting to try and find out.

"But you prefer longer hair, hmm?" Marceline's steward returned with the wine and Ferrah accepted a glass. "Well, Felix Fathvell certainly pulls it off, don't you think? Too bad he seems to be thick as thieves with his awful cousin. But maybe..." Ferrah trailed off, pretending to think for a moment, "Maybe, if we could get Eliza to apologize, and make ammends with the rest of the group, Colette would let you dance with him. After all, if the problem with Eliza were to go away, there would be no need to shun the rest of her family." Ferrah leaned back, taking a sip of wine for effect. "But then, I suppose you are rather below his station as well, aren't you? Ah well, at the very least there could be more dance partners for me."

[Marceline Dumont]

Marceline tried to not react strongly to Ferrah's mention of Felix, but it was so unexpected that she couldn't. She blushed and almost frowned, but was able to at least control that. She tried to find a way to not be mean when she responded. This was Ferrah after all. But she didn't want Ferrah to steal Felix if he stopped being off limits. Someone as attractive as him deserved someone better than Ferrah. At that thought Marceline blushed more.

"Lord Felix is definitely quite attractive. He is not who I was thinking of when I mentioned long hair, but I do not disagree that he is handsome." She was lying and she was not aware that it showed in her face. The more she looked at Felix, the more distracted she got. "Unlike Lord Caden, he actually makes that style of coat look good." More lies. They both looked good in the coats. "It is disappointing that he is above my station, but that does not mean that I cannot appreciate his aesthetic appeal."

[Eliza Fathvell]

Eliza suppressed a concerned frown as she felt Caden stiffen next to her at the arrival of Aaron Elariel. She hadn't talked to Lord Aaron very much, though he seemed like a nice enough person from what she'd heard. Was it just because he was a Luthadel acquaintance that Caden was automatically freezing up again, then? Or was there some other reason? Perhaps if she kept a close enough eye out, she could get a better idea without prying too much.

But then Caden mentioned her childhood with Felix and her frown vanished, replaced with a mischievous smirk. "Oh, yes," she said, happy to change the subject from their clothes. "Felix and I had quite the adventures growing up in the Islands. Between the landscape and the vineyards and the pi-- the people," she quickly corrected herself before she mentioned the pirates again, "there was always plenty of trouble to get into, especially when we went looking for it. Or, well, when I went looking for it. I was a terrible influence, you know. Wasn't I, Felix?"