The Prince's Ball (IC)

by **The Scarlet Eagle** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:28 am

Dowager Empress Agathe Blachkov
"I don't doubt that the tradition is old, replies Agathe with a smile. Although in the back of my mind, I can't help but feel that everytime a person uses the adjective very old, it is to brag about their traditions being better than ours in the Empire. Sorry about that, it's just that I've faced that kind of thing many times when I started dating Christian, and went from just being a girl of the bourgeoisie to being the future Emperor's wife.
Anyway, I have to tell you, but this is one of the things that interested me the most whe Anax retold me, the introduction into society. In the Empire, we have a very tight knit family tradition, where young people stay with their families until they leave for their Service after high school. That means leaving their families for long periods of time at sch a young age to go to prestigious academies such as the TBA or HGA wouldn't work in our country. That does not mean we do not have boarding schools, but if you go to one, it's mostly because your time to go there each day is too long, because you live too far. Concerning the excellency of middle schools, high schools and such, that's a different matter.
I hope this old woman didn't bother you with her rambling, finishes the Dowager Empress with a smile that could be described as a bit sheepish.

Imperial Guard Colonel Bradley Myers
Ah shit, here we go again., thinks Bradley with a mental sigh. If there was one kind of people the Colonel was not good at interacting with, it was shy people.
Nonetheless, he waves a nearby Haudsmachen, and takes two glasses of lemonade from her tray, handing one to the Princess.
"Here Your Highness, he says with a friendly smile, correcting his mistake of when he adressed her as Miss. So, how are you enjoying your evening?"

by **Teressien** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 11:52 am

Lien, Prinzessin von Byrkland.
I raised an eyebrow - he was a pompous bitchboy, if you ask me, the conversation a convenient way to pass time.
And 'Miss' was not the proper style of address for a Princess of Teressien.
"Actually, I am waiting that the Kyrenaian Polka is over, for I already have a date for the polka after that.", I said...
...and then turned my head as a young man's voice said: "I take, that this was my cue?", Vin, Prinz von Dorch said, approaching with a smile. I returned the smile with a very small one of my own, made a step towards him, taking his hand. He smiled and breathed a soft kiss onto it. "I must be one of the luckiest men around, for my dance partner is one of the most beautiful women tonight."
I honestly blushed lightly at that.
"You're exaggerating.", I said and knew, what he was doing: He was giving the Pulchraean a quick introduction in how a Prince of Teressien treated a Princess - he must have watched for a minute or two already. "Come, join us until the call for that Polka."
Vin nodded, then joined us with a smile.
"Vin, this is Constantino. He kept me a little bit of company out here.", I said.
Vin smiled slightly. "It's a pleasure.", he said and offered his hand for a shake - I knew, that his grip was like a vice.

Lykke Blon.
I stayed around a bit, fixing one of the table decorations nearby as someone had nicked a rose - most likely a young man trying to charm a young woman. If not young by age, then at least in mind... then again, men only turned five years old and then, they only grew.
Anyway, the Professor smiled.
"Your mind is as beautiful as you are, Queen Catherine.", he said, not exactly flirting, but saying it as if it was a fact. I was still inclined to agree. "Indeed, I wanted to talk to you about something regarding my profession. You see, I am a Professor of History and Icadias is a bit of an unknown territory to both me and many of my colleagues. That's something we would like to change." He smiled slightly. "So... for that purpose, we would like to invite a guest lecturer, a professor of history from Icadias, to Nouvelle-Dunkerque. I already spoke with Son Excellence Aregnaudeau, so the first questions are, who would You recommend, Your Royal Majesty, and how would You see such a proposal?"
It was remarkable that the question of whether or not Icadias had an interesting history to tell did not even drop.

Princess Fara bint-Dardan.
That little fuckboy.
That insufferable, little, small-dicked fuckboy!
Trying to play the fucking martyr here - he remembered, that I fucking existed, when it suited him! He lied to me, not by outright telling me a lie, but by not telling me the truth! The most he told me were some sweet nothings and that was about it - thanks, genius, I can get that from every fucking stablehand, that wishes to fuck my little sister!
When I asked him to tell me about himself, he told me what essentially amounted to nothing - by the Lioness, I learned more about him on the net then from what he himself told me!
I took a calming breath.
Do not let him get to you, girl, or punch him in the face or else the FG will have you on the ground and a submachine gun pressed against your head (been there, did that, got the t-shirt, spent the night in a sobering cell, got wiser from that).
That aside, a fourteen year old could sire four children - just not that fourteen year old...
"Well, I wanted to give you the chance to maybe try a last effort, but apparently, you decided against that.", I said with a voice cold enough to come right from the Arctic Circle. I shrugged. "Makes it easier on either of us, I guess. It's over."
I let a beat pass.
"There's nothing more to say, so I'll now take my leave.", I said, "Have fun raising that girl of yours. She'll be a bad Princess, but maybe a good Queen, with proper training." She'll be a better Queen then her father was as a King, that was for sure. "May you find your own happiness, too. Farewell."
I then went without waiting for a reply. Saida was right behind me.
Well, the waterworks would come later.

Ida Findehoof.
"Oh, I like to read, too.", I said with a smile, "There's nothing better on a cold winter day then a good book, relaxing on the sofa in the salon, the fireplace burning... the only music being the crackling of the firewood, the rustling of pages and the beating of the own heart as the suspense builds and builds..."
I let a beat pass.
"That is, if it is a novel. Otherwise, it's the turning of the gears in the head as one tries to make head or tails of what the author wants to say.", I added with a small shrug, "As for music, I am less into listening to music, but more into both dancing and making music. I am quite good at the piano."

Folaisia wrote:Ruairi turned to see a woman in a red dress in a cool surprise. When the woman, who was introduced as Baronin Wilrun von Port Monee, greeted and offered him her hand to kiss on, Ruairi smiled and leaned forward to grab.

"A pleasure to meet you, Frau Baronin," he greeted as he kissed her hand, "You seem to be good friends with Her Highness."

Princess Aurelia bint-Damir.
"One could put it that way, yes.", Wilrun said with a nod. "Her and her Father are often guests at my Soirees."
I nodded. "Wilrun hosts some very enjoyable evening societies, which attract quite a few people from all over the country.", I said with a nod and the compliment was well-received by Wilrun.
"And they are especially fun with the two of you.", she added, which made me smile slightly.

Shikonjima wrote:Keoke nodded, thankfully, took another drag and blew the smoke into the clear evening sky, then took a sip of wine.
"Oh, yes, we could really need an expert in here!" - he said, giving the flowerbeds an admiring look similar to Jirou's one a minute ago. "I do try to fill my knowledge gaps on them as much as possible, but there's still a certain language barrier preventing me from being able to give profound explanations - not to mention the number of kinds endemic to certain regions."
Jirou nodded. "I remember your attempt to explain us the meaning of some flowers and other plants from Kelaina" - he said, grinning. "All of them with awfully long names consisting almost entirely of vowels and glottal stops."
"For many of them, there isn't really an appropriate name in Shikonjimanese, English, or German" - Keoke said, shrugging. "I still think, these differences are interesting - and especially, how I know most of the flowers in here from Shikonjima, but not from other countries between Shikonjima and Teressien."
"Does your Palace Gardener still collect Chaamerlandic Tulips?" - Jirou wondered.
Keoke laughed. "You bet! Miyami still isn't off her trip - on the contrary, it's getting worse and worse. Someday, we will have foreign visitors wondering, if they were truly in Inushima, or have accidentally ended up in Sijskantje or Bredendam."
Jirou snorted. "Then you'll know, that something has gone a bit wrong!"

Meanwhile, it got clear to Kyouko and Shiko, that Jirou had left the room with Heda, as Rena had seen them leaving - without sending a Hausmädchen behind them in order to chaperone.
Kyouko nodded, smiling. "Ah, then Keoke will probably meet them somewhere out there" - she said. "And even if not, chaperoning them will indeed not be necessary. Jirou might be all for various sorts of shenanigans, that's for sure, but he does have decency and reason. And so does Keoke, for that matter."
"Indeed" - Shiko added, "there aren't many lads I trust, but Keoke and Jirou know what they're doing, and what they shouldn't be doing. We haven't decided to let them both come along for no reason, after all."

Heda, Prinzessin von Dorch.
The conversation was fun to listen to, especially about the tulips - I was more a girl for small flowers, so tulips were not exactly my cuppa tea to grow, but I knew them well enough.
Chaamerlandic Tulips were new to me, though.
"Our gardener in Dorch is completely in love with trees.", I explained, "All sorts he can find, including, of course, Wißenthener Kirschen, which are beautiful around April, when they bloom. In the Wißenthenland, it is a bit of a festival time, even, the Kirschblütenzeit." I smiled at a memory from a long time ago. "Mama and I were there, once, when I was still little, and I remember spending one day with Sunna and Rena, making wreaths of cherry blossoms for our Mamas."

Gerulf von Sykane.
I nodded.
"Indeed, their reputation is well known.", I said, "Men reliable as them are rare these days, so allow a humble businessman to give you an advice, Your Serene Highness: Keep them close." I let a beat pass. "I know, that I would, if they were my employees."
"That is one big compliment.", Rena said with a raised eyebrow.
"It is. Yet it is a well-deserved one.", I replied to my wife.

Kiah Findehoof.
Prince Alrich nodded.
"Indeed, I would love to take a seat and hear a bit more about the UIS. After all, the daughter of a good friend of mine lost her heart to its Duchess and even I can not stand above my own curiosity.", he said and a moment later, he had his arms linked with Enya again. "Right this way."
A few moments later, he was busy pulling out chairs for all the ladies, including myself, who had tugged along and then, as he saw, that he didn't have a spot, got surprised as Schloss Zyng's Headbutler Onno Buttel himself came with one.
He gave the other man a friendly, albeit slight bow of the head and then sat down.
"Now... before we start with the questions, is there anything the ladies would want to drink?", he asked.

Marla Cróimiam of the Tribe of Cork.
I smiled.
"Tell ya what, Jolene.", I said, "I'm in Launceston for the next Harvest Festival, that's on the 23rd of September. I'll have the first three of the Oisín Cup with me, three kids, who ranked first, second and third in the largest competition of Swordfighters of the Northern Islands and I am sure, that you would love to meet 'em! And other people, who will be in Launceston on that day."
"I'll come, too.", Áed chimed in with a grin, "And I would be honoured to show you around. I am a lad of the Binn, after all." He realized something, then explained: "Binn Boarding School Complex. I did Middle School and High School there."

Khalid Faris.
I smiled slightly.
"My Mother once told me, that one has to differ between pointless bragging and actual, valid points - and that a tradition, just because it is older then another one, is not necessarily a better one.", I told her, "It has sure seen a lot more days dawn, but the older a tradition is, the more different the way of doing it is from how it 'originally'..." I even made the air quotes. "...was. She used the Handmaidens as an example: Every household of renown has a Handmaiden, 'an old tradition', but what they do, how they do it, how they are dressed while doing it, all that and more has changed, so much so, that a Handmaiden from the time we start to draw the traditional line from, would not acknowledge a modern Handmaiden as her colleague."
I smiled.
"So, older does not necessarily mean better.", I added, "It just means older."

Sunna, Prinzessin von Wißenthen.
I was a shy girl. I knew that.
What Rena has in confidence and brashness, I lacked. With a calm and gentle mother like ours, people were often surprised that we turned out so differently, but... here I was.
When the Colonel called over a Hausmädchen and handed me a glass of lemonade, I gave a small smile and whispered something, that was a thank you, so silent, that one would not be able to hear it.
When he asked how I enjoyed my evening, I was silent for a moment.
"It's a nice evening.", I said, "Prince Bodo promised me a dance later."
At that, I blushed lightly.

by **Shikonjima** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 2:05 pm

Both Jirou and Keoke nodded.
"Cherry blossoms are a huge thing in Shikonjima as well" - Jirou explained, "for there is also a symbolic meaning associated with it. The cherry blossom, or 'Sakura' in our language, represents beauty, but also the evanescence of human nature, of things - of everything." For a moment, he didn't say anything and looked up, towards the stars on the evening sky. Most of these were still visible from Earth due to the time light needed from one galaxy to another, but would, in fact, not exist anymore by now. Then, he turned back to Keoke and Heda. "Nothing is for eternity" - he said, shrugging. "But dealing with this fact is an important principle we live by."
Keoke nodded. "We haven't even spent a lot of time thinking about that, back in Kelaina" - he said. "Things were a bit more happy-go-lucky there, tending to simply living life and leaving the higher vital questions to the Priests and Priestesses to deal with. Maybe, getting back to this way of thinking and living wouldn't harm us."
Jirou grinned. "You've been around for such a long time, and they still haven't gotten the little tribalist out of you, eh?"
Keoke shrugged. "I've grown up in a country welcoming everyone arriving with putting a 'Lei' - a flower wreath - around them and saying Aloha, and where generations of sailors used to think to have found the paradise in. We haven't done everything wrong, I'd say."

Indeed, that was a big compliment.
Kyouko bowed her head lightly, said, "Arigatou gozaimasu!" and stood straight again. "And I do think, that they will be just as glad to hear that, as soon as we let them know."
"Or, a bit more likely" - Shiko added, "they will simply say, that they do not deserve a big compliment based on something that should actually be taken for granted. We are all well aware, that the opposite is the case these days, but we Shikonjimanese generally don't make a big deal about things we consider a given. It's the reason why tipping waiters in restaurants is absolutely unusual where we're from."
"They will still be glad to hear it" - Kyouko said, smiling.
"Of course, yes."

by **Port Ember** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 2:32 pm

Jolene Gudfrey

Jolene positively coo'd at the beneficial conversation in which she was engaged in. Marla invited her to attend the next Harvest Festival which is to be held in the town of Launceston and that she would get the oppertunity to meet the top achievers of the local swordfighting championship. Áed also informed her that he too would be present and that he would love to show her around, seeing that he attended school there and knew the area.

This was a most excellent oppertunity for Jolene - she would get the oppertunity to attend a world renowned event, without finding it strange and desperate as she would have aquintances to accompany her. Added to this fact, was the wonderfull luck that those aquintances were both ambassadors, and thus people of importance. And people of importance always knew other people of importance, thus this was a golden oppertunity to network, and lay the foundation for her future business interests there. The Golden Lady has smiled on her today...

She responded to Marla, "Oh that is a generous offer - which I definitely will take up! I do appreciate the fine art of swordfighting, so meeting these champions will be an absolute honor. You are too kind my dear Marla.", she paused as she turned towards Áed and replied to him, "The privilage of your company would be my honor dear. I think I have heard of the Binn Boarding School Complex, if I'm not mistaken, a prestegious educational institution!"

by **Folaisia** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 4:23 pm

Ruairi nodded, impression riddled on his expression once Aurelia elaborated on Wilrun's evening parties and how she and her father were frequent attendees.

"You do me a wee bit too much, Baronit," Ruairi chuckled, "So, if I were to go to one of your soirées, what can I expect to see?"

Ruairi gazed, as if expecting a perfect answer.

by **Polish Prussian Commonwealth** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 5:31 pm

Teressien wrote:Princess Fara bint-Dardan.
That little fuckboy.
That insufferable, little, small-dicked fuckboy!
Trying to play the fucking martyr here - he remembered, that I fucking existed, when it suited him! He lied to me, not by outright telling me a lie, but by not telling me the truth! The most he told me were some sweet nothings and that was about it - thanks, genius, I can get that from every fucking stablehand, that wishes to fuck my little sister!
When I asked him to tell me about himself, he told me what essentially amounted to nothing - by the Lioness, I learned more about him on the net then from what he himself told me!
I took a calming breath.
Do not let him get to you, girl, or punch him in the face or else the FG will have you on the ground and a submachine gun pressed against your head (been there, did that, got the t-shirt, spent the night in a sobering cell, got wiser from that).
That aside, a fourteen year old could sire four children - just not that fourteen year old...
"Well, I wanted to give you the chance to maybe try a last effort, but apparently, you decided against that.", I said with a voice cold enough to come right from the Arctic Circle. I shrugged. "Makes it easier on either of us, I guess. It's over."
I let a beat pass.
"There's nothing more to say, so I'll now take my leave.", I said, "Have fun raising that girl of yours. She'll be a bad Princess, but maybe a good Queen, with proper training." She'll be a better Queen then her father was as a King, that was for sure. "May you find your own happiness, too. Farewell."
I then went without waiting for a reply. Saida was right behind me.
Well, the waterworks would come later.

Ida Findehoof.
"Oh, I like to read, too.", I said with a smile, "There's nothing better on a cold winter day then a good book, relaxing on the sofa in the salon, the fireplace burning... the only music being the crackling of the firewood, the rustling of pages and the beating of the own heart as the suspense builds and builds..."
I let a beat pass.
"That is, if it is a novel. Otherwise, it's the turning of the gears in the head as one tries to make head or tails of what the author wants to say.", I added with a small shrug, "As for music, I am less into listening to music, but more into both dancing and making music. I am quite good at the piano."

Erika
She saw it all.
She knew what she was thinking-or, at least, thought she had a good idea of what she was thinking-that her dear father, the immovable rock of her life, was a fuckboy, an Oedipus, and more transient than Zeus with his lovers.
And, worst of all, she wanted nothing more than him to die.
So Erika began to mutter under her breath, as soon as Fara was out of earshot(What else could she do? Attacking her would bring nothing besides momentary satisfaction.)
"Hear, Nature, hear, dear God, hear! Suspend thy purpose if thou didst intend, to make this creature fruitful."
Her voice grew louder, and she stood and began to stride out from the hedge where she had been hiding.
"Into her womb convey sterility; Dry up in her the organs of increase, and from her derogate body never spring, a babe to honor her!"

Berengar grinned. "Ah, I know that feeling...but, well, I can read almost anything, if given time, and sometimes I memorize a passge or two..."
Actually, this was an understatement on his part-he often found himself reading Sophocles' Oedipus at Colonus one week, and then the next week he would be reading a printed-out Wikipedia page on, of all things, Beeswax. Although with the amount of downtime he had, considering his job, plus his already fast reading speed...perhaps he shouldn't be surprised.
"The only book I couldn't read even in the slightest was...If I remember correctly, a collection of writings by an American by the name of...Ralph Emerson, I think. I ended up having the same problem as you. Couldn't understand a word he said...although I might give another shot at it later on. As for dancing and music...well, I never picked up an instrument, unfortunately, and I already told you what my father thinks of dancing..."

He was silent for a little while, and then hoped that he wasn't about to fuck up.

"Erm...just curious, what kind of dancing in particular? Ballroom aside..."

by **The Scarlet Eagle** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 7:47 am

Dowager Empress Agathe Blachkov
"I see what you mean, reply Agathe with a nod a she drinks the last of her glass. The same could be said for many of our traditions who have changed overtime.
Speaking of your mother, would you mind telling me more about her? Because I'll admit, I've heard a lot of gossip about how she is a shark in business and such, but since there is always two sides to a coin, I would like to hear what's the other side like, she adds with a smile.

Imperial Guard Colonel Bradley Myers
"Oh really? Good for you then, answers the one-eyed man with a smile. So, is it your first ball like me, Your Highness?"
One thing Bradley had understood, was that in order to not make the shy Princess run away, he would have to go step by step, one phrase at a time. Then again, she already got the balls to come and see me, and that's already a huge feat, he thinks.

by **AHSCA** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 9:12 am

Teressien wrote:Kiah Findehoof.
Prince Alrich nodded.
"Indeed, I would love to take a seat and hear a bit more about the UIS. After all, the daughter of a good friend of mine lost her heart to its Duchess and even I can not stand above my own curiosity.", he said and a moment later, he had his arms linked with Enya again. "Right this way."
A few moments later, he was busy pulling out chairs for all the ladies, including myself, who had tugged along and then, as he saw, that he didn't have a spot, got surprised as Schloss Zyng's Headbutler Onno Buttel himself came with one.
He gave the other man a friendly, albeit slight bow of the head and then sat down.
"Now... before we start with the questions, is there anything the ladies would want to drink?", he asked.

"We'd love to tell you more about us. Some tea would be good." Pacifica said "For me some green tea is nice."

"I'd like black tea myself." Miela requested.

by **Icadias** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:43 am

Catherine blushed with pure politeness at the remark, while reflecting the compliment to her sister in the process, as to not make the latter feel left out."I believe the Crown Princess here is just as beautiful as her elder sister", said Catherine.After expressing smiles and little laughs for a few second, the two turned their attention back to the professor."I see, of course professor, that could surely be arranged", said Catherine before pausing for a second."And on my generous courtesy, I will recieve anyone that you choose to send for the interview.I'm open minded to your choices and preferences, professor", as she blurted out those words, Catherine showed a genuine and clear interest towards the professor's suggestion for a historical interview regarding her nation's past.

by **Lux Pulchrae** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 11:46 am

"Pleasure to meet you as well Prince." shaking Vin's hand firmly "No doubt you have a eye-catching partner. I was worried the Princess was here all alone, she failed to mention you." he took a quick sip of his wine before commenting again "Join you where? Inside? And be a third wheel? Fine by me. Say Prince, you wouldn't happen to be able to smoke a cigarette would you?"

by **Draycora** » Thu Sep 19, 2019 2:38 pm

Häkkinen-Couple
"Well, a good dancer can only be with a good partner," the lady said in response to the compliment. "You are probably also an experienced dancer".
"I must also thank you for the opportunity," added the prince. "I'm sure you would like them on Elvish balls, Minister".
"Well, to be able to participate in those, one should not bother with over-sweet food and brightly colored clothes," added Lady Mhaire. "And of course women who wear light clothes, we Elf women know how to combine elegance and seduction."

by **Austria-Bohemia-Hungary** » Sat Sep 21, 2019 4:36 pm

Schloss Zyng, Grand Ball Room - Sunday, the 4^th of August, 2019

Air Arm Captain Rittmeister Hermina Julia Louise Mathilda Reichsgräfin Mollinary von Lohenstein, Reichsfreiin von Neckarwald, Air Attaché to the Free Lands found herself on this Sunday in a place very far - very far indeed - from her Stuttgart home back in the Holy Romagnan Empire. She was not even in Fortham on this evening, having joined Ambassador Group One of the Free Lands to a sojourn to Teressien. Ostensibly this was a work trip to cultivate relations but it was also an opportunity for Hermina to get away from the paperwork. Today, she was dressed in her gala-dress of model 1914 - feathered satin cap at top, double-breasted white tunic and a floor-length black skirt with brilliantly scarlet stripes running down the sides. After being greeted by the hosts along with the Selkies she settled for mingling and occasionally dancing with randomly found personages until the Kyrenaian Polka. Like some others who left the dance floor for those who were actually capable of polka-ing. Currently she was taking a stroll in the gardens for some fresh air and some admiring of the stars before heading back in for more drinking and mingling.

by **Danceria** » Wed Sep 25, 2019 3:17 pm

Aceus Elurion

There was everything he could have done. Everything he should have done...he should have asked for forgiveness. He should have talked he should have done...something. Fara was right, he was weak, cowardly scared. In the dark of the night, a man mourned without tears, tired of himself and all he had done, and slumped over absolutely pathetic.

Rev. Stavros

Scratching the nape of his neck, the Hieromonk sensed something was amiss. His intuition rarely failed him, and a concerned grimace would decorate his aged visage. He would near the hors d'oeuvre, if only to linger and observe the confluence of people from afar. Skulking had never been something the Reverend enjoyed, but something was wrong, more so than...well...what he knew about certain individuals. Perhaps some conversation would be good to at least blend in, or look less suspicious.

by **Teressien** » Thu Sep 26, 2019 4:02 am

Polish Prussian Commonwealth wrote:Erika
She saw it all.
She knew what she was thinking-or, at least, thought she had a good idea of what she was thinking-that her dear father, the immovable rock of her life, was a fuckboy, an Oedipus, and more transient than Zeus with his lovers.
And, worst of all, she wanted nothing more than him to die.
So Erika began to mutter under her breath, as soon as Fara was out of earshot(What else could she do? Attacking her would bring nothing besides momentary satisfaction.)
"Hear, Nature, hear, dear God, hear! Suspend thy purpose if thou didst intend, to make this creature fruitful."
Her voice grew louder, and she stood and began to stride out from the hedge where she had been hiding.
"Into her womb convey sterility; Dry up in her the organs of increase, and from her derogate body never spring, a babe to honor her!"

Berengar grinned. "Ah, I know that feeling...but, well, I can read almost anything, if given time, and sometimes I memorize a passge or two..."
Actually, this was an understatement on his part-he often found himself reading Sophocles' Oedipus at Colonus one week, and then the next week he would be reading a printed-out Wikipedia page on, of all things, Beeswax. Although with the amount of downtime he had, considering his job, plus his already fast reading speed...perhaps he shouldn't be surprised.
"The only book I couldn't read even in the slightest was...If I remember correctly, a collection of writings by an American by the name of...Ralph Emerson, I think. I ended up having the same problem as you. Couldn't understand a word he said...although I might give another shot at it later on. As for dancing and music...well, I never picked up an instrument, unfortunately, and I already told you what my father thinks of dancing..."

He was silent for a little while, and then hoped that he wasn't about to fuck up.

"Erm...just curious, what kind of dancing in particular? Ballroom aside..."

Danceria wrote:Aceus Elurion

There was everything he could have done. Everything he should have done...he should have asked for forgiveness. He should have talked he should have done...something. Fara was right, he was weak, cowardly scared. In the dark of the night, a man mourned without tears, tired of himself and all he had done, and slumped over absolutely pathetic.

Rev. Stavros

Scratching the nape of his neck, the Hieromonk sensed something was amiss. His intuition rarely failed him, and a concerned grimace would decorate his aged visage. He would near the hors d'oeuvre, if only to linger and observe the confluence of people from afar. Skulking had never been something the Reverend enjoyed, but something was wrong, more so than...well...what he knew about certain individuals. Perhaps some conversation would be good to at least blend in, or look less suspicious.

Folaisia wrote:Ruairi nodded, impression riddled on his expression once Aurelia elaborated on Wilrun's evening parties and how she and her father were frequent attendees.

"You do me a wee bit too much, Baronit," Ruairi chuckled, "So, if I were to go to one of your soirées, what can I expect to see?"

Ruairi gazed, as if expecting a perfect answer.

Princess Fara bint-Dardan.
Gladly, I did not hear Erika's little outburst. Gladly, in this case, for both of us.
The evening, for me, was over, so I dispatched Saida to get me a bottle of the gud stuff and two glasses and we would let the night fade away into the alcoholic abyss.
Sure, I was finally rid of Aceus and his sad excuse for being a boyfriend, but... it still left a hole in my chest. For tonight, this hole would be filled with alcohol, for the rest of the week, it would be filled with the yellow press' screaming about me being on the market again and with calls to and from Megido and Arados and Surya... Uncle Abbas would surely call, I knew that.
I told Buttel, that I excused my absence, I was not feeling too well. He assured me, that Alrich would understand, that I would miss out on our dance, and if not, Enya would make him understand.
Little did I know, that Saida also arranged for someone else to join me...

Princess Aurelia bint-Damir
Wilrun smiled, took in air, but suddenly, she stopped.
Next to Dad, a tower of a woman, well over two metres even without the heels she wore, stood, her red eyes filled with worry, although she had her expression steeled. Khana Amina bint-Karim, the Khana of Sheliak, was worried about something and if I understood the snippets spoken in Kyrenaian well enough, I had a good idea as to what it was.
Fara did it.
Dad nodded, replied to her in the affirmative.
We were actually related, the three of us: Amina was the Great-Granddaughter of the father of Tariqua bint-Ilia, my own Great-Grandmother, from another child of his. Where Dad fit into it should be obvious.
Amina nodded to me, then she was off.
Well, her prospects of finding an appropriately-sized dance partner were slim as they were, so...
"My apologies.", Damir said, bowed lightly to all three of us, "Amina was not feeling too well and retired for the night and informed me so that we would not be worried by her absence." I nodded. "Now, where were we?"

Ida Findehoof.
I smiled at his honest words about not understanding Emerson, the individualist. I shared his sentiment. In a society such as the Selkie-Society or the Teressian Society, where individualism had a rough standing, as All we achieved, every house, every field, every boat that sailed from our shores and the wares it carried, every harvest, we achieved together., as my teacher Finnya Araon had put it. Individualism was not something, that got much value in either society.
But there were more pressing things to address.
"I am very fond of pair-dances, especially quick ones.", I said and thought, that he might had noticed that, "Though I'm also game for slower dances, more romantic ones. It depends a bit on the evening." I let a beat pass. "I do, sometimes, also do solo and group dances, the latter mostly with my sisters. The Three-Person-Jig is a dance, that the three of us worked out as kids - though it isn't really suite for ballrooms..."
I threw him a wink at that.

Refreshments Table.
Erblin Piteog of the Tribe of Wicklow.
I had just said my goodbye to Amy, having danced the Kyrenaian Polka with my fellow air racer, and was looking to reunite with my boyfriend Sirlám, who doubled as my Head Mechanic by the Refreshments Table, but apparently, the little break he had needed took longer then he had anticipated...
Well, didn't matter.
I decided to socialize, looked around a bit and spotted the elderly gentleman in the Priest-Garb. Christian, though don't ask me about which confession... still, he seemed... worried? Hm... that might be the wrong word.
Still... "Excuse me, Sir, is everything alright?", I asked, worry in my voice.

Gardens.
Fiete Kumma.
I had a few minutes of break every other hour, so I decided to use them to catch a breath of fresh air - I was barkeeper, down in the Basement Levels' Schenke, a rustic establishment, that was sometimes used during parties as a retreat for the gentlemen wishing to have a drink or three in peace and was sometimes location for parties of its own.
Don't let me mention the stories I heard about a young Prinz Alrich...
Anyway, down there, our main occupation at the moment was plundering our stocks to sent upwards to the Grand Ball Room, so that they had enough of the Good Stuff.
They could do that for a bit without me.
I stepped out into the gardens, took in the fresh air and searched for a bench. It was already occupied by someone, who seemed to be down. Well, I was barkeeper (and worked without payment as a swimming teacher and lifeguard at Zyng's pool, but that's another story) and people, who were down, were my specialty of dealing with.
"Good evening.", I said softly, "Mind if I sit down next to you?"

Shikonjima wrote:Both Jirou and Keoke nodded.
"Cherry blossoms are a huge thing in Shikonjima as well" - Jirou explained, "for there is also a symbolic meaning associated with it. The cherry blossom, or 'Sakura' in our language, represents beauty, but also the evanescence of human nature, of things - of everything." For a moment, he didn't say anything and looked up, towards the stars on the evening sky. Most of these were still visible from Earth due to the time light needed from one galaxy to another, but would, in fact, not exist anymore by now. Then, he turned back to Keoke and Heda. "Nothing is for eternity" - he said, shrugging. "But dealing with this fact is an important principle we live by."
Keoke nodded. "We haven't even spent a lot of time thinking about that, back in Kelaina" - he said. "Things were a bit more happy-go-lucky there, tending to simply living life and leaving the higher vital questions to the Priests and Priestesses to deal with. Maybe, getting back to this way of thinking and living wouldn't harm us."
Jirou grinned. "You've been around for such a long time, and they still haven't gotten the little tribalist out of you, eh?"
Keoke shrugged. "I've grown up in a country welcoming everyone arriving with putting a 'Lei' - a flower wreath - around them and saying Aloha, and where generations of sailors used to think to have found the paradise in. We haven't done everything wrong, I'd say."

Indeed, that was a big compliment.
Kyouko bowed her head lightly, said, "Arigatou gozaimasu!" and stood straight again. "And I do think, that they will be just as glad to hear that, as soon as we let them know."
"Or, a bit more likely" - Shiko added, "they will simply say, that they do not deserve a big compliment based on something that should actually be taken for granted. We are all well aware, that the opposite is the case these days, but we Shikonjimanese generally don't make a big deal about things we consider a given. It's the reason why tipping waiters in restaurants is absolutely unusual where we're from."
"They will still be glad to hear it" - Kyouko said, smiling.
"Of course, yes."

Heda, Prinzessin von Dorch.
I let the two men converse with each other, listened to their words about their countries, how they compared - and how they didn't.
I smiled.
"It reminds me a bit of the Free Lands, if I may say so.", I said by the end, "Or at least the cliches about them. If you ever ask Aurelia, she'll be happy to debunk every single one of them or amend them. I think, we all could do that until the sun sets again, so..." I shrugged. "My mother always says, that Paradise is found, where you are happy. If it is watching a movie with your dork of a big brother, then it is exactly that."

Gerulf von Sykane.
I nodded.
"Indeed, it should be a given - but it isn't, and that is a part of the problems in this world. Sure, one can trust people, one can entrust something with people and the majority will not let you down, but depending on someone...", I shook my head. "That is a difficult question."
I let a beat pass.
"That being said, all of that is different from a good man.", I said and smiled a bit sheepish. "My apologies. I studied personell management and sometimes the philosophy behind it creeps up from behind."

Marla Cróimiam of the Tribe of Cork.
Áed was a bit surprised at her having heard of the Binn - usually, it lived in the shadow of the Iris Boarding School Complex near Fortham, which, in turn, lived in the shadow of the Old Academies of Kyrenaia, with whom they were often compared.
"It would be our pleasure to have you there.", I told Jolene, "If the winner and the runner up are the people who I think it will be, their chaperone will be quite interested in meeting you, too."
"I hope so, too.", Áed said with a grin, "I bet money on Ceili! Girl gotta win!" I laughed as Áed turned back, smiling at Jolene: "You can admit it, though, you mostly heard of the Binn due to our Sensha-Do Team. The Seabhac."
One of the three Teams in the Free Lands practicing the sport of Sensha-Do or Tankery, which seemed like something right out of an anime from Shikonjima... and the Seabhac were also the least successful of the three. It was a destinction, which they had.

Khalid Faris.
"Oh, she is not a shark.", I said with a smile, "She's a Sand Wyvern and thrice as vicious to her enemies. To her friends, she's a good friend and to me and my siblings, she is a good mother. Never spoiled us, spent time with us whenever she could, dragged us around the world sometimes, made sure we ate our veggies... to tell you an anecdote about her, my older brother is a bit of a musician and he had a concert one evening. Really, he was in school still and the 'Concert Hall' was a repurposed classroom. Mother had an important business guest - so, instead of missing the concert or missing the business guest, she went with him to that concert, which confused quite a lot of people, most of all said guest. But when my brother had finished his performance, said guest was the first to stand and offer applause." I grinned at the anecdote. "Surya got the contract, so all worked out fine."
That was the kind of woman my mother was: Mother and businesswoman and if both collided, she went with the combination. A crafty woman, but one, that could also be vicious.
Sure, she would not win the Mother of the Century Award, but she didn't need to. She was Mama.

Sunna, Prinzessin von Wißenthen.
He took it step by step, which was nice.
I deliberately approached intimidating people to overcome my shyness, something, which I heard would help me. Well, this was one of the first test runs...
"This is my eighth ball, already.", I replied, "Though I usually spent my time in a corner, only talking to a selected few. Bodo is one of them, who comes to see me and he finally convinced me to give dancing a go."

AHSCA wrote:"We'd love to tell you more about us. Some tea would be good." Pacifica said "For me some green tea is nice."

"I'd like black tea myself." Miela requested.

Kiah Findehoof.
Alrich nodded to the Headbutler, who bowed and went away. He knew, what Alrich, Enya and I would take already.
Still, now came the fun part, namely the conversation.
"While we are waiting, I would like to propose, that we stay with the questions as far away from politics as we can.", Enya said and Alrich raised an eyebrow, "It's a too beautiful evening to worry about that." Alrich saw that point and conceded without a fuzz. Who wore the pants in this relationship had always been up for debate, but now, I was starting to think, that my cute blob of a little sister was not as innocent as one could presume. She turned to Miela and Pacifica. "So... what's the first thing, that comes to your mind, when you think of the UIS?"

Lykke Blon.
I still fixed the floral arrangements nearby, which was a lot harder then it sounded as I now had to work around not having the centerpiece.
I heard the Professor's smile as he said: "That's wonderful, Your Majesty!" He let a beat pass. "I already have someone in mind, who would become a guest lecturer at one of Icadias' great universities, and it is not me." He winked at that, I knew that. "His name is Noelle Coecke, he is specialized in the history of the periods known as the Guerre des Corsaires and the Rebuilding. A good man."

Lux Pulchrae wrote:"Pleasure to meet you as well Prince." shaking Vin's hand firmly "No doubt you have a eye-catching partner. I was worried the Princess was here all alone, she failed to mention you." he took a quick sip of his wine before commenting again "Join you where? Inside? And be a third wheel? Fine by me. Say Prince, you wouldn't happen to be able to smoke a cigarette would you?"

Lien, Prinzessin von Byrkland.
Vin raised an eyebrow at the odd question.
"Able to, yes, but I do not smoke.", he said and shook his head. "I have other vices. Mainly movies."
I nodded. "It's even bad enough for him to study the art of moviemaking.", I explained.
"Now, now, it's Movie-Directing, not moviemaking.", he corrected with a grin, "But yes, it is a vice, especially in cinema." He let a beat pass. "Who is your favourite actor, or actress, Constantino?"

Adalrich von Ehrenback.
I nodded.
"Then I will look forward to the day we might be able to attend a ball in Drycora.", I said, including my wife. "I would be careful with the sweet food. There's yet a sweet to be made too sweet for me!"
It was a joke - while I did have a bit of a sweet tooth, even I had my limits. It served also as a good way not only to lighten the mood but also to draw attention away from the light female dress code, which was nice and sounded a lot like the Geansai, actually, but I knew, that my wife would not partake in it.
Backless dresses were the most one could convince her to wear.

Isla Saighead of the Tribe of Westmeath.
Gardens of Schloss Zyng.
Indeed, quite a few people were out admiring the stars or simply getting both a breath of fresh air and resting their feet because their father had forced them into a dress and fucking heels!
Thanks, Dad. I would have preferred Geansai... heavens, if possible, I would have preferred my bloody school uniform, but alas, dress code did not allow for that. High School Uniforms were not ballroom dress, apparently, and Younger Militia Armour was not suitable either.
So, here I was, my Father's date for the evening as Mam was chronically ill and in the hospital again. He represented SDY, I was there as eye-candy. 18 years old, silver hair very long and open, blue eyes, a small, but nice cleavage, backless dress - yep, eye-candy.
But at some point, I told my Dad, that I needed fresh air and here I was, sitting on one of the benches and admiring the stars. It was more then a few minutes by now, but that was not the point.
I did not notice the woman in gala-dress uniform at first, but when I noticed her, I waved at her to come and sit with me. She looked familiar - or at least her uniform did. Either of the two, really... or both.
In any case, company would do us both good, I thought.

by **AHSCA** » Thu Sep 26, 2019 12:39 pm

Teressien wrote:Alrich nodded to the Headbutler, who bowed and went away. He knew, what Alrich, Enya and I would take already.
Still, now came the fun part, namely the conversation.
"While we are waiting, I would like to propose, that we stay with the questions as far away from politics as we can.", Enya said and Alrich raised an eyebrow, "It's a too beautiful evening to worry about that." Alrich saw that point and conceded without a fuzz. Who wore the pants in this relationship had always been up for debate, but now, I was starting to think, that my cute blob of a little sister was not as innocent as one could presume. She turned to Miela and Pacifica. "So... what's the first thing, that comes to your mind, when you think of the UIS?"

"All right that sounds plenty reasonable. There is so much more to any nation than just who runs the show, after all." Miela agreed. Then both asked about naming first thing that came to mind in regards to their nation, both women thought about it a moment and both had their own answer. Pacifica chuckled "Very well unless you have questions about the system but otherwise we'll keep it pretty ordinary and less political focus" Pacifica agreed

"The culture and people." Pacifica first replied.

Miela then responded "The natural beauty of it."

by **Polish Prussian Commonwealth** » Thu Sep 26, 2019 6:02 pm

Berengar's thoughts on Emerson weren't as nuanced as Ida's-whereas Ida disliked the man because of the age-old argument between individualism and collectivism, he simply didn't 'get' it.

He blushed at Ida's wink. "I-ah...I see."
He paused for a second. "...if one wants to be technical, two people is still a group, if one defines a group as 'more than one person'. But I digress. I don't know much about dancing, besides what I learned in school...actually, one can apply that statement to almost any topic of study in existence..."
He cleared his throat. "In any case...you said you went to school in the Free Lands?"

by **Lux Pulchrae** » Fri Sep 27, 2019 1:25 am

Teressien wrote:Lien, Prinzessin von Byrkland.
Vin raised an eyebrow at the odd question.
"Able to, yes, but I do not smoke.", he said and shook his head. "I have other vices. Mainly movies."
I nodded. "It's even bad enough for him to study the art of moviemaking.", I explained.
"Now, now, it's Movie-Directing, not moviemaking.", he corrected with a grin, "But yes, it is a vice, especially in cinema." He let a beat pass. "Who is your favourite actor, or actress, Constantino?"

"I only asked because I think I offered the Princess one and she said it was illegal because she was underage, so then if you can smoke then you're over-age." Constantino looked at his pack and smiled "Eh, cigarettes, they are more a hobby than a vice. But on the subject of cinema and actors? Well our very own cinema industry isn't so large, when not making propaganda films for the state, or when the French up there aren't make their odd 'thought invoking' garbage, out by the coast in the Spanish provinces they make the so called 'Spaghetti Westerns'. You know, big names were filming in Italy and Spain shooting excellent films, this caught on here and there, making its way to Lux Pulchrae where it is surprisingly still a popular genre over there." he thought for a moment and tapped his foot. Movies weren't a big consumption of his time, but he did like the westerns shown from time to time. "Hmm, Carlo Santini would be one that I like, strong type that fits the cowboy role, but now he is old. One of us, Umberto de Medici, he found a fondness in acting and he's pretty big as well, within the acting circles. He has done a couple of genres, but he's mostly in drama. And also plays."

by **Icadias** » Fri Sep 27, 2019 4:11 am

The two ladies seemed pleased with the suggestion.Though the two warmly welcomed the professor's audience, Juliana herself deep down was eager to entertain herself with her elder sister in any fun activities as close sisters but out of respect, she kept a patient face.Meanwhile, Catherine who was oblivious to her sister's thoughts went on about the suggested meeting."Ah wonderful, I'll take it as an excellent choice professor.I believe he is available for an audience soon?Maybe in a few days?", asked the Queen."I can have the provisions needed arranged soon enough", she continued convincingly.

by **Shikonjima** » Fri Sep 27, 2019 7:26 am

Keoke had to grin about Heda's comparison between Moana Nui Islanders and Selkie, or the clichés thereabout, for that matter - indeed, the Tribe of Kahana had probably way more in common with Selkie than with Shikonjimanese when it came to way of life and thinking. He also nodded at the remark of Aurelia-Hime being more than happy to either confirm or correct the common clichés - given that Aurelia and Keoke shared the fate of having grown up with two very different cultures at the same time, a conversation on this matter would possibly be interesting enough to fill the entire night.
He nodded.
"Your Mother absolutely does have a point!" - he said. "One doesn't need tropical beaches and ice-cold cocktails in order to find a Paradise, for Paradise can be everywhere. I must admit, that I do consider Kelaina some sort of Paradise, but not necessarily for the same reason tourists would. Going home again, where I still have friends and family, and where I can enjoy the time without having to bother with all these obligations I have as the future heir of the Barony of Inushima, where I can speak my mother tongue, where people simply address me as Keoke and not as Keoke-Ouji, and where I can leave diplomatic business to Kyouko and call it a day, without the entire press landscape going crazy - that's where Paradise is for me."
Jirou had to grin. "Once I was roaming around in Nanatera and was bored enough to ask one of the lads in orange vests around, where Paradise is for him. His reply was, 'The Paradise is where the dogs have to clean the streets while I may poop onto the sidewalk!' I found that quite amusing."
Keoke laughed. "A reasonable and logical answer, I'd say!"

Kyouko smiled and nodded.
"While unquestioningly depending on somebody does bear certain risks" - she began, "some basic trust between people is necessary in order to keep a society in harmony, though. You see, harmony is basically the core value to always go with where we hail from, and trust is an important part of it. If people simply walk through the world in bad faith and mistrust against each other, it will eventually disturb this harmony; it is a perilous attitude quite a few societies suffer from. Surely not without reason, and blindly depending on people, is, as I said, perilous, too - but if people stop believing in each other and always immediately think of the worst about everybody they pass by, it will ultimately result in a collapse."
Shiko nodded. "For a more practical example" - she said, "the traffic ruleworks of many countries include a principle of trust; for instance, in Lillorainen, there is the so-called Vertrauensgrundsatz taught to drivers and included in their road rules. It is based on the idea, that a participant in traffic can trust in other people's correct decisions in situations, but they cannot depend on them. If people didn't accept it as a given, that, for example, one stops at red and goes at blue - or green, as the case may be -, everyone would permanently watch out where any danger might be coming from, and the entire traffic would come to a halt and eventually collapse. It is right to keep it 'reasonable and prudent', in order to avoid accidents, but bad faith will never get one moving on."
Kyouko nodded. "And this is one of the examples for a problem many societies suffer from. I could never imagine living in a place where people mistrust each other to a degree, that everyone stocks up rifles and ammunition one could equip a small army with and keep sitting in front of their houses, ready to fire at everyone who might try to invade one's ground. It goes against my understanding of harmony."
"And similar to less drastic situations like this one" - Shiko added. "If one can't ever trust in a man going anywhere with a woman without returning in three or more, it only makes life unnecessarily complicated." She let a beat pass. "Even though the number of reasons of having this trust may be declining nowadays."

by **The Scarlet Eagle** » Fri Sep 27, 2019 8:05 am

Dowager Empress Agathe Blachkov
"Well, thanks for the explanation, replies Agathe as she takes a sip from her glass. I don't remember that Christian or I brought foreign or important guests to any of Anax's school shows or similar events. Other than that, what is her opinion concerning the proposition for the authorization of homosexual marriage in the Sultanate?"

Imperial Guard Colonel Bradley Myers
"Oh, nice, replies Bradley with a smile, his remaining eye shining a bit. I know what it's like to stand in a corner and say nothing, given the fact that I was on guard duty for many of those when the former Emperor hosted such events. Anyway, do you want us to go sit down somewhere? I think it would be more comfortable than standing here, no?"

The Prince's Ball (IC)

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