Pond

[rose, Moonshine Sparkle, that's my stripper name.]

Its just a small one, with a bridge that goes directly over the middle. There are ducks, turtles, and many different varieties of fish and exotic flowers.

[( ˘ ³˘)♥ Jay]

Daniel walked across the bridge and leaned on the rail. Looking over it into the pond he smiled as he watched the fish swim, writhering around in the water. He sighed softly and felt himself relax at the sight of the fish and their graceful movements. They were such simple creatures and yet they never ceased to amaze him. Even if their memories did reset every few minutes.

[Skittles- The World Is a Wonderful Place... :)]

Angelina sat on the edge of the pond, watching some koi swim in circles. They were adorable, like large goldfish with mustaches. She took her shoes off and put her feet in the water, some of the fish nibbled her toes and she giggled. She looked at the moons reflection in the water and sighed.

[rose, Moonshine Sparkle, that's my stripper name.]

Blaire ventured outside. She had been in the Masquerade for probably ten minutes before she couldn't stand it. The worst possibilities going through his head. Like Danny being around another girl...falling in love. Completely forgetting her. She sighed, wanting to give up. This was silly. She had already looked in the garden, and the greenhouse. Who said he even wanted to talk to her? He couldn't have been any less interested.

Blaire's breath caught in her throat when she saw him, and then her eyes dropped to the girl sitting near him on the ground.

She took a stumbling step backwards, then completely turned. That hadn't taken long.

[( ˘ ³˘)♥ Jay]

Daniel looked over at the girl near him and frowned, wondering when she had appeared. Shaking his head he looked around himself, wondering if he had zoned out for hours and seeing Blaire he smiled and then went over to her. Catching up to her he put his hand on her shoulder, "Blaire," HE said and smiled as he moved to stand in front of her so he could see her, "Still disliking the masquerade?" he asked curiously, wondering if she had met someone that had changed her opinion of that.

Seeing her face he frowned, "Blaire, what's wrong?" he asked worry entering his voice. She looked like she was about to be sick, like she had seen a hopeful beacon die or soemthing.

[Skittles- The World Is a Wonderful Place... :)]

Angelina hadn't noticed Daniel yet, but she noticed Blair. She took her feet out of the water ad put her shoes back on. She didn't want anyone to think she was crazy. She got up and left, heading back inside.

[rose, Moonshine Sparkle, that's my stripper name.]

"What? No. I'm fine." she said, turning away from his gaze. Blaire tried not to take comfort in his hand on her shoulder, and suppressed a shudder. It would have been nice with him. She blinked, and forced a smile. "I was just leaving." she added, moving to take a step past him.

[( ˘ ³˘)♥ Jay]

Daniel frowned, "But why?" He looked genuinely confused and sighed, "You...." he dropped his hand and stepped back. "Oh...." He said working it out, knowing that to get here she would have seen him, and her back being turned to the pond meant she hadn't wanted to see him. And now this leaving thing? She wanted to leave, to get away from him. "Oh. I'm sorry." HE muttered and turned and walked away, going back to his original spot on the bridge he looked down at the fish hiding the hurt expression on his face.

[rose, Moonshine Sparkle, that's my stripper name.]

Blaire paused, watching him go back to the pond. He really didn't want anything to do with her did he? But he just seemed so...sad? She realized the way his posture was, and grimaced. It didn't even look like he and the other girl were talking. Oh my gosh she thought, mortified.

It only took her a couple of seconds to walk over the bridge, where she stood beside Daniel. "I didn't mean it like that." she mumbled, eyes flickering up to meet his.

[( ˘ ³˘)♥ Jay]

Daniel shook his head, "I'm the one who bothered you, agian." He said and forced a laugh, "Wow, I keep doing that. Forcing myself onto you and you into conversation with me. Sorry for that." He muttered and shook his head again. Looking up at her he smiled as though everything was fine, but his eyes were still pained.

He hated the idea of forcing Blaire into talking with him just because he was socially inadequette. "Didn't mean to keep bothering you. Like I said earlier, just be honest with me."

[rose, Moonshine Sparkle, that's my stripper name.]

Blaire's eyes widened, and she pursed her lips. "Your not bothering me." she said, laughing despite the situation. Just the thought of him bothering her...it was just ridiculous. "Seriously, Danny. Are you honestly that oblivious?" she asked, scarlet blooming across her cheeks.

[( ˘ ³˘)♥ Jay]

Daniel blinked and straightened he frowned, "Oblivious to what?" He asked shaking his head in complete confusion. "You, you left before. Then you turned away cause you saw me. You don't like me." He said and sighed, "Can't blame you though, alot of people don't like me." He shrugged and frowned again, "Oblivious to what?"

[rose, Moonshine Sparkle, that's my stripper name.]

Blaire averted her gaze. She played with the material on her dress, trying not to completely embarrass herself. Her eyes fluttered everywhere but to meet his. "I just..I really...You uhmm.." she bit her lip, closing her eyes. She was tempted to just say: Forget it. But she couldn't stand not being near him. "I do like you." she blurted. She had never felt so harassed.

[( ˘ ³˘)♥ Jay]

Daniel blinked and he blushed and then smiled widely, "So you don't dislike me?" He asked and then resisted the urge to pump his fist into the air. Seeing her blush and her obvious embarassment he flushed, "I like you too." He said and smiled at her, "I was going to tell you, but then you seemed not to want to be around me and I....yeah." He chuckled a bit and rubbed the back of his neck in embarassment.

[rose, Moonshine Sparkle, that's my stripper name.]

Blaire beamed. "Its not that I didn't want to be around you." she paused, averting her gaze for a second. "I just thought you were to nice for me." Blaire tried to smile, but it was hard-and it didn't quite reach her eyes. Still do think that, actually. she added in her head.

[( ˘ ³˘)♥ Jay]

Daniel shook his head, "Too nice? I'm a guy who's spent his entire life in the shadow of his siblings and considers books to be his closet friends. I've never had a girlfriend, and the only girl I've kissed was my imaginary princess when I was 7 and used to want to be a knight. If anyone is too good for someone, you're too good for me. You're beautfiul, and confident, and you are kind and you aren't afraid to speak your mind. You're practically perfect." He said plainly.

[rose, Moonshine Sparkle, that's my stripper name.]

Blaire rolled her eyes, brushing his compliments away. "Okay, you are oblivious." she said, shaking her head. "Danny, your like the sweetest guy I've ever met. Your unbearably cute, and you obviously try to see the best in people, even if it isn't there." she smiled, ignoring her embarrassment. "Not to mention you have chocolate kiss eyes, that on its own is enough for me to marry you." she put her hand over her mouth, wishing to take it back. "Okay, I didn't mean it like that." she said, for what felt like the millionth time since she got here.

[( ˘ ³˘)♥ Jay]

Daniel blushed and smiled at her, "You want to marry me?" He said and laughed slightly. Shaking his head he smiled and picked her up by her waist and spun her around in the air before setting her again, "Sorry, and you are wonderful. I don't care what you think. You are amazing."

[rose, Moonshine Sparkle, that's my stripper name.]

Blaire gasped, and was breathless when he set her down. Her entire face was red, and she was grinning. "I didn't mean it like that." she said, although her smile side otherwise. "I just meant it as in like, yes its a good thing. I've only known you for like, a couple of hours." she added, even though it was pretty clear she was lying. She rested her arms on his neck, meeting his eyes hesitantly. "Why? Do you want to marry me?"

[( ˘ ³˘)♥ Jay]

Daniel nodded and blushed slightly, "Yeah." He said a bit breathlessly. "I don't think I'll ever meet another person like you. So yeah, I do want to marry you." He said and laughed. Smiling at her he blushed realizing he was still holding her waist and let her waist go, "Sorry." He muttered, apologizing agian.

[rose, Moonshine Sparkle, that's my stripper name.]

Blaire beamed, "Don't apologize." she said, unable to keep the pure joy out of her voice. She never thought she would find someone at the Masquerade. Least of all someone as amazing as Daniel. She had always imagined being carted away somewhere. Never again going to see her family. She dropped her arms as well, thinking about how cute he was when he blushed. The thought tainting her cheeks pink.

[( ˘ ³˘)♥ Jay]

Daniel blushed, "And here I thought you hated the masquerade." he said and laughed slightly, "I'm glad I was able to meet someone like you." he said and smiled. She was so pretty and cute, especially when she blushed or got embarrased. But her smile was the best. Her real smile, the one that made her eyes and face light up. Daniel sighed slightly and felt complete joy, he had thought he would end up spending the night reading in a corner and then vanishing and now? Now he had found Blaire.

[rose, Moonshine Sparkle, that's my stripper name.]

Blaire's face darkened, her smile vanishing. "I still don't like it, Daniel. I'd like to think i'd still find your outside of the dance...but to be honest, many people won't be as lucky to find someone that care about as much as us." she sighed, realizing she had completely ruined the moment. "I'm sorry...do you want to go dance with me?" she asked, meeting his brown eyes with her blue.

[( ˘ ³˘)♥ Jay]

Daniel smiled, "Well we can thank the masquerade for bringing us together, else I probably would never have had the guts to talk to you." he laughed a bit and offered her his arm, "I'd love to dance with you." he said, offering his arm so he could escort her to the ballroom. As much as he hated the masquerade he was grateful that he had met Blaire through it. To him the masquerade was a government tool, but it was still something that helped him.

[rose, Moonshine Sparkle, that's my stripper name.]

Blaire took his arm, letting him lead her to the building. She couldn't help but roll her eyes though. His admiration of her was idiotic. She still wasn't sure why he liked her. For lack of better words, she was kind of a bitch. But she still cared for him...and maybe he would bring out the best in her? She sighed, but was smiling on the outside.

((Can you post first?))

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ, No Comment]

After they had finally made it to the end of the path, Gwen sighed and brought Saffron over to the bridge, letting her grip the bar. "It really is pretty Saffron, the moon's reflecting on the water and it really looks peaceful." she said, trying her best to describe it to the little blind girl next to her.

"Gwen..." Saffron tilted her head slightly to show she was talking to her and it was something important, "I want you to go dance."

There was silence for a moment, "Why do you say that? I'd rather be with my best friend." Saffron sounded pretty insisting when Gwen was listening.

"No, go dance. You have a better chance at finding someone more than me. And I'll be fine here, thanks." she said, unlinking her arm with Gwen and pretty much pushing her towards the sound of the music not too far away. "Now go have fun." She turned back to grip the bar, hearing the sounds of night.

Gwen was about to protest, but thought better of it and headed for the ballroom, butterflies beginning in her stomach as she got closer.

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ, No Comment]

((Haha, that's okay :P and that's good to know.))

Hearing someone approach to stand next to her; Saffron's shoulders tensed for a moment. Moving her white cane to the other side, she tilted her head down. Had he noticed she was blind yet? It might be confusing if he didn't, "And you're here so now I'm not alone?" she asked, beig able to hear a Russian accent I his voice clearly.

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ, No Comment]

Saffron kept her head down, having not seen his wink at all. She had never really been embarissed by her having no sight, until now with him for some reason. He was standing pretty close to her because his breathing was pretty clear. "Thanks," she said, a small smile reaching her lips in thankfulness. "but shouldn't you be inside dancing?" she asked, completely curious to what he was doing it here.

((Then I would change it. That's what I always do if it is bugging me.))

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ, No Comment]

((Haha, then just use one that you've already used for another group.)

He got bored with dancing? That was a different attitude than she'd seen all night, considering that's what everyone else was here to do. "Yep, people do change..." Saffon replied kind of distantly, but snapped back to reality just as quickly when he continued on with his conversation, "But you must have danced with someone you liked." she persisted, figuring he couldn't have gotten that bored that quickly. After a second, she quickly added, "It's Saffron by the way."

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ, No Comment]

((Just an idea :P))

Saffron nodded her head slightly in response, her grip on the bar loosening a bit. Raising an eyebrow under her mask, she smirked, "I don't blame them. We're being forced to dance with people we've never met before and expect to be married in less than 24 hours. I wouldn't be surprised if you made them cry." Saffron added a bit playfully.

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ, No Comment]

Saffron raised an eyebrow under her mask in amusement, "That must be some mom you got there. Is she happy that you came to the ball?" she asked him, shifting her posture to a more comfortable one, figuring he had probably figured out she was blind by now but just was being polite and it say anything.

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ, No Comment]

"If you don't mind me asking, why?" Maybe she didn't want to let go of her son for another year? Saffron's parents had pretty much pushed her out the door, waiting for her to find someone to bring home like all of her other older siblings, and not disappear like her sister. She had smiled at them, but honestly, she couldn't just go around and talk to every person she felt like.

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ, No Comment]

"At least you can see it..." Saffron muttered under her breath, refferng to his beautiful comment. She had no idea how the place looked besides the bridge and a pond and moon from what Gwen had described to her. Tilting her he'd up slightly, she responded, "Well, I can't really just waltz into the ballroom, it's a bit harder for me."

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ, No Comment]

Saffron smirked and shook her head a bit, pretty sure he either disses beig a smart-Alec or he really didn't catch her sarcasm at all. But hey, he was bring nice to her about it, at least he was doing that for her. "It's okay," she said reassuringly, having not meant for him to hear that comment. "And you sound pretty sure of that." He really did sound certain, which made her wonder what exactly he was thinking at the moment.

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ, No Comment]

Maxim, taking dance classes? She never pictured him as a dancer in the mental picture she had of him. But hey, she could be completely wrong on that as well. "You took dance? That's different, I took a couple classes myself, but nothing major." Saffron waved her had a bit, not wanting him to conclude anything about her. This mother of his sounded demanding, she wondered how the woman acted normally.

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ, No Comment]

Letting out a soft laugh, Saffron shook her head slightly, "You do wonderful impressions of women's voices." she complimented, wondering what exactly his face expression was at that moment. At the question about her, she shrugged her shoulders slightly, "Umm...my parents just wanted me to be ready for today and they just had me learn basic ones like the waltz." Saffron hadn't really liked dancing then, she had felt so clumsy back then, but now she was a bit better, didn't mean she liked it any more.

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ, No Comment]

Saffron shrugged, having not meant to look like she had been against dancing. It was a silky thing after all that people apparently met people this way. Plus, she'd danced with Andrew and has been okay with it. Maybe because she had been smiling too much to notice. "I don't know, it's just different for me than everyone else, yea...it causes a lot of delema in my life." she added, trying to make it a light subject. She didn't really care about it as much as most people thought and could actually handle herself if they gave her the chance.

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ, No Comment]

Pausing for a moment, Saffron bit her lip and played with a piece of wood on the railing she was currently holding onto. It's not like she could gaze out at the lake or anything, but instead needed to answer his question. "I...I guess I like to take walks, or listen to the sounds around me, or even writ's a little...". She paused, limit it better when the conversation was based off of him and not her. "I don't know," Saffron added softly, tilting her head down again.

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ, No Comment]

So many questions, but Saffron smirked, knowing exactly how to answer them. "Ummm...yes, I agree, a lot of stuff and...it's complicated." it seemed easy enough and he seemed to be making comments on so many things enough, it seemed like a logical way to answer him. Plus, Saffron found it a lot more fun that way.

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ, No Comment]

Hmm...what made him ask so many questions now? But Saffron didn't mind too much, he wanted to know about her, and he had a right to. There was nothing wrong with that. "It's okay, I don't mind." she said to him reassuringly. "And if you want I know, poems, but I'm not the one that writes them down, I say them and my mom does it for me." Saffron didn't really explain this to everyone, mostly nobody, but he had asked the questions just right so she had to play the card. Hopefully he didn't find it weird or anything.

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ, No Comment]

She shrugged, not really taking the compliment more than something that most people were suppose to say about them. Saffron hadn't really told anyone any of them, it was more of a thing she did by herself that helped her express her feelings of frustration in a different way. "Yea, I guess. It's just something I find fun doing." she replied quietly, brushing one of her brown curls behind her shoulder.

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ, No Comment]

((Oh, haha, that works too :P))

Hearing silence, Saffron knew that Maxim was thinking the conversation was over. He had his minute to get to know her, and apparently didn't like it. Sighing, she gripped her white cane, "Well, it was nice meeting you Maxim, but I think you better get back inside and dance with more girls before all the good ones are taken." she said teasingly, letting go of the bar and slowly making her way off the bridge.

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ, No Comment]

((what?! No, not even close))

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ, No Comment]

((What? Oh, no, it's far from it :P))

[[ constellation mokke ]]

Celestica walked beside the pond, going in the direction where the bridge was located at. She watched koi fish swim around in circles with a soft smile on her face. Watching the koi fish swimming in circles reminded her of her siblings who would sometimes chase each other around the house or outside, except for the fact that the koi fish doesn't laugh while chasing another one of its kind.

"Isn't," Celestica started softly. "Peaceful here? There are no sounds here, with the exception of the wind and perhaps the water." She said as she started up the bridge slowly.

[Allie]

Alex nodded, "Yeah, it is peaceful." he said, the sound of the water was calming. "I don't feel angry anymore." he said, "The water, it's calming." he said mesmerized, "My temper feels miles away." he said grinning down at the water. It was all so quiet and peaceful here, he loved it, almost as much as the dancing.

[[ constellation mokke ]]

"Indeed," Celestica replied as she stopped in the middle of the bridge. She placed her hands on the railing and closed her eyes, the wind softly blowing at her direction while her hair and dress flew alongside the wind.

[Allie]

Alex nodded, and stopped right beside her. Alex looked down at the water, then back up at her. Watching her hair and dress blow in the wind. He looked down again watching the fish in the water. They had such a simple life. They were lucky. He sighed and looked down at his hands.

[[ constellation mokke ]]

"If only, if only the Masquerade was a dream," Celestica said quietly, her eyes still closed. "This peace may last for quite some time. We wouldn't have to worry about this and that." She slowly opened her eyes, looking forward, her eyes distant.

[Allie]

Alex nodded thougtfully, "Yeah, that's true." he said. Then he tried to imagine this place without the masquerade. He couldn't, the Masquerade is a part of their lives, even if it did seem a little silly. But it was a very important part. Plus is was sort of a tradition.