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Post by Roderich Edelstein on May 22, 2011 17:51:09 GMT -8
Roderich was distracted. So distracted he missed a note.
Twice.
The piece was simple enough, and he'd caught Gilbert staring so it was a simple matter to arrange his music so the captain could more easily read over his shoulder. His eyes found Ludwig (simple really - that man was huge for a waiter at a fancy dress party - perhaps he should have done something else) and trailed down to find Lily.
The first note was missed when Lily darted behind Ludwig in apparent terror. The second, when Ludwig took a rather threatening stance.
Quickly turning back to his music under the glare of the cellist, he tried to formulate a plan. What to do if she had some sort of enemy here?
Gilbert seemed distracted. Damn. It's not like he could talk to him here, he was in the middle of playing. And what was he supposed to do mid-song if there were problems? A cold trickle of sweat worked its way down is back as the Austrian tried his best not to panic.
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Post by bermuda on Jun 14, 2011 7:53:04 GMT -8
[Promised Dorra I would finally get to this. OTL sorry for taking ages >:]
Henry listened slightly to what the man said to them, though he recognized it for a greeting filled with hollow attempted flattery. As much as he wanted to take the words as genuine, he reminded himself he was dealing with nobles and military men here, and neither ever spoke the truth about anything. As much as Anais was blissfully ignorant, Henry was silently observant and cautious. What they were doing was dangerous, and he needed to be on his toes, but in a careful sort of way. In a way such that his hesitance could be mistaken as nerves.
He regarded Afonso calmly, albeit a little nervously, the man seemed so overprotective of Anais. At his warning to them to be careful, and to wear their masks, Anais quickly put hers on. It was beautiful, a lovely butterfly shape, he liked it. Quietly he slipped his own on, a rather simple mask that appeared to be shaped to appear like a turtles' shell pattern, a reminder of his island homeland no doubt. What sent a shiver down his spine however was the look that the Portugese man fixed upon him, and he felt suddenly more aware of how well he needed to protect Anais no matter what happened.
Quietly he let Anais lead him, and he took the time to observe their surroundings. Though quickly his attention was recaptured by her as she spoke up. He had little time to ponder her question before she asked it, and he smiled shyly. "Of course." And with those words he would sweep her up into a dance, careful and almost loving if one looked hard enough. They had a show to put on, and a treasure to win fairly. And Henry...well...Henry had a beautiful girl to impress.
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Post by Andorra on Jun 14, 2011 18:28:47 GMT -8
Anaïs could say, at the very least, that she was thoroughly impressed by Henry's dancing. It was swift and gentle, easy to follow but beautiful to watch. She was absolutely beaming at him as he lifted her up and twirled her around, and she could tell by his face that he was having a good time too. They followed the music to the dime, picking up speed as the music became faster, to the slow and sweet sway when the music turned to a more calm and romantic tune. Anaïs never tore her eyes away from him, and neither did he. She didn't notice that some of the crowd were watching them, murmuring a few 'awws' and 'How lovely!'. To her, it didn't matter. It wasn't long for her to temporarily forget why they were here and their purpose. All that mattered to her right now was him.
And gosh, was it ever fun.
Thinking about it logically...wouldn't this be called something? She pondered to herself. It was so true that she enjoyed his company the most, what she sought out when she felt lonely or not. The one she would sing to the most at dinnertime and craved approval from. What was that called? It had to be something. Why did her heart beat faster around him, why did her legs turn to jelly if he patted her shoulder? What was it called when you wanted to be with someone forever?
She pondered and pondered. If I were someone else, seeing this from a distance...what would I say to that person?
That answer came to her surprisingly fast.
I would say they are in love.
....I'm in love with Henry.
It finally dawned on her, that feeling she didn't know. Of course, how foolish could she be? It's been love for a long time. Her face changed as this realization hit her, a dazed and glossed over eyes spread across her features. She kept dancing and she kept up, but as she stared at his face, she was no longer staring at the face of her best friend. She was staring at the face of the man she loved.
Her cheeks flushed, but she did not look away. The song had finished and the dance over. The crowd broke into applause, but she still didn't notice them. He held her up, in a flashy pose for the end of the song. He slowly put her down, panting as the dance was quite the exercise. In her burst of feelings, the adrenalin, and the fact that she had never realized, no, repressed these feelings for so long, she smiled at him, her best loving smile and confessed. "I'm in love with you Henry!" she said with true sincerity and glee, as she stood on her tippy toes and kissed him softly on the lips.
His lips were very soft and warm. She didn't know how long she kissed him for, to her it felt like hours, glorious hours.
But unfortunately, she finally remembered why they were there.
And that they were in a crowd of hundreds.
Her face turned crimson, and she moved back, bringing the sweet kiss to a sudden end. The crowd however, thoroughly enjoyed it, applauding even louder. To them, they were already a couple anyway, so there was nothing out of the ordinary for them. They must have found them incredibly sweet. According...to plan? She guessed? She looked down, her anxiety and embarrassment overwhelming her. She couldn't look at him in the eye.
Ahhh, what do I do now?!
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Jun 21, 2011 14:41:03 GMT -8
"Thank God." Arthur breathed out, stuttering on the intake. He was suddenly very glad for the fact that he was wearing a mask as it suddenly became hard to see. "Thank God you're okay, Lily... I thought... I thought I got you killed." If anyone looked close, they would manage to see a drop of water fall off the the end of the mask shortly before Arthur's hand came up to cover his mouth.
He had no idea who the tall blond Lily was hiding behind was - was that, perhaps, her brother she had been searching for? Did she leave his crew because she had finally managed to find her family? He certainly hoped so.
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Post by Liechtenstein on Jun 28, 2011 14:01:51 GMT -8
Lily remained behind Ludwig, clutching her tray to her chest, suddenly grateful it had been empty. She was grateful to be with the German too, as he immediately shielded her. Though distantly she knew that wasn’t necessary. Even if he was angry, Arthur wouldn’t try to hurt her. Right?
The stuttering intake was what made her finally peek out from behind her friend. Her former Captain didn’t look angry at her. Actually it looked like…
Her fear was suddenly forgotten as she hurried out from behind Ludwig with the intention of rushing forward. At the last minute she managed to catch herself, remaining firmly planted at the German’s side. And after a moment or so of internal debate while she just stared at her former Captain she acted. Fishing a handkerchief out of her pocket (one of the ones she had used to practice the embroidery he’d taught her on) she held it out to him. ”Do-Don’t cry Cap- I mean, Herr Kirkland…”
Right… This probably wasn’t the best place to talk. Trying to fight down her own panic mixed with the need to join Arthur in crying she looked up at Ludwig. They needed to continue this conversation away from so many eyes. ”Ludwig, do you know where we can talk without ease droppers..?” All she could think of was the bustling kitchens, and that definitely wouldn’t work.
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Post by Deutschland on Jul 1, 2011 14:40:45 GMT -8
Ludwig was, at the very least, very confused about the situation. It would seem that the stranger was not a threat, but why did she hide from him? He continued to shield her, in case his instincts were wrong, but eventually Lily stepped out of his protection and stood beside him. He looked back at the man...was that a tear? But what really cemented the situation was what Lily said. Ludwig played her desperate voice again and again in his mind; "Cap- I mean, Herr Kirkland..." Cap? Was she about to call him captain?
Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. This man was her former captain. He, like Lily, had assumed this man had died on that day Gilbert found her. That's when Ludwig started to feel...afraid.
Her former captain is alive. Will she...will she go back? Will she leave the Imperial Eagle? He gritted his teeth. No! He looked at her again. Please don't leave us. We need you. But of course, he never said it out loud.
He tried to hide his sad eyes when she asked him to take them somewhere more private. "Right..." He said feebly. "Well, with the guests preoccupied in here....the art gallery might be quiet..."
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