04-27-2019, 07:32 PM
Satsume merely sighed. "Yes. Yes, I will."
The tension was finally broken by a knock at the door. Satsume looked at Cecily, who gave him a tiny nod. He stepped past Lita and Shad and opened one of the double doors a crack.
"Yes?"
"Seamstresses, sir - is the Lady Cecilia available to be fitted for her dress?" came the reply from the other side. Satsume peered over his shoulder. Cecily laid her teacup down and began to move around from the back of the table.
"Let's talk about this some other time," said Satsume. "Everybody clear on outta here." He pulled the doors open, gesturing to his companions to vacate the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that evening...
Satsume groaned. It was loud, it was colorful, and it was quite possibly the most uncomfortable scene he could imagine himself in. The ballroom was opulent to the point of being aggressive to the eyes - all the gold, silver, and silk from the tables, to the loungeseats, stretching all the way up to the parapets. Trays of food so exotic and luxurious, Satsume could not identify them. And scattered throughout the room, hemmed in by a perimeter of decorated guardsmen, were all manner of high society - dukes, nobles, and minor lords from all over Bern, milling and dancing while wearing their most fetching costumes.
Everyone was dressed to impress. This included Satsume.
Mainly at Cecily's behest.
Shined low-cut boots, tailored navy blue pants with gold trim along the outseam, and a white and red square-shouldered, double-breasted jacket. At least I talked Cecily out of making me wear those ugly white gloves, he thought. He caught a glimpse of himself in the reflection from an empty silver platter at the nearest table. Repulsed, he reached out and flipped it face down. What the hell are you doing here, Satsume?
He scanned the room again, picking Cecily out from among the sea of colors. She was speaking with Faren. He couldn't see the look on her face, but he could only assume it was that same fake smile she had been giving him since they flew in. Heaving a sigh, he began to walk toward her, taking care to avoid eye contact with anyone. The last thing he needed was to awkwardly explain what a man of his birth was doing so far out of his element.
With Cecily only a few yards ahead of him, Satsume felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned. A young brunette in a beautiful green and gold dress stood before him. Before he could open his mouth to speak, she curtsied and held out her hand expectantly.
"Oh... uh... sorry, miss. I, uh..." Satsume gulped and looked over his shoulder to make sure Cecily was still there. In the far corner of the ballroom, musicians had begun playing an upbeat tune. He looked back at the woman who had approached him. "Uh... I'm not a good dancer."
"It's easy, I can teach you!" she said with a grin.
"E-excuse me, miss!" Satsume turned away from her and briskly made his way to Cecily's side. This can't be happening...
The tension was finally broken by a knock at the door. Satsume looked at Cecily, who gave him a tiny nod. He stepped past Lita and Shad and opened one of the double doors a crack.
"Yes?"
"Seamstresses, sir - is the Lady Cecilia available to be fitted for her dress?" came the reply from the other side. Satsume peered over his shoulder. Cecily laid her teacup down and began to move around from the back of the table.
"Let's talk about this some other time," said Satsume. "Everybody clear on outta here." He pulled the doors open, gesturing to his companions to vacate the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that evening...
Satsume groaned. It was loud, it was colorful, and it was quite possibly the most uncomfortable scene he could imagine himself in. The ballroom was opulent to the point of being aggressive to the eyes - all the gold, silver, and silk from the tables, to the loungeseats, stretching all the way up to the parapets. Trays of food so exotic and luxurious, Satsume could not identify them. And scattered throughout the room, hemmed in by a perimeter of decorated guardsmen, were all manner of high society - dukes, nobles, and minor lords from all over Bern, milling and dancing while wearing their most fetching costumes.
Everyone was dressed to impress. This included Satsume.
Mainly at Cecily's behest.
Shined low-cut boots, tailored navy blue pants with gold trim along the outseam, and a white and red square-shouldered, double-breasted jacket. At least I talked Cecily out of making me wear those ugly white gloves, he thought. He caught a glimpse of himself in the reflection from an empty silver platter at the nearest table. Repulsed, he reached out and flipped it face down. What the hell are you doing here, Satsume?
He scanned the room again, picking Cecily out from among the sea of colors. She was speaking with Faren. He couldn't see the look on her face, but he could only assume it was that same fake smile she had been giving him since they flew in. Heaving a sigh, he began to walk toward her, taking care to avoid eye contact with anyone. The last thing he needed was to awkwardly explain what a man of his birth was doing so far out of his element.
With Cecily only a few yards ahead of him, Satsume felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned. A young brunette in a beautiful green and gold dress stood before him. Before he could open his mouth to speak, she curtsied and held out her hand expectantly.
"Oh... uh... sorry, miss. I, uh..." Satsume gulped and looked over his shoulder to make sure Cecily was still there. In the far corner of the ballroom, musicians had begun playing an upbeat tune. He looked back at the woman who had approached him. "Uh... I'm not a good dancer."
"It's easy, I can teach you!" she said with a grin.
"E-excuse me, miss!" Satsume turned away from her and briskly made his way to Cecily's side. This can't be happening...
![[Image: Yukari_Sig.png]](https://image.ibb.co/g9VAaF/Yukari_Sig.png)