A Winged Masquerade [one x one]

[Rivkah]

Kane

The boy practically smiled from ear to ear as she accepted. He lightly took her hand with a small dip of his head. Bowing would be a bit clumsy due to how large his wings were, and the last thing he wanted was to make a fool of himself in front of her again. He brought her into the standard dancing position, leading as the music hit its crescendo, growing louder in volume and even more enchanting. Kane was just relieved that his parents had forced him to take dancing lessons; it was something traditional in a winged household. If you didn't know how to dance, you were shunned by the others. And heaven knows he didn't want to give them another excuse to point out how he wasn't perfect.

He took a moment to study her, though he never once lost time with the music. McKenzie was rather petite, but all women that were winged were supposed to be. Her wings were also quite spectacular; beautiful just as they were supposed to be. They weren't plain or even ugly like his were. They were just the right size, and merely for show.

Thinking back to the first time they met, however, Kane realized that she wasn't a normal winged, though she seemed to be. She was quiet, not boastful. She didn't tease humans. She was humble, and had never once blamed him, even though he had been a clumsy oaf. Not at all like a winged. On the other hand, he hadn't acted that way toward her, but everyone knew that Kane was the ugly duckling... In more than one sense. Biting his lip at the thought, he shook it from his mind and let the smile tug on his lips again.

"You look beautiful tonight, McKenzie," he said softly, listening to the music and slowly as everyone else on the floor did. If you went out of sync, even for a moment, it was like a felony. One he did not wish to commit, not now and not ever. He watched the musicians out of the corner of his eye, though most of the attention was focused on the woman dancing with him.

[rose;]

roѕαlιe
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Rose blushed as he swept her onto the dance floor, her hands resting on his arms. She didn't quite know why she was doing such things to herself- this was only going to end in hurt. They were all the same- the winged. The boys picked a girl just to play with, and made them feel special- but in the end, they knew they had only done it to break the girls heart on the end. Is that what he was doing? Was he only making her feel good now to make her feel horrible in the end? She'd listened to the other girls in the castle, listened how they cried and sobbed about how they'd been stood up or something similar. She couldn't stop herself though- such a warm feeling spread through her when he brought her close, and she didn't understand quite why, but it didn't matter at the moment anyway.

He had nice arms. No, really, that was what she thought. It was where her hands rested upon, and she could feel the tight muscles beneath the shirt he wore- not like the human boys who hauled bales of hay, but it was there nonetheless. She shifted her hands to his shoulder which brought her closer, and she only blushed more deeply. Surprisingly, Rose did know how to dance a small bit. She use to have to take two of the girls to dance classes- one if the young ones and one of the older ones, and so she'd been able to learn a few things. However, she wasn't as good as any of the other winged were. She made mistakes left and right, often stepping on his feet. She kept her eyes mostly on her feet as she tried not to as much as possible.

Such concentration on her feet and trying not to make to much of a fool of herself, she almost didn't catch his comment. "O-oh th-thank you," she managed to stutter, glancing up for a moment, and her cheeks flushed red again after finally having gone back to their normal shade. She proceeded to step on his foot in that moment and looked down again, shaking her head. She tried to think of something- just anything she could say to compliment, but nothing came to mind. Really? Not one thing... Abruptly but gently she pulled away from him, feeling a become familiar feeling behind her eyes that meant she might cry, and she stammered an apology. She looked down at her feet, giving a shake of her head. "I'm sure there's many other girls you could ask to dance who won't keep stepping on your feet... " She bit her lip, "I'm terribly sorry... but it really seems as if I'm horrible at this, and I feel as if I'm embarrassing both of us..."

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[Rivkah]

Kane

Kane guided his dance partner to the side as the song ended. Smiling gently, he gave a polite nod of the head and replied, "Please don't worry about it. I am a bit of a klutz myself. I just wanted to make your time worthwhile." The winged boy cleared his throat, rather embarrassed. He felt like an ugly duckling... except he wasn't sure he would become a swan. In truth, he was hardly as perfect as the other winged. His wings, for crying out loud, were modeled after a raven; a scavenger bird that ate carrion. Just the thought made him sick.

Feeling rather foolish, he Kane took a step back. Coughing, he said quietly, "I hope I am not wasting your time." He then thought and added, "Though if your dancing does concern you, I would be happy to help." No! That was not the right thing to say. Winged girls hated it when you pointed out they weren't possibly perfect at something. Hiding his face, Kane felt himself go red with embarrassment. He was horrible and anti-social, especially with his own kind. He would much rather talk to some of human servants; though he wasn't allowed to be seen with them. When he was, people often asked, "Why aren't you one, if you like them so much?" If winged would stop and think, they'd realize the two species were really cousins. Really, you'd think they'd have a bit more respect, since it was Kane who had worked hard to get this mansion up and running for them after the damage done. His whole family had worked to have this built. Ironic, if you think about it.

This was not going to work out. He was probably shameful to her. His best chance was to leave. Oh why, why couldn't he be as smooth a talker as the rest of the males like him? He felt humiliated, though he was grateful she had done nothing to mock him. Yet. Nervously, he took another step back. She probably thought him a fool. Indeed, so did he. Sighing, he said, "I am deeply sorry. Pleas enjoy your night." With that, the awkward young man turned to walk away. It was the best thing to do. She wouldn't want him wasting the rest of her evening, or worse, ruining it like he had that first night.

[rose;]

roѕαlιe
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Ignis growled lowly, his claws digging into Rose's skin, making her suck in a rather sharp breath through her teeth as it hurt a bit more than usual. He slowly released his grip, but it was clear he did not like Kane and had made that very clear by the two times he'd bitten the winged boy. Rose couldn't figure out quite why really, only that it was because he was winged, and Ignis did not know him well. It was her biggest fear- someone would recognize the dragon, and that would draw attention to her. A human with a dragon wasn't uncommon, but a winged? That definitely was. By nature, the dragons just didn't trust them, for whatever reason.

Rose was beyond flustered, and she shook her head quickly. "No, you're not wasting my time, I was afraid I was wasting yours..." she managed to say quickly, but she tripped over her words, and most were mumbled and hardly coherent. She blushed once more, which was seeming to become her natural shade at this rate. She was touched when he offered to help her learn how to dance better, but he seemed to turn sour at the very thought, and she didn't know if it was because he hadn't thought before he had asked, or if was because of something else. She wasn't given much time to think either though, and she had already reached out her hand, gripping his arm. "Please do teach me, I would be delighted," she said quickly, her eyes wide and almost pleading.

She dropped her hand almost as quickly as she'd reached out, and looked down,worrying that she'd jumped a bit too much for it. "Or... or we could take a walk in the garden," she suggested, but cursed herself ater saying that. She didn't want to make it sem like she was looking for a chance to be alone with him for those sorts of reasons that might come to mind, but she really did want to see the gardens and actually have time to linger there and view all the pretty flowers, instead of being rushed to get out again like the servants were. It wasn't like anyone was ever there...

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[Rivkah]

Kane felt strangely unsettled by the dragon on her shoulder. He seemed to be unpopular with the creatures, as he had the displeasure of being bitten on more than one occasion. Dragons were not to be crossed. Indeed, they shared a dislike for any and all of the winged. Kane fiercely envied any fortunate person able to tame those magnificent beasts. He had no such luck. In particular, quite the opposite. They loathed him, apparently. However, he was relieved to discover that she did not think he was wasting her time.

Pleased with himself, he tipped his head politely as she spoke. "It would be an honor to teach such a fine lady," he said in a cheerful tone. He imagined it in his head - he could teach her waltzes and lively dances and show her moves most winged didn't know. It would indeed be a privilege for him to do such a thing. His eyes sparkled as she mentioned the garden. "Why not? My favorite place," he said in a jovial tone.

Suddenly with a renewed energy, the boy took hold of her hand, fingers twining with hers. He weaved deftly through the crowd, leading her toward the arcing doorway of the ballroom. Stepping into the hall with her, Kane proceeded to escort her through the halls and out to the magnificent garden. There, flowers with swet aromas wafted, waving in the evening breeze. Trees of all shapes, sizes and types lines the cobbled pathes. Bushes bloomed and sat there, neatly sculpted. He offered her his arm so to properly escort her through it all.

[rose;]

roѕαlιe
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Rose blushed slightly, feeling her cheeks grow even more red. "Thank you," she said softly, quite looking forward to learning how to dance. She'd been disappointed when she no longer had to take the girls to their lessons- even though she was not able to so any dancing I was fun to watch them and try to repeat the steps when she was alone, although she had never been able to master the complicated steps, and she'd forgotten most of the patterns of the dances. It was fun though, and she was eager to learn. She was always eager to learn- anything really. She hadn't ever been properly educated, and therefore couldn't read, but she had learned to cook from the maids in the kitchen, and loved it. She wanted to learn, but she did not have the chance to.

When he grabbed her hand so enthusiastically Rose gasped and Ignis growled, his head whipping to glare at the hand gripping Rose's. "Be nice," she hissed at the dragon, before turning to him and giving a smile. She came along easily, having to step quickly to keep up with his pace. He did seem rather eager, but that was alright. She was excited to be able to see the garden and be able to really see them not just the small glances she usually got.

When they emerged in the gardens, Rose was speechless. She slowed considerably, his grip on her hand restricting her from stopping completely. She gazed all around, walking slowly farther into the garden. She looked over and eyed his arm skeptically, before slowly reaching over and laying her hand there gently with a hesitant smile. She then reached out and stroked her hand over a flower, her smile and look in her eye saying she was happy as could be. "It's so pretty," she said softly, wonder in her voice. "I can see why it would be your favorite place." She didn't dare pick one or she might have, but she didn't want to ruin anything, and didn't know if anyone was allowed to do that. She liked the sweet, light smell that filled the cool air, just a light perfume, but it was making Ignis sneeze.

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[Rivkah]

Kane

Kane smiled over at her. "Oh yes, I find it lovely. Simply... inspiring." He laughed softly, a lightly, friendly smile on his face as he watched her wonder. "I suppose you don't visit here much?" he mused. It was so beautiful out here. The night sent out the fireflies, and the birds were stopping in their singing. You could hear crickets chirping. So tranquil... He found it immensely more satisfying than the half-crowded dance floor. In fact, this garden was almost always empty. He was its only regular, strangely enough. He shook his head, smiling as he pondered to himself. This was all amazing... and he got to share such an experience with her. She was a radiance of serenity, she was at one with the garden, almost.

He then offered her a hand and asked teasingly, "May I teach you this dance?" The music had become so loud you could hear it from the garden. It was soft, yet at a tempo where it wasn't too straining to hear. He smirked a bit, stifling a yawn so he wouldn't seem tired. This dance was a simple one, but if you couldn't keep up then you would quickly become lost. It was fast-paced without being too fleeting to see. He rather liked this one. It was the Corico, if he was correct.

Musing to himself, he continued to offer her his hand, waiting to see if she would want to dance or not. It was a long one, so even if she hesitated and did not accept his invitation just that moment, they wouldn't be completely lost to the song. It was a win-win in his opinion, because if she accepted right this instant, than they would have more time to dance. He quite liked his choice of the song. Smiling to himself, he watched her, studying her from beneath his mask. She looked gorgeous tonight, but he dare not say that aloud. Her dragon might decide it was a good lesson moment and take another bite out of him. He thought for a moment that he may indeed be a dragon attraction, for at least an excuse to bite someone.

{{ Happy new year! }}

[rose;]

roѕαlιe
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"No, I've never been able to stay our here for long..." she said, a soft, gentle smile appearing on her face as she reached out to touch another one of the flowers. She gasped in joyous surprise as the flower closed up in the blink of an eye though, and she looked to Kane with an expression of great surprise before a laugh bubbled up in her chest, making her laugh lightly, happily. A more true laugh than she had in a long time. It was just wondrous out here, a certain air of myth and wonder out here. A perfect place to learn to dance.

When he asked her to dance, the young girl hesitated only a moment, before smiling once more, her eyes lighting up. "Of course," she said, but she first removed the dragon from her shoulder, setting him down on the stone wall surrounding the flowers. He looked at her in what she knew was surprise, and she ran her hand along him. "Behave," she said firmly, and even though he looked grumpy she knew he would. Rose quickly pulled her hair browsed to cover her shoulder, still ashamed and worried about the scar their. She didn't want him to be repulsed by the discolored skin there...

Rose turned back to him and gently placed her hand in his, her heart in her throat out of nervousness, but one look around the empty and nearly dark garden have her courage once more and she relaxed. The music floating out the open windows and doors was just loud enough and not too loud, and quite enjoyable. "Ready," she said with a smile, very eager to start learning.

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[Rivkah]

Kane

At her eager attitude, Kane smiled gently. He then placed her free hand on his shoulder and his on her waist. "Two steps forward, two steps back. You're supposed to be getting fast each time you do it, and then slowing down at the end. Not too hard." He smiled at her cheerfully, before following suit. Two steps forward, two steps back. Then, two steps left, two steps forward. Two steps back, two steps right. It was easy to do if you didn't focus too much on your feet, but rather the rhythm of the music.

Every so often his hand would leave her side and he'd pull away lightly, extending the arm that was in hers so she could duck under it and spin a bit, as the dance called for. "Two steps forward, two steps back, two steps left, two steps forward, two steps back, two steps right. Got it?" he said lightly as he resume the original position with her, going faster each time. Then, as he heard the tempo slow down, their dancing did as well. He shook his head to rid himself of his shaggy brown hair, and he grinned down at her cheerfully. The song was lively but soft at the same time. He loved it. It was comforting, almost.

The song eventually ended, though occasionally he would go out of beat with it to help her pick up from a mistake. He stopped, letting his hands fall back to his sides. He smiled at her, chuckling softly. "You aren't that bad a dancer," he commented cheerfully. "A couple good lessons and you'll be really talented. If you came to the balls more often, I'd be happy to teach you out here," he offered hopefully.

[rose;]

roѕαlιe
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Rose nodded at his instruction, looking rather serious and worried. She didn't want to mess up too badly- perhaps he'd even say that he could no longer teacher her. He didn't give her much time to longer upon that though, before he was pulling her along. She was rather startled and worried as they started out, quite tense. She was looking down at her feet, just breathing the steps to herself. It wasn't hard to find the beat with the song though, and she soon was glancing up, relaxing slowly.

The song was lovely, Rose had to admit. The twirls was what she found much fun, and she laughed lightly as she ducked under his arm. She had all but forgotten about the blemish on her skin, and her hair had fallen away, exposing it in whole. The back of her dress did come up far enough to cover some of it, but not most of it. He had viewed it before though, she was sure of it. It wasn't easily passed by... But, no use thinking of such things. She was grinning by the time the music was slowing, her rhythm growing much better now that they weren't going quite so fast. It was simple, but a bit hard to keep up with on your first time.

Rose grew disappointed when he drew away, sad the song had come to an end. But, there would always be more. "Thank you," she said softly, smiling at the praise. A breeze rustled the flowers and leaves of the garden, blowing about strands of her hair with it. Ignis crawled his way back up her arm, claws digging into skin as he came to rest on her shoulder. His expression when he asked if she'd be back, his hopefulness, made her feel bad even thinking about not returning. How much fun she'd had was making her want to return, even if this was some trickery. "Once a week?" She asked shyly, looking down as she asked. She didn't see why this wouldn't work for herself- she'd be able to come but not be too tired to do her work. He might be a bit disappointed, but what matter. "My mother doesn't like me to come," she gave as an excuse, not even the smallest hint of guilt at her lie. He'd never know...

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