tampered | (no subject)

WINTER GALA IS OPEN ~ !

Seen the sign? It’s everywhere.

And every little corner, and every little street, strident and glistening and snow everywhere. Statue here, statue there – North, South, East, West – they do call it the Square. There’s word they’re war heroes, or troubled hallows, or nothing of the sort. That might be ice they’re sculpted in – or the sliver in some champagne glass, because giants drink too, and the City knows things. The City doesn’t tell.

But the tap those statues once or twice, and tap them strong, and tap them well, and they’ll whisper a secret. The little Elf army scuttling about has seen better days for wear (mostly Thursdays), but they’re only three feet tall, and the silver powder on their cheek’s both rigidly applied, and rented. Kick’em. They’re fluent in seven languages, you know. They have a degree. Naghladi’gjamarai got a Nobel nomination last year; no one knows. The human reporter didn’t look down to his knee when he was interviewing. Humans, so damned righteous.

Like the lights everywhere can never go out.

Like they’re the first ones here, dancing all too merry.

Like it’s their celebration.

Like it’s not all coming out of their City taxes.

Idiots.

[ooc: OK, kids, as per Jesse instructions: please title your comment + replies in such a way that you mention if they're directed at anyone in particular. Free-for-all ball, enjoy ~ ! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Vash smiled and shrugged a little, guiding Asuka into a simple waltz.

"Now, now, she's very nice!" he said. "She keeps to herself, but that's just because she can be a bit independent. But never mind about that, tell me how you've been! Did you get the dress I got you for Christmas?"

"I did~!" Asuka practically squealed in reply, before pouting to accent her next words. "But they did nothing to show off my body! You didn't possibly think I couldn't pull off something sexier, did you?"

Her voice was positively menacing, but she was still letting him guide the waltz. She wasn't as angry at him as she seemed to be, really.

Vash raised an eyebrow at the young girl. Sexier? He had a feeling this girl would turn out to be one of those women who wore revealing clothing and screamed at men for looking at what she had on display.

"And have all the perverts around here looking at you?" Vash said. "No, thanks. I'm sure you can take care of yourself, but that doesn't mean you should invite more trouble. What would Wolfwood think?"

Actually, she already was one of those women. Only, she did not qualify the age requirement to be referred to as a woman yet. Not that it deterred her from acting in exactly the same way less a lot of maturity.

"Wolfwood would think I look good," she defended herself. "I'd never get anyone to dance with if I wore that dress!"

"Well, except for you," she corrected herself. "And that's just because you think of me as a kid."

"Actually," Vash corrected, "I think Wolfwood would throw a fit. And what's wrong with the dress I got you?! I think it's really pretty!"

He twirled her around and took the opportunity to roll his eyes. What was it with girls, anyway?

"I think of almost everyone as a kid," he informed her as they came face-to-face again. "You shouldn't take it personally."

"No, he won't!" Although she knew that he would.

Even after yelling at him, she made a giggle when he twirled her around. She was definitely not the best dancer around, but she couldn't care less. At least it was fun.

"You think of Wolfwood as an equal," she retorted.

Vash smiled a bit as Asuka laughed and made an exaggerated thinking face at her last remark.

"Only some of the time," he said with a grin. "He's just as much of a kid as the rest of you more often than not, you know. Not that there's anything wrong with that."

She laughed at that, "one true thing you've said tonight."

Asuka looked into the distance in thought for a moment, trying not to meet his eyes, "you think of me as an equal some of the time?"

Vash smiled again. "Even kids are equals as people, you know," he pointed out. "They're just a bit younger than some, that's all."