17 Apr 2023, 22:13
Escaping
Continued from the Virtanen Yule Ball with @Alec Mason
Opeila had fled. Fled from the stables, from this oddly tense situation she had suddenly found herself in with Hadrian, an American who was a few years older and betrothed to another girl. She should have stopped the whole situation from happening right away. Shouldn't have agreed to leave the banquet hall in the first place, what had she been doing?
Now she returned, her face a little reddened from the run and her ankle aching a little from twisting during her little jog back. Everything, the darkness, the solitude, it all had spooked her out of nowhere and she felt quite relieved to be back among people. Now where to hide? Opeila didn't want to converse with Miles, didn't want to face any of this. In truth, she could only flee from one uncomfortable situation into the next, or so it seemed.
Except- Opeila spotted a face between the guests, a familiar face that she only connected to pleasant memories. Quickly she made her way past the people before the Virtanens or the Ravensburgs or her grandfather could see that she was back. If they saw her now with a guest, surely they would leave her alone, right? She was just... being a good host?
The young Slytherin would stop next to her classmate, still a little out of breath. "Hi. I hope you don't mind being my shield from them for a few moments, they won't bother me when I talk to a guest.", she would say straight up. Opeila didn't feel like pretending something here and Alec... well, Alec had seen a lot more of her unfiltered self than she liked. What was a little more?
"How are you enjoying the ball?"
29 Apr 2023, 18:58
Escaping
The Virtanen's spared no expense. The banquet hall was gorgeous. It had been hard for Alec not to oggle on his entrance. The feeling continued to persist even now that he had the time now to get a proper look. The effect of even a room as dazzling as this should have been nothing to him. Alec's parents were socialites. They had always loved attending events like these. He'd seen so many beautiful places time and time again, the effect never wore for him. He'd grown up modestly in comparison to living in a manner. Smack dab in the middle of suburbia. His parents were always the type to indulge, they had always spent ridiculous amounts of money on clothing and unimportant things.
The house he'd grown up in was cozy, he'd always felt it charming for it's lack of the exuberant nature his parent's friends houses had. His fondness for his childhood home didn't keep him from wondering why the house he'd grown up in was so modest compared to the circle of people he'd been surrounded by as a child. Alec had always assumed they couldn't afford manor. He was surprised when he came to find out they could afford much more than a manor. A question for the ages, he'd accepted he'd likely never know the real reason as to why. And maybe he didn't need to know.
With the conclusion to his train of thoughts he would realize just how easily he had become lost in his thoughts. Alec had comfortably positioned himself off to the side of the room. He stood with his hands in his pockets watching as people spoke and danced. He would usually take the chance to socialize and he had been planning to when he had decided to go a while back. But that was not what he wanted to do tonight. There was nobody here to force him to socialize and because he didn't want to, he wouldn't.
Alec needed a break. He was glad to be out of the house. If he had to spend another minute with his father he was going to explode. They weren't on the best of terms at the moment. He had his regrets for even choosing to come home for winter break at all. At least there was the ball, at this point it would have to be the highlight of winter break. Alec let out a breath unaware he been holding back, shoulders relaxing as he let himself take in the moment.
Alec eyes scanned the room, stopping on Kim(Kim Sato) and watching him. It wasn't a surprise that Kim was here, Alec could probably recognize more people if he put the effort into it. He almost wondered if- Alec's thoughts were interrupted by a slightly out of breath Opeila.
"Hi. I hope you don't mind being my shield from them for a few moments, they won't bother me when I talk to a guest."
Wide-eyed and startled by her sudden appearance it took Alec a moment to compose himself before slowly nodding. “Not at all.” Despite his lack of patience to converse with anybody at the ball, he was more than willing to converse with Opeila; given the nature of what had brought the two closer this wasn't surprising.
"How are you enjoying the ball?"
Ah. So they weren't going to address her appearing in front of him frantic and somewhat out of breath. He was curious, but, If Opeila didn't bring it up; Alec trusted that he didn't need to know. “It's nice.” Alec lacked more to say on the subject, it had been his initial and only thought on it. Alec didn't think he be having to come up with small talk or continue a conversation, he was a little off his game. “Have the Virtanens hosted a ball before; or is this their first?”
@Opeila Winters
1 May 2023, 23:29
Escaping
@Alec Mason
Opeila registered his slightly startled expression and immediately regretted approaching him so rapidly out of nowhere. "I'm sorry... I uh-" She looked over her shoulder, at the door she had just entered the room through, and shook her head. "It just got... weird. Never mind." Way to make a situation less confusing!
She was glad that Alec went along with her attempt at small talk. Nothing had happened really outside, but the weird tension that had come up made her feel confused enough to have to sort her own thoughts about it before telling someone else about it.
"Since I moved in they have hosted one other thing, a New Year's Banquet last year." She paused for a moment. Almost automatically her gaze had wandered until it found Miles. Eavesdropping at the door with him was still a vivid memory and she still felt slightly ashamed for the way she had treated him afterwards.
How did she feel about Miles now? There was not and never had been the slightest bit of romantic chemistry between the two of them and Opeila still wanted to keep a healthy distance from the kid, but other than that... She did care as much as not wanting him hurt or in danger, which was as much as she could say about any kid she ever met. Well... except for Kyle DeRook maybe, that guy was something else entirely.
"I'm sure they have hosted a lot more before that too. Does your family host parties like this sometimes as well?"