Scene #659: The dance within a ball

Owner	Pose
Nephrite	Without waiting for Jadeite to grant any more permission, and ignoring the matter of the screaming notification sound, he and Naru both head towards those doors. He opens them with a casual gesture that looks from a distance as though he opened them manually, but they just part on their own without him touching them. No doubt about who he is, if ever there could have been. Then it is out onto the veranda, overlooking the surrounding grounds of the fancy hotel. The doors are left partly open to allow for music, but are mostly closed to deny anyone else's voice the opportunity to interrupt them. Nephrite bows formally, one arm behind his back, smiling at Naru from behind his domino mask. "It truly is good to see you. It is embarrassing to admit, but the primary reason I even came here was for this chance." Voices and music, and phone notifications drift out of those mostly closed doors towards Naru and Nephrite on the balcony, but Naru returns the formal bow with one of her own, accompanied by a smile of her own. "It is good to finally see you.. in circumstances that permit conversation." She's not unconscious, or recently shot or a youma. Much better conversational potential! "I wasn't going to come at all, but I hoped to steal a dance from you. I wasn't sure if you'd be here at all, and I'm grateful that you are." Bows accomplished, she reaches a hand out in offer to be able to pull him closer. There's music and there was a dance on offer. Certainly nothing at all about an excuse to continue to hold his hand. Nephrite is an old hand at formal dances. Part of the curriculum to be a Guardian Knight. The practiced ease is nostalgic to slip into, though he can't remember if he ever danced with anyone before. There had to be someone, right? More and more of his memories have come back, even as he has had to fight off the clutches of the darkness that dwells inside of him, a direct conduit to a manifestation of pure evil that has a claim upon his soul. That doesn't matter right now though. Right now is a chance for the two of them to just be the two of them. He doesn't want to bring up Naru's recent shooting, as it might stir memories that are at odds with the mood, but he does venture to say, "You seem to be in fine spirits tonight." as he accepts the hand offered places his other on Naru's waist, as the music plays, and the scent of flowers that bloom year-round wafts from the garden terrace below, and the stars shine bright and the Moon glows overhead. "I am also sincerely sorry about my lack of communication. The telescope was fascinating, and it was an honor to guarantee you were returned home. No thanks is needed." And here he was, avoiding topics that had negative associations. Siiiigh.
Naru Osaka	There is a certain level of calm that one must posess to retain one's sanity when faced with quite as many challenging encounters and topics as Naru rifles through in a day. Topics are, for Naru, simply topics. What has happened, has happened, and the memories don't seem to be puncturing any of that calm. "Did Hematite ever pass along the post card?" Naru asks easily enough, her hand in his, and her other hand settling at his waist. A formal dance, that appears to have been plucked out of time. Naru has clearly danced before, although she is hardly skilled at it, but enough not to utterly embarass herself. Nor does she have to pause conversation to let them begin to move to the faint sounds of the music as it drifts through the mostly closed doors. "I feel as though I need to teach all of the magical boys about the wonders of burner phones." Naru teases lightly. "Except Hematite, he has that down pat. Save for him, the whole lot of you tend to be devilishly hard to get a hold of."
Nephrite	Nephrite inclines his head apologetically. "I have them. I just don't trust them. When your chosen school of the arcane is based around connecting points and sympathetic resonance between symbols and objects, leaving traces of yourself behind on multiple instruments is something I cannot help but avoid. I just see vectors of attack from anyone with half the mind to use it against me. Having one item that I keep on me, even if it produces greater sympathy, is less of a threat." He sighs. "Not a very romantic topic, I know. I suppose I just prefer to devote myself wholly to one goal, rather than leaving bits of myself all around town." Step and step and step and turn. Step and step and step and turn. "I did receive it. Your artwork is almost as beautiful as you," he says, remembering the postcard of Aquilla. "It used to sit on the nightstand at my house. It is presently rehomed while some maintenance is being performed. It should be done before Halloween, fortunately." Then he smiles as he remembers why he cares about that at all. "Speaking of which, a costumed Halloween party is being held at my mansion. I have a written invitation for you, but wished to deliver it in person. You can bring friends if you wish."
Naru Osaka	"Then I shall continue to settle upon the fact that you are devilishly hard to get a hold of." Naru considers the notion of leaving bits of yourself available for connections. "Perhaps not a romantic topic in a conventional sense, but I would also argue that what topic is romantic is entirely based on the who of that romance." She smiles easily as they move together. "Magical theory is interesting, and that perspective is a valid one. Clearly not one that I share.. or perhaps I do, everything is from one device, but I have connections far and wide. In as much as it does leave me open, I have weighed the risk to the reward and found the scales tipped in favour of the later." Turn and step, turn and step. Step, step, turn. Naru smiles warmly at the compliment to her art, pleased. "I am glad it got to you, and that it survived the renovations. It is meant to be a touchstone, if such a thing is of value." She laughs then. "Speaking entirely of leaving bits of one's self scattered around, my art lives at your house, or will again." "Thank you." Naru replies at the invitation. "I hope that I might be able to come. I will do my best." She pauses a moment. "Any friends that you'd prefer I not invite?" She holds no illusions about how well everyone gets along with everyone else, even socially.