A Night of Revelry (OPEN)

The blue-haired girl merely shrugged, laughing to herself and saying nothing.

Claire bit the inside of her cheek, but kept quiet, dancing in silence with Jazz.

Sarah watched the two dance for a moment, then cast her gaze around the ballroom to find Antonio.

OOC: At the rate Claire is blushing, all the blood will soon rush to her head and the pressure will cause her face to explode.

Akira strolled into the ballroom, hair twisted around and draped over his shoulder simply to keep it out of the way. The wind outside the academy had caught it and blown it around for a moment before they entered, giving him a windswept, model-in-front-of-a-fan look that a few of the other girls couldn't help but notice. But, the dark expression on his face registered the same as usual; boredom. He wore a black suit and tie with a red button-up underneath, and a red pocket square to match. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at Savannah, "See? Fun."

She looked over at him, shaking her head as she toyed with the locket around her neck, a keepsake from her grandparents. "No," she corrected, looking around, "Not fun. Fun is when I can look and talk to others without being judged." Savannah smoothed out the tulle that spread from her hips. "This is the opposite of fun."

Jasmine laughed, "You're darker than your hair, Angel. You should calm down."

Antonio looked over at the younger sister, raising a brow and walking over. "Yes? You seem lost."

ooc:
Savannah's Dress (the tulle goes all the way to the floor like a ballgown):

Akira rolled his eyes, "Try to, at least? Beyril seemed awfully excited about you seeing her dress all finished."

After trying to fix her hair in the glass outside, Beyril finally exhaled to calm her nerves and stepped into the ballroom. Her hair was braided across and diagonally, so the red-and-blonde strands wove together over her shoulder. She scanned the room, trying to find someone she knew, "Claire!" she called upon seeing the first face, gathering her skirt and rushing over, "And... Jasmine, correct?"

The song to which the pair had been dancing slowly faded into nothingness, and couples began to move off the dance floor. Claire spotted Beyril, stepping back from Jazz and waving with one hand, her other twitched towards Jazz's before staying awkwardly at her side. "Beyril, h-hello... I didn't expect to see you here. I like your dress."

Sarah gave a bit of a shrug, turning around and ordering a glass of lemonade. "I expected Ace to be here. He's a pompous ass. Figured this would be a good a spot as any for him to flaunt himself around..."

Jasmine smiled and nodded to Beyril, bowing at the waist. "Call me Jazz. How are you, Beyril?" She reached her hand over to take Claire's, smiling sweetly as though nothing unusual happened.

Antonio laughed, "Just wait. It may take a while but there's no reason for him to not be here." He tapped on the bar, requested a virgin cocktail and a coke.

Savannah sighed, "Yes, I am well aware of this, but where is-Oh." She paused, seeing the sudden streak of black and white as the girl darted across the dance floor and separated Jasmine and Claire. "Well... this is about to get... exciting."

"Nervous." she admitted, "I've never gotten so dressed up for anything before!" Beyril laughed off her blush, twisting a ring idly around her finger, "It's odd, but nice to get to feel girly for a night."

Akira raised a brow, "With Jasmine Smith?" he asked, anticipating the look of shock he would get from knowing the girl's name, "I ran background checks, remember? I know you two were together."

Jasmine laughed, "That's natural. I'm more at home in a pair of track shorts, myself but," She tugged Claire closer, kissing the girl's temple. "It's nice to be more... free for a time."

Savannah was glaring daggers through him. "Your version of 'together' and mine are two very different things. You'll want to remember that." She gestured out to the floor. "It's all a game. That's all 'love' and 'relationships' ever are, really. It's a game of give and take. How many of these couples," She moved her hand across her vision, "Are going to be together still in a year? Five? Twenty? Fifty? Statistics show the unlikelihood."

Beyril smiled happily, "I'm glad you guys are having fun!" she glanced around nervously, "Have either of you seen Savannah? I promised I'd meet her here. She said she didn't want to be alone and I could hardly leave her..."

"Does that mean they aren't allowed to love and be hurt all in the meantime? Yes, it's a game, and loosing can be painful. There's no such thing as winning, either. It's finding someone along the way that makes you want to stop playing the game in the first place." Akira shrugged, his hair falling from his shoulder, "But what do I know, anyways."

Savannah merely rolled her eyes in response, folding her hands in front of her and tapping her fingers against her dress. "There's no end to the game and no reason to stop it." She nodded out to them. "Look at them, now. I can tell you exactly how many are cheating, how many are playing my game, how many aren't even interested." Her eyes grazed over the crowd, locking on Antonio and smirking, "And how many are looking over the field." She looked back at Akira, her brow raised. "Does that not worry you? Does it not make you wonder why these people try in the first place? It's a game. The losers will get left well behind and the winners will come out on top all the better for winning, for not succumbing to the supposed 'emotional connection' and 'soul mates' that the world tries to trick us into believing it. It doesn't exist. It's chemicals and instincts. It's power and dominance and reproduction. Love is a myth."

Akira shrugged, "If love is a myth, then what do you call your feelings for your siblings, hmm?"

She tensed, looking at him, her eyes scrutinizing. "Instinct." Savannah said simply. "We live for reproduction and to spread our genetics. Siblings share genetics. It is only natural to feel defensive of them, to protect and nurture them..." Her tapping quickened, the knuckles in her finger joints popping from the intensity.

"If it's instinct, then why do so many hate their siblings so much?" he asked again, not seeming to notice nor care how clearly uncomfortable she was becoming. "My younger brother once tried to have me killed, you know."

"Competition." She said simply, looking away from him as her golden eyes began to narrow, trying to resist the urge to grind her teeth.

"Perhaps you can ask him yourself one day." he mused, clearly not convinced, taking her hand in his, so her fingers were held in his palm, but not gripped, "Now, you and I are going to dance so your father thinks everything is still in order."

Her body tensed up again and she bit into the inside of her cheek, eyes blazing. "We're going to what?!" She demanded, her voice a harsh whisper.

"Stand on my feet if you wish, but the man in the corner is being paid by your father to spy on us. So for now, we're dancing." He stated calmly, pulling her forward a bit towards the dance floor.

Claire blushed at Jazz's kiss, giving a brief shake of her head. "We only got here a bit ago, and we've been dancing the whole time..."

Sarah shrugged, sipping her drink. "May be so, but knowing him, if he's not here yet he's not gonna be here... Might as well enjoy myself. How's the buffet look?

Jasmine visibly stiffened at the mention of Savannah's name, her hand squeezing Claire's as Beyril rattled on.

Antonio shrugged, "I can still offer you a dance, if you wish."

Though she was smiling, Savannah's voice seemed deadly. "I do not know how to dance, Akira." She continued to tap her fingers, playing them against the back of his hand.

"Then stand on my feet." He brushed her off.

Beyril frowned, "Awh... I have such bad eyesight without my glasses. I'll never find her in all this."

Claire looked to Jazz as her hold ion her hand tightened. She squeezed back, offering her a gentle smile before returning her attention to Beyril. "Sarah's over at the bar... Maybe she could help you look?"

Sarah shrugged, taking a moment to gulp down her drink, before wiping her mouth with a napkin from a nearby dispenser and nodding. "Sure. Why not." She gently grabbed his wrist, leading him down towards the dance floor.

Savannah bit into the inside of her cheek but nodded, allowing him to lead her out to the floor. "You're aware that I am in heels, correct...?"

Jasmine merely nodded, excusing herself and heading out to the balcony, needing the air that the open night sky had to offer.

Antonio chuckled as she took the lead, following behind her until they made it to the floor. He placed his hand at her waist, holding her right hand in his left before guiding her about the floor, following the pace of the song, faster but still not quite a club dancing type.