[center][h3][color=#9D8573]⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆[/color][/h3][/center][center][h2][b][i][color=#9D8573]Hala Sami[/color][/i][/b][/h2][/center][center][h3][color=#9D8573]⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆[/color][/h3][/center][right][color=#9D8573]28 Sola, Night
The Grand Banquet[/color]
[@PapaOso] [@Tae][/right]
[color=#DFC9BA]

Hala had been watching the two men square off like an audience at the theater—entertained, invested, and utterly delighted by the display. They plucked a plump grape from a nearby guest’s plate, the woman too engrossed in the drama to notice the theft. Hala popped it into their mouth and the fruit burst between their teeth, sweet and tart, a perfect accompaniment to the simmering tension.

Then, of course, that [i]bh***a[/i] Kalliope had to spoil everything by barging in right when things were getting juicy! The room’s temperature seemed to drop several degrees as the spectacle fizzled, leaving Hala with the distinct disappointment of a climax denied.

Depositing their half-finished wine glass on the grape-deprived plate, Hala ignored the owner’s indignant gasp and brought their hands together in a slow, elegant clap. [color=#9D8573]“Why not indeed. Especially when you showed me firsthand how skilled you are at both,”[/color] they said. [color=#9D8573]“I heard you did static pieces. Nobody said you have a talent for performance art, too.”[/color]

The rings adorning their fingers caught the light from the overhead chandeliers as Hala gestured toward the space where the confrontation had just unfolded. [color=#9D8573]“The scene blocking? Masterful.”[/color] Their eyes slid meaningfully toward Cassius and Kalliope’s retreating forms. [color=#9D8573]“The casting? Perfect. Your crafted lines drew out such exquisite drama.”[/color]

With a grin straddling the line between admiration and wickedness, Hala added, [color=#9D8573]“A man like you doesn’t just create portraits or sculptures—you create moments, reactions... consequences.”[/color] They angled their head, earrings swinging, studying him. [color=#9D8573]“I find myself more interested in your creative process.”[/color][/color]