Remembering what Ace had said about not being much of a people person, Anna watched her as the number of people around them grew. There was an interesting exchange between Ace and the guy, whose only feature she could see properly were his green eyes, she noted, and as they exchanged words in Ace’s native NeoRussian. She was a little irked that he had so blatantly ignored her, after apparently threatening the other male who’d tried to come to Ace’s rescue, but he wasn’t the type of guy whose attention she would want, anyway. Something about him made her uncomfortable, and looking down at Koshmarik, who seemed to have similar feelings, she had to believe her initial instincts. Guys like him were usually bad news.
Then, just as the tension was becoming too much, there was another voice and another interruption. This persons tone was laced with authority, but there was something that told Anna she wasn’t exactly comfortable socializing with them. Nevertheless, the figure with the startling green eyes seemed to take in what she said and he left. Anna smiled graciously and thanked her when she informed them that dinner would soon be served. Anna glanced down at her gown, which looked a very pale shade of gold, reflections from the grand, gold ceiling and walls changing the white to the slightly darker, mystical colour. She looked from her dress to her roommate, who had announced her departure and she caught her eye as she walked away, her canine companion at her heels, as always. Anna watched her go, a small voice in the back of her head noting that she should perhaps go and see if her roommate was okay, while a greater part of her argued that she probably wanted some alone time after being surrounded by people.
Anna looked from her roommate to the only person left in the small group that had manifested near the space designated for dancing, unmissable with his unusual hair colour. Looking out at the floor, she saw that there were a few people dancing, but not enough to fill it. Anna noted in her head that most people nowadays didn’t dance the way people used too, or in the ways that the music was suggesting they should. Anna noted the tune of
Shostakovich’s second waltz , one of the songs she had learnt to dance to as a child. It had been a favourite of her ballroom dance teachers’. Anna didn’t miss his yawn as he commented on how
interesting they liked to keep it here at the school and she had to
smile a little bit, noting the irony in her head. She tucked a rogue strand of hair behind her ear and was about to excuse herself, to get some air or some food or just do
something, maybe introduce herself to some strangers and try to get to know some people, when the boy with the blue hair spoke again.
"Before dinner arrives, would you like to dance?" She looked at his outstretched hand, her fingers still on the mask she had been adjusting on her face, the ghost of a smile on her lip. She was about to decline his offer; her feet were already starting to twinge slightly in the shoes she was wearing, the leather under the lace rubbing on her skin. Her feet would be red raw tomorrow, she knew, but she had to meet people, and why not start with this boy.
"It'll build up your appetite."“Well, I’m already starved, so that’s a moot point.” She joked, slipping her own smaller hand into his.
