Faction Capital Letters [DCN + Friends]

[Aselia Verd]

Wearing: [X]

Aselia listened while Adelle spoke about her father and the old master who had tried to correct her footwork through dance instead of drills. The comparison earned a faint smile that lingered quietly at the corner of her mouth. It was an odd thing to hear her father placed in the same sentence as a Jedi, but somehow it fit well enough.

Her attention stayed on Adelle as she spoke about her past, about the difficulty of finding anyone among Mandalorians who could manage simple footwork without turning it into a sparring match. The more Adelle spoke, the clearer it became that dancing had never been just a social skill for her.

She finished a few bites of her own meal while Adelle spoke, listening rather than rushing to answer. The challenge finally came with that returned smile and the question about counting under her breath. Aselia paused with her glass halfway to the table before setting it down.

“No,” she said simply. “I don’t.”

“My brothers used to,” she added after a moment, the faintest hint of mischief slipping into her expression. “Usually right before they stepped on someone’s foot.”

Her gaze lingered on Adelle for another moment, recognizing the playful challenge behind the question. The music in the reception hall shifted to something slower as couples began returning to the floor, but Aselia made no move to stand yet. Instead she picked up her fork again, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly.

She gestured lightly to the plates in front of them.

“Seems like a waste to abandon perfectly good food.”

There was no urgency in her posture, no push toward the dance floor. If anything, she seemed content to let the moment stretch a little longer.

“And getting to know you better first isn’t exactly a bad use of the evening. But I suppose I can be persuaded.”

TAG: Adelle Bastiel
​

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Tags: Sibylla Abrantes

Aurelian watched her set the glass down, one brow lifting slowly. For a moment he said nothing. He simply finished the last of his drink in one long swallow and placed the empty glass beside hers. The music had shifted. The first couples were already rising from their tables as the dance floor opened.

Perfect timing. He stood and extended his hand toward her.

"Careful what you ask for," he said lightly. His smile carried just enough confidence to sell the lie. Inside, he was already reconsidering every life decision that had led him here.

Sibylla's hand slipped into his and he led her out onto the floor. The crowd parted easily. Chandeliers shimmered above them as the slower rhythm of a classical dance filled the hall. Aurelian had always hated these dances. Too structured. Too formal. Too many expectations and not nearly enough improvisation. In settings like this he usually remained near the bar, charming ambassadors and avoiding choreography. But tonight he had made promises. And if he was going to survive the Abrantes family someday, he suspected he would need practice.

He stopped at an open space and gave her a short, courteous bow, his grin returning for just a second. She absolutely knew. Straightening, he took her hand and placed the other carefully at her hip. The position was natural enough, though the warmth of her beneath his palm made it harder to focus than he expected.

"Shall we?" he murmured. Then he started guiding her through the steps. His expression remained calm. His eyes, however, betrayed him immediately. They flicked downward toward his feet.

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

One, two…

He quickly looked back up at her as if nothing had happened.

​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

Aurelian Veruna

Sibylla felt the faintest twitch threaten the corner of her mouth when Aurelian's eyes betrayed him, dipping down and then returning up again with studied innocence. She allowed the music to carry them through another measure before leaning in just enough that her words would belong to him alone.

"Mmm… do not worry," she murmured sweetly. "I will keep the truth to myself."

Another turn, another careful count passing silently between them, and Sibylla's smile deepened ever so slightly.

"Well… between myself and Adelle." Her hazel eyes glinted with wicked amusement as they swept through the next rotation.

"But it is rather comforting to discover you are not perfect at everything," she added lightly. "I was beginning to suspect it might be terribly unfair."

They turned again, Sibylla moving with practiced ease as she followed his lead. Her gaze drifted down for the briefest, most scandalous glance toward his feet before returning to his face as if nothing at all had happened.

"And perhaps," she continued, the corner of her mouth lifting, "if you ask nicely, I may be magnanimous enough to offer a few lessons." one delicate brown brow arched in quiet humorous warning. It was nice to have the tables turned for once.

"Though I should caution you… my standards are quite rigorous."

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Tags: Sibylla Abrantes

Aurelian stared at her for a moment as they continued the slow pattern across the floor. "I am perfect," he muttered under his breath. "I simply need to concentrate."

That was a lie.

The harder he focused, the worse it became. His feet felt heavier, the timing slightly off, the structure of the dance pressing in on him from every direction. He guided her through another turn, jaw tightening as he tried to remember the proper sequence.

One, two, three.

One, two...

His foot nearly caught his own. Shiraya.

The only time he could remember not fumbling through one of these ridiculous formal dances had been the masquerade. And that had been with her. Somehow that night had flowed naturally. He had not stumbled, had not counted like a schoolboy learning his first steps. But that had been different. That night he had been too busy flirting with her to care about the steps. Too focused on the thrill of it. On the moment he finally pulled her close and kissed her.

Now he was trying to prove something. Mostly to Adelle. Possibly to Sibylla. And it was ruining everything.

He recovered just as she mentioned giving him lessons. Magnanimous, she had said. Aurelian blinked at her. That word sounded familiar.

Ah.

She had used it once. Now she was using it again to describe herself, handing it back to him with that quiet, dangerous smile.

"Rigorous standards?" he repeated under his breath.

He looked down at her again and the irritation faded instantly. Her hazel eyes were bright with amusement. Her nose scrunched slightly as she teased him, and the sight of it broke his concentration completely.

He huffed a quiet laugh. "Careful Nez," he murmured.

Then, without warning, he spun her. The motion was smooth, sweeping her out and back again as her skirt flared around them. The movement felt familiar. Natural. For a moment the careful structure of the dance disappeared. Just like the masquerade. When she came back into his arms he forgot entirely about the steps, about counting, about the room watching them. He was just looking at her.

We were together. I forget the rest.

​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

Aurelian Veruna

Sibylla let out a soft laugh as the unexpected spin swept her skirt into motion, the sound warm and bright as she settled back into his arms. For a moment she simply looked up at him, amusement dancing openly in her gold-flecked hazel eyes.

"Well," she said lightly, "that looked considerably less like a man counting under his breath."

A delicate brown brow arched in equal amusement and challenge.

"Marcus."

The name slipped out with easy familiarity, the same way it had that night on Parrlay. It felt almost strange now, after everything that had passed between then and this moment. Yet the memory lingered warmly between them.

How long ago that seems, Sibylla thought to herself, the corner of her mouth curving.

That night had been one of many firsts for her. Enjoying the nightlife in town, eating a meal without worrying who was there or watching, walking with Aurelian to the pier...

Admitting their love for each other.

There had been darker elements there at the end, certainly, but there was no denying how special that night had been for her. For them both.

They moved through the next turn and Sibylla's laugh returned, softer this time as she noticed the tension finally leaving his shoulders.

"There you are," she teased. "Much better. I was beginning to worry the Prince of Parrlay had been replaced by a very determined accounting droid."

Sibylla let her eyes drift over Aurelian's face and then lower still, over the breadth of his shoulders, the obnoxiously brazen open shirt that revealed the bronze definition of his bare chest, only to bring her attention back up with a faint blushy smirk, her hand shifting lightly against his shoulder as they continued the dance.

"You see?" she added with quiet, well-pleased satisfaction. "When you stop worrying about the steps… you actually dance!"

That was when she flashed him the rarest of sights -- a flirty, encouraging wink from Sibylla Abrantes herself!

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Tags: Sibylla Abrantes

"I told you," Aurelian began under his breath, guiding her through the last of the slower turns. "It simply takes a little concentration." He said it with the confidence of someone who had very clearly been counting moments ago.

"Accounting droid," he scoffed quietly. Nothing about him had ever resembled something that stiff. He was a Veruna. He had not grown up among the perfectly rehearsed social rituals of mountain courts and ballroom expectations. Very different from Sibylla Abrantes' polished world.

Then she winked at him. Aurelian blinked once, caught completely off guard before a slow smile spread across his face. The drinks had given her courage. Interesting. He liked this version of her. The one that stepped forward to challenge him.

The music shifted suddenly. The formal strings softened and something with more rhythm rolled through the hall. Livelier. Less rigid. Aurelian felt the change instantly. "There we are," he murmured.

His hand slid more confidently along her waist as the dance adjusted around them. The tight, careful pattern gave way to looser movement and he stepped closer, guiding her with natural rhythm now. His grip at her back was firmer, his other hand drawing her easily into the turns.

This pace he understood. The floor moved around them as he spun her once more, catching her smoothly and pulling her back in. He looked far too pleased with himself now.

Aurelian gave her a wink of his own. "Now," he said quietly, leaning closer as they moved together, "let's see how you move."

His eyes glinted with mischief. "Did the clubs of Denon teach you anything?"

​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

Aurelian Veruna

Sibylla gave a little chuckle. Or was it a giggle? It was hard to tell, as the woman was trying to make head or tail of the new, confident rhythmic sway of Aurelian's hips and shoulders.

What footwork was this?!

A flash of pearly white teeth, and Sibylla gave a cant of her head at his direction, biting her lower lip even as she spun back into his arms. There was a slight pink tint to her face, but this time, it had nothing to do with Aurelian's teasing and everything to do with those fruity drinks.

Okay, ma-aybe a little bit had to do with his teasing, that mischievous grin, and the way he made her heart skip a beat every time he looked at her.

"Mmm... you would want to know," Sibylla quipped back, hazel eyes gleaming, her limbs a bit more limber as she began to sway her hips left and right, thinking of what Dominique had told her in the past. Just let the music lead you and dance how you want. It didn't matter at the time who she was, she could be as silly as she liked. Just enjoy the music and the dancing.

It was this thought that Sibylla's body moved to the beat, and while it was a little awkward at first, she slowly slipped into the rhythm as Aurelian danced with her. In this instance, he was the one guiding, and the less they both thought about it, and just went with what felt natural, the more fun it became. The music resonated around them as other party guests joined the fray and danced. Before long, they were just one couple amidst dozens, able to blend in and just be.

She thought back to Denon and clubbing with Dominique. How thrilling and scandalous it had been. She'd worn tighter clothes, her hair loose, and enough eyeliner to make Aurelian envious of her Nexu eyes.

"It was quite the evening... and early morning," she admitted, her voice husky and low as if sharing the most scandalous of secrets. Was it the truth? A little bit of column A and column B. Truthfully, she'd caught the twinkl in Aurelian's eyes. She had wanted to tease him a bit, for it hadn't been the first time he'd shown interest in what exactly had gone down when she'd visited the Denonite.

Sibylla tilted her head slightly, a mischievous glint dancing in her eyes as the memory surfaced.

"You see, Marcus," she continued lightly, "Denon is a very educational place."

She turned beneath his arm with an easy grace, coming back toward him with a soft laugh.

"Very informative." Her lips curved with playful wickedness. "Freeing... truly."

Sibylla had thought back on that night in fondness. The thick waves of her hair had been loose that night, she remembered. Tighter clothes than anything Naboo society would ever approve of, and enough dark liner to make her eyes look positively feral.

Aurelian would be envious.

A faint grin tugged at her mouth as she leaned just a little closer, voice lowering as if she were confiding a delicious secret.

"It was quite the evening… and an even longer morning."

The admission hung there between them, intentionally vague. Sibylla had already noticed the familiar twinkle in Aurelian's eyes, the same one he had worn every other time Denon had come up in conversation.

So naturally, she decided to make it worse.

One delicate brown brow lifted sweetly.

"What?" she teased, stepping into another turn that carried them through the music and she glanced up at him with playful innocence.

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Aselia Verd

Aselia didn’t need to count. Good. Adelle liked a dance partner with a sense of rhythm. And she’d have been lying if she’d said she wasn’t looking forward to a dance now. The music had shifted and dancing couples were turning out onto the floor. She could see Aurelian and Sibylla heading to the floor themselves. But Aselia did raise a good point.

It would be a waste of food. And she’d likely never eat a dinner this fine again.

Adelle smirked when Aselia mentioned it’d be a good opportunity to get to know each other better. This was only the second time she had really worked with the Verd and since Adelle wasn’t exactly in Aether’s inner circle, she couldn’t really see another time when they’d be working together again. She picked up the fork and hoped it was the appropriate one.

“Well if we ever work together again, it certainly would help to know who’s watching my back. I’ll wait to test my powers of persuasion on you later. For now though,” she said, gathering food on the tines, “I am curious. Would you ever have a wedding like this with your partner? Or do Mandalorians do weddings differently?”

 

[Aselia Verd]

Wearing: [X]

Aselia listened while Adelle spoke, the faint smirk and the way she handled the fork not escaping her notice. Her attention remained on Adelle as she continued eating, letting the conversation settle naturally instead of rushing to respond. When Adelle mentioned working together again and knowing who might be watching her back, Aselia gave a small, thoughtful hum and set her glass down beside her plate.

"Well," she said after a moment, "I'm sure we will work together again, as for me I'm about as straightforward as you would expect a Mandalorian to be."

When Adelle asked about weddings, however, Aselia paused with her fork hovering briefly above her plate. The question clearly wasn't one she had expected tonight. She leaned back slightly in her chair as she considered it, letting her fork lie gently on the plate as her gaze drifted across the reception hall. The entire room shimmered with wealth and ceremony, polished floors, chandeliers throwing warm light across silk and formal attire, while musicians played and couples turned slowly across the dance floor.

"This? Perhaps not, it would depend on the partner, I suppose. But this? Not very Mandalorian." Her tone wasn't dismissive, just matter-of-fact. "Mandalorians don't really do… this." She gestured lightly toward the ballroom around them. "Most weddings I've seen are smaller. Clan gatherings. Family. People who fought beside you."

Her shoulders shifted in a small shrug before she continued.

"The ceremony itself isn't really the important part. Your vow? That is what matters. You honor another, and they honor you and promise to walk the same path together. That's what matters. Everything else is just how you choose to celebrate afterward."

A faint hint of dry humor crept into her expression as she added, "There's usually drinking. And occasionally someone decides to start a fight."

Her eyes drifted briefly back to the dance floor where the newlyweds and their guests moved beneath the warm light of the hall. "This kind of celebration is beautiful," she admitted, "but it feels more like something you attend than something you live in."

After a moment, she looked back at Adelle, curiosity now replacing the earlier reflection.

"What about you?" she asked. "If you ever found yourself in that position, would you want something like this? Does Miss Bastiel look for the finery?" she asked with a bit of mirth in her voice.

TAG: Adelle Bastiel
​

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Tags: Sibylla Abrantes

Yes, he did want to know. Far more than he should.

Aurelian watched her as they moved through the rhythm of the music, his hand steady at her waist while his mind ran far ahead of the conversation. Denon was hardly the place he would have chosen for Sibylla's first venture into nightlife. Loud, chaotic, full of people who thrived on exactly the sort of freedom she was describing.

The thought irritated him more than he cared to admit. He was jealous of that night. Jealous Dominique had seen her like that first. Hair loose, tight dress, laughing somewhere beneath neon lights and blaring music.

He would never admit it.

"I'm sure Denon is very educational," he replied finally, voice thick with sarcasm.

They moved easily through the crowd now. The music carried them along and Sibylla's hips had found the rhythm. Aurelian noticed that immediately. His hand adjusted slightly at her back, guiding her through the beat as she continued describing just how freeing that night had been.

A longer morning. His imagination did the rest, and none of it improved his mood.

He started to say something, a clever retort forming at the edge of his tongue. "What?" she asked sweetly. That single word disarmed him completely.

Aurelian blinked once, then huffed quietly. He needed to regain control of this conversation. Two could play this game. He spun her outward again, the motion confident now, then caught her and pulled her back flush against his chest. His hand slid firmly along her waist as they resumed the dance, closer this time.

Leaning down slightly, he spoke near her ear so only she could hear. "I'm sure it was memorable," he murmured. His breath brushed her temple before he added, quieter still, "But it is nothing compared to Naboo nightlife."

A faint grin tugged at his mouth. "All those famous Veruna parties you like to mention." He guided her through another slow turn, eyes glinting with amusement. "You truly missed out," he said. "Denon does not compare."

​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

Location: I could get used to this.
Aurelian Veruna

Got him.

Really, Sibylla should not have been quite so pleased with herself. And yet there was something terribly addictive about the indecent thrill of seeing Aurelian's feathers ruffled.

The proof of it flickered plainly in the flash of his amber eyes, catching the low light as the overhead colors drifted and swayed across the room. Even beneath the dimmed lighting, that spark of irritation was unmistakable as the reds, violets, and golds drifted over them like slow-moving nebulae while the music pulsed through the floor.

It almost reminded her of Denon.

Almost.

Denon had been a louder, wilder, thrilling experience. A beautiful kind of chaos that smelled of liquor, perfume, sweat, and those dangerously delicious drinks Dominique had insisted she try.

Goddess, how those drinks had been addictive.

But not nearly as addictive as anonymity.

For one glorious evening, no one had cared she was Sibylla Abrantes of Naboo. No whispers. No expectations. She didn't have to play pretend being perfect. Worry about her reputation. Wonder if her words or mannerisms would be twisted against her and her family later.

Just music. Movement. Freedom. Utter freedom.

Not quite what she could have here, even in this wedding reception. In the back of her mind, she was still aware of that.

"Is that so?" Sibylla replied, lifting her chin slightly, the spark of challenge dancing behind her hazel eyes.

Confidence had begun to settle into her posture now that she realized she could needle him just as mercilessly as he often did to her.

Oh... how the tables had turned. She could absolutely get used to this.

"What exactly makes them so memorable?" she continued lightly, her tone almost innocent as she tilted her head. "From what I heard, as thrilling as they were… I doubt anyone could truly enjoy themselves without repercussions, the way I managed to on Denon."

Her smile curved just a touch wider.

There it was. The proverbial gauntlet, gracefully, deliberately, dropped directly at Aurelian's feet.

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Tags: Sibylla Abrantes

"Oh… you enjoyed yourself without repercussions, huh?" Aurelian said it lightly, but something in his expression sharpened.

His hands shifted along her waist as they moved with the music. Normally that alone would have been enough to distract her. It usually worked. Tonight she seemed far too entertained dismantling him piece by piece.

Damn those drinks.

He guided her through another turn, drawing her back in close as he considered her challenge. She had tossed the gauntlet down. His pride refused to leave it there.

"What makes you think I faced repercussions at my parties?" he asked.

His tone turned matter-of-fact, almost defensive before he realized it. "I held them at the Rainspire. Plenty of room. Music, drinks, whatever anyone wanted." His shoulders lifted slightly as they swayed together. "By the end of the night I simply slipped back into my own bed without a care in the galaxy."

He frowned faintly. Why was he defending himself? Because she's winning. The thought alone irritated him.

Aurelian studied her face for a moment, curiosity creeping in despite himself. Until now he had imagined that night on Denon rather safely. Sibylla tucked away in some private booth beside Dominique, watching the madness from a distance.

Now he was... less certain.

"How did you truly enjoy it?" he asked. The question slipped out before he could stop it. His hand drifted lower along her back as they moved, his gaze narrowing slightly with interest.

"Did you dance with anyone?" he added. The thought of some Denon stranger getting this close to her made something unpleasant twist in his chest. "I imagine the crowd was… rougher," he said, trying to sound casual. Trying very hard not to sound jealous.

​

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Aselia Verd

Mandalorian weddings were smaller. Clan. Kith and kin. Emphasis on the vows made rather than the ceremony around it. Adelle ate as she listened to Aselia. Everything she said tracked with what Adelle had seen within Clan Skirata. Different from the unions she’d heard about being done in her Order and the wedding on Karre Noba’s farm, but not all that much different. The Order had been fairly close-knit, small as it was, and Karre Noba’s farming compound had been practically a village. Clan Skirata was as big if not larger than the farm and rivaled her old Order’s size.

Adelle laughed softly at the drinking and fighting comment. That definitely sounded more like Karre Noba’s farm than her old Order. There was always one drunkard that wanted to start something at festivals and it was almost always a young man.

Lights danced over the dancers as Aselia turned the question around on her. Adelle raised her eyebrows with a smile at the teasing ‘Miss Bastiel.’

“I won’t lie, dressing up for a night is fun,” she said before waving her fork around at the room. “Something like this though? This is… lavish. Designed to be seen, and seen by very important people. It’s beautiful, like you said. But it’s too much.”

Na’an would have died with discomfort if she’d been here. Or started a scene on the dancefloor, like she had at that one festival they’d worked.

Even though she had given an answer that felt true, Adelle couldn’t help but question herself further. She did like dressing formally, enjoyed attending a fancy ball now and again, but she couldn’t say why exactly. Among her earliest memories, she remembered seeing this kind of luxurious lifestyle and the seemingly carefree ease those people had, the privilege to do as they wanted. Adelle shoved the memory aside. She could examine the question later.

“And I don’t have the creds for something like this anyways.” A truthful joke turned the conversation back to safer ground. “Also not something I have to worry about currently.”

If ever.

“How long do you think it’ll take for Aether to get his osik together and ask Healer Halcyon out?” she asked.

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

Location: I did -- and I liked it.
Aurelian Veruna

Sibylla felt it immediately. That shift in Aurelian. The slight edge in his voice at how he defended the parties he had hosted compared to the clubs of Denon that Sibylla had experienced. The way his hands settled a little more firmly at her waist as they moved with the music. The tension beneath the casual words.

Oh, that was interesting.

She had seen Aurelian play at indifference before. He would scoff, tease, make some infuriating attempt to draw another woman's attention in conversation while quite obviously watching her from the corner of his eye, waiting to see whether she would rise to the bait.

But this? This was right in front of her.

And Shiraya help her… it amused her far more than it should have.

Hazel eyes gleamed beneath the drifting lights as he guided her through another turn. Sibylla stepped easily back into him, allowing his hands to settle at her hips while the music pulsed through the room.

His bed.

Without a care in the galaxy.

A small thought crept into her mind.

Alone?

She rather doubted it.

And suddenly, very irrationally, she found herself annoyed. It was ridiculous. That had been his life before her. Before any of this. She knew that.

He knew that.

Yet the thought of those parties… those nights… still managed to twist somewhere inconvenient in her chest.

So she did the only sensible thing. Well, for the time.

She leaned into it. And added more fuel to that fire.

"I did," Sibylla replied sweetly. "All night...right until early morning." Her voice carried just enough tipsy boldness to give the words a bite.

It wasn't a lie. She had danced with Dominqiue. If anything, the Denonite was just as protective of Sibylla as Aurelian, so any wayward attempts to place her in an uncomfortable situation had been handled by Dominqiue.

But it had been fun. To just dance. To close her eyes and feel the music. Not to be concerned about who was looking at her as she did so. For a pianoist like her, it had been utterly addictive.

"And I enjoyed it."

Those hazel eyes held even as amber darkened in barely checked jealousy, clocking in the twitch along the length of Aurelian's jaw as she continued unflinching in her description, the rhythm of the music moving easily through her, guiding the sway of her body as they danced.

"I was on the dancefloor," she continued, lifting her chin slightly. Her hips followed the beat in a smooth, effortless roll, each step drawing her close before drifting away again.

"Quite in the middle of it. Music, drinks… whatever I pleased." she echoed his words.

The way his hands tightened slightly on her hips as he pulled her closer was telling, but Sibylla didn't look away. A flicker of something dangerous slid down her spine. She knew very well she was provoking him. Deliberately. She knew it. It was wrong.

But the unreasonable jealousy stirred by a few drinks and an overactive imagination had already taken hold. The thought of those former nights, of him with other women while he had always stopped short with her, lingered stubbornly in her mind.

Did he simply not want her?

"It was fun."

The words were soft but deliberate.

"Rougher. Thrilling."

Her dark chestnut head tilted just a fraction, the colored lights casting shifting shadows across her heart-shaped face while her gaze remained locked with his.

"It made me feel alive."

Then, for the briefest moment, the corner of her mouth curved with unmistakable mischief.

"Why?" she asked lightly. "Does that trouble you?"

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Tags: Sibylla Abrantes

Middle of the dance floor. Music. Drinks. Whatever she pleased.

Aurelian's mind went straight to the worst possibilities before he could stop it. The images arrived uninvited. Strangers pressed close in the crowd. Some Denon idiot with wandering hands thinking he had a chance with her.

He had never been a jealous man before Sibylla. Now the feeling crept up far too easily. His jaw tightened as they continued to move through the music. She was doing it deliberately. Throwing his own attitude back at him, word for word. Playing his game. Shiraya, he hated that.

Was this what it felt like when he needled her? Probably. The realization did not make him feel better. He tried to brush it off, to keep the easy rhythm of the dance going. Then she added more.

Rougher. Thrilling. Alive.

Something in his chest twisted hard enough that the music around them suddenly felt distant. Aurelian stopped moving before he even realized he had made the decision. The dance simply ended. He stepped back, releasing her waist, the irritation on his face slipping through before he bothered to hide it.

"I need a drink," he said. No teasing. No clever remark. Just the flat truth.

He turned and pushed through the edge of the crowd toward the bar. The music continued behind him while the dance floor carried on as if nothing had happened. Aurelian reached the counter and grabbed the first glass waiting there. He downed it in one swallow.

Another was sitting beside it. He took that one too and finished it just as quickly, setting the empty glass down with a quiet clink while he tried to steady the storm of thoughts running through his head.

​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

Aurelian Veruna

For a moment, Sibylla simply stood there.

That… had not gone the way she expected.

Even in her pleasantly tipsy haze, she had felt the shift. The exact moment the mischievous tension between them had crossed an invisible line. When teasing had stopped being a game and turned into something it shouldn't have.

Sibylla watched as Aurelian walked toward the bar, weaving between the couples dancing, leaving her there on the dance floor. For a few seconds, she stood there a bit awkwardly, blinking, processing, as if uncertain that it had actually happened.

But it did.

And then that nagging feeling in the back of her mind that had told her it was a bad idea to try and provoke him, to try and make him jealous, reared its ugly head again.

Her gaze followed the broad line of Aurelian's back as he wove through the dancers toward the bar. The little voice in the back of her mind, the one that had quietly warned her this might be a bad idea, chose that moment to reappear with great enthusiasm.

And this time, it brought its friend -- guilt.

Oh no...

Her feet moved before she could argue with them.

The crowd parted in slow fragments as she followed him, the skirts of her dress brushing against passing dancers, the music fading slightly the farther she moved from the center of the floor. By the time she reached the bar, Aurelian had already finished one glass and was placing the second empty one down with that very specific, very quiet clink.

Sibylla knew that sound. It meant he was angry. But it wasn't the sort that exploded across the room, it was the sort that folded in on itself and simmered beneath the surface. His temper could be a terrible thing. One where he could lash out violently by way of words or sword should he wish it. And while he would never turn it to her, it had been his temper that had gotten him into situations of deep regret, the sort he had sworn he would do his best to work through.

Much like now.

And she was the one who had caused him to feel this way.

She slipped beside him, close enough that the familiar scent of her perfume drifted toward him in that soft way it always did when she came near. Behind them, the brides were in full swing, dancing with their relatives and the wedding party. People were laughing, enjoying their time together -- celebrating love, life, and the joining of two lives that had sworn to walk a new path together.

That wave of guilt came again.

Sibylla finally lifted her gaze fully to him. Up close, she could see the tension in the line of his jaw, the quiet storm still working behind his amber-brown eyes. For a moment she simply studied him, the tipsiness in her thoughts suddenly clearing beneath the weight of realization.

She had meant to tease him. To provoke him. To turn his own playful torment back on him.

Instead, she had managed to hurt him.

Ever so slowly, her hand drifted lightly to his sleeve, fingers brushing the fabric in a tentative touch.

But it was at that moment that the bartender arrived, catching the two of them in an awkward little pause.

"What'll it be?" the bartender asked pleasantly.

Sibylla cleared her throat, still watching Aurelian from the corner of her eye.

"A Commonwealth," she said automatically. It had been the first drink she had discovered she genuinely liked, and it seemed as good a choice as any while her mind scrambled to catch up with the moment.

"How about you, sir?" the bartender asked, looking at Aurelian.

 

[Ryssa Yvarro]

Judah Dashiell​

Ryssa allowed herself to be guided, an unfamiliar concession, though not an unwelcome one.

The movement was simple, as he'd promised. Structured. Predictable. There was a rhythm to it that appealed to her instincts; not unlike a well-run negotiation or a perfectly timed production cycle. Step, turn, shift, nothing extravagant, nothing that demanded spectacle. Just control, balance, and trust in the lead.

Her hand rested lightly in his, the other settling at his shoulder with practiced ease. Even here, even now, there was precision in her posture, elegance not as performance, but as habit.

At his reassurance, a quiet breath left her.

"You say that," she murmured, a hint of amusement threading through her voice, "but I find people are always watching. It's simply a matter of whether they're important enough to notice."

Still, she followed.

And he was right.

No missteps. No awkwardness. The dance unfolded smoothly, the kind of understated grace that didn't demand attention, but rewarded it if given. Around them, the energy of the floor ebbed and surged, laughter, music, the shimmer of movement—but within their small orbit, things felt… contained.

Manageable.

Ryssa's gaze flicked up to meet his at his next remark, her lips curving slightly. "How very noble of you, Mr. Dashiell. To offer yourself as the scapegoat in advance." A beat. "I shall remember that."

There was warmth in it now, subtle, but unmistakable.

As the tempo shifted, just slightly quicker, she adjusted without hesitation, her steps aligning with his more naturally than she might have expected. It had been years since she'd allowed herself something like this, unstructured, unscripted. No objective. No outcome to secure.

Just movement.

Just presence.

His question lingered for a moment before she answered.

"What's on the horizon…" Ryssa echoed softly, her expression thoughtful as she turned with him, the chandelier light catching briefly along the line of her jaw. "Work, primarily. It's always work."

A faint sigh, though not a weary one, more reflective.

"The Commonwealth is… expanding, in its way. Quietly, but deliberately. Shipyards, logistics corridors, contracts that require a certain… delicacy." Her eyes returned to his, sharper now, though not guarded. Simply honest. "Primo Victorian has been rather occupied ensuring that expansion is done properly. Not quickly. Properly."

Another step, another turn.

"But beyond that?" she added after a moment, something softer threading through her tone. "I suppose I've been… encouraged to consider that there might be more to life than maintaining an industrial empire."

The ghost of a smile returned.

"My niece is quite insistent on that point."

There was a flicker of something else then, something quieter, more personal.

"And you?" she asked, her voice lowering slightly as the music carried them through another measured pass across the floor. "You mentioned your sons. Keeping ahead of them, I believe, was the phrasing." A faint tilt of her head. "That suggests you've already lost that race at least once."

 

[Aselia Verd]

Wearing: [X]

Aselia listened without interrupting, her attention steady on Adelle as she spoke through it, not just the words but the pauses between them. The way she waved the fork, the way her tone shifted when she called it too much, the small deflection with humor at the end, it all landed. When Adelle finished, Aselia leaned back slightly in her chair, one arm resting casually along the edge as she let out a quiet breath.

"Yeah," she said after a moment, her voice softer, more thoughtful than before. "It is a bit much."

Her gaze moved briefly across the ballroom again, taking in the polished presentation of it all, the way everything was arranged to be seen and remembered. At the question about Aether, Aselia let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head slightly. "Osik," she muttered under her breath, clearly amused. "You're not wrong."

She picked up her glass, turning it idly in her hand as she considered it.

"He'll take his time," she said, a bit more measured now. "Aether doesn't rush things, I don't think he's ever had a relationship. He'll think it through ten different ways before he says anything." A faint grin tugged at her lips. "But when he does, it won't be subtle. If someone doesn't beat him to it first, anyway."

They lingered a while longer after that, finishing what remained of their meal as the reception carried on around them. Conversation softened into something easier, quieter, the kind that didn't need to fill every moment. At some point, the plates were cleared, glasses emptied, and the focus of the room shifted more fully toward the dance floor, where the music carried steadily beneath the hum of voices.

Aselia was the first to move, though not abruptly. She let the moment just a little longer before pushing her chair back and standing, her gaze drifting once more toward the dancers before returning to Adelle. There was something warmer in her expression now, subtle enough to go unnoticed if you weren't looking for it.

"Well," she said, offering her hand without ceremony, though her tone had softened, "I did promise you a dance if I recall correctly?" There was a brief pause just to give Adelle the space to decline if she wished. "We're already here," she added, her voice quieter, more personal now. "Might as well make the most of it."

TAG: Adelle Bastiel
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