Old Ballroom

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The Ballroom

Settled deep in the artistic portion of Eether City is a grand ballroom where the rich once went to dance and make merry until their lives would wither away with the night. It has long since been abandoned, having once been the scene of several atrocious murders. If one should enter the ballroom today, the deep crimson stains remain on the velvet drapes and golden marble floor. High glass windows decorate all four walls of the old ballroom, some modest and fully covered by their scarlet attire, and others wanton with drapes flung open wide to the moonlight. Directly opposite the large oaken doors guarding the entrance is a wide marble staircase, curving around a long dry fountain, and leading up to the balcony floor, supported by grand pillars intricately carved. A few metal chairs and tables are pushed to the wall, remnants of banquets in ages past, a few of them having been overturned or stolen by thieves—their spots are still marked by a significantly thinner layer of dust. The centerpiece to the ballroom, ironically off center right to the grand staircase, is a polished baby grand piano. Perfectly in tune, it still plays a perfectly good melody, but it has yet to be removed, and, being far too heavy for thieves to remove, shall still remain.
© Zero for the description

*brushes her hand away from his mask*
People call me Kain. Kain de la Roche.
*tilts his head*
Your turn.

"Some call me Zero, though I've yet to determine why. It's rather catchy." She noted the way he brushed her hand away with curiosity, but remained silent on it for the time being. "However," she continued slowly, "you may call me Catharine. Catharine Balakirev."
Why does he keep his mask? she wondered. I'll have to ask him...Couldn't hurt. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought her back.

*nods*
A beautiful name. Eastern European, is it?

"Da, Russian," she murmured, snaking her arms around his neck for a gentle hold as she leaned back to stare vacantly at the ceiling. "Spasibo." A light and lilting foreign accent accompanied her words, and she finally turned her gaze back to him with a soft, smile. "Now...do you think I could see under that mask of yours?"

Nope.
*shakes his head*
That would be detrimental to a certain hobby of mine.

"Oh? And what hobby might that be?" she asked, resting her head on his shoulder so that she might comfortably look up at him.
Too bad. Is he scarred? Ugly? Simply theatric?

*leans his head over onto Cat's*
Killing people, and consuming their bodies.
*pauses for a moment*
But I jest. 'Tis just for dramatic effect, I suppose.
If only it was a joke...

She raised her eyebrow with the slightest hint at a bemused smile, reaching up to curl her fingers in his hair.
"Do you really jest?" she asked, as if knowing what his hesitation meant. "So if it is merely pure theatrics, then perhaps you might consider removing it after all? I am ever so curious about what you look like under it."

*inwardly facepalms*
If I must.
*removes his mask, revealing his face*
Are you satisfied?
*exaggerates his exasperation in jest*

For all but a moment, she paused, blinking her brilliant sapphire eyes at him. After that brief moment of intermission had passed, she leaned up with childish innocence, and nuzzled her nose against his.
"Da, Quite."
And satisfaction has brought her back.
"You're an interesting person, Kain," she finally said as she leaned back from his face.

*replaces his mask upon his face*
As are you, Catherine.

"Am I? That's nice to know."
As she spoke, she allowed her hands to roam his hair for a short while; only the span of a second or so. The action bore little more affection than those which had preceeded it, but her gaze was now vacant once more as she leaned back and stared up at the ceiling.
"You said, although perhaps in jest, that you had a hobby of killing people. Were you honestly jesting?"
As if he'd tell the truth, if he were, but no harm in asking, I suppose.

*shrugs*
I'll let you be the judge of that.
*grins, under his mask*
Do you always lose your clothes around people you've just met?

Tilting her chin up to look into his mask, his comment elicted a coy smile from her, and a wink, her silvery hair cascading over his arm.
"Only the cute ones."
In speaking, she tugged his jacket a bit further over her shoulder, and shifted so that her body was oriented in such a way that she faced him fully.

*lifts off his mask once more and leans in to kiss her-- until he's interrupted by what sounds like an alarm coming form a watch on his wrist*
Ugh.
*lifts Cat off his lap, and places her back on the bench*
I hate to run, but I've got an... appointment to keep.
*slips his mask back on*
Farewell for now~

Pouting, she reluctantly let him go, yet not before standing and lifting his mask just far enough to complete the kiss he had been so willing to begin. Having done so, she smiled faintly and turned with a twirl, her tail twitching and her ears flicking.
"Until we met yet again, then~" she chimed, slinking off into the shadows.