. (singapore) wrote in emillion, |
Opulent as the decoration was, Siri found the place more familiar than other parts of Emillion. Nobility tended to share fashion trends, so the setting was not far from what she had last seen in Kerwon. Obviously, not the same but just enough. The ballet dancers and the music was different, Siri observed them with her head tilted slightly, committing the view to memory. Appreciating every bit of this night, she was hoping to run into someone in particular, but they had not been around yet.
Not yet, but Siri could wait all night (would wait all night).
Gemstones were warm beneath her fingertips, warmed by the direct contact with her skin. She traced the stones and counted —
1 —
— 2 —
— 3
Without knowing why, Siri did an abrupt turn, knocking into the first person to be in her unfortunate orbit.
Juliette, who generally possessed reflexes quick enough to avoid literal run-ins, found herself stumbling and barely saved her dress from being splashed with wine (some of the wine did, however, wind up on the carpet, a fact about which she attempted not to be too distressed). The woman had seemingly come out of nowhere -- or rather, she had been facing entirely the other way before her sudden movement.
“My apologies,” Juliette said automatically, though the incident had not at all been her fault. “I was not watching where I was going.” She looked around surreptitiously, trying to gauge where she might be able to obtain a napkin to wipe the wine off her hand -- it had not been as fortunate as her dress in the collision.
There.
The collision set something in motion; what exactly, Siri could not yet tell. It had been as necessary as breathing, but she had the grace to look apologetic when she noticed the wine. Her eyes went from the wine, to the dress (fortunately spared) and the woman. She shook her head, “No, it was my fault.” Because they both knew it had been, even if Juliette was polite. A constant flaw of the nobility, politeness. Never able to say what they meant without carrying other meanings beneath.
“Let me help.” She side-stepped, delicate and careful in her movements and snatched a napkin from a passing staff who was in the process of replenishing the refreshment area. Returning to Juliette with the napkin, she waved it in the air like a flag - triumphant gesture indicating a successful quest.