Chapter Text
If she had said she wasn’t nervous, she would be lying. Robin felt at unease with the upcoming ball, knowing the importance of a good first impression as the season’s Diamond. It all seemed a bit vague to her. Why would the queen choose her? She usually picks people based on looks *and* personality, yet she didn’t have any peculiar traits that stood out among other people. Was it simply her Halovian race that had caught her gaze?
Robin sighs and looks out of the window in her room, lost in thought. Her dress hugs her knees as she rests them on the couch. She holds her notebook in her hand, her feather and ink with her. Nonetheless, the paper was empty. She felt like a huge wall blocked her creativity, making her unable to write lyrics. How much she tried, her attempts to come up with original lines for a song. This wasn’t usually her problem, as she used to be able to write lyrics without even thinking. Quite the talent, her brother always said. She couldn’t help but scoff at his words.
Now, all that’s left is a bird that’s unable to soar through the sky. She feels useless. After all, what good is a bird that can’t fly?
~~~~~~
The preparations for Lady Williams’ ball were in full swing. Every lady was trying to get their hands on the most beautiful dresses, so every modiste was swarmed with ladies. Even Kafka’s boutique was filled with ladies trying to get dresses, which made her have to focus on the tasks at hand. Even if she was used to it, it still took a lot of her energy to fulfill so many requests at once, and mix-ups were bound to happen.
The chatter and gossip filled the boutique as Kafka was working hard to please every customer that came to her boutique. After all, these types of occasions always made the most money.
She handled every customer with respect, genuinely caring about their opinions and taste in dresses. Kafka loved clothing that fitted perfectly. Even so, the reason she got into this work wasn’t actually her love for clothing. It was a more complex reason.
Kafka waves a customer off as she leaves. One more customer off the list. She continued making her dresses and working. Even so, she had already taken notice of the way Firefly was observing her at work. She didn’t react to it and simply let her watch.
After a long time of work, it was already almost an hour before the ball began. Kafka notices this and finishes up with the last customer as quickly as possible, so they have enough time to prepare for the ball themselves. As she handed over the dress to a maid, that marked the finish of her work day. Sitting down and sighing, Kafka took a moment to calm down from the long day.
At the same moment, the boutique door opens again and the chime rings again. Kafka lets out an exasperated sigh and closes her eyes for a moment.
“The boutique is closed, I’m not–” she interrupts herself when she stands up and sees Blade standing there, “Oh, sorry. I thought you were my one-hundredth customer today.”
“No, it’s just me,” he says as cold as usual, yet Kafka could swear she saw the corners of his lips slightly twitching.
“Then let’s get ready for the ball,” Kafka puts a hand on her hip.
“Kafka? I still don’t have a dress for the ball—” Firefly joins the conversation, before noticing Blade in the hallway, “—Oh! You’re back.”
Blade simply nods.
“My little firefly, you think I wouldn’t be prepared for your first ball?” Kafka asks her as she walks over closer to Firefly to gauge her reaction, “If you did, then you are wrong.”
Firefly’s eyes widened slightly, but she could’ve expected Kafka to be prepared. Kafka has a slight smirk on her face and gently places a hand on Firefly’s shoulder to guide her. Together, they walk upstairs and go to Kafka and Blade’s room. There was a dress spread out over their bed. Firefly’s eyes widened as she saw the dress.
The dress was a broken white color, adorned with ruffles and frills. It looked majestic, something unlike dresses Kafka usually makes.
Kafka was observing Firefly’s face, trying to gauge her reaction. Her smile widened when she saw the girl looking at the dress, a certain spark in her eyes that tells Kafka she loves it. The girl slowly took a few steps forward to inspect the dress from closer up.
“Is this really for me?” Firefly mutters as she softly traced the ruffles on the dress.
“Mhm~ Specially made for you,” Kafka moves next to her and places a hand on her shoulder.
“W—wow…. It’s stunning,” Firefly exclaimed. She didn’t know more beautiful dresses than Kafka had ever made could exist.
“Glad you like it. Was scared it didn’t fit your taste,” Kafka chuckles. Blade had been silently observing from behind the door. Kafka had noticed and decided to react to it, “Like what you’re seeing Bladie?”
“Dresses aren’t for me,” he answered, crossing his arms. The woman laughed at his remark.
“Obviously it isn’t for you, but do you think it fits Firefly?” Kafka repeats. He simply nods, goes into the room for a second to grab his clothing for the ball and proceeds to leave. Kafka clicks her tongue a few times and shakes her head in disappointment. “This man… Can’t stand him sometimes.”
Firefly opened her mouth to speak, but Kafka shushed her and placed a finger on her mouth before she could even utter a single word.
“Let’s get you ready for the ball, dearest.”
~~~~~
Robin had never been on the manor of Lady Williams, since she never organized balls. She gravely underestimated just how big the manor would be. It was huge, to say the least. Robin knew if she strayed off from the horde of guests she would have a high chance of getting lost in endless hallways that lead to countless rooms, so she chose to stay by her brother’s familiar side.
Hooves clicking on the streets could be heard even through the inside of the carriage. Now and then the carriage shook from an irregular spot on the aged streets. Nonetheless, they had just arrived at the manor and Robin was practically gasping over how big it really was.
“Did you know how big their manor was?” the stunned lady asked her brother who was right to her side.
“Yes, I’ve been here before,” he simply noted and didn’t seem to be impressed, unlike Robin.
Carriages with people kept arriving and ladies beautifully adorned in dresses entered the manor, along with men in their finest suits. Everyone knew they had to make a good first impression on the first ball of the season. An unspoken rule everyone knew about
“Let’s go. We should go inside,” Gopher slightly pushed Sunday to get him to walk. Robin entangled her arm with that of Sunday and they started walking towards the entrance together. Robin observed as she walked past countless ladies and also a few men who were looking at her. She was going to have to get used to this type of attention, subsequently to her being named as diamond of the season.
A while back, at the Oak Estate, Robin was preparing for the ball. Swan had given her the dress she bought at Madame Samuels’ boutique and she instantly loved it. She dressed up into the dress not much later and then sat in the chair in front of the mirror waiting until Swan had finished her make-up. In the end, she quite loved the way her dress fitted her. However, the aching feeling that something wasn’t right was still present and felt even stronger now.
She decided to put it aside and just focus on the ball, since it will most definitely take a lot of energy. She can’t afford to waste energy on such trivial matters after all.
They enter into a pretty small hallway. There’s a table with notebooks that have a small rope on them that looked all too familiar to Robin. It was a notebook where you keep track of who you dance with. Gopher immediately searches through the small books and grabs one out. He hands it to Robin. She loosened her arm from Sunday’s and took the little book.
“There you go. Make sure to note their full names,” he warned her, knowing all too well Robin would forget. Once he looked away she rolled her eyes as she attached the small notebook to her left hand, on top of her glove.
Sunday noticed the small gesture with her eyes, but he simply took notice of it. He knew that saying something about it to Robin would only lead to more problems, since she did it especially out of Gopher’s view. With elegant strides, Robin followed Gopher and Sunday who were both heading towards the end of the hallway. Entering the next room, they were met by a huge hall that was beautifully decorated in a specific theme: floral in blue and white.
Robin didn’t have to put in much effort to fit the theme, her periwinkle hair and white wings perfectly matched the atmosphere of the ball. Her white dress with periwinkle flowers made her hair color stand out even more. She holds a fan in front of her, delicately waving it in front of her; not to catch eyes, rather to shield herself from the attention.
The main hall was already bustling with people and a symphony played music to which couples were already dancing. Robin tries to unnoticeably slip away to the table with food, where usually the wallflowers hang out, but Gopher noticed her and gave her a deathly glare which made her stop immediately. She knew going against him wasn’t smart, so she’d just have to find a better time to sneak off.
“Sunday, stay with your sister here. I’ll be right back,” Gopher says with a serious expression rooted on his face and Sunday nods, switching his gaze from Gopher to his sister. She was hiding her face behind her fan, slightly waving it.
“Are you alright, Robin?” he asked cautiously, trying to discern from her expression how she is feeling. Her expression isn’t really visible behind her fan.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” she chuckled and asked her brother. Sunday swore he could see a hint of unease in her eyes, but if she was so set on telling him she feels alright, he decided to leave it at that. He broke eye contact and turned towards the hall of people.
Robin gazed out upon the crowd. She noticed someone moving towards her, and by the black wings she could tell it was Gopher approaching them. However, he wasn’t alone; there was a man around as tall as Gopher himself walking next to him. Sunday noticed it too and perked up at the approaching men.
“Robin, meet Lord Bolton,” Gopher stood in front of the songbird now and stepped aside so the man next to him stood in front of her instead. She silently continues waving her fan in front of her.
“Good evening, beautiful lady,” Lord Bolton says. Sunday nudges Robin to stop the fan from covering her face. The man spoke up again and held out his hand: “Could I have the pleasure of dancing with you?”
Even while looking straight at him, she could notice Gopher’s piercing expression. She closes the fan and hands it to Sunday.
“Ofcourse, my lord,” Robin takes his hand. The man bows slightly and plants a kiss on her glove. He gently guides her towards the dance floor. Robin shoots one last look at Sunday, almost as if telling she didn’t want this, but she turns back and obediently follows the man as Gopher wants her to.
They came to a stop on the dance floor. The violinists of the orchestra in the hall start playing and Lord Bolton starts guiding Robin on the dance floor, silently inviting her to immerse herself in the dance.
“So, miss Robin, how do you like the season so far?” Lord Bolton asks her as they move across the floor.
“I’m delighted to be called the Diamond of this season and will take this opportunity to meet new people and broaden my horizons,” Robin answered his question with ease. He smiled at her response.
“What a wonderful resolution, fitted for such a beautiful lady,” the man answers as he pulls her in for a twirl, following the other couples that are dancing.
“My thanks,” Robin smiles and nods appreciatively of his praise. She follows his moves and doesn’t think too much about it. If Lord Bolton paid close attention, he’d notice her moves were lightly strained. Sunday, who was paying close attention to his sister, noticed this from afar. Her look before she turned to the dance floor already told him a big part of the story, the movements only further confirmed his beliefs. He quietly sighs and mentally scolds himself for not being able to help her.
“Isn’t she a beautiful child?” Gopher suddenly mentions as he watches her movements, not noticing the strain she put into them. Sunday simply nods. “She’ll do great and marry a wealthy husband. I know it.”
Those words Gopher spoke reminded Sunday of the fact he was probably not going to see Robin much more after she gets married. It slightly pains him to think about it. “I just hope she’s happy. Her happiness is my priority.”
“Dear Sunday, you know the world doesn’t revolve around happiness,” Gopher turns to him with a slight frown mixed with a smug expression Sunday managed to decipher. He continued, “People don’t care if you're happy, it’s all about money and heirs.”
The harsh truth; the entire goal of the wedding market is so that women can find a wealthy husband that will provide them with a stable life, while the women provide the husband with an heir. Simple, yet so complex. Robin’s fate was not going to be any different, as far as Sunday was concerned. If you’re from a high class family, you’re more likely to be wedded with a wealthy man that’s only interested in an heir for their lineage.
“In our current age, women are but tools to create a wealthy family. Eventually, you’ll have to find a woman to marry as well. To make sure the Oak Family doesn’t die with you,” Gopher’s words hit like a truck. Why did the truth hurt so much? Sunday wished a fate for his sister that was different from the shackles of being a woman. She deserved to fly freely, like a bird that soars in the sky.
~~~~~
It was all exciting and new for Firefly. She had never attended a ball before, which means this was her first. Of course, the nerves also struck her when she saw how big the manor was.
She stood in front of it and gaped at the entrance.
“Already shocked? We haven’t even entered yet,” Kafka chuckled as she entangled her arm with that of Firefly. Blade simply walked next to them, not fond of attending balls. He prefers solitude rather than such busy social gatherings. That aside, he did want to attend if it meant Firefly could experience what she wanted so badly.
“I know… but it’s so… huge,” Firefly stared at the huge manor, the only thing snapping her out was Kafka's light nudge. She regained her composure and coughs. Then she nodded, “I’m ready.”
The present moment she found herself observing the dance floor from the side. She silently hopes a man would approach her and ask her for a dance, yet she doesn’t even receive a glance. It’s almost like she’s invisible there.
Instead, she observes the people dancing. There’s a few couples that look happy to be dancing. Discerning the fluidity of the dance moves, she sees a girl that seemed a bit out of place. Her dance moves were ethereal, yet she didn’t look at least a bit happy to be dancing there. Her periwinkle colored hair flowed with every step she took and Firefly wished she could take her place if it meant she would seem more happy. She also took notice of the wings that seemed familiar, as if she heard a description about them before. It was on the edge of her memory, yet she just couldn’t recall it.
“Observing?” a familiar voice called out to her, snapping her out of her thoughts.
“Mhm… No one has come up to me so far,” Firefly explains as she continues to stare out onto the dance floor, not seeing the beautiful lady anymore. She turned her gaze to the woman next to her. She had a slight smirk on her face, but that was her usual expression.
“It takes time, my little firefly. One day, someone will approach you and ask you for a dance. That day, you will get to hone your skills as you wished,” Kafka took a sip of the drink in her hand, the red wine matching her hair color. The song ends and the dance floor clears out, new pairs arriving on the dance floor.
She chuckled quietly as she observed.
“Mm… I’m bored. I’m going to ask Bladie for a dance, just like old times,” Kafka puts down her glass and leaves the area, leaving Firefly alone again. Firefly watches Kafka go over to Blade and observes their reactions. Blade hesitates, but simply nods, remaining unreadable while Kafka’s smile widens as he nods. Kafka takes the hand he held out for her and leads her towards the dance floor. Firefly envies their carefree ways of life. They don’t seem to be affected much by society and live for themselves, not for the sake of others.
~~~~~
Robin stood next to her brother again, apart from the crowd of gossiping ladies and gentlemen asking ladies for a dance. Sunday also observed the crowd, looking at Robin a few times. He thought she wouldn’t notice, but her brother’s gaze was unmistakable. Robin could practically feel the way he was *subtly* trying to look at her.
Suddenly, the entire room went quiet as a loud trumpet echoed through the room. Everyone instantly recognized the sound: the queen had arrived at the ball. A few servants enter the room, before Queen Bonajade enters through the doors. She had a beautiful white dress adorned with blue flowers that made her pink hair stand out under her crown. Mutual gasps fill the ballroom and the huge crowd of people falls into a collective silence as she stands in front of the throne that was ready for her.
“Let the festivities commence, for I have arrived at this pleasant occasion,” she sat down and the orchestra didn’t hesitate to begin on another song.
A man approached Robin and she perked up, moving her gaze from the queen’s throne to the approaching man. She smiled sweetly at the man.
“Miss Robin… May I have this occasion for a dance with the beautiful lady that’s in front of me?” the man extends his hands. She didn’t have to find Gopher to know he was looking at her, practically watching her every move. She has no other choice but to accept and gently puts her hand in his. He smiles and starts taking her to the dance floor.
This is her chance to impress the queen even more, Robin knows. She should at least… try her best to make everything go smoothly.
The music starts and the gentleman starts leading her into the dance.
“Sir, may I ask your name? I don’t want to come over as rude, but I don’t know many people here since it’s my first debut,” Robin asks as their hands intertwine, their moves following those of the other dancers.
“No worries, beautiful lady. My name is Lord Arnold,” he says with a certain smirk on his face that Robin didn’t like. However, she didn’t show this and continued dancing. Both of them could feel Queen Bonajade eyeing them as they dance, so they try relaxing more into the dance moves.
“Such a beautiful name for a gentleman like yourself,” Robin smiles.
“Why, thank you, milady.”
He twirls her around his hand and catches her with his other arm, gently pushing her back up. Their dance moves perfectly in sync, yet Robin almost stumbles over her own feet. Luckily, she managed to perfectly cover it up and it looked like nothing happened. It seems Lord Arnold didn’t even notice, as he continued leading her dance moves.
Dancing was supposed to be a privilege; something a woman should cherish and enjoy. Even so, all the songbird wanted to do was run out of the busy halls and leave everything behind once and for all.