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Even after posing as celebrities for so long, there was little to prepare the Starlights for everything that was the annual Kaioh charity gala. Their invitation had come with a note-- “A little celebration of our survival,” written in Michiru’s elegant script.
But there was nothing little about this. The hall appeared the size of several city blocks, filled with elegant people dressed in their elegant best and cocktail waiters offering hors d'oeuvres that even Taiki had never heard of.
“I told you we should have stayed home.” Yaten crossed their arms over their chest. They had taken the most coaxing, and had barely dressed for the occasion. Had they not been a pop star, Seiya suspected they would not have been let in with only a t-shirt under their blazer.
Taiki put a hand on their shoulder. “I think it’s nice. We can’t hole up forever. And besides,” she said, accepting a long-stemmed glass from a server. “There’s wine.”
“That you’re not old enough to have.”
Taiki took a sip. “Michiru has it on her rider.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard her bullshit about--” Yaten cleared their throat and stuck their nose in the air-- “being old enough as soon as one’s pallet can appreciate it.”
“Well,” Taiki said, taking another glass from a passing tray and handing it to them. “You should try it and see if you’re old enough.”
Yaten scowled, but took a gulp. They grimaced at the taste, but kept drinking.
Not one to be left out, Seiya took a glass of her own. It was bitter but sweet, and made the room look softer than it had. If she squinted, it didn’t look so different from a Kinmoku celebration. Add a little more red in everyone’s attire, and tweak the music… but that was all gone now, and this is what they had. Maybe Yaten had the right idea, wanting to hide from it a little longer. A celebration of survival-- except for this planet’s soldiers, it was a celebration of revival . And only this planet was brought back.
They were easily spottable through the crowd. Ami and Rei did alright at blending in, but the rest of them… Seiya took a sip, riding the wave from despair to amusement as it came. Makoto looked elegant enough, but slumped to try and look shorter than she was, and Minako, meanwhile, had come in a dress that had too many sequins on too little fabric. Haruka clung to her side, lost while Michiru did whatever socialite things had to be done. And Usagi…
Seiya drained her glass and grabbed another. Usagi looked very nice, apart from the man she was with.
“Should we go say hello?” Taiki said with affected warmth.
“Well, it’s that or get drunk by ourselves.”
“It’s hard to decide which is less appealing.” Yaten cocked an eyebrow. “Though you seem to have a good start on the later.”
“It seems a good night for it, is all.” It was a warm night, and it got warmer every sip. It felt nice. Seiya’s head was light, not as in dizzy, but like a balloon. She floated just high enough that grief couldn’t catch her. The edges of the world didn’t look so sharp from here.
“Oh no.” Taiki put her head in her hand. “Maybe we should--”
“Let’s go talk to them.” Seiya emptied her glass again. “We should be friendly! We’re staying here after all.”
“Oh no.”
“Yeah, Seiya.” Yaten nodded. “It’s a great idea. I’ll go with you.”
Seiya beamed. Even Yaten couldn’t resist the beauty of the night, the rise of the music and the joy of the people. They linked arms, and Taiki trailed behind.
“What are you doing here?”
Seiya beamed at Haruka, too. “Michiru invited us!”
“She what ?”
“Well,” Yaten said, “she actually just invited Seiya, but said we could tag along if she wanted.”
“That’s not--”
“WHAT?”
Yaten snickered. Minako rolled her eyes and assured Haruka they were messing with her. Taiki made her polite hellos, and Seiya waited what she guessed was an appropriate amount of time before approaching Usagi. “Hey, Dumpling.”
“Hi.”
“Hello,” Mamoru said.
Seiya nodded her response to him, but kept her eyes on Usagi. “I like your dress.”
“Thanks.” Usagi smiled. “Mamo-chan got it for me, just for tonight.”
“Oh, cool.” Seiya nodded at Mamoru again. “You’ve got good taste.”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah.” She shuffled her feet. “So, Dumpling. Wanna dance?”
“Seiya.” Usagi put a hand on Mamoru’s arm. “I’m here with Mamoru.”
“Yeah.” Seiya nodded again. Was she nodding too much? “He’s cool. A very good Mamoru.” Maybe she should get another drink, just for something to do with her hands and face.
Mamoru looked at her like he was unsure if she was teasing him. Seiya wasn’t sure herself, so she nodded.
Usagi shook her head. “Do you mind, Mamo-chan?”
Seiya was lucky Usagi was a hard girl to say no to. They moved into the crowd where a few people had let go enough to sway to the music. “I don’t really know how to dance.”
“Neither do I. Mina always says if you’re having fun, you’re doing it right.” She looked around. “I don’t think that’s really the case here.”
“Well, no way to know but to try.” Seiya twirled her and pulled her back in with an exaggerated motion, gratified by her laughter. She spun her around the more subdued couples, aiming to match every swell of the violins with a giggle.
“I don’t think we’re supposed to have this much fun here,” Usagi said, unable to keep from smiling.
“I don’t think we’re supposed to have this much fun anywhere, but it’s better than being sad, isn’t it?”
“Seiya.” Usagi slowed their pace. “Do you need to talk? It’s okay to be sad, if you’re sad.”
“No, Yaten’s sad. They just want to sit at home all day. And Taiki writes stupid poems about it, like it helps somehow.”
“And what do you do?”
“I dance with the most beautiful woman I can find.” She dipped her then, for good measure. The wine she’d had made her wobble, but she held steady enough. “And I feel very lucky, that I’ve found such a beautiful woman.”
Usagi rolled her eyes, but she was smiling again. “You know I’m with Mamoru.”
“Yeah, but from what you said, that’s only going to last a thousand years or so, I’ve still got a shot.”
“You are really something.”
“Something good, I hope.” She tried to twirl Usagi again for effect, but stumbled.
Usagi laughed and shook her head. “You know, I once got very drunk at a party like this.”
“What happened?”
“No idea. I think Rei said I threw up off the balcony.” She scrunched her face to look stern. “But I’m starting to think you’ve been having the wine, so I’m giving you a warning.”
“I’ll be very careful not to throw up on any balconies.”
“Just be safe.”
“Aw, Dumpling, you care about me.”
“I do, Seiya.”
She froze, not sure what to do with the game gone. “Well I’ll… I’ll be careful, then. And you should probably get back to your… to Mamoru.”
“I should.” Usagi looked around quickly, and then kissed Seiya on the check. “We should dance again sometime.”
“See?” Seiya said, ignoring the blush creeping up her neck. “What did I tell you, it’s fun.”
Usagi smiled, too soft for the moment. “I don’t want you to be sad.”
Seiya stared as she wove back through the crowd. She’d hadn’t been asking for anyone’s pity, least of all hers. She found Yaten, already sequestered away from everyone else. “Wanna go home?”
“What did I tell you? This sucks.”
“I think you’ve got the right idea of it.” She followed them out, grateful for once for the quiet confines of their apartment, where they had only their own grief to face.