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The nighttime stars twinkled through the hall’s many gilded windows, and moonlight peered at through its translucent panes. Outside, it was cool and dark, the dim blue sky hanging loftily over the town of Magnolia. But inside, a spectacular chandelier of crystalline lacrimas illuminated the hall with a soft, warm glow. The people of Magnolian littered the ballroom, all mingling amongst themselves on the glossy marble floor. Within the already sparkling hall, the dazzling glitter of their sequins and silky fabrics only added to the room’s glamor. A sweet, savory aroma drifted through the air, and orchestral music elegantly resounded across the room. Such grandeur almost seemed ill-fit for such an otherwise lowkey town, but the fact that such a lavish celebration was open invite was reflective of its unpretentious residents. In fact, similar gallas and extravaganzas were being held concurrently all over Fiore, many of which harbored a similarly open-door policy.
But when she first learned of the New Years' party, Althea had absolutely zero intentions to attend. And why would she? The spirit had never been one for the more up-scale celebrations. Even before her momentary disappearance from Earthland, she preferred exploring the local sewage system or mucking around in the woods over an event of such polish. Althea was the kind of person that, if she had the option to, would go everywhere barefoot. Maybe not through the snow, rain, or mud, but anything else was fair game. But you know what they say: no shoes, no service. And though she had long since grown accustomed to the normalcies of modern society, someone like her, who spent so long living by themselves in the middle of nowhere, would inevitably be a bit out of place in a setting such as this one.
What made things even worse, however, was that she’d also spent the last year or so not interacting with human civilization to any degree whatsoever. Before, being isolated like that would’ve terrified her to the point of panic. But after spending so long on her own while curled up, crying, shivering, screaming, etcetera, she became acclimated to being in of nothing but her own thoughts. Well, that wasn't completely true. There were occasionally a few passing beings that could be described as nothing other than nightmare fuel tailored specifically to exploit her fears and anxieties, but she preferred not to think about those. Anyways, things happened, Althea came back to Fairy Tail, but she wasn’t too keen on engaging with the guild or its members to any degree. Having everything she cared about forcefully ripped from her grasp made her... 'hesitant' to once again place as much value and investment into it. So passing up the party would’ve been a wise, reasonable choice. Instead of sitting silently in a corner like she was now, unwilling to talk to anyone, she could’ve been wandering through unfamiliar lands and honing her strength.
But evidently, Althea decided to act contrary to her better judgment. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in an enclosed space with a bunch of people she may or may not know, but here she was nonetheless. Leaning perfectly still against a wall, the spirit silently observed the party, regarding the ongoing activities with cold indifference. Wearing a short, black dress alongside a simple pair of black pumps, her usually free-falling blonde hair was tied up in her best attempt at hair styling. Really, this had to be the single most thought-out and put-together outfit that Althea has worn in her entire life. However, even with all the effort she put into fitting in with the crowd, the glitz and glamor were still so bright that they practically blinded her when she initially walked in. And while the rest of the party-goers were off eating, dancing, and laughing, Althea was standing around silently off to the side.
Initially, she just wanted to attend the party because she’d never been to a New Year’s celebration before. In fact, she couldn’t recall ever doing anything for the incoming year in the first place. Maybe she would have gained something from just doing new things, but really, the party was just putting her in a bad mood. Letting out a weary sigh, she continued her observation, arms rigidly crossed as the persistent sounds of the New Year’s party echoed hollowly through her ears.
But when she first learned of the New Years' party, Althea had absolutely zero intentions to attend. And why would she? The spirit had never been one for the more up-scale celebrations. Even before her momentary disappearance from Earthland, she preferred exploring the local sewage system or mucking around in the woods over an event of such polish. Althea was the kind of person that, if she had the option to, would go everywhere barefoot. Maybe not through the snow, rain, or mud, but anything else was fair game. But you know what they say: no shoes, no service. And though she had long since grown accustomed to the normalcies of modern society, someone like her, who spent so long living by themselves in the middle of nowhere, would inevitably be a bit out of place in a setting such as this one.
What made things even worse, however, was that she’d also spent the last year or so not interacting with human civilization to any degree whatsoever. Before, being isolated like that would’ve terrified her to the point of panic. But after spending so long on her own while curled up, crying, shivering, screaming, etcetera, she became acclimated to being in of nothing but her own thoughts. Well, that wasn't completely true. There were occasionally a few passing beings that could be described as nothing other than nightmare fuel tailored specifically to exploit her fears and anxieties, but she preferred not to think about those. Anyways, things happened, Althea came back to Fairy Tail, but she wasn’t too keen on engaging with the guild or its members to any degree. Having everything she cared about forcefully ripped from her grasp made her... 'hesitant' to once again place as much value and investment into it. So passing up the party would’ve been a wise, reasonable choice. Instead of sitting silently in a corner like she was now, unwilling to talk to anyone, she could’ve been wandering through unfamiliar lands and honing her strength.
But evidently, Althea decided to act contrary to her better judgment. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in an enclosed space with a bunch of people she may or may not know, but here she was nonetheless. Leaning perfectly still against a wall, the spirit silently observed the party, regarding the ongoing activities with cold indifference. Wearing a short, black dress alongside a simple pair of black pumps, her usually free-falling blonde hair was tied up in her best attempt at hair styling. Really, this had to be the single most thought-out and put-together outfit that Althea has worn in her entire life. However, even with all the effort she put into fitting in with the crowd, the glitz and glamor were still so bright that they practically blinded her when she initially walked in. And while the rest of the party-goers were off eating, dancing, and laughing, Althea was standing around silently off to the side.
Initially, she just wanted to attend the party because she’d never been to a New Year’s celebration before. In fact, she couldn’t recall ever doing anything for the incoming year in the first place. Maybe she would have gained something from just doing new things, but really, the party was just putting her in a bad mood. Letting out a weary sigh, she continued her observation, arms rigidly crossed as the persistent sounds of the New Year’s party echoed hollowly through her ears.
Last edited by Althea on 24th February 2023, 10:32 am; edited 1 time in total
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