*Fillis enters the room with Eck*

Um... are we late?

//I... don't know...//

Oh, we're early... why did zoba drop us off at this time???

//Ugh, classic zoba. Always want us to be on time//

Well I guess we wait... 

(sorry this is short but hopefully it suffices - anyway, the party is now ready to begin!)

~~~

The Rosewood House is ready for its first party. The interior of the house is finally put together - there are refreshments laid out, games waiting in the den, and music playing softly in the background. Meanwhile, outdoors, late afternoon sunlght turns everything to gold. Kaspar opens the front doors, and it's time for the party to begin. We all wait in the doorway, ready to welcome the guests.

Ramya and Izzy were supposed to get there five minutes early.
Seadragon made sure of this. She hates people to be late, so she sent them off, first making sure that they had all of their posessions (Ramya carried the cookies, a notebook, and a pen; Izzy had a notebook, a pen, a pair of warm socks to wear inside as she had on sandals, and a tube of lip balm).
However, trouble intervened--somehow, along the way, they had lost a cookie or two (this might've been to their own mouths), and also four and a half of the five minutes.
Still, they were second to get there, after Fillo and Eck, who stood near the entrance conversing with Kaspar.
"Welcome," said Kaspar, turning around at their arrival. "Coats and shoes go here, in the mudroom, if you will."
Izzy removed her sandals and took the warm socks out of one of her pockets, sitting on a neary wooden bench to put them on her feet. The mudroom was quite nice.
"Hello, my name's Ramya, nice to meet you," said Ramya to Kaspar as she unlaced her sneakers. "Where do I put cookies?"
"The kitchen or the den," said Kaspar. "I'm Kaspar, and this is Filis--" gesturing to a girl in a dark blue dress, with fluffy blond hair, whose outfit reminded Ramya of her sister's-- "and Eck." Kaspar then gestured to Eck, who was wearing a red floral dress and a jean jacket.
"I like your dress," said Ramya.
"Thank you," said Eck.
Ramya went off to the kitchen to put away the cookies; Izzy wandered into the living room to see if anyone was interested in playing chess. However, as no one was yet there, she sat down on the couch near the chessboard, which was quite comfortable, and looked around at the lovely room, which had all sorts of chairs (with and without arms, in various degrees of stuffedness) and tables. There were houseplants on some of the tables, as well as various games laid out. She thought that it would be a nice evening.

Name: Ariella

CBer or AE: AE

Pronouns: She/her

Age: About 15

Appearance: I'm slightly short for my age, with fair skin, freckles, brown eyes, wavy golden-brown hair, and a small straight nose slightly tipped at the end.

What are you wearing to this ball?: Blue-purple-silver-checked cowgirl-inspired shirt, with a short jean skirt and blue earrings :)

Shipping: I've just been shipped with Rumi!! I can't wait to meet him *dreamy sigh*

Are you bringing anything?: Well, not exactly, because I live here...

~Ariella~

~Now that the party's started - some of the guests shown up, and it looks like more guests are coming - I feel even more excited. There's always something about a party that you don't get anywhere else, but this one's extra special because, maybe, I'll get a chance to meet Rumi. I dash off to make sure that all the refreshments are laid out, practically bouncing off the walls as I go.~

(I'm going to change Crescent's text from ~this~ to (this( to make it easier.

(Crescent(

(I feel nervous going to the party, but I'm also somewhat excited...I got shipped with Kauri and I really want to meet them. Orion walked in first, confidently and perhaps searching for someone, with Callisto and me following, each carrying our refreshments.(

(I set down my lemonade on the table and notice who I think is Ariella, looking rather excited, as if she too was going to meet someone. I wave shyly and say, "Hey there. I'm Crescent. How is the party so far?"(

;Orion; 

;"Sup," I say to Kaspar casually as I enter. I scan the room, hoping to see...Melon, maybe, but she hasn't arrived yet, I suppose. I decide to go over to the living room, where another AE I'm guessing is Izzy is sitting.;

;"Izzy, right?" I say. "How are you doing?" After she answers, I suggest, "Want to play a board game?"; 

}Kauri{

}I wander into the house, observing my fellow AEs. I notice one who seems a bit like me, bouncing of the walls in her hurry to get wherever she’s going. I left the boys at home, as they were still getting ready, so I do have some time to kill. Maybe I’ll say hi to someone?{

~Izzy~

~ "Sure," I say to Orion. "Chess? Something else?"
"We can do chess," he says. Someone has already set up the pieces, so we begin playing.
"How's life?" I inquire. I'm sitting on white's side of the board, so I've had first move; now Orion is copying it, which I have heard is a very good strategy in the early parts of chess. I've never played chess seriously, but it's fun.
"It's good," Orion says. "Are you here with anyone?"
"My sister's Ramya," I say. "If you'd like I can introduce you to her."
"Sure," says Orion. "Crescent and Callisto came, too, and I'm shipped with an AE named Melon, but I don't know if she's coming. And your move."
After some contemplation, I move another of my pieces. Orion does too, and then it grows a bit too complicated to make small talk, until the end of the game.

--Ramya--

--Someone comes dashing into the kitchen as I'm taking the foil off the cookies. She looks like a nice person, though, so I wave cheerily.
"Hi," I say. "I'm Ramya, and you are?"
"Ariella," she says. "I'm so excited for tonight, aren't you?"
"Yeah," I say. "I've never really been to a ball before." I fold the foil in half and put it under the plate.
"This one will be really fun," she says. "And I might meet the person whom I'm shipped with."
"Good for you," I tell her. I've never really yearned to be shipped; I'm still pretty young compared to most AEs.
Then someone else comes into the room.

*Daisy*

*I walk cheerfully through the door, clinking my fingers through my fun string of pearls. I say hi to Kasper on the way past, and then make my way through the rest of the house. There were a few AE's already there, and everyone is chatting with each other. I make my way into the kitchen to set down my plate. Two AE's, Ramya and Ariella, I think their names are, are already in there. "Hi," I greet them.* 

Name: Rumination "Rumi"

CBer or AE: AE

Pronouns: he/him

Age: 17? Or should I change it to 15 (@Poinsettia)? But 17 for now :)

Appearance: messy brown hair, dark eyes, green beanie, on the taller side

What are you wearing to this ball?: um I can't imagine him wearing a suit. He will be wearing a formal jacket, nice pants, and his beanie. Yes, a beanie, typical ball attire, you know ;)

Shipping: shipped with Ariella, Poinsettia's AE :)

Are you bringing anything?: he is bringing mooncakes because it was just Mid-Autumn Festival and mooncakes are on my mind. Also they're delicious. And that reminds me, I should go downstairs and eat a mooncake now before they all go bad :D <-- happy face for the eat a mooncake part, not the they all go bad part ;)

~Ariella~

~Ramya greets me, and we chat for a bit. I really like her; maybe we should become better friends. Daisy comes in too and greets me. I love parties! So many friends and potential friends and just people! yayyyyy~

And then Kaspar calls me. 

"Ariella?" he says. "There's someone here you might want to meet."

I hurry back to the door - I'm doing a lot of hurrying right now - and oh my goodness there is the cutest boy I have ever seen. He's tall (yay) with messy dark hair (yay again) and dark eyes (oh my goodness again) and a formal jacket in which he looks incredibly good - and on his head is, of all things, a beanie. Who shows up wearing a jacket and a beanie? And I mean that in a positive way, as in who is cute enough to be able to do that and still look this good.

"This," says Kaspar, evidently enjoyiing it all hugely, "is Rumination." At first I think he means that this situation is one in which we are all ruminating, and I'm confused, but then Kaspar says, "Or should I just say Rumi?" and I realize. Rumi. What a nice name. I love it. I love Rumi. This is wonderful. Hurray. I could probably just stand there forever and gaze at Rumi.

And that's exactly what I'm doing when Kaspar nudges me. "Ariella?" he prompts.

"Oh! Um, hi, yeah, I'm Ariella! Poinsettia's AE! Welcome to Rosewood House." I smile. "And, um, I think  we're shipped?"

I hope it doesn't sound too awkward, and wait for Rumi to respond. ~

Side note from me: aw they're so cute together at this party I'm just kind of hanging around feeling like a proud mother or something :)

;Orion;

;We talk for a bit while playing chess. From what I see, we're both neck and neck on the chessboard, with either of us making a mistake leading to one of us winning. I move my bishop up and say, "Check. Did you bring anything to the party?";

(Crescent(

(I decide to go over to Kauri, somewhat nervously. I want to try to make a good impression, but I'm honestly not sure how. Taking a deep breath, I go up to Kauri and say, "Hey there. Kauri, right? How are you doing?"( 

¿Rumination¿

~Izzy~

~I counter Orion's check by taking the bishop.
"My sister brought chocolate-chip-and-cherry cookies," I say.
"I brought chocolate chip cookies too," says Orion. "I guess a lot of people like them."
"I do," I say. "Personally, I think that all other cookies are deeply inferior."
"They are, aren't they?"
"Although almond ones can be nice," I concede, "except I never have any, because Ramya is a foodie and she only likes chocolate."
"What are your interests?" Orion asked.
"I make jewelry," I say, "and projects." I wonder if that sounds too mysterious.
"Like what?"
"Our cellar is remote-controlled so I can lock people in it. That sort of thing."
"So you like to lock people in the cellar."
"Yeah, well, Ramya deserves it sometimes. And I let her out."
Orion laughs and I put him in check and say so.~

--Ramya--

--I chat with Ariella and Daisy for a bit and then Ariella goes off to meet the person who she's shipped with, all in a flutter. Daisy says she'd like to go out to the garden, and so I am left alone. I have one of someone else's cookies (very nice, chewy, chocolate chips but no dried cherries) and then remember the AE chaos. I go into the dining room, which is next door and contains a large square-ish table with chairs and no other people, as well as some nice plates mounted on the wall. I pull out one of the chairs and sit down, then think that that'd be boring, and leave the chair out but sit on the table, kicking my feet idly and waiting for someone else to come in.--

yay they finally meet!!

~Ariella~

~I realize that there was an awkwardly long pause before I actually said anything, but fortunately, Rumi doesn't seem to mind.

"Yeah," he says, smiling. "It's really nice to meet you." (Aww.) "Um, where should I put this?"

He holds up a box of something - I'm not quite sure what it is, maybe a special cake. Cake, yum. I realize I'm kind of hungry. It was quite a while since I last ate. 

"In the den," I say. "That's where the refreshments and food are.  It looks delicious, by the way." That doesn't sound quite right..." The cakes, I mean, not the den." Oops. "This way." I lead him through the hall. The den, a cozy room with big soft sofas, a TV, and a small cabinet, isn't far off, and we soon reach its door.~

Sorry y'all, I think I'm actually going to pull out of this... I'd still love to participate, but I honestly don't think I have enough time for it. Just wanted to let you know :)