A Christmas Dance

@Reginald (+ @Josie <3)
Outfit: Dress + Hair
Outfit: Dress + Hair
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Anastasia had gone above and beyond, she always did with these events. Reginald had even suggested for his sister to join them, but she seemed more interested in getting the girls ready than actually going with them. He could understand if she wanted some time for herself after what had happened, however he felt a little guilty for letting her just be here at the mansion alone. Well not alone, Theodore and Amaryllis was there, and he knew that were Amaryllis was, Karmena wasn't far. So his sister wouldn't be all alone at least. He couldn't help but chuckle a little, letting his little sister inspect him. Anastasia had gotten him the handkerchief, saying it would go with what Mariella was wearing, so of course he obliged. "Perfection runs in our family," he teased his sister, but it sometimes felt like people looked to them as if they were supposed to be perfect. Reginald had always been rather close with his family, but mostly because of the fact there was safety in being with them. There were only few families that the royal family trusted, and besides Mariella's it was Amaryllis' parents. Of course all family trees had their fair share of bad apples, so to speak, but they were careful with whom they interacted with. As Mariella spoke, Reginald turned his eyes from his sister to his wife, a small gasp leaving his lips as he looked at the siren. The red fabric flowing around her as if it was flames. Her hair away from her face so that he could see all of her beautiful features. "She is," he agreed, taking her hand as he looked her up and down. It was clear to see that all he saw when he looked at Mariella was the love of his life. His eyes almost soft as he took in how she looked this evening. He wanted to lean down and steal a kiss, but he also knew his sister would scold him and tell him to be careful about her make-up. "You look absolutely stunning," he whispered, although he knew everyone in the mansion could probably hear it. He just wanted to let her hear the flattery, because she was the only one who needed to know what he felt in this moment. As Jasmine came out he smiled, looking to Anastasia to nod. It was clear he wanted his cousin to have as much of a good night as him and Mariella. He let go of Mariella's hand and walked to his cousin. "Take a spin," he smiled, holding out his hand to spin her around slowly, seeing everything of her. There was a close bond between the two cousins, and Reginald felt that after all of this the two of them were closer than ever, even if there were still a few things that was crazy. "I don't think I've seen you dressed like this before," he remarked, but it was also a slight nod to the fact that the girl that had smitten Jasmine clearly showed her impact. He moved with the other's to the car, heading to the event he felt a little giddy, even going so far as showing off a more relaxed expression than the one he had been showing off the past few weeks.

Josie had been running around all week, making sure the dress she had ordered were absolutely perfect. She couldn't afford to look a fool in front of Jasmine, no way. It was clear that her cousin Zach had noticed her absence, they usually saw each other once a week, but she had been distant even when they saw each other. It was like her whole mind was filled with Jasmine, the banshee girl that had made her finally feel something. She had even gone so far as to cut her hair, not that she worried much about the length as it seemed to grow back rather fast. Being picked up by an unknown driver didn't matter, but she saw it was mr. James, making her grit her teeth a little. It wasn't like the two of them had ever really spoken a word to each other, she just didn't really like him. What it was she couldn't tell, maybe she was just wanting to protect Jasmine even more than that man could do. They arrived, the door being opened she stepped out, ignoring mr. James' hand offering to help her. As she was out she adjusted a bit on her dress before her gaze fell on Jasmine, her eyes lighting up as if they had been dormant all this time. "Good evening stranger," she said in a small tease, reaching over to take Jasmine's hand. Whomever saw them together, she could care less about. There was something primal in her, telling her to make Jasmine hers, and she would gladly show off the banshee if she had the chance. "You look even more beautiful than I could ever imagine," she said softly, her free hand reaching out to touch the material of the fabric. Josie had never been shy of touching, and if she saw something with a texture she liked, she wanted to touch it, like she had an urge to do so. "Let's get inside before we start freezing," she said gently, pulling Jasmine with her, entangling their fingers as if it was the most normal thing for her to do.

Reginald walked with Mariella inside, the ballroom beautifully decorated in golden and silver stars, magic having been used to create the illusion of slow falling from the ceiling. One of the hosts came over, handing them welcoming drinks, Reginald's being spiked with blood to make it more pleasant for him. He had never liked drinking or eating, but to events like these he did it out of courtesy. He wrapped an arm around Mariella, pressing her a little closer, leaning his head down to her ear. "Tonight is for us," he whispered softly. He wanted the two of them spending the night dancing and having fun.

Josie was completely smitten by the way Jasmine looked. She looked so stunning that it was almost taking her breath away. Moving inside, Josie's hazel eyes looked around at the wondrous decoration that seemed to reflect so perfectly the season. Taking her welcoming drink she moved with Jasmine, standing by a large Christmas tree that was decorated with silver and gold ornaments, candle lights enchanted so that it wouldn't burn if you bumped in to it, or make anything catch fire. Lifting her glass, smiling she toasted with Jasmine, taking a sip of the sweet alcoholic drink. The confession made her chuckle lightly, giving Jasmine's hand a soft squeeze. "I'm happy as well, but you don't have to be shy around me," she said in a soft spoken voice. "I want you to be comfortable, to know that you don't have to second guess yourself," she said. Josie needed someone like Jasmine in her life, and at this point she was too infatuated by the banshee to even let go of her. Josie had never felt like this, sure she had felt lust and infatuation, but this feeling she had in her chest when she looked at Jasmine was new.

Reginald chuckled a little at Mariella's words, because it was true that it was kind of their thing. He placed his drink down on an empty table, pulling her closer as he looked in to her eyes. "Wouldn't want to keep you waiting," he whispered, smiling at her. He could hear the small welcoming toast being said, but he could only focus on looking on the beautiful siren in his arms. However as the music started to play he let go of her, bowing lightly for her. "Mrs. Blake-Mikaelson, would you give me the honor of this first dance of many?" he asked in a formal voice, but his lips were pulled up in a cheeky smile.

Reginald couldn't keep himself from chuckling a little as she curtseyed for him, pulling her out on the dance floor. He didn't mind leading, mostly because he could do it so effortlessly. Growing up he had always danced at parties like this, remembering swinging his cousins around to their yearly New Years parties and what not. However it was and had always been different when he danced with Mariella. There was something in the way she just trusted him to lead her. The music was slow, and he swung his wife around delicately, always minding them not taking up too much space or bumping in to another pair of dancers. As she rested her head against his chest, he smiled, looking in to the room as he just moved them to the music. "I still replay our many first dances in my head - mostly when you're asleep," he confessed in a low tone. His words of soft nature only being meant for her ears to hear. "The first dance we ever had, how you smiled for the first time in what had felt like forever," he said, remembering how she had been glooming and keeping her distance. "Our first dance as husband and wife," he whispered softly, smiling at the memory of their wedding slash honeymoon. It had been before so much hardship. Part of him wished they had never left, just stayed in Auckland and made a family of their own. He knew it wouldn't have solved the inevitable, but part of him liked the thought. Vampires grew fast, and he knew his aging would stop at some point, leaving him frozen in that state forever. He had seen what joy children had brought those around him in his family, but starting one now would be a complicated mess in it of itself. "One day I hope that I'll experience the first dance with you as the mother of my children," he said, chuckling as he knew he was dreaming away to the unknown future, but was there really anything wrong with that? "I hope I get to dance the first dance with our daughter, or see you have the first dance with our son," he whispered, looking down at her with vulnerable eyes. It was a silly thought, but one that came from the heart, even if his wasn't beating.

Josie took a sip of her drink, smiling to herself as she just looked out at the crowd. Then Jasmine took her glass, making her frown in confusion until she felt both of the banshee's in hers. Looking into those cyan eyes just made her wonder. Wonder if she had ever seen a color so vibrant in her life. Listening to Jasmine's words made her sigh, trying to relax her body as she felt a little tension. Not a bad one, but one that made her skin scratch from just wanting to be closer to her. "I think I know what you mean," she replied with a smile. She had grown up surrounded by vampires and banshees, and she herself being a hybrid had made her doubt her own existence in this world. Zach had been one of her only ways of truly feeling something, but here Jasmine was suggesting something far deeper. What her and Zach did was an easy fix, but what Jasmine could offer would be a lifelong exclusion from the loneliness she felt in her fast beating heart. Josie couldn't help but chuckle lightly, mostly because the compliment seemed so genuine. "And I like the way you like the way I look at you," she giggled. She felt so giddy, an emotion she was not used to feeling, but Jasmine almost forced it out of her. Her eyes followed her hand up to the banshee's full lips, small goosebumps appearing up along her arm as she felt them press against the back of her hand. At Jasmine's suggestion she nodded. "I'd love to," she smiled.

Reginald chuckled lightly at her words, because he looked forward to it all as well. He didn't want to hurry it up, because reality was he had eternity with the one he truly loved. They could spend their time together traveling and doing things they wanted before settling down. They didn't have to worry about money, but they did have to worry about the press wanting to follow them in the future. "Christmas is going to be weird, I just know it ... But on the other hand, I feel like it will be good for us; Perchance we'll even start some new traditions?" he said, his lips creeping up in to a gentle smile as he swung her around in their elegant dance. Reginald had always made dancing look easy, and his cousins had almost stood in line when they were younger to let him swing them around. Perhaps it was because he was a vampire, but his sister had always insisted it was a gift, because she often displayed to left feet. He looked into the eyes of the siren in his arms, smiling at her as he could feel the warmth radiate off of her. It had always been a strange concept to him; heat and how if came from a hot blooded creature. However since being with Mariella he hadn't thought much about it. It had become a part of his life, part of who he was, because he would not live without her by his side. "I've been thinking ... Perhaps going back to our real time would be the healthy option," he said, frowning a bit at his own words. He knew their younger selves were around, and risking it all would be too unwise. He loved Mariella, and he didn't care where they were as long as it was with her. However staying here for long would be bad. He sighed, looking at how happy Jasmine was right now. "But I can't force anyone ... And it's been so long since I've seen Jazzy like this," he said, frowning as he thought about it all. He knew some of their friends had gone back, and to be frank he missed his parents. And he knew Ana missed Sophie a lot, those two girls had been like peas in a pod.

Josie moved with Jasmine out to the dance floor, placing her arms around the banshee's waist and pulling her a little closer. She wasn't afraid to show affection, she hardly cared if anyone started whispering about them, all she needed was her banshee close and everything would be fine. Her banshee. Josie smiled to herself, feeling like she was acting like such a brat, claiming Jasmine before she could even give her consent. The hybrid didn't really know love in the traditional sense. Her parents were in love, that was sure, and she could see that the vampire and siren that Jasmine arrived with were quite in love. However the feeling itself was estranged to her. She couldn't help but smile at her small confession, swaying to the music and mostly just following whatever the banshee seemed to want. It was like being spellbound. "It is absolutely insane to say that," Josie replied, with a stoic expression before her features softened up, giving her a smile. "But I absolutely agree," she added. Josie had never really needed anyone, she had more so hungered for attention. She needed to feel wanted, to feel like someone longed for her. The hybrid leaned closer to the banshee's ear, her breath calm and warm against her neck. "Let's sneak away for a while," she whispered, taking the banshee's hand and moving off the dance floor. There was a lot of halls and rooms in a hotel, and Josie would be damned if they didn't go on a little adventure while they had the opportunity. If Jasmine let her, she would guide them to the elevator, pressing the button to go to the penthouse, a devious smile on her lips as she pulled out a small card. It made the panel turn green and up they went. "I'm sorry, but it appears you are not the only one with money," she giggled, pulling Jasmine closer to her in the elevator. She leaned closer to her face, her lips hovering over hers as she felt their breaths mix. A ding was heard from the elevator, making Josie sigh, but she let go of the banshee to move in to the penthouse suite. The large glass windows were all around, showing the light of the large city below, as well as the dim lights from the stars above. "I took my liberty to check in before the party ... I'm afraid I don't like things to be too public, but I'm guessing this is alright? - Or we could just go back to the party if you prefer?" she said, walking over to open a small fridge, pulling out a small vial of blood. It was hard for Josie to control her needs when people were around her all the time, so she preferred to get away to feed and calm down. "My metabolism is quite fast ... If I don't consume blood or copious amounts of food often, I get a little out of control," she explained with an apologetic look on her face.

//Out ???//