Ballroom
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"Isn't it beautiful?" Envy sighed, watching the gowns and coats flow across the ballroom floor. Wrath scowled. "It's just a bunch of humans spinning around in bright cloth." he pouted.
The older Homunculus smiled sadly and shook his head. "Oh, no, no, no. You're missing the whole point here, Wrath. See, look at that young couple over there." He pointed to a particularly dashing young pair, a red-headed beauty in a pure-white gown, and a blond man in the usual black tuxedo. "The girl is attempting to seduce that man, using the rythym of the music to lull him into the cresendo of the human equivalent of love. He is beginning to love her. In the end, things will either work out between them, or"—Envy's patient smile became a psychotic grin—"they will discover that they simply have nothing in common, and go home in a state of depression." Wrath stared down at the couple, an evil grin on his face. "I like that. Human suffering is always worth watching."
Envy shook his head again. "Wrath, Wrath, Wrath, you don't get it. That's only one of the beautiful things about balls. The most fantastic part of the entire evening is the dancing." he explained, pointing at the swirling couples below them. The music seemed to become a gust of wind, whirling throughout the golden ballroom. Wrath tapped his fingers to the beat of the orchestra's music. He had to admit, it wasn't half bad. Watching those humans having a good time while the Homunculi had to sit and watch was hardly acceptable to him.
"Envy, can you teach me how to dance?" Wrath asked. Envy shrugged and smirked. "Why not?" he murmured, taking the younger Homunculus' hand and placing it on his shoulder. All was well until Envy placed his hand on Wrath's waist. "Whoa! Waitaminute, what're you—?!" the raven-haired boy gasped, attempting to wrestle the green-haired Sin's hand from his waist. "Wrath, if you look down there again, you'll notice that this is a part of the dance." Envy sighed, his patience running thin. Wrath blushed. "Sorry." he muttered, embarrassed.
Undaunted, Envy continued to instruct Wrath on the ways to dance without stepping on his partner's feet, and how to spin back into the partner's arms without growing dizzy. The lesson continued until about the 5th number, when Wrath had become a bit too tired to be considered a brilliant dancer. Nonetheless, Envy was pleased with the results. He had, in the course of about 20 minutes, made an amazing dancer out of a wild-tempered, immortal boy. Mission accomplished.
For a little while, the two Homunculi simply watched the dancers below them, stroking the shining woodwork of the banister as the music swelled. Occasionally, one might see Dante in the midst of the couples, dancing coolly amongst the young men who simply came to the ball to obtain one dance with her. She was rather beautiful, in a mysterious way. Envy and the rest knew how that beauty held a hidden wicked enchantress, a cruel woman perverted by centuries of pining for a man she would never obtain again. But humans were always blind to the obvious.
A small smile spread across Wrath's face as he looked up at the chandelier above them, its glittering pieces glowing for what could be imagined as eternity. It spun slowly around the dancers, almost in tune with their movements, a circle of never-ending light to be shed upon the many creatures that walked the unpredictable land of Amestris. Slowly, the boy reached for the chandelier with his hands, one noticeably longer and of a darker tone than the other. A longing glint came into his eyes. "I want everything that the humans have. One day, I'll go out into the world and see everything that they see, and walk like they walk, and love like they love…" he whispered, clenching his hands into fists. Envy placed his hand none-too-gently on Wrath's shoulder. "You'll be human soon enough, if the Master desires it." he said curtly, pointing to where Dante was dancing with a blue-eyed young man. "But I don't trust her…" Wrath whined, looking up at the green-haired Homunculus. "You will learn to obey her. Trust isn't a part of our loyalty to her. It isn't even loyalty, really. It's a simple obligation."
--
The night wore on.
Some of the dancers were heading toward the garden, where they would begin the expected courting (or simply affectionate) actions. Others went to the buffet table, where they drank wine and talked animatedly about the goings on in The Important Places, the names of which Envy knew and smugly recited. It made him snigger with glee at the thoughts of his favorite respective haunts in all those places, for different reasons. He'd had 400 years to perfect the art of an actor in all those cities and towns—in Dublith, he was often a street waif, in Central, a handsome First Lieutenant. Either way, for simple hobbies or for memorable assignments, Envy listened intently to the casual chit-chat about the places of interest. Wrath simply watched the remaining dancers, absentmindedly tucking his hair behind his ears, where it would always slip out and cover his eyes. At times he disliked it being so long.
"Envy, let's dance again."
Envy turned to look at his eager young student. "Again? Are you positive?" he asked, amusement in his tone. "Yes, I'm sure! But…let's dance with everyone else, down there." Wrath gestured to the remaining dancers. The older Homunculus nodded and shrugged. "Sure. But let's keep to the shadows. Dante doesn't want us down there." Nodding in a slightly-sullen way, the raven-haired Homunculus boy grabbed Envy's wrist and propelled him to the stairs.
After changing from their Homunculi attire (which would be completely unsuitable for the setting) into embroidered waistcoats with gold trimming and lace on the sleeves (Wrath looked ready to kill someone), Envy and Wrath silently stood in the shadows behind a pillar, waiting for the next number to be played. After a few uncertain seconds, the music began again, this time light and playful. Smiling, Wrath clapped his left arm onto Envy's shoulder, and let him propel him around the darkened hall. The music seemed to entwine around their legs, making them go faster and faster. Barely conscious of what they were doing, the Homunculi spun wildly into the mass of dancers.
Out of the corner of his eye, Wrath saw Dante leading a fair-haired man out towards the garden. He heard Envy snort with disdain at the way their arms were entwined. "She's done it again." he muttered darkly. "What do you mean?" the raven-haired boy asked, curious. "She's hosted balls like this for thousands of years. Every time, without fail, she always drags away a man under her arm." the oldest Homunculus explained coldly. Wrath blushed a brilliant red, and focused on the dance. "W-Well, at least the Master can't bother us right now…" he muttered, attempting to conjure up a good point for the fore-mentioned "Dante Problem". Envy shrugged. "I suppose."
They danced on.
--
It was nearly midnight. The chandelier had begun to dim, and the partygoers had long driven home in their cars and carriages. Dante and her newest lover were nowhere to be found. Ever so faintly, the music continued to play, but this time from a phonograph. In the center of the room, Envy and Wrath continued to dance.
In his minds' eye, Envy could feel the admiring eyes of every human in the country on them, muttering among themselves and gasping in awe. The humans watched, enraptured, as they spun around on the ballroom floor, never once stepping on each other's foot. The women wondered who these handsome young men were, while the men marveled at how elegantly they moved. But then he thought of Dante—and the image broke into a thousand, hopeless fragments.
Wrath, meanwhile, had managed to get as close a possible to the green-haired Homunculus. He breathed in the scent of lavender and blood that clung to the immortal being, listening to the slow, steady breathing of his partner. Having an urge to lift his head (he was getting a crick in his neck), the wild boy stared into the catlike, brilliant violet eyes of Envy. Without hesitating, Wrath suddenly halted in step, and craned his neck…
The music screeched to a halt.
Envy stood there, a sleepy smile on his face, waiting patiently for whatever Wrath had in mind. "You tired?" he asked, cocking his head to one side. A pink flush appeared on the raven-haired boy's cheeks as he shook his head. Wrath stood on tiptoe, and attempted to reach the oldest Homunculus' face. No luck. He barely registered the phonograph stuttering through a waltz, wondering how in the name of…something…he was going to explain his actions. Envy lowered his head, grinning widely. "Wish you tall—what the…?" he began, realizing that Wrath was now an inch away from his face, balancing on his own feet. The boy's expression was a mixture between embarrassment and exasperation.
"I…" Wrath began, fumbling for the words.
The phonograph began to stutter back to life, somehow. Bethoven's Symphony began to play.
"I…" he tried again.
The chandelier's candles began to flicker and die.
"I have to go." Wrath finally blurted out, scrambling for the door. As the sounds of his footsteps padded away, Envy simply stood there in the dying candlelight, staring after the boy. Bowing elegantly to the golden room, he padded towards the door, murmuring "Thank you for coming tonight, ladies and gentlemen. Lights out."
The ballroom was enveloped in darkness, save for two glinting pairs of ancient, violet eyes.
-FINIS-