Open People-Watching

[Kyousuke Kurosawa]

Kyousuke didn't really know why he went to the yule ball. It wasn't quite the same as the Halloween feast, where people dressed up in costumes. No, here his options were much more limited - he had to wear a suit and that was that. It wasn't creative enough for him, he couldn't really branch out and play pretend. Because that's what mattered to Kyousuke - pretending to be someone else, to act, to perform. Now he was standing on the outskirts of the great hall, watching everyone. People-watching was a valuable skill for an actor after all - how people move, how they talk, the small gestures people make - it was all important in that search for authenticity. But he was also feeling a bit lonely. He tried to shrug it off. He was used to be alone after all. Kyousuke just stood watching in a plain black suit and tie, probably looking a bit more yearnful than he meant to as he watched the other students dance.

 

[Miranda Dawes]

Miranda had been keeping a bit to herself of late, which wasn't the attitude she wanted to have. Honestly, she was a bit homesick. And it wasn't like she could go to her mum for that, since her mum wasn't exactly much of a mum. Still, she couldn't mope, she had to go out there and spread positivity, because being a kind person was the best way to feel better, she found. The Yule Ball was the perfect way to test that. She noticed one of the boys from some of her classes, Kyousuke, unless she was mistaken, standing around looking a little morose and decided it was in both of their best interests for her to cheer him up. "Hello!" she said, brightly. "Happy Yule, Kyousuke! I like your suit!"

 

[Kyousuke Kurosawa]

Kyousuke blinked, slowly coming out of his thoughts as another student addressed him. Miranda was her name? Kyousuke wasn't sure, but he recognised her from some of his classes. He gave a small, short-lived smile. "Thanks," he said, still a little taken aback by her enthusiasm. "I like your dress," he said somewhat lamely, simply returning the compliment. He actually found the gold a bit overstimulating but he wasn't about to voice that thought. That'd be rude, and although as a Slytherin Kyousuke thought he could probably get away with being rude, he wasn't going to be that kind of person. He fidgeted for a moment, struggling to find other words to say. "You enjoy this sort of thing?" he decided to ask, gesturing to the dancers and students and food, no trace of judgement in his voice, just polite inquiry.

 

[Miranda Dawes]

Whether or not Kyousuke even meant the compliment or was just being polite didn't really faze Miranda, she still smiled cheerfully anyway. "Thank you!" She looked around at the hall, eyes lighting up at the wintery decorations. It wasn't what she'd started getting used to, but it felt beautiful all the same. "Yeah! The hall looks so nice, and everyone dresses up, it's like..." she paused for a moment, pondering the best description. "Like looking back in time, almost like a scene from a book." Her smile faded for just a moment as she spotted her mum chaperoning across the hall. "It's a lot though, isn't it?"

 

[Kyousuke Kurosawa]

Kyousuke tilted his head, considering Miranda's words. Like a book. Maybe there was something in that. He'd prefer to think of it as a scene from a play - and his mind starting to spin on that idea for a moment, imagining masquerades and balls, the drama that lied within people's behaviours and habits. "It is," he agreed, "but it's a good opportunity to people-watch too." Kyousuke looked over at a couple - a boy and a girl - talking. "What do you imagine is going on between them?" he mused out loud. "He's doing most of the talking. Is she bored, or does she like that about him? And why?" Kyousuke didn't usually share his thought processes with others but he felt like it was an apt moment somehow. Like maybe Miranda would understand how Kyousuke liked to think.