The Naboo's Heaven and Hell Ball was well-known among those with wealth, status, or well-placed friends. Those who were fortunate enough to obtain tickets would gather each year, dressed in the most beautifully themed gowns and suits, and dance until the golden dawn faded into the dark blue night. Clove was one of those lucky people; the half-Annfyn had made a name for herself after Huttball, Kashyyyk, and Thyferra. One that was aided by the Vanhoop Boutique, a name that gradually but steadily gained traction among the wealthy. It took a little nagging and pulling the right strings, but she eventually got her hands on two tickets.
One for an angel, and one for a demon.
But after finally meeting Altair, any hope of bringing him vanished in an instant. Any pain, any trauma she justified for Altair was ripped open by the seam. The hope that had given Clove the drive to keep going vanished, leaving her with a pain so great it had its own gravity, pulling her down. Every day was cold and dark, and all she wanted to do was return to Yavin 8 and let the darkness drag her under. But as lost and hopeless as she felt, Clove continued moving. One small step after the other. It was all that she managed to do, but she had promised. There were people waiting for her. And so, every step brought Clove forward, beginning with the Star Guardian project, a distraction that helped her forget about the pain by focusing on something else.
But the ball kept getting closer and closer, and the tickets taunted her every time she walked past them. She couldn't throw them away, but she also refused to go on her own and bathe in the pain. Clove finally grabbed her comlink and dialed the number that had sold her the tickets; she was going to the ball, and she was getting a third ticket.
There was a reunion in the making, and this was the perfect setting.
Arctus and Ruz were each given a ticket, along with the instruction to visit Kaalina Vanhoop three times: once to measure their bodies, once for mock-up testing, and once to pick up a hand-fitted tailored suit, sewn to fit the two's desires. Clove hadn't been there for the visits or had just missed them, but she didn't mind. She knew she'd see her friends one way or another. Plus, she'd never seen Arctus or Ruz dressed in anything other than their Jedi robes. Or, in Arctus' case, his casual attire and leather jacket. So she didn't mind it being a surprise.
And at long last, the day had finally arrived. Clove's eyes sparkled for the first time in weeks as she watched herself in the mirror in the bathroom of the manor hosting the event, applying the finishing touches she should've done at home. After two hands full of scrunches in her hair to settle her curls, Clove was finally satisfied enough to leave the bathroom and approach the grand doors and two men guarding the ballroom. The half-Annfyn gave the guards her ticket, allowing her entry to the main event.
The doors opened, as they had for any other guest, revealing the ballroom, which was decorated with small flowers, crystals, an endless supply of candles, white and black curtains and other decorations. Clove slightly lifted the endless layers of petticoat and stepped into the ballroom, the purple fabric's many layers gently dancing with each step, revealing glimpses of lilac and pink every now and then. The corset, which was made of white and golden materials and resembled flower petals, shone slightly in the many candle lights, as did the crystals and shimmering fabric in her skirt and bertha. Those same candles were reflected in the gold metal of Clove's crown, along with the small beads and shimmering white metal that formed flowers, butterflies, leaves and delicate curls.
Clove's large brown eyes scanned the crowd from the top of the staircase, her hands fiddling with the top layer of her skirt. There were so many people, all dressed up in the most beautiful gowns and suits that fit the theme in some way or the other, but she wasn't looking for them. She may not have been here with the man who held her heart, but those who filled her soul with warmth were there. Although nothing would ever be the same again, and the galaxy had changed so much that it no longer felt like home... She'd stumble through the night, step by step, to get to one of the few lights in her life that had never disappeared.
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