The smell of crisp cold air, freshly cut firs and pines, and spices wafting from the food table were mingling in his nose. In all his life he had never been to a party, let alone a ball. It wasn't the sort of place a person who lived off the land and in the wilderness would be. He was nervous, fidgeting. Was it normal to feel this way? The wolf in him was excited and wary of the twinkling lights and strangers dressed in clothing he'd only heard in fairy tales. In the sea of silks, shimmering cloaks, and jewelry–he felt like a potted sapling in a clay urn, part of the background. His best clothes were no more than the cleanest set he typically wore and a new pair of boots that had been broken in. With the decorations all set and ready there wasn't anything else left for the tracker to do. Standing around watching pairs dance, he kept himself busy by watching the animals. Niall was a troublemaker and there were half a dozen small wyverns hanging around. The boys had brought Millie, everyone's beloved cat. Nerine had gotten her for Lysandre as a gift, but she quickly won over the hearts of everyone in Antikythera.

Standing around twiddling his thumbs, Walter mulled over his contributions for the event. Nerine's youngest Efrain handled this year's food for the buffet table with his mother, the automatons did the heavy lifting when it came to moving, Auron was in charge of choosing the decorations, and Shiloh was directing the flow of traffic. The most he had done was move a few cases and help get the animals dressed for the colder weather. As the music changed, he took the chance to stop by the tables covered in dishes. He'd heard that some of the food here was prepared by other deities, and Shiloh had given him a warning not to touch the drinks. She said something about possible contamination then started muttering about how alcohol was a 'liver rotting poison disguised as flavored lighter fluid'. Although she had a tendency to be overly cautious, he would take her word for it. No one could tell if anything had been slipped into the drinks with all the spices mixed in.

The food should be relatively safe, but to be absolutely sure he took care to smell for anything off. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to try a little… With all the delicacies right in front of him, it was hard to say no. The glazed roasts and expensive cuts of meat with names he'd never heard of were growing more mouth-watering by the minute. Taking a plate he took a few slices of ham and stuffed lamb. There was a roast duck too, ribs with savory seasoning, and much more. The sweets at the other end were just as tempting, but that had to wait. First the meat, then a bite or two of dessert.

It had been a long time for the willow since she had set foot in another place that wasn’t Antikythera. Much of her time in Parvpora was spent spending time with Walter when he hadn’t come to see her. Her long white hair was partially brought up and braided down the backside of her hair that was left loose. A silk kimono of blue and silver was what she was wearing. It was elegant and perhaps more so than most of the nobles in Nisshoki. The majority of the kimono was dark blue with silver accents and designs across it.

Eyes of blue and brown watched Walter from afar. She felt out of place for sure but with a simple nudge from another clergy member of Angela, she finally found her feet. Shes strolled across the floor and avoided those that were partying and chatting. It must have been weird to see her especially her burnt hand whenever she accidentally showed it out of her sleeve.

“I see you are ever the socialite,” there was a tease from her as she finally got to his side. She placed her hands into the long sleeves so she could hide them. Her burns made her self conscious. “Lady Angela said you would be here and it would be rude of me not to at least come to see you.” There was a light flush of pink across her cheeks as she thought more about it.

“I don’t think I’ve really ever been to a dance and I’ve always avoided the celebrations that My Lady has thrown together. So I hope you can forgive how awkward I am at the moment.” She offered him a smile though it did not hide how nervous she was. This was all new for her.

There were pangs of embarrassment the moment Shayla–of all people appeared–while Walter was preparing to finish off a large helping of food. He had managed to eat through everything except a pair of ribs before she arrived, a small part of him thankful she didn't find him minutes earlier. Setting down his plate while trying to clean up his face, it too was starting to gain a new shade of red beneath his beard. If only he hadn't indulged in so many of the sauce-covered chops… He cleared his throat out of nervousness and surprise when she teased him. When he felt he was halfway decent enough to talk, he cracked a sheepish smile. "With all the sounds and people around, it's hard to see who's here. If you had found me a few minutes before, you would've seen me becoming better acquainted with a few steaks and a side of ham." It was a little tongue in cheek humor at himself. Wolves were known for having a good appetite.

Poking fun at himself aside, Shayla was beautiful. It was the same feeling he had when they had first met in that hidden grove, where she had taken his breath away. If she was a blooming flower, he would be the pot and the soil. Walter was relieved when he heard he wasn't the only one who felt like they stood out in the ball. "I guess you'll have to forgive me too then. Here I was afraid I would be the only one feeling like this. Polecat isn't the one to hold big parties like this, with or without dancing. This is the first time I've seen something like this. It almost feels like you're dreaming, doesn't it?" The lycanthorpe looked up at the ceiling, and then at the starry floor. The wolf in him was still trying to figure if they were standing in air or on the ground. He couldn't put words together to describe it.

"So does Lady Angela hold celebrations and dances often?" So far the most he'd ever seen and heard about the deities was from Shiloh, who might not be the best person to learn these things from. She mostly kept to herself and stayed in Antikythera when she wasn't working or handling whatever responsibilities a deity would have.