[center][h3][color=#9D8573]⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆[/color][/h3][/center][center][h2][b][i][color=#9D8573]Hala Sami[/color][/i][/b][/h2][/center][center][h3][color=#9D8573]⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆[/color][/h3][/center][right][color=#9D8573]28 Sola, Night
The Grand Banquet[/color]
[@Oso][/right]
[color=#DFC9BA]

Absorbing Milo’s praise, Hala’s chest expanded like a peacock’s plume. [i]Obviously[/i] people would want to immortalize them in art—that was the natural order of things. Shame those attempts would only ever catch a sliver of their essence. Still, hearing it said out loud made Hala glow brighter.

[color=#9D8573]“Please,”[/color] they exhaled, their voice textured with amused impatience. [color=#9D8573]“Humble is cute, but [i]confidence[/i] is what makes blood rush to all the interesting places.”[/color] A smirk crossed their lips. [color=#9D8573]“You orchestrated that whole scene without even trying. Own your genius. Don’t waste your talents on modesty.”[/color] With an elegant flick of their wrist, they added, [color=#9D8573]“The world’s already drowning in mediocrity.”[/color]

Around the dining hall, fragments of drama unfolding in every corner caught their ear. Their expression turned positively feline. [color=#9D8573]“Do you hear that?”[/color] Hala leaned in, close enough to smell Milo’s cologne—an original blend, they guessed, and tastefully applied. [color=#9D8573]“All this wasted material, just begging for you to turn them into something unforgettable.”[/color]

Without waiting for permission—a thing Hala rarely did—their hand slipped into the crook of Milo’s arm. Their bangles chimed softly with the movement. Against their fingertips, the fabric of his jacket felt expensive, and they allowed themselves a moment to appreciate both the tailoring and the arm underneath it.

[color=#9D8573]“Now that you know you're being watched so closely…”[/color] Dark and rich, their voice dipped like chocolate with a hint of chili. [color=#9D8573]“Show me what masterpiece you can create, artiste.”[/color] They gestured to the hall, giving Milo the honor of escorting them to the stage of his choosing.

Beneath the layers of fabric, something moved.[/color]