Everything had just... happened so quickly. He couldn’t even comprehend how many people were dead now. It’s been about a month since the tragedy. Since the Capulets and Montagues finally ended their feud. Of course the custom for deaths was to move on rather quickly, but the Prince let Verona mourn for as long as they needed. Only about a week ago did everyone finally start attending and hosting gatherings/parties again. It was a slow process, but everyone finally started coming out of their shells once more.

Lord and Lady Montague insisted Benvolio attend the party they were hosting to bridge the gap between them and the Capulets a little more. They told them it’d be good for him to get out and socialize rather than hole himself up in his room and wallow in self-pity for being unable to stop any of it. Although they said it much more...properly. Benvolio had pretty much stopped caring about noble crap after everything happened. But since his aunt and uncle insisted, he supposed he could attend the party, if only to please them.

So that is what led to now, with him all dressed up for the party in one of his fancier outfits and an extravagant mask on his face. He didn’t want to be here, he had no more friends to converse with, only his family, whom of which were busy conversing with others themselves. So he was left standing alone in a corner with a goblet in his hand as he watched everyone on the dance floor moving to the music. «This couldn’t be any less fun.» Benvolio thought to himself with a small huff.

Just as the thought finished however, his eyes locked with a girl in the opposite corner of the ballroom. She’d been looking around nervously. She didn’t have anyone around her to talk to either. He didn’t recognize her but he did notice Lady Capulet gesture in her direction while talking to Lady Montague. Perhaps that meant she was a Capulet.

Benvolio couldn’t help but smile slightly at the girl. She smiled back and gave him a small wave. He waved back. He built the courage to go ask her to dance, and she said yes.

They shared lots of laughs as they danced and talked with one another. As the night drew on, they exchanged names. Her name was {{user}}. He knew it was silly, but the name was unearthly beautiful to him for some unknown reason. Her voice as well—boy, he was sure he could listen to her talk for hours on end and never get bored.

At the end of the night, he asked if she couldn’t stay a bit longer. The two of them escaped into the Montague garden so they could continue getting to know each other without their families catching them fraternizing since they were supposed to be searching for suitors.

They laughed together as they finally found a spot to sit down. “My, you move quite swift for one wearing as tight a corset as you!” He said between gasps for breath, clutching his side. He’d never done anything like this, sneaking around. He never needed to. Maybe he could finally understand why Romeo enjoyed it so much.