April 23rd, 1891 - Minister's Masquerade
The Night Sky hour

Her father's position at the ministry, and less importantly, her own as an unmarried woman, dictated their presence at the Minister's ball. Tabitha had only agreed because it was a masquerade and wearing a mask for the entire evening was more to her advantage. The grey Venetian-inspired mask was intricately made and little did she know, quite fitting for the upcoming final hour of the evening's themes. Her dress was a stormy grey of swirling satin, sleeveless and simple, but elegantly draped. It was one of her favorites and she only pulled it out for events like this. Her father had given it to her for her first season in hopes to push her toward the season instead of the hospital, but it hadn't quite worked in his favor. She kept her jewelry simple, letting the mask do the talking for her this evening.

So far, she'd had an unexpectedly pleasant evening. The current hour was by far her favorite, between the masks and the dim lighting, nobody was casting lurid looks in her direction, nor did she feel uncomfortable in any way. The turns she had taken on the dance floor had been fun, lighthearted and nothing of note, just the pleasant company of a dance. Not having any expectations was a relief, she didn't even have to be herself that evening if she didn't want to be.

Coming off a lively quadrille, Tabi sought out a glass of wine at the refreshments table and a brief reprieve from the socializing to wander up the narrow staircases to one of the mezzanines and some fresh air. The night breeze wafting in through one of the tall windows became a welcome sensation across flushed skin. The ballroom below was obscured by the current hour's theme, though she could see the same faint glow from her brooch lingering in the darkness. Turning her back on the other party guests, she looked out the window onto the city skyline, resting her head against the window frame with a sigh. Though she was enjoying herself, she was hoping this would absolve her of having to attend any functions for a little while.

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absolute beauty by MJ

A simple black demi-mask was Gideon's only nod to the occasion, but he truly was quite pleased to be attending. Ball invitations were not uncommon in the Browne household, but it was uncommon for Gideon himself to accept one for an event this...prominent.

He had arrived later in the evening, having worked until dinner time, and arrived just in time to catch a display of Chinese acrobats which he was decidedly not here for. Though they were not quite so...malleable as those he had seen the the past, it brought to memory the events of the Sonata 7 evening and its human pasta. Eagerly, he had retreated to the mezzanine until the clock chimed eleven and darkness enveloped the dancefloor below, piquing his curiosity.

Gideon did not make it to the stairs before he saw her, head pressed against the window's frame, a delicate mask and the distance between them obscuring whatever emotion she might be feeling. The wizard hesitated for a moment before moving towards him, the gravity of her person reeling him in, rather than leaving him in orbit.

"It is rather a grand evening, to be hiding on the peripheries," he offered the woman with a tentative smile, not wanting to overstep but at the same time unwilling (unable?) to ignore her.

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   Tabitha Chevalier

Tabitha's reprieve hadn't been very long, her thoughts interrupted by a vaguely familiar voice. Or perhaps she was imagining that, as the man that came up beside her was not one she immediately recognized, the low lights and mask making it hard to make out any discernable features. The tone of his voice however, struck a chord of recognition and so her interest was piqued.

"Just taking a little respite from the dance floor," She smiled slowly, raising her wine glass as evidence. In better lighting she was sure she was flushed, but that again could have been hidden beneath her mask. What an interesting conundrum, but a welcome solace and hindrance all at the same time. It was funny how, until this very moment, Tabi realized she relied on being able to read another's expressions and they hers. "A little fresh air."

Looking out the window again, she cast a quick glance back over her shoulder at her new company. "Not to mention the view is quite stunning." London at night never failed to impress her, having spent most of her youth in Hogsmeade with its sleepy little streets and quiet evenings.

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absolute beauty by MJ

There was something about her voice, the curve of her lips, that struck a chord of familiarity within him. Gideon was tempted to inquire about her identity outright—but then, that was utterly against the nature of such an evening. Surely his curiosity could wait unti, the midnight unmasking?

"All the magic of the ball below," Gideon chuckled, "and you here, charmed instead by the sights of muggle London.Our hosts would be dismayed."

  

Tabitha didn't mean for her wandering interest to be a slight against the hosts, she was merely a girl of simple tastes. Not to mention something in the gentleman's tone suggested he was teasing her. "I always thought there was an undeniable beauty in the ordinary, every day, no?" The lights of the city at night, ethereal in the quiet outside, versus the noise of the party below were much more to her liking. Tabi knew what she would prefer, despite her general enjoyment this evening. She would enjoy a quiet walk much more than a ball in most instances.

"I don't get out of Hogsmeade often, the city is quite captivating." She admitted with a soft, slightly wry smile. Tabi took a moment to appraise her company over the rim of her wine glass, trying to see if she could make out any more familiar features, but supposed with the climax of the evening coming soon enough, she could handle the mystery for a little while longer.

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absolute beauty by MJ

Hogsmeade?! At that, Gideon could not help but perk up—the pull of familiarity all the more justified, the possibility of continuing an acquaintance once the masks came off much greater.

"I confess, I am much the same," the healer allowed with a lop-sided grin, "inasmuch as I do not visit the city as often as I might like—society seems unable, at times, to decide if it would prefer Hogsmeade or London." And he scarcely had time to follow the whims of society as it was.

As he spoke, he scanned for some sort of clue—any—as to her identity, but came up empty-handed. Pretty, young, with pale hair and a melodic voice. These all narrowed it down, to be sure, but were not themselves as conclusive a list as Gideon might have liked.

  

Smiling softly, Tabitha took a sip of her wine. "I wouldn't know," Tabi admitted with a chuckle. She didn't really. Society was a construct she simply didn't fit into well. She could have, she supposed, if she had the desire or could find the effort to care. It didn't seem like something she would enjoy at any rate, though her stepmother often told her (sarcastically of course) that she would find a husband in no time. That may have been true, but at what cost?

"I tend not to participate very often, busy with work." Generally it was her best defense, men tended not to want  a working woman in their lives and she was fine with that. Tabitha rather thought the life if a spinster would suit her just fine, eventually she'd have enough savings to find herself a small flat, even if it had to be in Pennyworth, she would have some independence and her work and that would be that.

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absolute beauty by MJ

Work? Even with a mask covering half his face, Gideon doubted his surprise could be missed.

Women in the workplace were not unicorns in his eyes, likely because his own profession lent itself so well to the feminine touch. Still, this young lady was elegant, entrancing, far moreso than he would have expected of a woman who was willing to (metaphorically, or perhaps even literally) get her hands dirty.

If he hadn't needed to know her before—needed in the way that a tree needed soil—Gideon surely did now.

He took a step towards her, though still the space between them was wholly appropriate. "That, I fear, we do have in common. It must be why I have not had the pleasure of your acquaintance before now—we have been as ships in the night, as far as society is concerned."

  

Tabitha couldn't help but to chuckle quietly at the surprise on her companion's features. It was dark, but she could tell that much; the eyes couldn't hide much. He stepped a little closer and Tabi found herself standing up a little straighter, but the movement was not wholly unwelcome.

The hour was drawing to a close and Tabitha found herself with a building sort of anticipation. Though she was often out of sorts at these kinds of events, if she were careful with her time, the conclusion of the hour would hopefully lead to a satisfactory reveal. So far the conversation had been rather lovely and she still had that pang of familiarity quickening her heartbeat along with the minutes ticking by to when the lights would come back on. 

"And what kind of work is it that you do?" She inquired softly, a smile affixed on her lips as securely as her mask currently was. She took a pensive sip of her wine, wondering if she could guess, but not brave enough to try. If she could draw the conversation out a little longer she would certainly find out who her mystery man was.

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absolute beauty by MJ

"I am a healer," he answered with an easy smile, one made even easier by her presence. It was not an influential post, but it was an honourable one, one that—he hoped—spoke to his intellect and compassion.

  

A healer, fancy that. Tabi felt that pull of recognition again, just as she saw the lights come on and illuminate the ballroom and balcony above. Blinking against the brightness, Tabitha had previously been more interested in what the final theme of the evening would be, but now as the clock struck midnight, she was far more intrigued to find out who her current company was.

The mystery warred with a level of disappointment and uncertainty; once her mask and anonymity were lost, she would also lose the shield that her mask offered to the gentleman opposite her. Their conversation had been quite enjoyable, but she feared it would lack the same amount of character once her face was revealed.

She made no move to remove her mask, instead smiling slowly. "I too work at the hospital, what a coincidence." Perhaps she may learn of the gentleman's identity before revealing her own. Not that she would be rude enough to stall it entirely, but she thought perhaps she might get a small advantage.

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absolute beauty by MJ

The light returned, and good-natured ball-goers in Gideon's line of sight began to remove their masks. Fleetingly, the wizard raised his hand to do the same, only to drop it when he saw the young lady—the other healer, he noted with pleasant surprise—was in no hurry to remove her own.

A smile played at his lips. If she wished to prolong the anonymity, well, that would only make the sight of her face all the sweeter when she finally graced him with it.

(Gideon knew he ought to know something, but did not know what that something was.)

"Could it be, then," he chuckled, "that we are no strangers?"

That, Gideon thought as soon as he said it, would have been impossible; she must work at St Mungo's, for the only Hogsmeade healer half so enchanting was Miss Chevalier, and he would most assuredly know deep with in him if it was Miss Chevalier before him, would he not?

  

Torn between be pleasantly surprised and anxious about the masks now, Tabi tried to keep the natural cadence of their conversation flowing. "I should think not," Though they could work in different hospitals, Tabs did not think that was the case. They both had confessed to rarely leaving Hogsmeade after all. She passed him a smile over her wine glass as she drained the last of its contents.

"Let me guess, Spell Damage?" It always seemed to draw in the gentlemen, an active ward for sure, more so than most of the others. Between that and Creature-Induced injuries it had to account for more than half of the patients each day. Her own ward wasn't too far behind that, she supposed, but generally it was not quite so emergent most of the time.

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absolute beauty by MJ

"Incorrect," he informed her with a broad grin. "Magical bugs?"

  

Hmm, not a hot-shot then. Tabi supposed she should have known that already, but it was nice to be wrong in this instance. "I did consider it, strongly, but no, not Magical Bugs." She'd been told she had the personality for those more long-term patients and she had almost gone in, but her love of potions had propelled her to her current spot.

"Creatures or Artifacts then?" It had to be one of the two. There were only so many wards and he certainly didn't work in hers.

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absolute beauty by MJ

"Artifacts," he affirmed with an easy smile, "and given that you did not suggest poisonings, would I be correct in inferring..."

Gideon trailed off, though not in suggestion as he might have intended. No, he trailed off because Miss Chevalier worked in poisonings—but it would be impossible, he told himself. He would know her, if she were stood before him!