Unexpected Souvenir

Austria Mochi

You have no doubt that, if it were possible, you would bleed musical notes if someone sliced open your wrist. Music is something that's been ingrained into your very soul. You've loved it ever since you were a child, and there are countless videos of you at a young age dancing and singing as if you were a pop star.

No one was really surprised when you applied to a university in Vienna. It was a nerve racking six months before you got accepted, but no one was very surprised by that either. You were pursuing your dream, and nothing was going to stop you.

That was a few years ago, and now you're just about done going to school for a music major. You've learned how to play just about every instrument in an orchestra, even trumpet, which you hated learning. Your specialty is piano, the very first instrument you learned how to play as a child. There are several folders in your small flat that contain different pieces you've written for the instrument. You slaved over them for hours upon hours, and now you have every one of them memorized.

Things have been going really well for you, and they get even better when you see an interesting looking poster on the doors to the university's theater. You pass it everyday on your way to your music classes, but you hadn't noticed the brightly colored poster until now. It depicts ladies in fancy dresses and men sporting coattails. The item they all have in common is a fancy mask to hide their identity.

You quickly scan the information on the paper, which happens to be in German. You've become mostly fluent during your time here in Austria, but your vocabulary is still rather limited. Things like dates and times are easy to understand, but some of the fine details evade you. You do manage to figure out the drama department is hosting a masquerade ball that's open to students.

Excitedly, you rip the poster off the door and shove it into your bag to read later. You've always liked dancing, and there's sure to be lots of classical music, which happens to be a favorite of yours. All you need now is a costume and mask.

Later, with the help of some friends, you figure out everything the poster has to say. The ball is tonight, and costumes will be provided by the drama department, but it's first come first serve. Participants of the ball have also been asked to speak English. You were a little confused by that, but your friends said something about the ball getting funding from the English club. All you know is you won't have to concentrate though every conversation you have.

The poster wasn't very informative as to what to bring, so you decide to go as you are. Costumes are provided after all. You arrive fairly early to the university's ballroom, which is where poster had indicated this event is taking place, but the doors are closed. A sign directs you to a different room to get costumes. It's not crowded yet, so you get first dibs on whatever dress you like.

You try on several different dresses, but you finally choose a lavender colored gown that flares widely at the bottom with the help of some wire hoops. The shoulders of the dress are rather poofy, but the rest of the sleeve fits very snugly up to your wrist. It has a modest neckline that reveals enough to draw the eye, but not enough to cause every male in the room to openly stare. Gold lace is intricately sewn onto the bodice, skirt, and cuffs of the dress to give it a simple yet elegant look. Your outfit is completed by a gold mask with silver feathers that covers the area just around your eyes.

You hardly recognize the person staring back at you in the mirror, but you don't get long to admire yourself because the room has become crowded with people needing costumes. A man in a yellow mask shows you out to the ballroom, and your eyes widen behind your mask at the decorations that have been set out.

An enormous crystal chandelier hangs from the high ceiling, and the soft lighting of the room makes it twinkle like thousands of delicate stars. Across from the door is a table with light hors d'oeuvres and all kinds of wines placed on it. You also notice statues, and pillars with flower arrangements, that have been tastefully positioned around the room. A small string quartet plays music in the far corner of next to a glossy grand piano. The piano actually catches your eye more than anything else. What you wouldn't give to play a few songs on its ivory keys.