Open The Masquerade Ball

[Elysium]

82nd Day of Winter, 513 AV

Revelry was thick in the air as the crowds made their way to the Ethereal Opera House, each main thoroughfare roiling with activity. The festivities had only just begun, leaving stragglers in the wake of the more eager patrons. Couples chatted happily away, enjoying a late meal at some of their favorite restaurants, while others met with extended family, readying to arrive on the scene. Indeed, there were people everywhere, clustered about in every corner, each in the grandest clothing they could hope to acquire, be it cotton, mohair or silk.

The line trailed in through the main entryway, though it moved quickly for all were welcome on that day. Just within the gilded arches, the atrium was again filled with the ambient hum of quiet discussion, this time mindful of the tightly confined space. Those employed to cater the event worked to guide each new arrival to their chosen destination - the restrooms, the ballroom or wherever else their heart desired.

The ballroom was splendid, the domed ceiling a sprawling mural framed in gold. The creamy, marble walls were festooned with fabrics both auric and ivory, hanging just above the banquet tables that swept from one end of the monumental room to the next. At the furthest end, upon a raised dais stood none other than Lili A'realia, breathtaking in her gilt mermaid gown and balconette bust, her halo of cornsilk hair waving gently to her shoulders. She too wore a mask, though her identity was painfully self-evident. The woman regarded the crowd as it amassed, assessing with rich green eyes just when the fun should truly begin.

When the night passed just beyond the twentieth bell, she cleared her throat and spoke, the murmuring crowd struck silent. "Welcome, one and all" she began, "to the Ethereal Opera House and the first annual Lhavitian Ball!" With arms upraised, she elicited a roar of approval.

"Let this be known as a special day," she continued, her voice mysteriously amplified as it rippled through the throng. "Let this be known, as a day of triumph, of revelry, as we overcome the tragedies of last season. Through the passage of Fall, we shed the leaves of disaster and in our darkest hour, we now cleanse ourselves in the snowy white waters of Morwen, the treavery of Tanroa, guided by the hand of Lhex and nourished by Syna's holy light. Through the wisdom of Zintila and the moon-father Leth, we are made whole again."

She paused ever so slightly, for effect. "Yet, we are truly sustained through the compassion, dedication and love we have for one another. Let tonight be a celebration of all these things. Let us revel in the connections Cheva has so graciously provided us, relish in the simple joy of being human and best of all..." With a fey smile, she looked upon each enraptured face.

"Let us get drunk!"

With a grand hurrah, the ball began, the main floor making way for couples to twirl this way and that, lines forming immediately at the tables and servers scrambling to hand out spirits as quickly as they could manage. Lili gracefully descended, guided by the hand of a rather lucky Shinya, who could barely keep his eyes from her glorious face.

It seemed Zintila, Aysel and Talora were all there, though Talora was only recognizable by her proximity to the other two and her penchant for dusky shades of rose. In fact, it seemed the whole city was there, ready to dance this night away.

OOC NoteThis is an open thread! Feel free to eat, drink and dance and much as you'd like! When the time comes, I'll jump in and start the auction for the lovely ladies.

[Jenni Twilight]

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She couldn't make up her mind whether she liked this or not. The building was grand and beautiful, with gold and marble and grandeur all around. Women's dresses sparkled and shone, each one massively different from the next. One, dark and seductive, the other a pale pink accented with white stones. Not marble... probably something else. That woman had long brown hair that drifted down her back, entwined with a few ribbons and stones of the same material and color as those on her dress.

Jenni herself was dressed quite simply for the occasion, though comfortably. Her silk dress felt positively amazing on her skin, soft as... well, silk. She quite liked the bluey grey shade as well, since if was subdued, but not devoid of all color like plain grey. Moderate... yes, she liked that. When she glanced down at herself, wearing her usual silver necklace and bracelet... she felt quite proud. Though the orange yellow color of the stones didn't go too well with the dress, she honestly did not care. Someone who had come to do one of her relative's hair had offered to do hers, though nowhere near as elegant. The short strands were flipped up and pinned down, with a hair clip that was not her own. The other Twilight's apparently... she was quite glad that they'd been willing to lend it to her... though unintentionally. Two locks hung beside her face, framing it neatly, though feeling vaguely annoying.

She watched their host begin a speech, the introductory instantly creating a cheer from a crowd. In the name of polite sociability, she had to resist covering her ears from the noise. She always forgot her main reason for disliking gatherings like this: the noise. If luck went with her, uproars like that wouldn't happen more than a few times. She zoned out for the rest of the speech, inspecting dresses and outfits here and there. A lot of people wore masks, considering this was a Masquerade, but she had opted out of that. Another, needless, annoyance. However, the last words caught her ears, just as another loud noise burst out. Something about getting drunk. She wasn't entirely opposed to this idea, and even mixed a smile with her wince, before backing up somewhere where food and drink were supplied.

The morpher quickly found herself at one end of a long table draped in a deep purple cloth. Sparkling things dotted the spots between platters, which were filled with various snacks, treats, and food. Beside her was a large bottle with a dark red liquid filling it - wine - and a few glasses. She plucked one of those from the table, and carefully half-filled it from the bottle. Not bothering to yet take a sip, she carried the glass with her to find something to nibble on... anything edible and delicious would do, though she felt like something... cheesy.

Common - Nari/Crook - NPC - Writing - Reading

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[Alses]

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Alses had splashed out on a true gown for the masquerade ball, a delicious indulgence that she could pretend was vital for her position in the city, and thus avoid any guilt. Not that, in the event, there had been any; she was rich enough to afford the little luxuries every now and then, after all.

Behind her mask, her lips curved into a secretive little smile. It was the same one she’d used for the Azure Festival, a beautiful contoured creation of burnished metal, hourglasses and golden sunbursts that fitted exactly to her Konti features. Distant and perfect, with sculpted lips parted slightly in amusement or desire, it a wonderful anonymising thing that gave her a shield between the world and her corpse-like mortal chain.

The dressmaker had had such fun trying to match the complex pattern of bronze and silver and gold on her mask with the fabrics for her gown, but – in testament either to skill or perseverance or possibly both – something had, indeed, been found. Dupioni silk, Alses recalled, two colours woven together so tightly and close they produced a spectacular shimmering effect, an iridescent flash of – in this case – copper and crimson with every shifting movement, every change of the light.

Some artifice unknown to the uninitiated in the intricacies of dressmaking, silkworking, whatever it was the skill was actually called had let them add intricate raised metal designs into the silk without disturbing the shimmer, enticing brocade-work that drew the eye to the elegant ruches that fell away in waves of rippling bronze and blood.

Two discreet loops of material would let her gather up the whispering fabric and dance, should she so desire, but for now, as she swept into the grand ballroom of the Ethereal Opera, her gown shimmered around her in its full glory, sliding over the marble steps with a whisper of gold embroidery and the elusive, delicious susurrus of silk.

She shook her head slightly as she entered, scanning the genteel crowds assembled – everyone dressed in their best and showing off to the fullest extent their wealth allowed – still trying to get used to the unfamiliar weight at her ears: two black opal and gold earrings, blazing with rainbow fire. Alses didn’t often wear earrings – one of the lesser-known costs of perfect healing was that piercings simply didn’t last very long, forever healing up, but she’d felt that the occasion was worth the pain.

And they were very fine earrings – the only piece of jewellery she wore, aside from the sunburst signet that never left her little finger, of course.

She glided forward across the polished marble of the floor, enjoying the ornate, baroque surrounds – very much to her own personal taste, in point of fact, intricate and surpassingly rich in one. Mountains of delicacies were piled high on snowy banqueting tables, the glare of silver and crystal almost blinding in between the shimmer of the cuisine on offer.

Lavish, very lavish – but where in other cities this would have been an exclusive affair, open only to a select few, those of the right social class and with the right amount of influence, here in the Diamond of Kalea the doors were open to all and sundry, thrown wide in the spirit of revelry and celebration. No wonder Sivah liked the city so much.

“Unmasked already, Lady Jenni?” she asked playfully as she drew level with the girl, eyes dancing as she beheld the Twilight scholar-sorceress. Someone after her own heart, in so many little ways, and more than that – someone who’d already seen Alses’ celestial body and mortal chain and – crucially – linked the two together.

It hadn’t exactly been avoidable, on the long slog through the dark bowels of the earth, after all. Privacy had been an alien thing in the caverns and catacombs, out of necessity – safety in numbers.

Still, whether the girl would recognize her behind the mask and swathed in fine tailoring was another matter.
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[Jenni Twilight]

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Jenni stood leaning carefully against a wall, watching the people around her. She had a glass of the earlier wine in her left hand, and a tiny ceramic plate in the other. Just like she'd been hoping, she'd found a small platter with some of her favorite kind of cheese on it... she'd added a few chunks to her plate, a cracker or two, and had been set for enjoying the chatter, dresses, and general sights. She considered on and off dancing, though finally forced it out of her mind on the excuse that she had no talent, and no one to dance with. Still, the ladies in their shimmering gowns spinning and gliding in circles looked like quite the sight.

The men were another thing entirely. Some wore dark, subdued suits, content to let those of the female persuasion make the stars. However, she'd seen a man earlier dressed in a vivid red top and bottom, with black and white frills coupled with a similar hat that tucked low to hide most of his face. That had been quite the surprise... but with his black hair and pale skin, the outfit was quite remarkable, and didn't look all that bad. Though personally she preferred quieter apparel.

Despite her intense watching and observing, she missed the woman coming to her from the side. She nearly jumped as she was addressed by a familiar and female voice, commenting about her mask. She kept her composure and smiled, though her brain was still getting over the surprise. Before was someone clad in a magnificent dress, shimmering between two colors, with.. metal designs down the sides. The latter part was an eye raiser, but her attention quickly moved from the woman's dress to her mask. This was also made of metal, covered with suns and hourglasses, completely covering her companion's face.

She remembered the question posed, and replied with "I never had a mask in the first place" she smiled again, adding a small shrug to the mix. "Though they can be quite the sight, I find they get in the way with the food and drink. Never had the need to hide, either..." While she said this, another half her brain was trying to figure out the speaker... her face was covered, but the voice was familiar. Not someone she knew incredibly well, but not a random acquaintance either. Suns... hourglasses? Maybe they were like a code, to help her decipher the puzzle. Some people always tried to have whatever emblems and designs they wore represent their own personalities.

She searched her recent memories, trying to identify someone with such a voice and personality. Amela, one of the Seeker's she'd befriended? No... her hair was an odd brownish-red, and what she could see of this woman... her locks were... practically white, really. The masked character was shorter than herself, as well, by more than a few inches. White hair... her mind flicked back to the time in the caves, and she hit on someone with similar hair. The Konti, I...I... whatever her name was. Oh dear, that wouldn't end well. However... no, the healer had been around her own height, not shorter. She began picking at that event, before remembering the Ethaefal. She mentally pictured the woman in her celestial form, but... during the evenings, she'd been similar to the other Konti... quite like this, actually. That would also answer the suns and hourglasses...

By the time she'd figured this out, the silence had stretched to one nearly awkward. "Might I guess the face behind your own mask?" it was a rhetorical question, though one she felt fit with the situation. "Lady... Alses?" Her mouth twitched into a smile, while she desperately hoped she'd gotten the name right. She wasn't bad with puzzles, but she wasn't a master either... though they were entertaining, in their own right.

Common - Nari/Crook - NPC - Writing - Reading

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[Krisa]

It was surreal entering such a beautiful place, not as a server, or a cleaner, but as a guest. Krisa’s spirits were truly the highest they had been in a very long time. She arrived in the doorway and stood there, just looking around with awe. She didn’t really know what to do with herself, so she decided to head for the buffet tables. The young lady, though she would never see this herself, looked beautiful. Her dress was a sunset-like gradient with vivid oranges reds and yellows in the sleeveless corseted top, fading down into the deepest of raven blacks near the bottom. It moved as if alive as she walked across the room, layers of chiffon and satin floating about her thin frame. The dress pulled in tightly around her middle and then bloomed outwards like a budding flower.

Her face was painted in the same fashion as her fiery dress. Deep khol darkened the edges of her eyes, kicking out at each end. This faded out into a deep grey patterned like lacework that spanned over her entire forehead and reached all the way over to her exposed ear. The grey amalgamated seamlessly into a vivid red-orange that made its way across her nose and gradated down her cheeks until the colour was bright yellow. The yellow then patch worked down past the edge of her jawline and down her neck. The patchwork of orange and yellow spiraled around her neck and ended with pale yellow on her exposed left shoulder like a sleeve. Her eyelashes were thick and mixed with elongated false lashes. Any exposed skin on her face had been covered with skin-colored powder to hide her freckles. Her orange hair was tied up tightly out of her face in a neat, simplistic bun, out of the way of the spectacle she had spent weeks practicing on her face.

Krisa picked various snacks onto her plate from tables and watched the dancing and merriment as she nibbled, unsure how to join in. Had this been a wasted effort? No. She was way too quick to be negative. She wasn’t pathetic, unbalanced little Krisa tonight. She was proud, confident… and beautiful. Suddenly the hall hushed and a speech was made. Krisa listened and smiled. Lili A'realia was most eloquent. Krisa always felt something, listening to her address the crowd. Krisa felt her lowered confidence rise again with the cheering of the crowd. A waiter with a tray offered her a fine glass of wine, and she took it with a smile, and moved off to one side to make room for others at the table.

As she stood by a wall, she watched people, and observed their outfits and masks, delighted to find that very few had painted their mask as she had. And none with such skill. Krisa had very steady hands when she tried. It came with being an archer, she supposed, but she thought she had done it fairly well. Still, she felt like an outsider, standing by herself. Next to her, she heard a brief conversation. She heard a name she recognized. Alses, a beautiful Synafal whom she had addressed in one of her busking occasions. Looking at her now, she was near blown of her feet with awe. The ethafal was stunning, even without her wondrous horns. Krisa was more tongue-tied than she’d ever been in her life.

There was no way she’d recognize her for her appearance, for Krisa looked as different than normal as possible, but maybe she was wrong. Panicking for no real good reason, Krisa took a long sip of her drink and shuffled away slightly. Maybe she’d find someone she knew who didn’t intimidate her if she watched closely. For all her preparation, she wasn’t doing the best job at being a different person.

[Julius Starr]

Julius felt a weariness on his shoulders, and the party had only just begun. Granted, the man hadn't just up and made his way to the Ball this night. No, his preparation for this event had begun early in the morning, during Dawn Rest. He had worked another overnight shift at the Demise, working all the way into the Noon Rest just to justify taking off a day for the Masquerade Ball. Oh, he was sure Aleah and Roric would be doing the same, but he had known the Demise wasn't closing this night; even in this city where everyone enjoyed a good party, there would be some in the city who only wanted to get drunk this night, without the rest of the subtleties that came along with the Ball. And Julius would let them have it too. He also planned on getting drunk this night, just in a more . . . festive location. After resting for a mere bell in the day's climax, Julius had left with his outfit for the night in hand, in search of a warm bath and relaxed afternoon in the Zintia Rest. He had soaked himself for a good time, letting all the filth he had collected on his body to dissipate away. Always an opportunist, he forwent using his own toiletries, instead using the soap provided by the bathhouse. He cleansed himself until he smelled of lilac from head to toe, and his hair shimmered beneath the light. By the time he exited the water, Syna had set on the peaks of the mountains. He had dressed in his private room, donning the outfit bought for this night. His hair was next, meticulously styled with Pomade, until the hair was hard to his touch. The best description for it was a constant wind-blown look, the bangs and sides pushed up and back, only to never fall back in place when the wind ceased. His black earrings went in last, and then he was ready. He had looked amazing as he stepped out that room at the Rest, over an hour ago; a prayer had been lifted, at that point, that this aura of prestige would hold up. Standing amongst a group of masked guests, Julius straightened the purple, silk scarf around his neck, the smooth cloth rubbing his open neck like a gentle lover. His black jacket was left open, revealing the matching vest beneath it, shimmering beneath the lights of the Opera House. The rest of his attire, though all wool, was new and well-made. Julius truly looked like someone he was not. And he didn't mind it. Around him, others conversed in excited voices, but all fell silent when Lili A'realia. Julius had heard of the proprietor of the Opera House, but never laid his eyes on her before now; in fact, had not a woman beside it mentioned it verbally, he never would've known her from any other woman standing atop the dais. He listened intently, though, to her speech, and lifted his own voice when she suggested they intoxicate themselves. He especially approved of her last suggestion. In fact, he took her words as encouragement that his personal merriment should begin. Breaking away from the group, Julius made his way to the buffet tables. Already the bottles of wine had been opened, the crisp smell of grapes radiating around the food. It appeared to be a serve yourself event, so Julius did just that. Pouring the red wine into an empty glass with a grace that came with countless nights of bartending, Julius indulged himself on the first of [hopefully] many glasses of wine. The drink was sweet, though the smell told him it should've been bitter. He didn't protest, though, knowing that soon enough that taste wouldn't be a priority anymore. Sipping it again, he turned around to take in a few of the outfits. Many of the men and women around him wore masks, constructed by artisans around the city, but he did note one woman against the wall had painted a mask on her face, an explosion of warm colors on her visage. He felt his eyes drawn to the two women closest to him. One was without a mask, instead relying on the simple beauty of her red, silk dress to make her stand out. It seems she had come for the wine too, Julius noted, as he looked at the half-empty glass of wine in her hand. The other woman, with her pale white hair and hourglass-styled mask, had definitely embraced the concept behind this event. Her dress seemed the shift in color as she moved about, a mesmerizing sight when sober and a sickening one when not. The hoops in hear ears seemed to glow in the Ball room, the jewels reflecting the light as she spoke. Julius noted that she was without drink, which was blasphemy in his eyes. Thus, on a whim, Julius poured the wine into a second glass, along with topping off his own glass, and made his way over to the pair; he hadn't really come to this party with an ulterior motive, just to have fun. And to him, these two women looked promising enough. Drawing up with the pair, Julius offered the second glass to the masked woman as he bowed to them both. "Pardon me for my intrusion, but I noted that you lacked a drink, and, as an connoisseur of wine and other beverages, I felt that this needed to be amended." Julius grinned at this, taking a sip of the sweet drink himself. "Or maybe I was just looking for a reason to start a conversation with two beautiful women. Whose to know for certain?" Julius wasn't never much for words, but the alcohol was swimming his mind already. Besides, this was a party, and at parties, people did things they never normally did.

[Alses]

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At Jenni’s correct guess – and so quickly, too – a frown flickered across Alses’ features, though it was hidden by the mask, the only sign a slight narrowing of her green, green eyes. “Are we so obvious?” she asked, piqued and slightly dissatisfied at the ease with which she’d been identified – even though this was Jenni Twilight, someone she’d sought out precisely because she knew Alses’ particular celestial glory and mortal chain alike.

A sigh, a shake of the head – no sense in dwelling on things beyond her control.

“Alses I am, indeed.” Her voice was low and pitched so as not to carry far; the party tides and the gentle susurrus of the mingling crowds would swamp her words in any case. “Although I prefer to go by Sela when out and about in this form. I’m not over-fond of how I look like this-” that, at least, the special brand of loathing Alses reserved for her corpse-like Konti body, had come out quite quickly underground, away from the sun’s stabilising influence “-so it serves me to hide, at least a little. The mask helps, of course.”

She grinned. “I don’t eat or drink as a general rule, but I understand this-” Alses’ fingernail tapped the mask for just a moment, making a faint and plangent ringing tone “-is hinged somehow, to obviate just that problem you find so irritating.” A light, philosophical shrug. “There’s usually a way around limitations, if one looks hard enough.”

Gravely, she inclined her head to the wine-toting Twilight, sobered to an unusual degree by the night, the lack of Syna’s presence in the sky twisting her personality and her memories more towards introspection and slight melancholy, even with the joy pouring in from all sides. “Well deduced nonetheless, m’lady. Are you enjoying Lili’s little soiree, the gathering of the great and good of Lhavit and – not least – our fair Zintila, so far?”

Their conversation was interrupted just then by a new arrival – although he did at least have the manners to mollify them, apologising for his unsolicited intrusion with gifts, proffered to appease the social niceties that prevailed.

And never mind that he’d brought her red wine; it was the thought that counted, after all – how was he to know any different? Gracefully, some shadow of an Ethaefal’s motion still clinging to her mortal form, Alses turned in a swish of bronze-and-blood silk and swept the glass up out of his proffering hand, holding the ruby liquid in its crystal cradle with ease, swirling it around to admire the rich colour in the glow from the chandeliers.

“My thanks,” Alses replied, in response to the gallant gesture, returning the gentleman’s bow with a slightly shallower one of her own. A mischievous smile danced around her obscured lips and shimmered in her eyes for a moment before she continued: “Although, for future reference, I prefer to start my experiences with Riverfall champagne,” Alses murmured, nodding over to where an immaculate server bearing a silver tray laden with flutes of golden bubbles was circulating nearby. “Wine will do nicely, however, Mr…” she tailed off into an implicit query, emerald-green eyes sharply expectant even as she raised her glass in readiness to salute him.

Mentally, she evaluated him, drinking in the myriad of cues and tells everyone gave off, almost without being aware of it. Everything from his voice – Lhavitian born-and-bred, or someone so comprehensively educated in elocution as to replicate the accent perfectly, unlike she - a touch of the refined Zeltivan drawl to her Common still persisting – to his clothes; wool, yes, apart from the scarf, but well-made and immaculate, told her something about him, helped her build up a picture of his position in the tapestry of Lhavit, although his actual occupation eluded her for the moment.

Internally, she shrugged; should it become a burning question, she could always ask; enquiring about work was, whilst not exactly a scintillating topic of discussion under general circumstances, a useful conversational avenue more often than not.
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[Jenni Twilight]

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OOC :

Julius, her dress is a greyish-blue, not red ^-^

It was slightly off putting that Jenni couldn't see the other woman's reaction to her guess, but it wasn't that important. For once, she actually wished she had a mask of her own, simply so she wouldn't have to put that much control over her own emotions. However, practice was always good, right? She wasn't an expert at social conversations, but she knew the basics... and how important they were. Her tiny dismay quickly disappeared when she learned that her guess had been correct... a miracle!

She could barely stop herself smiling, and her control let up several times when the corner of her lips twitched up slightly. Her eyes held the amusement and pleasure, however... you could never hide that. "No, I only barely recognized you myself" she admitted, in answer to the Ethaefal's question. "I honestly thought you were the other Konti from our journey, until I remembered your difference in height." She allowed herself to smile this time, keeping it sweet and delicate. In a funny way, this was vaguely satisfying, the eloquent speech from both parties... all that. Pretending the world was far more beautiful and perfect than it truly was. Some of the Twilights could sweet talk you into believing that they were utterly honest and true, and make you forget of the time when Aysel and Talora were away from the city. She, however, was not one of those Twilights, and rarely tried to manipulate anyone... though she'd heard it was satisfying. Instead, she found the simple pleasure of half-pretending good enough.

One of the morpher's eyebrows twitched up at the new name, and she allowed another smile to cover her features. "Lady Sela, then," she finished politely. She vaguely remembered something about Alses preferring her daytime form (though it had been hard to tell the time in those depths), but had put it to the simplicity of having a purer, more etheral form. And being closer to Syna, of course. She listened politely to the explanation of a mask, and was swayed for a moment, but pushed it aside. Did it really matter now? It wasn't like there was some mask vendor wandering the party, nor did she have any Kina on her at the moment... the dress lacked pockets, like most.

The question about how she was enjoying the party came, and Jenni had to muse for several ticks on that. Was she enjoying the party? Well... yes. It was nice for a change, and entertaining in its own funny way. She stared into her wine glass for a bit, swirling it and watching the light reflect off the dark liquid. She raised it to her lips and took a tiny sip, enjoying even such a small amount slide down her tongue. Once she'd finished with that, she returned her attention to their current conversation, eyebrows curving down into a small frown. "It has been quite enjoyable, and the food is excellent," she admitted with a small shrug. "And you?"

Their attention was pulled away by another guessed, this one a man. He bowed and offered Lady Alses a glass of wine like her own, speaking with words that flowed beautifully off his tongue. His suit was black, though a slightly rougher material than some things around. However, his scarf and vest - a lovely deep purple - were silk like her own dress. The colors went remarkably well together, creating a feel of mystery and intrigue. The compliment made her smile slightly, though she didn't really care. She wasn't one for flirting... or any kind of romance, actually. If she was in love with anything... it was books, though it was hard to tell in such a setting.

As the Ethaefal replied courteously, Jenni wondered once again what the woman was thinking... as her face was covered. She waited for the set of statements to finish, coupled with a tactful question of the man's name, she raised an eyebrow, preparing something over her own. "A wine connoisseur?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her tone. "Please then, tell us...what do you think of out current beverage?"

Common - Nari/Crook - NPC - Writing - Reading

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[Julius Starr]

OOC : Whoops; no idea how I overlooked that. Maybe I just thought Jenni would look nice in a red dress. How fitting it was in the Opera House, home to actors and actresses that thrived on their overzealous actions, that this masked woman reacted with such a flourish. She moved with a grace, though, that elicited no complaint from the man. A twirl befitting a ballet and suddenly the wine content in his hands had been halved. Yes, Julius concluded as he grinned at the pair, this woman was definitely elated by the spirit of the room around her. The woman thanked him, mirroring his bow with an incline of her own. He noted that her dip wasn't as pronounced as his own, but he paid it no mind; he had still received the view of this woman that all men longed after, if but for a moment, and he was satisfied of her . . . respect to the social etiquette. As she returned to her upright position, the woman had mentioned her preference for a night like this, the Champagne that Julius had initially overlooked for the more satisfying wine. Julius looked over his shoulder at the drink she mentioned, pondering her choice in his mind; seems some people in this city drank with taste as their priority. Julius didn't share this belief, but he respected it none the less. Looking back at the pair, he grinned once more, nodding his head before he spoke. "I shall take your words to heart, miss, with the hope, nay the intent, of putting them to use one day." He faded away with that, letting the woman infer his meaning. She may see it as his desire to dine with her on a later date, and Julius would no doubt accept this situation were it to occur. Although, it was all the more likely that she graced him with her presence at the Demise, where he had access to her favored drink. Yes, the latter was definitely a stronger possibility than the former. Not that this woman would know otherwise. Thankfully, the blond woman accepted his gift none the less, and she even inquired of his name. She held her glass up, the scarlet liquid glowing an eerie red beneath the light of chandeliers. Julius, in turn, held his own glass up, the motion somewhat awkward; bartenders handed out glasses, not hold them up as if toasting. "Starr. Julius Starr. The first, even, if you wished to know it all." He paused, looking between the two. "Have I earned your own names, in turn?" The second woman finally spoke up since he interrupted the, so Julius turned his attention towards her, a warm smile upon his face. He hadn't ignored her before this; no, he had noticed the slight, upward crease of her full lips in response to his compliment. No, he simply directed all prior conversation directly to the masked woman because her actions up to this point had demanded of it. Now, though, Jenni had Julius. Amusement laced her question as she asked for his opinion of the wine. His comment of wine connoisseur had been nothing but fluff, a nice lead in to the conversation. Oh, he had experience with the beverage and the rest of its extended family, but by no means did he consider himself an expert on the taste of it. None the less, he responded to the woman with a similar amusement that had surrounded her own words. "This wine here? I have mixed feelings towards it. Its aroma drifts northward to my visage, telling my senses to expect a tart, bitter taste; yet, a single sip reveals a sweetness that is soured by the deceiving smell. This deception bothers me. I mean, a man is always told to trust his senses, yet senses are so easily disrupted; alcohol for example, as you'll note as the night goes on, will greatly alter the sight and hearing of those around you. Thus, really, your senses are only a temporary aid. And with this wine, its not even temporary, for your nose senses one thing, and your tongue another. This wine simply is a paradox to the mind and body." And he had been doing so well up until this point, with his framed responses and eloquent but curt speech. Now, though, with his tongue loosened by wine, and his mind given such a broad question to ponder itself over, Julius felt himself slipping into a zone where philosophy reigned supreme. What began as a simple question, brought about by an amused soul, had grown into such a serious pondering of a scholar; and worst of all, it wasn't over yet. "Although, I still feel myself drawn to it. I overlook its lesser qualities for the fact that it is wine whose grapes were grown and fermented in the mountains of my homeland. Everything is better to a person when they know that it came from a place close to their heart." This portion of his verbal pondering pertained mainly to the wine at hand, though the message rang true overall. Thus, if Jenni was intuitive, she may take this long-winded response as a subtle compliment, shrouded midst a blizzard of words. When the masked woman had spoken, Julius had noted her accent, the acute difference that marked her as an foreigner; with Jenni, though, he heard only words spoken by a true Lhavitian. So, in a roundabout way, she may have felt as if Julius was complimenting her for the fact that she was native and the blond woman was not. Or, she would just take his words solely as his opinion for the wine. Such a hit-and-miss business, romance was. "Overall, though, I'll say this: this wine gets the job done, which is by far the best quality of any alcoholic beverage." And with his point finally concluded, Julius lifted the glass to his lips, the sweet nectar running down his throat, all the while waiting, curious as to where the conversation would go next.

[Brandon Blackwing]

x

Brandon arrived a bit too late at the ball. Not that he minded though. He’d only missed a speech of sorts and the cheers at the end of it were loud enough to hear from three blocks away. So, he was quite happy he’d missed it. His sensitive ears were way too dear to him to let them be ravaged by the deafening cries of the people gathered. Not even on rare occasions like this. He came for business. Observing guests was his priority tonight. If he could help it, there wouldn’t be much interaction, he’d just keep himself at the edge of the Masquerade ball.

He wouldn’t even have to act like he didn’t want to be here. He had thought his current clothes were fancy enough for this evening, but the fine wool that made up his outfit stood out in the midst of silk and mohair. Best to stay at a distance. Slouching to the nearest wall, he saw a lot of people better dressed than he was. An unmasked woman wearing greyish blue silk was talking to another woman with an hourglass mask and an even more beautiful gown. They were soon joined by a gentleman also dressed perfectly for the occasion.

Now he realised why such exquisite parties were often reserved for the rich and high class residents of the celestial city. Brandon wondered if this was the purpose of the ball. Finally he’d reached the wall. Before he leaned against the cold structure, he noticed a girl with a painted mask. Gods, now they would even make sure his mask was one of the least remarkable too. Admitted, it wasn’t all that special. Just black with silver twirls running over it. It covered about one half of his face. His whole forehead and the right side of his face were hidden behind it. His nose and the upper half of the contours of his left eye as well.

Trying to look normal, he took a few steps to the right and let his back rest against the cold stone of the wall there. He sighed. Now he was developing a minority complex as well. Wonderful. The thief tried to hold on to the thought that he liked his own outfit. An orange vest, with a pattern of red and yellow sewn on it, like blazing tongues of fire ornamented his chest. At height of his hips, the cloth split into three flaps extending to his knees. One large at his backside, two thinner ones at the front. White borders followed the edges of it, keeping the vest shut with four buttons attached to the front.

The sleeves of his vest were black and long, they ended in white however. His pants was simple and black. It covered his legs to his ankles. His feet were stuffed in some sort of ballet-ish shoes, black as well with a border of red circling around it. Lastly, the thief’s hair was brushed backwards. He had considered tying it in a ponytail, but had decided against it. The grey locks, greasy from the tallow since he didn’t wash his hair that often, had enough help from said substance to retain their position.

Sighing again, he stroked his goatee. Instead of making merry, this ball was making him depressed. He shouldn’t have come after all. Leaving now wasn’t an option though. He’d come so far, he might as well do what he came for. But for now, he needed a drink. Alcoholic preferably. It would rid him of his miserable feelings.

x

credit goes to Euthisa