Closed Party of a Life Time (Madeira Craven)

[Azuridae]

68th day of Summer
15th Bell
Floridian Festi Society Grand Opening

Azuridae had been walking leisurely around the city. To where wasn't necessarily important but for the what and why she was searching for the patchwork docks to reminisce of her time on the waters while searching the small stall vendors lining the pathways. The city wasn't being kind today and every turn she made to some wheres that looked even a bit familiar she would find herself some wheres else. It was already the late afternoon and her mortal seeming was tiring from the topsy turvy nature of the city. The heat was no joke either, she had never perspired as much today in, well, never in Alvadas before. There was only one time where it had gotten as hot as it was now and it was during her brief stay in Riverfall.

I need a drink. Azuridae thought with a parched mouth, it was simple, and the city seemed to comply in that moment. Just not in the way she would have expected.

The buildings decayed and fell into disrepair as she entered Ghost Town, stopping for a few moments to get her bearings on the stark change in environment. Despite the heat there was a chill that ran down her spine as the temperature dropped slightly. Some Alvads walked past her chatting excitedly and pointing towards a faded pink building bustling with a surprising amount of life and laughter. Music wafted out as she got closer out of curiosity, the chills coming and going but one particular chill struck hard unknowing to the Ethaefal whom did not recognize the foggy sensation. The Alvads that had passed her by entered the building at the ushering of a greeter and she sauntered after them in a daze, pausing at the base of the steps.

The pause was uncertain, she never considered herself to be brave nor clever enough to weasel her way out of risky situations alone. The city had brought her here, she was certain of that, determined to keep her from her true destination. Tenderly biting her lip considering her choices and before she could decide she felt compelled to climb the stairs and was admitted into the building with a cheery greeting from said greeter as he took and shook her hand vigorously.

"Grand opening of the Floridian Festi Society! Today only the admission fee is free, welcome, welcome!" The greeter quickly brushed her in.

The stimuli was explosive upon entry where inside there was music and cheers, flutists tweedled merrily and energetically, acrobats flipped, people were drinking, and laughing, and drinking some more even though it was only the late afternoon. It was on par with being hit with a brick filled sack weighing a ton, an assault on her senses. Some revelers pulled her into the throng of dancing bodies and a drink of unknown substance or origin appeared in her hand from where she hadn't the foggiest of ideas but gods knew she was dying of thirst and she drank.

[Madeira Dusk]

“I’m looking for a ghost!”

“The host is right over there! His name is Naive!”

“No! This place is haunted!”

“I thought that is what you wanted!”

“What?!”

“What?!”

Madeira breathed hard through her nose like an irritated bull. The concert at the new Floridian Festi Society was in full swing, even with Syna still cresting in the sky. A robust human singer and his several bandmates were playing a round of Turkant drinking songs at full volume on the stage at the ground floor, making it a less than ideal place for the Spiritist to question the partygoers. So she gave up. Giving her brightly painted partner a thumbs up and a thin smile, Madeira attempted to move to quieter space.

She squeezed her lumpy rucksack and herself into the front room, where a rickety table served as a bar. Her work attire of a collared white blouse and black pants stood out like an offensive blot of ink against a ceiling fresco; as was her neatly pinned straw-coloured hair and boringly pale skin. In an effort to fix her offensive drabness the Society was slowly layering every centimetre of her body with stripes of paint and explosions of glitter while she wasn't looking. Somebody had yanked the pins out of her hair some time ago, and she kept sweeping her frizzy, blue-smeared hair over her shoulder.

A venomous looking green drink was shoved suddenly into her hand, and the smell of raspberries lifted from the cloudy liquid like a physical force. Sardonically toasting the empty air, Madeira sourly sipped the offered drink. The refreshing taste of pineapple spread over her tongue as she eyed the festivities around her.

She had been tracking a meddlesome ghost from the ghost town for several bells, as she and her family worked to clear the space one angry spirit at a time. And she was sure she was on the right track when she followed it here. But so far she had not heard, seen or smelled a sign of it. Though that meant very little in a place as boisterous as this. The young Spiritist was ready to give up and join the party when she spotted a familiar face in the crowed.

“Azuridae!” Madeira called, waving her hand above her head.

[Azuridae]

Azuridae's senses were cradled gently within a fog, a suspicion growing with every moment as she did not feel the need to eat or drink when in her more beautiful form. So it would always perplex her when upon the light of day she felt tempted by various foodly smells. Not one to be taken over by over indulgence, she could, and would try the Alvadas oddities out of curiosity but today she drank for the sake of drinking. It was a terrible thirst she couldn't comprehend and every time she checked herself to put the drink down it was there again. In hand, untouched, as she mindlessly participated in debauchery seemingly. The reality was that every time she would put down one, she would pick up another.

"Azuridae!" The call echoed as she searched for the one who called for her, eyes skimming the crowds watery until they caught the glimpse of a familliar spiritist.

"Madeira!" A hint of a smile formed on her lips, calling back. Some of the patrons elbowed into her as she tried to wave back, "oi, watch it bucko" she started to maneuver her way towards the out of place girl but every step she took the sicker she felt.

The closer she got the more pain there was, an incessant scream to go the other way, but the feeling didn't make sense to her and she wrestled against it. Madeira hadn't given her any reason to feel negative towards her, sure, she was odd but not so odd she felt the need to run away. People danced as she tried to clear her way through them, trying her best to not step on their feet as they were stepping on hers. "Hey! Madeira," Azuridae breathlessly called again. "What are you'sh doing here?" An ebb of a slurr followed her words before grimacing. Her insides were fire as she used a hand to steady herself on the pale faced, glitter smattered, paint battered girl. "This doesn't seem. Like your cup'sh of tea."

"Shyke, oops!" She near tripped on her own feet, but the movement felt deliberate as she dumped her drink on the front of Madeira's chest. "Shyke! Madeira, I'm so'sh sorry!"

[Madeira Dusk]

Azuridae’s hand was on Madeira’s shoulder, and her drink was down her blouse. The Spiritist caught her waist as she stumbled and the two made an awkward two-step dance. Paint and glitter dripped off her wet blouse and glanced off their shoes in tiny explosions of colour. Their momentum pushed them back into the impromptu dance floor Azuridae had just escaped, and Madeira was forced to steer them both in a shuffling dance just to keep from being trampled by the other revellers.

“Azuridae, are you… Are you drunk?”

Madeira couldn’t keep the astonishment out of her voice, or seem to control her eyebrows as they travelled up her forehead. The Eth was drunk! Roariously drunk. Her words were tied together at the consonance’s, and there was something off about her dark, cloudy eyes. Not to mention she danced like a badly stringed puppet. The two weren’t so much dancing as assaulting each others toes.

“For the love of Ionu…” Madeira closed her eyes briefly, gathering her thoughts. The last time she saw this woman she was epitome of beauty and grace. Now she was nearly throwing her drinks and swearing like a Svefra. “I’m here on an exorcism job, why are you here? No, you know what? Never mind. I need to take you home.”

The ghost would have to wait. The party would have to wait. The Craven was not typically given to bouts of charity, but this woman was destined for someones hedge if she left her here unattended. And if she didn’t intervene someone with more nefarious intentions certainly would.

She pulled sharply at Azuridae’s waist, intending to steer them both off the dance floor and to the other side of the room. From there they might make it to the front door and blessed freedom, where the fresh air and lack of alcohol might do the Eth some good.

[Azuridae]

"Drunk?" Azuridae asked, what an absurd thought. "I've only had'sh a few!"

As they shuffled about the dance floor it became apparent that perhaps she actually was, but they danced anyways, horribly. The poor Ethaefal couldn't help but enjoy it as she spun the both of them around and around trying to stay in tandem with the other dancers. Madeira's grip was tight though so there was no escaping it immediately. There was a burst of laughter that trickled out as the both of them maneuvered past a wooden column, hanging on to the spiritist for dear life as her world swirled, there was never a moment where she had felt like this. Never in her life, never since the fall, never since.. The party.

Madeira said something but her senses were so poor right then it sounded as if she were trying to listen someone speak underneath water. Something about a job? Home? She hadn't the slightest clue what the spiritist said but words came out anyways. Another drink appeared in hand, she had picked it up from an offered platter of drinks.

"I'd say'sh the city brought'sh me here to have a bit o' fun." More giggles, her voice warbled. "Why don't you get off your prim an' proper horse and have some fun too?"

The drunk Eth offered Madeira the drink she had just picked up, before taking a sip from it. The drink was bright pink and smelled sickly sweet, a combination of fruit but tasted of honey. They would be so close to freedom, so close, the exit was right there but Azuridae was absolutely compelled to stay and partake some more. So with a few tender motions she wrapped her arms around the pale blonde's frame and leaned in close.

"Why don't you kiss me?" Azuridae whispered the suggestion, breath laced with sweet alcohol.

[Madeira Dusk]

"What? Azzy, no! Put that down." Madeira snapped, butchering the Eth’s name on her irritated tongue. She plucked the sickly pink drink out of her hand and dropped it on a mantle beside them.

This was weird. The woman had become a giggly lush in the span of just a couple weeks. And the way she was both hanging off Madeira’s shoulders and pushing her away, like she was conflicted about her presence, had her neck prickling. Something was wrong.

They were almost at the door when the Eth began digging in her proverbial heels. She became harder to lead, and the drag of her body became a little heavier. Just as Madeira was about to turn on her and demand to know what the problem was, the woman stepped into her personal space. Slim arms wrapped around her body and her face leaned in close. Honey scented breath ghosted across her open mouth as the Eth gave her whispered invitation: "Why don't you kiss me?"

At once the affluent virgin erupted into an alarming shade of red. With that one question the Eth dissolved the irritated professional into a floundering little girl, all wide eyes and confused inexperience. Madeira snaked an arm between their bodies and clapped a hand over the Eth's approaching mouth like she was muzzling a scary dog.

What was this! This was more than the alcohol talking. That feeling of wrongness was racing through her whole body, shredding her nerves.

Though it was pretty funny, she reflected in an effort to spin her embarrassment. Even though she was beyond drunk, this was the first living, breathing being to ever show any sort of physical interest in her. All her suitors tended to be dead; her first kiss was stolen by a Symenestra possessed by a murderer, and it was the ghost of Hurik who later pursued her with obvious lust. And now the pattern had finally broken!

There was a pause as her mind replayed that thought. Then with a dawning understanding, she put the pieces together: Azuridae throwing her drink at her, the horrible dancing, the out of character behaviour...

Madeira's eyes rolled skyward, as if she could pierce through the crumbling stucco ceiling and see some god or another huddled in the wide blue, laughing at her.

Azuridae was possessed.

Removing her hand from her mouth, Madeira smiled a weary smile. She reached behind her head amid Azurdai's arms and the crush of people, looking for the clasp of her rucksack and the tools inside.

"Hi. And what's your name?"

[Azuridae]

The red of Madeira's face was pleasing, not to Azuridae, who was too heavily under the affects of alcohol, but to another residing behind her eyes. The alcohol had made it easy to manipulate the girl, albeit clunkily. It, the being, a ghost, cursed internally at the mismaneuver of it's kiss. He, as it thought it was, wanted to transfer himself to the wretched pain in his incorporeal arse and do with her as he had done to his current victem and subtly win control with substance abuse. It hadn't been all that difficult, he had felt the dark desire resonate in her, the desire for the intoxicants on an all too hot day. It was that moment of internal weakness that he struck because he saw the oppurtunity as he had been running from this same petched spiritist he was flopping flimsily about with now.

"Madeeeiraaa" The Eth drew the spiritist's name out dissapointedly when she had removed her hand from Azuridae's mouth, the rejection was hard. Or so it seemed.

She love drunkedly threw her head onto the spiritist's chest, hugging her as if the music were a slow dance, it was only a bit awkward as they were roughly the same height. The pounding in her head was a growing nuisance, the amount of alcohol was making it impossible to coherently think straight, but her motor function continued. It should have ceased at this point but it was as if someone were pulling the strings from the background of her mind. The movements were not hers anymore. Azuridae grinned mesmerizedly, showing off some of her crooked teeth at Madeira, and the disconnect became real as Madeira threw her own head back and tensed up. Looking back at her with a question.

It was as if a pin had dropped in her mind, her heart raced. The grin crooked itself, an intesity in her eyes as the pupils dilated. Her response was choked. "Wh-what? YOu know... You know who I am, I'm Azzy. W-what's wrong Maddi?"

The charade was coming to an end, the ghost had forgotten what his current victem's name was. All he had to go by was the pet name uttered earlier.

Madeira was reaching for something behind her and the ghost panicked, and gave her a good push into the crowd of people, it stumbled backwards as the host scrambled with what she had just done. Her face blinked between surprise, horror, and then laughter. The behavior was way out of character, even for Azuridae, and in the back of an intoxicated Eth's mind she knew something was wrong now. The revelers caught Madeira and kept her from actually falling over, trying their best to steady the spiritist. Only a few looked actually concerned, and some just thought it was a hilarious joke. It was then that a brilliant idea occurred to the spirit, he only hoped that Madeira wouldn't catch what he was doing or the crowds would step in to do something.

"Get away'sh from me!" Azuridae's voice called out, but it was the ghost's words. "I don'tsh feel that way'sh about you!"

[Madeira Dusk]

Madeira levelled the possessed Eth with a stare when it parroted the nickname back at her.

"I'm talking to you, not Azuridae", she spoke, deadpan. Her frustration was starting to show. She had been chasing this ghost for bells, and now it had the audacity to hide in and torment someone she knew? She had to take control of the situation and have the Eth exorcized immediately.

Suddenly the woman's hands were on her chest and the Eth pushed her away with all her might. Madeira went sailing into the people behind her as Azuridae stumbled backwards. Hands caught the Spiritist and another handful of glitter was pressed to her back. Laughter erupted behind her as a few people spilled their drinks and a few more were bumped into new dance partners. Nobody noticed Madeira's face turning white as she watched Azuridae's expression flick through shock and horror, before the ghost could compose her face and let out a peal of laughter that didn't quite match the mirth of the people behind her.

Suddenly the hands on Madeira's shoulders were not so friendly, as the Eth stood there and with borrowed words blatantly accused Madeira of assaulting her. Madeira's eyes instantly darkened. She knew exactly what the ghost was trying to do.

"You little-!"

Madeira struggled out of the hands that were just beginning to understand what had just happened. Knowing she had ticks before the concern in the room turned into outrage, Madeira nearly flew the several meters to the Eth. She threw her forearm across her chest and pushed her hard into the wall.

"Oh, Azuridae, I'm sorry for this!" she whispered, as she drew her hand back and slapped the Eth hard across the mouth.

The ghost, no more than a puppeteer, would not be able to feel the pain, but Azuridae certainly would. She needed the Eth on her side, working to push the ghost out. She needed her awake and aware. This was not the ideal place to hold an exorcism. Madeira preferred an empty room and someone capable of holding the possessed person down. Not in the middle of a party of people who didn't know what was happening. But by the grace of the trickster god, this was what she was given.

She threw her bag off her shoulders and against the wall, where it gave a mysterious jangle.

"Azuridae! Wake up!" she roared directly in her face, trying to shock her soul into action. "You're possessed! Wake-"

One of the revellers, a burly Svefra woman, caught her by the upper arm and tried to drag her away. Madeira brought her heel down hard on the woman's toes and bought herself several more ticks. The bag beside the wall was kicked in the confusion and tipped over, and a clutch of beads and a tiny crossbow spilled out.

[Allister]

In all fairness, the invitation had been made but it was Allister who refused. He had many reasons for not wanting to attend yet Madeira hadn’t pressed the matter. Strangely, the hyena was almost offended that she didn’t want to know but then again, their bond suggested otherwise. The newness of it all was taking its toll on the sickly Kelvic but he was feeding upon the stubborn will and strong resolve of the tiny woman. It was strange. He had received divine providence and was freed from the bondage of slavery in the same season that he had met and bonded with Miss Craven. There wasn’t a complaint in his body but the pasty, lanky fellow was still trying to get used to the unfamiliarity of not having all of his decisions made for him. Thankfully, his bond mate was a woman of great aspirations so it created a wave of direction that carried them both.

It was this same sense of sharing goals that had brought Allister to sit on the hill overlooking the strange building. The party was loud, confusing and enticing all at the same time but it also frightened Allister. He had no desire to venture inside but was please to discover that he could experience the emotions and general vibes through Madeira. There was purpose behind the small blonde. Allister drew his knees up against his chest and close his eyes to search within himself for a clearer sense of the woman. Miss Craven was slightly agitated but that was no real shock to the hyena. When one was as great as her, it would be easy to see how normal and boring people be a constant irritant. There were flashes of other emotions along the way but this remained her mood for some time.

Allister grew stiff and rose to his full height then decided to take a closer look. While still out of sight of the bright lights which bounced through the dirty windows, he was able to make out individual faces as they passed. A shiver tore up his spine and he instantly curled backwards around his right leg until he could reach his hand back and scrap against the hide which composed his long jacket. The motion was almost pointless but the black eyes found a stick on the ground. The man stopped his twisting charade and bent down to take hold of nature’s gift. With an awkward bend, he was finally able to snack the twig up along his back to where the skin along his left scapula was begging to be scratched – and sated it. When he was finished, the kelvic absent-mindedly went back to staring through the windows and chewed on the end of the stick.

Then it happened.

Something drastically changed within Madeira. She was afraid, concerned and something else that Allister didn’t understand. He moved with quick steps that looked choreographed since he timed his footfalls to the beat of the music. This was so no one would hear him approach. A wave of insufficiency scattered over the bond like spray from a wave hitting the rocks on the shore. If he comprehended the emotion behind it correctly, Allister couldn’t believe it. He forced his mind to focus as the black gaze searched for Madeira within the party. There were so many bodies moving that he had to take his time but his mouth worked to think out loud as he went from face to face. “If she’s undesirable then it’s because the world is stupid.” He giggled and slapped a hand over his own mouth for a few ticks. When the hand slowly fell away, his voice was almost a whisper in response to his previous statement. “Even a fool like me can tell that she’s perfect.” The grin that covered his face was so long, it might have touched both eyes and the lights from inside reflected off of the metal teeth. It was then when he saw here in the grips of a woman but his smile did not fade. “So perfect.”

It didn’t take long to see that something wasn’t going well but Allister lacked any real skills for confrontation. He could defend himself or he could shift and possibly intervene to provide a distraction for her but it wasn’t likely that he could roll into a house full of people and be formidable enough to get Madeira out safely. Like a brick raindrop, the kelvic had an epiphany. He slowly moved away from the window and pressed his back against the wall. As the bond registered another shift from Madeira, the hyena took this calm to ease his right arm into its phantom state. The djed within him became a physical thing and looked like an apparition of his arm as the real limb went numb. Within a soft chuckle that resulted in a brief coughing fit, Allister plastered his eyes back to the window and directed his arm to find a way inside.

Madeira had now pinned her womanly guest up against a wall and had laid a few assaults down. The pain-loving side of the former slave suddenly tingled with anticipation. When the brunette took a slap from his mistress, Allister’s toes curled as if he could feel the stinging of Madeira’s palm. His hand lazily made it was over and was about to pick up her bag and belongings when the big Svefra laid her filthy, calloused mitts on Madeira. The small blonde reacted well and crashed her boot down on the woman which forced her to let go. Allister saw his chance. When the sea-faring brute shook off her pain and made for a second whirl to take hold of the kelvic’s bond mate, he struck out with his phantom arm. Like a cobra, the invisible hand lingered back as the index and middle fingers stood out like harpoons on a ship. The burly woman reached out but could only yelp and fall back in shock and pain as two ghastly fingers jabbed her in the eyes.

The hyena cackle reverberated off of the outer walls of the house as Allister reveled in his small victory. This set him to coughing until a speckle of blood washed against his palm. This brief celebration was worth it, however, and the pale man pressed his face back to the window to watch over and defend –if necessary- his Madeira. She was his. Allister didn’t see her as being a possession so much as a gift. She strengthened him, cared for him and gave him a purpose. He had no mind to horde her or restrict her from others but the broken man swore on any oath one could name that he would not share her with anyone who didn’t appreciate her in a manner that suited her worth.

HiDon't mind me... just wanted to crash in before the season change.

[Azuridae]

SLAP

The pain seared through every nerve ending in Azuridae's face, a burning, tingling agony. One magnificent impression of Madeira's hand appeared on the Ethaefal's cheek every bit angry as it was red. Her fingers tenderly slipped across the afflicted flesh with a sobering wince, eyes watering, the adrenaline pumping so hard it brought about a highpitch scream in her ears. 'Noooo!' The music, laughter, and merry cheer of the party engulfed her all at once, Madeira's words a dull unfocused roar to wake up, to wake up. It came suddenly to her as if she had been drowning once again in the great Suvan waters, coughing, and spluttering, the air returning to her lungs with the exception that there was no water to be ejected from her system. Madeira, the spiritist was being pulled away from her.

"Where." She glanced frantically about. "What?" Azuridae murmured, her own voice a quiet slur, it strengthened as she regained a better grip on her own conscienceness. "Madeira what's happening?" The past few bells were a foggy and chaotic mess.

The Svefra had been harmed in some way that caused her to back off, clutching her own face in pain. Any attack on the eyes was enough to make anyone think twice as it was closest to the brain, and took a few chimes longer to recover from. In the confusion Azuridae looked between Madeira, and the Svefra, with a slow blink and found herself in the skeleton of a memory. If it was an illusion, it felt very real, the room shifted from the festive party that went on around the both of them to a rough and dark tavern atmosphere. All of their faces, and bodies, blurred into rough blobs and shapes indicating they were people. Except for Madeira, who remained the same in glorious high definition, and with surprising sober clarity Azuridae fumbled for the spiritist and grabbed her wrist. There was danger all around them.

Except it was all in her head, literally.

"We have to go." Azuridae shouted over the noise. "It's not safe here!" With urgency she attempted to tug the spiritist away, they needed to escape.

The environment flickered between what was real and what was not, a schriek present in the back of her mind, animalistic. It grew louder with every passing tick as the ghost attempted to wrest control from the Ethaefal once again. Despite the sobriety the alcohol still had it's affects and her body responded delayedly to almost every command Azuridae made. The Svefra that had been there to stop Madeira from supposedly assaulting Azuridae had regained her composure and was looking about for the duo. Although that should be the least of Madeira's worries, as the ghost began to mist from the Ethaefal's ears. The ghost tickled her insides with such an agonizing misery that it wracked her from head to toe in pain as they escaped a good distance from the premises.

She had to clamp her hands over her ears, no longer able to take another step forward. Azuridae's eyes squeezed shut so tightly she was beginning to see stars. "My head." Azuridae hissed, a whisper compared to the ghost.