End of an Era [MAIN PLOT]

[Elloria]

Josk/Niko - with Addison
Niko sighed as Addison remarked that he felt underdressed. He sometimes wondered if the angel said things for attention. If he did, Niko was disappointed by it. He didn't think an angel, even a fallen one, would be vain. But he made no comment about that. He merely said, “You’re dressed as well as we are. That is hardly underdressed.” He turned his head slightly to contemplate his brother. Josk would normally have made some snide remark towards Addison, perhaps from feeling insulted at the comment of being underdressed.

Josk, however, wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to either his brother or to Addison. His entire focus was upon a rather bizarre and infuriating sight on the far right side of the ballroom. It was Jeralt. Jeralt dressed, for once, in civil attire and looking quite handsome for it. Jeralt dancing with a grace and poise almost befitting an elf. Jeralt enjoying himself. Jeralt with some sickly-pale whorish woman dressed in silver and pearls. Jeralt staring at said whorish woman as if she were the most amazing being he had ever laid eyes on. Josk's hands clenched and he stepped away from his brother, breaking the slight contact between their hands. He knew he was being irrational - they weren't in a serious relationship or anything, not to mention things had been really rocky ever since the incident at Isenstar Lake. But he didn't really care right now.

Niko frowned as he caught all of the emotions whirling through Josk's head like some sort of demented dervish. He didn't know much about his brother's romantic life - and didn't really want to - but he hadn't thought there was anything in it to make Josk react like this. Josk? He let go of Addison’s hand and ignored the angel's suggestion that they dance with some girls. He had no desire for something like that at the moment. “You go ahead if you wish, Addison,” he murmured, stepping closer to Josk. He lifted a hand to rub Josk’s back. He felt his brother tense and gripped his right shoulder. Peering in Josk’s mind, he saw the image and name of Jeralt - as well as a plentiful array of colorful curses. I don’t know what he is to you, brother, but if this is how casually he treats whatever affection you’ve shown him then he does not deserve you. He gave Josk a slight hug, then dropped his hand down to grab Josk's wrist. “You were complaining earlier about being hungry. Shall we find something to eat?”

Josk pulled slightly against Niko's grasp. He didn't want to be here any longer. He was going to either leave for Ellesmera immediately or go over, punch Jeralt, and then leave for Ellesmera. He certainly wasn't going to socialize or eat or anything. Though his stomach was growling at him, he took an almost savage pleasure in trying to resist Niko’s attempt to drag him towards food. I wish to return home. NOW. In spite of his mental protests, however, he continued to be pulled towards the food. “Seriously, Niko. Stop.” The younger, as always, ignored the elder when it was clearly in the elder's best interests to be ignored.

===========

Samar - with Awiti and Artemis
Samar smiled at the girl she had helped. She could tell the girl was a few years younger than her, but had probably lived in the land of the pale ones longer than Samar had. There was hardly an accent to her words, just enough to indicate she was not native to this area. Yet she seemed uncomfortable in this setting - as if she were unused to behaving as a lady or a noble. But it seemed the cloaked pale one was not her master, for another woman had come up and threatened to punish any who would strike the girl. That comforted Samar greatly. She waited until the clearly important woman had left before speaking to Awiti - for that, apparently, was the girl’s name. “It was no trouble. We-” Her words were cut off as something cold and wet suddenly splashed against her.

“O, I am so sorry. Let me help you with that my sweet sweet girl.” Samar turned her head to see Artemis smiling at her. She pressed her lips together tightly - the only sign that she was less than pleased with the light-dark-pale-one’s actions. This was an expensive dress that Master had paid for. That Master liked. She did not care if the light-dark-pale-one disliked her. It could at least respect Master’s wishes. But it was clearly a jealous thing. Why it was jealous was beyond her understanding. Her hand drifted once more to the amethyst wolf hanging from her neck as the light-dark-pale-one spoke again. “Slave bring us a cloth to clean this dress.” As the light-dark-pale-one sauntered off through the crowd, Samar met its gaze evenly. Her warm brown eyes were hard and determined as she followed its progress. “Mother Wolf, please give me the strength to not strike at this light-dark-pale-one. It vexes me so, but I know I have no cause to harm it,” she murmured in her own language.

When it was beyond her sight, she looked down at the young slave girl that had shyly approached her with a cloth. She smiled at the slave, letting her eyes soften as she gently plucked the cloth from the girl's hand. “Thank you, little one,” she murmured as she began blotting the dress dry. It soon was, but most unfortunately it was also stained. She was certain Master would not be pleased about this state of affairs. Still, she knew he would believe her when she told him of the light-dark-pale-one's actions. He trusted her. With a sigh, she handed the cloth back to the young girl and turned to the one she had helped. She looked Awiti over, seeing no wounds or anything out of place save for the rip in her dress. But she was not pleased with the discomfort the girl evinced and sought to alleviate it. She looked around for something to eat somewhere and spied several tables loaded with food and drink. She turned back to the girl she had helped. “Are you hungry or thirsty, Awiti? I know that I would desire something less disorienting than wine. Would you accompany me? I would not ask, but I do not wish to lose track of my shawl. It was a gift from my master...as was this dress.” She moved towards the banquet tables and glanced back to see if Awiti was following.

[ladymoth]

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▓▒▓▒▓▒▓▒░▒░▒░░ Ed` looked at her new clothes then looked over to Dantie, considering him "you are a really sweet man" she said kissing him in the cheek. She got to her feet and did a twirl in front of the mirror "don't think I'm vain" she pleaded with him "Urgals tend to their battle scars, dwarves tend to their tunnels, I tend to my clothes, it's a matter of personal identity, and standards" she added with her head high.

»Addison look crestfallen, his dig for a complement came up with nothing more than fools gold, like they were? Sure they were dressed like elven lords, but he wanted to look the best of all of them, not just to fit in. Addison felt that Niko felt some contention on his side as well, "I think the clothes are very nice" Addison added, trying to even things back out again. But then Niko brushed him off and began to creep closer to his brother.

Addison did not like feeling like a third wheal, but he was beyond being catty, or at least he thought he was, but Niko and Josk ignoring him? Those two boys were the closest thing to family that he had, and now he saw that they had a relationship to tightly knit for him to ever wedge himself into. Addison watched the two brothers fight towards the food tables and followed them, because, god help him, he cared about them.

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▲▼▲▼► It didn't help the matter that Jeralt had spotted Niko, Josk, and Addison and had beckoned his date to come toward them. They half walked have ran up to the twins and Addison. Jeralt was damp around the forehead and the girl looked flushed, and gorgeous. She had a heart shaped face and freckles that covered her face and shoulders, but she was one of those rare beauties who could take an unusual feature and turn it into their defining virtue; she was not only beautiful, but unique as well. Her hazel eyes were doe like, and alert. "Which is Josk Danta?" the woman asked in a husky, slightly fatigued voice "You didn't tell me that he had a twin" she added.

"So he does" Jeralt confirmed looking from Josk to Niko with a big shark-toothed grin, Jeralt made no sign that he had ever mentioned to Josk that identical twins unnerved him, it was as if they had always been good friends. There was no history Jeralts tone, no reflection of a lost relationship, or that any bad blood had ever flowed between them. Jeralt made it seem as if Josk and he were equals in the same field (weather that made Josk a clown, a side-show freak, or a performing seal was up for speculation).

"This one must be Josk, the man goes to a funeral everyday, or so his clothes would lead you to think, and this must be his brother, and their friend" he waved at Addison who waved back eagerly (Addison always got caught up in exuberance, he didn't look to see what Josk and Niko's reaction to the man was.) "Josk, company, this is Cecilia, my girlfriend, Cecila, this is Josk and company, Josk used to be one of my boyfriends"

"you had more than one boyfriend?" Cecila gave a small, rather scared, laugh.

"not at the same time" Jeralt returned laughing back, neither of them were looking at 'Josk and Company' anymore.

[dantieduurden]

Artemis to Tox

Artemis looked at the werecat angrily as it walked away from here. " Fool." She said before she moved on. Scanning the crowd for something to spark her interest, and that's when she saw it. " Ah a vampire. And a cute one at that." Artemis smiled as she gracefully made her way over to him. As she got closer she saw the feralness of him and the small differences from other vampires like his skin complexion. Slowly and gracefully she fainted falling in front of him, hoping he would catch her.

Dantie to Ed'

Dantie watched as Ed' explained herself and let out a small laugh. " I believe Dwarfs care more about there beards and gems then there tunnels." And with that he stood up besides her. " And in that case what would you like to wear. Show me your dreams and I shall make them real." Dantie said a small smile on his face as he looked at the regal clothing he had imaged up and made it vanish with a flick of his hand back into the clothing she had been wearing before. " I wish to see you happy and as comfortable as possible tonight, not uncomfortable and staring over your back every two seconds, I wish you to feel comfortable and feral in whatever you where, perfectly free." Dantie's voice rose only slightly at the words free. A. Dantie waited for her reply, he was hoping she would let him into her sanctum and allow him to see what made her happy, but he doubted she would.

[Emma]

“It is very nice to see you too, Laioni. And thank you oh so very much for the compliment to me, a mere human.”

If the bared-teeth grin wasn’t enough, or the fact that her voice could cut through the thickest ice, my brief history with Valsta made her hostility quite obvious- and even warranted. I was, after all, the dark witch of Ilirea, daughter of a vampire and closely familiarized with black magic. And, of course, I was an elf, and despite meaning my previous words as a compliment, she reacted with barbs, considering it a racial comment. How original. I supposed she had some bad experience with elves in her past that had made her this way. But then, she had been meticulously aloof when I’d first met her in Aroughs, even after she and Turin Richards aided me in slaughtering a demon and its spawn- and she was the one who personally slew the creature.

Humans and elves were both petty, despicable races. On the one hand, humans were simple-minded and barbaric, and on the other, elves were blind and consumed by hatred. Both were ruled by their passions and sizeable egos. And though certain individuals, like Valsta, were occasionally the exceptions that proved the rule, I could never decide which species was the better or the worse. I watched Valsta with even eyes and an amused smile as she met my gaze, her eyes pits of hot-blooded ice. Intelligent and powerful indeed, but it was not difficult to blind her with rage. Were my mentors here, they would have advised against further angering her. And for once, I agreed. This was not the time or the place for a magical battle. But I wasn’t going to leave just yet.

“You make me out to be a shrill-tongued harpy.” Despite myself, I sighed, closing my eyes. “Very well. I shall disturb you no further. Perhaps I should-”

My senses were immediately heightened when I felt a slight tremor beneath me. It took me a moment to single it out and recognize it for what it was. When the slight tremor became a very blatant vibration, all conversation in the ballroom stopped. Many eyes were fixated on the massive two-tonne chandelier above, which now shook unsteadily. Without even consciously trying, my mind embraced the black pool of magic within just as the screams of ‘Earthquake!’ filled the hall. The panic spread like a wildfire as every guest in the room attempted to either flee the room or press themselves up against the wall, out of the chandelier’s reach. Beside me, I saw Malandra Ramakrishna, who had been watching Leilani Richards with an amused smile on her face, go white.

I backed away; already muttering the words for a protective shield above me. But then the shaking became less violent, the chandelier stopped trembling, and all became silent. I glanced around. The earthquake couldn’t have gone on for longer than a minute, but the floor had become an array of shattered wine glasses, overturned instruments, and fallen slaves and nobles alike. Most of the human women felt the need to screech and swoon while the elves stood completely still, listening for any aftershocks. There were several seconds of complete silence as everyone waited, breaths held, and then relaxation. Then, enraged sputtering and wails swept the entirety of the ballroom.

I released the shield with a sigh, and then smiled. “Ah, look how they moan and wail and gnash their teeth,” I said to no one in particular. “’Tis sad to watch how helplessly they scurry about.”

---

The earthquake did not give me a lot of time to think.

Which actually turned out to be a good thing. Gawking at my mother’s portrait for the past ten minutes had not turned out to be healthy for my state of my mind. After I’d sent Anck off to do her little spy game, I’d wandered around for some time, mind full of unpleasant memories and feelings, some of which were obvious- rage and sadness, to name two- and others that were harder to understand. Emotions had never been my bag. I’d gone from anger to depression and back to anger again, only heightened by the fact that I’d never done well at parties. Armed only with my wine glass, I’d eyed many a noblewoman, and was eyed right back. Most were very pretty.

And then the ground started rumbling, and most of them responded completely effectively to the danger by running around screaming, only adding more panic, and fainting, so that they could be trampled to death by the hundreds of pairs of feet in the ballroom. Sometimes, despite all my hopes and dreams, I was very glad to not be a mortal. Nevertheless, I quickly joined the roiling masses when I saw the dangerously swinging chandelier, and remembered Anck, likely completely defenceless. I bolted toward the end of the room I’d last seen Malandra in, skidding to a halt when I saw Anck was safe. She had pressed herself up against the wall, her eyes on the chandelier.

“Took you long enough, musclehead,” she said smoothly when she saw me. “Just in time. They locked the doors.”
“Never smoothly,” I muttered, taking her hand. “Things can never run smoothly…”

But then, the tremors stopped. I waited during what I assumed could only be the eye of the storm, but there was only quiet. I glanced up at the enormous chandelier. After a few more wobbles, it became still again. The danger appeared to have passed. The shrieking dissolved into worried murmurs, and slaves and shouting guards flitted among the rumpled guests. I nearly walked into several massive soldiers wearing man-skirts, growling in some foreign language to each other. Near them, Malandra gritted her teeth, eyes flashing with fury and snarling. My uncle had told me that most good women were completely nuts. Most being the key word in this situation.

“Lord Bryce, Clarus…” she said icily. “Please excuse me.” Then she barked at a male slave in another language, who immediately cowered before her and followed in transfixed fear.
“Ship’s without a captain,” muttered Anck, curling her lip. “I smell a rat.”

I was going to open my mouth to reply, maybe suggest that she follow said rat and sniff her out, but just then I became aware of yet another noblewoman fainting just in front of me. I caught a look at her face, half masked by long purple hair. She was pretty. Onto business, then. I caught her gently, minding my long black claws didn’t scrape her delicate back, and held her upright. During that moment, I looked her over. She was nearly a foot shorter than me, and wearing a long black dress tinted with purple. Her dress was purple. Her hair was purple. Her eyes, unsurprisingly, were purple. No prizes for guessing her favourite colour, then. But then, I noticed the aura of magical energy and the chiselled features- and the crescent moon on her forehead.

I realized that this one was an elf. Probably. But a gorgeous one, so I wasn’t complaining.

“Not that I think you’ll respond to simple flattery,” I said kindly, “but there aren’t a lot of things worse than a lovely lady breaking her neck.”

Words;; 1215
Characters Used;; Laioni (interacted with Valsta, and I left a spot open for someone to talk to her) and Tox (interacted with Anck and Artemis). Also, Malandra briefly interacted with Bryce Richards and Clarus Maleficarum.
Muse;; Insanely craptastic.
Thoughts;; Well... yeah. It fails.

[Kite]

*Edan was angry.

Humans are a flighty bunch, and he accepts that as his nature. That still does not allow him to accept the fact that they are acting like rabid dogs. A little shake up is nothing to make the crowd act like they are now, but apparently here they were. He speaks softly to Myaja, whom was polite to him but he could tell he was not wanted here.*

Just recently, general. A few months ago, although I was an officer for most of the Blue Divide. If you'll excuse me?

*He then moves himself from the cold yet polite conversation he was attempting to make with the elven deligation, over to the highest point in the room. He then yells out to stop the trampling, using his extremely commanding voice.*

Calm yourselves! All soldiers, calm the crowd and help the wounded! Slaves and servants, assist them!

*He jumps down from where he was, and moves into the crowd, moving over to assist some soldiers in calming the people down, and hopes that the stupid cattle that humans become occasionally will settle soon. *

(Edan to Myaja before moving over to the podium and giving orders to all soldiers and servants as general of the human armies.)

---

*Clarus feels the tremors and momentarily, his mind blanks. He turns around and his eyes search the crowd for Samar first, and finds her and another girl of similar color of skin moving towards the food table, or they were in the vicinity at least. He pushed through the crowd, not a problem as he is rather supernatural, and moves over to her and her little friend. He smiles at them both and asks them in Broddring common.*

How are you both? Shaken, but fine?

*He hears a cry behind him and turns away from the ladies, seeing a rather large man bowl over on the soldiers and keep running, straight at them. Clarus smirks and gathers his powers inside of him, channeling it through the ancient language.*

Grind.

*A small clap sounds out, like a shutter closing, and the man and a couple behind him bounce back and away from them, seemingly running into something solid and bouncing back. Clarus shakes his head and snaps his fingers, and the barrier magic disappates and Clarus turns back to the ladies.*

Anything I can do for you two now that we have things under control?

*He sees the shawl and Awiti and ignores it, not minding to see it on her, and waits for their answer.*

(Clarus to Samar and Awiti)

[phrostphyre]

Brian sat on the stage, legs hanging over as he watched the people go by. He enjoyed seeing the finery of the different nobles, such a thing so long denied to him. Grinning, he nudged a single solider next to him and nodded at several ladies clumped together. The soldier shook his head and walked off. Brian continued to watch, and then laughed as the soldier sidled closer and began to speak. He continued to grin like a wolf as he searched for something to do. A platter of drinks going by caught his eye, and he snagged one. A quick gulp, and then an almost as quick shower of the piss Alagaësians called “Beer”, nearly set his nose on fire as the drink tried to go up it. Eyebrow raised, he sniffed for a moment then swore. Someone had dipped undergarments into it. Frowning, he poured it into a potted plant and hid the glass in the sporran of another piper too distracted to notice. Smirking, he eyed a noble lady walking past, on the arm of her husband. Raised eyebrow at the overweight lecherous husband brought the lady to wink at him and nod to a hidden alcove. Grinning, Brian slipped off and headed for the alcove to await his liaison. The tremor hardly broke the stride of a swordsman, save when a wineglass flew at his head. Brian dodged, swore, and then continued on.

However, orders from the human general in the room sent him running to help an older gentleman up and carry a hurt lady to a seat.

**************************************************************

Sean let the weight of his chain settle, and then acknowledged Leilani’s complement. A bow of his head, a”Thank you, Milady.”, and Sean had satisfied courtesy. He wanted a drink, but his duty to the King and His family superseded all wants. Sean’s attention was drawn to an exotic looking sort of beauty. About to move to arrest her, he felt something.

He felt the tremor through his feet. A quick glance told him all he needed to know: a display was falling towards Leilani. Coiled muscles of what seemed to be steel sent Sean flying in a flash of tartan. He felt it hit his back and heard a crack even through the screaming. He added his own scream of wordless pain as he felt the display, one of the King, hit his bruised rib. Sean felt it crack, face contorted in pain, as he sent Leilani out from under it. It landed heavily on his back, quite probably bruising another. Crawling, he managed to get out from under the display before crawling across the floor to Leilani. Favoring his right side, he made it to her before she decided to stand. Sean stood himself, the better to protect her. More cracking from his right side; another rib was broken. Eloquent and quite varied cursing livened the room around him as he felt his side crunch with the weight of armor and gravity. Assuring himself that the royal family was safe, he looked for his would-be captive.


His eyes narrowed at her sight, and his sword was out before he knew he had drawn it. Moving purposefully, he walked in her direction. He managed to approach silently and put a hand on her shoulder. She turned quickly, seeming spooked. He directed her to walk to the Richards’ seats, and when she hesitated the poke of his sword near her throat sent her on her way. If questioned as to the propriety of his actions, Sean could claim he was using the General's standing orders to get her to safety. And since she just happened to be too near the Richards' for his overall objective. Once they neared the extended family of the King, Sean knelt and clapped a fist to his heart. After a moment, he stood and began.

”Milord, mi’ladies. I found this lady loitering near your seats. After a moment of observation, I saw that she was dropping the eaves upon your conversation. I promptly took action, and here she is for your justice.”




SEAN interacted with ANCK, and ignored TOX. Better things to do.

[Nayeli]

( LADY NAYELI )
Featuring
Warrior Turin

( Nayeli watching Sean and the Crowd )
Well, things seemed to be going fine, though, even I found this woman slightly annoying. I soon found myself sitting beside my father and my brother standing behind me. My sister had returned and I looked at her for a moment, a smile crossing my face for a moment as I watched her watching Sean. I knew she had a liking for the man and Thankfully, he was protecting her. They would have made a cute couple, but I just ignored it, watching as things happened quickly. ”So, what happened with Awiti?”

[/color] I asked her, glancing past my father who eyes were drawn to the whore who ran this show. I still hated it because she was in control, but I said nothing to my uncle about it. Leilani looked over at me for a moment, smiling slightly.

”Tripped and ran into someone… Ripped her dress, but someone is helping her out, which is good.”[/color] I nodded. I still did not see what Leilani saw in this girl, but she saw something. After a moment I felt the hand of my brother touching my shoulder. Something had him spooked and I watched everything out in the crowd. I was not sure what was going on, but something was bound to happen soon. I took in a simple breath, feeling him learn down to my shoulder, whispering in my eyes for a moment. ”Be ready to move.”[/color] I nodded to him quickly, continued to watch the display that Sean was putting on. Turin’s eyes were on the crowd, his hand on his sword as he was ready to protect me… Or my father, however, he would probably only act like he was trying. I smiled at that idea.
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( LADY LEILANI )
Featuring
Awiti Ekere

( Leilani interacting with Sean. Nayeli interacting with woman. )
Sean had done a wonderful job, a awesome job that was amazing to watch. I had learned to respect his own culture, that much was for sure. After he came to my side, I knew he was probably sore, but I said nothing, only that it was amazing. ”Thank you, Milady.” I nodded, a smile on my face as I looked over the crowd, wanting to see the next form of entertainment, however, things did not happen as planned. I could feel the tremors through my seat and then, looked up to see something falling, my eyes full of fear for a moment, before I tried to move, however, I was not quick enough. Sean was however, He took the beating from what had fallen, allowing me to move quickly, sliding slightly on the floor. He crawled towards me and then we stood. I looked at him, knowing he was hurt, could tell by the way he was favoring his side.

People were yelling, that whore had left, thankfully. She was a annoyance in my opinion, but now, my eyes went to looking for Awiti. I was scared for her, but then, Sean was gone, Nayeli and Turin by my side. I look, seeing my father trying to act all brave for some ladies, probably the ones he would take with him tonight to please himself. I rolled my eyes and then I saw Sean coming towards us again, this time with someone else, a Woman. Nayeli walked forward slightly as Sean knelt towards us and she looked down at the woman. Turin and I moved forward to be at her sides. ”Milord, mi’ladies. I found this lady loitering near your seats. After a moment of observation, I saw that she was dropping the eaves upon your conversation. I promptly took action, and here she is for your justice.” Nayeli looked at her for a moment. ”How day you… What is your name woman?”

[/color] Her voice was deadly cold, making me look away.

I hated when Nayeli was so cold to others, but it was in her nature and why she was courtess of this place and not me. Turin stood quietly over her, watching as she looked at the woman. He held a cold, yet emotionless expression. I started looking for Awiti again, seeing here and the other, along with a large man. I made my way towards them.

----- ----- ----- ----- -----
Awiti --- Samar, watching Atemis Leave them, Interacting with Samar and Samar's master. Leilani coming into picture.
I was grateful for the other woman’s help. She was my color, but her voice was thicker in accent. I missed the accent of my people from then anything sometimes. I looked at my dress, wishing it had not been torn. I felt really bad now, mostly because Leilani had given it to me and it was one of the many things that she had give me. I wanted to cry, but I lifted my head, trying not to dare allow it. As Leilani came to me, I smiled at her for a moment, but it was not by much. I was scared mostly that anything would happen because of the torn dress, but it seemed that she was open with that. She did not mind at all, she wanted to take her to get another, but leaving would be dangerous. After she left I looked down again at the dress. I could fix it, but it would no longer be a dress that would be worn on such formal occasions, probably more a traveling dress. ”It was no trouble. We-” As she said something, all of the sudden, she was splashed with something cold and some of it got on me.

“O, I am so sorry. Let me help you with that my sweet sweet girl.” As I looked, I noticed a dark skinned, light skinned person and they confused me. Why had they done that? Was it a accident or on purpose. I felt more of on purpose then anything else, but I tried not to say anything. It did not seem that the other liked him either and I tried hard to stay away from him. I was not sure what he was planning, but he called for a slave to clean the dress. ”I don’t like that woman.”[/color] I said as I watched her go away. I then heard something mumbled something I could not understand and. After a moment, the other slave girl was among us and handed the cloth to Samar. I looked at her for a moment and then looked towards the Richards’ Family… My family… However, Leilani was the only who seemed to accept me at all. ”Thank you, little one,” I was brought back to look at Samar and noticed the slave girl quickly nod and leave them, after taking the cloth back.

I had gotten lucky, I did not have any wounds from my fall, though my knees were slightly sore from the sudden hit to the ground, they would leave. I had been kicked before when I was a slave, this was nothing. I did not know where the food and drinks were, maybe there were against the walls, but I was not completely sure. ”Are you hungry or thirsty, Awiti? I know that I would desire something less disorienting than wine. Would you accompany me? I would not ask, but I do not wish to lose track of my shawl. It was a gift from my master...as was this dress.” I looked at the scarf quickly and smiled slightly. I nodded towards her for a moment and then walked with her towards the area I was hoping we would find some food. ”I guess I am lucky to have Leilani… I never had anyone but my mother stand up for me as she did.”[/color] I said, smiling as I saw the water and such on the end of the table. I was happy we had found it, this was lucky for me.

As time past, something else happened that was beyond the control of anyone. The floor was shaking, people were moving so fast and a large, beautiful object was shaking above the heads of mean. I could hear yelling, the sounds in my head were causing my head to pound and my heart to race. I grabbed Samar, though I barely knew her, she had proven to be a good friend to me. We were pushed against other people who were against the wall and I winced in pain as people stepped on my feet, not caring about anyone who war around them. People were going crazy, yelling, screaming. Glasses were breaking on the ground.

After a moment, it stopped, the sound of murmuring, crying and many people talking caused me to look around. It was not long however that a man approached us. He was large, very large and he was scary at my own site. It was not that he could be mean, but because she was not use to large men coming without getting a hand laid on her. "How are you both? Shaken, but fine?"

I nodded slightly, rubbing my arms slightly, the fear of what had happened to her me. He then turned from us and I looked around, seeing Leilani standing with her siblings infront of Sean, her guard, and another woman. I gulped and looked back at the man as he looked at us again. I could not see what happened, not did I truly care. "Anything I can do for you two now that we have things under control?" I looked at him for a moment and then I heard something.

"Awiti!"[/color] I looked to see Leilani pushing through the crowd with force and then grabbed me, pulling me into a hug. I closed my eyes... She was only a few years older, but she was so mature and sometimes I though of her as a mother. "Are you okay, Sister?"[/color] She looked at my, pulling away, checking my face and arms, breathing out a sigh of relief. She looked at the man that was with us. "Is everything alright?"[/color] Besides the tremors, she hoped nothing else was wrong.
[/size][/blockquote]
( WORD COUNT ) – one. six. three. seven
[/blockquote]

[[-Kay-]]

Will I come up for air, come up for air

After awhile the current is calling me
Lulling me, waving goodbye

[/color]

Ivory was shocked when the earthquake struck, grasping the banister before it subsided, moving back into the room with wide eyes. Everyone seemed rather....shaken up and boisterous now. She grinned, her eyes darkening into a murky color. She watched as they all were trying to calm themselves, her eyes scanning the room to pick someone to fool with. To irritate or anger. She was growing...tired of such things and was half tempted to change into a cat and run across the room and attempt to gouge someone's eyes out. A man knocked into her and she hisssed, her slitted pupils narrowing, moving through the crowd slowly, prowling really. Her eyes zoned in on Leilani, Awiti and Nayeli. They drew her attention, quite well actually. But she wouldn't dare touch them. That brute of a man that had eyed her earlier might make a grab for her, considering her a threat. Not that Sean was going to be a threat at all. She just didn't want to injure anyone. Not right now anyway. A man knocked into her roughly this time, a sharp hiss slipping from her this time as she whirled and slashed at the man's arm with her clawed nails. He was just some noble, but it was one that she had offended a while back. She backed off, her arm still black and purple from where her horse had reared and struck her a few weeks earlier. Still such a nasty bruise. But she observed everyone here, her expression inviting whoever was willing to come closer. [/color]

I'm out here alone, oh God can you save me now?

[/color]Sinking my heart turns to stone[/color][/left]

Word Count

[/color] -235-
Tagged [/color] None[/color]
Lyrics[/color] Lead Sails (And A Paper Anchor)- Atreyu
[/left][/center][/blockquote][/font]

[Elloria]

Josk/Niko with Addison/Jeralt ("This is the Ancient Language")
Niko swatted down Addison’s hand with his currently unoccupied one. He gave the angel a very stern look that clearly said anything beyond societal politeness was not something the newcomer Jeralt deserved. In other words, the angel had better curb his naturally exuberant nature if he didn’t want to upset Josk more than he already was. Keeping a firm grip on Josk’s arm, Niko smiled coldly at Jeralt. “Yes, I am his twin, Niko. And this is our friend Addison. You, of course, must be Jeralt. Josk has said so much about you.” Which was technically true. Josk had said quite a lot about Jeralt in the moments leading up to this encounter - and none of it was particularly flattering. “It’s nice to finally meet you and your...girlfriend.”

Were it not for Niko's grip upon him, Josk was certain he would have flown at the sideshow freak in a towering rage. He had, in his own way, grown attached the vampire and to be so casually tossed aside like this was beyond infuriating. He was tired of being cast aside like a useless plaything, unwanted and unloved by everyone around him. He had endured quite enough of that in his childhood and he'd be damned if it was going to continue happening to him. He, too, smiled at the pair. “Well, I would congratulate you on your lovely girlfriend Cecilia, but I suspect she’s like every other ‘girlfriend’ and ‘boyfriend’ you’ve ever had. Not much of one at all.” His voice was polite and even as the words spilled out of his mouth like poison or bile. “After all, to have a girlfriend you have to actually feel some sort of emotion for the woman. What would an inhuman freak like you know about something so wonderfully normal as that?” Josk looked at the whore hanging onto his freak. He leaned towards her and stage-whispered. “If I were you, I’d watch him very closely. He has a nasty habit of dropping an affair the moment he gets bored in favor of something shiny and new.” He leaned back and chuckled, as if he had just played a great joke on them both.

Niko let out a small sigh of exasperation as his brother spoke. Of course Josk wouldn't keep it all bottled away. Not when he was so indignant and the object of his indignation was within striking distance of his barbed tongue. He sometimes wondered where this cruelty had come from. He didn't remember Josk like this. It saddened and disturbed him. He began to tug lightly on Josk's arm when both elves froze. As one, they tilted their heads to the right at the exact same angle and their brows furrowed in the exact same fashion. They had both a slight tremor in the ground beneath them. A moment later, Niko had pulled Addison in close to him while Josk quickly drew upon his magic. “Turn aside.” The air above them shimmered slightly in response to his demand - a gentle curve that would direct debris, or that massive chandelier, away from the three of them. Neither brother gave any thought to protecting Jeralt or Cecilia. Their family was all that mattered just then - Addison, included.

The moment the tremors stopped and the chandelier ceased its dangerous swinging, Josk immediately released the magic. He and Niko stood stock still once more, their heads and brows returning to the same positions they had been in moments after the first tremor struck. Only this time, they were not confused - they were listening for any after tremors. Absolute silence reigned in the ballroom for several seconds before the wails of rage began to sound. But they were safe now, so Josk allowed himself to push away from Niko and start to devour the nearby bread and fruits that had managed to stay atop the tables and were clean. He had been hungry before. After that little spell, he was absolutely ravenous. He looked around, wondering if Jeralt was still nearby or not. He wasn’t finished needling the fool.

Niko shook his head in wonder at his brother. Once again, Josk had completely outclassed him in magic. It was almost like being back in Ilirea. Only now there was no jealousy attached to it. His big brother was powerful in his own fashion and Niko was glad of that. Satisfied that Josk was all set, he turned and inspected Addison. “Are you alright, Addi?” he asked gently, looking into the angel's eyes. His silvery gaze was tinged with concern for his friend.
=========

Samar with Clarus/Awiti/sort of Leilani
Samar cried out in surprise as the ground quaked beneath her. They had just reached the food table when the first tremors shook the whole room. She felt Awiti grab her arm and jerked away, only to turn and pull the girl close to her. She held on tightly as they were pushed and pulled toward the wall in the mass of panicking people. All the while, she murmured in her own language, “Please Mother Wolf, steady the ground once more and protect us from harm.” She grimaced as someone trampled over her feet but continued to repeat her prayer. She pulled Awiti with her to the wall until they were flush against it and stood there shivering and praying until the ground stood still once more. Only then did she release her hold on Awiti. However, she remained rooted in place by what had just happened.

She had never experience an earthquake before. Although the sands of the Hadarac were hardly the most stable of bases, their treacherous shifting was nothing compared to this. Solid stone had quivered like a droplet of water hanging from a leaf. She wrapped her arms around herself, unable to suppress her shivering. She was still quite terrified in a way she could not hope to explain. She needed Master to be there to explain things. And then his voice reached out comfortingly to her. “How are you both? Shaken, but fine?” She jerked her head up to gaze with relief at Master. But his attention was not on them just then. She saw a man barreling towards them and pressed against the wall once more, whimpering. Master, she assumed, did something to send the man flying. Probably the powers that had been granted him by one of the gods. But this was really just entirely too much right now. As Master turned back and asked if there was anything else he could do, she moved swiftly forward and wrapped her arms around his torso. Clenching the fabric of his tunic tightly in her fists, Samar held herself quite close to him. With her face buried in his chest, she trembled. “Master...” she whispered. “What is going on? I do not understand...Please...please...explain...” She could say no more. Only distantly did she hear another person - a woman - speaking. It did not matter. What she wanted right now was for Master to make sense of things for her like he always did.

[pterodactyl]

i should blame you for the falling rain
i should blame you for my constant pain
i should be there to remind you every day
i should walk you through the halls of my own fate
i should let you taste the tears that fell in hate
i should be there to remind you every day
i should...

Dane was late.

Normally, the Paladin was punctual and in perfect form. Now, he looked a little harried. Dressed in moderate finery that was more than a little uncomfortable for the man who usually wore plain armor and woodsman-like garb, he looked like a noble. His pants and jacket were dark blue and edged with silver. His boots and belt were a clean black. His sword was a bit more than 'ceremonial,' as the party's rules required, but so far it had remained safely in its sheath, brushing against his leg with every step. A dirk rested in its sheath just to the side of the sword. There were a few other weapons concealed on Dane's person, but, Nyx willing, over the course of the night they would remain there.

As a member of the Hand, one would expect the Paladin to carry the nine moons insignia. Tonight, however, his role was that of a snake: keep watch over Hand officials without the other guests noticing him, and strike when necessary.

Of course, things weren't that simple. After running a small errand outside the complex, the door guards refused to allow him passage back into the building until he threatened to call Malandra Ramakrishna herself. So, he was now late and out of touch with the situation of his charges.

When the tremor struck, the Paladin lost his footing almost immediately (only due to the shock, he assured himself.) A woman fell on top of him in the press of people, crushing the breath from his lungs more than the fall. Half-pushing, half-pulling the woman back to her feet, she swept away in her large skirt without a word. Dane was immediately struck by two facts: he hated nobles, and his pants were wet. Apparently he had fallen in a puddle of spilled wine. Wonderful.

Hand on his swordhilt, Dane moved through the large crowds picking themselves up off the floor, avoiding the garbage and broken glass littering the ground beneath his feet. He caught sight of Malandra, who seemed unhurt. The other Hand members he was supposed to be watching were nowhere to be found, but if someone was dead, there would be a lot more than irritated mumbling from the squeamish nobles.

“Ah, look how they moan and wail and gnash their teeth. ’Tis sad to watch how helplessly they scurry about.” Hearing the voice of an elf behind him, the Paladin turned to match a face to the voice. She was beautiful in the way that all elven women are beautiful; they seem dangerous, as though falling in love with one would cost you your life, but also so compelling that the reward would be worth the cost. Although the arrogance that was a common feature of all elves Dane had ever met was present in her statement, he had to agree. The shaking had been scary, but it was over and no one was dead yet.

"As offensive as that is, I have to agree," Dane commented wryly.

{ muse fair }
{ notes i feel like a bit of an underachiever when i post with a shorter length, but i also feel like dane is a concise character whose diction would never be flowery or loose. }
{ interactions spoke with laioni and got trampled by some random woman. also looked at and mentioned malandra. }
{ listening to shakira. xD }
{ words 511 }

[ladymoth]

▓▒▓▒▓▒▓▒░▒░▒░░░░▒░▒░▒▓▒▓▒▓▒▓

▓▒▓▒▓▒▓▒░▒░▒░░ Ed` smiled "I liked the outfit that you made it was fine" she said cheerily, then winced and clutched her stomach "I think I have a stomach bug, you should probably go with out me"

» Addison put his hand down and finally looked at Niko and Josk, to see that they were livid at this Jeralt character. Mostly he was just shocked that Jeralt used the word boyfriend so freely, everything that he knew told him that that was the kind of term that was whispered in dark corners rather than flung about in the middle of a crowded dance floor. Happily the ambient chatter of the other ball goers made it so that the conversation dissipated not far from the speakers mouths. Addison, who had only human ears, was haven't a hard time hearing his own voice over the sound of the talk and music. Nonetheless Addison continued to listen to the conversation, knowing just by looking at the sharpness on the twins identical faces that they were going for blood.

▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼

▲▼▲▼► When Josk spoke to Jeralt his smile vanished in a flash. He felt as if Josk had pulled the bottom off of his heart, which began to beat someone else's blood hard and fast. Jeralt's face flushed and his ears turned red, then all the distress he felt turned into anger toward Josk. "You hypocritical swine-" Jeralt seemed to be building up a slew of empty insults to throw at Josk but before he could go any further he felt, and not for the fist time that night, as if the ground was falling out from under his feet. The Chandelier began to shake. Jeralt, Dragging Cecilia (only because he had already been holding onto her and not because he cared for her safety), dashed toward the side of the ball room in three Jeralt sized bounds. Clutching Cecilia they both stared up at the chandelier which slowly stopped shaking and clinking. There was a long silence then Jeralt began to laugh manically and kissed Cecilia who was still in a state of shock. Jeralt's body had an odd way of coping with adrenaline. Not five seconds later however Jeralt returned to the foul mood he was in, staring daggers at the twins and Addison. "Damn fool" Jeralt muttered under his breath.

"I don't care about your other girlfriends, I don't expect romance you know" Cecilia said to Jeralt, trying to get his attention back.

"Look at him stuffing his face, fat-ass." Jeralt growled, causing Cecilia to have to tug on his arm

"can we please just start dancing I didn't come here to stare at your freak ex-boyfriend." Jeralt resisted the urge to come to Josk's defense and snap at Cecilia for calling him a freak, he wondered what was wrong with himself as he wandered back to the dance floor.

» Addison mean while was trying to get back to rights after the little quake. "I'm fine Niko, I'm fine" He said, though he was shaking hand his hair had turned brown at the tips. He used Niko to help him get up from where he had fallen and walked to the side of the ball room, unlike some of the other dancing couples, Jeralt and Cecilia included, he did not fancy being under that chandelier again for a long time. Addison walked away from Niko and joined Josk. He watched him stuff his face, and was entirely convinced that it had nothing to do with the spell, despite what Josk would say about it later. He didn't pin Josk down for the sort of person who ate when they got upset, but the proof was in the pudding. "I can't believe you ever dated that guy" Addison said loudly, stuck with a desire to make light of the situation "Look at him, he's a leggy spotty faced git. Look at his eyes, he looks like he's been smoking something strong doesn't he. Must have been, if he was treating you like garbage. He's like a pare of legs with a head stuck on top, he's shaped like a meat ball on a fork." Addison continued as he followed Josk around the table.

[dantieduurden]

(Dantie speaking to Ed)

Dantie's clear blue eyes looked into Ed's and with a smile Dantie said " No, I will stay here and make sure you are ok. After all we are going for Darek, not for ourselves." And with that Dantie moved so Ed' could lie down and go to sleep.

(Artemis to Tox)
Artemis smiled as the man had done exactly as she had hoped he did and caught her. " O well it depends on the man and the occasion. You saving me from breaking my neck though dose qualify as me responding to your flattery though." Artemis gave him a sweet smile as she leaned up and kissed him on the check. " Thank you again. " Artemis said as she let a small space be left between there bodies to see how much this male was attracted to her, if it was enough he would fill the gap and try to get closer, if not she would have to find another. " May I ask for my saviors name?" Artemis asked with a smile, her indigo eyes following her exotic beauty's movements.

[Emma]

The black pits I saw in the mirror revolted me.

They were only worsened by the lines that rage and anxiety had drawn across my face, which I now had no need or desire to school into smooth perfection once more. Curling my lip, I glared down at the pathetic slaves that now scurried around me, eager to please. Currently, they were removing the scarlet garment I’d donned earlier that evening and preparing a new one. My decision to get redressed was for several reasons. Firstly was my taste in changing my outfit several times a day- I often got bored or doubtful of it mere hours after putting it on. Secondly was the fact that the shoes were quite ruined by the wine that the bumbling slave girl had spilt all over me. But the third, and probably the main reason, was that I simply needed some privacy.

My original plan had been to go around, introducing myself, chatting aimlessly, and perhaps toying with several of the guests. My latest victim had been Leilani Richards- the girl, for some ridiculous reason, was staunchly opposed to slavery, a custom that had dominated Broddring and many other countries for centuries. Her adopting a slave as her own sister had been the talk of Castle Carvala for quite some time- and not in a good way. I had meant to speak to Bryce Richards next, a man I knew was interested in me. He did have, after all, the same tastes as his brother. The little earthquake, however, had nearly ruined everything. Considering how high tensions were in the ballroom, one dropped wine glass could well have started the next Blue Divide.

My thoughts were interrupted when an array of new outfits were brought in by one of the slaves. After a moment of indecision, I picked a one-piece outfit- a jade green silk corset that heavily emphasized my curves, and matching emerald necklace. Then I was forced to wait impatiently as the servants tugged the garment on, rearranged my hair into curls and finally set the necklace in place. Once finished, I gazed at my reflection, and at my sloe-black irises. After a moment of peering into their depths, I murmured a few words in the ancient language, and watched my eyes slowly become the colour of fresh leaves. One irritating side effect of changing my eye colour was that it tinted my vision- I now saw the world in shades of green. But it was worth it, I thought, for the beauty.

Upon hearing a knock at the door, I snapped, “Come in!”

It opened with a slight creak. I turned my head, tossing my new curls and shooing away the slave who’d been tending to them. A small, slight man with olive skin and icy eyes that I remembered were pale blue stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind him. I wrinkled my nose. He stank of herbs and potions and poisons and whatever other questionable alchemical brews he’d been bathing in. Now that I knew he was the one- some conjurer from a squalid area in The Tears, I hadn’t bothered to learn his name- I turned back towards the mirror, fussing with my hair and making sure my makeup was perfect. He crept inside a little ways and stopped a good few metres away from me, head bowed and stone silent. As I began to put my emerald earrings in, I grew irritable.

“What happened?”
“A simple earthquake, Your-”
“Menteur!” I shrieked in Gaulish, nearly dropping an earring. “There are no earthquakes in Alagaesia. So what was it?”
He looked even more intensely at his shoes. “What felt like an earthquake was a chemical explosion in the dungeons, Your Holiness.”
“Are the preparations destroyed?”
“No, milady. They’re being taken to the kitchens as we speak. The banquet is still going exactly as planned.”
“Good,” I said, smirking. “Now get out.”

He snaked out of the guest room in much the same manner as he’d entered, leaving me supposedly alone in the dressing chamber. I stood in front of the mirror for a few more moments, gazing at myself and making sure I looked exactly as perfect as my reputation declared I did, completely ignoring the presences either outside the room or within it. I knew perfectly well that I’d been followed by the spies of the military and the upper classes here, and did not mind. I was in no danger, and nor were my plans. Everything would work out perfectly well. After one final glance at the mirror, I turned and strode out, new ice-green heels clicking against the polished floor.

---

Few things were as nauseating as Tox flirting.

The female elf that had approached him was rather intriguing in appearance, and I’d noticed her earlier simply for her odd colouring- violet hair and eyes, of all things. Added to the crescent moon marked on her forehead, I thought she was perhaps a priestess from a different country- she certainly didn’t look like one of the Nyxians. However, now that I had a closer look, nothing about her was remotely religious. The gleam in her dusky eyes was distinctly unsettling, and her movements a little too timed, her demeanour a little too friendly. She reminded me of Malandra. I glanced at Tox in his elegant black coat and his long white gloves. He seemed pleasantly oblivious to any danger.

“Oh well, it depends on the man and the occasion. You saving me from breaking my neck, though, does qualify as me responding to your flattery though.” She kissed him on the cheek. He slathered like an animal. “Thank you again. May I ask for my saviour’s name?”
Clearly, she was after more from him than just a tryst. But Tox was too distracted by her beauty for his mind to work properly. Rather than release her, his arms enclosed around her, the white locks of his hair just barely brushing against her cheekbone.
“It’s Castox, milady. But those that I am, uh, intimate with know me as ‘Tox. And yours? Or maybe angels don’t have names, only gorgeous faces?”

I promptly vomited in my mouth. So, I decided to pay attention to our priorities. The Prophet had disappeared, but I didn’t doubt she’d return soon. I decided instead to head for the distinctly more level-headed Laioni, who was easy to pick out among the crowd with her black makeup and striking outfit. I took care to dodge the many puddles of wine and bent-over slaves as they scurried to clean said wine and hoist up many an overturned and confused guest. I was somewhat disappointed. Aside from the holy soldiers and the occasional odd person, I hadn’t seen a single thing that was out of place in this party. However, considering I didn’t have any spying experience, I would ask Laioni first.

As I came up to her, I saw that she had gotten the attention of a not unattractive nobleman approaching his middle years. On second glance, however, I saw that he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He was much more tanned than most of the cream-skinned guests here, and his body muscular. He also seemed somewhat uncomfortable in the regal finery of the upper-class, but he disguised it well with a veil of relaxation and jocularity. I had learned to read even the most accomplished actors in the theatre when my mother still lived, but I didn’t know if Laioni was able to tell the man was more than he seemed. When she noticed me, however, her steely eyes rested on me for no longer than a moment, and then she looked back at the man, speaking in her exotic accent.

“Ah, a man who does not frighten so easily as the others. What is your name?”

I assumed the glance was a dismissal. Never having been any good at following orders, I decided to keep searching, starting with following the closest lead I had- Bryce Richards, the last person the Prophet had spoken to before she’d left with her feathers ruffled. The man was Azuan Angrenost’s younger brother, and if the cream of society’s gossip was anything to go by, the two of them weren’t estranged. Malandra often visited Angrenost, according to Pele, so it was likely I could find some answers there. I turned back in the direction I’d came, keeping a pleased smile on my face and my expression relaxed, so that I looked like nothing more than a half-drunken noble hunter off to find a man. I easily found my way back to the thrones at the front of the room, and paused.

The two older siblings, Nayeli and Turin, looked shaken and irritated. Leilani was not there. Bryce, I’d noticed, had been eyeing Malandra more than a little bit, so I decided to find a discretional spot near him. I picked the wall, hung with paintings of every king of Broddring from the last of the barbarian warlords one millennia ago to the current ruler, Azuan. Palancar’s portrait, unsurprisingly, had been removed- probably for the elves’ sake. Though I gazed at the portraits, all expertly painted, I kept my ears open for whatever Bryce said. His children were the ones talking, mostly, regarding the earthquake and something about a girl named Awiti.

And then I felt an iron hand clap onto my shoulder.

Before I even turned around to see who it was, I knew it would be trouble. Lecherous drunkards did not grab your shoulder as if they were prepared to rip it off if you so much as breathed wrong. I started, twisting my head to stare at the guard. The man was about as tall as Tox, but twice his girth with hard muscle, and his blue eyes were completely relentless. There were two kinds of soldiers. The first kind was the lazy sort that usually made up city patrols, spending their days asleep on duty and their nights in taverns. The second kind was the battle-hardened and brutal lot that were generally high up in the military or bodyguards of important leaders. I could flirt and trick my way into the heart of one of those soldiers without even blinking. But the other…

I opened my mouth to speak. A sword was promptly placed at my throat. No speeches about how terrible it would be to kill such a lovely woman, no suggestive flirting. This man knew what he was doing. I closed my mouth and nodded very slightly in acquiescence, the razor-sharp blade cold and unsettling against my skin. I was turned around and marched over to the Richards by the still wordless swordsman. Before he was out of sight, I glanced at Tox out of the corner of my eye, and groaned inwardly. He was still distracted by the violet woman. He hadn’t even noticed my being captured. Feeling the distinctive urge to kill him, I kept walking. All of the Richards looked up when I was brought over and presented to them. Then the guard spoke.

“Milord, miladies. I found this lady loitering near your seats. After a moment of observation, I saw that she was dropping the eaves upon your conversation. I promptly took action, and here she is for your justice.” I sighed drearily.
“How dare you?” came Nayeli’s cutting voice. Her blue eyes were glacial and harsh. “What is your name, woman?”

I was roughly shunted forward by the towering guardsman. I gazed around at the Richards. They weren’t, I noticed, anything like most nobles. Nayeli was entirely bleak and hateful towards the unknown. Her sister was looking away, and Turin, though his expression was much softer than that of Nayeli’s, had eyes nearly as hard as hers were. I hadn’t been expecting any kindness, nor had I found it. However, I was more than used to it by now. My body was relaxed, one hand on the golden sash wrapped around my waist, my expression bored. Except this time, it wasn’t a mere act. I knew this business, and I knew it well. And it was tedious. My calm grey eyes met Nayeli’s piercing blue ones, and I spoke in a steady voice, my slight Antillese accent edging my words.

“Your Graces. The name’s Anck Seh Namun,” I stated, in a partially annoyed and partially friendly tone. “Anck to my friends. At least…” My gaze moved to Tox, still distracted by his new toy. “It would be if I had any friends. I’m just under orders, same as your musclehead over here.”

---

Though I had been expecting many things at the Gala, an earthquake was not one of them.

It seemed to be strongest just underneath where I was standing, and I was knocked off balance immediately, sliding against the wall and catching myself by splaying out my hands. One of them was one the smooth marble floor, which now shook violently. I gritted my teeth. I had been raised in a world of swords and discipline, and was not nearly as well attuned to nature as nearly all my kind was. I couldn’t tell how violent the earthquake would be, or how long it would go on for. Almost as soon as I had gone down, two of my bodyguards were there, wrapping their arms around my shoulders and hoisting me up. Once I was stable, they released me, but remained close by. That left me to regain my bearings and gaze at the situation around me.

Nearby, Valaician broke the threadbare civility of our conversation. “Just recently, general. A few months ago, although I was an officer for most of the Blue Divide. If you'll excuse me?”

And then he was gone. The humans had responded precisely as I’d expected they would. At any sign of danger, they went into a panic, a panic that was swept up into a mass frenzy that could do more damage than any war. As a whole, my kind stood stock still, faces either blank or contorted into snarls. Valaician responded surprisingly effectively, barking orders at every soldier in the room before moving to assist them. At the very least, he was the man with one eye among the army of the blind. I didn’t know enough about him yet to make a proper judgement. I glanced around the trembling room, looking for my soldiers. Siofra and Relas were missing. My lip twitched. If any of my men died tonight, it would be an act of war, and I would take care to respond accordingly.

But then the earthquake came to a staggering halt, and all activity in the ballroom briefly ceased. Then it returned tenfold, and chaos swept the Gala. Human underlings tended to their masters, and elves hissed to each other in the ancient language, eyeing the opposing race suspiciously. Despite myself, I looked to where I’d last seen Kieran. He had been knocked over onto his back, and was swearing considerably. I felt a hint of relief, but then slammed it to the back of my mind and looked for all my soldiers. Before I could begin to search, however, I felt a presence at the edge of my mind. Recognizing it, I allowed it to approach just close enough for a mental conversation.

‘Siofra?’
‘It’s Relas, General. Siofra’s with me. I have urgent information.’
‘Where are you?’
‘Sir! We followed the Prophet to her chambers. Once there, a man approached, some kinda… voodoo doctor.’
‘A voodoo doctor, Relas?’
‘I don’t know! This is a contest of freaks, sir. They exchanged brief conversation, during which the voodoo doctor revealed that the earthquake was a chemical explosion.’
‘Chemicals? Wouldn’t that-’
‘They also heavily implied that tonight’s feast will be poisoned, sir. Please remind me to barf up anything I eat, sir. But I promise not to barf on you, sir.’
‘Relas?’
‘Yes?’
‘Shut up.’
‘Okay.’
‘And haul your ass back to the ballroom. Inform the others.’
‘Sure thing, sir.’

My next mission was to hunt down the most important dignitaries of the elven delegation and warn them about the poisoned banquet. My lip was curled with fury at what the Prophet had done, but something also seemed somewhat off. I had had the displeasure to speak to Ramakrishna on several occasions. She was a dangerous filth even among her own kind, but she wasn’t stupid. Surely, she wasn’t going to purposely cause a war by poisoning all the elves at dinner tonight? Unless she was going to poison some of the humans, as well? As I slipped through the masses towards the Count of Osilon, my mind roiling with the possibilities of whatever the woman was planning, I halted.

The lights- magical white flames lit in alcoves surrounding the entire hall- went grey and dim. The crush of conversation drifted off into silence. I saw a sea of faces turn towards the one still-brightly lit alcove high above, which crowned one of the balconies. I saw the flash of emeralds, and the semi-familiar face of Malandra Ramakrishna peering at the people below. Something in my stomach curled. She was watching everyone with a gaze of barely-hidden contempt in her now jade-green eyes, and a small smile tugged at her red-painted lips. She was flanked by two of her holy soldiers. Obviously, she was going to make an announcement. Despite myself, I also paid attention.

“Dearest guests,” she said sweetly, batting her thick lashes, “most of your stories are tragique ones. None have been unaffected by ze horrors of ze Blue Divide.” A stir of uneasiness passed through those assembled, and death glares were exchanged between both races. I did like how she referred to the war as the Blue Divide, just like the cowardly Ilireans did. Humans called it the Slaughter of Palancar, while we elves called it the Cleansing. “Terrible deeds were performed and many lives were lost. But tonight is not a night for ze war.” She was practically hanging off the edge of the balcony as she spoke, revealing her still-almost-entirely-naked body. I hoped she fell off. “Under ze grace of Nyx, tonight is for casting aside our differences. Ze tremor you all experienced was nozing more zan a structural collapse within ze dungeons. Let it not bother you tonight. And with zat…” She clapped her hands and shot a look at the musicians. “Let ze dancing begin!”

For a moment, there was silence as awkward glances were exchanged and the musicians fumbled to ready their instruments. Then, two notes started up, followed by two more, and soon every instrument joined in. Then, the first beats of a rhythm began, and the musicians began to play a classical piece from Old Broddring, but mixed with some elvish flourishes that I recognized. After some muttering, I saw the guests begin to partner up, and begin the first steps of a slow-tempo waltz. I shrunk back towards the wall, deciding to continue my hunt for the members of the elven delegation. The only dance I’d ever cared for was that of sword slithering against sword.

Character(s) Used;; Malandra (who revealed a nasty surprise at the banquet to an NPC, then gave a speech to everyone in the ballroom in Myaja’s bit), Anck (interacted with Sean and the Richards, and gave Artemis and Tox a death glare), and Myaja (interacted with her NPC soldiers and listened to Mally’s speech) with Tox (still flirting with Artemis and totally failing to notice Anck being arrested), Laioni (interacted with Dane Gunnarsson; I couldn’t get the muse to write up a part for her) and Kieran (who just fell over; someone needs to go up to the poor guy!).
Words;; 3181. Ow.
Muse;; Surprisingly nice for Malandra and bits of Anck, weird for Myaja.
Thoughts;; A bit better than the others! And yay for Malandra’s narmy speech given in a stereotypical French accent. XD

[Kite]

*The soldiers calm the runners down, and Edan eases up as they finish their great panic. There are few causalities, mostly wounds but a couple deaths, which the soldiers quickly move them away so that the deaths would be as little noticed as possible among the unconscious that are being moved with and the servants clean the mess up. As people begin to calm down from the virtually unheard of event, they slowly begin mingling and Edan nods to the soldiers nearest him. He turns to the man beside him and speaks softly.*

Pass the word, return to your original duties.

*The man salutes and Edan returns the gesture before he moves through the crowd to find his wife. He gains sight of her where she leans against the outside wall and moves over, taking her hand and kissing it, before speaking to her to see how she is. After a short exchange between them, he hears the voice of Malandra Ramakrishna roll over the crowd to begin dancing to sooth the crowd even further after speaking of the cause of the shaking. He offers his hand to his admitedly beautiful wife and she takes it, and they move over to the ballroom floor, and Edans mind feels something... off probably caused the collapse that Ramakrishna claimed the caused the shaking, but he is not sure what at this point.*

(Edan interacted with no one but NPCs)

---

*Clarus watches Samar move up to him, and he wraps his arms around her as she clings to him, not minding in the least that she does this sort of thing. If he hadn't been something of an experienced man, he probably would have been reacting like everyone else was. That being said, something was wrong. Nothing like this shaking hadn't happened at this scale in his living memory, which bothered him especially in the most stable building in the city. This was totally artificial, in his mind, although he had no proof to back that up.

He, however, turns his mind back to Samar's question, and smiles as reassuringly as he can pull off down towards her, and bends slightly so he can whisper in her ear.*

The ground was shaking, Samar, but I am not exactly sure why. The earth does not usually move so, so I think it might have been a problem with something below this room, and caused by some human error.

*He then straightens up and winks down at her*

Don't worry about that though. I'll keep us both safe no matter what happens.

*He turns his head slightly towards Ramakrishna as she talks about the cause of the shaking, and Clarus almost smirks at the idea, but keeps his face as it was as he turns back to Samar while she keeps talking about a dance coming up.*

See? Just as I thought, and nothing to worry about yet. Shall we dance, my dear?

*He smiles and holds his arm out for her, hoping she'll decide to take it and dance.*

(Clarus interacts with Samar, mostly trying to calm her and ask her to dance)

[Elloria]

Josk/Niko with Addison/Kieran (Colored Italics is the Ancient Language)
Niko shook his head as Addison made a beeline for Josk. The angel was a good friend, but Josk had told Niko of their first encounter and the younger twin suspected the angel looked at Josk in a more-than-friendly manner. He wasn't exactly sure how he felt about that. He didn't particularly like the idea of sharing his brother's heart - it had been hard enough sharing it with Rensu, whom he knew only as his father's associate - but on the other hand he felt Josk needed some sort of emotional distraction that didn't involve Niko. Perhaps it would help the elder move on from Rensu. He sighed and shook his head. Please behave yourself while I walk the crowds, Josk. I don't want us thrown out because you felt the need to start a brawl with your ex-lover. He's not worth it. With that, Niko turned and waded into the crowd.

Josk didn't deign to reply to Niko's concerned comment, mentally or verbally. He was currently glaring daggers at Jeralt, who had returned to dancing on the ballroom floor. Thoughts of the numerous different poisons he could use on the female that had stolen Jeralt from him flitted through his mind, but he quickly shoved them aside. He would respect Niko's request, even if he did want to obliterate the freakshow in a heartbeat. With a sigh, he set down the bread he'd been devouring and finally paid attention to what Addison - who had apparently joined him at some point - was babbling about. “We weren’t dating,” he said quietly. “All he was good for was fantastic sex. Really fantastic sex. And he wasn’t smoking anything. His eyes always look like that.” He looked down at the angel, his silvery eyes dimmed to a dull grey and unreadable. He simply contemplated Addison for a moment, letting nothing of his thoughts show in his expression or pose. He was only vaguely aware that someone was giving a speech about the earthquake - apparently some sort of structural collapse had happened in the dungeons. “Why do you care?”

As Niko wandered, he came across another elf who apparently hadn't quite recovered from the earthquake. At least, he thought it was an elf. The man had very human features and was throwing out very colorful curses in Broddring common. But his aura was all wrong for a human. Curious about this apparently clumsy elf, Niko stopped beside him and held out his hand. “Need some help?” he asked politely.
=========

Samar - with Clarus/sort of Leilani/Awiti
Samar's trembling quieted as Master whispered soothingly in her ear. The gods were not displeased, then? Or perhaps their displeasure had caused this ‘human error,’ as Master put it. She wasn't sure what else to make of his explanation. But he seemed to know what he was talking about and that was a great comfort to her. She slowly released her death grip on his tunic and pulled back to look up at him. He winked at her and she gave him a small smile. “Don't worry about that though. I'll keep us both safe no matter what happens.” She nods and turns with him to listen to some woman.

“Structural...collapse?” She let the strange new words roll off her tongue. She wondered what they meant and who this Nyx being was. She had heard the name said often enough, but had never equated it to some sort of religion the pale-ones had. Sometimes she was tempted to ask Master, but it didn't seem like a very important matter so she left it alone. She looked back at Master as he asked her to dance. She raised an eyebrow in surprise, but reached out and took his hand. She smiled apologetically at Awiti and her mistress, saying, “It was a pleasure to meet you both.” She then looked back at Master and let him lead her out to the dance floor.

[pterodactyl]

i should blame you for the falling rain
i should blame you for my constant pain
i should be there to remind you every day
i should walk you through the halls of my own fate
i should let you taste the tears that fell in hate
i should be there to remind you every day
i should...

“Ah, a man who does not frighten so easily as the others. What is your name?”

Dane had traveled fairly extensively in his work with the Hand, but this woman's accent was something he'd never heard before. She was definitely beautiful, he'd give her that.

"I don't scare at all," the "nobleman" bluffed, puffing his chest out a bit and grinning his best charming smile. "And I'm Dane Gunnarsson," he added by way of introduction, extending his hand to be shaken. "Your name is...?" His brows raised with his question.

Hearkening back to his training with the Hand, Dane's adaptability was high. One day, he would go after and kill a deserter and cut some piece from the body as proof of death. The next, he'd dress up in noble's clothing and mingle with high society while watching out for the well-being of certain officials of his organization. Thus, he was comfortable mingling with high-class guests, although his clothes were undoubtedly a little uncomfortable.

The Paladin smoothed a hand over his dark, curly hair. His palm then dropped to the pommel of his "ceremonial" sword and his mouth opened to speak when Malandra Ramakrishna appeared on the balcony. He wasn't surprised at her outfit change, since she frequently wore three or four different sets of clothing a day. He was also not surprised when she tried to play off the tremor everyone had felt as nothing. In his thirty-seven years, the earth in Alagaesia had never shook as it just had. No doubt it had something to do with some kind of secret Hand project that he wasn't yet privy to. Throughout the Prophet's full speech, however, Dane wasn't looking at Malandra. His gaze flitted from person to person, examining the people close to her and glancing at anyone with a clear line of sight to her. Small, unseen daggers could kill just as well as large, noticeable arrows.

When Malandra officially began the dancing, the music began to play and the wine again began to flow. Taking two glasses from a nearby servant, Dane offered one to the woman beside him and sipped from his own.

Those higher-ups are fine. I'm at a party, so I might as well have fun, right? As the thought ran through his mind, Dane drained the rest of his glass and set it on the tray of a passing servant. Gathering his courage, he forced the words out before he could lose his nerve: "Would you care to dance?"

{ muse holy craptastic! }
{ notes i tried to capture his whole ethical-but-screw-it-all attitude, and i'm not quite sure how that worked out. }
{ tags laioni!! }
{ listening to all time low <3 }
{ words 416 }

[ladymoth]

» Addison looked crestfallen at the food, wondering what to reply to that question, it was kind of loaded. The idea that Jeralt and Josk were only together for sex was total hogwash, Josk had obviously grown too close to that emotional black hole that was Jeralt and now he was getting sucked in. "well see, I was just trying to point out that he's kind of... scum-baggy" Addison said breaking out of his usual elvish ramblings to put a variation on the english word, scumbag. "I'm just trying to get you to enjoy the dance, this is the biggest human to-do that Alagaesia has to offer, you should be out there dancing with someone instead of stuffing your face over the lanky looser dancing with the spotty space case." Addison finished now staring up at the channeler with some concern as to weather he just endangered Josk's life for suggesting such a thing.

▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼

▲▼▲▼► Jeralt waltzed around the ball room with Cecilia glaring daggers at Josk at every available second, which meant whipping his head around at some times so that he could continue staring. Cecilia was getting throughly angry with him. "He looks sick" Jeralt said suddenly

"I think we missed a beat" Cecilia sighed

"Oh, I'm talking about Josk, I'm just saying he looks bad tonight, as usual he's pasty" Jeralt explained "Palid, ghostly, waxy, washed out"

"Damn it Jeralt, I'm talking about your dancing!" Cecilia snapped pushing him away "You're waltzing to a four-beat song, your embarrassing me in front of everyone, you-"

"your the one who's yelling in the middle of a crowded ball room." Jeralt interjected distantly trying to take her hands again, but Cecilia slapped them away and stormed out of the room. Jeralt did not bother to go after her, he rounded on Josk as if it had been his fault.

[dantieduurden]

Artemis smiled as Tox wrapped his arms around her, just as she hopped. But the corny lines had to stop it was killing her inside to be called an angel, she hated the things and all that they stood for. " Castox..." Artemis said rolling it off her tongue seductively as she let her black gloved hand go to his beautiful white hair and twirl it around one of her fingers. " It is a strong name you have. And Intimacy has yet to be seen for we are in much to much of a public place." Artemis smiled as her eyes darted the ball room to hear the voice which was now speaking. As her indigo eyes roamed she came on the site of Samar all over her mentor like a dog in heat. " I will get you my dear, when he is no where close to save you I shall get you." Artemis thought to herself as she then while still in Tox's arms found the woman speaking. " Dose she really expect all of us to be so naive?" Artemis said turning to face her new lover for the time. " We have been to war and when we all get together she expects us to not suspect anything when there is a force like that." Artemis daringly and boldly stated out loud for all near to hear. Then turning to the prophet Artemis stepped from the protective arms of Tox and called her out. " O great host it is only custom that the host takes a bite of all the food in front of ALL her guest to prove there has been no tampering with it. I may not speak for all of us elf's in this dining hall but I know that I would fell more safer knowing that if any ill intentions are to be conceived tonight that we are not the ones to die for it." And with a small bow she waited for the prophets reply. If she was wrong there would be dire consequences, but if proven right she may gain the trust of many nobles. Turning back to Tox, she smiled at him. " Do not defend me if I am attacked, just make sure the rest of our kind make it out alive, and my teacher Clarus." Artemis said giving him a small kiss on the cheek before waiting her reply.

(Artemis is interacting with Tox, and Malandra)

[[-Kay-]]

Will I come up for air, come up for air

After awhile the current is calling me
Lulling me, waving goodbye

[/color]

Ivory smiled when everyone began to dance, she herself keeping to the edges of the ballroom. Of course, it wasn't like she danced very often...or at all. Yes, she was capable of such things, but it wasn't like she was very happy in doing so. A servant passed with a glass of wine and she deftly plucked one from the tray with her small pale fingers. She didn't bother with sipping from the glass like some dainty little well bred lady. She was a werecat for god's sake! To hell with what anyone thought of her! There was a nasty purple and black bruise on her right forearm, and it appeared as though she was healing over a broken arm or such. But her forearms were covered, up to the elbow, with black gossamer gloves that had the fingers cut out. They hid most of the damage but if someone looked too carefully, they would see that the dark purple and black patches of skin in the fishnet lacework wasn't actually part of the fabric. Most would assume it was tattooing, like she had on the rest of her shoulders and arms but it wasn't. She passed the glass off onto one of the next servants that passed by, moving along the edges of the ballroom until she was bumped into by a man. She hadn't been paying attention and lost her footing, slipping in the black flats that she had on her feet, and knocking against the stone wall. Her head slammed against the stone and a brief flash of stars rocked her vision. "Soloman and Gamora..." She muttered, turning her blurred mismatched gaze up to see who had bumped into her. [/color]

I'm out here alone, oh God can you save me now?

[/color]Sinking my heart turns to stone[/color][/left]

Word Count

[/color] -289-
Tagged [/color] Ivory interacted with an unknown man who knocked her into a wall and may have given her a concussion. ^^[/color]
Lyrics[/color] Lead Sails (And A Paper Anchor)- Atreyu
[/left][/center][/blockquote][/font]

[phrostphyre]

”Hey, lass, I take offense to “musclehead”, aye? I happen to be an educated man. My grand-father would not like the fact that I’m being accused of nothing more than thuggery. He would expect something high-class, like extortion, murder, treason, cattle theft, dishonoring of various ladies, insult, and horse theft. Thuggery is simply….too common. However, should you own any cattle or horses, I would be more than willing to oblige to all of the above, should you request, madam.” Sean’s tone might not be that of ready to kill, quite yet, but his eyes were there. It took a normal man mental preparation to kill. Normal soldiers are slightly inured to it through training; Sean had seen it happen, he had killed himself, and a seemingly innocent child had meet their death at his sword. The child had actually been a midget enemy clansman, posing as a child to spy. Sean shook himself from his thoughts as he noticed that the companion this “Anck She Namun” had walked in with was dancing with an elf. And not noticing that his companion had been apprehended and was now awaiting death. This was suspicious enough to cause slight worry. He was apparently unarmed. This set alarm bells ringing. Sean motioned a nearby member of the Savage Faithful closer and they exchanged whispers in the growling of wolves’ language also known as Gaelic. Eye-rolling and foot-stamping were integral parts of the language; thus, it was hard to judge the severity of the exchange. However, the hardening of faces and anger in eyes generally helped let lookers know that yes, something is about to happen. Sean nodded once, then about-faced in a billow of tartan and set off in the fool’s direction. The other would serve as back up. Careful men lived longer than courageous men. The right mix however, and you had a good man. Sean was a fundamentally good man, or so he thought.

The two men began separating, the beginning of a pincer movement. Sean came from the front, the other Gael behind. Sean’s height and cold gaze parted the crowd like a bear a group of salmon. His sword was lowered in the stance called Heron Preparing to Fish; it left the warrior open, but all warriors should have had the choice to Sheath the Sword at a time of their choosing, even if it was in themselves. Once the other man was in position, Sean spoke to the fellow. ”You’re coming with me. Not a sound, man.” To the elf woman he was dancing with, he apologized. ”Madam, I apologize most deeply for taking your partner from you now. Please, forgive me. Sean poked his sword up at the man, one “Tox”, or so he had heard, and jerked his head to the Richards’.