Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Official Masquerade Topic - Winter 2020

Oh-! He shakes his head back to attention, looking after the Duchess. Oh that’s okay then. Hopefully she’ll be okay! He looks around, not quite sure what to do, and then looks up at the Dragonness.

More than a little intimidated, he’s polite enough to wave to her and give her her own thumbs up for the mask!

"Thank you. It's actually a hobby of-" When Aspen looked next to him, he noticed his new acquaintance was no longer there. "Oh." He walked back to the seat he sat on earlier and sighed. Aspen saw the Duchess and smiled a small smile. He took another sip of his drink and watched the gala continue on.

Sabrina was supposed to go to a holiday gala being thrown by the coffee importer that her place bought beans from. She was dressed to the nines to go when she got a mysterious text saying her ride was outside.

Now she could have ordered her Uber early, but she couldn’t remember doing it. Anyway, she went down and got in giving the driver instructions where to go. Bree took her phone out and looked at the invitation, and she then saw it was to be a masquerade party. The writing didn’t seem what she remembered either...


“Great, I have no mask.” she said to herself. But the driver heard her and turned and glanced back at her. She realized he wore a mask as he said, “There is one in the seat-pouch in front of you.”

Bree looked and saw one of those light lace masks and she took it out as the car stopped in front of the hotel. He got,out and Sabrina made sure she didn’t forget her clutch purse after she put her phone back in it.

“Enjoy your party m’lady” the driver said as he opened the door of the car for her to get out. Bree stood up looking around in her mask when she heard a coin drop and roll toward her... she turned her head...




The coin rolled to her feet and fell to its side. It was golden and looked old and heavy. She glanced around to see if anyone was chasing after it, but nobody seemed to pay it any mind.

When Sabrina squatted down to pick it up, a rush of euphoria coursed through her and she got a bit dizzy. Suddenly the sounds of the city had vanished and she could hear birds and water trickling in a stream and music. She also realized her clothes and hair were different, but she still had the mask on and the coin was in her hand.



Standing up, Bree was amazed at first at the clothes she now wore but then realized it was cold and she was totally lost. She picked her way through the woods and found her way to a glade where there were fairy lights and a wonderful feeling came over here. She had wandered into a Renaissance masquerade ball. She was seriously puzzled as to how she got there, and maybe she should have thought things out better, but she was here, and she smiled. She would worry about how to get back to 2004 later

She might not have heard the whole exchange from a few moments before, but she knew enough from watching that the rose was not to be touched. She could feel, even from where she stood, that the flower held strong magic--the kind that, if she wasn't mistaken, was strong enough to put one under something of a trance.

Seeing the curious-looking fellow suddenly break away from the Sword and make a line straight for the white rose again, the Dragoness had a feeling it wasn't good. Whether it was her business or not, she thought she ought to do something. She wasn't far from the male and the rose, so she strode swiftly forward, cloak and skirts rustling softly as she endeavored to intercept the fellow.

"Excuse me," she began, purposely planting herself in his path. "You didn't happen to see where our hostess went, did you, sir?"

A single petal was lifted from the ground and placed into the pouch he had wound his neck. Head high, he wandered over to the remaining guests. One had mentioned magic right?

The falcon returned to the field of festivities with a tome in hand. Surely, such a thing could not have been hidden easily on his person prior, for it was rather large. Nor did it seem like something he had found lying about. With furtive scrawling that contrasted his lazy mien and gliding gait, he wrote in the black book with great enthusiasm, documenting the affair ardently. The falcon documented the most mysterious invitation, the lavish manor (which he had just been gazing upon with a sense of excruciating curiosity), and most importantly, the wild array of guests. He was accustomed to nobility extending invitation to their fellow blue-bloods. Yet here were persons from all walks of lives, from all manner of realms, possibly hailing from other times. It was extraordinary. Boggling, but breathtaking. Then there was the matter of their otherworldly hostess, and the white rose around which every aspect of the event seemed to circulate. He had been fortunate enough to glimpse that odd affair, where a poor partygoer had nearly touched the thing, evidently entranced by it. Riddles abound.

Passing said duchess on her way inside, he offered only a mute bow. It seemed the stranger was content to chronicle as much of the encounter as possible for the time being. But once beyond her, again facing the festivities themselves, he plucked a timepiece from his pocket. The falcon was not in a hurry to see it all over, no. With its lidded mirror held in his palm, he pressed the tome to it. The book not only shrunk, but appeared absorbed by the timepiece, sinking into the surface of the mirror until it was altogether gone. He discreetly returned the odd object to a pocket. Time to find a drink which was anything besides brandy.

The Sword scraped the sole of his boot awkwardly across the wooden dance floor. "You don't need to help me, really," he mumbled, now that the Duchess had gone inside--he didn't want to contradict her orders within earshot. But he didn't have long to funfer, for Alfred made another bid for the rose! The Sword grunted as he was shoved aside, and whirled to grab for the fellow's arm. "H-hey, cease this tomfoolery, friend!"

Alfred's grey eyes, having a slight glow to them from the blue rose, pointedly flicked down at the Dragoness and bore into her. He didn't necessarily mean to, but he really did want that rose. Every instinct, every pore in his body wanted needed that flower. Though upon hearing of the host, whatever string of him tied him to the ground tugged and he remembered himself some.

"I-- I don't know,' he said flatly and looked over her again, back to the flower. It was so close. Just one, butting woman away and it could be his. At the call of The Sword, Alfred turned and his line of sight of the rose being broken helped a hair. "S-- Sorry. I don't know what's come over me. It's.. The flower..." He gave the woman a quick, sheepish glance, only telling in the eyes.

Just as Aspen was finishing his drink and moping around, he heard a confrontation nearby. He couldn't help but notice a stranger near what appeared to be a rose. He tilted his head in confusion and and stood up. Aspen noticed another person yelling at the man near the rose and approached him. "E-excuse me, sir. Is everything all right? Can I help?" he asked the person. "I-I don't mean to intrude."

((Directed at The Sword.))

“This is kinda cool.. like a Ren Faire! Bree said to nobody in particular. She watched with an odd curiosity everyone around her, and the seeming aural vibe this white rose seemed to project. “I think I need a drink...” she said...

He looked to where the Dragonness was headed and oh no no no—Look turned to the dragon-masked lady, Sarthelia. Oh no no no, everyone was doing the bad thing??

He had his sketchbook! He takes it off his back, and quickly scribbles something inside. After some time, he then steps back to admire the work: a crossed out eye next to a flower with the words “BAD FLAWR” in chickenscratch.

And off he goes to warn everyone. His first stop is Gyrfalcon, it seems, just narrowly missing tripping over a fork.

Sarthelia had been watching the events unfold silently, having taken a seat after examining the flower without touching it. She felt its draw, the allure of it but knew she shouldn't touch it, especially given how the Duchess had reacted to Alfred trying to touch it. What caught her attention was Gyrfalcon. An odd attire the man had reminded her of the beast men from her own world. Not often seen in her time. She also felt Xefry pull at her so she made her way over to Gyrfalcon slowly. Xefry performed a greeting similar to what he did for the Dragoness; spreading his wings and waving his head side to side for a few seconds. "It seems Xefry has taken an interest in you." She said slowly, standing far enough to leave the man space but close enough to be heard.

The Dragoness let out a small breath of relief. It would appear her interruption had helped dissuade the male, at least a little. She glanced past him to the Sword, then back to the person in front of her, glad to see he didn't seem so intent on the rose anymore.

She gave him a quick smile, replying, "Don't fret, it's obviously quite a magical little plant. It's only natural you or anyone else should feel it's pull. Maybe it would help to move a little farther away...?"

There was all sorts of kerfuffle brewing about that rose. It was temptation enough for any investigative sort, and Gyrfalcon was no exception. Rolling the timepiece in his pocket, he watched with the faintest of frowns, just waiting for the Sword to settle the situation. Once all was calm, he might take a closer look... Ah, but a little messenger had other ideas. When Look stumbled up close on the table nearest him, the falcon finally seemed stirred from his thoughts. He was quick to smile, strange silver stare softening, voice low but ever gentle as he mused "I think you are right, little friend. I'd like to assume it is a good flower, if it is the source of all this merriment. But, perhaps not the best thing to look upon. I will keep my distance." His mellow voice managed a tone both disappointed and assuring in one. The wooden man was deferred to without question.
(posting to Sarthelia in a sec! just didn't want to hold anyone up, I got excited)