Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Official Masquerade Topic - Winter 2020

Well.

She had seen a drunken guy serve himself a drink and hobble away to sit in the snow, there seemed to be some sort of winged and horned equine a bit further away. That, more than anything, struck her curiosity enough for her to brave the crowd.

She followed the winged unicorn inside, marvelling at the beauty of everything around her. Even the smallest of wall decoration appeared to be a work of art.

"Excuse me, sir or ma'am," she called out as she approached the odd creature. "Are you... a unicorn?"

Alfred blinked at Cass as she sang at him, looking as confused as she was, yet relieved that this was all that happened to her. It wasn’t so foreboding a thing, being forced to sing. And it was obvious it was forced. He would have smiled if not for his absence of muscle there. When she twirled, her hand seemed to linger out to him and without a second’s thought, he took it. It was apparent by his eyes that he surprised himself, but his feet moved for him and carried them off to the wooden stage that was bare of snow.

“My apologies,” he thought to say, his voice slipping from him in a husky whisper. “But it seemed that you wanted a dance.” It seemed that both of them didn’t have a choice in the matter and he quite literally swept her off her feet with a pull of his arms, dipping her with, what he thought to be, very inexperienced hands.

((Pardon my absence, I had an unexpected trip to take))


The Dragoness thanked her new acqaintance for the drink, taking a sip and savoring the fruity flavor before noticing how his attention seemed to be drawn to something elsewhere.
She gave him a gracious nod, replying, "Of course, please go as you're needed. ...I hope to see you again as well, kind sir."

She watched him leave, a little spark of fondness hidden behind her mask before she turned her own attention elsewhere, beginning to move quietly along the outskirts of the gathering as she had before.

Gustav kept dancing and spotted Torie coming back, "Yes I figured, It's quite alright, I'm sure I'll find someone eventually." Gustav said before dancing away. It was good to know that the spell wasn't targeted at least, now all he needed to do was get rid of it. Although he could barely control his movements he managed to make his way through some of the crowd to see if he could spot any possible participants. His eyes caught a glimpse of Annai, who seemed to have just shown up at the gala. He managed to get close enough to call out to her, "Excuse me, would you care for a dance?" he proposed to her, "I've had a spell cast upon me and may need some help breaking out of it" he added.

Maw nibbled on a cookie, looking over their options of food and drink. Eyeing the sweets, they hovered slightly to look around at everyone in the area. Boosting their height slightly with their shoes without care about being seen to, well, see better, Maw didn't really feel like increasing their rather short height even if it would have been less conspicuous. After a bit of that, they went back to normal height and started to fill their plate, yawning slightly and looking as if they'd might as well fall asleep standing.

Grabbing themself a drink (something fruity, Maw didn’t care to check if it was alcohol) as well, they meandered over to a table and politely started to test the food before properly eating.

The invitation was clear enough, although she'd never heard of the location before, or of any such manor that existed. Granted she never associated much with gatherings like these, but the invitation was addressed to her directly which gave her some inclination to go. She called in a favor from a friend to prepare two masks for herself and her companion Xefry. Both masks resembled a dragon of sorts, both a deep violet in color with gold highlights here and there. She also procured the money for clothing more fitting of a masquerade, a simple dress that flowed nicely and had a soft blue color to it. She still wore her scale mail underneath, minus the sleeves to the armor. She had wrapped it down so it wouldn't clang around and make much noise while moving.

She stepped in with Xefry on her shoulder, taking a moment to stare at the scenery of the place. She felt a bit cold but otherwise was fine. Her eyes glanced around and her head tilted side to side subtly as she listened in on all the people gathered here.

Torie giggled some, sitting in the snow. He messed with his hair again, between the Arctic fox mask, the white suit he'd chosen and the sliver of his hair he was nearly invisible in the snow. Although his darker grey eyes stood out against the light colors around him. He didn't care that the snow was catching in his hair and getting stuck on his ears, as snow was one of his favorite things.

What appears to be three people hidden under a sheet, carrying a horse's skull on a stick in front of them, come shuffling out of the forest behind Annai, giggling perhaps a little drunkenly. "Ey, what's occurin', my dwtty?" says a deep voice from the front of the sheeted gang, pulling a string to make the horse skull's lower jaw flap as if it is the one doing the speaking. "Well here we come to ask your leave to sing! If yer like run out of rhymes before I do, you must give me like sumthing to drink!"

Startled at the forward way Alfred pulled her onto the dance floor, Cassia gave him an odd glance, but allowed the contact as she was swept out onto the wooden floor laid upon the Meadow grass. The moon shone down on the pair and she soon lost her initial rigid stature. She couldn't deny the song, the light, the excitement of being swept away in a dance. The husky voice of her dance partner tilted her face up to peek at him. She had noticed another person dancing alone beside them now, as if he were trying to find a new partner, but already otherwise engaged she focused on the moment at hand.

"You are very perceptive sir Alfred." She sang to him, her voice almost a coo as she was swept in a circle, her feet easily keeping the steps. Her posture was perfect, and she seemed as though, if it weren't for her horns she could keep a stack of books aloft on her head without sending them tumbling, so fluid were her steps. But the grace was belied by the mischief offering her cheeks their natural rosy complexion and she let her eyes roam the new party goers in hopes of finding a likely one to exchange masks with. "I think you might have been right.. The magic here is heady Indeed, and I feel unable to avoid slipping into song." She murmured, if only to have something to say before awkwardness overcame them. Her own mask had been returned by Elora, yet it seemed the magic would stay, until she exchanged her mask.

A voice sounded above the rest of the murmurs that had filled the area around from the moment she got there, and something told her that it was directed at her, however odd it seemed to be. She opened her previously closed eyes and flitted her brown orbs across the scene to find the source of the voice. A masked man from the looks of it had his concealed face facing her direction. He appeared to be the only one...it would make sense for the louder voice to catch attention of someone far away, such as herself. Thinking back to the request she found it odd at the name of spell was there but it didn't surprise her too much, considering everything else here at the Gala. She couldn't remember the last time she had danced, but it probably wouldn't matter too much in the spell-breaking process...right? Just as she was about to leave her spot and make way to the man to assist, another voice sounded behind her, and she quickly glanced back in surprise this time, having not recalled a person there before. The skull of a horse sent an odd feeling to swarm at her chest and the unplaced accent that reached her ears only added to it. The now second request asked of her this evening was somehow more odd than the first, and she became lightheaded.

"...I am to sing in rhyme?", a small but deep rich voice came from her in the form of a question, genuine confusion rested there well. Her hands that were behind her back now played gently with the layers of her coat. She would still take an occasional step backwards towards the man that had asked of her first, his request still in the back of her mind...and most defiantly not an excuse to put a bit more distance between her and the new...beings in front of her.

Renia walked up. “ im up for a challenge. Im ok at singing rhymes might be a challenge.” She said politely and saw the skull and raised a eyebrow at the strange sight. She smiled sweetly and was happy to see somebody? She was starting to enjoy this more by the hour.

"Nah, nah, you go dance, alright, beaut?" flaps the horse skull at Annai. The three people under the sheet do a rather awkward, shuffled about-face to bring the horse skull to face Renai, instantly launching into a couplet. "Forgive me please if yer ears I do assail, but if yer can't speak in rhyme, we'll gain yer wassal!"

"Singing...? I suppose my land knows me for my talent..." Yuki looked around. There were many people here, all strangers to her. She looked then at the skull. "I've seen things, but this is amazing."

The horse skull stole Alfred's attention, just enough that his light feet stopped and his hands paused while holding Cassia's up. It very much resembled his old keeper's face, though even it was less terrifying. What was that and why? It's boney teeth clattered along with its puppeteer's words and Alfred had to work not to look at it then. His thinned stomach gurgled and growled, and he released Cass and stepped back, tuning back in to what she said. "Most things are not done without reason," he said quietly, just enough to be heard over the music. "Though you do have quite a talent." He just kept surprising himself.

His eyes fell from her face to the rest of her, hunger changing the spark in his eyes. "If you'll excuse me," he started. "I think I'll get something to eat." He sounded uncomfortable and hurried off to the food table, where he first stood, to make a mountain of a plate. Afterward, he would head outside to find a private place to eat and collect his bearings, being sure to steer clear of the 'talking' horse skull.

Torie glanced over at the horse. "The heck...?" He got up, going to investigate. He staid back some, watching the horse with a mixture of curiosity and fear. "I am not going to comment..." He said simply, walking away. So far he'd already been put under one spell, he wasn't getting tangled up with more stuff.

Though she felt a fair bit sorry for whoever who had to face them next, she didn't want to risk them changing mind again, and so she swiftly continued making way to the man still dancing. The light snow beneath her healed footwear made it slightly difficult to do so and a small worry of it seeping into it crept into mind, though she made no move to avoid it if it were to happen. If spells truly were within this Gala then surely there would be one to help with such a misfortune. Once she was within talking distance she stopped and managed to get a better look at him and the situation he seemed to be stuck in. He did indeed appear to be dancing and showed no indication of stopping anytime soon, besides his words to her from before. She blinked once before looking as best as she could into his eyes whilst he moved about and greeting him. "A good late evening to you, sir...you had said something of a spell in need of breaking?", her voice sounded once more, the confusion from before still lingered in her tone, and equally as soft.

Curious indeed. Such mystery there was to be had here at the gala! But the strangeness of it all wasn't lost on her. She stilled when Alfred did and did not miss the strange hungry way be viewed her before rushing off. A slow frown threatened to mar her otherwise cheery face before she brightened and swept herself off the dance floor.

As she sipped some spiced punch, she caught sight of Maw, and moved over toward the colorful being, clearing her throat softly as she dipped in a courtesy of greeting. Her green blue eyes were alite with curiosity behind her mask of blue. "Excuse me.." She sang, for her words were spoken in song, no matter how curious it might seem.

"I have an odd request.. For a new mask I seek. Would you consider a trade for now? Your own mask I wouldn't keep."

Her song continued and she finally fell silent, awaiting the response to her strange introduction.

This was quite the curious event. Strange as it was with the appearance of the horse-skulled arrival(s?) asking for rhymes, the Dragoness was enjoying herself. She changed her course so she might be a little nearer to whatever might happen with those standing by the horse-skull-wearing newcomers, but only close enough that she could hear. She had no wish to get involved or draw more attention to herself than was necessary.

She glanced around once to see if she might spot the Sword, swirling the drink in her gloved hand absently as her gaze instead settled on several of the masquerade's attendees. They all seemed so lovely and colorful, and even those with less prominent plumage looked just as captivating. She took a deep breath and let it out in a soft sigh, the air billowing out before her in a cloud--almost as if the dragon had let out a puff of smoke.

Relieved that Annai considered coming back to him he felt himself breathe a small sigh of relief, "Good evening to you too, and yes, I do." he greeted her, "I accepted a dance from someone and the spell passed onto me, I can't stop my feet even if I wanted to" he chuckled lightly trying to be lighthearted about the situation. Even if he might be risking embarrassing himself in the process, "It seems like passing it is the only way to break it temporarily that is" he explained. Now that he knew that magic was surely going to be used during the gala he'd have to be more cautious, "I can even help you find someone so you don't get stuck under the spell for long" he offered, hoping that it would be enough to interrupt her time for a moment or two.

It seemed her question was lost in the music and the crowd's chatter. She noticed an even stranger creature, wearing some sort of horse skull. That was both creepy and ...oddly endearing.

She stepped closer, and in her intense curiosity, bumped into another one of the guests, also approaching the skulled-horse.

"I'm so sorry!" she quickly said. "Are you alright?"