Muralia Masquerade Ball Event

Darius sighed, wiping sweat off of his forehead. Finally! Preparations are all done, even down to the damn punch bowl. He looked around the giant, spacious ballroom. The walls were a beautiful cherrywood color, gleaming as if every inch had been polished. The floor almost seemed to be made of glass, with intricate golden and white designs inlaid. The ceiling was like that of a cathedral, with depictions of people dancing in flowing costumes. Chandeluers hung proudly, with one giant silver one as the centerpiece. All in all, it was a ballroom fit for a king, with rooms almost like a labrynth.

Well. Being property of the Grimlocke family, it was loaned to Muralia academy exclusively for this one night, All Hallows Eve. Soon, students and guests would be flocking inside the great double doors.

Darius, satisfied with his hard work, left the ballroom. He went into one of the manyy passageways that connected to the ballroom, heading down the hall to a spare room. He opened the door and went inside. Inside, the room was empty, save for a clothing bag.

He quickly changed. He was beginning to run behind schedule, the Masquerade would start soon! Luckily, he wasn't one for costumes, so all he had was a different suit from normal amd a white mask with red designs. While the suit somehow looked very similiar to his normal one, the mask was something else entirely.

Knock Knock

"Enter."

Atryom opened the door, stepping inside. "Wow Darius, you look incredibly dashing!" He complimented upon greeting, smiling.

Darius stopped in his tracks. What the hell did Atryom think he was doing? Did he really think that was appropriate, not to mention what it would do to the Grimlocke name?

"Why in the flying fuck are you wearing a chicken suit?!"

Darius pointed at the fluffy yellow suit Atryom had on, his ears and seven tails sticking out rather awkwardly.

"Oh, do you like it? It's a bit uncormfortable, but...." A gleam shined in his eyes as he fist pumped to accentuate his next words. "I'll definately win the costume contest with this!"

Darius facepalmed. Yes, facepalmed. The utter stupidity....

Suddenly, Atryom perked up, his ears twitching to and fro. "I hear people arriving, Darius. Shall I greet them?" He turned to the door.

"NO!" Darius ran and blocked his path. "E-er, you work really hard, why don't you let me do it? Heh. Eh heh." He laughed awkwardly. Surprisingly, Atryom smiled. "Why, thank you Darius! I'll just go get the orchestra set up~" Without another word, Atryom left.

Darius scowled. Wait a minute, that was too easy.....Darius nearly facepalmed again when he realized...

That asshole did it on purpose! He wasn't going for the costume contest, he just wanted to get out of work! Why that little.... As Darius silently vowed revenge, he made his way to the entrance where the double doors were. They were positioned to remain open. As people went through, Darius would greet them with a gruff hello.

"Yo."

Darius, once again, nearly facepalmed. What was with all the wierd costumes? Derrick stood in front of him, wearing....a dress. A military patterned dress, with fake breasts and everthing. He even had makeup on.

Darius couldn't say anything for fear of the idiocy being contagious. And so, he simply waved back as he passed by.....

---

---

---

---

"A masquerade ball huh?" She knew that Andri was already plotting something. But when they were alone, Andri spoke her mind for how it was, almost forcing Rei to listen quietly. "Let's go separately..... " They were finally together, and yet space was still appearing between them. "I mean, it's pointless if we go together right?" Though these words were thrown together in a rather harsh way, it could easily be understood by both of them. It's a masquerade, therefore, them together would simply be a mistake. "Also... We shouldn't know one another's costumes. Otherwise, we might.." She knew the topic would hurt Rei. Just as her world was open, Rei's world was closed. "From now, until the ball is over, let's be apart.... It would be bad if any little thing slips, right?"

Once again, the only familiar presence within the room was silence. Rei sat on her bed, thread and needle in hand as she finished up her costume. Red radiated from her eyes, sore from days of crying by the loneliness seeping into her heart. She followed Andri's decisions from that day, trying to keep as much space between them as she could despite the pain. She knew that this would all end tonight. After this masquerade ended, they could finally be themselves again. No more acting like they were alone, no more pain between them. For Andri, Rei would suffer through the world as long as the two could come together again. If it was for Andri, Rei would completely lose herself in the sea.

"And one more thing Rei.." Andri stood up, walking over to join by Rei's side. "We need to lose our current emotions. Don't you think it would be fun to throw a proper masquerade?" A gentle smile spread her lips, knowing that Rei understood. "You only have to forget me for a little while.. Open your world... Everyone want's to see it." Personality was a hindrance, after all, how could you be someone else, if you were still yourself by heart. And with this masquerade came a chance to reveal her actual self instead of the mask she hid behind. Andri was forging a masquerade of a masquerade, by telling a lie using the truth. "Just shine like the art you are."

Standing quietly, costume finished, Rei undid the bindings in her hair. The tendrils of hair falling loose before her frail figure. Tonight she could be someone else, she could be a Cinderella desperately waiting for midnight to come. Like a blessing from the gods, she chose white. A simple T-shirt with shorts, only adding a couple of cloth armlets and leglets. But just as tonight was, there was no such thing as an innocent blessing. It was a corruptive force that wanted to pry Rei and Andri apart. Just like the plague that spreads, she chose black to linger over the white. First pulling the hoods over her eyes, she reached through the awkward sleeves of the cape. Black cloth covered her wrists, bound to the sleeves by mere white cords. The same white cords that would cross her chest to hold the cape close to her body, as if the darkness was overtaking the purity.

"Andri.." Rei spoke quietly, her voice making it obvious she was on the verge of tears. Andri placed a hand on her twin's head, delicately petting the pained sister. "What is it Rei?" Her voice was equally delicate, knowing the fragile situation. "I don't want to lose myself.." Andri paused momentarily before continuing, Rei was actually thinking about opening her world ever so slightly. "And I don't want to lose you.." Andri giggled softly, leaning into her sister's side. "We both know that can't happen. We are bound by a demon's law remember? I will always be right here to save you when you lose yourself."

Reaching for the door handle, Rei couldn't help but think of her sister's last words. "Always, huh?... Let us test that..." Her voice was worn, the days of sobbing probably forced this effect. However, the change only seemed to make Rei grin wider. "Let's finish this masquerade of your's, Andri!"

---

---

Fenris Curavine

---

---

Fenris stood outside of the building, quietly monitoring every person as the entered. His positioning by the doorway made it rather easy to spot the diversity of the costumes for the contest. Some should have been morally sickening, however he would not step forward to confront them. Then again, this bad sense of humor, perhaps it was simply a way to blow off left over steam from the tournaments. Simple kids coming to a party after a rather fierce battle had taken place. That's right, this awkwardness was his new home. He no longer lived in shame within his own country. Even more so, during this ball people could act however they wanted. Even if some chose not to wear masks like himself, they could simply be different.

Pulling on the hilts of each sword at his waist, he was ensuring that they were indeed bound. A black decorative chain for the sole purpose of keeping the blade sheathed during the ball. It was odd to him, that so few had chosen to come in armor for the contest, though it did not matter. His costume derived from the human Date Masamune. In this world, he was one of the legendary warriors within the wars, known for having defeated many demons with simply swords. The iconic blindfold over his right eye ensuring a spot within Fenris's views. Though human, that man proved that even with only one eye and a sword, any man could be as good as a full fledged demon. It was actually because of his legends that Fenris started training with the sword willingly. Though it would be disgraceful for a pureblood to admit he looked up to a human, it was one of the few choices he made himself.

The stream of people began slowing, but it was easy to tell that probably not even half the students have swung through yet. This was simply the early wave that would come through. The Grimlockes appeared to be natural leaders no matter where in their bloodlines as far as he knew. Tobias Grimlocke, a rather militaristic man just like his own father, but had the knowledge to create a school to better the youth.

Fenris silently chuckled to himself, even in name the Student Council shared it's similarities. A Grimlocke stood at the top, and a Curavine was much like a simple guard dog waiting to bite. Darius had the resources to prepare this little event where everyone could have fun. And everyone took the bait and piled together like this to join in. Either people were far more simplistic than imagined, or there was simply an order of things flowing through unnoticed.

Finally entering the building, Fenris first approached Darius. "May I lighten your shoulders, Darius?", his voice projected clearly, remaining without emotion. Whether Fenris was a disgrace to his family or not, the fact stood that he was in a council of his own, under his own Grimlocke. As such, he could continue following a set of orders, just as he always has. But this time, it could have some meaning, some purpose other than simply serving his parents as an injured leg.

---

---

Andri Nav'iadar

---

---

Andri walked silently, only the shuffle from her trench coat making sound every step. The black matched the embroidery styled like the traditional chinese shirt over long sleek black pants. The only thing in her attire that wasn't black was a simple ruby pendant dropped from her neck. Even the half-mask covering the top portion of her face was black, only allowing her grin to be revealed. Just as Rei, she had chosen her colors wisely, knowing that this was the night of deceitfulness. Even her presence would change by a simple garb. The normal energetic girl would become darker, more resilient, and even more so manipulative.

A masquerade, the perfect time for one with a truly dark heart to play however they want. A day of who can be more deceitful, and Andri played her cards days before. She planted the seeds and allowed time itself to feed their growth, and tonight she could finally reap the rewards. Her ultimate goal was of course to have a bit of fun, but nothing was wrong in bringing about a little bit of personal pleasure. To masquerade the masquerade, what a beautiful ploy. Even if one were to truly release their hearts that were buried in lies, everyone would still look at it as a simple lie. "Masquerade, Masquerade! Such a pleasant word for my favorite art!" She laughed loudly, doing a small twirl with her arms outstretched. It had been far too long since she had gotten to see the thing she loved most.

Her smile remained, just as her excitement only grew with each step. It was like her heart was rising, yearning for a single moment in time based on deception. Her footsteps slowly became more rapid, the overhang of her coat gradually swaying further and further from her feet. She wanted to see it, she wanted the seeds to be grown before their time. The flower that was blooming was vast within her. Finally, after all this time waiting, she would see the fruit that would be born

Her feet stopped with her heart, the light skip as she took her first step into the ballroom. Her eyes shown with marvel gazing upon the stage before her. "The perfect word, the perfect stage, what more befitting for the pinnacle of art." Her voice remained nothing more than a simple mutter. Already, was she lost in this game of masquerades, and her challenger had yet to even appear. A game forged to solely be played by only one other person. The pain of waiting would make it seem like forever, but she knew full well what was coming was worth it.

When the music would begin, her mood became more solemn. She would simply be entertained until the main event arrived. Even if it was unseen by the world around her, her work was going to be revealed. Something she weaved together for her own little pleasure. For tonight alone will she allow the open world to taste that closed world. That world of beautiful gloom that belonged to only her. "I am waiting for you, my tainted dove. Waiting in this game of lies."

Ow! For the love of God, you two!

The dual sensations of the stinging aftermath of being backhanded and having his wrist almost crushed to pieces by a living vice grip were slowly but surely chipping away at Kiran’s patience. Which, actually, was a rather concerning concept for him. His composure was one of the only things he found himself able to rely on doubtlessly. However, his two companions were more than a handful, and the prospect having to supervise them for the evening simply to ensure that they caused no trouble actually managed to fill Kiran with dread.  It’s not that he didn’t dislike having the two with him. It was just… they were so damn hard to keep calm…

He shifted his head to the left in time to avoid being slapped again. Karne's gloved hand whirred by his face as she twirled and danced about, completely oblivious as to how she'd struck her younger brother just moments before. She pranced around, hands waving, inadvertent weapons as she twirled with carefree abandon. Kiran sighed. They hadn't even yet made it to the building, and his sister was already getting into her dancing mood. Hopefully, she would  crash by the time the night was over. 

Ty was a completely different matter. His cousin, two years his junior but one wouldn't have guessed easily, had Kiran gripped tightly by the wrist. Not because he wanted purposefully to cause him pain, Kiran knew, but because Ty hated strangers very much, and was absolutely terrified of losing the only person he was close to in the crowd or some such thing. It had been this way for a very long time, and Kiran only assumed that things wouldn't be changing about Ty any time soon. It was his cousin's venomous aversion to strangers that had Kiran a tad worried about him. He would be pleased, pleased and relieved, if Ty found some way to make it through the masquerade without getting into trouble. It had been Karne's idea and hers alone to bring along her step-cousin. Of course, Kiran could do nothing to keep her from pursuing this little desire of hers, and in the end she won. It wasn't that Kiran didn't like Ty. Quite the opposite, really. Ty was his best friend in a lot of respects. It was just his behavior around others that got on Kiran's nerves. He resolved to stay as close as possible to his cousin then, to do his best to keep him from losing his composure. If Ty's mother were to find that her son had gotten into a scrap... well, Kiran feared that he may not see his cousin for a while. Aunt Cassia meant business. There would be repercussions of substantial degree if Ty caused any mischief. 

"Kiaaa! Kiaaa!" his sister chirped as she fluttered around beside him. "I'm a bird, see? Chirr, chirr!" Karne spun. Kiran laughed a little. She'd wanted so badly to go as a peacock, of all things. So, she'd attached bright and colorful feathers to the sides of her long gloves as well as the back of her dress, and wove a few into her twin ponytails.  She'd also dotted the area just below her eyes with a few colorful dots of face paint for effect. Kiran sighed, annoyance put on hold for the moment after seeing his sister so happy over her costume. 

She gasped suddenly and turned to him, pinching his cheek for a moment. "And you're so cuuuuuuute!!!~" His sister tugged on his top hat, as if to make a point, before returning to her routine of "flying" around. Kiran felt himself go pink. Karne's costume wasn't the only one she'd been so adamant about...

Her vision for him had been some sort of "Ye Olde Gentleman". And, as always with Karne, there was no arguing. It wasn't a terrible costume though; the only thing that bothered him a bit was the hat. Otherwise, he actually kind of liked it. It wasn't every day he got to dress up nicely. Wasn't every day he cared to, either. Karne wouldn't stand for anything half-assed. Nope. Which was why Kiran was decked out with the works. Even had a fancy pocket watch and everything. He felt snazzy and sharp, something he hardly ever did, although this was only just a costume, a facade. It was one of the few things Karne had done for him that wasn't destructive, he had to give her that. 

It wasn't long before Karne chirped one last time before running headfirst through the double doors and out of Kiran's sight. This immediately set off a red flag, but with Ty's grip so tight on his wrist, it was all he could do to quicken their pace slightly as they came closer and closer to the entrance themselves. Kiran glanced up to see Darius greeting people on their way in. As they entered, Kiran simply averted his eyes, looking forward, pulling a decent blank expression as he did so. 

A few moments of walking later, Ty's killer grip on his wrist lessened considerably as it slipped lower to hold his hand. He said nothing as Ty led him off to the side, stopping by the wall. When Ty began fiddling with Kiran's navy bow tie, straightening it for the umpteenth time that evening, Kiran had to giggle. He had to admit, watching his cousin get so worked up was at least slightly amusing. 

Kiran gently pushed his hands away, signaling that Ty's job was done. "It's fine," he said, smiling a bit. "Nobody'll care if my bow's not straight. 'Ts not the end of the world. Now relax, okay?" The smile grew slightly. "Tonight's going to be fun. You'll see." And with that, Ty rolled his eyes and slumped his shoulders resignedly and took Kiran's hand again, leading him further along, into the ballroom, as though he were the one who so very much needed to be guided. 

"So much noise..." This was all Tzar could think of as he entered the Masquerade. It wouldn't be easy reading in such an environment, he could hardly hear himself think with the amount of noise the large crowd of people was making. He walked through the crowd in a quick but careful pace, but he still ended up bumping into a few people, how annoying that night was going to be. With haste, he began his search for a place where he could be at peace, sadly the best he could find was a corner with no where to sit but the floor, a mirror, and two pots with lilies planted. Tzar sighed deeply, the level of annoyance that he was feeling was too high, and it was only the start of the night. And so Tzar sat down next to one of the pots, hoping he could get at least a BIT of reading done.

After noticing that he was only able to read two pages in ten minutes he came to the conclusion that the noise was simply too much, he was sick of it and wanted to go back to his room where he could read in peace. He got up from the ground, he was angry, annoyed, and just wanted peace and quiet, all he could think of his how much of a waste this night would be if he stayed there. And as he started moving towards the door, lost in his thoughts bumped into someone, which made him fall back against one of the pots. The pot fell, making the dirt and lilies fall out of it. He hadn't even moved 5 feet and someone had already bumped into him. Once again, he felt annoyed, but as he was about to get up he noticed a mask, it was dirty from being inside the pot, he grabbed it and brought it near his face. The mask, it was half white and half black, the white side resembled the Greek mask of comedy while the black half resembled the Greek mask of drama, could this be one of the masks he had heard about?

Tzar grabbed his cloak, using it to clean off the specs dirt on the mask. He thought to himself "Well, my costume would be rather incomplete without a mask... What am I thinking? I was just about to leave!... though... I am curious to know what it does" He stared at the mask, and soon he came to the conclusion that he should indeed try wearing it, when would he have a opportunity like this again? So, he held it up, took a deep breath and put it on. Within seconds he not longer felt annoyed or angry, he no longer wanted to leave, he wanted to have fun! He wanted to meet new people! He could feel a surge of energy!

Wondering how the mask looked with the rest of the costume, he decided to take a look at the mirror. It was dusty and seemed old, the frame was made out of gold, which was also dusty. As it could be expected he saw himself, or rather, his costume. Tzar was dressed in fully black peasant clothes, on his head rested a black pilgrim hat, and coming down from his shoulders was a cloak, which was black as well and almost reached the floor, the mask, it looked rather nice with the rest, his costume was suppose to have a mask, not the mask he was using, a different one, but since the costume he was wearing was that of a fictional terrorist he decided not to use that mask, being that it was the most identifiable part, so this mask was rather perfect.

Tzar gave another look at the large crowd. Maybe all those people weren't so bad, he'd get to speak with them, and each of them was different, with their own thoughts, own personality and own past! He was so lucky! He'd get to have fun with them! For some reason, he no longer wanted to read, instead he wanted to go to those people and make this night memorable! But since the masquerade was just beginning there wasn't really much to do, he decided to go take a walk around the masquerade to look for anything to do, he knew that there would be a horror house which he was dying to try! And soon, he could have fun with all of those people!