Snippet #8627

[Ursum, Faux Residence, Family Wing]

The small room, overlooking the long driveway up to the residence, was dim and cool, a banked fire smouldering slowly in the grate, casting out bloodred light that pooled on the fine furnishings and splintered into crimson shards in the ranks of decanters on an ornate sideboard.

Suddenly, the fire blazed up, roaring to full and cheerful life, a rope of it snaking out and growing larger and larger, becoming a pillar of incandescence in the centre of the chamber, filling it with near-blinding light and the bellow of the flames.

Slowly, they condensed and collapsed down, their radiance dying as they did so, until Vespasian’s human form stood there, shaking out his cuffs.
A formal tailcoat of such a dark, rich red as to be almost black glowed seductively, covering a red-and-gold waistcoat patterned like leaping flames – enchanted to look like they flickered and moved - and a cloth-of-gold cravat over a snowy expanse of immaculate dress shirt.

Black opals that glowed with all the colours of fire gleamed as cufflinks, matching the heavy ring on his finger. Much of his pale, handsome (though slightly disconcerting) face was covered by an elaborate, feathered mask, a large ruby glowing at its apex, and over the rest of his ensemble he threw a cloak of fire-feathers, again enchanted to shimmer and flicker like a real blaze. His ashy hair streamed like smoke down his back, only the most minimal clips of rose-gold holding it in check.

Vespasian smiled. He did so love a party. He moved, gracefully and quickly, as a wildfire might across tinder grasslands, to the open window, looking down on the first guests arriving, a long snake of carriages winding out of the gates and into the city. He had to meet with Remy soon, it was true, but he permitted himself a few moments to gaze out at the city and the river of humanity streaming towards the elegant Faux residence.

His eyebrows suddenly came together, with an almost-audible snap, and for a second his eyes ignited behind the mask. In a whirl of feathers he turned and strode out of the room, heading through the polished corridors for his current master’s study.

A brisk, impatient knock on the polished mahogany; Vespasian strode through them breezily without a summons. “Ah, sir Faux. I was hoping to find you here." His grin widened at his master. "There will undoubtedly be an extra dimension of fun to be had tonight; one of our guests has brought another Visitor to us. You should be honoured the masquerade has caught such attention."