A Thousand Shining Stars ♥ Night of the Masquerade

"Hello then, Princess Summer." Tybalt mentioned as the couple started on a waltz. "Difference is what I strive for in the world of pleasures and riches. I've traveled the world around and learned many strange facts over the years." He then smiled and cocked his head just like his cat did a few seconds earlier. They continued to dance and discuss things, "Ah yes, to some it maybe be un-lady like, to me it is perfectly fine. Other princes are at best focused on politics and ensuring mundane legacies. That is why most call me the Prince of Cats, for I view that this world is beyond the simple here and now. Oh foolish me, I have made yet another long story about myself. Let us hear a tale about yourself."
 
"Ah, im afraid my life is rather uninteresting" that's a lie, it was interesting when i ran away and lived as a peasant, among other things. "and i don't mind your tales" She smiled and pressed in closer to him "out of curiosity why did you come here tonight?" It was obvious she was trying to change the subject but she hoped he wouldn't notice, she didn't like discussing her life with people unless she knew them well. She looked at his face and grinned she would like to get to know him better.
 
"Heh." He chuckled a light laugh, "No life is uninteresting. We each have at least something happen that helps define whom we are in this world." Then came the big question, why was he here in the first place? His father had ordered his siblings to help take care of the issues of the past. Was this Tybalt's purpose for being here? No. The reasons for his being here were all his own. Most politicians knew he was the most eccentric of the Pillars but no one question his charisma nor his intelligence. He knew he was seeking someone to fulfill the missing void in his heart, as clichéd as it sounded. "What brought me out here? A very good question for a rambler like myself." He joked, "Each of us has a reason to be here, politically, socially, or just plain curiosity. I have wander around for many moons, as a traveler. While I do have a home of my own, I am more interested in seeing the world around me. Yes, there is official business matters for me to attend to at this ball, call it a desire to learn more about people I may never have had a chance to meet otherwise."
 
Summer laughed lightly "i like that, a nice simple answer." she said a little sarcastically but grinned when she said it. "You are quite the mystery, prince Tybalt" She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, "so where is your kingdom?" not really paying attention, she was more focused on his hands around her waist and how to get him to kiss her.
 
Emeline rolled her eyes at Tybalt's typical attitude, but she was not surprised by his response. She was well aware he did not care for their father's orders, but... she had made the effort, and could now enjoy the evening for herself. Her duty had been done where he was concerned, and so she turned her attention to the young blond man approaching her with a silver mask.

"Peculiar to announce your name at a masked ball, you must be important. Could I hope to be favoured with a dance? I appear to have been a little more unsociable than I intended, or perhaps my size is to intimidating, but either way I have no found a partner to dance with. I'm sure it would make up for it though, if I could dance with the loveliest woman in the room... Emeline, was it?"

She graced him with a rare smile at the awkward ramble, genuinely rather amused by the display, and held out her hand politely.

"Yes," she confirmed. "And I would be delighted to dance, ser." It was always a good start to make ties on a positive note, and it had been quite a while since she had danced. "Tell me, with who am I dancing?"
 
Tybalt's magic was once again revealing itself in the most simple of ways, through the art of words. There were many reasons why he was called the Prince of Cats, from just beyond the mysterious background of his beliefs. Much like a how cat bestows the talent to quietly observe situations without bias before making decisions, knowing all have a right to understand and judge important events for themselves when the time is right, he too was playing with this notion. "It is best for me to just say I'm one of the Pillars. I only stay at home maybe once or twice a month. The notion of travelling is what keeps me from being lethargic."
 
Calliopie could feel her face get warm once they got outside. She wanted to take her mask off to get a bit of the air so she wouldn’t faint. Trying her hardest to distract herself, she gave him a quick smile, pushed a bit of her hair back and pointed to her bare shoulder. A Fleur-De-Lis tattoo rested just at the tip of her fingernail.
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“We are called Sword Saints…I am trying to be successful with this mission, so I qualify for the General ranking.” The wine started to make her loosen up a bit and she moved to his side, so nobody else could possibly hear what she had been saying. Before he could say anything, <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:State><st1:place>Cal</st1:place></st1:State> dropped the loose curls to their place on her shoulders. “I should be carrying my sword with me, but Mother demands that I mingle and have fun first.” For some reason, she didn’t feel as cranky about being forced to enjoy herself.
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In fact, she was really beginning to like it.
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He had removed his mask and soon, her cheeks started to turn red. “We still could be strangers,” <st1:State><st1:place>Cal</st1:place></st1:State> joked, playfully nudging his arm with her elbow. She couldn’t tell if it sounded flirtatious; her skills in flirting were out of practice. “I have seen your face, but who knows if you told me your real name, or not?” Giving him a quick wink, she sighed and glanced out into the night.
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“I’m not one to really hide anything, which is why Masquerade Balls are kind of hard for me. I’m even about to take this mask of for a bit…”
 
Jonathan had entered behind Felicia, looking around at all the others who were dressed so finely. He only hoped that his clothes appeared fine enough so that he would not get found out. Briefly his hand came up to smooth down any strands of hair which had gotten ruffled by the hurried run over here to the Castle. Next he brushed off his sleeves while trying to pretend to be worthy enough to attend this Masquerade. So many others had started to dance with each other and it seemed there were not that many left to dance with. Of course that was perfectly fine with him since Jonathan wasn't even sure if he could dance on the level of these people. Sometimes he had danced in the past at little celebrations in the orphanage but that was about it.

Suddenly some one, presumably a real prince, asked Felicia to dance!

Unsure of what to do he stood back from the two and instead looked out at the party. While he looked out at the various royalty out there, he adjusted himself slightly to take what he though was a more regal posture. Behind the mask his eyes truly were searching for a hint at where the food for this lavish party might be located at. All the work from his apprenticeship had created quite an appetite and with all the plans dumped on him today there had been no time for a meal.

Eventually he found his way over to the punch beside Ellen. Sure where there were drinks there would be food as well, right? The look on his face appeared distant in concentration as he tried to not appear frantic in his search for nourishment.
 
Summer sighed "ah i'd love to travel the world, just me and my horse riding wherever i feel like." She smiled and layed her head on his shoulder as they danced "and perhaps a handsome prince to keep me company?" She looked over at Mason who was asking Felicia to dance and she smiled happy that they were both having fun.
 
Sword Saints, it had been on the tip of his tongue, and now it turned out that this princess was a member of the order. Well she certainly was interesting and Ferius found that his eyes lingered on the mark even after it was hidden by he luscious hair. "True yet does a name change the man who bares it?" It took him a second to process that she had said she would remove the mask that hid her face.

He felt his breath catch in his throat, "Masked you are already stunning, unmasked I may find myself overwhelmed." he said finding his voice.
 
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Christoph grinned and was immediately thankful that he had indulged his mother in learning to dance something besides the peasant's rowdy styles. He bowed to her, keeping his eyes on her face as he did so. She was in fact, quite pretty from what he could tell, he was not lying in as much as he could see. The butterfly mask she wore accented her long dark hair and he felt almost giddy picturing someone running their fingers through the thick tresses. She was asking him a question and he focused as best he could.

Christoph began the dance, pausing the conversation briefly. After a moment of thought, he responded "I am not sure you would like me, outside the ball, if you knew what I looked like already confined in beautiful clothing. This elegance, it is not my normal attire" he hedged, watching her light steps. She was exceptional, but he was embarrassed.

"I'm very glad to be dancing with you though, and if you press, I could never deny such a rare flower her request. I only seek to warn you that, while I am a prince, I may not stand up to the pillar of perfection that you so clearly deserve" he did not act ashamed, nor faltering. Cheer was even imbued in his words of self-doubt and he spoke them with a smile.
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The mysterious tall prince she danced with had a charm about him Emeline couldn't quite place. It was strangely genuine... something she had never had much practice with. She didn't know how to respond to his blunt, shameless admissions other than trying to mirror his smile, though hers was a slightly uncertain one.

"I may not stand up to the pillar of perfection that you so clearly deserve," he finished, with an air of cheer. It was refreshing. Real. She didn't know what to make of it at all. A ruse, it may have been, but a good one.

She followed his steps dutifully around the floor. A simple dance, not too fancy but graceful enough to keep her interested in the movement.

"I'm sure you are not so bad, ser," she uttered. Not as bad as half the poeple she had the duty of dealing with, she added mentally. Deciding not to let her guard down and keep on top of the conversation regardless, she gave him a coy smile. "I myself may have actually dressed down this evening," she told him with a mirthful tone.
 
“W-well, Louis…” She had tried to keep her cool, but it wasn’t working. Now, the mission at hand was in the very back of her mind. He could be lying, or he couldn’t- either way, after the Masquerade Ball, the chances of them meeting again were slim.
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The thought made her heart skip a beat. Odd…
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Calliopie felt her face getting warmer, and soon, it was too much. Not only did she feel completely naked without her sword, she was way out of her comfort zone. She could feel his eyes on her, but she quickly glanced back at him and smiled.
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“I was going to make a deal with you, but at this point- this mask is too much.” Without really thinking about it, she reached up and removed the mask; finally able to feel the night air on her face. Sighing in relief, she only removed it for a moment before starting to put it on again. “I hope it wasn’t too overwhelming…” <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:State><st1:place>Cal</st1:place></st1:State> joked playfully.
 
Ellen found herself gravitating towards the wall. She was quite dissapointed because most of the decent looking suitors seemed to be taken. Hmph, wouldn't it be rude to force myself in? Ellen asked herself as she downed yet another glass of fruit punch. Sigh, Ellen looked away from the dance floor, slowly finding herself sliding down into a sitting position. Hmmm, maybe somebody here will take pity, but pity was never the greatest thing to receive, Ellen whistfully thought as she sat with her back to the wall.
 
Ferius caught the smile on his face just in time to stop it from becoming a stupid grin. "Well if you're that concerned with my identity maybe you should take a seat next to me." He said sitting on the balustrade patting the spot next to him so that they sat facing into the ballroom where above the throne a large painting of the royal family hung including a younger version of himself.

"Though its hard to imagine that I'd I'd go my life without finding you now that I know you you are." He signaled to a servant to bring more wine and though he wore no mask recognizing him the servant said nothing. "Now what should we toast on such a fine night?"
 
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"Dressed down? I suppose that it must go to figure - you could don street rags and wear them so as to make them look like a gown fit for a queen. If you had dressed in the finest of gowns, you might have shamed the rest of the women! Truly compassionate of you" he chuckled, grinning. The giddy feeling was still strangely present, but he was willing to accept it as finally enjoying himself.

"For now, if my name is of little importance, I would like you to call me Andredi. It was my nickname as a child. Might I ask, how are you enjoying your evening? If there was something else you had to do, other than dance, don't let me keep you. I know that I approached you rather suddenly, but you caught my eye from across the room and I simply had to meet you". Christoph was feeling more at ease in his finery, but occasionally as he moved, it would pinch painfully at the subtle flow of muscle underneath. Feels like I'm going to rip these silly clothes, and then I'll really look as though I don't belong...
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At last settling for just glass of punch so his stomach wouldn't grumble, a sip of the liquid passed his lips. Caution was taken to not drink too fast. If he did he might accidentally start to choke. That would cause a scene. Quite frankly the last thing he wanted was to draw too much attention to himself from too many of the guests. Once the first glass had been downed he felt a little better, filling a second before noticing Ellen sitting all by herself near the wall. Even if the punch were not 'spiked' in anyway, he took a couple sips for 'courage' before walking over to the Princess.

"Evening milady. May I join thee?"

Slightly nervous, his tone could have been mistaken for someone who had perhaps been too shy to talk earlier. But the smile on his lips was certainly genuine enough. Part of him couldn't believe this was actually going on outside of a dream. Merely having the audacity to talk to a girl so far out of his league pushed his normally humble personality to it's limits. She looked so beautiful even with her face hidden, the green hair was so unique. . . reminding him of his own somewhat unnatural hair color. One which was naturally a beautiful somewhat dark blue. Right now all that likely allowed this was the slight security of wearing the mask on his face. Even if it didn't cover all of his face just enough was hidden to hopefully add some air of mystery to him.

But the real question was if Ellen would even want to talk to him. Did her thoughts of 'all the decent looking suitors being taken' place him below her standards? Or had she just not seen him yet? After all he and Felicia had just sneaked in less than five minutes ago. Regardless he stayed standing, awaiting until she said yes or no to see if he could sit beside her against the wall.
 
As the dance ended, Emeline stepped back from the curious gentleman and stared at him as he shifted in his clothing. The clothes almost looked too small, but he handled them well. Her curiosity was peaked by this man, and she didn't deny it.

"I cannot begrudge you wanting to meet me," she said, cocky smirk on her face. "Most do." Normally she was more tactful, but it seemed as though pretense wouldn't matter with this Andredi. "Though... I enjoyed myself, indeed. I should like to dance again before the night is over, if I may be so bold."

Glancing around, she sighed. "Alas, I must attend to business. Duties never end." As she turned to go, she paused and had a thought. With the manufactured confidence she tackled everything with, she faced him again, and made her propsal. "Ser Andredi," ever formal, "Would you like to be my escort for the evening? It isn't proper for a lady to wander the crowd alone." Normally, her companion was Sybyl - but the servant was off gathering intel for the cause. Without the bodyguards or her only friend, Emeline felt rather exposed, even behind the mask.

That, and she'd welcome the company.
 
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"I would be thrilled to escort you, my lady. Not only because you attest that it would not be proper for you to walk alone, but because it would give me ample disguise for the motive of ensuring that you do not forget your agreement to dance with me once more" Christoph, Andredi for the night, bowed to her and without waiting for her to speak, he slipped her arm beneath his own.

"Where are we going then, shall I call you princess? Terming you a pillar seems oddly like an insult, although I assure you that you are far better built than any pillar I've ever seen" he grinned at her, but straightened his posture to look more formal and official. It was not an easy task, his body seemed to naturally want to slouch in so tight an outfit. Andredi made a mental note to check his brazen mood, especially if they were to be around people but, for just a moment, he wondered if she would smell like flowers should he lean down and catch the faint scent of her hair.

The atmosphere was picking up, Andredi thought, glancing around. There were bodies twisting and twirling in dances of ranging complexity, sweat permeated the air and made it humid inside. In the corners, one could see men and women alike taking out their loneliness and frustration with platefuls of food. The soothing music in the air was almost as hard to hear as any individual conversation of the people surrounding them. The ever-present murmur of voices, low as they spoke to only one person or louder, addressing several, was a music in itself that set the stage. Looking at all the people dressed so elegantly, Andredi felt underdressed. The black cap hiding his hair was one of the most restrictive features but he had gone for anonymity and as far as he could tell, he was the only prince with long gold hair. The only man coming close to his knowledge was Deceptia's prince himself, and Andredi certainly didn't want to be mistaken for him!
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Ellen looked at the blue-haired man that had approached her. She had not seen him before then, but she wasn't really all too ecstatic about him coming to her. He was rather pale looking, but at least his attire was decent looking. As the (presumably) young man asked to join her, she hesitated for a few moments before responding.

"Yes, you may join me, sir," Ellen responded reluctantly, feeling like if somebody sat down at least she'd be able to be somewhat involved in the socializing going on all around her.