Whispers of the Arcana: Tangled in Webs Unseen [lC]

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

lt was an uneventful night, nothing special about it. The day had gone by painlessly, wistfully, a day like any other. The evening went to bed without much fuss, tucked in by the starry cover of night. Masquerade however never truly slept. The multicoloured light bathed the city in a myraid of dancing colours each as brilliant as the next. They bled through the dark night sky, and all the way to the very edge of the District of Wands. lt was an odd quiet night in the bustling metropolis, something strange. The City tonight, seemed to have finally found some solace, enough to shut it's eyes and rest for the morning. Though they kept running, the scheduled trams were all but empty despite what should've been the rush hour to get home after a day's work. However, the peace now wouldn't last. There was no way that it could.

Grey smoke lazily drifts from a window, naught but a ghost against the night sky. A voice is heard, one full of a stiff energy, a presentation of some sort or another currently going on. A gentle flickering of lights, the rapid changes of colours as different imagry flew by. A small TV bathes an otherwise dark room will a small amount of light. A Woman lounges in her chair watching and listening intently. A lit cigar's dull ember whines against the light of the device, trying to be seen. She puts it out in an ashtray nearby, done with the dying ember and wanting instead to focus on what's in front of her. A news report is playing, recapping events of the evening in the city. A woman sits stiff as a mannaquin at a desk. Her face is covered with a mask of a dark purple, in the shape of some sort of bird. Three feathers shoot out from the top of the mask, they bob as she moves and speaks but otherwise they stand still, an immense amount of control that'd take. "...it would seem that the earlier rally this evening was in retaliation towards the now infamous "Wands Water Scandel" the event where a government subsidised pipeline had exploded during it's construction. lt seems that the lron Cross held this rally to set the record stright or so they claim. Let's roll the footage from earlier this evening"

The screen cuts to a video showing a collection of figures clad in paramilitary gear. Thousands of them stand around a single man on a raised dias, one that had been swiftly and hastily slapped together. They all are dressed the same, in dark grey camoflouge with masks that look more like military gas masks then anything else. Hardwear that clearly would allow a man to breathe in Swords. The man in the center motions for the crowd to quiet down from the men around him to quiet the din of discontent emunating from around him. "Today, marks the day The lron Cross will no longer be quiet. We'll no longer standby as we so have. Maskers! The Peopleof this fair city! Lend me your ears! Understand that your Magistrate...is a liar, and a crook." he walks, head held high to the center of his raised platform. He looks out ove the crowd of his men, the brothers that fight alongside him.  "She has on record said that The lron Cross are responisble for the explosion that happened this past Wednesday. That the government was at no fault for the events that had occurred on that day. lt was aterrorist attack! Of course it was... after all, The lron Cross was there! And that is true. We were there. l will not lie to you people of Masquerade. We were there that day. We were there to protest yet another damned line to dump trash into our home of Swords. But, we were there in good faith. We did not do that which your Magistrate teels you we have. Your Magistrate... she doesn't have the heart to tell you it's that it was their hasty and shoddy work that caused this." He slams his fist into the podem in front of him at this time, the mic whines with feedback in protest at this. "lnstead of questioning them however, you've all decided to damn us. After all, it's the easier option ye? Well, l've got a message for you Masquerade, and for you Miss Magistrate. lf you're so ready to damn the Cross, so ready to cast us your villian in this turgid affair then fine. SO BE lT!!!"

The crowd roared alongside him, they all screamed a collective " SO BE lT!!!" A Chorus of a thousand voices yelling those words. He quickly quieted them, his control over the crowd was stunning... terrifying. "When all is said and done, when the flames of rebellion die down it'll be seen. The people will know the ugly truth, that which is hidden in the darkness, that which is hidden away in the smog of industry. They will see the world that has been so choked with smoke for the first time. They shall see the Land of Swords for what it truly. They will see our home brought out into the light. The true villians will then be known, they'll no longer have a place to hide. Not that they ever truly have. After all, nothing can hide from the rays of the sun."

The men around him cheered as his speech ended with those words. They chanted the words of the Crossers loud and clear. lron! Blood! Freedom! lron! Blood! Freedom!

and like that, the TV flicked off. The Woman sighed heavily... while the people  were on their side it had seemed that their move had spurred on the lron Cross. The Cross... might now be the very thing they had feared. "Geoff!" she shouted. 

A man entered, small of frame. He wore a tweed jacket, and had thick glasses. "lt's Geoffrey, Miss Magistrate. Geoffrey B..." 

"Shut up... l don't have time for this. Geoff, get the Council together, we've got problems. Big ones."

[Felicity]

Garret sat in his small booth, idly watching the news on the tv monitor above the bar of the Mask Menagerie, one of the various gambling dens that Garret haunted and otherwise littered the wands district. It was a small building, tucked away into an unobtrusive corner of the world. It was the kind of place you didn't wander into You had to have business to be sitting in the contrastingly opulent interior, a more intimate place for wagers than the grander casinos Garret also frequented Art, pictures of underground celebrities, expensive lamps and polished wooden chairs and tables of fine quality all made it quite a pleasant place to wait in.

 

Garret had done enough waiting for the night. He drew back a stray lock of red hair and stood up. He walked over to the bar where a young bartender stood washing her glasses. Aside from the two of them the place was empty.

 

"Faye, darling, have you had word from Mr Toyama?" He asked as he leant against the bar.

 

The young woman shook her head, making her tight black ponytail swish "No, sir"

 

"Well, it's been an hour and I'm tired of hearing about the iron Cross. If he comes by, tell him that next time he should take care to be more professional in the future."

 

Faye nodded and smiled apologetically. "I'll pass it on. Sorry about the tv sir. I like to keep up to date."

 

Garret waved the apology away. "Not your fault the world''s going the way it is. I just don't care for it "

 

"Some don't, sir. It's not pleasant watching. Still, it's important to know"

 

"Too true." Garret said with a sigh. "Anyway, good night."

 

He slapped a few coins onto the bar as he left, enough to pay his tab and then a hefty tip for Faye as she bade him good night.

 

The night air was cool and refreshing as Garret strode through the oddly empty streets of the wand district, or at least relatively empty. He eyed his watch. It was getting late and he'd rather be at home than on the streets. Should he take a shortcut?

 

After barely a moment's hesitation Garret cut across the street, headed for an alleyway he knew would save him some time, though he did approach the darkness with some small amount of trepidation.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

An acrid odor permeated the air, hanging every where in the alleyway. lt was hard to pin down what it was or if it was even a single smell. However what was able to be known to Garrett was that whatever it was was certainly unpleasent. lt wasn't odd for some areas in Wands to be less then... stellar. While it wasn't dangerous everywhere like Swords, it had the places one just didn't go. This Alley was starting to very much feel like one of them. lt was filled with all sorts of refuse, garbage from the nearby businesses that was probably at one point intended to be picked up, long since forgetton. The sounds of stray animals ripping through for scraps was noticable and filled the alleyway, only making the decision feel more and more foolhardy.

lt was probably too late at this point however though, too late to turn back if the time invested was to matter. The only real option was to forge forward or end up smelling like all the world's garbage for nothing. There was something strange in all this however. Garret could've sworn he heard a voice amoungst all the din of the alleyway. Somewhere underneath all of the rubbish. Had he imagined it? lt felt as if it was a dream, so far away. Perhaps it was only the colourful odors playing tricks on his mind... but it felt like there was some kernal of reality to it. lt nagged and nagged at the mind gnawing on it like a rabid dog with a bone. He'd feel a compulsion, deep deep in his own being... one that told him to search through this alleyway for what he'd heard.

[Felicity]

Garret's sensations were assaulted with the viler aspects of the Wand district. It was a shame but the place was far from perfect. What was more concerning was the unknown. Danger in the darkness was a daunting prospect to face. Even so curiosity pulled him forward like an invisible string attached to the source of the voice. Garret hopped around what refuse he could avoid, sneering down at the ground as he tried to make his way through.

 

Commit to the gamble Garret. Something's here.

 

So Garret went deeper, forging his way through the filth.

[Twinwolf]

Priscilla Valentine Lemaire hated heels. Too hard to walk in, and if she had to do it for too long her feet hurt. She hated fancy dresses. They pinched in uncomfortable places and tended to draw eyes to places other than her face. And she hated these sorts of noble parties. She had to wear a fancy dress and heels and deal with social rules and all of that. At least they tended to have good food. She could think of any number of things she would rather do than what she had to do right then, which was, in fact, go to a noble's party, in a fancy black-and-white gown that accentuated certain things that she'd rather not be accentuated and uncomfortable heels. Perfect night, really. 

 

It was to be expected, really. Even if the royal family lines had no real power anymore (despite what they tried to tell her for her entire youth), they still had some social status. So it made sense Priscilla would have to attend some social functions - especially one thrown by her sister, such as this. At least she didn't have to wear one of those absurd masks (yet, at least, who knew what she'd be forced to do down the line). Her sister said it was because of their family's connection to servants and all but she was pretty sure she just didn't want to wear a mask, and she herself was happy to take that explanation and run with it.

 

The event had been going for an hour or two. For a while she'd been sticking with her sister to avoid having to really talk to people herself, but she'd lost her in the crowd a while ago and was having to play nice on her own. Currently, she was at a buffet of food and drink in order to take a break from the main party, and glancing around for a certain close friend. 

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Garret

The gamble paid off, that was certainly a voice he'd heard and now it was clear enough to be made out. Shouting, in a strange... accent that Garret wasn't quite sure he'd ever heard before. lt had a roughness to it like a bite from a dog with teeth made of razor blades. lt wasn't remotely as pleasent as most peoplein Masquerade tried to sound... unless it was a man from Swords... but what would they be doing here?  Regardless, he could now begin to make out some words. "Oi!!! Get off me ye MANGY MUTTS!!! l ain't yer supper ya bastards!" on closer inpection somewhere Garret could see... a Roulette Board? being tore at by two hounds that probably easily had mange. lt... seemed to be the source of the shouting. How this was possible... who the hell knew?

Val

Val scanned the crowd for one Elias however couldn't see him anywhere in the sea of people. Perhaps a given with the bustle of this dmanable party. She knew her sister was quite the one for lavish over the top affairs but this was quite ridiculous. Her sister, Valentine Priscilla Lemaire, had somehow lost her in the crowd herself, probably chatting up some random person she found attractive enough to speak with for the time being. Nothing would really catch the eyes, well expect for one thing on the opposite side of the room. Most of the servants present at the party were men, trying to not catch any attention of course as per their typical duties. However, Priscilla could make out one servant who was sticking out like a sore thumb.

Her eyes were drawn to a woman,dressed as a maid. She had hair, silver and eyes of the same colour. There was an air of beauty to her that was strange coming from a maid. Not that they weren't allowed to be beautiful mind... but that her beauty demanded attention. She began to wonder how the whole room's eyes weren't drawn to this woman. Her very presence demanded her eyes to focus on her, she found it hard to pull away and look at anything else. This woman's own existance was entracing her pulling her inward and drawing her away from reality in some sense. She felt a pull on an invisible string towards her... her body almost beginning to move itself in this woman's direction. lt was at that precise moment, that her sister loudly refocused the attention onto herself. "VAAAAAL! There you are honey.~" Pris had said, taking hold of Val's left arm. She smiled through her eyes, and really all of her face. Pris... was quite an animated person, worse that Val knew she was entirely genunine with her amount of energy. Pris never seemed to be able to wind down to normal human levels,something that could be... quite irritating time to time. lt was probably made worse by the fact that she looked exactly like her and was often confused for Pris. Their parents could not have choose a more confusing pair of names for twin girls... 'l was lookin' all over for you Val. You slipped away from me, dear you gotta be more careful."

[Swampellow]

Siena stepped into her tent, glancing around at how all of her decorations were set up. Normally she set them all up herself, but she had asked one of the other members of the troupe to set them up for her while she was out. She wanted to try a different set up for their big show coming up. She began to move farther into the tent when Onyx chirped at her feet.

 

“What’s that love? You think that we should change how the silk drapes from the table?” Siena smiled down at her, picking her up. “Let’s do that then.” she said, moving over to the table her crystal ball sat on, placing Onyx down on it. She proceeded to change the setup of the silks on the table. In a few moments they were arranged in a new position that she felt was satisfactory. “Why you were right dear, this does look much better” she said to Onyx, giving her a small pat that made her begin to purr.

 

Leaving Onyx on the table, who by now had wrapped herself up around the crystal ball, Siena got to work changing the positions of various objects she had around as decoration; committing the new positions to memory. 

Finally she sat down at her table, Onyx still curled lazily around the crystal ball. As she sat she began to use her magic to make the various small orbs and candles glow and light up around the tent, observing what it now looked like with the new set up. She then made small amounts of fog roll out from under the table, making sure it still curled properly around the new silk setup. 

 

“I do think that this new setup is quite good my dear.” she said to Onyx while she cleared away the fog. “You are going to have to get up now, you know that I have to keep that polished” she said, moving Onyx away from the ball. She picked it up and sat back down in her seat, beginning to shine and polish it, her mind drifting as she did so.
 

[Chevaleresse]

Elias was watchful as usual, standing aside and doing his best to look unobtrusive in his butler's suit while he surveyed the crowd. He doubted anyone would try anything during a gathering such as this, but he was lacking any other distractions and it was his job to watch over the young heiress. The other servants seemed to be occupied in their own pursuits (which was part of why he stayed concerned) and the nobility were typically either uninterested in conversation with him, or simply uninteresting in it. 

 

The spectacle of these parties had awed him when he'd first started this job, but by now it was routine, and he'd seen what lay underneath the glaze of festivity and splendor, all too closely at times. They were quite boring, if he was being frank, and a small part of him almost wished someone would justify his watchfulness to give him something to do. Though, the fact that he'd lost track of her at the moment was slightly concerning. . . He did his best to sidle around the party, skirting the edges of the activity as he scanned the crowd for - ah. That aural assault could only belong to Pris. Well, at least he knew where to find Val. He started to push through the crowd, as unobtrusively as one could do so, anyway. He put his best "I'm busy with something important" face on, hoping that it would allow him through.

[Felicity]

Well this was.. curious. Curiosity however was not compelling enough to get infected with rabies or even just ruin his outfit. How should Garret approach this?

 

There was hardly a prize for the dogs, no meat to fight over. A simple scare ought to chase them off, no? Then he would be free to inspect the board, or at least take it somewhere safe to inspect. Unless this was their territory and they would defend it. No, men made the city, this was no forest. The food chain would be clear.

 

Garret cleared his throat lightly, quietly, and began rolling a hum through his throat that escalated in volume as he approached boldly before he began to bark out words. "Get out of here! Go, flee! Now!" He glared at the dogs and used his height to tower over the beasts. All in the body language, isn't it?

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Siena

lt hadn't been long until a customer had rolled along to partake in Siena's particular business. Perhaps Siena would've stopped them from wandering into her set-up had she been paying attention. The focus on her work was enough for this individual to slip in undetected, to really observe her surrondings with time and care pouring over every inch of the small set-up. She took in all of the theatrics, the small bits of magic used to set the mood. Her eyes weren't fooledby it and she knew magic where she saw it. She sat gentlely in the Chair across from the woman deep in her work without a sound. 

lf Siena looked up she'd see a small girl seated across for her, one that would look to be about 14 to 16 years of age. However, the air about her felt heavy, regal. She carried herself with a confidence much older than what could be seen, one that spoke to a hidden maturity. She was dressed in a light blue turtle neck sweater that was perhaps a tad too big for her. lt covered her hands, lost in a hopeless amount of fabric that covered them. The more curious item however, was the small pale blue parasol she carried. lt wasn't common to see such an item of fashion here in Masquerade. lt was more of a staple in Arcaneum, the city where the royal families presided. She had it open over her right shoulder despite being in... what could be considered indoors. Her cold blue eyes were trained on Siena, watching her as she diligently polished the Crystal Ball in her hands. She just watched in silence, waiting to be inevitably noticed. She wasn't angrily staring though, there was almost no emotion present on her face at all, at least nothing that was evident. lt'd loo more like she was daydreaming then anything else.

Elias

Elias's strategy was sound and working for the most part. He found his way through most of the crowd with ease. However he noticed someone that he'd not seen in a long time. A man he was quite familiar with. lt was his old handler, the man that the Association had oft sent to check on him as a field asset. He stood just as tall as Elias could remember and there was no mistaking that Silver hair. lt was pulled back into a refined ponytail, tied with a simple unopposing black ribbon. The braiding was intricate however, an endeavor that surely took time and was practiced. There was no mistaking that handiwork. lt was none other than that of Sebastian Solace, Elias's old mentor. The older gentleman seemed to be talking to another individual that Elias had never seen before. He wore a garish deep red suit that was somewhat painful to look at. His moustache was spiked at the ends, looking like something out of Saturday Morning cartoon in all honesty. He also didn't wear a Mask. lt seemed a lot of the people attending this party were noblility that weren't from around here enough that masks weren't dominating the room. Perhaps that was what was keeping the Masquerade Socialites away from this particular party. 

lt was Elias's matter of factness, that made hims stand out enough that Sebastian saw him. While almost nothing changed about his face, Elias could tell that his face had lightened upon seeing him ever so slightly. He raised a hand flagging down the younger butler, clearly hoping to have a chat with the young man. The man alongside him looked over as well, though it seemed only to see what was interrupting their current conversation.

Garret

The dogs yipped in surprise before darting off, easy enough. They knew when to give up. They didn't fully leave the scene Garret could see their eyes flashing about in the darkness but they'd not try anything while he was still there. He could turn his attention to the board now without needing to worry. Speaking of, the board did not hesitate to start speaking once more confirming the situation. "Oi that's right ye fleebitten bastards! Get ooooutta 'ere!" The board was rattling against the ground, seemingly excited? lt was moving somewhat of it's own volition, as it was clear it wasn't moving due to some tremors or something of the like. lt clacked against the hard cement as it seemingly vibrated with anger towards the animals that were previously interested in it.

"Heeey!" it said. lt was unclear who this was aimed at... Garret,or the mangy mutts. At least at first. "HEEEEEY! You there! The fancy lookin' fella there. l appriciate the uh, help there. Don't let it go to yer head though, l'm totally able to take care of myself." Though, Garret was pretty sure if it couldn't handle two starving hounds... it wasn't likely that was true.

[Felicity]

Garret squinted at the talking board, keenly aware of the dogs. It talked, sounded kind of masculine to Garret. Certainly it was strange, strange enough to invite a quick departure to somewhere safer for further scrutiny. The board was a little taciturn though. Garret supposed that manners couldn't hurt.

 

"I'm... sure that's true." He leant over and inspected the board. "If you don't mind, I'd quite like to talk, preferably away from the wildlife My home isn't too far, if you wouldn't mind accompanying me?" Garret was hesitant to pick it up for a small host of reasons. One of them being, if it could talk, who knows how the board might like being picked up?

[Swampellow]

Onyx wandered back into the tent a few minutes later, quietly observing the individual seated in front Siena. After a moment she leapt back onto the table, sitting down directly in front of Siena before giving a soft chirp. 

 

“Hmmm what is it dea….” Siena began to say to Onyx as she refocused herself. “Oh hello there Miss” she said, giving the small girl a soft smile. She had meant to close the flaps of her tent so that nobody would disturb her while she was setting up, but it seems as though she had forgotten in the moment. 

 

She began to stand up to go grab her mask “I wasn’t planning on giving any fortunes right now…” she started to say, before deciding that she wouldn’t need it for this one and sat back down, placing the crystal ball back on the table “but if you would like I could do yours? Or perhaps I could do a card reading for you?” she said as she looked at the girl.

 

The girl looked young, but Siena saw that she had an air about her, giving her a maturity that far outpaced her apparent age. She thought it best to let her decide: afterall she was the one who accidently left her tent open. And it just wouldn’t be right to be rude to a potential (paying) customer.
 

[Twinwolf]

Priscilla, "Val" to friends, had sort of zoned out for a bit there. She'd found her walking towards that beautiful maid, unable to look away. It was honestly shocking how striking she had been, how much she'd stood out - had she been a noble making a fashion statement or something? That seemed stupid but made more sense than a member of the Association going out of her way to make herself noticeable like that. She didn't really know what she meant to say when she reached her, but her sister had appeared out of nowhere and attached herself to her arm. She blinked - "Oh, there you are Pris." she said, shocked out of her reverie. "I think it was more like you slipped away from me, really." she said, not really meaning to push that issue at all. "I was just getting a drink. Got distracted though..." she looks around for that woman from a moment ago. 

[Chevaleresse]

A familiar face, and one that hadn't fully been expected here. He wondered what Sebastian was here for; him, or someone else? He wasn't the only servant at the party, and it'd been a while since Sebastian had anything for him, but it still bore investigating. Besides, it would be rude to ignore him after being waved down. Elias would simply have to pry Val away from the exuberant clutches of Pris later. He mentally shrugged, and began to weave his way toward the older butler. He gave a small wave of greeting when he arrived. "Ho there, Sebastian. What brings you to this little party?"

[Shamitako]

Mika

 

It was late, but for Mika it was still pretty early. It was one of her off days, so she was free to do whatever she wanted, though she still needed to be ready in case the bar got busy and July called her in to help. She was at home in her apartment, which was rather barren, having only enough furniture for her to get by and no decorum. It wasn't especially large, just a main room with an open kitchen attached, a bedroom, a bathroom, and a small pantry area.

 

Mika was lounging on the couch in her nightgown with the TV on. Since there wasn't much to watch besides the news at this hour, she had a tape recording of one of the soap operas she watched rolling by. She'd already seen the episode, so she wasn't really watching the TV. Her mind was wandering, but it hadn't wandered anywhere, it was just empty. It didn't need to be anything more, if she thought about too much she was liable to work herself up, and right now she wanted to relax.

[rokubiraijuu]

Sweat, old cedar, and a particular, unidentifiable odor that an old coworker of his had called 'the stink of fucking exhaustion that's always in this kind of work' surround him as he eases himself onto a bench in one of the storage rooms where they made and held props and other paraphernalia used for shows. A quiet, heavy breath leaves him, and he closes his eyes to rest them for a brief moment. Outside, the others are taking their few minutes of respite to get a drink of water or exchange the same complaints about their backbreaking work schedule that everyone knew and lived. He has to admit that these limited minutes of quiet, away from the activity and — often — chaos of his work help keep him on his feet the long hours from dawn until well past sundown.

 

He and the others have spent since sunrise in glamour, just like the day before, and countless ones before that. His own small abilities to alter minutiae of appearance have been stretched to their limit and then some, and the drain is wearing at his mind and body. And then there was the issue with the costuming that had surfaced this afternoon, and everyone had been in a panic at the realization that they would have to put in an order for new apparel. Unfortunately, where that kind of managerial, financial strain came into this industry, panic often turned quickly to desperation and anger. Explosive arguments within the troupe weren't uncommon...

 

Rubbing his temples, Gabriel wished, not for the first time, that he were able to do something to help other than try and diffuse people's tempers. If his magic was strong enough that he could alter an individual's entire appearance, from head to toe! Wouldn't that be something. There would be no need for costuming worries at all. 

 

The ringing of the bell distracts him from getting lost in his own daydreams of grandeur, which is likely for the best, as he's been told before he's liable to venture too far into the land of romantic ideals, a place ironically unsuited for someone in his line of work. For all the fantasies and dreams that magicians project for the public... or maybe it is because of that very nature of his work that makes him so inclined to fancy. 

 

Voices from the hallway outside signal the reluctant assembly of the other troupe members, and he pushes to his feet again, ignoring the way the world pitches a little about him, stars sprinkling the edges of his vision. He'd best get going too, though with the troupe morale at the low that it is currently, he  can't imagine they'll make much more headway into their rehearsal today. Pulling his mask back over his face and adjusting the cool black fabric over his eyes, he steps out to rejoin the others.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Garret

Garret swore the roulette wheel gave him the stink eye somehow despite not having any eyes. There was a stunned silence for a moment. lt got awkward.

The wheel span once, Garret, unsure what that meant. Perhaps... it was an attempt at an eye roll? Regardless, the wheel began talking quite quickly. "Well pal... l don't exactly got a lot of options seein's as ya know... l've not exactly got any legs." he? had said. lt was hard to read him... after all he had exactly 0 recognizable facial features. However it did seem like he was trying to emote through the wheel, just wasn't able to find good ways of doing so at the moment. "Besides... beats sittin' here wastin' away in a pile of dog shit so. Speaking of... mind givin' me a bath? Shit's vile out here man, my very soul feels filthy uuuugh...l feel so violated." the wheel shivered on the ground, clearly a sign of his disgust at his current situation. "Do that fors me and sure l'll talk about whatever ya want kid."

Siena

The girl just stared at Siena for awhile not seeing to make towards any motion or another. She seemed to be weighing something on her mind, as if she wasn't quite all there in a wistful dreamy kind of way. There was enough of a pause that Onyx seemed to have wandered over and made herself at home around the new presence. The cat had decided to hop up onto the girl, curling around her neck like a scarf. lt was at that moment she seemed to finally catch-up with the world. Siena would see a start in her eyes as she awoke from her daydream. lt was a very small thing, one that was almost invisible. "A card reading will do. You don't want to read my fortune." her voice was soft, almost like a whisper of wind gliding over a still lake. Though it was quiet, it somehow commanded attention. lt probably didn't help that her wording was clearly a warning, one she meant with utmost sincernity. "You may if you so choose, but you won't like what you see. So, cards please. They'll remind me of people l've not seen in awhile."

Val

Pris tried to get a glance of what Val was frantically looking for. She didn't really notice anything turning back to her twin with a bit of puzzlement on her face. "Val, what exactly are you looking for? l'm riiiight here ya know." she said pointing to herself with quite the florish. However, Val wasn't nearly as compelling as the person that Val had once more cuaght a glimpse of. She saw that woman again, somewhere in the crowd. Her silver hair was instantly recogniable, the way it shone like a newly minted mask. ~~the coin~~ Val couldn't help but feel magnitizied to her, as if something was just pulling her towards the figure. Pris as loud and obnoxious as she was seemed to not exist as far as she was concerned. She could see the Maid head for the balcony of the estate that would overlook the city below. Val's compulsion to follow her only grew.

Elias

"Hmmm, lt is the party of my employer. lt is only natural that l'd be present for the affair." he said, straight to the point as always. Sebastian was always the straight shooter, and didn't spend much time beating around the bush in any situation. However, it was news to Elias that Sebastian was under the service of some noble, further news that said noble was Pris. lt felt a bit strange and as if this couldn't be happenstance, and yet there was no real proof that it couldn't have just been how fate so weaved. "lt has been quite awhile since l've last saw you. You're training has gone well l presume?" 

The Man he had been speaking to prior watched as this unfolded, not speaking a single word. Elias could feel his eyes staring, weight from the man's gaze. lt certainly felt as if he was being measured, fitted, sized. But for what could not be said. lt was rare for someone to do what this man was doing towards a servant. Most of his stature would ignore them. Well, that was assuming he was here for the party. And yet, he was speaking with a butler when Elias had first seen him. Something felt... fishy about all of this.

Mika

The complex was quiet tonight luckily. There wasn't the usual din of the upstairs nieghbor blasting music as loud as he possibly could, the couple downstairs wasn't arguing over something inane. The mangey mutt that belonged to man next door was being quiet for once in it's life. All was good in casa da Mika. That was until a knock came at the door. An unexpected knock... a scary knock. Because there was no way that it was July at this time. She'd still be tied up at work. lt was further complicated when she heard a voice she was sure she'd never heard before come from the door. lt was like that of another girl around her own age. For their credit... it was at least cute even if a bit boyish in it's energy. "Hello!? Hello is Mika home?"

Gabe

Gabe is not met with the sight he had expected however, before he reached the others he ran straight into a familiar large red trenchcoat. lt was the one that had belonged to one Claudia Benediche. A scrappy mess of a coat that she'd always had as far as Gabe could recall. lt was the jacket close to the style of many official troupe owners, the biggest of the big. However, unlike them Claudia wasn't made of prestige or money. lt was something she had made herself to emulate the style. Though she'd been offered one, she turned it down. This coat menat too much to her now... it was something she kept to remind herself what'd she'd gone through all these years. To never forget where she came from. Gabe felt her gloved hand firmly rest on his shoulder, as Claudia gave him a look that... he wasn't sure how to read. lt was only further confused by what she'd say next.

"Not practice time for you Gabe. l need to speak to you in my office. Come, let's walk." Gabe knew full well that she meant the broom closet she called an office... the tiny cupbaord that she'd somehow crammed a desk in there. The very office everyone in the troupe referred to as "Benediche's lron Maiden." He dreaded to think why he'd been summoned there.

[Felicity]

Garret nodded and reached over to pick the board up. "Excuse me" He murmured as he held the board in both hands. Garret glanced over his shoulder at the dogs within the shadows before heading out of the alleyway and on his way back home

 

Garret's home was a decorated skeleton of a building, a small apartment in the Coins that was gaunt and bare but for the few indulgences Garret had allowed and the necessities. There were three rooms that split the apartment, the living room and kitchen and then the bedroom with a bathroom tucked away in the corner.

 

First order of business, Garret set the board down on his table.

 

"Right then, home sweet home. My name's Garret, let me just hunt something down to give you that bath."

 

He'd have to clean the table too, for hygienes sake. He went into the bathroom and hunted for cleaning supplies. He didn't want to just dump the board in water but aside from some polish, Garret didn't have many options. So he took off his suit jacket, rolled up his shirt sleeves and got to work, setting the board awkwardly in the small sink and running rivulets of water across its face. Garret used a small cloth to tend to the more stubborn bits of muck

 

"So, who're you, my mysterious new acquaintance?"

[Twinwolf]

“I’m, uh, going to the balcony if you don’t mind.” Val said. “I think I need some air. I’ll find you again in a bit, sorry.” It was a little surprising she had the presence of mind to say as much, given the situation. If she could detach herself from Pris she’d quickly head that way, following the maid up the stairs.  She wasn’t sure why - maybe she just wanted to ask her if she was really a maid, or just compliment her, or what. But she did it, following the silver haired beauty as best she could.

[Shamitako]

Mika

 

The person outside would be met with a shriek of surprise as their knock disturbed the otherwise peaceful night, a shriek that launched the neighbor dog into an agitated frenzy. Was it a thief? Would a thief knock? A murderer perhaps, a murderer might try to cozy up to her before stabbing her. It wasn't July, July was at work. It couldn't be her landlord, she'd paid her rent two days prior. The neighbors wouldn't knock on her door, it caused shrieking and dog barking. It had to be a stranger, and why would a stranger want to knock on her door except to murder her?

 

Fully convinced of her impending doom, Mika was only further spooked by the fact that the intruder knew her name. She scrambled to grab a weapon, the first thing to enter her hand being a short mystery/romance novel she'd been reading earlier. It wasn't exactly a heavy book, but it was something. Clutching the book tightly, she made her way across the carpet to the door. She double checked that it was locked and the chain was in place before standing on her tiptoes to peek through the peephole (Mika wasn't particularly short, but the peephole was placed a little high). The person outside was a young woman, probably of similar age to Mika's own. The peephole made it hard to tell, but the woman must have been at least seven feet tall and very muscular, Mika was certain the murderess could bash down the door easily if she wanted.

 

The murderess was wearing a yellow hoodie, baggy enough to easily conceal a gun or a knife, maybe even a sword. Her brown hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, probably to keep it from getting spread around the scene of the crime. Her eyes, a brown or perhaps slightly golden color, were looking away from the door, in the direction of the barking dog. Mika was certain she saw a murderous glint in them, the woman clearly wanted to silence the dog in addition to Mika. Mika couldn't see the woman's hands, as they were buried in the pockets of her hoodie, but Mika knew that they had to be wearing leather driving gloves, that's what all murderers wore in her soap operas to keep the police from finding fingerprints.

 

Hesitantly, Mika decided to open the door. If the murderess could bash it down, there was no point in trying to keep her out, maybe Mika could placate her somehow if they talked. She undid the lock, triple-checked the chain, and cracked the door ever so slightly. She kept her body well behind it, with only one eye peeking past. "Hello, I'm Mika, did you need something?" She asked in a nervous whisper.

 

Mika could now see the murderess more clearly, and realized that the woman was in fact only slightly taller than herself and, though the baggy hoodie largely concealed it, actually rather scrawny. Mika now regretted opening the door, she could have pretended not to be home and maybe the murderess would have left. But it was too late now, she was going to die if she didn't find some way to talk the murderess out of killing her. Mika remembered what July had said last time, "Mika, this is the fourth solicitor you've tried to bludgeon to death with a book, if you don't want to buy their stuff, just close the door in their face." The door slammed shut without giving the woman a chance to figure out what Mika had whispered and Mika went back to the couch, clutching the book to her chest as she tried to pay more attention to the TV than the door.

[Chevaleresse]

Elias watched the red-suited man out of the corner of his eye. A curious one, that. He didn't seem to be a servant, quite the opposite, so why was he speaking to one? He wasn't Sebastian's employer, either, and it didn't seem that the butler had been delivering a message. Curious. . ."It has, yes. Valentine" - he had to stop himself from referring to her as Val - "can be a handful at times, but I feel I've managed well thus far." He briefly weighed his conversational options. He could ask about Sebastian's employment under Priscilla, or the red-suited man. He didn't know the latter; would he be offended at being ignored, or more offended that a servant dared to question his presence? Curiosity eventually got the better of his caution. "If you don't mind the question, who is this?" He gestured to the one in question, turning his head towards him. "I haven't been in Masquerade for some time, so I'm afraid I don't recognize you." 

[Swampellow]

Siena smiled when the girl finally responded. It was a strange response, a little troubling for sure, but she wasn’t completely put off given the demeanor of the girl anyway.

 

“Well alright then, just a moment” she said, standing up to walk over to a nearby shelf. As she walked she made the candles along her path light up and flicker. She eventually reached her destination, an ornate looking box carved with various symbols on its surface. She opened it up, pulling out her main deck of tarot cards. “Let’s begin then.” she said with a smile as she returned and sat down.

 

For the next minute Siena did her routine that she performs before pulling the first card. As she finished… “and your first card young lady, is... ” she flipped it over so that the girl could see it “Death. How interesting.” she said with a small smile. As she pulled the second card…. She paused, a small look of concern flicking briefly across her face, before the smile returned and she gave a small laugh. “Oh this is funny, someone seems to have combined two of my decks together” she said with a nervous chuckle. She placed the second card on the table face up, but not in the array as though it were a part of the girl’s reading. If the girl were to look at it, she would notice that it too was a Death card.

 

“Let’s try that again shall we?” she picked up the first death card and reshuffled it, performing her routine once again. “And your first real card Miss” she said as she flipped it over, pausing ever so slightly before saying “... is Death. Again.” She cleared her throat before pulling the next one. “And your next card is...” she stopped again, this time just placing the card she pulled on the table. It too was a Death card. She then quickly pulled three more cards from the deck and flipped them all over, they were all Death. “I-I-I’m so sorry Miss, I’m not exactly sure what is going on with my deck” she said, giving the girl a weak smile, clearly troubled and worried, but most importantly: confused.
 

[rokubiraijuu]

"Ah—?" Gabriel draws up short at the sight of the lion tamer, though by all accounts it seemed inaccurate to call her that, somehow. In these ten years, he's come to realize just how fortunate he and his troupe are. Benediche is no saint, but there are too many accounts of lion tamers with far crueler, even sadistic, tastes for him not to count his blessings all the same.

 

Some in the troupe have warned him never to trust a lion tamer, no matter how nice, just like slaves would never trust a master, no matter how kind. But Benediche once came from the same world as them, and that had to count for something, didn't it? He chooses to believe so.

 

"Oh, sure." Hm... as soon as her back is turned and he follows behind her, he can't help but frown. Had he done something wrong? Her tone hadn't seemed particularly severe. He supposes he'll find out soon enough. 

 

As soon as they step into her office and he takes a few seconds to find someplace to stand amidst what bit of floor space remains in the cramped, musty space far too small to call a room, he braces himself internally for whatever might come, eyes large and curious. "Is there something going on?"

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Garret

Clearly his new acquitance had been enjoying himself if the noises he was making were any indication. "OOOO, yea that hits the spot right there. Hmmm... putting some good elbow grease in there lad didn't know ya had it in ya." Though the wheel had no face he could swear it was smiling or beaming somehow. Perhaps it was just a trick of the light but Garret swore it was true. When Garret asked the question the wheel had seemingly got a lot more serious all of a sudden. Perhaps it wasn't the best question to have started with? He did speak in time though. "Well, that's a long story l'm afraid. Perhaps you should tell me about yourself first... after all, what on earth was as handsome a fella as you doin' trollin' that kinda place? You don't seem the type friend." a sense of brevity came back to his voice over the course of his words so, he clearly wasn't upset by the question... perhaps it was something that'd not be easy to believe? Though... maybe that was a forgone conclusion at this point. After all, Garret had brought a talking roulette wheel home with him.

Val

"Oh sure okay Val." Pris seemed a bit deflated at the response but she didn't try and follow her sister after. So, Val was free to follow that mysterious woman she had seen. Had the Maid gone any other way it might've been hard to fllow her in this giant oppulent mansion of Pris's. lt was enormous, and hallways sprawled off in every direction. Val was unsure how such a thing could be a home to a single person as Pris was usually the only one that was living here. lt seemed like it'd get ever so lonely. But, there was only really one place to go up from here. lt'd not take her long to reach the Balcony now.

The sight, was quite breathtaking. Cups was quite the distance above the rest of the city, making it the perfect place to look out over all of Masquerade. Brilliant lights of all kinds of colours flashed up from below, wreathing the city in a brilliance that was an unrivaled sight, one that Val was sure she'd never see a match for. The Moon hung low in the sky tonight, only enhancing the scene. lt's light was a dull silvery blue... but one that had a soft quiet beauty to it... unlike the lights below. Despite their bet efforts, they couldn't drown out the natural light completely though they seemed to despreatly try. Val saw her once again, that beautiful maid was standing at the end of the balcony looking out over the city. The Moon, as close as it seemed this night seemed to envelope her form, with her standing in it's center. The Silvery light made her seem almost etheral... as if she was something that if Val tried to touch her, she'd vanish in her hands, an illusion. For now, her back was turned to Val, it seemed as if she'd not noticed her approach.

Mika

The woman... was utterly confused at the whole situation. She sighed under her breath, realizing perhaps she'd bit off more than she could chew trying to do things this way. lt seemed that July had not remotely been exaggerating, and that she was being completely on point about how things would go. lt seemed strange after the way that girl had told off that man at the bar yesterday, almost as if she was a completely different person. First, she decided to silence the dog that seemed to have been spooked by the loud crash. He was barking his ever living lungs out. Poor guy... he seemed to be a ball of nerves. lt was a small Beagle... strange for such a proud and brave breed the woman thought to herself. She smiled trying to look non-threaning as possible. "Hey little fella! Shhh it's okay. l'm just a friendly friend. See!" she quickly gave the pup some scritches behind his ears. lt seemed to quite do the trick as his barking while it didn't totally stop, certainly become much less frequent.

"Oooo! l know! Perhpas you'd like some uppsie dos? Yeah! You'd really like that huh? Come on!" she grabbed the little pup, feeling his soft fur on her hands. He had quite a lovely coat and did seem to be well taken care of. She held the little fella up to her face looking at his small brown eyes. "Who's a good boy? Yoooou are. Yeeeees~ You are~" with that the puplicked her nose happily. The two seemed to be getting along quite well. She walked back to the door and knocked again after having taken care of the dog who was still barking in her arms every now and then. "Heeeey, Mika. Sorry! l should've given you more information. July sent me. l wanted to thank you for yesterday but July said you didn't have a shift tonight. l didn't wanna wait doe..."

With that, Mika would remember that she had seen this girl before. The night before at the Drowning Duck, she was being harrassed by a man that had wandered in off the street after her. lt had seemed like she came in to get away from him, hoping that the threat of more people would've worked... but it only had once Mika had intervened.

Elias

"Oh me?" The man had quite the look of surprise on his face, though... Elias could sense that it was in part an act. The man smiled and took a curt bow, strange for someone to do towards a servant. He smiled with his facial features, not cracking much more than a smirk in reality. lt seemed sincere enough, but Elias couldn't help but feel this was still all a bit strange. "Augustus. Charmed.~" the only words he had for a greeting. Clearly practiced, as if he had to do so to keep himself from going off script. "Pay me no mind, clearly you're catching up with your friend here. lt'd be rude of me to interrupt something as such. My business isn't so pressing as to ruin a reunion." 

"Ah, yes. Augustus was just asking me about how to contact the Association. He seems interested in our services." Sebastian continued. Elias noticed a small twitch of Ausgustus's eye when Sebsatian had just said what they were discussing. However, he quickly regained composure. "Sebastian, don't worry young..." Ausgustus paused for a second. He'd not really been introduced. "Ahem, pardon me. Don't worry this young man with such trival matters such as my own. Please, continue your conversation. l'm happy just observing until we may pick up." however, Elias suddenly noticed that Ausgustus seemed to take an interest in him. He was watching ever so much closer than before.

Siena

The woman across from her didn't seem taken aback by this development. She seemed as if she knew that this might happen. ln Siena's laspe of confusion, the small woman had managed to take Siena's tarot deck and had taken the remaining cards and fanned them outward. Every single card... was Death. "Hmmm... perhaps l should've guessed this might've happened. Miss... Siera, this tarot reading of yours... this fortune telling. Do you truly believe in it? Or is this a scam to trick people out of their hard earned cash and nothing more, a false promise of hope to placate them for but a moment as you take the small meager fortune they already possess?" she said, no emotion present on her face. lt was hard to say what she meant by this question. She didn't seem to be accusing... it wasn't aimed at her the same way people asked that question to her if they were saying she was naught but a crook. The woman in front of her seemed to want her true genuine answer.

Gabe

Claudia moved to take a seat behind her desk. She had to lift up the side of it, a small modification she had made to the design. The desk was too big to walk around in this space so she had to make a part of it lift up so that she could pass through. She often didn't put anything on this portion unless she was in her working for awhile. Claudia's desk still managed to be a mess of paperwork, and a assortment of strange knickknacks that probably had some purpose. Notably, there was a small crystal ashtray amoungst all the clutter. But... Claudia distinctly never smoked and often times scolded the performers who did. She was quite often found saying "lt's just gonna take a bunch of years off your life and make ya feel miserable for the few years you do still have. Stay away from it ye?" no one had ever had the guts to ask her about it, fearing she'd get angry about it, but it was always... so curious. Many of the troupers had pet theories, though most were so wild they couldn't possibly be true.

Claudia sat down, or perhaps more accurately fell down, into her old ruddy armchair with a loud thud. She rearranged some things so she had room for her arms, before she took the time to address Gabe. "Uh, no. Well, yes. But, lt's not something that's your fault or something you've actively caused. lt's... business. Something l can't say l'm happy about, but something l can't bypass by any means. Christine should've been here already but... seems she's runnin' late. l'll explain in full once she arrives, it concerns the both of you. l'd rather only have to say it once." Claudia... definitely looked forlorn, as if some pain was eating at her. She seemed like she had a lot on her mind recently... though she should've been happier right? After all, they had a show booked at the Golden Swan! The biggest theatre in all of Wands. And yet... she seemed ever the more downtrodden of late. Perhaps it had to do with this meeting...

[Felicity]

"Well, I'll take that as a compliment." Garret started slowly, mulling over the question. "It was happenstance that sent me down the alleyway if I'm honest. I make my living in Wands with a decent hand at poker and I know there's no reason to loiter when night comes along. I figured the dash through the alleyway would be quicker. I've had a few nasty scrapes whilst waiting for the trams."

 

Garret didn't mind talking about himself, it was gratifying in a way, but he couldn't just let the conversation go. He took the cloth he was using and rinsed it off before returning to the bath.

 

"So, if it's a long story that's fine, but I would like a name. Unless you want to be known by Mr Board, hardly the most flattering of names."