Carnival Masquerade

Tate hadn't made much effort to be in the public eye at all since the last new years eve city bash, spending more time then usual doing his own thing in the middle of the forest outside of Muchani City. Tonight however it was different, dressed in a very formal tailored suit and tie, steal grey shirt and matching coloured mask which reflected the depth of grey colour seen of his eyes. Tate felt comfortable in the new garments he had bought months earlier though had not been to an occasion which required them to be used until now.

With his invite half crumpled within his hand, He greeted the woman at the door with a charming smile, flashing the crumpled invite to her as she motioned for him to enter. God she looked good he had thought, though he wasn't going to stand at the door to chat her up. Thus upon entering and sparing a glance at the fire breathers Tate took a minute to wander with no general destination, taking in the colours of the decorations and the acts that were occurring. He couldn't settle on where to look given there was so much activity already and no doubt some talent around. his smile had lowered to a casual flicker of a grin. placing the invite on the empty drinks platter as a waiter moved past Tate moved further into the venue, grabbing a glass of bourbon off the platter of another waiter and observing the room as people arrived and mingled.

(Time to breathe some life into this one.)



The look of a sunset, splashed upon fabric. Bold, fitting.. elegant. The dress hugged her frame like a lovers' hand. Chestnut tresses massed in curls, and equally lovely feathers on her head. Her chocolate eyes sparkled behind a mask that looked like it was painted from the sky at dusk. Her stomach turned in an excitement she hadn't felt in a long time. There was music playing, and the belly dancers were displaying their craft well. Una looked around as she descended into the crowd. So much to see, she had to take a moment and simply take it all in. A demure hand poised at her hip she watched the burlesque dancers, and the stilt walkers move with ease. It was quite a sight to see. A tray happened by, and she plucked a thin flute from the top full of bubbling champagne. A smile crossed her red lip as she simply looked and watched.

Her frame moved with a graceful agility as she mingled with some of the dancers, a slow twirl here, a light bow there. A smile on her lips she remained hidden by her mask. Though the faintest of scale prints rested along her shoulders. The only clue that she was something more then a girl. These were magical parties, ones that she had only heard and read about in stories. So tonight, she was going to live it up.

“Oh how wonderful!,” Desi exclaimed, as she read the invite she had stolen. She doubted Luc would go, but just in case he was up for some mischief, she left him a note. She had only been to the new world a couple of weeks and in that time she had mainly fed from and enjoyed Luc’s attentions, but now she was 100% revived and she was B.O.R.E.D. She couldn’t stay at his place one more night or she might kill him herself.

She strolled through the streets looking for something to wear as she debated wearing a mask. It wasn’t like any she’d meet would even remember her once she walked away from them. Only Luc was special, not forgetting her as all the others. Sometimes it was a blessing as well as a curse.

She spotted a rather fetching display of dresses and entered the boutique. Immediately a sales woman came to her aid and of they went to shop. She had the lady ring up 7 gowns of assorted colors and styles and told her were to ship them.


Her gloved hands held out the invite to the person at the door as they led her inside. The corset sparkled as the light hit the black sequined flowers that adorned the grey corset. She took one look inside and twirled looking at all that was to see, the trail of her black and grey ruffled, layered dress swirling as she did, the front of the dress ending at her knees. Her hair was in long ringlets, piles on top of her head in a master piece as the ringlets still managed the reach mid back, “Ah, this reminds of the Palace back home, the jongleurs and tapestries.. the dancers... A smile lit her ruby colored lips and she ventured forth to admire and perhaps partake in the activities. Passing a server with a tray of drinks, her hand easily took one as he passed, taking a sip. She observed those in the vicinity as her nose told her what she was in the room with. A small smile tugged at her lips at the possibility of there being mischief. Hopefully she would learn much. Such as, what lived nearby? Their status structure and temperament towards one another and those not considered friends. Would they detect a vampire was near? How would they react?

Such possibilities filled her with excitement as she set her glass down as another person came by, going to a booth to play one of the many games available. Although she hadn’t the foggiest of how to play…

(Are there games to this? Not sure what to expect)

He followed her in, smiling at her inability to sense him standing mere feet away from her, letting his displacement drop, he took a deep breath, and immediately grimaced. "Dogs, great." He shook his head, "Always have hated their stench, but, the ones here, have such wonderful energies to feed off of." He chuckled, "And I would imagine their blood would taste exquisite." He added as he looked around again, taking a moment to admire the architecture of the building they were in.

Pushing his royal purple cloak back behind his shoulders, he revealed his clothing. Dark red leather riding jacket over a black tunic. The jacket having intricate gold designs on its tooled leather, the tunic had a collar, embroidered with runes of an ancient language. The pants were of a material that could only rarely be found in the world today, the woven silk of an elder bat. A species of bat that was now only found in the deepest recesses, or, where they were still cultivated by the rare isolated tribe.

Soft white feathers glitter at the side of her mask. The small white pearls that adorn the half mask sparkle with little flecks of glitter. Ebony hair in a mass of curls around her shoulders and down her back. The back of her dress dipping dangerously low to just above her bottom. The soft material hugged her frame, demure and alluring. Ice blue eyes stood out against the white of the mask she wore over the top half of her face. Pink pout lips in a slight grin as she entered the masquerade. The feather fan she held in her white gloved hand. The front of her dress, tied behind her neck, and shimmered lightly when she would walk. Down the stairs she moved, her nose telling her everything she needed to know. Sunrise was already here, perhaps she would go and say hello. But first, a slow gander around the room. She watched the dancers and men on stilts. Her brow raised slightly as one smiled back at her. Smiling still she made her way around the room, avoiding the dance floor for the moment.

The sultry drops of whiskey scolded his throat as each sip warmed him, Tate taking his time to take in the action. There were stilt walkers which one would not ordinarily associate with a ball but none the less in the carnival atmosphere they served as a perfect addition. Fire breathing entertainers gave audiences something to gasp and awh over while more people seemed to flood the establishment. This was quite the party he had thought after a few moments, after all Tate had been looking for somewhere to relax after a tense few weeks. There was no reason to look stiff legged in this kind of joint and he would happily partake in some sort of entertaining motion as the whiskey released the chains of responsibility from his mind.

His right hand slid over his chest, slipping the buttons of his suit jacket open before he turned the silver grey material of his shirt fitted against his torso. He set the glass down upon a free ledge nearby and paused to slide the jacket off, stopping a server nearby and murmuring instructions to deliver the jacket to the cloak room. The server politely obliged in the task and promptly whisked the jacket away as requested. Turning back Tate methodically unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt and rolled the sleeve halfway to the elbow, loose and casual as he often liked. Watching the people around him interact he found it amusing, so many people so willing to trust, to indulge. Sure he would indulge himself but the ease at which people fed their lives to one another almost disgusted him. It left open weaknesses in one’s armour and that was not something he would afford at this point in time.

Some of the entertainers were showing patrons the way in which their acts were performed and taking it as an opportunity to have some fun, Tate grabbed a set of juggling balls. His hands gripped the balls and first moved slightly as he predetermined the rhythm and timing. Once established he lifted his hand, fingers opening to release the ball into the air, the other hand following in succession as he began to juggle, only knowing how to from having entertained his cousin when she had been much younger.

Green eyes peered through the mask of many colours as hands slipped skill fully over ribbons between fingers of fluid movement. From time to time the man looked down upon his turning hands to make sure the ribbon had the correct placing before it was manouvered once more to contort the body. The red silk spun under his leg as he conformed to the choreograph of the other silk dancers.It hadn't taken long for Noah to pick it up. His skills as a Night Angel had helped with that immensely; it was the stilts that might prove other wise difficult.
He had seen the advert a few weeks ago from a man passing out flyers in the city and snatched the idea almost rhythmically. A grand ball would be the perfect place to conceal his identity and search for those whom he sought. So, he had bleached his otherwise mousey brown hair, fashioned realistic green contacts, covered his scars with liquid latex and stayed out of the sun long enough to rid himself of his honey complexion; fitting into character as he often had.

Hands gripped at the fabric to pull himself skyward, wrapping his leg with hidden ease in the material before relaxing his hands and falling backwards. The ribbon became taught and held his form in a bent back position, allowing for time to scan the area for the hundredth time; this time, spotting Tate leaning against a ledge, drink in hand. Of course he would not conform to the stature of the night by wearing a mask to conceal his hansom face. Noah could not help but smile at the irony of it.

Sweat dripped from his naked torso, rolling from a shoulder to fall to the patrons below who weren't particularly taking notice of the entertainers as they sipped their high class beverages. Classical music blared from the speakers above to boost the acoustics of the band, concealing any conversation he might otherwise hear. Though, with the distance from the roof to the floor, one would not need to speak so loud as to talk over the music.

As Una moved through the crowds she came near the stage, where the music played. A subtle glint in her eye and her lips curled subtly at the edge. A growl vibrated through her, low, and inaudible to any human ears. It was full of mischief and play. Chestnut locks strewn about her shoulders in the curly up do that she had done. Big chocolate eyes took in her surroundings, and even glanced some new faces.

Small, and agile she moved through the crowded dance floor. Slowly she made her way to the center, and looked around. As the music came to a climactic part, she crouched. As she came up, her dress licked with flame; turned to a gown of brilliant red dragon scales. The backless dress, rested just above her bottom, and a spine of scales made it's way up her back to her neck. Her eyes changed slightly, and she smoothed her hands down her dress. Now she felt like herself. Slowly she sauntered through the crowds.

The booth keeper came up to her. "Welcome, welcome!" He held out three rings to her for which she took. His hands swept out to display three bottles behind him, separated by a least a foot. "If you can get  all three rings around the bottle's neck, you'll win prize, sweet Lady."

She watched as he showed how to play. "Easy as 1..2...3!' he exclaimed, "Now you give it a try." He moved out of the way so she could. Hold the one ring up at a time she easily tossed it towards the bottle's neck. She debated with herself whether she should miss her not. Act...human. The three rings spiraled around and around and finally settld against the bottle. Lying about ones self she couldn't possible do. "And we have a winner!!! Congratulations young Lady!" She smiled as the male held out her stuff bear.

Taking it she  turned to see what else she could win. Winning felt very, very good. As soon as she left the man rubbed his chin and blinked down at the rings still around the bottle's neck and wondered how they had gotten there.
She could feel Luc in the vicinity but she didn't go to him, not yet. She could here the music, the actors and laughing from somewhere. People chasing one another and giggling.

She found herself going to the dance floor.

The Harlequin Chapter 2 - Macabre Tidings

The ship had sunk. Their duty done. The creature that plagued their kind would never rise again.
During that time, so long ago, they upheld their duty with honor. Estranged from their home now, but they did not care. They could not allow her to roam free. She was an abomination. Not one them. She could never be one of the Guard. They had formed their own regimen after not agreeing with the council, taking matters into their own hands. The start of the clan wars only helped in covering up their involvement.
They live on till this day, upholding their warped sense of honor, their faces and memory all but forgotten with the passing of time.


Whispers of a ship desecrated the dead and tales of evil had reached across the shores to the forgotten ones. They had ended her reign so long ago, but they could not let this rumor go without investigating it.

The stories led them to this location. They had been here over two weeks getting the lay of the land and the creatures that called this place home. They were surprised to find a clan of lycan, but for now their top priority was her. They first sought out the ship that started all the rumors. Although it had been cleaned and emptied of its cargo, the reek of death clung to it, and mixed in with all that blood, was hers! The five of them could not believe it, but blood did not lie. She was free once again.

Their data led them to the tent full of lights and attraction, filled with humans and supernatural’s alike. It was easy to blend with the crowd, wearing capes and mask.

They spotted her almost immediately. She looked the same as she did on that day. The group of five split up, blending into the shadows. Instantly the lights busted, pitching the tent in darkness. A woman’s terrorized scream filled the darkness, her death rattle finally ending to bone chilling scream.