Quest [Seasonal Quest] The Masquerade

[Sosicly Magnolia]

When the mushroomed Symenestra turned Sosicly was able to get the full scope of his costume. His mask, she thought, was the most wonderful part of the piece. Dangerously sculpted horns curved up and set off the muted colored costume well. Not to mention the mushroom-things looked much more elegant with the mask in view. She clapped her hands in excitement for his costume while smiling widely at his exlanation. Thinking back on it she recalled something like it being worked on but everyone was so swampped with custom orders it was hard to remember them all. Without another thought she reached up and poked one of the mushrooms curiously but softly as to not damage his costume. When Sosicly pulled back she nodded her thanks to his compliment and returned it with a sweeping gesture to his costume and a wider smile that had her fangs poking out. Before she could actually think of another way to 'say' something she saw a faint shadow fall over her for a few moments then disappear. Turning she only just caught a young man, also in a dark colored costume, slink away to the wall. His costume drew the eye to the simple rose in his breast pocket, but what was truly interesting was the mask. It was two parts; his hat and the sharp, almost sinister smile it held. She was surprised they were not wearing more color, it seemed to be atheme amoung them. The girl pursed her lips in slight disappointment but shrugged it off easily enough. Then she walked towards the red-breasted Sym and waved herhand for him to come over. Next she held up a finger to both of the men and hurried over to the food table. There she grabbed three cups of a sickly sweet fruit juice, her personal favorite, and carried them back over. She was just in time to see a Symenestra wearing a blue-feathered mask send his drink flying into the nearest masquerade goer.

[Vyvian]

Vyvian glanced up at the woman and almost gasped, she was beckoning to him. Not anyone else, him! Nearly jumping for joy he got himself to his feet. Until he noticed she was beckoning to the man she was talking to previously. This halted him right in his tracks completely. Glaring from under his mask he felt both hostility and terror towards this stranger.

He looked back towards the silent woman. She stood offering him a glass of something or other. His heart sank. Despite his predatory attire, he slumped even lower against the wall and just pretended to ignore the woman. There was no way he was going anywhere near her when the other man was there.

He looked down at his gloved hand, happy that he had brought his ring with him, and twisted it around his finger repetitively, trying to draw comfort from it. He drew his knees a little closer to his head to hide himself better. He really hated himself at times like this.

His mood snowballing downwards, tears started to well up. Why couldn't he just be normal like everyone else... why did he self impose this exile on himself.. His ring twisting grew more violent every turn.

[Scorn]

Scorn was just about to brag to Laute about how she had a slave now too, when it occurred to her to wonder where Vyvian was. She sniffed him out quickly enough, and caught sight of him in time to see the female stick-person beckoning to him. A jealous fire lit in Scorn's heart, and she was quite ready to make her ownership of Vyvian plain. Luckily for the girl, Vyvian stayed by the wall. Though, now that she was looking at him, it seemed to Scorn that there was something wrong with the boy. He was curled up, listless, and generally devoid of energy. The only time Scorn had seen anything similar was when a Zith was about to give up on living. They would stop hunting, stop eating, and generally just lay down and die. Scorn was not willing to accept the loss of her slave, especially not when she wanted to taunt Laute. She grabbed something at random from the table of food and spread her wings. Taking flight was the most natural thing in the world to Scorn, but it perhaps looked quite dramatic to the non-Zith party-goers. She flapped her wings only a few times before she reached Vyvian. She landed right on his shoulders, and held the food in front of his face. "Eat," she commanded sternly. The claws on her feet gripped his shoulders securely, possibly feeling painfully uncomfortable. She did not draw blood yet, but it was clear she easily could.

[Sosicly Magnolia]

She didn't understand why the man didn't come over then realized maybe he couldn't see her with his hate. But before she could make a move a Zith, for only they would be so rude as to blatantly flew over head indoors, cornered him. For a moment Sosicly thought it was Shausha and was surprised at how disappointed she was when she realized it wasn't. The Zith then offered the Symenestra some food quite forcibly, and Sosicly wondered if she should interfer or just drink the extra herself. A brief debate then she moved around the Zith widely to try and avoid a negative response. She held out the cup and after and awkward moment of smiling she set the drink on the floor beside the pair. Returning to stand by the horned masked Symenestra to wait and see if the Zith and red-breasted Sym would join them. Sosicly leaned against the nearest surface and sipped her drink happily while keeping an eye on her current company and what was happening with the spilt drink a few feet away.

[Viridae Kabre]

At the sight of a Zith flying overhead, Viridae stood up straight and fixed trained eyes on it, before realizing it was the smaller, and definately more feminine of the pair. For a moment he almost looked away in embarassment, before realizing she was on top of a young male Symenestra. Krova. That was a word that actually meant something to him. Though he did not understand anything about Zith culture, and from his encounter with the only Zith he had ever met, understood only that they where very direct and did not concern themselves with the oppinions of others, he could not help the protective feeling rising within the pit of his chest.

He took a few steps foreward silently, ensuring there was a thin layer of part guests conceiling him from the pair. Then he drew his small curved hunting knife and held it behind his back, keeping careful watch. Although he usually kept to himself, the hero complex laying dormaint somewhere within had already decided to rear its ugly head. He would have drawn his bow, if there weren't so many people. after all, what was a Zith really, but a giant cougar with wings and the ability to speak.

[Vyvian]

Vyvian looked up at scorn, his sadness turning into malice.

"Scorn, unlike you I do not get irritable when I'm hungry. You won't understand why I am like this so I strongly recommend that you leave me be" he said with a combination of trembling and sobbing.

Regaining his composure a little he looked towards the small glass of sickly sweet. Glancing at the woman who had handed it to him he nudged it a couple of inches away to signify he didn't want it.

[Vetari Violet]

Everything happened so quickly. The silent beauty he had been conversing with disappeared, grabbing drinks from the feasting table and becoming to him and another Krova in a rather disturbing mask. Next a drink flew past him, splashing across one of the partygoers who yelped in surprise, her elegant dress soiled. He quickly scrambled to the feasting table, getting some napkins to help her clean herself off with, but just as he reached the woman one of the Zith took flight pouncing upon the devilishly masked man, speaking to him in hushed and threatening tones. He forced the napkins into the woman’s hands before nudging his way through the crowd. He took one of the drinks from the quiet woman, nodding in thanks as he slipped it under his mask and downed the drink, shivering at the sweet syrup as it hit his tongue. He was moving like a river, weaving between partygoers towards the Zith and the man on the wall. Viratas would not abide bloodshed at a celebration of life, and if Vetari wasn’t a servant of Viratas he was nothing. As he made it past the final row of observers he stood over the Zith, his mask and large shoulder pads adding to the intimidating stature he forced upon himself. “By Viratas, get off him!” he shouted in Common, trying to sound as big as his visage portrayed. “This is a party! Bloodshed will not be tolerated amongst the festivities. It’s against the tenants of Viratas and against our Column of Law! Now release him before I have someone call the Ochya!”

[Viridae Kabre]

With Vetari's statement, Viridae stepped foreward, spinning the curved hunting knife in his hand, whistling lightly. He paused next to the Zith and leaned against the wall.

"Who needs the Ochya?" He said lightly in common, placing a hand on his bow. He was bluffing his skills with the implication he could take out a Zith at close range, but who cares? No one had seen this armor yet, and his face was conceiled. For all anyone else knew, He was just another hunter, maybe even a skilled hunter. The only giveaway would be those light amythist eyes, which he quickly cast down to be covered by his eyelashes.

"You may not know this, Young woman, but we are not very high in population, and dont take kindly to seeing our brothers mistreated. Life is precious," he trailed off, considering adding something religious, but decided against it, seeing as though he was not very religious himself. He looked to Vetari, "Am I right?"

[Vetari Violet]

Vetari nodded at the hunters statement, holding a hand up as he caught sight of the glinting knife. “ALL life is precious, Krova. Even that of the Zith. There need not be any bloodshed here tonight. Now, please," he said, turning back to face the Zith "release our brother before we have to restrain you.” The threat was empty. He had no doubt he could not hold back the powerful arms of the Zith, but perhaps he and the hunter could intimidate her into believing they could. He was grateful he did not stand alone, that he was not the only one willing to act for the greater good of his race, even if it meant putting their lives on the line. “I ask you kindly, once more. Please. Release. Him.” He tried to mimic the voice of Daratur, his father, imagining what he would sound like if he were truly angry. People respected him for the place he held, and there was no doubt he was a powerful speaker. Perhaps if he emulated the powerful man, he could recreate his effect on people. That little special something he had about him. He looked from the hunter to the Zith, giving silent permission to involve themselves should the Zith continue to be a problem.

[Sosicly Magnolia]

Sosicly did not have time to be offened when her offered drink was pushed away but she was not given the time. And really she should have asked first. Instead she got to watch as things escalated, forcing her to wonder if Zith were trouble magnets or just troublesome. Once more she wished for her book but where Zith were concerned it would be no help. Truthfully she was not sure that the young Sym even needed hekp. His tone, though angry, indicated that he knew the Zith. The whole thing was just ridiculous, really. And while she would never condone hurting one of hers their behavior was terrible. The Zith was their guest. Frowning she stepped forward and picked up her extra juice cup,having long since finished hers, and held it out to the Zith in a peace offering. After which she ignored the girl winged creature in favor of trying to catch the hat wearing Symenestra eye. When she was certain she had it Sosicly gestured first to the blue masked man, the horn masked man, the Zith and then herself. Next with her free hand she used two fingers to make a walking motion and cocked her head in question. There was no telling if he understood her or not but she thought the meaning clear. Did he want them to go?