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*Heirs of the Nether Realm (Rated-R)*

VampirateMace

Internet Overlord
Royals from kingdoms across the Nine Regions of the Nether Realm have gathered at the grand hall in the central kingdom of Nexus: City of Magic to attend the 969th Annual Grand Inter-Kingdom Ball, a celebration of peace throughout the Nether Realm. To most it is a dry and somber affair, highlighted only by the rare ability to actually mingle with other species. - As per the vote in discussion; we will be starting just prior to the point in the plot where the ball goes to hell, so everyone can have a couple fancy slice of life intro posts first.

SU Thread: https://forums.serebii.net/threads/heirs-of-the-nether-realm-rated-r.668292/
Discussion: https://discord.gg/934SJDc
- Informative assets are pinned in discussion; rough map, size charts, haikus, etc. . .

Rules:
1. Follow the standard forum and sub-forum rules.
2. Don't SPAM, flame, or otherwise harass other players. I don't care if it's here or on discord, just don't do it, be mature.
3. Don't bunny (control others' character's) without permission. - If you fight another player, you do not get to decide if you hit them. But I'm not really expecting player vs player violence in this.
4. Your character is NOT Omnipotent, Omniscient, or Omnipresent. Do NOT have them know things they shouldn't, teleport, or otherwise god-mode.
5. Put your name and location (if known) at the top of your post. Inventory is not required for this RP.
6. For those of you with attendants, familiars, and pets, make it very clear WHO is doing WHAT. It's also helpful to name them as well at the top of your post.
7. Do NOT be the idiot that forces me to make more rules, okay? <3

Approved Players:
1. VampirateMace - (Laun, Jötunn)
2. Monster Guy (Sky, Fairy)
3. Tangeh (Tasoula, Siren)
4. Schade (Alistair, Vampire)
5. Vern (Shura, Orc)
6. Skillfullness (Garnet, Kenku)
7. Dragalge (Millefuille, Magical Human)
8. GoldenHouou (Aeon, Demon)
9.
___

Laun (Jötunn) & Muninn (Falcon)
Location: Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic

Laun felt a little out of place as he trudged through the ballroom. He was taller then most everyone else and well aware that his clothes were not quite as delicate and fancy as those of the races that considered themselves more civilized. He wasn't sure what to make of this, as he knew both orcs and yetis also had rich cultures separating them from the animals, yet weren't considered civilized. But his long leather coat and furs were what passed as formal or traditional wear among his people, so it would have to do. All this was not to mention the fact he was so used to using magic to freeze the ground as he walked, it was hard not to leave an icy trail wherever he went. His father seemed to have it down, but whenever he glanced back, he could tell he was failing by the frosty patches of hardwood floor.

Upon arriving he'd been cycled through greeting everyone who'd already arrived, which was a little awkward given all the different customs he had to keep straight, and any new ones he needed to learn. Then his father had broke away to talk diplomacy with some other leaders, leaving him alone. Given his age, and the fact he'd attended before, this wasn't technically unexpected, but it was still kind of bothersome. Laun didn't really like being alone, and he only knew as much of these people as the couple hours divided among them on previous years allowed. He wished Muninn was here with him, but the falcon didn’t really care for being inside, nor did it seem most people appreciated animals that much at indoor events.

Soft music played in the background, Laun thought it might have been a piece composed in the Demon Kingdom, but it was hard to tell when it was being played much too slow and softly. This was presumably in an effort to match the visuals of soft draped décor and precious metals. A couple of trained pixies floated by with a silver tray of hors d'oeuvres between them. They paused every now and then so people could snatch a tiny puff pastry full of spinach dip, a pseudodragon meatball, or a cube of deep fried unicorn cheese. Laun paid this no mind, he knew the real banquet lay on the other side of the hall, along with the drink stations. Remembering this, he decided maybe a drink would help, maybe it would make this feel more like the festivals back home, and started wading through the crowd. Something in the back of his mind tried to remind him that it wouldn't, especially not with the drinks being tiny and fancy (and watered-down he suspected), but he'd already decided he wanted one.

Laun turned, meandering that way, easily parting the crowd at his size, but also trying to remember to stop and schmooze a little as he crossed the room. This of course was awkward because he hardly knew anyone, so most of it was asking them how they were doing in the common tongue before excusing himself quietly.

Finally across the hall he faced the long tables of finger foods and fancy drinks, tended to by a small army of servers in traditional human suits (regardless of actual species). He strolled along the nearest table of food, heading for a drink table. He decided he'd have to come back for a snack later. There were exotic finger foods from all over the Nether Realm laid out fancy platters; mini chimera egg quiches, fresh seared scallops, deep fried shrimp, stuffed pumpkin flowers, single breaded fern flowers served over pesto drizzled toast, seared slices of pseudodragon tail steak, bit-sized gold and silver apple fritters, deviled caladrius eggs, and much more.

Stolling over to the drink station, it revealed to be just s fancy and exotic as the buffet. Tiny cups were laid out in neat little rows, each garnished and filled with fancy drinks; tiny crystal goblets of untainted dew with a single tiny violet floating on top, rosy elven wine, blazing water from the demon kingdom garnished with some vegetable Laun wasn't familiar with, flutes of local champagne, ridiculously small portions of dwarven ale, frosty yeti-made vodka. . . Laun glanced at the goblin in a suit on a step stool, who was pouring and garnishing fresh portions to replace those recently taken. Then carefully, cause this **** was way too delicate for his large hands, Laun picked up one of the flutes of champagne. He'd only ever had it here in Nexus, and from what he recalled, though it was weak, it was delightfully bubbly. It took only a swallow to drain the cup, and the goblin looked a bit surprised and put-off when he set it back down. Laun suggested, “Maybe I could take the bottle?”

“But sir, this is a lot of alcohol,” suggested the goblin lifting a glass bottle that looked about the right size in Laun's opinion. Laun shrugged and downed a couple of the tiny dwarven ales. It was a bit stronger, and he could feel a slight sing on his tongue, but it was hardly worth the effort. He set these cups next to the first. The goblin sighed and passed the champagne bottle to him. And that is how Laun came to be standing against a side wall of the grand hall, watching royals schmooze as he drank champagne straight from the bottle.
 
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Schade

Metallic Wonder
Crown Prince Alistair Duchannes Harkon II (Vampire)
Location: Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic


"Prince Alistair Duchannes Harkon the second! Crown Prince of the kingdom of Greymire!" the unnaturally loud voice of the small announcer spoke as he entered the grand ballroom of the grand estate. The guests were all announced one at a time as the guest in question slowly walked in, making their grand entrance. Alistair had done this a million times before, and was not new to these customs. Wait maybe a second longer for everyone to take in his appearance, let them forge a first impression, then start walking. Slowly, slowly, arm raised and held gracefully under his chest while the other is casually resting on his sword. As he walked across the grand ballroom towards where the guests were, the announcer continued. "Son of the original Vampire of the dark forests, tamer of sloths and winner of the Greymirian archery competition 27 years in a row counting!". The list was long, and it had been difficult to pin down what facts Alistair wanted the announcer to give as he made his entrance, though he could see peoples surprised facial expression as they gasped in awe. This was what making an entrance was all about and unfortunately, it would all go downhill from here. While Alistair relished in the chance of diplomacy and tiny fingerfoods, these events almost always ended up becoming terribly dull.

Reaching the end of what could only be described as the catwalk of narcissism, he was politely greeted by some of the other guests who had already assembled over by where the tiny fingerfoods were. Considering how long these introductions tended to last given the amount of people for such a huge event, Alistair did not envy whoever came in last, who in turn probably missed out on all the refreshments and got maybe 15 minutes of merriment before the event was wrapped up and finished. As to be expected from an event like this, most of the guests wore extravagant clothing to show off their wealth, their political status, who they support in which war, and mos importantly: How much food they were planning to eat. Considering Alistair didnt actually need anything but the tiny red cocktails he hoped would be served here, he could wear his regular formal armor to show off his physique, gaining envious glances from other men around him. The women, however, mostly just stuffed their faces with as many appetizers as possible, as they hid under their extravagant ballgowns anyway. Indulging in conversation, Alistair quickly melted into the crowd and became one with the political ravings and personal stories of economical growth, warfare and last but not least: Who was going to marry who. It was pretty obvious who was there for the politics, and who was there to land themselves a man. Older noble ladies pulling their younger mini-me's along prompting every young wealthy-looking man to dance with their son or daughter while said son/daughter was standing there awkwardly not into this situation at all. It happened at every ball at this point, and Alistair had made a pattern to try to avoid the worst of it.

"Oh mylord, but you simply must dance with my daughter!" A scrawny female voice said, revealing what could only be a walking elven corpse wearing a tight corset and a hairdo taller than he was himself, showing off her daughter, who was awkwardly standing behind her. "Violetta, be a dear and introduce yourself!" the woman said with such timing one could only assume she had done this many, many times before. The young woman, Violetta, was a striking resemblence to her mother, albeit younger by what.. Centuries? Hard to tell considering how ragged the older woman looked. Regardless, she politely asked Alistair for a dance, and seeing as this was one of the less weird proposals he anticipated for the evening, he politely accepted, holding his hand out to lead them to the dancefloor. The music playing was soft, but just enough to get a dance going. There werent that many people on the dancefloor yet, besides a few other women in similar situations as this Violetta, as well as two men dancing together, having a moment so touching you'd almost assume they were the protagonists of this situation by how they were staring into each others eyes, and then there was Alistair.

The conversations at these events usually went the same, and Alistair politely kept the conversation going.
"Are you having a good time here, my lady?" He asked. Violetta, revealed to be away from her haggard cryptkeeper-esque mother sighed before talking. "I appologize for my mothers behavior back there. I keep telling her i'm not interested in these blind dates, but she never listens." she said in an annoyed, casual tone, surprising Alistair by how normal and edgy she was despite her first appearance. "All i want is to rip this garment off and put on some solid boots for a change" she then sighed. She did not seem to be the typical star-struck maiden out to land herself a man, and Alistair sighed in relief. That's one less heart he had to trample over for the evening.
Keeping the dance going, the two had a great time getting to know each other, though the both of them were very up-front about their casual take on the event. Violetta hailed from the elven kingdom of Ishnigarrab, of which Alistair had visited on a few occasions before. She was the daughter of countess Blupella, who was revealed to have been the dried up rasin that introduced her to him in the first place. They had a good conversation going, and the beginning of a solid friendship was blooming.

Some time later, Alistair figured he would retreat towards where the food was being served. Having worked up quite the appetite, he wasn't sure the establishment actually served blood, considering he would be the only vampire there. Though based on his knowledge of other species, he doubted he was the only one with such an unconventional diet. Regardless, he walked over to the tables holding the servings, careful to avoid the giant brute trying to navigate his way through ordering drinks before getting hold of a goblin server. "Yes, i would like to have a tall glass of Red for filth, if you'd please. He was excited to see all this food, and a little sad he wouldnt be able to try any. While he technically could eat normal food, his vampiric nature made it all taste like ash anyways, and it wouldn't sustain him. It was a pity, but just seeing all the strangely beautiful food structures were almost equal to how he would imagine tasting it would be. He'd hate to ruin such structures anyway. The goblin came back with a trolley containing some freshly drawn blood from... somewhere, as well as a few spiffy items in order to make the beverage stand out as not just another morbid appetizer, but rather a masterpiece. Taking a sip, he could taste that this blood was likely originating from... An unfortunate hero who met his end due to his own arrogance and youthful adventurous spirit. One mans pain, another vampires weirdly pretty bloody mary.

Taking his drink with him, he would carefully sip it not to look like a glutton while strolling around. The announcer was still calling out names, and Alistair figured he'd stand by one of the many ornate pillars and wait and see if he'd recognize anyone entering. He hadn't been to this event before, but he was fairly certain he had recognized a few faces as he had walked in himself, so doubtlessly there would be more.
 
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Tangeh

Well-Known Member
Princess Tasoula Kasiani Eliades
Location: Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic

In some ways, the ball had been everything Princess Tasoula had dreamt. The young siren had done her part to stand up straight in her human form with the Royal Trident and politely greet the other races in the common tongue as she'd been trained for the past six months. She wore a blue skirt that showed off her legs in the front, but nearly swept the floor in the back. Her white strapless top - if you could call it that - also covered very little skin. All the better for attracting men - the ultimate goal of every royal siren at these otherwise dull functions. Her mother Queen Phyllida had stood with her at first, introducing her to the monarchs of the other races and - more importantly - pointing out and naming their firstborn sons when their backs were turned. Tasoula drunk this information in, saving it for when the formalities were over and the real dinner began. Her mother's hair was a more universal deep shade of blue, lacking Tasoula's lighter blue highlights, but it was just as long, and just as gorgeous. Both their brows were adorned with handmade flower crowns. With faces showing equal youth despite the age gap, they could easily be mistaken for sisters if not for the fact that this was Queen Phyllida's twenty-third ball and Tasoula's first.

...Which led straight into everything Tasoula hadn't been expecting. She hadn't expected every. single. monarch to greet them somberly and offer condolences for the death of Tasoula's grandmother six months ago. She especially hadn't expected a creature called a "banshee" to not leave them alone for this fact, to the point where Tasoula's mother bared her teeth and hissed back until a couple bystanders had to intervene and forcefully separate them. She hadn't expected her mother to then leave in a fit of stress in favour of flirting with three male dwarves on the other end of the room.

She hadn't expected to then be repeatedly mistaken for her mother, probably not helped by her wielding the Royal Trident. Over and over and over she had to correct them - did they really look so much alike?! And when she did explain that she was next in line for the throne and this was her first ball - even smiling and winking as she'd been trained - she didn't expect the monarchs' eyes to widen and for them to whisper and usher their adult children away. She'd expected to get close enough to a boy that her face flushed and her heart raced as he stared, absolutely transfixed on her - she hadn't expected their parent to barge in and literally shoo her away before she could make any real moves. What gives?! Her mother had never mentioned this - but the more she thought about it, the more she realized it was because she was childless. Nobody wanted their kingdom to father the next heir to the siren throne. Ugh... she should have just went with it when they thought she was her mother.

She separated herself from the dance floor with a sigh. She also hadn't expected her throat to burn from being away from the water longer than she had in her entire life. She needed a game plan. If anyone could do this, it was her. It was. So. On.

First thing's first. She went to the drink station and smiled at the goblin attendant. "Water, please," she told him, then craned her neck to peer back into the dancing crowd. Whether it was her eyes or her hormones that immediately picked out the male heirs her mother had pointed out before, Tasoula wasn't sure, but her eyes darted back and forth. Most of them already had dancing partners, but she wasn't worried about that particular obstacle. Her eyes darted to an easier target who had pressed himself along the side wall with an entire bottle of something or other - really tall, really blue, and really muscular ... Tasoula was struggling to remember the name of the race he hailed from, but she was pretty sure his name was Laun.

"Miss?" the goblin prompted, and Tasoula looked back to see him holding out a glass of water, his eyes staring intensely at her chest. She smiled and accepted the glass - shame he wasn't royalty.

It took Tasoula a moment to figure out what tasted off about the water. She frowned in displeasure and handed it back, twirling her hand as she came up with the right adjective. "This isn't salty enough," she decided firmly, gesturing to the glass. "Please make it saltier."

The goblin looked confused for a few moments, then his expression settled. "Ah, I know what you mean, Miss. Hold on a moment." Tasoula wanted to look back to take inventory of the men, but she instead quirked a brow as the goblin mixed several odd ingredients together. Though when he handed it back to her, the rim of the wide glass was literally coated with salt, so she accepted it with a grateful smile. He bowed politely. "A special goblinfolk recipe - I hope you will find it appealing, Miss."

Tasoula smiled back as if that wasn't a really weird thing to say about a glass of water. "Thank you!" She winked at him and left the station. She sipped cautiously at the drink once out of eyesight - okay, that definitely wasn't water. The strange burn it left was unfamiliar, though the taste really wasn't that bad. Better than the flavourless garbage that occupied her glass before, anyways, so she kept drinking.

She hadn't quite made it to Laun when a new distraction appeared in her line of sight - the vampire prince himself, leaning against a piller with a glass of red something or other. Maybe another special goblin recipe? She thought she'd just saw him dancing, so maybe this was the perfect opportunity to jump while he was singled out. "Prince Alistair!" she greeted energetically as if she'd met him for more than a few brief seconds a short while ago. She giggled and smiled at him as she inched closer into his personal space, her face flushing. "Taking a break from dancing, yes? And from your lady friend? And from your family?" She set her drink aside in favor of running her hand along his getup. "Is this traditional vampire clothing? I've never seen anything like it," she purred, her mouth edging closer to his ear. "But honestly, I'd rather see you with it off, if you catch my drift..." She rested a hand gently on his arm, trying to lead him. "I think we could both use a break from this stuffy ballroom, don't you?" Whether he realized it or not, 'no' wasn't going to be an acceptable answer.
 

Vern

Why not both?
Shura Deadeye
Location: Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic


Shura groaned as she pushed through the crowd, trying to get to the refreshment stand. She hated these events, and all the royals around her spared no opportunity to remind her of why — every smile was reciprocated by a slightly unnerved glance, like they were looking at some lesser creature, or some dangerous animal about to bite their little heads off. It didn’t help that this was her first ball, and she didn’t know anyone. She’d even had to leave her halberd by the door, while some siren paraded through the room with a trident, because apparently weapons were only allowed when they were ‘symbolic’, or something.

“Hey,” she said to the server as she approached the refreshment stand, smiling with her mouth closed as to not scare anyone with the sharpened teeth, “You got any alcohol around here?”

The goblin turned around and gave a respectful little bow. “Ah, you must be Lady Shura,” he said, “It’s nice to meet you — your father spoke of you last he was here. Does he grace us with his presence this evening?” Shura glanced at his name tag, and saw that it read ‘Gilbert’.

“Oh, you know pops?” She laughed, brightening up visibly. It’s always easier to deal with people who are used to talking to orcs. “He’s off overseeing a festival, so you’re stuck with me tonight.” Grinning, she gave the goblin a hearty pat on the back — not to hearty, though, those little green men were easy to knock over. “So, Gilbert, can you hit me up with the really strong shi—“ A posh-looking elf threw a disapproving glance her way, and she quickly caught herself, “I mean, stuff?”

“It’d be my pleasure, my —”

“Don’t ‘lady’ me,” she sighed, “Just Shura is fine.”

“Of course,” The goblin laughed, seemingly loosening up a little and allowing a little accent to slip into his common, “Sorry about that — doing this job, all that courtesy becomes habit. Want some dwarven stuff, or maybe… ah, I’ve got just the thing for you.” Scurrying through the crowd, the goblin quickly reached into the magical cooler and pulled out a bottle that contained a dark black substance that had red patterns dancing across it. Almost casually, he chucked it across the table, and Shura caught it with one hand and a wide grin. If only all the servers were like this.

“It’s demon stuff!” The goblin shouted to be heard over the din, “You’ll like it for sure!”

She waved her thanks and, tossing the bottle from right hand to left, wove back through the crowd. The siren with the trident seemed to have claimed (or was at least attempting to claim) the vampire as her own. A bit of a shame, since they were both pretty good looking, but it wasn’t like her goal here was to get laid. Getting drunk came first — it made all these stuffy events much more enjoyable. And as for what else comes after that… well, whatever happens happens. She tore the cork off using her mouth, spitting it into a nearby bin, and took a long sip. The ‘demon stuff’ burned like crazy, and tasted like berries with a vaguely metallic tint. Not bad. It was like drinking the blood of your enemies, but a little sweeter. She’d have to ask Gilbert what exactly it was later, if she could find him.

Looking around the room for some place to go, she caught sight of a Jötunn standing in the corner, drinking some alcohol straight from the bottle. Perfect — the Jötunn were pretty fun to be around, when they weren’t getting all serious. As the normal Orcish ‘arm loop around shoulder’ would’ve been a little impractical, given their difference in size, she opted for a friendly punch on his arm instead. “‘Sup, blue boy?” She grinned (not bothering to hide her teeth this time) and offered him her bottle, “Wanna try some Demon brew?”
 

Monster Guy

Fairy type Trainer
Prince Sky Sparkledust
Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic

A small ball of pink light floated into the ballroom. As soon as the light entered, the light vanished, and was replaced by a six foot tall sparkling fairy. It was Sky's first time at the Inter Kingdom Ball. Normally, his parents were the ones to attend this, but they were busy, and Sky was old enough to represent the Fairy Kingdom himself. Sky took a bow for the people that had acknowledged his presence.

The place was decorated beautifully. Exactly as Sky imagined it would be. Still, Sky had hoped for something more... lively. The music playing in the background was slow, and no one looked like they were actually having fun. Thank the FeeMutter Sky was here now. It was a Fairy's job to bring joy and whimsy into the world! First things first though, food!

Sky shrank down to his small size, and zipped towards the table of food. They had an amazing spread. There were foods from all over the realm. Sky happily took a plate of deep fried Unicorn Cheese Cubes. From his perspective, it was a rather large portion, but that was because he was the size of someone's thumb. For people that were normal size, he really didn't take all that much. He also approached the bar, and got a glass of sugar water, proportionate to his size.

The Fairy Prince was happily munching on his Unicorn Cheese cubes, drinking his sugar water, and looking around the room. The food was good though. The Cheese Cubes were magically delicious, like always. He looked for someone to talk to. So, far this party was dreadfully boring, and he was kind of getting lonely sitting there eating and drinking by himself.

He soon got sight of a beautiful blue haired young woman. He didn't know what it was, but Sky suddenly felt the urge to go talk to her. He zipped up to her as she was speaking to the Vampire Prince. "Oh my FeeMutter, hi!" The small Fairy exclaimed. "Wow, you're really pretty!" Then, he cleared his throat, and composed himself. "Oh, excuse me. Where are my manners?" He grew to six feet tall, took the girls hand, and kissed it. "My name is Prince Sky Sparkledust. Of the Fairy Kingdom. Pleased to meet you."

The Vampire prince was also rather handsome too, even if he did look a little too morbid for his liking. It would be rude to leave him out, so Sky took the opportunity to kiss his hand too. "Would either of you care for a dance?"
 

Skillfulness

Well-Known Member
Garnet Culture-CouncilSon-Scholar
Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic

The kenku boy was in awe over the largeness of the event. He was used to visiting other kingdoms and seeing their cultures. Having all of them thrown together into one gigantic building was another story. There was all manner of clothing, language, food, fur, size, and even smells. Garnet usually had to be respectful and interact with others a lot when he was with his parents at meetings with other kingdoms. He was there to represent his species and learn what he could about their culture as part of their spot on the Council. This time though, his parents were the ones taking on full responsibility and Garnet was free to enjoy himself. He still had to wear his formal attire though. It included the crest of his people on the belt cinched around his bright red tunic. The yellow and orange feathers he wore in the back were most frustrating to deal with as they passed through crowds and he kept his favorite cloak tucked away with his journals in a small pouch.

"Stay close, be safe," his parents had told him. As their species was just recently being regarded as an official kingdom, Garnet still needed to look good in front of others. He was encouraged to be himself and show off the kenku culture at this event though. Having been to so many events before it wouldn’t be difficult; he knew how to properly greet most beings and knew about their traditions. What would be difficult would be writing down everything he could while the party whirled around him. There was so much talking going on which was like a goldmine to Garnet. He was scribbling furiously every chance he could, picking up new phrases, voices, accents, and languages along the way.

After he and his parents were introduced at the main hall, they had proceeded to the ballroom to mingle. Garnet stayed close to his parents. They spoke cordially when they could and wrote or mimicked when they lacked the proper words to say. Garnet would take notes while they talked after he was introduced. It was fascinating to hear so many different voices all together in one room, he was having trouble picking out which conversations he was interested in, but he was perfectly content to hang back and make useful notes in his journal.

Eventually though, all the talking and moving around was getting to him. The ballroom was warming up with each new group that entered and his throat was parched. For a moment, Garnet examined the ballroom with his eyes rather than his ears. The vaulted ceiling and intricate mosaic made him feel small, but then again most things did. Appetizers were being served by fairies flitting between guests and a group was playing music to one side of the room. Many individuals were dancing on the floor, either out of politeness and tradition or because they were genuinely enjoying themselves and the music. At the other end of the hall though is where he saw the drinks table. Waiting for a moment of peace with his parents, he gently tugged his father's sleeve.

Getting a drink,” Garnet said, mimicking the hearty voice of a small, feminine dwarf he had heard earlier. His father smiled and nodded, waving him off and chirping in affirmation. Excited, Garnet swiftly made his way to the long table. Glasses, goblets, and tankards were lining every inch they could and drinks were snatched up by party-goers quickly. Just a quickly though, goblins stood by with refills and replenished the stock. There were sparkly and bright drinks beside thick, dark drinks and Garnet was excited to try something new. Looking around, he didn’t recognize much and figured he could ask one of the attendants for a suggestion. Waving one down, he opened his journal briefly to remember the phrase he planned on using. He had heard an elven fellow just a moment ago so he wasn’t quite familiar with his voice yet.

What do you recommend?” he asked in a smooth tenor. It was a very good imitation and Garnet was silently very pleased with himself. The goblin was a little startled though, as he recognized the voice but couldn’t quite place it and he hadn’t seen many kenku before, much less in such a formal atmosphere.

“Eh, yes, I would recommend, for you, a flower juice from the Centaur Nation, if you enjoy sweet tastes. For something more dry or bitter, we have a soda concocted by the Orges… are you listening?” The goblin was perplexed by Garnet’s behavior, as he had taken to scribbling once again in his journal. He squawked in embarrassment and apologized, a phrase he knew by heart. The goblin’s voice was just so different from anything he had heard so he wanted to remember what was said to later practice with. He picked up a flower juice and thanked him, walking a short distance away to drink it. He was still in earshot though and started taking mental notes of the conversations happening around him for later.
 

Dragalge

"Orange" Magical Girl
Princess Millefuille Mist II
Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic

The big day had finally arrived in Nexus with said day being the time for the 969th Grand Inter-Kingdom Ball! This year was going to be Millefuille’s first time attending this wondrous event with her retainers, their platoons of guards, and other soldiers tagging along to keep watch on everyone in the ball. Millefuille was dressed up in an outfit that was derivative from her usual attire. She wore a red, Victorian-styled dress that went to the bottom of her knees with black stockings. In addition, she wore her usual white wing hairpin and red shoes reminiscent of her normal footwear. Finally, Millefuille’s grimoire and a few concoctions were in separate pockets that were stitched on her dress by her mother. They held Millefuille’s weight a bit down but she was still able to walk fine. Millefuille wasn’t going to use those items unless an emergency commenced in the ballroom.

Millefuille made her way inside the ballroom along with her retainers and their platoons. She gazed at the beauty of the ballroom from every direction from the chandeliers to the art on the walls. Not only was she mesmerized by the decor but the mix of different races that had attended from other kingdoms too. Dwarves, gnomes, and goblins were just a few of the wide amount of races Millefuille spotted. She only had heard about all these races in school and books mostly but now would be a time where she might learn more about some of them in person.

“My platoon and I shall stay at the entrance, Millefuille. Pierre and Beau’s platoons have already been stationed at the left and right sides of the ballroom respectively. More guards are also stationed in the back too. You won’t have to worry about any potential troublemakers trying to cause trouble as long as were on guard.” Camille said to Millefuille in a firm manner

“Thank you Camille and everyone else for doing your jobs! I have your trust that things will go smoothly with your assistance!” Millefuille happily replying back to Camille.


With Camille and her platoon settling at her assigned area, Millefuille began walking down further in the ballroom. She wanted to walk a bit faster but because how many people filled the ballroom, that desire had to be thrown out. Nevertheless, she was still excited to talk to other citizens from various kingdoms. Millefuille approached a green goblin about her height and cheerfully greeted him much to the goblin’s surprise. Goblins were one of the many races she had not encountered before, making this a treat for the princess of Nexus.

“I-it’s nice to meet you too...wait aren’t you this kingdom’s daughter of the royal family? Your etiquette in greeting isn’t what I’d expect from someone like you.”


“Well I could speak more formal but I hardly have met any people like you and others from outside of Nexus until now! Also how did you know I was the princess of Nexus?” Millefuille asked to the goblin.

“I had heard about a tengu merchant who had sold a hairpin to the queen of Nexus for her daughter. The one you’re wearing matches the description from what the tengu merchant told me when she visited my kingdom a few years back!” the goblin replying back to Millefuille’s question happily.

The two continued to have a conversation until Millefuille got hungry and cheerfully said bye to the goblin. Millefuille made her way to the table that had an assortment of finger food and drinks from other kingdoms including her own. Out of curiosity, Millefuille took a bite out of a smoked hydra horn and experienced a crunchy yet flavored delicacy from the Dismal Swamp. Considering that it was from a hydra of all creatures, she was rather surprised how such a creature was able to be felled before the ball commenced. After swallowing the last bits of it, Millefuille turned around and gazed at the variety of different people once more. She spotted some muscular jotunn much taller than her, some fairies flying around, sirens dressed up in clothing that didn’t cover much skin, and more. Millefuille wasn’t going to meet everyone in one night but she wanted to at least meet as many races as she could!
 

VampirateMace

Internet Overlord
Laun (Jötunn) & Muninn (Falcon)
Location: Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic

Laun watched the other ball goers from the sidelines, as he continued casually drinking champagne straight from the bottle. Here he had a good view of the various races ordering vastly different drinks from the goblin server, including a couple vaguely familiar faces. Many people had also taken to slow dancing, or gathering in small groups to chat. But obnoxious introductions often broke through the dirge-like renditions of regional classics. He suspected a fairy sonnet was playing now, but flighty fairy songs sounded almost the same as heavy oni compositions when played like this.

After receiving a what seemed to be a special order, based on how long they'd talked (though he couldn't make out what they were saying) and the fact the goblin server left to get it, an orc he was pretty sure he'd never met, or at least didn't specifically remember, approached him. Orcs were pretty cool, in his limited experience, with a culture more like Jötunn than most of the races here, though at times it seemed to him like they were almost incapable of being serious. She punched him in the arm and greeted him as 'blue boy' before offering him a taste of alcohol from the demon kingdom.

“Hey short stuff,” quipped Laun with a chuckle. He definitely found the the prospect of trying demon drinks interesting and held out the champagne bottle to her, accepting and offering, “Yeah. Champagne?”

Swapping bottles, Laun took a drink. He huffed and chuckled again as he looked over the bottle, that stuff was nice and strong, even by Jötunn standards. He'd have to suggest to father that they try and get some imported to the swamps. He took another sip and offered her her bottle back, “Looks like you found the good stuff. . . This event's pretty dull isn't it?”

The music changed again, still slow and dull, but distinctively more primal in structure. Something intended to get the blood pumping when played at proper speed. Was this a yeti piece? Orc? Jötunn even? He sure hoped he'd recognize it if it was jötunn. The band was absolutely destroying everything they touched. Laun groaned and commented, “Ugh, they are murdering the music.”
 

Schade

Metallic Wonder
Crown Prince Alistair Duchannes Harkon II (Vampire)
Location: Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic


As one would think when attending a ball of the magnitude as this, it would not take long for Alistairs peace and quiet was interrupted. While he would love for the change of scenery, yet another young woman came darting over to him, likely to introduce herself and ask him to dance. This one seemed to be of some sort of aquatic origins. Alistair hadnt really paid too much attention to the people coming into the ballroom after him, nor did he know all the people who were there before he arrived. "Taking a break from dancing, yes? And from your lady friend? And from your family?" she asked. She was standing uncomfortably close and she smelled of fish, but like.. nice fish? It was all very strange and there was something off about her. "Is this traditional vampire clothing? I've never seen anything like it," she said in a soft tone, carassing his armor. he took a quick step back. "Ahem.. Yes, this is traditional Greymirian royal armor. It is commonly used for events like these..." he continues on, keeping the information and level of involvement as vague and shallow as possibly. This one was bad and he knew it. "But honestly, I'd rather see you with it off, if you catch my drift..."She somehow closed the distance he had provided in the same astonishing speed as he had. "I think we could both use a break from this stuffy ballroom, don't you?"

As a weird stroke of luck, a very pink fairy materialized from nothing at that moment, breaking what could only be percieved as possible assault. The fairy took it upon himself to introde ont he two, much to Alistairs great joy. Formally greeting both of them, he introduced himself as the prince of the fairy kingdom. Alistair didn't really like fairies, they were too sweet and sugary for his palette, but b eggars couldnt be choosers here. Before the fairy had even finished his sentence asking any of the two for a dance, Alistair had already grabbed the offering hand and looked deep into the fairy's eyes, showering him with determination. "Yes i will dance with you, right now" he said, as he pulled Sky away from the creepy girl.

Pulling the fairy out on the dancefloor, they both caught up to the beat of the music. By the sound of it, it had changed from the earlier tune to match another culturally appropriate theme. Sighing a sigh of relief, Alistair lead the dance to the tune while keeping a side-eye in case the creepy blue girl was about to do something freaky again. He felt like he would have to stay away from her, and using the fairy as a distraction was definitely the right call. His style didnt sit well with him, being too bright and sparkly , considering how he's more used to dark tones and general darkness. Regardless, he didnt seem hesitant to join him in dancing, and the two earned quite the few gasps and dramatic headturns. Apparently, two guys dancing was a big deal here? It was all very strange, but so long as it meant he was safe from the blue girl, it didnt matter to him. "Sorry about that, but i needed a wuick getaway. We'll finish this dance then i'll leave you in peace", he politely said as they continued their ballroom routine. It seemed the fairy had been trained in dance as well, as he managed to keep up with Alistair well enough.
 

Tangeh

Well-Known Member
Princess Tasoula Kasiani Eliades
Location: Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic


As the vampire awkwardly stuttered on about the history of his armor - as if she was actually interested in such nonsense, this boy certainly had trouble reading between the lines - she was interrupted by a tiny flying creature. Tasoula was annoyed for a couple of moments, at least until the creature grew into a six foot tall man and gently kissed her hand. Her interest grew even more significantly as he introduced himself as Prince Sky of the fairy kingdom. Now she was all in. She giggled sweetly. "Me, the pretty one? But you are so beautiful yourself, sir. My name is Princess Tasoula, but you may call me Tassie. Oh, how wonderful it is to have the opportunity to meet so many handsome faces~!" Her grin widened as the fairy repeated the gesture on the vampire's hand. She had two of them under her thumb now. Finally, things were looking up -

...And then the vampire grabbed the fairy prince and literally disappeared into the crowd. Tasoula stared for a few moments, as if unsure what had just transpired. Then a flush of embarrassment and rage grew inside her, and she glared after them, her eyes glowing as she searched for that vampire scum. How dare he ignore her?! "πρένα ο γέροςάνιου τό..." ["he must be gay..."] she growled under her breath. Why hadn't her mother mentioned that fun factoid? Ugh. No, she couldn't sing him back, though that's what her instincts were telling her to do. Her eyes stopped glowing. Her mother had forbade it, lest the organizers get mad at their kingdom... again. Besides, it would be a bit humiliating to be unable to land a man without hypnotizing him first. She could try to work on him later maybe, or at least snatch the fairy back. There were other fish in the sea.

Case in point, she glanced around for her original target and spotted him talking to... she squinted. Was that an orc? A female one, pretty rough looking. They were drinking something straight from the bottle. She plucked her drink back up and glided over to them, literally squeezing herself in between Laun and the orc. Without even greeting or making eye contact with the orc, Tasoula shoved the half-finished margarita into the orc's hands. Tasoula was shorter than the orc, and ridiculously shorter than Laun - this was becoming a weird theme; she'd never thought of herself as short before. Fortunately her stature gave her a great view of Laun's broad chest, if only if wasn't covered by that damn overcoat. He had thick biceps and she was practically drooling imagining his abs. She composed herself enough to give a sweet smile and curtsy politely at Laun. "Such an honour to finally get to talk to you!" Tassie said, her voice smooth and bubbly. She had honestly already forgotten that the orc was even there; she didn't so much as give her a glance. "My name is Princess Tasoula, but you may call me Tassie. All of my close friends do ~" She couldn't help herself any longer, and her hands ventured to his overcoat. "You must be very hot in that coat..." she murmured, faking concern as best she could. "The formalities are over, I'm sure they would not mind if you put it away for the dancing, no?" She winked at him and gestured to a hallway. "I know a place where you could take it off... if you would like?" she purred, gently trying to pry him away from his conversation.
 
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Vern

Why not both?
Shura Deadeye
Location: Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic


Much to Shura’s relief, the Jotunn took quite Kindly to her approach, quipping back at her and offering his own bottle of champagne in exchange, which she gladly accepted. She wasn’t the biggest fan of that bubbly brand of alcohol, but it would be rude to decline, and besides, it was better than nothing. Like the Jotunn, she didn’t hesitate to drink it straight from the bottle, half-draining it in three massive gulps, followed by a distinctly inelegant burp.

“Yeah,” she smirked in response to the Jotunn’s comment about having found ‘the good stuff’ as they swapped bottles back, “Pretty good, eh? Just ask Gilbert if ya want more, he knows where to fetch it.” The fact that the blue giant might not know who Gilbert is didn’t cross her mind.

“They are murdering the music.” The Jotunn commented with an exasperated groan.

“Are they?” Shura replied with a nonchalant shrug, noticing the fact that there was a band playing in the background for the first time. It was primal and a little on the slower side, and would probably sound vaguely like the beats Orcish drummers played during their festivals if it was about ten times louder, twice as fast, and whatever was playing the melody was removed. “Music ain’t really my thing — besides,” she grinned, “That playing is too weak to murder anything.”

Before she could say anything else, their conversation was abruptly interrupted as the siren she’d spotted earlier squeezed shelf in between them without giving her a second glance. Waruk had told her about them (the river Orcs occasionally made contact with them when fishing in the ocean), and mentioned that they didn’t seem to care much for other girls, so the siren’s total lack of regard for her presence didn’t exactly shock her. Still, it was a little disappointing, but the drink that had been stuffed into her hands quickly dispelled any negative feelings she might have had. As the siren threw herself at the Jotunn, Shura gleefully downed the puny drink that had been bestowed upon her. It was very salty, but not all that bad, really, and definitely not an unwelcome consolation gift.

“Well, I’ll get outta your hair now,” she chuckled, giving the Jotunn a wink, “You two go enjoy yourselves.” Her grin widened a bit as she caught notice of the siren’s trident — it was an incredibly well-crafted weapon, and like any orc faced with a well-crafted weapon, she couldn’t resist the idea of… well, using it for its intended purpose. She gave the siren a friendly nudge, pushing her into the Jotunn’s chest in an attempt to get her attention. “Hey, mind if I play with that while you’re busy fu—” the elf from earlier (as well as a few more nobles in the vicinity) glared at her again, and she lowered her voice, which, to be fair, had probably been a bit louder than it really needed to be, “— I mean, uh… satisfying yourself?”
 

VampirateMace

Internet Overlord
Laun (Jötunn) & Muninn (Falcon)
Location: Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic

Laun took another gulp of champagne, and nodded at the orc's instructions. He'd probably want to get himself a bottle of the demon stuff after he'd finished this. After all, alcohol and camaraderie were making this event a bit more tolerable. He chuckled at her joke, but was unable to reply properly as a siren forced her way between the two of them, offering the orc a little greenish drink. Then she did some sort of cramped gesture that kind of resembled a curtsy or bow, but she was far to close to Laun to pull it off. Though he had to admit he liked all the admiring attention from this. . . Tassie, was it? After all, he's always felt the ideal relationship was for him to be practically worshiped. He smiled back, bragging, “It's a pleasure to meet you as well. . . Actually, I can regulate my own temperature.”

He glanced down at the patch of frost that had formed around his feet. He still wasn't doing the best job and not making the floor below him too cold, but he certainly wasn't too warm. However he'd seen the wink and was aware that that wasn't what she'd meant. He was pretty sure that at the very least she wanted a glimpse of the muscles he worked so hard to maintain. He looked back up at her, “But perhaps you have a point. It could be a little restrictive for dancing?”

A glance at the dance floor would have told him that wasn't true. The people gathered there were dancing like cardboard cutouts. But he didn't glance at the dance floor. He turned his attention briefly to the orc, who was admiring the siren's weapon, and offered her the green bottle as well, “hold my champagne?”

He didn't really expect to get it back, but he didn't really think Tassie wanted him to divide his attention between showing off for her and drinking. And that was fine, a demon brew would be refreshing after dancing, so to speak. Besides he hoped the orc would know he was grateful for her company while it had lasted. He stepped away from the wall, following Tassie towards the coat closet. If any nearby party goers noticed, they whispered softly to one another, most understanding the implications of a siren being alone with any man.

The so called closet was well sized, larger then some of the huts Laun had visited in the swamp villages. Rows of robes, cloaks, and coats hung with color and number coded tags on their hangers. Other personal items sat in similarly coded cubbies along the walls. One had to wonder where the clerks always got off to that was more important than guarding personal items, but at the same time, it was convenient.

***

Unbeknownst to the ball goers, several figures in blood red cloaks were gathering just beyond the Grand Hall's security perimeter. Aside from a few of them being taller or shorter than the average human denizen of Nexus, cloaked figures were nothing unusual in the City of Magic, and no one payed them any mind.
 

Tangeh

Well-Known Member
Princess Tasoula Kasiani Eliades
Location: Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic

Laun greeted her much more warmly than the vampire had, though she was worried when he claimed he could regulate his own temperature. Seriously, were all men this dense? She'd already made up her mind that she wasn't going to let this one get away like the vampire had. Fool me once... But fortunately he seemed to be reading between the lines, as he still suggested they go put his coat away anyways. That or he genuinely thought that was a good idea - either way, Tassie would have him alone. The orc seemed to understand the situation at least, and even seemed to be encouraging it. Tassie wondered if she'd brought a brother to the event; she liked the orc's attitude, just not her gender.

Tassie stumbled into Laun as she was shoved from behind. She steadied herself by pushing her hands gently across Laun's chest. It was hard to be irritated at the excuse to do that, but Tassie glared backwards anyways at the orc who - of all things - was asking if she could "play" with the royal trident. Tassie quirked an eyebrow. Had this been literally any other moment, the answer should have been an instant no. The royal trident was a sacred relic that had been cherished amongst her people for centuries, and it was strictly to be used by siren royalty. But the coat closet was probably small, and she didn't see a body of water readily available to dismiss the trident. So she whirled on the orc, and her voice fell to a rushed whisper. "My mother sees you with this, we are both dead," she hissed seriously, then left the trident with the orc - Tassie didn't even know her name - and smiled sweetly as she turned back to Laun and led him out the side hallway. The trident was asleep anyways, and it was unlikely the orc had any idea how to awaken it.

The closet she found was bigger than anticipated - she probably could have brought the trident after all. Oh well - the trident was quickly disappearing from Tassie's thoughts as she closed the door behind them. "Your coat, sir?" Tassie joked seductively, gently prying it off slowly to take in Laun's massive biceps. His coat would come off, but it would never make it to a hanger...

...
Tassie poked her head out of the closet some time later, feeling on top of the world. That had been worth the otherwise complete drag the rest of the evening had been thus far. She literally couldn't reach Laun's cheek, so she pecked a kiss on his upper arm instead and sighed. She wished they could just stay in there but - well, you know. Plus, she remembered with a guilty jolt, she needed to find that orc and get back her trident before her mother noticed.
 

Schade

Metallic Wonder
Crown Prince Alistair Duchannes Harkon II (Vampire)
Location: Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic


Lucky for Alistair, the distracting act he had taken in pulling the fairy to the dancefloor had worked. He could see the Sirens evil gazes in the background, but literally the second later it appeared she was distracted by another piece of man. He sighed a sigh of relief as he kept up with the fairy's movements. He danced well, and didnt seem to be particularily bothered to be swiped away by the handsome dark and gloomy stranger. This was a safe bet for Alistair too, as he did sometimes have issues controlling his vampiric urges to bite people when in close proximity. Fairies, on the other hand, tasted so sickeningly sweet, very few vampires enjoyed their blood. Keeping up the dance in case the siren came back, Alistair tried thinking out what his next move would be. He still didn't know anyone there, and while the fairy was a good way of keeping himself busy from the siren, the fairy also seemed to be a bit too much into the scenario. it would be wise to find an exit at the first practical possible moment, and mingle with the other guests again.

"Thank you for this", Alistair told the fairy once the music stopped and the dancers on the floor retreated back to their own irrelevant squabbles. "The blue woman with the trident is dangerous, you would be wise to avoid her." he said. He then gently placed a kiss on the fairy's hand, earning squeels from the female ensamble, and some disapproving scuffs from their mothers. He would definitely hear about this from his father once he got back to the castle. The fairy giggled. Regardless, that would have to be tomorrows problems. For now, he would rather want to disappear into the shadows and observe the ball from afar. He had already gotten more than enough drama, action and possible romances for one evening, and frankly he was a bit tired. No wonder his father would be so grumpy after getting home from such events, allthough he likely ran around talking about beheadings or something most of the time.

Shooing off the fairy, he made a hasty retreat back to the snack-stand, hoping for more of those tiny red drinks with eyeballs in them. He didn't exactly know what they were, considering his lack of experience on the ball scene, but they sure did the trick. Though the drinks were heavily watered down, he could only barely taste the esssence of blood in them. It would seem the establishment wasn't expecting blood-drinkers for this event, but at the same time Alistair wondered where they had gotten this blood in the first place, as after tasting it, he had deduced that it was basilisk blood, which in itself was kind of hard to come by. Observing the dancefloor, he noticed how the siren had once again gotten herself entangled in what could only be a lethal love affair. He would have to remind someone to write a series of books about that concept, but for now, the dancefloor was dangerous, and quite frankly, he would rather mingle at this point.

It would, however, not be long before he would come to eat those words with a side of basilisk blood-juice. While all the young women at the establishment found him more intriguing for dancing with the fairy, their mothers had a few things to say while pointing their fingers up into the air as if they were trying to divert his gaze. What, one of the women caught a hawk with her bare hands or something? Sigh after sigh after sigh and he decided that no, No thank you, Nutella, i would rather go hang with this huge hunk of a person than to be around you or your weirdly drooling daughter for now. The siren seemed to have disappeared, which made it safe for him to venture out and mingle again. There was a woman, and she was a lot bigger than he was. An orc? She looked like it by the way she dressed and how she behaved. At any rate, she would be safe company in case the siren would return, so he walked over to her. Part of his job there was to get new aquaintances after all.

"Hello there. I must say, you seem cut from a different cloth than the other women at this establishment. What is your name?" he asked her politely.
 
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Vern

Why not both?
Shura Deadeye
Location: Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic


“Gladly.” Shura grinned in reply to the Jotunn’s offer (or request?), tossing the now-empty bottle of demon brew into the trash can and tucking the champagne under her arm. “Don’t expect to get it back, though.”

The siren whirled on her — surprisingly aggressively, and she was almost taken aback — and her voice quickly fell to a whisper, warning her not to be seen with the trident as she handed it to her. It seemed serious enough, and Shura did her best to nod gravely in response. “Don’t worry, I gotcha.” She said, tucking it behind her back and hiding it from view from the majority of the ballroom. Such a rudimentary ruse wouldn’t last, but she was heading outside anyway, where the Siren Queen would most likely not be. The Siren’s aggressive demeanour quickly faded back into a sweet smile as she walked off with Laun, and if Shura hadn’t just gotten her hands on one of the most valuable weapons in the realm, she might have found herself feeling a little jealous of the two of them.

However, she had gotten her hands on one of the most valuable weapons in the realm, and that meant going outside to wave it around was her number one priority. With a gleeful spring in her step she slid along the side of the room, keeping an eye out for the Siren queen, heading towards the exit. Just before she got there, however, she was waylaid by the vampire prince from earlier.

"Hello there.” He said, politely, “I must say, you seem cut from a different cloth than the other women at this establishment. What is your name?"

Shura laughed. “It’s an orc thing. We don’t mix well with nobility.” As if to emphasise her point (although really she was just oblivious), she took a long swig from Laun's champagne and let out a burp. Glacing down at the vampire’s armour, and more importantly, the sword swinging by his side, and her initial annoyance quickly turned into glee at the new opportunity, “The name’s Shura, by the way — hey, you wanna go outside and spar?”
 

VampirateMace

Internet Overlord
Alright guys, it's time to really get this party started. . .

As the revelry, if it could be called that, continued inside the Grand Hall, the hooded figures dispersed from their meeting point, each taking back roads and alleys until every one of them was nearly in place. Then at the appointed time, each stepped into their target location, a select spot just outside the security perimeter of the Grand Hall. They'd already started the spell by the time a guard realized something was up. There was no turning back now. At the final line, the hooded figures stretched their hands skyward and shout.

Their shouting was immediately drown out by an intense rumbling and a thunderous crack. The ground around the Grand Hall shook and cracked. The fissures formed were not dark abysses down into the earth though, no, they glowed with hot white light, throwing off sparks of blue and purple.

***

Laun (Jötunn) & Muninn (Falcon)
Location: Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic

Laun glanced over at his coat still on the floor as Tassie peeked out of the room. He assumed she was right in that they should return to the party, though he wasn't sure if he was still meant to leave his coat or not. He should at least hang it up if not. Sure the Grand Hall wasn't located in the wilderness where many were used to shaking out their clothes and boots in the morning before putting them on, but that was still good form, right? Then again, he kind of doubted they were going to be dancing after the exercise they'd just got.

He smiled stupidly as she kissed his arm. It was kind of a stupid moment all around, but he appreciated the effort involved in the gesture. Yeah, they were definitely beyond dancing. He'd only just started over to retrieve his coat when the room started to shake, or rather the whole establishment had started to shake. Coats rattled on the racks and items at the edges of the cubbies spilled out onto the floor. Laun snatched up his coat and ran back towards the door, tugging Tassie out along with him.

The hall was in a uproar, people were panicking, some running every which way, others frozen on the spot staring in horror, while still other were hiding under tables or clinging to pillars and doorways in some semblance of normal earthquake procedure. Then a large chandiler of glass cut glass, brass, and flaming candles crashed down into the middle of the ballroom, with a horrible boom accented by tinkle of shattering glass. The panic intensifies. Laun himself looked towards the nearest exit and shouted to Tassie over the rest of the panic, “We should probably get out of here!”

He is not thinking about her trident or if she'd object as he grabs her forearm and starts to run, weaving through the chaotic crowd. The exit is close, but also crowded is getting dense with people pushing at each other to get out. He knows he's not in danger of being trampled, but Tassie is much smaller, and he suggests to her, “Stay close!”
 

Monster Guy

Fairy type Trainer
Prince Sky Sparkledust
Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic


The Vampire guy took up Sky on his offer, and immediately pulled him out onto the dance floor. Sky was perfectly ok with this. He would get his chance to dance with the blue haired girl afterwards. The two had a lovely dance out on the floor. Even if this music was not to his taste. He preferred more upbeat music. Still, the dance was fun. Sky had practiced the art of ballroom dancing, and so did the vampire prince it seemed. Learning to dance was something usually all royals learned.

Some of the other guests were staring at the two princes dancing together. Some people were supportive, while others were gasping in horror. Were people seriously bothered by two men dancing together? In the Fairy kingdom, people having lovers of the same gender really wasn't that big of a deal. They even had magic that allowed two people of the same gender to have children together.

Once the dance was over, the prince warned him that the blue woman was dangerous, but Sky didn't really see how. As far as he could tell, she was just a pretty young woman looking for love. What could be dangerous about that? The vampire then kissed Sky's hand, and the fairy prince giggled. "Thank you so much! I had fun. Hope we can do this again someday."

The two princes then went their separate ways, and Sky shrunk back down to Fairy size, and flew all around the ballroom looking for the blue haired woman. He couldn't find her anywhere. It was like she disappeared. "Where did she disappear to?" The prince wondered out loud.

Just then, the room started to shake. Sky didn't notice, since he was flying, but the other guests sure did. They were in a panic and running around like crazy. Also, stuff was falling, and glass was breaking. He saw the big fancy chandelier in the middle of the dance floor fall to the ground and shatter into a million pieces.

Sky had to fly in between panicking people trying to get out. He eventually found the blue haired girl holding the hand of a really tall blue haired and blue skinned man. A Jötunn if he remembered correctly. Sky immediately zipped up to them, and took a seat on the girl's shoulder. "Oh, hey I've been looking for you. What is this? A meeting of blue haired people? Hope you guys are ok with a blonde guy barging in!" Sky laughed at his own comment. Now likely wasn't the time for jokes, but hey, someone had to lighten up the mood. "Things got nuts all of a sudden huh? Either of you know what's going on?"
 
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Tangeh

Well-Known Member
Princess Tasoula Kasiani Eliades
Location: Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic

Tassie glanced back as Laun broke away from her and went back into the closet. Wishful thinking caused her to misinterpret the reason - she certainly wasn't about to say no, though she really did want to go find the trident. She had only enough time to muse over the stamina of Laun's species compared to the wimpy humans they had at home and slyly begin closing the closet door again when the room began violently shaking. The closet door swung open as Tassie released it in favour of clinging to the doorframe. "What going on?!" she asked in panic, not expecting an answer. She probably would have stayed glued to the doorframe for the rest of the evening had Laun not pulled her out of the closet and into the center of the chaos.

The air was loud with panicked voices, accented by frantic footsteps and hoofclops and wingbeats. She gaped at the chandelier as it crashed to the ground, her anxiety increasing appropriately with everyone else's. She faintly made out Laun's suggestion that they get out of the building. That was probably wise, if not for the fact that everyone else looked like they had the same plan. Hundreds of citizens were fighting with each other to exit the building, shoving and bickering at each other. Tassie fought back, undeterred and determined to get herself out before the entire place collapsed. Her smaller stature wasn't enough to let her slip through the crowd, and she dodged a few elbows to her head before resigning to Laun's advice to stay close to him. Frustrated at being jostled around, her eyes glowed brightly. "Mονομος!" she called desperately, and a rush of wind bristled through the crowd. It had been meant to split them a path down the middle, but it did little more than mess up the hair of the nobles in front of them. Ugh, that spell worked better underwater - or maybe it was because they were packed like sardines. ...Or maybe it was because she didn't have her trident - Gods, where had that ended up? Her free hand opened and closed unconsciously, the lack of weight in it bothering her. This was a disaster.

In all of the chaos she honestly didn't notice the little fairy perching himself on her shoulder until his voice resonated in only one of her ears. She jumped, nearly flicking him off on instinct before recognizing the handsome fairy that the gay vampire had selfishly stolen away from her. "What are you doing?" she asked in disbelief, then gently scooped him off shoulder, certain he was going to fall off in all the chaos, and cradled him against her chest with her free hand. The ground shook violently again and Tassie cried out as the crowd surged violently forward, fear driving them to push harder against the exit. She lost her balance and probably would have fallen if not for both Laun securing one of her arms and the fact that there was literally no room for her to fall. Tassie wished she'd spent more time studying the layout of the ballroom instead of scoping out all of the male heirs; surely there was a better way to direct all of these people. She steeled herself again, her eyes glowing. "Πρίαμος!" The time the wind blew from behind them, adding even more pressure to the situation. A few at the front tumbled out, but otherwise it didn't exactly help. It made Tassie feel a little better, anyways. She hated feeling powerless.
 

Skillfulness

Well-Known Member
Garnet Culture-CouncilSon-Scholar
Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic


Garnet felt the ground rumble before he heard a loud crack. In the middle of sketching some of the dancers on the floor, Garnet stopped along with everyone else before the panic flared. A flurry of bodies ran in all directions as objects fell and the foundation shook. Garnet squawked when the chandelier crashed to the floor. He was brought out of his trance and started joining in the panic.

Mamma Papa!” Garnet ran between the legs of larger creatures and started shouting, using phrases he had gathered from a very young age. “Mamma! Papa!” As a shorter species, Garnet couldn't see much of what was happening. There was a surge of bodies towards the exit and even though he hadn’t found his parents, Garnet couldn’t exactly fight the flow.

He dodged being crushed by some larger people as they fell. Rather clumsily, he fumbled through his side satchel to remove his bonded cloak. Unsure of what the danger was, he wanted to be prepared. He adjusted his belt to make sure the traditional phoenix feathers wouldn’t fall. Honestly, he was just trying to distract himself from the chaos around him. If he stopped and thought about what could be happening for too long, he would probably freeze up again. He knew he had to keep moving.

Without much warning Garnet bumped into the leg of a large, green humanoid. She had silver hair and carried a staff. She also looked fairly sure of herself, well, more sure than Garnet felt anyway. Hastily, he reached up and tugged at her sparse clothing.

Help,” he said, using the voice of a child, then added, “Please.
 

GoldenHouou

antagoonist
Crown Prince Aeon the Feared
Ballroom of the Grand Hall in Nexus: City of Magic


While Aeon cared little for peace, he had to admit the celebrations themselves had proven quite delightful so far. There were people from all over the world, representing multiple kingdoms and species. The music, though somewhat of a hit and miss depending on the song, set a pleasant enough atmosphere throughout the evening. The decorations were lavish, with food and drink aplenty.

And, above all else, the fear was delicious.

In his short time at the ball, it had become obvious to Aeon that many of the attendees had never seen a demon in the flesh before. It wasn't surprising: the majority of the world likely only knew about them through tales of horror. Why, he almost felt it his duty to live up to those terrible, terrible stories - not that he had to do much, really. Some shrunk from a mere glance, while others needed nothing but his approach. Some were more resilient, only crumbling once exposed to his powers and 'accidental' promises of danger. There were, of course, also many of those that ignored him altogether; they were boring, and so Aeon ignored them in turn.

"How do you like the ball so far? I've found it quite... enjoyable, myself."

The girl in his hold didn't say a word. She hadn't for the entire time they'd danced. Her eyes were fixed on the front of his garb, far from the glow of his eyes, as if she hoped he wouldn't see her either. Her terror was exquisite.

Aeon pulled her closer.

A few songs and a few unfortunate dancing partners later, the demon gave a polite bow to his latest victim and set out to sample wines instead. Aeon always did fancy a drink or two after a good meal of fear. He passed by the food table without a second glance; he'd made sure to eat proper food upon arrival so as to sustain his body, but no matter the delicacy, they all tasted dull to him. It was like chewing on wood. Different flavours and textures of wood perhaps, but all equally unappetizing compared to the feelings he fed on.

Seeing alcohol from his kingdom among the selection brought a grin to the demon's lips. Idly, he wondered how many could stomach it. All manner of food and drink made back home was exceptionally strong flavoured, so the demons themselves could feel it, if not taste. They enjoyed the burn.

Aeon poured himself a drink and started towards a gathering of people, his intent to mingle.

It never got beyond intent. Two steps in, there was a thunderous sound, followed soon after by startled screams from the people around him. The ground shook violently, and judging by the particularly loud screams coming from the exits, something was afoot there.

In an instant, the entire ballroom erupted into chaos. The glass Aeon had been holding slipped from his fingers and shattered unto the ground. He didn't even notice.

Aeon leaned against the closest pillar with a gasp, one hand holding his face as he tried to contain himself. The accumulated fear from everyone present was overwhelming. It was like a drug, seeping into the demon's mind through every pore, settling into every cell and filling him with ecstasy. He felt... powerful, more so than he had in ages, and it was difficult to bear. He wanted more. He wanted to throw himself into the panicked crowd and fill every single person with terror until their faces turned pale and their hearts stopped beating.

But... no, he couldn't. The exits were already overrun by people. He had to get out with the rest, if he didn't want to risk losing his body.

Besides, the people were sure to be just as terrified once outside.

Aeon tore himself away from the pillar. The dizziness he'd felt was gone, replaced by striking clarity. He felt as though he could see everything - and do anything.

He waltzed into the mass of panicked people, quite literally throwing aside the ones that got in the way of his advance. Normally, he would've had no physical prowess to do such a thing - and so, it felt particularly good to be able to feel strong once more. Elf bodies were not known for such a thing, after all.

Even when able to toss people aside however, his advance was by no means easy. The sheer amount of people pushing into him from every direction, coupled with his light frame, meant that every now and again someone threatened to knock him off balance. Perhaps if he started using his corroding power on the people around him, decaying them one by one as he advanced, but... that would be a waste - of people, if not time. It wasn't the smartest thing to start killing your own source of power.

"Move," he ordered as he forced himself forward, though he didn't truly expect people to hear. "Make way."

A man around his height, dressed lavishly as if royalty, moved from where he'd been standing towards Aeon. Wordlessly, he started to push aside the people blocking his way as if attempting to carve a path for him. The demon blinked. Well wasn't this a kind stranger. Were all vampires this considerate?

... No. No, there had to be more to it than--

He'd yet to finish that thought when a few other undead guests joined in, similarly making him a way.

Oh.

That's right, he had necromancer powers, and vampires were, all things considered, undead creatures. He'd-- almost forgotten. His powers had never been this potent before.

Well now, this made things easier.

With the help of his little entourage, advancing was much faster. Aeon could tell; by now, he'd almost caught up to the large, blue man whose head he'd used to navigate so far. The man was much taller than the people around him, so following him had been a good way to make sure he didn't lose his way. That was, unless the blue man himself got lost. That'd be... problematic.

Aeon made his way next to him, walking somewhat leisurely behind the few undead that pushed people aside around him. Every now and again he gave them a hand and threw someone over his shoulder.

"Not quite the finale I imagined for the ball," he mused to the man, "though I can't say I mind terribly."

He let his gaze wander over the Jötunn, the Fairy and the Siren, assessing them. Interesting.

"You two seem much less afraid than many of the others here", he commented to the two men. "Impressive."

And just a little disappointing.

Now the siren, on the other hand... she made for a nice pocket snack of fear.
 
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